Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis

The unethical practices & behavior in today’s business accounting often goes unchecked, because the actions directly affect management or executives, since they usually control this accounting hence the results. If someone thinks their job might be in jeopardy they may falsify thinks for these members of management. As it seems obvious, falsifying or altering business documents such as sales receipts, or tampering with reports would be considered unethical practices. According to Anonymous Employee (n. d. , â€Å"Among the most common unethical business behaviors of employees are making long-distance calls on business lines, duplicating software for use at home, falsifying the number of hours worked, or much more serious and illegal practices, such as embezzling money from the business, or falsifying business records. † (para. 1). Among those situational exampleswhich include embezzlement of funds by an accountant from their employers for financial gain also include accountants receiving corporate pressure from their client to report false information and having unrealistic objectives and deadlines. An accountant may decide to work for a company even though a conflict of interest may exist. If the accountant is owed money or has a significant stake in a firm, he or she may not be the ideal individual to prepare certain companies' financial statements. † (Jacobsen, 2008, para. 10). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is legislation enacted for the protection from the unethical behaviors. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act puts rules in place to hold executives accountable for the accuracy of their organization’s financial statements. The rules that are put in place achieve harsher punishments and criminal penalties for non-compliance. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act does its best to ensure financial statements be true and correct. â€Å"Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that publicly traded companies disclose their code of ethics for senior financial officers. The Act was designed to promote honest and ethical conduct; full and accurate disclosure in periodic reports; and compliance with applicable government rules and regulations. † (Jacobsen, 2008, para. 10). Does the Sarbanes-Oxley Act completely guarantee ethically correct financial statements each and every time? References Jacobsen, R. (2008, January). Unethical Behavior In The Workplace. EzineArticles, (), . Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Unethical-Behavior-In-The-Workplace;id=954264 Anonymous Employee.(n.d.).Unethical behavior in the workplace. Retrieved from http://www.anonymousemployee.com/csssite/sidelinks/unethical_behavior.php

Judaism †Meaning of life Essay

The meaning of life is a philosophical question concerning the significance of life or existence in general. It can also be expressed in different forms, such as â€Å"Why are we here? â€Å", â€Å"What is life all about? â€Å", and â€Å"What is the purpose of existence? † It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history. There have been a large number of proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The meaning of life is in the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness, and borders on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple Gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the ‘how’ of life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question â€Å"What is the meaning of my life? † The value of the question pertaining to the purpose of life may coincide with the achievement of ultimate reality, or a feeling of oneness, or even a feeling of sacredness. governs the universe. Closeness with the God of Israel is through study of His Torah, and adherence to its mitzvot (divine laws). In traditional Judaism, God established a special covenant with a people, the people of Israel, at Mount Sinai, giving the Jewish commandments. Torah comprises the written Pentateuch and the transcribed oral tradition, further developed through the generations. The Jewish people are intended as â€Å"a kingdom of priests and a holy nation†[69] and a â€Å"light to the Nations†, influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical Seven Laws of Noah. The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God. Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative and prohibative injunctions. Modern Jewish denominations differ over the nature, relevance and emphases of mitzvot. Jewish philosophy emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. The rationalist Maimonides sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe. [70] Among fundamental values in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education. [71][72] The world to come,[73] prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God. [74] Simeon the Righteous says, â€Å"the world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness. † The prayer book relates, â€Å"blessed is our God who created us for his honor†¦ and planted within us everlasting life. † Of this context, the Talmud states, â€Å"everything that God does is for the good,† including suffering. The Jewish mystical Kabbalah gives complimentary esoteric meanings of life. As well as Judaism providing an immanent relationship with God (personal theism), in Kabbalah the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of God’s Being (panentheism), related to the Shekhinah (Divine feminine). Jewish observance unites the sephirot (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of God’s persona, exiled in physical existence (the Kelipot shells), through the actions of Jewish observance. [75] Through this, in Hasidic Judaism the ultimate essential â€Å"desire† of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by man from within his limited physical realm, when the body will give life to the soul. Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy named after its prophet Zoroaster, which is believed to have influenced the beliefs of Judaism and its descendant religions. [77] Zoroastrians believe in a universe created by a transcendental God, Ahura Mazda, to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Ahura Mazda’s creation is asha, truth and order, and it is in conflict with its antithesis, druj, falsehood and disorder. (See also Zoroastrian eschatology). Since humanity possesses free will, people must be responsible for their moral choices. By using free will, people must take an active role in the universal conflict, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

Ethical dilemmas in the workplace Essay

Abstract Business managers must practice ethics in the workplace. Managers are faced with a variety of situations and decisions in which they need to objectively resolve. They must work with individuals from diverse background and differing values and principles. Consider some of the following workplace dilemmas. Explore the online library for scholarly articles on ethical dilemmas in the workplace. Using Microsoft Word, prepare a document that includes the following: Discuss some of the common ethical dilemmas managers face in the workplace. Compare and contrast the ethical dilemmas that managers face to ethical dilemmas employees face in the workplace. Why is it important for managers to build trust, commitment, and effort among stakeholders associated with the firm? What value does it provide to the organization? How does it impact employees? Discuss your thoughts on employee e-mail monitoring in the workplace. Is it ethical? Is it justified? Does whistle-blowing violate company loyalty? S hould an employee blow the whistle if they are aware of wrongdoing? Introduction I think we all have heard about workplace ethics. I think what most people fail to realize is that ethics are ethics. To think that there is a separate definition for workplace ethics is just untrue. Ethics are when we  are faced with the right or wrong choice. A good ethical decision is when we make the right choice even when it may be the harder of the two decisions. There are some golden rules or popular phrases that we may recite just to keep one another on track. Phrases such as treat others as you want to be treated or don’t hurt, steal or lie or my favorite practice what you preach (Curry, 2012). Some of the common Ethical dilemmas in the workplace are: Conducting personal business on company time. I think this occurs because most of our weekday time is spent working. The temptations are too use the time to try and take care of stuff that even a lunch break won’t allow you to accomplish. Some of the that personal business may include doctor’s appointments, reservations, surfing the web or even running a side business for your personal gain. Another area where we may cross the line of ethics in the workplace is taking credit for someone else’s work. If we are tasked as a team but not assigned individual tasks to come up with some result then it may be easy for someone to sit back and take some of the credit. That’s why it’s important to delegate work so that when it comes together as one all can benefit. Another area that we can find ourselves involved in some negative ethical workplace behaviors is when we are harassed or see harassing behav iors in the workplace. Employees often don’t know what to do if they see one of their co-workers harassing another employee, either mentally, sexually or physically. Employees may worry for their jobs if they attempt to report a superior for harassment (Rafner, 2010). By comparison Ethics are the same no matter who you are or what position you hold within a company. The difference is employees shouldn’t have to worry when reporting unethical behaviors and Managers should act on them quickly as well as being professional when they are conducting investigations etc. As a whole Companies are generally expected to provide fair working conditions for their employees in the business environment. Having an employee handbook that outlines both management as well as employees acceptable behaviors in my opinion will leave no doubts of what is acceptable in the workplace (Rafner, 2010). It is important for managers to build trust and commitment amongst its stakeholders because without them there is no business. Management cannot be everywhere so in their absence managers need to be sure the company can and will be ran just as if they were standing next to that employee. What that does is create a sense of self worth and is a motivating factor and a good thing to have. Employees/stakeholders/customers do not like shady practices and often it is a sign of a poorly run business. When issues arise it is important to know that management is committed to a result that is not only is good for business but makes the customer (who is just as much a stakeholder) feel good! To take it one step further it seems in my experience companies that have open door policies seem to be the most caring. Employees really appreciate the chance to be able to voice concerns and not feel like a number. I believe this shows that mangers are committed to the overall well being of not only the s take holders but the image of the company. However, those reviews are mixed when it comes to what powers managers actually have especially when it comes to employee monitoring. An old 2001 CNN poll suggests from a study of human-resources professionals at 722 companies, found 74 percent saying they monitor workers’ Internet use at work; 72 percent said they check on employees’ e-mail; 51 percent said they review phone calls. The workplace privacy survey was conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), with West Group (CNN, 2001). Surely those numbers have risen or at a minimum went unchanged especially since technology as advanced greatly in the last ten years no doubt. I don’t think there is any question that it is perfectly legal for employers to read employee mail especially on employers provided e-mail accounts. Courts in my opinion seem like it would uphold just about any company’s right to monitor an employee’s e-mail especially when there is reason to believe the employee is doing something wrong on company property. At every place I have recently worked there has been a form to sign acknowledging that email isn’t private. Employers also may have â€Å"key logger† software in place that investigates certain buzzwords not only for the protection of the business but its employees and customers as well. To be honest unless its company related this should be a dead issue. You don’t have anything to worry about if you’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just that simple! There are so many  things these days that get judged or talked about at the workplace it’s hard not to wonder or worry. This paper talked about some of the Ethical Dilemma’s in the workplace but what about whistle blowing? What should an employee do? I don’t know if whistle blowing violates company loyalty but it sure would make it an uncomfortable place to be if it occurred often. I would have to think that morale would suffer and the chance of derogatory behaviors would increase. Too much of it you may even see a threat of workplace violence. I don’t think an employee has an obligation of loyalty to a company, even a prima facie one, because companies are not the kind of things that are properly objects of loyalty. I do however feel that loyalty is a real bond between people and should be something that for the sake of the entire group should always be intact. I think that employees are there to work and they shouldn’t have to play police officer however if something someone does would have a negative impact or result in some adverse reaction then I think reporting it would only benefit the group. Not everyone is going to get along and there will always be differences but to report each person every time th ey blink wrong is a vendetta that companies hate to see. I think the Utilitarian approach of greatest good for the greatest numbers has to come to play when blowing the whistle unless of course it’s an ethics violation outlined by the employee handbook or against the everyday code of ethics. Bibliography Larue Tone Hosmer, 2011 The Ethics of Management, A Multidisciplinary Approach Myron Curry, 2012 Ethics in the workplace, retrieved December 21st, 2012 from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Ethics-In-The-Workplace&id=12475 Don Rafner, 2010 Common Ethical Workplace Dilemmas retrieved December 20th , 2012 from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/common-ethical-workplace-dilemmas-748.html CNN , 2001 Monitoring employees: Eyes in the workplace retrieved December 21st, 2012 from: http://articles.cnn.com/2001-01-02/business/surveillence_1_lewis-maltby-national-workrights-institute-monitoring-employees?_s=PM:CAREER

Children as Eyewitnesses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Children as Eyewitnesses - Research Paper Example According to the research findings the courtroom is the modern day battlefield. As lay persons, much of our experience with court trials is acquired from television shows and movies. While the actual study of law covers so many topics that may come across as routine and ordinary, such as the law on property and on personal relations, the law that is depicted in primetime media is always dramatic and suspenseful, and always in the field of criminal law. The climactic scenes would always have to do with the cross-examination of the crucial witness whom the clever lawyer would always get to reveal the truth with some masterful techniques in questioning. Courtroom procedure has strict rules which lawyers must follow in questioning witnesses. The obvious purpose is so that witnesses will not be tricked or intimidated into providing a misleading answer, and therefore to ensure that the testimony will lead to the truth. A clean line of questioning is also important in bringing out the whole truth, and not only a portion of it; a good lawyer will apply skill and strategy in tactfully getting the most hostile witness to testify to the truth despite the witness’s efforts to conceal it. Such techniques and procedures are designed for adults, however, and they may not be applicable when the witness to be interrogated is a child. Common knowledge tells us that children are prone to tell the truth as they perceive it, and do not resort to deceptive manoeuvres that adults are used to employing. On the other hand, common observation also tells us that children themselves are easily deceived, that sometimes suggestions by adults or people whom they trust colours their perception of what is true. Under certain circumstances, therefore, it is possible that truthful children may become unreliable eyewitnesses because of circumstances in and out of the courtroom. This study will determine to what extent children’s testimony as eyewitnesses can be re lied upon, and the precautions taken in legal procedure to ensure the integrity of their testimony. The paper will discuss about important elements in child development and psychology in order to understand better the way children think and act in various stages of their development. After that, the general law on the treatment and questioning of eyewitnesses shall be discussed, to establish the common practice in this legal procedure. After discussing the general approach, the special approach of interrogating a child as an eyewitness will be described and analysed. This will entail a comparison with the general approach and a discussion on the points where they differ. The conclusion shall follow thereafter. 2. Child development and psychology 2.1. Stages of child development Children’s minds function differently during different stages of the child’s development. This may well have a bearing on the manner by which children of various ages would be expected to act as witnesses. 2.1.1 Cognitive Development Theories Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development teaches that children think differently than adults, in that children play an active role in acquiring knowledge by actively seeking out and constructing their understanding of the world. Children are like scientists who build their theory about how things around them work, and try to interpret things in accordance with their theory, and revising their theory when the new experience does not fit.1 Table 1: Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development2 Stage Approximate Age Characteristics Sensorimotor Birth to 2 years Infant’s knowledge of the world is based on senses and motor skills; by the end of the period, uses mental representation. Preoperational thought 2 to 6 years Child learns how to use symbols such as words and numbers to represent aspects of the world but relates to the world only through his or her perspective. Concrete operational thought 7 years to early adolescence Chi ld understands and applies logical operators to experiences provided they are focused on the

Read and answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Read and answer question - Essay Example From this, the whole organization would benefit and remain with their misconducts. In application of the individualism approach to decision-making involving a long-term serve of self-interest, Antonio would tell of the fraud to the insurance company, which despite ruining his job at Express Luxury Lines, would create ethics in the organization. Putting myself into Antonio’s place, I would make a decision of the individualism approach though ethical of stopping the fraud against the insurance company by Express Luxury Lines. This is a decision in the post-conventional level of moral development, which involves making decisions with principled conscience as long as the decision is ethical without fear of the social consequences attributed to it. In the event that Antonio and Kevin are fired from Express Luxury Lines because of them reporting Expresses’ fraud, it would not be justified for them to remove all traces of their employment at the Cruise line from their resumes so as not to explain it to the prospective employer. Contrary to that, this should be an opportunity for them to ascertain their ethical behaviors in decision-making processes, making it known to the prospective employer that it is due to their strong ethical stand that they were fired, hence are the best placed employees in ensuring sanity in the

Developmebts in cyber techniques have tended to contribute to greater Essay

Developmebts in cyber techniques have tended to contribute to greater international tension and foreign policy conflict. Discuss - Essay Example curity programs have been developed by various states all over the world in order to protect sensitive data and other types of information from assaults that are made through the internet. Cyber security measures tend to involve various steps, the most important of these steps being a state’s understanding of the different forms of cyber attacks that it is likely to encounter. Once it has knowledge of this, then it is its responsibility to ensure that it has put in place the best security systems that it can get its hands on. There exist a diverse number of threats most of which exist at various levels and hazards to the information of companies and governments in their computers and other networks. It is because of this that the more superior the likelihood of there being a threat to cyber security, the more advanced the system designed to protect assets will be. The development of more advanced cyber techniques has over the years led to the development of higher internationa l tensions, especially between rival states which view cyber attacks against each other as a means of gaining an advantage over one another on the international stage.1 This has created a situation where the number of cyber attacks by government sponsored hackers from different countries have steadily increased; raising speculations that there is the possibility future wars will likely be fought on the internet. The development of better cyber techniques has led to a situation where a number of countries attempt to hack into other countries’ computer systems for the sole purpose of stealing trade secrets. This has recently been a cause of significant tension between the United States and China with the former accusing the latter of being responsible for stealing the trade secrets of various American companies in order to using these secrets to gain economic leverage. The tension between these two countries was further increased as a result of the United States declaring and showing the

Re-Educating Healthcare Providers on Hand Hygiene Practice Research Paper

Re-Educating Healthcare Providers on Hand Hygiene Practice - Research Paper Example Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) present a serious challenge in the provision of healthcare services to patients in hospital settings. Studies you cite only one study indicate that about 80 The numbers of patients and HAIs have continuously risen; hence, it has been increasingly difficult to identify the actual population of patients suffering from HAIs (Monnet, 2012). Nevertheless, existing literature has produced a great deal of evidence indicating that hand hygiene practices among providers reduces HAIs. However, compliance rates to hand hygiene practices such as handwashing and gelling remain small, which makes it difficult to prevent HAIs. Specifically, healthcare related infections have been on the increase in the recent years, prompting serious investigations as to whether healthcare facilities were taking hand hygiene seriously. Global statistics indicates that the rate of hospital-acquired infections revolves around 25 percent, while also increasing costs involved in treating and managing HAIs in healthcare facilities (Kim &Kollak, 2006). However, substantive epidemiologic evidence supports the fact that hand hygiene helps to reduce the instances of HAIs in hospitals (Kim &Kollak, 2006). The primary underlying factor is that compliance with hand hygiene practices reduces the rates of related infections to a greater extent (Ivers, et al. 2012).

African American Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

African American Studies - Essay Example While this long term outcome was the same for both men, they differed greatly in the way that they went about turning their ideas into action. Martin Luther King started out as a preacher with a purely religious set of goals. He followed in his family’s tradition, ministering to his own people in his own church and confining himself to religious teachings. Increasing violence against his congregation, and widespread atrocities in the southern states prompted him to change his position to a more political one, however and he became known for his commitment to non-violent political action. He supported bus boycotts, sit-ins, demonstrations and the famous march in Washington, and in word and deed he called black Americans to rise up and join together in resistance, but stopped short of any proactive acts of violence or even retaliation in the face of violence. In his most famous â€Å"I have a Dream† speech to a mostly black audience, he used his considerable talents as a public speaker to paint a future vision of an Alabama, the heart of the currently racist south where â€Å"†¦ little black boys and blac k girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.† (Luther King, 1963a) Using imagery drawn from the Bible he deliberately included white people in this vision, and stressed the unity of all people, male and female, black and white, rich and poor, depicting them as being in chains while they participate in this unjust society, and â€Å"free at last† (Luther King, 1963a) when slaves and oppressor together can enjoy equal rights. By advocating peaceful resistance, he managed to retain the moral high ground, and by stressing the common Christian religion and culture of the majority of blacks and whites in America, he sought to build trust and tackle instances of oppression one by

Ghana and the Ashanti Tribe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ghana and the Ashanti Tribe - Essay Example The issue of Ghana and the Ashanti tribe is one of great significance and interest, and in order to come to a better understanding on the subject matter, we must thoroughly discuss these topics, as well as any and all key related information. The aim of this paper is to do this, in order to provide a more intellectual and knowledgeable viewpoint on the subject matter at hand. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Ghana is a country in West Africa which borders the Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso in the north and Togo to the east. Ghana was "inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient kingdoms, including an island Ashanti kingdom and various Fante states along the coast." (Wikipedia, 2006). Ghana became independent in 1957, and the country's population is now 21,029,853. The name Ghana is mostly symbolic, and was chosen for the nation - a reference to the Ghana Empire of earlier centuries. Ghana comprises of over 60 ethnic groups, with fifty two major languages and hundreds of dialects which are spoken in Ghana, and English, the official language of Ghana, is spoken by many. Like most other African nations Ghana has rich traditional cultures that differ from one ethnic group or tribe to the other. Generally, Ghanaians emphasize such communal values as; family, respect for the elderly, honoring traditional rulers, and the importance of dignity and proper social conduct. "Individual conduct is seen as having an impact on an entire family, social group and community; therefore, everyone is expected to be respectful, dignified and observant in public settings and in most every aspect of life." (Wikipedia, 2006). No part of Ghana, however, is ethnically homogeneous. Urban centers generally ethnically mixed due to migration in towns and cities in search of employment; rural areas, with the exception of cocoa-producing areas that have attracted migrant labor, tend to reflect more traditional population distributions. Prior to European colonization, the Ashanti Confederacy was a major state in western Africa, particularly from 1570 to 1900. Ashanti wealth was based on the region's substantial deposits of gold. These rich deposits led to much metalworking among the Ashanti. Ashanti was one of the few African states which was able to offer serious resistance to the European imperialists. Between the years of 1826 and 1896, Britain fought four wars against the Ashanti kings (the Anglo-Ashanti wars), one of which was notable as the first conflict in which the Maxim gun was used. "In 1900, the British finally subdued the kingdom and renamed it the Gold Coast colony. A revered figure in Asante history is Yaa Asantewaa, a leader of the resistance against British colonialism in 1896." (Wikipedia, 2006). The Ashanti people are known mostly for their colorful folktales and mythology, as well as for their religion. The most important god in the pantheon of the Ashanti of Ghana is Nyame, the omniscient, omnipotent sky god. Tano is one of the most important and famous gods of Ashanti. All the other gods of Ashanti, especially the river gods in particular, are believed to be the children of Tano, and therefore the Ashanti believe that the gods are the children of Nyame and that they serve as intermediaries between humans and Nyame. The Ashanti tribe is the tribe from which nearly half of the Ghanaian population is descended, and is the largest tribe in

Leadership Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership Theory - Essay Example According to the literature on leadership, it is necessary for every person to work out his/her personal strategy of leadership skills development and try to live and act in compliance with them. There are a lot of theories created in order to explain the peculiarities of each leadership style. If a person is acquainted with such styles, he or she can easily find the most appropriate for him/her. The knowledge of styles can help achieve the desired goals. The given paper will provide the overview of leadership and describe the theories as well as their pluses and minuses. Also the situations, where a person can use that or this theory in the best way will be described. â€Å"Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It's being able to take it as well as dish it out. That's the only way you're going to get respect from the players (Bird cited in Groves, 2006). Despite the fact that the qualification of manager is very popular i n the modern world, the demand for good managers is still growing. â€Å"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall† (Covey cited in Groves 2006). The fast development of business demands real professionals in the field of management. The organizations with the structure that prescribes self-management are very typical nowadays. Moreover, with the fast development of computers and informational technologies any kind of information becomes accessible for people within a shorter period of time. Nevertheless, no one can underestimate the importance of good managers, people that can not only organize the work, but organize it in stressful situations, which are so common for the modern business world. The question is how to become a good manager. Many scientists claim that success in any major can be reached not due to the talent, but due to the hard work. In order to become a good manager, one has to be acquainted with the main features that a future leader has to acquire. A good manager should know about his/her capabilities. A leader should always have many ideas: â€Å"If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn't any limit to what you can do with your business and your life. Ideas are any man's greatest asset† (Firestone cited in Rok 2009). It is necessary to improve the leadership skills and be self-assured. It is important to be sociable, but at the same time it is essential to remember that the sociability should stay somewhere between the extremes. If you cannot find common language with people or they irritate you, you can’t be a leader. It is also important to understand that your success strongly depends on the faith of your subordinates. In the modern business world the main task of a good manager is not just to control others, but rather to inform the team about the plans and goals and supervise the implementation pro cess. A good manager should possess good leadership skills and know how to apply them. The team should feel the presence of their manager even if the manager is absent. It is not easy to be a leader. According to Bushnell â€Å"Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference† (Bushnell cite din Graetz, 2000) The leader should be neither too

10 comparisons between Traditional Project Management, Adaptive Essay

10 comparisons between Traditional Project Management, Adaptive Project Framework (APF), and Extreme Project Management (XPM) - Essay Example Into the bargain, APF’s change is progression to an efficient solution similar to TPM but EPM has no progression change. The APF model offers increased business value in a certain time compared to EPM model. EPM needs processes to start over from the original beginning point hence no value to the business. However, TPM also brings more value to the business. TPM has a fixed scope, while APF and EPM have a variable scope. TPM hates change while APF embraces change but EPM drives the change since it is necessary. On planning TPM is driven by a fixed plan while APF and EPM are driven by Just in time form of planning. TPM has a good breakdown structure, while APF has a middle level work breakdown structure but EPM has no work breakdown structure (Wysocki 297-488). What’s more all changes in APF and TPM are temporary while EPM are permanent. At the same time the focus by APF is drawn towards delivery of products compared to EPM and TPM which are focused on the actual work itself. Lastly, there is partnership strategy between the entire stakeholders which is critical in APF compared to EPM which lacks collaboration and TPM which has minimal partnerships. These can be summarized in the table

Personal Ethical Dilemma Essay Example for Free

Personal Ethical Dilemma Essay An international food party was conducted, during my sojourn in Japan as an exchange student. Since, I was the chairperson of the Korean language club; I ventured to prepare cheyookbogeum or Korean food for this party. I endeavored to do so only after consulting with the other members of the club and eliciting their opinion. Due to close collaboration between the club members, the venture depicted remarkable progress. During the course of preparing the food, I was constrained to decide whether to add MSG to the food. I had to undergo quite a bit of consternation regarding this decision, the party as such, was not all that big and this made me opt for the easy way out. However, I was not spared from having to scrutinize the situation precisely. The primary issue that I had to take into consideration was that addition of MSG to the food would improve its flavor and this would result in a larger number of people buying it. This would bring about a natural increase in profits, which would enable me to donate more money and provide incentives to the members who were making preparations for the party. Unfortunately, MSG does not promote good health and its prolonged use consumption could prove deleterious. In addition, if consumers came to know about having consumed MSG at a later date, they might develop a dislike for the food, which could even lead to their abstention from such food. Thus, by avoiding the addition of MSG, I would be behaving in an ethical manner, as I would have exhibited greater concern for the health of the consumer. Nevertheless, I could refrain from adding the MSG and promote the food as being prepared from solely fresh ingredients. Since, the flavor would not be all that appealing to the consumers; it would be difficult to realize profits. All the same, this food could be promoted as health food and then there might be a chance of making greater profits. All said and done, this issue was not of sufficient significance to affect the community. However, it provided me with an opportunity to adopt not only the perspective of a consumer but also that of a representative of the company. Moreover, I learned that one should take into account, long term perspectives, while taking decisions.

Nestle Company Analysis Marketing Essay

Nestle Company Analysis Marketing Essay Introduction The marketing communication these days have changed like never before with more emphasis on the non conventional media rather than just relying on the mass media. Companies are no longer looking at the mass media as their saviour to reach out to the masses and convince them; on the contrary many of them find these mass media advertising as intrusive and the messages carried through them does not create the impact as much as they want it to be. Integrated marketing communication is the order of the day with multiple mediums used by the companies ensuring that they reach out to the customers in a more effective and efficient manner. By having the messages communicated through various channels they make sure that these companies are able to create a complete brand experience. IMC tries to integrate various marketing communication channels such as PR, online and social media, mass media advertising etc into one singular entity conveying a compelling simple theme that can get the customer s for the company. The main factor that these companies have to make sure is that they convey a unified message in all the mediums. There are several examples where companies in an attempt to woo the customers tried to pass on conflicting messages thus driving the customers away from them. Synergy between various mediums and the compatibility of the messages in all the mediums thus plays a very important role in this case (Fall C, 2002). NESTLE In UK In a recent media statement, the Swiss food giant Nestle said that they are well placed to cope up with the changing demographics and cost pressures and they are all set to rule the UK market. This statement came in view of the rise in the input prices by almost 10 % which has made other major corporations found wanting. Nestle still believes that they can be a market leader in confectionaries after the huge success of their brand Kit Kat which was well established. But the company has been under severe pressure to streamline its processes due to the fact that there has been an increase in the price of raw materials and that too the customer base in UK is more or less saturating leaving no room for further expansion. Major supplier of cocoa, Ivory Coast going through a rough political phase has been the reason for worry in UK confectionary industry. This leads to changes in prices even though Nestle claims that the pricing wont vary much and would be decided upon based on various segments that they are catering to (Ellwood, I. 2002). All these factors lead to the importance of having a loyal customer base and increased frequency of use by the existing customer base. In order to reach to your customer and get a share of their mind, especially in the FMCG segment it is essential that you have to reinforce the message again and again so as to get a top of the mind recall. In this age when one is bombarded with thousands of advertisements every day, unless and until you try out something different the customers are not really going to pay attention to you. One way to overcome this problem is using an integrated marketing communication approach, wherein the messages are passed on to the customers by means of various channels and thus reinforcing the message. By using various media options that are seen as non intrusive you are actually talking to the customers in a more conducive environment and hence they are more likely to listen to you (Davies, M. 1998). When y ou run a campaign it is essential to monitor the campaign and then guide it at each and every stage so that the money that is spent on advertising is not wasted. This is also possible by the use of various media options like Social and interactive media where the customers essentially form a part of the campaign thus giving them a feeling that they have an involvement in the whole process and thus they feel like owning the product. Integrated Marketing Campaign by NESTLE Nestle has been using Integrated marketing campaigns to good effect in almost all the countries they are into. They have been using non conventional media options to good effect so as to maintain the brand image that they have developed at the same time ensure a top of the mind recall in the minds of the customers. They have been into event marketing which is a very effective mode of communicating with your customers, as they are in a framework of mind to listen to you. C:UsersSharonDesktopAIM-path-to-purchase-generic.jpg For example their recent family days campaign as a part of the Minor league basketball sponsorship. They are using all the available media options for this purpose and have made an interactive website which has already attracted many hits in the initial days of the campaign itself. Thus by making the product a part of the events the company is trying to make it an essential part in the lives of those who love baseball and the customers start associating themselves with the brand more. This gives them immense opportunities to piggy-back on those events and thus creates a hype and excitement around the brand (Brassington, F and Pettitt, S, 2000). They can even analyse the current brand health and these events gives you the best platform to relaunch or reinforce the position in the market. By linking a campaign to loyalty and frequency programs the company can actually get more of repeat purchases thus ensuring that they are getting most out of a profitable customer by maintaining a lon g term relationship with them. Let us now look at various media options that are available, the pros and cons of them with respect to Nestle and then analyse whether they should go ahead with such an option or not. Mass Media Nestle being in FMCG category it is essential for them to advertise and remain in the minds of the customers and hence they have to use mass media. This is the cheapest option in terms of the cost per customer is concerned but the main worrying factor is that most of the developed nations have already admitted the famous death of mass media marketing as there are so many messages bombarded to the customers and they started ignoring the messages or is selectively paying attention to these channels. Another main factor that repels customer attention towards these channels are that the messages which are communicated are not distinctive or refreshing. For example when two companies Nestle and Cadbury comes up with a TV commercial about similar products, the customers dont find any major difference between the two and hence they tend to ignore both and the purchase is often impulsive. By Have a break Have a Kit Kat campaign the company tried to project the chocolate as a thing that can b e used whenever there is a break. The marketing teams often fall into this trap, they cannot survive the competition without getting a share of mind and voice which is possible only with mass media channels, but they themselves know that the message that they communicate is not targeted at the population that they are selling to or the majority does not care to buy the product. But in an FMCG industry in order to ensure parity with others in the market, companies are forced to make media expenditure on the product. The company thus have to ensure that they get the right TV spots whenever they are advertising rather than just extravagantly spending on Television advertising. In case of print media the life of ad is even longer and one can actually target the customers in a more effective manner. They can communicate their brand positioning in a more effective manner and the shelf value of such ads are much more than that of a radio or a TV commercial. Nestle has been not utilising this medium effectively, rather than just concentrating heavily on the TV commercials (Aaker, D and Joachimsthaler, E 2000). They should come out with effective Print ads in various national dailies and magazines that are meant for fun since their target group essentially reads these magazines and dailies. By means of print media, company can give more information to the customers and they can even invite them to be a part of various contests that they are planning in any campaign. Mobile Applications With widespread adoption of mobile phones, this is one of the important areas which can be effectively used by the Nestle. Most of the customers find mobile marketing as non intrusive and hence they welcome it if done in moderation. Again being an FMCG product Nestle have to combine this mobile marketing with any other sort of marketing such as event related or contests. They can give personalised information to individual customers on various product information and event sponsorships like that of Minor League Football Sponsorship. This medium is very effective because of the fact that the company can target its customers in a more effective manner. Unlike mass media which appeals to all sections of the population, in this case only the profitable customers can be targeted by effective use of CRM and database solutions. The messages are passed on to only those who have a good customer life time value according to the company statistics. This medium can also be used to lure those cus tomers who are likely to switch by offering them better deals and better variety of options. Given the tie up of Nestle with major retail stores in UK, it can be stated that they have good information about its customers preferences and they can utilise them to attract the customers into their fold. Online Media Marketers have realised the power of online media and almost every other company is trying hard to use the online media space to communicate their message to the customers. The customers on the other hand prefer this media much more than that of any other media channel because of the fact that this media channel gives them the option of a two way dialogue. Nestle can come up with initiatives to make customers a part of their marketing campaigns by means of suggestions and contests. Online media can be a double edged sword; it can create negative word of mouth which can affect the brand equity. No one realises it better than Nestle as they have already faced the brunt of Milk product campaign which gave them bad word of mouth and the news got spread all across the world in no time because of online media. There were several Boycott Nestle campaigns run across the world. So it has to be handled effectively. Online media also gives in-depth product information that the customers need. O ne of the main challenges that Nestle faces while addressing such an issue is that they have attract the customers to their website, which is difficult in case of an FMCG product. This can be done by having interactive sections, games and contests on the website which will draw the public towards these websites. The company can also go in for advertorials and expert comments which are taken with more credibility by the public. They develop a sense of trust in the brand when the products are endorsed by the domain experts and celebrities. Social networking is one major tool which is being increasingly used by many companies. People who are their target segment are internet savvy and spend most of their time in social networking sites like facebook. The company can promote their products through these sites and get a customer feedback directly from them (Assael, H. 1992). By placing the product promotions within various games and other applications that can help them in making the brand memorable in the minds of the people. One of the important factors why marketers prefer this media option is that they get a direct feedback over a specific marketing campaign that they run and hence they are able to mould it accordingly based on the needs and requirements of the company. Moreover internet offe rs them immense opportunities to promote the product at a very less cost and thus direct the expenses in a more effective manner. Out of the Home Advertising Out of the home advertising has moved on from the ages of static bill boards which occupied the advertising history for so long. Emergence of 3D sign-boards and likes has made the arena more compelling and attractive for the customer to take a note while he is on transit. There are several examples where companies engage in direct battles with the competitors through out of the home media (Baker, M. 2000). The industry is focusing more on OOH as it provides a cheaper substitute to the mass media at the same time helps them in making aware about the product. Nestle even though have been involved in a certain degree of Out of the home mode of advertising, they havent made any real breakthrough as afar as out of the home media is concerned (Booms, B.H. and Bitner, M.J. 1981). They heavily rely on 2D ordinary bill boards still. They have to move out of the conventional methods and try out something new like a 3D billboard. If the company has to target the rural segment then they have to effectively use it. Given the fact that the urban customer base are already on a saturation , Nestle has to concentrate more on its rural population and this can be done effectively with the help of Out of the home media channels. Direct and E-mail Marketing FMCG companies use less of direct and email marketing, as they have very little information as compared to that of many high involvement products. The company have not been using this media option that much. Nestle can still use direct mailers and e mails to its profitable customers. But still they wont have much of an option when they consider such an option. This can be used while they run any particular contests or to attract the customers to their websites. Nestle can use this mode of option to direct the traffic to the website and then promote the products through the website. Marketers can measure the response rate of the direct mailer campaigns and hence can monitor the same very easily. Many companies ignore this route but Nestle can make use of this mode so that it can complement other methods of marketing (David Sebastan, 1959). PROS CONS of IMC: Why it should be Used? One of the main advantages of using an IMC approach in case of an FMCG is that it helps in effective cross functional merging of various media channels rather than just depending on the mass media to deliver. With an integrated marketing approach communication with the customers improves and it ensures that customers voice is also heard and at the same time gives them a sense of involvement in the whole process. By profiling the customers based on demographics and psychographics, Nestle can actually target only those who are actually a part of the target group rather than just communicating with anyone and everyone who is not a part of companies target group (John Gullivan, 1998). By applying strategic segmentation of customers, the company would be clear with respect to the communication objectives that they are upto and they help them in simplifying the whole process as they get an idea about how much to spend on each channel based on the effectiveness of the medium. Integrated mar keting communications approach also makes sure that many offline and online mediums which have high potential but rarely used are also used in the process to ensure that the customers are attacked from all the sides and they essentially develop a sort of bonding with the customers (Hoyer, W.D. and MacInnis, D.J. 2001). With the advent of online and internet marketing numerous ways to woo the customers such as Search engine optimisation e marketing campaigns pay per click, blogs, RSS podcasts etc are used which have proved to be non intrusive and very effective in reaching the customers. One of the main advantages of such a campaign is that Nestle would be able to customise the marketing communications based on the time budget and resources of the customers. This helps in streamlining the available resources with the company in a efficient manner. Nestle being a large corporation has the financial muscle power to utilise various channels to reach out to the customer and thus create a visible difference in their current campaign. The main disadvantages of such a campaign are that there need to be simple message that needs to be communicated through various mediums. If the messages in various mediums are contrasting then it is never going to work in favour of the company. It also depends excessively on the database that the company have and the profiling that they do with the data. If not done in a proper manner then all the money that one spends on it is going to be wasted (Glynn Mangold, David J. Faulds, 1992). The benefits of such campaigns are that it helps the company is maximising the use of money that they spend on marketing communications and it has been seen in many examples that the net results out of such campaigns per dollar is much more than that of normal mass media communications. It helps in interacting with the customers at an individual basis which is more effective and when you have a simple compelling story to tell through various media channels it is going to be a success for sure.

Literature Review On Skills For Life Education Essay

Literature Review On Skills For Life Education Essay Introduction The importance of the education sector of any country lies in its ability to meet the production demands of its economy. The shaping of traditional education (where students are passive learners), for example, was mostly done at a time where the Government needed the mass to conform to the decisions of the elites (Botsford, 1993), who were the ones to be able to access the best form of learning, which the mass could not reach, irrespective of their abilities (Kelly, 2004). As the needs of the society changed, so did the educational system. From the DFEE report (Department for Education and Employment, 2001), a need for an improvement in basic skills has been identified, hence the document Skills for Life. The Leitch Review (2006) also reinforces the need of the UK society to meet the demand of higher level skills in the job market. This report analyses the impact of the Skills for Life (SFL) document on the curriculum that I am teaching (Postgraduate Diploma in the Lifelong Learning Sector- DTLLS). It is developed in the following manner: A literature review on SFL An evaluation of the curriculum design model being implemented and the impact of SFL on the curriculum The above mentioned impact is also evaluated via the analysis of interviews carried out with the Awarding Body and a College representative and a questionnaire filled by the students in the course of an activity conducted in a session on Skills for Life and the extent to which as a teacher I can influence the curriculum and hence the DTLLS programme itself. Literature Review on Skills for Life Policies are introduced to solve issues identified. The Skills for Life (Department for Education and Employment, DFEE, 2001) endeavour was an attempt by the Government of that time to maximise the earning capacity of citizens by increasing the levels of their essential skills including literacy, and numeracy. The then Secretary of State, Mr D. Blunkett (DFEE, 2001) stated that there were, shockingly, seven million Britons who did not know how to read and write and use numbers. These skills are important throughout an individuals life hence the name Skills for Life. The document discusses on how illiteracy can affect a person physically and emotionally in terms of not being able to do certain tasks by himself/herself, which, consequently, can affect his/her self confidence. The vision expressed in this document is the eradiation of illiteracy and low numeracy skills, (DFEE, 2001). The DFEE proposed to achieve such targets by introducing national standards for numeracy and literacy, assessment tools that will diagnose the exact areas to be improved, and resources to support this endeavour. The department also suggested the training of teachers as specialist in these domains (literacy and numeracy) and promoting and motivating the involvement of learners and those who can support their learning process. This will undoubtedly require quite an effort because it not only means improving the levels of those who have already passed through the formal education pe riod but also ensuring that those who are still in that period do not face the same problems in terms of their functional skills (literacy, numeracy and ICT). One of the major influences of this project is the Moser Report (DFEE, 1999) which is based on research such as It Doesnt Get Any Better. The impact of poor basic skills on the lives of 37 year olds by Parsons and Bynner (1997) and Skills for Life national needs and impact surveys (2003) carried out by the DFES (Department for Education and Skills). Literacy and numeracy levels can be classified from Pre Entry to Level 2 and above (Pre Entry, Entry level 1 to 3, Level 1 and Level 2 and above). Basic skills have sub elements, for example literacy has reading, writing, speaking and listening (The Sector Skills Council for Lifelong Learning, LLUK, 2007). The overall level of a learner will be determined by what they achieve in each of these sub areas. Parsons and Bynner (1997) found a relationship between low levels of literacy and numeracy and many social issues that the learners faced. Such a link is quite obvious because if a person is not able to read and count adequately, he/she wi ll not be confident in social interaction. A solution was put forward in the form of the Leitch Review (2006) where one of the main arguments was that Britain was losing ground in terms of the academic strength of its population compared to countries such as India and China. Another point that I quite agree with is that the educational system of the country should produce individuals with the qualifications which are being demanded by the job market. Therefore if there is a need for increased levels of functional skills, this is the area where the educational investment should be poured. These findings concurred with the survey, conducted by the DFES, which mentioned low levels of literacy and numeracy (2003). The reasons suggested for the lower levels were the social and economic background of the individuals, the extent to which they stayed in education and whether English is their first language or not. The last factor is obvious in my teaching practice. I teach international students for whom low literacy level (English) proves to be a barrier in the achievement of their course. These students are studying a Postgraduate Diploma in the Lifelong Learning Sector, after which they aspire to gain a Qualified Teacher Status in the Lifelong Learning Sector, teaching adult learners. Despite being highly literate in their native language, they find it difficult to critically analyse concepts (an essential skill at their level of studies) due to their low English level. This is where the importance, of the impact of the Skills or Life policy on the programme that I am currently teaching, is apparent. Because of the embedding of strategies to improve the student-teachers functional skills (which are the skills promoted by the policy) the language barrier that they face during this course is being addressed by the curriculum being taught. Over the years, the meaning of the term curriculum has evolved specially with the development of the perceived purpose of education. Thus, there are various types of curriculum identified, among which the learner focused curriculum (Brown, 2003) predominates learning in the institution where I teach. Right from the start of the learning journey of a student, we carry out an initial assessment to identify the needs of that learner and to formulate their individual goals with regards to the course. The delivery and assessment of the curriculum are then shaped bearing in mind the information obtained from these initial and any subsequent assessments done thereafter. Based on the course specifications which are provided by the Awarding Body, I have prepared the curriculum of the course that I teach: Postgraduate Diploma for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS). During this process, I had to incorporate the requirements of Skills for Life through embedding literacy, numeracy and ICT. The Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) an independent organisation providing guidance to educational stakeholders about the developments in this sector- elaborates on how the learners needs, with regards to their functional skills, can be addressed (Lawton and Turnbull for the Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on behalf of LLUK,2007). Guidance is given with regards to every aspect of the teaching and learning process namely the resources used, the classroom environment, the teaching and learning approaches and communication strategies. The logic behind embedding these skills is that no matter what a student is learning, he/she will be developing his/he r skills for life, be it knowingly or unknowingly For example by using presentations, the learner will not only be demonstrating knowledge about the topic but also will be improving his/her speaking and listening skills. From the very start of the learning process, therefore, the principles of the Skills for Life project are embedded: the initial assessment process includes a skills test so that their learning plan can include improvement of such skills (for example combining their main courses with a skill course depending on where their need lies). Therefore, developing a curriculum with the principles of the SFL project concurs with the constructivist approach (Bruner, 1960)-which involves constructing learning adopted by my institution. Thus the impact of the SFL principles on the curriculum relevant to my practice has caused it to improve. But investing in skills is not always an applauded endeavour. Investing in human capital has been from long the priority of the Government. There has been a link pointed out between educational background of individuals and their social and economical success. Investment in learning in the 21st Centrury is the equivalent of investment in the machinery and technical innovation that was essential to the first great industrial revolution (DFEE, 1997a, pp.15, cited in Coffield, 1999) I would agree with Coffields (1999) argument that focussing on the Human Capital Theory (HCT) enables politicians to overlook other factors which could have contributed towards the economic status of individuals. Karabel and Harsley (1997) further criticised this theory saying that it puts the blame of being poor on the poor! Investing in human capital does seem to be profitable for the population. But as Levin and Kelley (1997) pointed out, this theory does not state where the individuals will go after being educated if there is no job market for them. Being given that the investment has already been done, the best we can hope for is that it has been profitable. When any policy is suggested and implemented by the Government, I feel the urgency of trying to find its political implications. In an article in the Guardian, Kingston (2006) quotes Mr. Wells (the then Director of the Basic Skills Agency) as criticising the Labour Government for exaggerating the number of adults in the UK who cannot read and write to make their task seem more successful. Vignoles (cited by the Press Association, 2009) further argued that trying to develop literacy skills at an adult age might not be effective because such skills are more easily developed at an early age. Personally, I do not believe that more difficulty teaching adults language is reason enough to completely eradicate the benefits that such a project brought to many individuals: improved chances in terms of job seeking, more confidence, a better social life, among others. Even if the Gover nment may have a hidden agenda for starting the Skills for Life project, the focus brought on these skills have enabled educationalists to give even more weight to their learner-centred approach in designing their respective curricula around very crucial needs of the learners- Basic Skills. This leads us to the analysis of the impact of the SFL policy on the curriculum I teach. Implications of the policy for curriculum change and pedagogy There is much debate about what is to be called a curriculum. With the shift of focus from the teacher to the learner, curriculum is moving away from being just content to be completed during a time period syllabus- and more of a learner centred approach (Dolence,2003; Coles, 2003). For the purpose of this report, Wojtczaks (2002) definition will be adopted. According to him, curriculum is An educational plan that spells out which goals and objectives should be achieved, which topics should be covered and which methods are to be used for learning, teaching and evaluation. (Wojtczak, 2002, pp 6) Therefore, the construction of a curriculum can start from its objectives, its content and the methods used to teach. If Tylers (1949) four questions with regards to curriculum design are considered, another approach of curriculum models can be added namely evaluation (Kelly, 2004). The curriculum I use is designed from the Lifelong Learning teacher training programme. The key driver of the curriculum set by the Awarding Body is the assessment criteria. As the teacher trainer I derive the outcomes to be achieved from the assessment criteria and the content set by the Awarding Body. This is done by discussing the assessment criteria and how to achieve them as a class exercise with the student-teachers at the start of a Unit. The rationale behind this is that if the students are shown what they need to achieve from the start, the learning journey becomes easier. The teaching and learning methods and formative (or ongoing) assessment tools are developed from the outcomes with close adaptation with regards to the learners targeted (in line with being learner focused) whereas the summative assessment is set by the Awarding Body. It is important to note that wherever the starting point of a curriculum design may be, it will have to use the four approaches identified by Tyler (1949). For example, although I designed the curriculum for Lifelong Learning for my College by forming objectives from the assessment criteria, I still need to adhere to the content expected and apply the appropriate teaching methods. At this point it is important that I differentiate between the Unit aims provided by the Awarding Body and the learning objectives that I derive with my learners which are based on the assessment criteria. The learning objectives formed with the learners are more detailed than the aims prescribed by the Awarding Body  [1]  . Since they are formed by the learners (guided by the teacher trainer), they understand better the reasons for these outcomes and thus are able to take control of their learning process (Knowles, 1984). It is also important to differentiate between the prescriptions provided by the Awarding Body and the curriculum that I design for my student-teachers. For the purpose of this part of the report, the curriculum to be analysed will be what I design in terms of a long term plan of how the assessment criteria set will be achieved (the teaching methods, activities, the assessment techniques and resources to be used). The manner in which I build up my sessions is thus objective based (firstly because the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body act as general objectives and secondly because I derive specific objectives to be achieved with my students) which can be said to be very precise and scientific (Kelly, 2004). As Bobbitt (1918; cited by Kelly, 2004) stated, the learners are more focused in terms of what they need to complete to achieve the certificate. Building a curriculum from objectives has been criticised by Kelly (2004) as assuming passive learning. The learning goals seem to be more extrinsic. This is closer to the behaviourist approach to learning where the learners are moulded to achieve goals, which most of the time, are derived for them. Szasz (1991) strongly criticised such an approach to education stating that humans, unlike animals, need to have intrinsic motives to learn. If Kellys (2004) thinking is considered, one might have the impression that this curriculum is closer to training as opposed to education. According to him, training is very focused on what knowledge is to be gained and does not consider the students at all. But this is where the combination approach to curriculum design comes as a rectifying tool. Although the curriculum starts with objectives (based on assessment criteria), I can adapt the learning journey of my student-teachers through the teaching and learning methods that I use  [2]  which include embedding the requirements of SFL. The curriculum content for the DTLLS programme was introduced after the SFL project. When this project came to be put in place, it has, thus, affected the curriculum that I utilise in two ways. Firstly, SFL amplified the skills required as teachers to include minimum core areas. Secondly, the teachers had to learn skills to embed these minimum core subjects- literacy, language, numeracy and ICT- in their teaching strategies. These two aspects are linked because to be able to address the needs of learners, teachers must have an adequate level of these skills themselves  [3]  . Every Unit of the teacher training programme has opportunities for the student-teachers to improve their own functional skills. This will enable them to be in a better position to identify the SFL needs of their learners and adapt their teaching strategies accordingly. Therefore, each part of the curriculum has to reflect SFL in these two aspects: developing the student-teachers own minimum core skills and equipping them with the ability to develop those of their students. Taking Wojtczaks (2002) definition of curriculum, SFL will have to be reflected in: the goals and objectives to be achieved the methods to be used in the teaching and learning process The above will again be in two folds: as a student-teacher and as a future educator, that is, the improvement of the student-teachers own SFL and his/her ability to embed the minimum core subjects in his/her teaching. To be able to start this teacher training, the student-teachers have to have a level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy. This is conducted, using the skills test, which was developed by the Secretary of State in 1999, following the Green Paper published by the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) in 1998 on improving skills of teachers (Blunkett,1998). Thus, right from the start of their learning journey (Lawton and Turnbull for the Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on behalf of LLUK,2007), the student-teachers feel the impact that these skills mentioned in the SFL policy will have on their teaching and also their learning processes. The Individual Learning Plan of the student-teachers then will contain individual objectives to be achieved in terms of their functional skills. The goals are negotiated in line with the principles of Androgogy (Knowles, 1984) as part of my motivation strategy. With regards to the teaching methods, with each Unit of the DTLLS programme, as the teacher educator, I had to make sure that the improvement of these skills was being encouraged. This was done by encouraging more group discussions and presentations and, more recently, by including a literature review hour where the student-teachers will be discussing on the articles and books that they have recently read. These will not only improve their communication and discussion skills and develop their research skills (which are crucial for the professional development of a teacher) but also will enable them to construct learning in line with the principles of social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978; Bruner,1986, 1990, 1996). Although great emphasis is not made on Numeracy Skills in this teacher training programme (unless the specialist area of the student-teacher is related to numbers such as science and mathematics), there are aspects of these skills which, as a teacher educator, I can develop in my learners. Part of the continuous professional development of the student-teachers is being able to evaluate their own skills. In the second part of the training programme, the student-teachers learn to represent data in a simple graphical manner to be able to interpret the extent of success or a particular teaching method. If such exercises are carried our frequently, the student-teachers improved numeracy skills will enable them to better explain their continuous professional development. Another important aspect proposed by the SFL project is computer skills, which the majority of the student-teachers lack. In the current age, where learners are digital natives  [4]  (Garrison and Anderson, 2003), future teachers cannot afford to be below average in ICT  [5]  skills. Their responsibilities include not only to improve the ICT skills of learners who are not in tune with their peers but also to challenge the skills of the digital natives. The curriculum has thus to comprise of strategies such as use of computers for research and presentation purposes  [6]  . During the completion of the teacher training programme, the student- teachers have to build up their teaching (planning and delivery) and assessment strategies. For each of the strategy developed, they need to demonstrate how they will embed the principles suggested by the SFL project. When embedding these principles in teaching my student-teachers, I am also giving them ideas which they themselves can use in their own teaching practice. It is to be noted, however, that their embedding strategies have to be specific to their own specialist area. The SFL endeavour has thus influenced the teacher training programme to a very large extent. Not only do the student-teachers need to develop their own skills as part of their Continuous Professional Development, but they need to create and/or adapt ways to improve the skills of their learners. Thus the curriculum that they have to follow as learners (and I have to follow as their educator) has to promote the development of their functional skills, be it in terms of the goals to be achieved or the methods and resources to be used. As future teachers, they need to be well equipped with regards to their own SFL to be able to facilitate the learning process of their learners. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the impact of the Skills for Life policy on the curriculum that I teach. After reviewing the literature on the topic and an initial analysis of the SFL policy on the DTLLS programme (which affects the curriculum I build for my teaching), I wanted to analyse the views of three main stakeholders of the College- the department executive, the students and the External Verifier from the Awarding Body- on the matter. Evaluate curriculum changes resulting from the policy / research document. Because of the individualised nature of collecting opinions, a quantitative approach to data collection and analysis will be quite useless (Miles and Hubermans, 1994). Moreover it is the depth and meaning of the data which I am after and therefore a qualitative direction seems to be more appropriate (Bryman, 2001). The data collection tool chosen for this purpose is semi structured interview (Appendix A). Semi structured interviews combine the benefits of structured and unstructured ones. They not only provide the interviewee with the freedom of expressing his/her views in detail (which is required to obtain a deeper understanding of the opinion given), but also, with the questions set by the interviewer, the discussion is more focused on the relevant topic (Horton, Macve and Struyven, 2004). Instead of hindering my conclusion, the subjective nature of this tool (Bryman, 2001) will, hopefully, provide new ideas about the project. Because it is also very specific to the curriculum that I teach, the issue of inability to generalise the results (Bryman, 2001) will also not arise. The third stakeholder to be questioned will be the student-teachers. A session will be conducted on Skills for Life (Appendix F) after which the student-teachers will be asked to work in groups to fill the questionnaires (Appendix B). To ensure confidentiality (Bryman, 2001), the names of the stakeholders will not be disclosed. The results of these two approaches are analysed below. The student-teachers seem to grasp the impact of the SFL policy on the DTLLS programme and even identified the aspects of the programme which develop their own basic skills. As one of the groups mentioned the objectives that they have to achieve have been affected by the SFL policy in that they have to Embed minimum core subjects in the curriculum (Extracts from questionnaires, Appendix D). On the other hand, both the External Verifier and the Vice Principal of the College described the link between SFL and DTLLS programme quite similarly in terms of development of the student-teachers own skills and embedding strategies that he/she has to implement to develop that of his/her students (Appendix C). As the Vice Principal suggests: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ DTLLS students have, to apart from a select group of specialists who do are not involved in SfL, consider SfL as a key focus for all their work. Approaches to delivering DTLLS therefore have to be adapted to achieve SfL requirements (Extract from transcript, Appendix C) I quite agree with both of them that the programme as it stands, although it does offer resources and teaching methods that reflect SFL principles, can still be improved. Offering an optional module which is specific to SFL instead of the fragmented state it is now (as the Vice Principal states) will provide the student-teachers with unique skills that are very much in demand in the education market. As mentioned before, the DTLLS programme came after the SFL policy. However, had there not been this policy, the programme would not have included the minimum core requirements as it does now. The impact that the SFL policy has on the DTLLS programme will inevitably affect the curriculum used to deliver it. This leads us to the evaluation of the curriculum built on the basis of the assessment criteria and general objectives prescribed by the Awarding Body. The first aspect to be analysed is the purpose of the evaluation. Most evaluations done are to determine the extent to which set objectives are being met (Tyler, 1949; Kelly, 2004), that is summative evaluation. However, a more meaningful evaluation would be one which assesses the objectives themselves. As Kelly (2004) states, curriculum should be subject to continuous evaluation as an essential element of continuous change and development (pp 36). This leads to the next issue which is choosing a model of curriculum evaluation. According to Kelly (2004), this should match the curriculum model adopted, otherwise the criteria of evaluation will not reflect the purposes of the planners or the teachers (pp 139). The DTLLS curriculum that I developed is based on a combination of the four perspectives proposed by Tyler (1949) with objectives as starting point  [7]  . But if I use an objective model of curriculum evaluation, it will not serve my purpose as it will only identify success or failure of achieving the objectives set (Kelly, 2004). According to MacDonald, a more holistic approach would be assessing the projects impact on the educational system and the types of evaluation problems which the impact would throw up (1973, pp 83 cited by Kelly, 2004, pp 142). As mentioned before, the curriculum is designed on the basis of the outcomes derived from the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body. This enables the student-teachers to be focused on what is to be completed to achieve the Units. But one of the consequences of such an approach is a decreased possibility of achieving unintended (but potentially beneficial) outcomes. Although the student-teachers do have to attain a certain level in the minimum core subjects (similar to SFL), if they are already at that level there is no incentive to improve them further (since there are no specified needs to do so in the curriculum). Developing SFL is often drowned in the achievement of the multitude of other objectives to be achieved. Having said that, with the embedding strategies -where the student-teachers learn to develop the minimum core subjects of their own students- the picture is more promising. This is because the focus is then on developing these skills. But the extent to which my curriculum evaluation will be considered by the Awarding Body is questionable. If we take the interview carried out with the EV (Appendix C), when I was discussing about agreeing a date for the interview, she initially did not see a link between SFL and DTLLS, To be quite honest with you Shaivi, at first I thought that there was no direct link. Basic Skills is what it saysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..basic. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But if we analyse it deeper, we can see that one of the requirements for teachers on the programme is to have a level 2 in literacy, numeracy and ICT. (Extract from transcript, Appendix C) After I explained my project and my point of view, she agreed with me and hence the interview was much more useful. The Vice Principals suggestion that SFL delivery techniques should be added as an optional module to the curriculum as the next cycle of improvement is valid because this will increase the marketability of the award. But, although the External Verifier shared his views, from our experience in terms of suggestions we made, it is doubtful that she will take it on board and suggest it to her institution. Thus as a curriculum developer, although I can certainly build up outcomes which will further improve the minimum core levels of my student-teachers, the extent to which I can influence the curriculum development is restricted. This brings us to the argument that the External Awarding Body still has a very strong hold on what is important in terms of delivery and assessment. The extent to which they will consult the Delivery Centres (such as my College) to determine or assess what is to be delivered is quasi nil, that is their own evaluation of the DTLLS programme and resulting curriculum seem to be more autocratic (Mac Donald, 1975, pp 133, cited by Kelly, 2004). A more democratic approach to curriculum evaluation (where the teachers are involved) would have served the purpose of meaningful continuous curriculum development (Kelly, 2004). If we were to measure how stringent the Awarding Body is with regards to the four perspectives of curriculum identified by Tyler (1949)-Appendix E- we can see that assessment has a medium level of stringency since we can choose the evidence linked to practice to be included in the portfolio from a set list. The same is with the specific objectives which we can form on the basis of the assessment criteria set by the Body, which is thus the key driver of the curriculum. The only way that the curricula will differentiate in different centres is through the delivery methods being used and the objectives to be set (which is however based on the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body). Centralised control (Kelly, 2004) is apparent over the content of the curriculum. This also demonstrates how the programme is driven by its assessment process (Kelly, 2004). Any method or activity used is geared towards the final portfolio of evidence of achievement of learning (based on the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body). The DTLLS programme, although very specific to the age group the student-teachers are being trained to teach, have similar outcomes to the other programmes on the market (Postgraduate Certificate in Education for Post Compulsary Education) with regards to strategies of embedding basic skills. Because the student-teachers are mostly international, they have specific timeframes within which they have to complete the programme. Therefore, they do not have time to explore the topics in dept

UKs Economy in Europe Essay -- Economics Economy England United Essay

UK's Economy in Europe When one talks about a strong economy, a few key economic indicators will get mentioned; inflation, unemployment and economic growth. These are considered the three main macroeconomic indicators of any economy. To define a strong economy in the simplest form you must have a low rate of inflation, low unemployment and steady economic growth. During this essay there will be comparisons between other European countries (e.g. France, Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, Spain, Italy) and these economic indictors mentioned as well as others. We will start to look at inflation rates. "The British economy has slowed over the past 12 months, but remains among the strongest in the developed world, a report has said" (BBC News Online). Last month the Underlying rate of inflation in the UK remained unchanged at 2.3%, which is below the governments target rate of 2.5%, this is good for the economy. The headline rate of inflation, which includes mortgage interest payments, fell last month by 0.4% to 1.7%. These figures show the rate at which prices are increasing. When we compare the UK's annual inflation figure of 1.2% to that of Germany and France (-0.6% in October), which is around the 2% mark, it seems that our rate is quite low and therefore good for our economy. The Eurozone inflation is expected to be 2.1%; this is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP). By looking at this we can see that this figure is very close to the UK's inflation rate. On the whole inflation in the UK is at a lower rate than that of its European neighbours, which is an indicator of a strong economy. When we look at unemployment in the UK we can see that it is around 900,000 or 2.3%. This is the lowest it has been since the 1970's and is at a lower percentage rate than Japan and the USA. Germany who has recently announced that they have just entered a recession has a very high rate of unemployment at around 8.0% and France, Finland and Spain even higher. The UK, Netherlands and Luxemburg are amongst the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. "Unemployment is up again in France and Germany, in a sign that the eurozone's two biggest economies are still in the grip of a downturn" (BBC News Online). France and Germany have the largest economies in Europe and recent figures show that unemployment increased by 15,000 a... ...ong performance is reflected by such indicators as solid growth and forecasts for next year predicting an annual growth of 2.75% - 3.75%. Inflation currently at 2.3% is lower than forecasted which is a strong indicator for a strong economy. Our unemployment is at the lowest it has been since the 1970's and lower than that of the two biggest economies in the world at present at 2.3% or around 900,000. Interest rates are remaining unchanged at 4%, which is low, and the reason for the British economy having a firm housing market. The UK's main economic problem is the manufacturing output. It could be argued that this sector of the economy is in recession after figures of negative growth in the last two quarters. As a result of this the UK is suffering from an all time high trade deficit, which is also due to the high value of the pound. But overall the UK economy is in a good state taking into advantage the global economic slowdown which is going on around it. References: www.bbc.co.uk Sources:  · www.bbc.co.uk  · www.bized.ac.uk  · www.europa.eu.int  · www.ukonline.gov.uk  · The Daily Mail Newspaper  · The Business Environment - Brooks/Weatherston

Moral Judgment Essay -- essays research papers fc

‘Moral judgments are nothing more than expressions of personal preference. While there is some point to arguing about questions of fact, moral arguments are a waste of time. The only thing at issue is what people like or don’t like’. I have probably read this statement about a million times and still do not have any qualms against it. Moral judgments are typically based on your upbringing, your likes, your religion (or non-religion), and numerous other aspects that make up your personality. Those listed traits and further attributions give you the basis of what you are going to feel morally to many issues such as: homosexuality, abortion, murder, stealing, etc. While many of us feel that we are always precise when making a judgment, this paper will show that no matter how hard we try; the above statement will always be true. In Rachels’ The Elements of Moral Philosophy; it states, â€Å"Ethical Subjectivism is the idea that our moral opinions are based on our feelings, and nothing more†. Ethical Subjectivism is what the topic statement is defining. When you make a moral judgment, such as the following: I disagree with homosexuality; what is your basis for the judgment? Society, your parents, your religion – these are all things that round out your personal preferences. By making such a statement, you are in fact just stating your own opinion (which is an extension of your preferences). In the dictionary, opinion is defined as: a belief or conclusion held with confidence but ...

Standards Based Education: The Base for Improving Schools

Since nearly twenty years, education in the United States has been strongly impacted by â€Å"standards movement†. Linked proximally to evaluation and answerability, standard-based reforms, not like most other educational systems like open education, behavioral goals, and least ability, has gained ground in an extremely severe and all-encompassing manner. Right from parents to policy-makers, there is an ardent countrywide support to use standards as the base for improving schools. (The Virginia Standards of Learning) As per Collins Cobuild dictionary, â€Å"a standard is a stage of quality or achievement, particularly a stage which is considered to be good enough. It is something used to calculate or approximate the quality or degree of something, for instance, the degree of superiority of a piece of work. † In the sphere of education, a standard is a word that describes a growing body of knowledge and set of expertise which is the foundation for quality education. They put across what every student must know and be capable to perform, however do not state pedagogy. Why have a standards-based curriculum and what are the implications for the teaching-learning-assessment process? ) The quintessence of a â€Å"standard† is to depict a level of knowledge or performance that is necessary for some reason. For instance, there is a standard fixed by the telephone companies relating to the manner operators communicate with the customers, by the State Government to deliver driving licenses, a intensity of accuracy is necessary for building autos, and a set of unambiguous strategy for assessing gymnastics, diving, and ice skating. In an identical manner, teachers employ objectives of the students to find out what will be imparted, and as a criterion for making grades for student†s work. Each of these â€Å"standards† has two parts: an account of what will be recognized or performed, and a suggestion of quality of its performance. In education, these two magnitudes have been pointed as content standard and performance standards, and they point out to fairly diverse concepts, each having a separate set of connotation. (The Virginia Standards of Learning) Discuss the positive effects and attributes of standard-based education. In standard-based education, the syllabus and units of study are distinctly delineated, comprehended by the teachers and students and conveyed to every employee, families and the community. Standard-based education system will promote fair play, foster learning of students and strengthen answerability. (Standards-Based Education: www. thompson. k12. co. us) Establishing standards is a vital and efficient learning instrument as they state distinct prospect of what every student must have an understanding and capable of doing with the language. They can be supportive to various populations like the state, districts and school, teachers, student and parents. Establishing a national standard lets to setting aside for identical chance for every student. To start with every student is evaluated against the same standards. In the absence of a universal standard and every teacher establishing his or her independent standard, the expectation of the school on their student will be diverse. As there will be no element for comparison, instruction as well as assessment cannot be unswerving. Secondly, in the event of establishing a national standard, it is obvious what the students will be learning at various stages of their education. Examination provided by the state can assess the development of the student towards achievement of the standard. The students who are failing in achieving the standards can be given preliminary, efficient help. (Why have a standards-based curriculum and what are the implications for the teaching-learning-assessment process? ) Discuss the benefits for both educator and student. Standards set students to fix particular objectives with understanding of the particular prospect and norms for success. This lets to set objectives that are attainable. The evenness of a standard based procedure currently opens opportunities to individuals. Customized learning methods, learning at one†s independent speed, identification of the specific learning that requires to happen, aids in describing the manner in which and what students are required to be aware and be capable to perform to attain the age suitable standard, as observed by several remarks. (Standard-based Education: schools. coventryschools. net) The transition to standards-based evaluation aids in building a culture of success in which every student can attain a satisfactory standard. In case of students, standard established apparent performance prospects, aiding them to comprehend what they are required to do so as to fulfill the standards. These works lets the students to exhibit their knowledge, including the norm for evaluation. This gives students and parents with valuable data regarding the performance towards fulfilling the standards. Besides, while dealing with standards based syllabus, schools will be competent to report the growth of the student towards attaining the standards by stating the yardsticks they have attained. Why have a standards-based curriculum and what are the implications for the teaching-learning-assessment process? ) Standards are very impartially described. This lets teachers to employ their ingenuity and expertise to find out which strategies function optimally with both individual as well as a group of students. (Standard-based Education: schools. coventryschools. net) Standards assist teachers devise syllabus, guidelines and evaluation on the basis of what is vital to have knowledge about. Standards gives the information required to train educators in shaping the development of students in achieving the standards, as stated in the syllabus. Teachers, the educational institution and the state are responsible for the education of the student based on the achievement of these standards. As the standards give a transparent and structured perspective for evaluation, it is thus likely to find out the degree to which the standards have been achieved. (Why have a standards-based curriculum and what are the implications for the teaching-learning-assessment process? ) How does standard-based education improve education? Standard-based education has come to be widespread political reform group as it mingles a lot of factors that concentrates on what is normally construed to be a â€Å"failing public school†. This has resulted to provide an importance on â€Å"high† standards that means improved or more challenging or â€Å"world class† standards. During 1999, the National Education Summit evaluated the standards association since 1996, deciding that the danger of deteriorating quality of education be first of all found out in A Nation at Risk in 1983 stays in 1999. The report states, the American citizen†s exhibit that it evidently comprehends that our persistent economic strength, social permanence, quality of life is dependent on our capability to radically progress our schools. The report further declares that the promises to increased standards have unambiguously come to be a central factor in a countrywide movement to enhance school performance. Of late, the research undertaken by an institute ‘Public Agenda† point out to a popular displeasure among college teachers and employers of students† fundamental skills. A second feature of standard-based improvements stresses superior performance of every student. This is a matter of fairness. Supporters of standards-based education consider that poor performing students did not have access to equal education as persistent abysmal expectations from these students have been responsible for their low performance. Therefore, it is reasoned that standard-based improvement will enhance education in case of financially deprived and minority group students by increasing the prospects. (The Virginia Standards of Learning) The rising difference in the earning levels in US will be lessened as the existing gap as regards education between low and high performing students is lowered. Standards, it is debated, â€Å"smoothens the playing field,† and will result in less sorting based for the most part on social class and ethic category which they belong. In the event students do not display achieving the standards, then in that case solution and withholding might be suitable. A third feature is the manner in which the standards are linked to rewards and encouragement. As against much of the research that has stressed the significance of child-centered, developmentally suitable procedures to education, standards-based supporters consider that rivalry and external rewards will encourage students and enhance performance. This is founded mostly on edginess with earlier â€Å"movements† aimed by educators, and the activity in other nations, together with international studies, which imply American students trailing. Fundamentally, the contention is that American schools and students require external inducements to endeavor for higher levels of performance. At present, 20 states give financial help to schools wherein students perform in a better manner on standard-based tests. Fourth, there is an increased statewide and federal evaluation and influence over schools is required. The seeming urgency is to set up a single set of standards and one wide-ranging vision in case of all students cutting across all grade levels. The thrust for national standards during the mid-1990s has resulted to an ardent involvement across the state since the stage at which standards-based educational policy is made and executed. Due to this, a lot of meetings, publications, and reports regarding standards-based improvement have been produced by organizations which are responsive to the requirements of the policy-makers of the state. (The Virginia Standards of Learning) What is the best process for developing an effective curriculum when dealing with the standard-based education. The goal of the curriculum as per the Standards is to execute certain jobs within a specific time frame. These jobs must be accomplished in a specific order. At the time a student learns a subject in this way, he/she builds on existing knowledge. It becomes simpler in case of students to go on learning, when they have a basis of knowledge. As Maurice Johnson describes in his Schema, â€Å"Structure is a fundamental feature of curriculum† (EDE 6205: Elementary School Curriculum) I think that there is an urgency on our part to perform more to assess our curriculum. In case we are adhering to the Standards as outlined, our assessment of the results has to be more proficient. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test — FCAT gives scanty information on the efficacy of the Standard based curriculum. To evaluate learning appropriately, it is required that we are capable of accessing what background knowledge a student is equipped and what knowledge he has amassed after the training. Iowa State University administers a program in which they supply syllabus written in accordance with the standards the school desires. The effectiveness of that particular curriculum is assessed two times in a year. Students are tested initially in the beginning of the year as also during the end of the year. This testing is done annually. This method gives a more efficient manner of estimating the quantity of learning that is being imparted. (EDE 6205: Elementary School Curriculum) FCAT in all means cannot be a productive instrument in calculating the quantum of learning which is happening. The calculations are extended out and accidental. Prior to the establishment of the Sunshine State Standards in May 1996, the primary state curriculum guidance was the Minimum Student Performance Standards. These standards gave the source for the Statewide Student Assessment Tests. With a view to raising the academic challenge in Florida, the Sunshine State Standards were formed. They were supposed to attain over the minimum capabilities to challenging academic standards. According to Tyler, while formulating any curriculum plan of instruction one should choose what the educational objective must the school look for to achieve. Subsequently, what are the educational experiences which can be given which are expected to achieve these objectives? Thirdly, the manner in which these educational experiences be efficiently managed, and lastly how we can resolve these objectives are being achieved. The Sunshine State Standards gives an excellent catapulting point in presenting course of action for curriculum development. (EDE 6205: Elementary School Curriculum) What are and justify the positive contributions of standard based education. â€Å"Need is the mother of all inventions†. (Standard-based Education: schools. coventryschools. net) This sums up a declaration made by an observer. Standard based education is countrywide crusade because of the countrywide requirement. Of course there is present and there has been extensive apprehension over the quality of public education. Several people mentioned that they identified that it was crucial that education is standardized so that regardless of the place children received education, regardless of what socio-economic or cultural backgrounds that they possess, the scope to get knowledge which is at par and good education as everybody others. One of the member commented â€Å"School A should not be deprived compared to school B. † Correctly declared by one parent, the job force has undergone a transformation. This transformation effected by an international economy and international economic rivalry has compelled our nation into the embarrassing state of being second category. Education in our nation did not modify along with the economic modification. This has brought governmental concern with education to light. Students should be given the proficiency and knowledge to compete in the world in a better manner. Standard-based Education: schools. coventryschools. net) How does the no child left behind act is associated with the standard-based education plan. Widely recognized as the ‘No Child Left Behind†, — NCLB Act of 2001 was the collective consequences of a standards-and-testing transition that was initiated with the publication of the report A Nation at Risk by the Reagan government in 1983. The movement attained due impetus with the 1989 education summit in Charlottesville, Virginia, at which the President George H. W. Bush and the governors of the nation fixed extensive performance objective for the American Schools. The ‘America 2000†³ proposal of President Bush by the end of 1991 incorporated the voluntary national testing associated with the ‘world class† standards. This provision gives rise to termination of the Bill by the opposition exerted by Republican radicals. President Clinton accorded assent to the ‘Goals 2000†³ in 1994 that provided grants to assist states in devising academic parameters. Widespread change was visualized with the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and secondary education Act that indicated a nationwide commitment to the standard-based reform. The re-sanction necessitated states to generate content and performance parameters in respect of the K-12 schools. (The Politics of No Child Left Behind) Congress also implemented the notion of ‘adequate yearly progress† which afterwards become the key player of liability in No Child Left Behind. However, the 1994 re-sanction started the process of devising standards and tests in most of the states. (The Politics of No Child Left Behind) The federal government anticipates more liability from state education systems and the assurance that no child will be left behind. States are to enhance the student testing, collect and disseminate subgroup consequences assuring a highly skilled teacher in every classroom and assuring that all students irrespective of their socio-economic conditions attain a proficient level of education by the 2014-2015 academic years. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) NCLB thus reinforces the federal pressure on all states to pursue a standards-based reform agenda. This incorporates a high academic standard for all students; extra supplementation to assist the students and schools to cater to such standards; enhanced suppleness for local schools in order for them to do so; and greater liability for the consequences especially calculated by the activities of the students on standardized assessments.