Digital Learning Environment Essay Example for Free

Digital Learning Environment Essay In the statement â€Å"Recently, there were two recent cover stories in Time Magazine: Their conclusion was that children today are different. In fact, based on what we now know from the neurosciences and psychological sciences, what we’re now beginning to understand is that children today are FUNDAMENTALLY different than we are in the way they think, in the way they access, absorb, interpret, process and use information, and in the way they view, interact, and communicate in the modern world because of their experiences with digital technologies. If this is the case, it holds profound implications for all of us personally and professionally.† I truly believe it’s true. I feel that we are surrounded by digital devices that were not there when I was young. There is new technology that comes out every day and eventually I believe that will be on only way of life in everything we do. I do feel that today’s learners have a different way of learning than we did in the past. I feel there are so many different factors that have changed how today children learns, thinking, etc. I believe the main factor is all the new technology that comes out daily. I feel that technology has been taken for granted for many different ways especially in the learning environment. For example, when I was in high school I had to go to the library to check out books to complete a research paper but in today’s world students just type what they are looking for on the computer and the web provides the answer. I feel it has taken away the experience of how to research something. People can learn so much more when they actually have to do the leg work on researching than just sitting on the couch and typing up the question and the computer does the work. I believe that it can show some laziness on the student’s part because it is others that have done the work and not them. The whole digital world has taken away a person’s creativity, personality (their own work), etc. I feel that having hands on and thinking skills expands their thought process and creative process where they utilizing their own thoughts and not anyone else’s. I feel at times that I would utilize the physical act of learning something instead of them researching on computers websites, etc. I also would have them use their own thoughts and try to learn to have an open mind to take in suggestions from other people. I will ensure that I give them the opportunity to learn from their own experiences with the help and guidance from myself and other adults. I feel this will get to use their own knowledge in cases where they don’t have the digital resources due to batteries going dead or don’t have the access.

How effectively does Shakespeare use scene 1 Essay Example for Free

How effectively does Shakespeare use scene 1 Essay A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life this immediately tells the audience the tragic fate of the lovers mentioned in the first 6lines of the prologue. Warning the audience of the sorrow and heartbreak that the play will lead to. Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is based on the hatred between two families, the Montagues and The Capulets and how their anger and passion towards each other lead to the death of a beloved child from each family. Shakespeare uses Act 1, scene1 to introduce many of the main themes that appear throughout the play, these main themes are; Disorder, fate, light and Darkness, love and passion. Using this prologue Shakespeare is able to tell the audience the entire story line without them even watching the play. The line of the prologue beginning A pair of star-crossed lover. tells the audience straight away of the fate of the two characters involved. This set the scene for an inevitable ending whilst warning the audience what to expect, this is also back up throughout the play because as soon as one good thing beings disasters follows closely behind. Using prologues at the beginning of his plays, Shakespeare was able to capture and engage the audiences attention and quieten them down before any of the main characters are introduced. The takes place in the form of a sonnet, this would have contained the classic characteristics of love poetry, this would have been a very successful way to introduce the play because not only would it have captured the audiences attention and quietened them down, but Shakespeare would have used this prologue to give the audience vital information that they would have needed to understand the rest of the play. Shakespeare would have also been able to give the audience some idea of what to expect throughout the rest of the play. This was very effective as it used tight rhythm and rhyme designed to draw the audience in. The prologue at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet beings Two House-holds, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona (where we lay our scene) and continues Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Do with their death bury their parents strife so in these two short lines Shakespeare has told his audience who the characters are going to be and where the play is set. Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona, Italy. Shakespeare chose this location because in the 16th century, Italy was regarded as a beautiful country, known for it wealth and romance, using these images and scene he had created in his head Shakespeare thought Verona would be the perfect place for extravagant lovers Verona was one of the 4 most important states in Italy. Each of these states has its own ruler; these rulers would have been very competitive, trying to gain superiority over others. Shakespeare used this key theme in the play Romeo and Juliet in the form of the Prince. The Prince would have ruled the state and overseen all activities that take place, this would include quarrelling and feuding between any families that live in the state. Shakespeare picked this up in his version of Romeo and Juliet making the Prince the ruler and the Montagues and the Capulets the two feuding families. Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet was not a piece of William Shakespeares direct work; he had based all the ideas and storylines on a book he had read by Arthur Brooke, entitled The Tragic History and Romeus and Juliet written in 1562. The History of this particular story goes back even further, to a Greek author names Xenophon. Whilst re-writing this particular storyline Shakespeare decided he was writing the play for different reasons to the ones Brook had used. Arthur Brook wrote the poem to warn young people of the dangers of physical attraction Shakespeare wrote his version because he was more interested in considering the validity of true love. Although Shakespeare had copied the story from two other people he had changed it and added pieces to make it his own. For example, Marcutio, Benvolio and the nurse were not featured in Xenophon version or Arthur Brooks version. Shakespeare had to do this because his audience would have known the original storyline and may have thought of Shakespeare as a fake, audiences in this time period would not have held back if they did not like the play they were being shown they would leave and cause havoc in the theatre. Not only did Shakespeare add characters, he added little parts of scenes to give the play more of an impact and reinforce the storyline. For example he added; a street fight, domestic scenes of food preparation, an incident with the musicians, Tybalts challenge to Romeo and the killing of Paris in Act5 scene 3. Act 1, Scene 1 opens with Capulet servants, Sampson and Gregory talking aggressively and violently in a busy market place looking for trouble, and therefore women being the weaker vessels are ever thrust to the wall, therefore I will push Montagues men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall. The two servants them speak of the hatred and bitterness between to two families whilst discussing violent and crude images. This section also represents the high-lightered issue of violence, which occurs in different sections of the play. Not only is this section crude and vulgar, it shows how violent these men maybe towards women and man. Its not long before a servant from the Montague family enters the scene, an argument sparks and the two sides are soon shouting at each other. This shows the audience of the loyalty that the servants have towards their households. When the argument/ fight continue the audience are shown that everyone is willing to put their life on the line for the sake of their family name. This is also observed later on in the play when Romeo and Juliet realise for the first time they are from 2 different, arguing families. This argument prepares the audience for other quarrels and brawls further on in the play. What, drawn and talk peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward this particular dialogue spoken by Tybalt not only reflects the aggressiveness of his personality but tell the audience of the hate and bitterness between the two families. Shortly following these events Benvolio enters, Part, fools! Put up you swords, you know not what you do this shows the audience the peacekeeper in the play, the man that attempts to separate the two families and stop the brewing fight/argument. When this does not work Lord and Lady Capulet enter, followed by Lord and Lady Montague. Both the Capulet and Montague Lords want to join in the fight but are stopped by their wives, who tell them that they are too old. As the wives hold the pair back the Prince enters with his men. The Prince is seen as the figure of authority in the play; the person who controls all problems and is seen as someone who is capable of sorting out any feuding and arguments. He uses this power in a long speech where he talks of past quarrels between the Montagues and the Capulets and how it cannot continue. He does this to tell his audience that these arguments are not a one off thing and happen regularly disrupting the people of Verona. The two families recognise the figure of authority and part, this shows the audience that the Prince is superior to all other characters. The Prince continues, If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace this is the only time that the Prince is seen as a threatening figure in the play, warning all members of the Capulet and the Montague household that if ever a fight breaks out again someone will pay the price with their life. The Princes language in this section is firm but at the same time, Shakespeare makes sure his audience wont view him as a threat to any of the other characters although he is. The Prince speaks in blank verse, to show he is superior and powerful and emphasises his intelligence. All the characters understand the Princes speech, but Romeo goes on the break the rule and is later banished from Verona although Romeo himself is not present when the fighting breaks out. This separates him from the rest of the characters making him seem detached from the families feuding and willing to carry on with his life without starting trouble every time he sees a member of the Capulet household. The scene continues, the Montagues leave with the Prince and the Capulets are instructed to return to their homes, Montague, Lady Montague and Benvolio are left in the market place, here a conversation takes place about Romeo and how he seems withdrawn from all goings on. Benvolio is asked to investigate into why Romeo is behaving like this and the rest of the Montagues leave. This is the first time the audience are introduced to Romeo when he begins his conversation with Benvolio. This is where the themes of love and passion are brought into the play. With Cupids arrow, she hath Dians wit; And in strong proof of chastity well armed, From Loves weak childish bow she lives uncharmed Romeo is speaking in verse to tell the audience about his love for Rosaline but Benvolio is not convinced that Romeo is actually in love, Romeo complains because the woman he claims to love will not marry nor love him back. Benvolio tells Romeo that other women will come along and he should try hard to forget about her, Romeo listens to this although really he is not convinced. Romeo uses and elaborate way of speaking Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, O any thing of nothing first create! but this indicates to the audience his emotions are artificial, not coming from the heart. The audience would now know that Romeo is truly infatuated with Rosalind and that it was not just a fling or something he wasnt taking seriously. Throughout Romeos long speech to Benvolio he uses many oxymorons to emphasise what he thinks he is feeling. Loving hate and cold fire are perfect examples of when Romeo confuses himself with the overwhelming emotions he claims to have. The line love sickness, indicates to the audience that Romeo is almost infected with love for Rosaline and this may not be such a good thing. This would be showing the audience that love can to do terrible things to normal people, confusing the mind and turning and normal life chaotic. The light and Dark imagery is shown in the speech between Benvolio and Romeo but this is not mentioned until the audience is introduced to Juliet, Juliet is seen to be the light and Rosaline is seen to be the darkness that fills and confuses Romeos heart. This is where Shakespeare cleverly uses imagery to represent the two female characters in Romeos point of view. The other themes are continued throughout the play, from when Romeo and Juliet meet to when the both die together in the chapel of rest, where Juliets body has been placed. The theme of love however is resisted in Act 1 scene 5, when Romeo and Juliet fall in love and know they shouldnt. The idea of courtly love is present through most of this scene, although Romeo and Juliet are not experiences this, the theme and ides is the same. The idea of courtly love originally came from a European tradition from the middle ages but still known in Elizabethan times. This was basically a set of rules/ expectations of people who fall in love. These rules stated a number of things this included her coldness inflames the passion. He is consumed with melancholy and makes up verses about love this is present in Romeo and Juliet towards the end when Romeo is desperate to see Juliet and in his last hours makes up several verses to calm himself and prepare himself to meet his wife, Juliet in heaven. The idea of marriage also originated in Europe and is also present in the play, this theme is only mentioned by Capulet once, when he is talking to Paris about his arranged marriage to Juliet. Juliet was pleased and honoured to have been asked to marry Paris until she meet Romeo, this is when she began to resent the arranged marriage. Capulet tells Paris the way to win his daughters heart, the themes of love and passion, light and dark and violence are continued throughout. Shakespeare very cleverly uses Act 1 Scene 1 to introduce these theme either through the prologue, what the first characters say or the actions and imagery that are used. Shakespeare was able to take all of this into account and still produce his own version of Brooks poem The Tragic History and Romeus and Juliet.

Management Of Strategic Policy In Education Education Essay

Management Of Strategic Policy In Education Education Essay What is sport. According to the Concise Oxford Online Dictionary, sport is being described as an activity which involves the physical exertion and skill in which a person or team competes against one another. Sports should be included as part of a whole in a students life. Sports can actually benefits in health and also train one to develop skills like teamwork as they can be the leaders among the students in the sport team. As such, Berry Berry Easy blog claimed that their readers have actually benefitted from their participation in various sports which they most voluntarily participated in the sports of their choice. But in the current era, students are not being active in sports and they need to be forced in order to get them into sports. They prefer playing online games where there is no much physical exertion involves. As so, taking this matter into the consideration, our Ministry of Education in Malaysia have come up with a policy. We would like to highlight the latest 1Student 1Sport policy which is being introduced by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia. This policy is being introduced in the hope that we can produce more students who are well balanced in both academic and sports. Policy implementation, Dye (2002) indicates that implementation involves all of the activities designed to carry out the policies enacted by the legislative branch. These activities include the creation of new organizations like departments, agencies, bureaus, and so on, or the assignment of new responsibilities to existing organizations. These organizations must translate laws into operational rules and regulations. They must hire personnel, draw up contracts, spend money, and perform tasks. All of these activities involve decisions by bureaucrats decisions that determine policy. Definition According the 1M1S Guidebook, it states that One Student One Sport Policy (1M1S) requires all the students to participate in at least one sport activity in schools. This policys main aim is to support the implementation and in line with the National Education Philosophy that focuses to produce individuals who are physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally balanced. This policy is in line with the National Sport Policy, which emphasized on the Sports for All and Sports for Excellence. 1M1S policy program requires every student from Standard 4 in primary schools up to Form 6 in secondary school to complete at least one sporting activity conducted in a planned and systematic way. 1S 1M policy is based on the basic principles of physical development of pupils. Hence, 1S 1M policy is created to provide access for all pupils to benefit from participation in sports in particular to those who were less active or not; develop a school sport towards increasing the participation rate of students in at least one sport in schools; and to provide opportunities for all students who are talented and have the potential to be polished to a higher level. (1M1S Guidebook, 2011) According the 1M1S Guidebook, a sport is very important in building up the physical ability of pupils to support and in line with the phrase Minda yang Cerdas terletak pada Tubuh yang Sihat which means an intelligent mind lies within a healthy body. In this circumstance, sports play an important role in nurturing an active, productive and healthy human in order to be able to contribute to the economic development as well as to the social welfare. Thus, a variety of sports were introduced in order to attract the students practicing an active and healthy lifestyle. Ministry of Education (MoE) implemented 1S1M policy so that every student benefits and gets to enjoy the sports in hope of forming the next generation of sports culture in line with the academic requirements (1M1S Guidebook, 2011). Theory and Concept In short, the elite theory is viewed as the preferences and values of governing elite. As said by Dye (2002), public officials and administrators merely carry out the policies decided on by the elite. Policies flow downward from elites to masses; the policy does not arise from mass demands. This elite theory instigates the top-down approach in the policy implementation process. Educational development and policy in Malaysia have always been characterized by governments effort to adapt education to address to social, economic and political development needs of the country. The Malaysian education system is a highly centralized and bureaucratic system where most of the important policy decision making occurs outside the schools. The MoE decides on the allocation of funds to schools, prescribes and standardizes what should be taught in schools, transfers teachers in and out of schools and formulates top-down school reforms (Zabidi, 2012). Approaches and Models According to PÃ ¼lzl and Treib (2006), there are three generations of implementation research that can be categorized into three distinct theoretical approaches in order to study the implementation. The first model described by PÃ ¼lzl and Treib (2006) will be the top-down models in which their emphasis rely on the ability of the decision makers to produce unambiguous policy objectives and on controlling the implementing stage. The second will be the bottom-up models in which it critiques and view the local bureaucrats as the main actors in the policy delivery and conceive of implementation as negotiation processes within networks among the implementers. And lastly the synthesizer theories in which it tries to overcome the divide between the two approaches by incorporating elements of top-down and bottom-up theoretical models. In this case study, we are considering the Top-down theory as we believe that all policies implemented in Malaysia are based on the Top-down theory. It is always been that the policy makers who are the government will annouce the policy that they have planned and let the implementers who are the teachers to implement the policy accordingly. In an article taken from TheStar online dated 18th March 2010, The Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said that sports will be introduced to school timetables in year 2011 as a new subject. He also mentioned that under the 1Student, 1Sport policy, secondary school students would get 90 minutes a week to play a game of their choice, while primary pupils would spend 60 minutes weekly. He emphasized that the Physical Education subject would still be taught as it had a specific syllabus. This shows that the Minister is giving the suggestion and also assurance of what the students will get out of the 1M1S policy when it is being implemented. In an article taken from TheStar online dated 14th July 2010, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mentioned We have informed our officers on the appropriate ways to implement this at both primary and secondary school levels, as students of different ages have a different approach to sports, at a press conference after opening the Second Asean Schools Games at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium. This shows that the Malaysia uses the Top-down theory in implementing the 1M1S policy. This excerpt defines that the Ministers cabinet was told on how to implement this policy in schools to cater the needs of different levels of students. Above mentioned articles shows the scenario happening in Malaysia where the Deputy Prime Minister also the Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announces the 1M1S policy in public behalf of the Education Ministry board. This claim can be supported by the top-down theories started from the assumption that policy implementation starts with a decision made by central government as said by PÃ ¼lzl and Treib (2006). As PÃ ¼lzl and Treib (2006) mentioned, the top downers essentially followed a prescriptive approach that interpreted policy as input and implementation as output factors. The author also mentioned due to their emphasis on decisions of central policy makers, deLeon (2001) describes top-down approaches as a governing elite phenomenon. PÃ ¼lzl and Treib (2006) also claimed that Press and Wildavsky started from the assumption that policy objectives are set out by central policy makers in which it refers to the the Ministry of Education. The authors also underlined the linear relationship between agreed policy goals and their implementation. Implementation therefore implied the establishment of adequate bureaucratic procedures to ensure that policies are executed as accurately as possible. To this end, implementing agencies should have sufficient resources at their disposal, and there needs to be a system of clear responsibilities and hierarchical control to supervise the actions of implementers (PÃ ¼lzl and Treib, 2006). This can be seen that the Malaysia Education Ministry assumes the 1M1S policy formation and execution as disticnt activities in which the 1M1S policy is set at the higher levels and then sent out the order of implementation to their lower level bureaucrats who are the implementing agencies; the ed ucation officers in all levels (state,district and school) which are then charged with the managerial, administrative and technical tasks of putting the 1M1S policy into practice. The MoE also gives the time to accomplish the implementation without considering the sufficient resources that needed to ensure the implementation to succeed. Some selected models of policymaking are taken into consideration before implementing the 1M1S policy via top-down approach. The first model that is taken into consideration is the institutionalism model where the model treats the policy as institutional output. According to Dye (2002), the relationship between the public policy and government institutions is very close in which the policy is authoritatively determined, implemented and enforced by government institutions, namely Parliament, Prime Minister, bureaucracies and so on. In accordance to this model, 1M1S policy is being authoritatively determined and enforced by the MoE. The second model that counts is the rationalism model which treats the policy as maximum social gain. Dye (2002), stated that no policy should be adopted if its costs exceed its benefits. The policy is considered rational when the difference between the values it achieves and the values it sacrifices is positive and is greater than any other policy alternatives. Reflecting from this models point of view in this 1M1S policy, the outcome in future will be beneficial to the country as this policy will produce more talented sports people in various sports activities, get participated in many international games and making our country proud by winning more medals in various games. Implementation Techniques Utilized In the case of 1 Student 1 Sport (1M1S) policy, information provision technique is highly utilized. The provision of information is an essential element of the functioning of any community. Providing information in a timely and targeted manner can be a huge benefit. Without a means to provide facts and data, policy implementers would not be able to make well-considered decisions about how the policy should be operated. The 1M1S Policy Implementation Handbook was published in order to help policy implementers with the dispersion of the policy. Through the handbook, the states education office, the districts education office, the schools sport development committee, the teachers, as well as the Parents Teachers Associations, are given guidelines on how to employ the policy. School sports program implementation under 1M1S policy is to be conducted throughout the year. However, schools are encouraged to plan the implementation of sports programs in accordance with the availability, affordability and creativity and innovation the schools. There are a total of 42 different sports/games intended for the implementation of the 1M1S. The policy makers also proposed some sports activities to be carried out throughout the year. For example general sports programs which includes cross-country, and track and field. In the handbook, 15 strategies in carrying out the 1M1S policy were also presented. Every school is recommended to follow the strategies presented depending on the facility and the existing infrastructure in schools. Schools are given the flexibility to choose, determine or modify the method of execution as appropriate, means and needs of the school. Schools may also plan other methods if deemed appropriate. Some examples of those strategies would be to undertake survey to identify student interest in certain sports, survey of sports facilities in and outside the school that can be used by students, and scheduling school sports program activities in accordance with the appropriate time based on the background and school facilities. The Ministry of Education also provided sports training modules for school sports club advisory teachers. Currently there are 20 training modules for 10 different sports are made available for both primary and secondary schools through the MoEs website. These modules are helpful as guidelines for sports club advisory teachers and trainers, and are also useful as visual aids for students in the course of their training. The management guideline for track and field (athletics) championships in school is also made available in the MoEs website. This is useful as it will aid teachers especially novice teachers in managing athletics championships in school, as it provides proper guidance. Professional circulars, and sports and co-curriculum press letters are also given out by the MoE from time to time, in order to steer policy implementers towards achieving the goal of the policy. Thus it is evident that, in the implementation of 1M1S, the policy makers rely heavily on information provision as an instrument of policy implementation. Implementers Involved There are many implementers involved in the diffusion of 1 Student 1 Sport. As the students are the target group for the policy, the school itself is the main implementer of the policy. The school must hold competitions between levels, classes, sports houses, dorms, and sports clubs of schools. The students participation in the District School Sports Council (Majlis Sukan Sekolah-Sekolah Daerah [MSSD]) or State School Sports Council (MSSM) competitions as well as on international level are counted as 1Student 1Sport activities. But who is the school? Who is responsible for all those competition? Every school has a School Sports Development Committee. Teachers are a big part of the implementers involved. Teachers are appointed as heads of smaller managing committees, sports/club advisors, and also trainers. This is indeed a great challenge for teachers, as they are already laden with other school tasks. The Co-curricular Senior Assistant Teacher is also an important implementer figure. The Co-curricular Senior Assistant Teacher is responsible for the smooth administration of the co-curricular activities, enhancing student performance as well as the involvement and participation of teachers in extra-curricular activities. Moreover, they are also responsible to work with the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the schools regarding co-curriculum matters, who are the implementers involved as well. Parents Teachers Associations are also integral to the implementation of the policy. With support and provisions by the PTA, it can provide insights and lessen the burden of the teachers in the diffusion of the policy. The Chairman of the School Sports Development Committee is the principal/headmaster of the schools. The District Education Office acts as the advisor, while the State Education Office is the Patron of the School Sports Development Committee. The Principal monitors the operation of the policy at the school level. They then report to the District Education Office, and then the District Education Office reports to the State Education Office. These policy implementers face the reality of promoting the learning of sports to groups of students, with all their diversity and complexity. Moreover each context creates a set of variable with which policy implementers must contend, and policy initiators are often unaware or unimpressed. Policy makers and policy implementers want the same things the best possible educational sports experience for students. These implementers are important in assuring the success of the 1M1S policy diffusion. Monitoring Monitoring helps to access degrees of compliance, discover unintended consequences of policies and programs, identify implementational obstacles and constraints, and locate sources of responsibility for departures from policy. (Dunn, 1994). According to Dunn, there are 2 levels of monitoring: Macroimplementation Monitoring and Microimplementation Monitoring. Macroimplementation monitoring consists of tracing the process by which a policy progresses from legislation to action in order to determine: (i) what is being implemented, (ii) why is it taking a particular form, and (iii) what actions can be taken to influence implementation. Microimplementation monitoring consists of collecting information to describe the a policy has taken in various implementing jurisdictions in order to determine: (i) the extent of compliance, (ii) the adaptation a policy has undergone, (iii) reasons for noncompliance and adaptation, and (iv) manipulatable aspects of implementation. Monitoring of the implementation of the management of 1M1S by the school management is part of the strategy to evaluate and ensure the success and effectiveness of sporting activities undertaken. This aims to examine aspects of management and use of equipment, regulatory compliance, health, safety and welfare and student participation in school sports program. The monitoring process shall be conducted by the school management throughout the year. Improvements are to be carried out by the school from time to time to ensure the implementation of the 1M1S. Policy Problems Policy problems are unrealized needs, values, or opportunities for improvement that may be pursued through public action, as defined by David Dery. According to Russell A. Ackoff, policy problems are products of thought acting on environments; they are elements of problems situation. William N. Dunn also stated that policy problems are the products of subjective human judgment. There are three questions to be considered about the nature of policy problems, as suggested by William N. Dunn. How well do we understand the problem? Have we identified the right objectives? Are we solving the wrong formulation of problem when we should be solving the right one? Problems Encountered in One Student One Sport The availability of school infrastructure School infrastructure is the prior fundamental requirement for the success implementation of the policy One Student One Sport. Schools should have provided adequate sports facilities and equipment to maximize the opportunities of physical activities. Lacking of space, playing fields, sports equipment will cause the deficiency of the policy. Moreover, the variation of sports and its equipment is much limited in schools. Schools in Malaysia which have already established for years inevitably needed an upgrading. The readiness of teachers as sports trainers Teachers are undoubtedly the implementers of the policy, which is to be the sports trainers in schools. Their readiness in terms of physically, mentally or technically is dubious indeed. Most teachers who are involved are assigned by the management of schools. They do not have relevant qualification in sports coaching or physical education. It is a setback for them to coach students instructionally appropriate. The implementation of this policy should not be just letting students to play any sport they wish as usual. The choices of sports in schools The choices of sports in schools are limited as the sports facilities and equipment are not adequate. For those existing sports facilities and equipment in schools, some of them are not well maintained too. As the policy One Student One Sport focuses on students, it is crucial to take in students personal interest of the particular sports into consideration. Hence, the choices of sports in schools are most probably in short supply to cater for students need in their selected physical activities. The different abilities of students Students physical ability is one essential factor to be reflected in the policy of One Student One Sport. Students with strong physical ability or competence will be motivated to participate actively in sports and thus bringing this policy a success. Nevertheless, students who have low physical competence will be marginalized as they are not able to enjoy the sports activities in schools. As a result, they lose interest in sports and this policy becomes an extra burden in their schooling days. The ratio between the number of students and teachers The ratio between students and teachers is an influence factor towards the policy attainment. In most schools, the number of teachers is far more exceeding the number of students. The number of students as participants is not meeting the expected amount. Students tend to defend their absence or nonparticipation by giving all sorts of excuses. The lack of support from parents Parents support directly impacts on the policy of One Student One Sport; either it is a bane or boon. Parents support helps students in developing their interest in sports. However, parents nowadays place a strong emphasis on academic excellence of their children. Students who are examination oriented failed to be beneficial from the policy. Solutions of the policy problems Solution of the policy problems produce information about the likelihood that future courses of action will result in consequences that are valuable to some individual, group or society as a whole, as stated by William N. Dunn. He added that this process engages between the transformations of information about policy futures to action which will then come in valued results. Any solution to the policy problems must be actionable, that is going beyond the fact and involving actions that aim to satisfy need, values and opportunities for improvement, (Alexander George, 1980). Solutions to the Problems Encountered in One Student One Sport Increase the allocation of sports fund in schools Allocation of sports funds in schools should be increased in order to improve on the schools infrastructure. Sports facilities and equipment have to be expanded in terms of quantity, whereas the existing facilities and equipment should be upgraded, especially in their quality. Variation of sports activities should be added in as well as introduced in schools for students. By having a variety of choices, students can have better chance to develop their interest in sports. As a result, the number of students who participate in sports will be raised. Select the right teachers as sports trainers Teachers have to be equipped with high quality coaching skills for the particular sports that they are in charged with. Students need to master the basic skills in their chosen sports as a kick start for their development of interest in sports through teachers coaching. Therefore, teachers as sports trainers have to be instructionally skilled in certain sports. Expertise and technical skills of sports trainers make a difference in students life. Schools management can provide sufficient supports to teachers as a mean to enhance their enthusiasm of being sports trainers in schools. Incorporate sports as part of academic Sports can be incorporated as part of academic as a way to encourage students to be more actively engaged in it. Sports can be integrated in schooling hours, but not to be in the extension of schooling hours. This is hopefully to re-gather the support of parents to encourage their childrens participation. It is intended to minimize the inconvenience of sending their children back to school after schooling hours. Furthermore, sports activities can be accountable for higher percentage in students academic as to counter the problem of examination oriented mindset, either of the students or the parents. Conclusion Every policy started off with a noble purpose. However, the process of implementing it in reality is what it really matters after all. It is not to say that the noble purposes are there to defend any deficiency of the outcomes. Hence, policy in action is what to be the main focus. Undeniably, the evaluation of policy comes after the implementation over a period of time. Problems are identified and then followed by recommended solution. It is a process, a cycle which keeps going on. Sport is an integral part in ones life. One Student One Sport is a policy with the vision of creating a balance and healthy lifestyle among students. It is indeed a well plan policy which seen to be a complete one for the society, schools, teachers and students. Nevertheless, to implement any policy in Malaysia, it has to be confronted with all aspects considering the fact of every school where it will be the setting of the policy implementation. One policy is not to be able to fulfil every ones need.

The Role of Technology in Management Leadership Essay -- Business Mana

The Role of Technology in Management Leadership Over the last sixty years of business activity, there has been new ways and means of conducting business through something we call technology. Technology is the advancement and use of electronic devices and other high-tech equipment to produce and progress knowledge into the future. Advancements in technology have affected management leadership in many ways over the last sixty years. New technology has altered leaders’ consciousness, language, and the way they view their organization. Technological advancements have made things easier for those in management leadership roles. But as with anything, there are positive and negative aspects of technology on leadership. Some of the positive aspects of technology are: the availability and use of wireless networking, collaboration tools, digital video, handheld devices, and videoconferencing. On the other hand, the negative aspects of technology are: it offers less privacy, it allows for less interaction with others, and it runs a h igh risk of contact with viruses. On the more positive side, wireless networking allows leaders to share resources with their team operating by means of wireless media, such as microwaves, cellular technology, and radio frequencies. Wireless networking is paving the way for technology integration around the world. The use of collaboration tools allows ongoing conversations among leaders, their subordinates, board members, and community members. Professional development is one area where collaboration can have an enormous impact on management leadership. When leaders can casually share new approaches and practices with each other through a technology connection to their workplace, both leaders and their team will benefit. One way of doing this is to create an Internet mailing list where they can share questions, problems, solutions, successful techniques, and less successful techniques. The Internet is enabling digital video to achieve professional-quality and two-way interaction. This will be one of the rare cases wh ere management leadership will be leading a technological shift in society as a whole. Hand-held devices are high-tech gadgets, now more powerful than early Windows or Macintosh machines. Handheld devices offer more versatility than full-size computers and are much more portable than the alternative personal device, the ... ... to remember that the Internet is a public place, and you should never assume that something is secure. Leaders should be the moral compass for groups, but... Technology has blurred some distinctions between what's right and wrong. Many institutions have been caught in the discourse about websites such as Napster. Some people seem to want to have two sets of rules, one for the cold reality of the analog world and another for the magical digital world. It may take many years to establish equilibrium. In the meantime, be clear and consistent about expectations, after you've given full consideration to the implications. Choose your battles, but be prepared to say "let's wait and see". Leaders appreciate differences, but technology threatens to marginalize others. As for any program goal, a leader should always ask "who gets excluded by this approach?" There is a misperception among many leaders that technology is naturally bias-free: The research suggests otherwise. Furthermore, ind ividuals from some backgrounds do not "buy into" or choose to participate in the emerging technology culture, as should be their choice. Be careful when a technological solution becomes the only solution.

Can a fingerprint be reproduced? :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

Can a fingerprint be reproduced? Imagine the guilt a wife and mother would feel knowing that carrying out her daily routine of waking her husband, so he could get ready for work, would cause her never to see him again. To just send him off as she has done for the past thirty-two years would cause such heartbreak for her and her family. For her to remember the way he would turn on all the lights and make as much noise as possible to keep her awake so that he could get a good-bye kiss. And to think that that kiss would be their last one because when he arrives at work, takes the elevator to the fifty-second floor, and takes a seat at his desk a terrorist would fly an airplane into his building, The World Trade Center. On that dark day, The World Trade Center became a burial ground. Thousands of people lost their lives because of someone’s warped view of religion. Because of this warped view, we as a country have to make the difficult decision of what to do with the empty area where the Twin Towers once stood. People are divided on what to do with this are in the middle of Manhattan. Should we, as a nation, rebuild The World Trade Center or make a memorial in its place? Many factors play on this decision. For example, it is prime real estate. Yet, on the other hand, it is sacred ground. A place of reverence and a place of remembrance of those lives lost in the tragedy that occurred on 9-11. People from all over the United States of America came to this one spot not to view or exploit the vacancy but to remember the totality of the two towers by remembering the employees, the bystanders, and all the police officers and fire fighters who lost their lives to save others. Strangers came together to pay their respects to the dead and to show their loyalty and support to their country. After September 11, this site has become more than a national landmark. People used to come and be in awe because of the magnificence of the two buildings, but now they come for something else. This is another reason it is so difficult to decide on what to do with this void in the New York skyline. People want a place that they can go and remember their loved ones that have passed because of the tragedy on September 11, 2001.

Study of Communication Essay -- Human Communication, Ethnography of Sp

Studies on Human Communication The past century has been an enormously productive one in regard to the analysis and description of human communication. Building on the ideas of Ferdinand de Saussure, early structuralists delineated the phonological and morphological building blocks of speech by refining and applying the concepts of the phoneme and the morpheme. In addition to the rigorous description of hundreds of indigenous languages, anthropological linguists using this body of data worked on the problem of language histories and the division of current languages into families of related languages with the concomitant contribution to cultural history. Another achievement was the demonstration that not only was language separate from physical type, but also it was of equivalent complexity regardless of cultural complexity; in Edward Sapir's (1921) phrasing, â€Å"The lowliest South African Bushman speaks in the forms of a rich symbolic system that is in essence perfectly comparable to the speech of the cultivat ed Frenchman.† The second half of the 20th century was dominated by those who followed Noam Chomsky (1957) toward looking at the processes by which sentences are generated from an underlying assemblage of semantic, syntactic, and phrasal elements and their (rearrangements through transformational cognitive processes. For both of these approaches-structural and generative-the symbolic role of communicative forms played little role. There was a concern with meaning, but it was limited to its employment: 1. As part of a method to uncover linguistic units 2. As a lexical tagging element to prevent the generation of semantically inappropriate sentences. A sentence such as â€Å"He is not heavy he is my sister† should not be ge... ...nd the strictures of life are absent, but it is the symbolic dimension that is of interest here. The symbolic values of creativity, spontaneity, freedom, and play are dominant. These symbolic attributes are present in real human interaction, but in a virtual realm there are no limits other than those of nondisclosure and abusiveness for which a member might be censured and even banned. The virtual realm is valued as an improved human condition. The technological ability to construct and maintain this kind of activity creates a new set of symbols or at least a new dimension to the symbols of human life. Presenting oneself as an animal avatar may be no different from performing as a mummer in an animal costume. According to Boellstorff, in Second Life there is a seriousness and commitment to the guises that appears to be a potential rejection of one's real visage.

Ge Talent Machine Essay

DESCRIPTION GE believes its ability to develop management talent is a core competency that represents a source of sustainable competitive advantage. This case traces the development of GE’s rich system of human resource policies and practices under five CEOs in the post-war era, showing how the development of talent is embedded into the company’s ongoing management responsibilities. It describes the development of a 25-year-old MBA named Jeff Immelt, who 18 years later is named as CEO of GE, arguably the biggest and most complex corporate leadership job in the world and how he frames his priorities for GE and implements them, pulling hard on the sophisticated human resource levers his predecessors left him. Immelt questions whether he should adjust or even overhaul three elements of GE’s finely tuned talent machine. LEARNING OBJECTIVE To examine the importance of managing human capital as carefully as financial capital as a scarce strategic resource. SUBJECTS COVERED Business policy; Competitive advantage; Core competencies; Corporate strategy; Diversified companies; Human resource management; Implementing strategy; Leadership; Management development; Organizational behavior SETTING Company Employee Count: 300,000 ï‚ · Company Revenue: $132 billion revenues ï‚ · Event Year Begin: 1960 ï‚ · Event Year End: 2003 BUILDING THE TALENT MACHINE: HISTORY OF GE’S HR PRACTICES Strengthening the Foundations: Cordiner’s Contributions Ralph Cordiner was president of GE from 1950-1958 and CEO from 1958-1963. Under his leadership, the following initiatives were implemented: 1. Decentralized GE’s management structure, transferring authority down to nearly 100 department-level businesses. 2. Spent $40 million annually on management education, almost 10% of its earnings. 3. Initiated a new management evaluation process known as â€Å"Session C,† which resulted in career development plans and the rating of subordinates on a six-point scale from â€Å"high potential† to â€Å"unsatisfactory.† 4. Introduced a system of objective performance evaluation tied to 28 position levels (PLs) that showed entry, median and maximum level salaries for each level. Systematizing HR Processes: Borsch and Jones Fred Borsch was CEO from 1963-1972. During his tenure he: 1. Implemented a new round of corporate diversification. 2. Overcame department managers’ tendency to keep talented managers to themselves, which was accomplished by having the top 2% of GE’s employees (PLs 13-27) report directly to him. 3. Had GE business leaders identify potential managerial talent and track all â€Å"high potentials† to make sure they were exposed to a wide range of GE businesses. Reg Jones was CEO from 1972-1981. He introduced a more formal and structured approach to strategic planning, creating 43 strategic business units and adding another organizational layer—the sector—to put groups together based upon common characteristics. Supercharging the System: Welch’s Initiatives Jack Welch became CEO in 1981. During his time as CEO, he: 1. Concentrated on improving performance in order for GE to become #1 or #2 in their current businesses. 2. Implemented the â€Å"fix it, sell it, or close it† strategy for businesses that were not #1 or #2. 3. Eliminated over 100,000 jobs. 4. Collapsed the 29 positions levels (PLs) into seven broad bands. 5. Granted stock options for performance. 6. Invested heavily in management development. 7. Reconsidered competing for management recruits from the pool of most hunted college and business school graduates. Went after disciplined, self-motivated candidates from Midwestern engineering programs, night schools and former military officers. 8. Insisted managers be evaluated on how they live up to GE’s values, as well as objective performance measures. 9. Added a disciplined performance analysis to Session C by asking managers to rank subordinates on a â€Å"vitality curve†: the top 20%, highly valued 70% and least effective 10%. 10. Tightly integrated HR systems with other business elements to constantly look for â€Å"high potentials.† THE MAKING OF A CEO: THE RISE AND RISE OF JEFF IMMELT Jeff Immelt joined GE in 1982. He was a 25-year old Harvard MBA who impressed the GE Harvard MBA recruiting executive so much that Immelt didn’t even need to go through the normal process of going through the corporate referral center. The recruiting executive recommended Immelt to senior management and suggested that Jack Welch get involved to make sure Immelt didn’t take a job somewhere else. Within 30 days of his hiring, Immelt was part of a team presenting to Welch. The Plastics Experience: Building Skills Immelt started out as a regional sales manager for GE Plastics with 15 people reporting directly to him. Over the next seven years, Immelt held positions as product manager, sales manager and global marketing manager. He was one of 150 other young â€Å"high potentials† being tracked for positions at the highest levels of the company. In 1987, Immelt was selected to attend the Executive Development Course at Crotonville. This course was important for Immelt’s possible selection as a company officer and provided him excellent networking opportunities with other high potential managers. The Appliances Challenge: The Turnaround Test In 1989, Immelt was moved to the Appliances service business. He was placed in the Appliances business to figure out what to do with over one million defective refrigerators that had been sold by GE. Immelt knew this was an excellent opportunity and that he would either â€Å"sink or swim.† Over one million refrigerator compressors were replaced with new units that came from competitors. The recall operation went well and Immelt was asked to run the entire marketing and product marketing operations, reporting directly to the CEO of Appliances. Immelt got frank feedback during his Session C evaluations and was counseled that he needed to listen better, to empower his subordinates more and to channel his energy into bringing his people along with him when he wanted action. In 1992, Jack Welch moved Immelt back to Plastics. Plastics Redux: Trial by Fire After a year back at Plastics, Immelt was named head of Plastics Americas, reporting directly to the CEO of Plastics. Immelt faced challenges when his operation missed its numbers by $30 million, due to cost overruns, and he had tried to renegotiate prices with its big customer, General Motors. GM was ready to stop doing business with GE when Welch and GM’s CEO decided to work together in order to solve the problem. Welch checked with Immelt regularly to see how Immelt was handling the situation. Welch was not happy with Immelt, but he watched Immelt closely and allowed the decisions made regarding the relationship with GM to be Immelt’s. Immelt understood that he would not be punished for making a mistake. He knew, however, that â€Å"you can fail† but â€Å"we don’t allow you to make the same mistake twice.† Medical Systems: Putting It All Together In 1997, Immelt was appointed to run GE Medical Systems. Prior to Immelt’s arrival, GE Medical had been focusing on cost-cutting. Instead, Immelt emphasized growth and started to expand into other businesses and make GE Medical a more global company. He started acquiring companies, investing in new technologies and restructuring global operations. Immelt’s style was to engage and energize those around him. Immelt began to mentor and coach other high potential managers, and as a result of his leadership and the success of his team, in four years, GE Medical’s sales doubled and its profit more than doubled. Because of his excellent work leading GE Medical, by 2001, Jeff Immelt had become one of the front-runners to succeed Jack Welch as CEO of GE. The Succession Process Welch’s list of CEO succession candidates included then-current business heads, some senior corporate officers and about a dozen young â€Å"hot shots,† like Immelt. From 1994, members of GE’s board visited various GE businesses to get a direct impression of potential CEO candidates. By 2000, it was widely speculated that the three top contenders were Jeff Immelt, Jim McNerney and Bob Nardelli. In October 2000, the board discussed the three finalists and in November, Immelt was unanimously voted CEO designate. NEW HANDS ON THE CONTROLS: JEFF IMMELT, CEO Jeff Immelt’s first day as CEO was September 10, 2001. He called it the â€Å"one good day† of his first year on the job. The next day was 9/11 and from then on, GE’s businesses, like those of other companies, faced hard times and a drop in its stock price. Immelt’s Priority: Leveraging Human Capital for Growth Immelt was committed to GE’s continued growth and he spent an estimated 40% of his time on human resource issues. He said, â€Å"Every initiative I’m thinking about gets translated immediately into recruiting, Crotonville and Session C.† Immelt’s five key human resource initiatives were: 1. Target technology skills during Session C reviews. Review the business’s engineering pipeline, the organization of its engineering function and evaluate the potential of its engineering talent. (Immelt was concerned that technology-oriented managers were under-represented in GE’s executive ranks.) 2. Open new channels of communication between businesses and geographical areas. Share ideas. 3. Emphasize customer relationships and marketing. 4. Develop GE’s globalization strategy. (Immelt appointed Ferdinando Beccalli as the company’s first CEO of GE Europe; named a new president and CEO of China; and began offering courses at Crotonville to Chinese management and Chinese customers.) 5. Invest in businesses heavier in human capital than in physical capital. (Immelt identified six growth platforms—healthcare information technology, water technology and services, oil and gas technology, security and sensors, Hispanic broadcasting, and consumer finance.) THE TALENT MACHINE IN 2003: SERVICE, TUNE UP, OR OVERHAUL? In 2003, Immelt was reflecting on his first full year as CEO. Times had not been good; GE’s stock was down and employees were uneasy about the economic downturn. Management and employee turnover was low, but Immelt wanted to make sure that when the economy picked up, employees would be motivated and engaged. He wondered if it was time to adjust or overhaul GE’s talent machine. The Vitality Curve While the rankings-based vitality curve had been controversial to many outsiders, long-term GE employees viewed it as part of the company’s meritocracy-based culture. Immelt felt that other companies had experienced difficulty with the process because it requires feedback, coaching, training and clear performance goals. All the elements of the evaluation system must work together. However, in early 2003, Immelt noticed that BankAmerica had successfully recruited over 90 GE employees. These employees had been targeted, not from the top 20%, but from the highly valued 70%. Immelt felt this group was the backbone of GE and were not to be considered just average. Should the system be modified to differentiate within this group? Should recognition and rewards be less sharply focused on the top 20%? Or, should the entire concept of performance ranking at GE be questioned? Recruitment GE was driving toward more service-intense global businesses. Immelt wondered about the talent pool he would need to run these businesses. One proposal was to target MBAs with marketing management career interests. Immelt also wondered if GE was not over-reliant on its US-based recruitment programs. Since 40% of GE’s revenues were generated offshore, should there be more non-Americans in executive positions? Executive Bands One problem with the collapse of the 29 PLs into seven broad executive bands was that some employees, especially in international locations, felt that their promotion opportunities were limited and the frequency of clearly defined job promotions decreased. In more hierarchical business cultures, such as India, perceived status and level were highly valued. While there might not be a real difference between a PL15 and PL16, for many it represented an important psychological reward.