English language Essay

Why choose Westminster Kingsway College? Our central London location: courses take place at our Victoria Centre which is a five-minute walk from Victoria mainline and underground stations Our facilities and resources: the centre has a very well-equipped Learning Centre with IT facilities and an extensive range of teaching and learning materials Our online Virtual Learning Environment ‘Moodle’: this allows access to a range of support materials on your home PC Our experience: we have been running teacher training courses for over 25 years and have a well-deserved reputation for extremely high quality, effective teaching Our training team: we have a large team of highly-qualified and experienced teacher trainers. They have all worked in the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas and some are CELTA assessors. You can find out more about them in the â€Å"Trainer Profile† section Our quality assurance systems: in addition to external monitoring by Cambridge, we are part of the public sector and are inspected by OFSTED Our success rates: we have a proven track-record of extremely good pass rates on all our courses The level of individual attention we offer: our trainers are involved at every stage of your course, from initial enquiry to post-course advice and guidance The profile of our teaching practice groups: our students are highly motivated and come from a very wide variety of linguistic, geographic and social backgrounds. Some are asylum seekers and refugees whilst others are living and working in London for a relatively short time. This mix of students means that your teaching practice gives you experience to equip you to teach in a range of contexts in both the private and public sector in the UK or overseas. It also helps you decide which sector you would prefer to work in Extremely high level of trainee satisfaction: see â€Å"What CELTA did for me† for comments from past trainees Advice and guidance on employment opportunities: all our courses include sessions on finding teaching work, and some of our candidates go on to work in Westminster Kingsway and other colleges If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your application, please contact one of our trainers on 020 7802 8940 / 8343 / 8378. The College is closed over Christmas, Easter and during the summer holidays. During these times, you will hear a voice-message giving you further information.3 About Westminster Kingsway College: Teacher Training Westminster Kingsway College’s Teacher Training courses are based at the Victoria Centre, right in the heart of London, about 5 minutes walk from Victoria underground and main line station. In addition to Teacher Training courses, the College offers part-time day and evening courses in English/ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). We are part of the public sector and receive government funding for our courses. This means that our fees compare favourably with other teacher training providers. Our facilities include a large cafeteria, a very well-equipped Learning Centre and computer access for all learners. Our Teacher Trainers All our team are qualified teacher trainers, with extensive experience of teaching EFL and ESOL in a range of contexts, both in the UK and overseas. The majority are also Cambridge-accredited external assessors. They are all directly employed by the College and regularly update their teacher training skills and expertise. Trainer Profiles Katerina Ashiotis: Katerina started her teaching career as an EFL teacher in the private sector in London soon after leaving college. She travelled, then taught in Greece for two years in a private school. She then returned to London and worked as an English teacher teaching adults full-time. She worked in three different private schools as an EFL teacher, Senior Teacher and Director of Studies and started teacher training in 1994. Katerina has a Diploma and an MA in Linguistics and in 2002 completed a PGCE in FE (PCET with ESOL Specialism). Parallel to working and training in the private sector she worked as a visiting EFL lecturer at Westminster Kingsway College for over 12 years. She started working at Westminster Kingsway College full-time as an ELT lecturer and teacher trainer in 2002. In addition to the CELTA course, Katerina is also a teacher trainer for PTLLS and DTLLS courses. Most recently, she has been involved in the design and delivery of a number of training programmes for teachers from South Korea and Albania. Chris Brain: Following a degree in history and a PGCE at the University of London, Chris started teaching EFL in London in 1979. He then worked in Italy from 1980 to 1988 and took the RSA Diploma at International House in Rome in 1986. He returned to London in 1989 and subsequently trained as a CELTA trainer. He continued to work in the private sector, became a CELTA Assessor in 1992 and a DELTA trainer in 1998. Chris joined Westminster Kingsway College in January 2000 as a full-time member of staff and has worked on a variety of courses including EFL, ESOL, CELTA and DELTA. Michael Harmsworth: Michael began teaching in 1982 and became a teacher trainer in 1986. He has been at Westminster Kingsway College since October 1997. Before that he was Director of Teacher Training at two private language schools in London after spending a total of eight years working abroad, in Greece, Italy and Spain. In 1992 he became an Assessor for the CELTA course. Michael has an MA with Distinction in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and the Cambridge/RSA Diploma with Distinction. He has delivered an extensive range of training courses at all levels. His current studies are focused on his obtaining Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA). Gabriel Mulcauley: Gabriel completed a degree in English Literature at the University of Sheffield followed by a PGCE in English and Drama at the University of Leeds. Her first experience of teaching English was in a Summer School in Greece. Having spent several years travelling and teaching in private language schools, Gabriel came to London in 1991 and took the Diploma in TEFL at Waltham Forest College in 1992. She began working in Further Education in 1994 at Hackney Community College before joining Westminster Kingsway College in 1998. Gabriel started training to be a teacher trainer in November 2004 and is enjoying this interesting new challenge. 4 Our English/ESOL courses and students Our English/ESOL courses are suitable for adult learners (19+) who are living in the UK either permanently or as refugees or asylum seekers and for European migrant workers. We offer a variety of courses to meet a wide range of needs. Some courses are more suitable for EU migrant workers and enable students to gain a qualification quickly. Others are more appropriate for students who need to catch up on other skills, such as basic literacy. All courses are part-time, either day-time or evening, and last either for one term or one semester (18 weeks). Students study either every day (Monday – Friday) or two evenings per week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday). There are two study options on the daytime courses: ESOL Extra and ESOL Express. On ESOL Extra learners study for 2.5 hours per day and on ESOL Express they study for 2 hours per day. On the evening courses, hours are the same: learners study for 2.5 hours on two evenings per week. Qualifications All the courses lead to an examination: this is usually a Trinity Skills for Life Certificate. We offer these qualifications at 5 levels from Entry 1 (beginner) to Level 2. Students take an examination in Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. 5 The Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: CELTA (incorporating the award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector: PTLLS) What is CELTA? CELTA is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous teaching experience. It is the best known and most widely taken initial ‘TESOL/TEFL’ qualification of its kind in the world. Who recognises CELTA? It is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English Language teachers. It has also been accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Who is CELTA for? People starting a career in English Language teaching: The course will give you a firm grounding in the fundamentals of language teaching practice, and the confidence to use these effectively in the classroom. People looking for a career change or career break: An increasing number of candidates are professionals who would like a new career path or want to take a short break in their existing career, which may involve the opportunity to live and work abroad. People already teaching English but with no formal qualifications: You may already be teaching English but have no formal teaching qualifications. CELTA will help you improve your teaching, confirm your ability and may lead to internal promotion or a better teaching job. Who is eligible to apply? We recommend that candidates have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education (normally 2 â€Å"A† levels and above). You will also need good numeracy skills. However, we are happy to consider applications from candidates who do not have formal qualifications at this level but who can demonstrate that they have appropriate language competence, skills, and experience. The course is open to both native and non-native speakers of English. If English is not your first language, you must have a command of written and spoken English that enables you to teach across a range of levels and complete the written assignments. In our experience, most successful candidates have English as their first language and are graduates. What does CELTA involve? The course is extremely demanding and requires a high level of commitment. You are required to attend the whole course, and complete homework assignments. You will have to devote a considerable amount of time to course work outside class hours, and we strongly recommend that you do not do any part-time work or other studies during the course. You should also be prepared to accept constructive criticism from your trainers and other trainees and be willing to reconsider your assumptions about teaching and learning. What does the course cover? The course aims to teach the principles of effective teaching and a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners. You will have hands-on teaching practice, observe experienced teachers and complete four practically-focussed written assignments. 6 There are five main units of learning: Unit 1: Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context Unit 2: Language Analysis and awareness Unit 3: Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing Unit 4: Planning and resources for different teaching contacts Unit 5: Developing teaching skills and professionalism. How will I be assessed? You will be assessed throughout the course: there is no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge ESOL, moderates each course. There are two components of assessment: Teaching Practice: You will teach for a total of six hours, working with classes at two ability levels. Assessment is based on your overall performance at the end of the six hours. Written Assignments: You will complete four written assignments: one on adult learning and learning contexts, one on an aspect of the language system of English, one on an aspect of language skills and one on classroom teaching and the identification of action points. Assessment and Grading Grading of candidates is by continuous assessment. There is no final examination. Successful candidates are awarded the â€Å"Cambridge CELTA† at one of the following grades: â€Å"Pass†, Pass â€Å"B†, and Pass â€Å"A†. On average, about 60% of our trainees achieve a Pass, 30% achieve a Pass â€Å"B† and 5% are awarded a Pass â€Å"A†. About 5% do not succeed. While everything on the course is taken into account, and you must complete the written assignments satisfactorily, the most heavily weighted factor is your teaching performance. You will receive written feedback, including an assessment of your teaching, on all the lessons you teach. You will have at least two individual tutorials to check that your perception of your progress agrees with that of your trainers. If there is a danger that you will fail, your trainers will make this clear and discuss where and how you can improve. We aim to be as clear and open as possible about your development. As part of the Cambridge scheme, every course is moderated by an external assessor, who visits the college for one or two days. In addition to checking that we are complying with course regulations, the assessor is available to listen to any points you or your group would like to make. If you feel that we are giving you unfair assessments, you can discuss this with the assessor. Applying for the course Selection to the course is based on an interview, lasting approximately two hours and a written task. Please complete the application form at the back of this booklet and submit it with your personal statement to the Course Organiser. You will be given the written task at the interview. 7 Frequently Asked Questions Is it a problem that I’ve never taught before? No. The course is an introduction to English language teaching. People who already have experience sometimes find it a drawback as it can be difficult to unlearn old habits and learn new techniques. I have got lots of presence, I know a lot about English and I am used to standing up in front of people and telling them things, so I am bound to be a good teacher, right? Wrong. The abilities to relate well and listen to learners are more important than an over-emphasis on â€Å"telling†. Does it matter if I miss any part of the course? Yes. 100% attendance is expected other than in exceptional circumstances. What happens if I am ill during the course? The Cambridge rules stipulate that if you miss more than 20% of the whole course or any of the 6 hours of assessed teaching practice, you are not eligible for the certificate other than in exceptional circumstances. Will there be much paperwork? You will be responsible for maintaining a portfolio of your work during the course and this constitutes your official assessed record. You will also need to be able to keep records and retrieve papers easily. I have never been able to spell properly: does it matter? Yes. Learners of English expect their teachers to be able to spell reasonably accurately. Also, Cambridge rules require candidates to be able to write in English that is â€Å"essentially free of errors†. Part of our interview process is designed to check this. Will I have to follow any particular methodology? Our aim is to provide you with a range of techniques and approaches which you will be able to select from. I have never learned grammar before: is this a problem? Many native speakers of English know little about the mechanics of their own language and are unconfident about teaching grammar. Part of our selection process is to check that you have the potential to follow the grammar component of the course. When I have completed my CELTA, what further teaching qualifications should I take? It depends on your career plans. If you intend to work in Further Education, the Cambridge ESOL Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector will give you the qualification you need. If you want a qualification which has a more international bias, and if you are interested in developing your EFL career more broadly, the DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) may be more appropriate. We do not currently offer the DELTA course at WKC. If I am successful in CELTA, can I take the Cambridge ESOL Diploma course immediately afterwards? We recommend that you gain at least 50 hours practical teaching experience before starting the Diploma. You will have to go through a selection process which involves an interview and completion of a task. Also, we can only accept you onto the Diploma course if you already teach, or are planning to teach, in the Further Education sector. 8 Useful Books There is no official reading list, but here are some useful titles: Methodology Learning Teaching, Jim Scrivener (Macmillan Heinemann). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th edition), Jeremy Harmer (Longman). Grammar Practical English Usage, Michael Swan (OUP). Grammar for English Language Teaching, Martin Parrot (CUP). What CELTA has done for me? For many of our trainees, success on their course has led to some very positive changes in their lives. This is what two of them told us: â€Å"I was 51 when I did my CELTA course†¦ a bit old, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it 20 years earlier. My day job had become excruciatingly unbearable and it was when I was doing Spanish evening classes that I got the idea of doing a CELTA when I realised what a pleasant life my Spanish teacher was having. The 4-week course was intensive but that was part of the enjoyment. The three tutors were very supportive throughout and always gave us frank and honest advice. The students were a friendly mix of people and were always patient and good-humoured with their rather clumsy and inexperienced teachers. It was a very rewarding experience and at the end of the course I felt that I had got my brain back. I would advise it to anyone, but especially those who are free to go abroad and teach, as schools in this country tend to want teachers with experience unless you do a Summer School. Nevertheless, a CELTA is a very versatile extra string to anyone’s bow, and with it you should find it way to find a job anywhere in the world.† Mick Hutchinson â€Å"I did a CELTA course when I was 24 years old. I had just finished a contract as an Events Assistant in the city and was looking for something different to do. I had heard a lot about CELTA and TEFL courses and how useful they were if you wanted to go travelling and even to teach English in your home country. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and it was a very satisfying as well as challenging experience. However, be warned that for one month it is hard work, but it’s well worth it! â€Å"When I completed my CELTA I taught English to Italian students for a while but went back to work in the city. However, I always knew I would use the CELTA at some point and I am now about to spend the summer in Ecuador teaching English!† Diana Chapman What motivates students? What can you do to keep motivation high? Teacher Training with Westminster Kingsway College Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions and it provides you with the opportunity to interact with people of all ages and from all walks of life. Westminster Kingsway College offers a number of teaching courses that will help you to progress into teaching as a career and develop your skills for the classroom. Careers at a glance: Teacher Lecturer Headteacher Social Worker Researcher School Administrator Teaching Courses at Westminster Kingsway College: This is a selection of the teaching courses at the College – contact us for further details. CELTA: Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Access to Higher Education Diploma: Education Studies and Teacher Training Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) Visit www.westking.ac.uk for further details about Westminster Kingsway College

Chapter 1 Essay

Chapter 1 Essay Chapter 1 Essay Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 1 Chapter 1 Introduction: Databases and Database Users Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Outline ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Types of Databases and Database Applications Basic Definitions Typical DBMS Functionality Example of a Database (UNIVERSITY) Main Characteristics of the Database Approach Database Users Advantages of Using the Database Approach When Not to Use Databases Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 3 Types of Databases and Database Applications ï  ® Traditional Applications: ï  ® ï  ® More Recent Applications: ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Numeric and Textual Databases Multimedia Databases Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data Warehouses Real-time and Active Databases Many other applications First part of book focuses on traditional applications A number of recent applications are described later in the book (for example, Chapters 24,26,28,29,30) Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 4 Basic Definitions ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Database: ï  ® A collection of related data. Data: ï  ® Known facts that can be recorded and have an implicit meaning. Mini-world: ï  ® Some part of the real world about which data is stored in a database. For example, student grades and transcripts at a university. Database Management System (DBMS): ï  ® A software package/ system to facilitate the creation and maintenance of a computerized database. Database System: ï  ® The DBMS software together with the data itself. Sometimes, the applications are also included. Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 5 Simplified database system environment Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 6 Typical DBMS Functionality ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Define a particular database in terms of its data types, structures, and constraints Construct or Load the initial database contents on a secondary storage medium Manipulating the database: ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Retrieval: Querying, generating reports Modification: Insertions, deletions and updates to its content Accessing the database through Web applications Processing and Sharing by a set of concurrent users and application programs – yet, keeping all data valid and consistent Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 7 Typical DBMS Functionality ï  ® Other features: ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Protection or Security measures to prevent unauthorized access â€Å"Active† processing to take internal actions on data Presentation and Visualization of data Maintaining the database and associated programs over the lifetime of the database application ï  ® Called database, software, and system maintenance Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 8 Example of a Database (with a Conceptual Data Model) ï  ® Mini-world for the example: ï  ® ï  ® Part of a UNIVERSITY environment. Some mini-world entities: ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® STUDENTs COURSEs SECTIONs (of COURSEs) (academic) DEPARTMENTs INSTRUCTORs Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 9 Example of a Database (with a Conceptual Data Model) ï  ® Some mini-world relationships: ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® SECTIONs are of specific COURSEs STUDENTs take SECTIONs COURSEs have prerequisite COURSEs INSTRUCTORs teach SECTIONs COURSEs are offered by DEPARTMENTs STUDENTs major in DEPARTMENTs Note: The above entities and relationships are typically expressed in a conceptual data model, such as the ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP data model (see Chapters 3, 4) Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 10 Example of a simple database Copyright  © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 11 Main Characteristics of the Database Approach ï  ® Self-describing nature of a database

Harpers Ferry Raid - The Harpers Ferry Raid John Brown

Harpers Ferry Raid - The Harpers Ferry Raid John Brown Conflict Dates: John Browns raid on Harpers Ferry lasted from October 16-18, 1859, and contributed to the sectional tensions that led to the Civil War (1861-1865). Forces Commanders United States Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee88 US Marines, various local Maryland Virginia militia Browns Raiders John Brown21 men Harpers Ferry Raid Background: A noted radical abolitionist, John Brown came to national prominence during the Bleeding Kansas crisis of the mid-1850s. An effective partisan leader, he conducted a variety of operations against pro-slavery forces before returning east in late 1856 to raise additional funds. Backed by prominent abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Theodore Parker and George Luther Stearns, Samuel Gridley Howe, and Gerrit Smith, Brown was able to purchase weapons for his activities. This Secret Six supported Browns abolitionist views, but were not always aware of his intentions. Rather than continue small-scale activities in Kansas, Brown began planning for a large operation in Virginia designed to start a massive slave insurrection. Brown intended to capture the US Arsenal at Harpers Ferry and distribute the facilitys weapons to rebellious slaves. Believing that as many as 500 would join him on the first night, Brown planned to move south freeing slaves and destroying slavery as an institution. Though prepared to commence his raid in 1858, he was betrayed by one of his men and members of the Secret Six, fearing their identities would be revealed, forced Brown to postpone. The Raid Moves Forward: This hiatus resulted in Brown losing many of the men he had recruited for the mission as some got cold feet and others simply moved on to other activities. Finally moving forward in 1859, Brown arrived in Harpers Ferry on June 3 under the alias of Isaac Smith. Renting the Kennedy Farm approximately four miles north of the town, Brown set about training his raiding party. Arriving over the next several weeks, his recruits totaled only 21 men (16 white, 5 black). Though disappointed in the small size of his party, Brown commenced training for the operation. In August, Brown traveled north to Chambersburg, PA where he met with Frederick Douglass. Discussing the plan, Douglass advised against capturing the arsenal as any attack against the federal government was sure to have dire consequences. Ignoring Douglass advice, Brown returned to the Kennedy Farm and continued work. Armed with weapons received from supporters in the North, the raiders set out for Harpers Ferry on the night of October 16. While three men, including Browns son Owen, were left at the farm, another team, led by John Cook was dispatched to capture Colonel Lewis Washington. The great grandnephew of George Washington, Col. Washington was at his nearby Beall-Air estate. Cooks party succeeded in capturing the colonel as well as took a sword presented to George Washington by Frederick the Great and two pistols given to him by the Marquis de Lafayette. Returning via the Allstadt House, where he took additional captives, Cook and his men rejoined Brown at Harpers Ferry. Key to Browns success were capturing the weapons and escaping before word of the attack reached Washington and receiving the support of the local slave population. Moving into the town with his main force, Brown sought to fulfill the first of these goals. Cutting the telegraph wires, his men also detained a Baltimore Ohio train. In the process, African-American baggage handler Hayward Shepherd was shot and killed. Following this ironic twist, Brown inexplicably allowed the train to proceed. Reaching Baltimore the next day, those on board informed the authorities about the attack. Moving on, Browns men succeeded in capturing the armory and arsenal, but no rebelling slaves were forthcoming. Rather, they were discovered by armory workers on the morning of October 17. The Mission Fails: As the local militia gathered, the townspeople opened fire on Browns men. Exchanging fire, three locals, including Mayor Fontaine Beckham, were killed. During the day, a company of militia seized the bridge over the Potomac cutting off Browns escape route. With the situation deteriorating, Brown and his men selected nine hostages and abandoned the armory in favor of a smaller engine house nearby. Fortifying the structure, it became known as John Browns Fort. Trapped, Brown sent out his son Watson and Aaron D. Stevens under a flag of truce to negotiate. Emerging, Watson was shot and killed while Stevens was hit and captured. In a fit of panic, raider William H. Leeman attempted to escape by swimming across the Potomac. He was shot and killed in the water and the increasingly drunken townspeople used his body for target practice for the rest of the day. Around 3:30 PM, President James Buchanan dispatched a detachment of US Marines under leadership of US Army Lieutenent Colonel Robert E. Lee to deal with the situation. Arriving, Lee closed the saloons and took overall command. The next morning, Lee offered the role of attacking Browns fort to the local militias. Both demurred and Lee assigned the mission to Lieutenant Israel Greene and the Marines. Around 6:30 AM, Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart, serving as Lees volunteer aide-de-camp, was sent forward to negotiate Browns surrender. Approaching the door of the engine house, Stuart informed Brown that his men would be spared if they surrendered. This offer was refused and Stuart signaled Greene with a wave of his hat to start the assault Moving forward, the Marines went at the engine house doors with sledge hammers and finally broke through with the use of a make-shift battering ram. Attacking through the breach, Greene was the first to enter the engine house and subdued Brown with a blow to the neck from his saber. The other Marines made quick work of the remainder of Browns party and the fighting ended within three minutes. Aftermath: In the attack on the engine house, one Marine, Luke Quinn, was killed. Of Browns raiding party, ten were killed during the raid while five, including Brown, were captured. Of the remaining seven, five escaped, including Owen Brown, while two were captured in Pennsylvania and returned to Harpers Ferry. On October 27, John Brown was brought to court in Charles Town and charged with treason, murder, and conspiring with slaves to rebel. After a week-long trial, he was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death on December 2. Turning down offers of escape, Brown stated he wished to die a martyr. On December 2, 1859, with Major Thomas J. Jackson and cadets from the Virginia Military Institute serving as a security detail, Brown was hung at 11:15 AM. Browns attack served to further heighten the sectional tensions that had plagued the country for decades and which would culminate in the Civil War less than two years later. Selected Sources West Virginia Division of Culture History: John Brown the Harpers Ferry RaidPBS: Raid on Harpers FerryNational Park Service: Harpers Ferry National Historic Park

Culture Serves as Informal Structure in Organizations - Organisational Research Paper

Culture Serves as Informal Structure in Organizations - Organisational Behavior - Research Paper Example Organizations both small and large multinational conglomerates can achieve high profits in their business by matching their needs with the structure they employ in operation. There are various forms of organizational structures and they include function, matrix and division structures. In a functional structure, an organization is set up in order to group every portion of the organization according to its purpose and this structure works well for small businesses where each department relies on the talent and knowledge of workers and support. Nevertheless, the main drawback for the structure is that coordination and communication-linking departments are restricted by organizational boundaries that have various departments working separately. Divisional structure is employed in large organizations that work in large geographic location or in organizations that have different small organizations in the same company to take care of different forms of products or even market areas. The s tructure is beneficial in that it enables needs to be met rapidly although communication is inhibited since employees are in various divisions thus not working together; besides, the structure is costly owing to its size and scope. The matrix structure is a hybrid of both functional and divisional structures and is often employed by multinational companies since it allows the benefits of functional and divisional structures to exist in a single organization. Nevertheless, the structures create a potential for power struggles since many areas of the organization have dual management like a functional manager as well as a product or divisional manager working in the same stage and covering same managerial territory (Singh, 2010).  

Lousis Daguerre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lousis Daguerre - Essay Example Daguerre used immaculately polished and silver plated sheets of cooper, which were sensitized with iodine vapors to catch photographic images (Carlisle 255). These sheets were exposed in big box cameras and were later developed in mercury fumes (Carlisle 255). Later on they were fixed or stabilized in sodium thiosulphate or hypo (Carlisle 255). Daguerreotype photography required little exposure time and allowed for the capturing of photographic images that were impressively detailed and vivid (Carlisle 255). Daguerre promoted the daguerreotype photography invented by him both as a medium of artistic expression and as a potent scientific tool. Most of the earlier experimental works made by Daguerre were destroyed in fire that burned his laboratory. Yet, today still survive a few of his daguerreotype portraits, urban views and still lives, which speak much for the ingenuity and aesthetic appeal of Daguerre’s

Marketing Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing Managment - Essay Example This paper approves that organizations buying behavior is dissimilar to the consumers. Organizations are affected by environmental, organizational, interpersonal and individual factors. These individuals have their own set of behaviors and tend to influence others through interpersonal contact. In the environmental factors side, economic conditions is considered, the state of technological change is monitored, political and social factors are kept in mind and competitive developments play a major role in the company’s decision. At present, green marketing/ environment marketing has no strategies for the conventional process of segmenting, targeting and positioning. This is due to the fact that green marketing is a relatively new phenomenon with not set rules therefore the process is constantly updated, shifted, revised and new rules are created. One can use the traditional way marketing works with segmentation, targeting and position and merge newer reforms into this. This essay makes a conclusion that research conducted in the field of environment marketing, needs to be extensive and experimental. Organizations that declared their own selves to be socially responsible should understand the transitional phase green marketing in undergoing. Universities etc need to implement details about green marketing into their curriculum. Countries that are remote need to be made aware of their natural resource and taught the proper implementations of these. Above all green market is a profitable theory which needs to be realized by governments of other countries. Organizations such as The Body Shop have shown to their competitors that ozone-friendly products are in demand and appreciated by the public. However the publics of developing countries do not have this option and must be given so.

Erikosonian Psychosocial Tradition And Social Identity Theory

Erikosonian Psychosocial Tradition And Social Identity Theory Several psychological theories have attempted to provide a definition of identity and an explanation of the processes that develop it. Many theorists see identity development as a means for an individual to explain the present as a bridge from the past to the future, agreeing that identity consists of both individual and social elements. This essay aims to consider the contributions and implications posed by two different associated fields of study; the Erikosonian Psychosocial tradition and Social Identity Theory. Eriksons Psycho-social method was the first identity theory to provide an explanation between our self image (psycho) and the others in the community (social). He proposed individuals must have a stable sense of core identity, as failure to do so would mean the individual may be subject to an identity crisis. This is not to say that people must never experience a conflict of interest between individual needs and social demands. In fact Erikson argued that only by the successful resolution of these normative crises is the achievement of identity possible. He went on to identify eight stages in this life-long development of identity, marked by a distinct conflict, for which successful, normative crisis resolution would result in a favourable outcome. According to Erikson, the most important conflict takes place during adolescence, the fifth psychosocial age. Here the individual re-evaluates everything that was established in childhood by enduring psychosocial moratorium. During this so cially approved period of uncertainity, the indiviual can experieent with dfferent scial roles and consquently personality, self concept and self worth, may all be altered. Psychosocial Theory is a persuasive model. It is both accessible and relevant, resulting in Erikson being highly regarded amongst psychologists. He has been described as a visionary, providing a basis for the work of James Marcia on different forms of identity. The theory is still relevant in todays modern life, due to its utility in many professional arenas [such as] clinical, theoretical and empirical (McKinney, 2001). Erikson has had a huge impact in child development, resulting in teachers, parents and counselors drawing on ideals of his to support their work. Theorists such as Mary Ainsworth, who studied attachment in infancy explained concepts similar to those of Erikson, offering credibility to his work. The approach has been useful for understanding and explaining how personality and behaviour manifest, and therefore has become a much-used tool in dealing with conflict managent and in general self-awareness. It also provides a convincing explaination for many current issues, such as bullying in school. During stage 5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. and current racial issues and why it can cause so much aggression and understanding of motives behind terrorism. However the theory does not go without criticism. Santrock (2004) highlights research which suggests that identity formation does not begin or end in adolescence, that the conflict is notably less dramatic than proposed, and that in fact some individuals go through their teenage years without any real problems at all. It therefore seems that erikson may have placed too much emphasis on adolescence. This maybe due to eriksons own personal experiences having an effect on his interpretation of results. His young life was fraught with problems, not least being tall and blond and living in a jewish neighbourhood, with a jewish step-family. This need for acceptance and the conflict associated with being different became important themes in his theory. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Based on field work, so reliable as in own environment; He studied combat crises in U.S. soldiers during World War II, child-rearing practices in Native American communities and soci al behavior in India. There are two basic problems with the pychosocial approach to identity. Firstly that large social group were ignored beause although Erikson believed person and social were interlinked, he treated them separately. And secondily Erikson focused on individual identities to explain how people identitfy with indivudal groups. Sit:- 700 words get down to 200! social identity theory (SIT) aims to resolve some of these problems highlighted with the pychosocial tradition, by producing a social rather than individual focus on identity, empahsising on the way we compare ourselves to others. concerned with when and why individuals identify with, and behave as part of, social groups, adopting shared attitudes. Tajfel, the founder of the theory, directly challenged the eriksons concept that group behaviour could be explained by looking at the psychology of individuals. He studied the relationships between people and proposed two separate sub-systems; Personal Identity (describing oneself as a friend or parent for example) and Social Identity (in instances such as referring to gender, race or religion). Their alternative theory suggested a distinctive level of collective psychological processes. This meant that people acted as group members as well as individuals. Their central idea was that behaviour and identity operated on a continuum based on situation, ranging from the highly individual and unique at one end (purely interpersonal), to the collective and common at the other (purely intergroup).The theorys fundamental idea is that identity is drawn from selfcatagorisation, when describing characteristics from our social group. This provides labels for ourselves, in turn provding rules for our behaviour. The category in which we place ourselves is called the ingroup. There is a sence of elitism and a tendency to exclude others; the outgroup. Tajfel research aimed to consider this discrimination between the groups, by proposing superficial differences, he split participants into inial groups and subjected the to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.he concluded that this was sufficient enough to generate predujices. This has been demonstrated, for instance in one example where school boys were placed in groups based on preference for abstract painters such as Klee or Kandinsky. Even using this trivial basis for grouping, and despite the fact th at the school boys didnt know who was in the groups, the boys allocated more resources towards ingroup members than outgroup members. In addition, the resources were given to other individuals in a group instead of the group as a whole, so the boys were not just giving resources to themselves out of self-interest.[13] This experiment was especially interesting because it challenged other models of intergroup interaction which are based on the idea that discrimination between groups happens because there is a clear reason for it, such as a competition for resources or a conflict of interests between the groups. Sit proposes that the reason for this discrimination is because of the need to belong to a group, taht are distinctive and have a high status, it boosts self esteem by making the other group inferior however sit argues that the resistance to this prejudice can result in some individuals seeking to iprove their status by using social obility or leaving behind their soial group. Others may attept social change, by social creativietly, a redefition of the group or through social competition, actively dmenading alternative social ideas in regard to a particular group. People dont like being in the out goup; so one answer is Moving to another group, but requires social mobility to be practicable. For instance, this may be viable in the case of social class or a job, but not so much in groups based on race or gender for example. Social mobility is at the individualistic end of the social behaviour continuum suggested by social identity theory.At the other end of the continuum, group level strategies focus on direct competition. But for this to be possible, there needs to be a belief that change is genuinely possible as well as desirable. In addition, group members need to perceive the current relationships with other groups to be unjustified.Finally, if neither of the above two options are viable, members of groups wishing to change their status may decide to compare themselves using different criteria where they compare more favourably, or focus on comparisons with a different group compared to whom they fare better. People can also choose to redef ine the negative elements of their group identity, or even redefine the group identity itself. These actions are not as effective as the others described above, but do allow group members to contend in a small way with the undesirable current perception of their group. Good bits Attepts to explain prejudies and self esteem, where erikson did not. Self-categorization theory grew from Tajfel and Turners early work on social identity. It is a development of social identity theory, specifically in the part of the relationship between group behaviour and self-concept that describes the social cognitive processes that create social identity effects. The theory describes how people define themselves at a group level but also at an individual level.[4][15] It considers group and individual identities to be at different levels of self-categorization, and more distinct from each other than social identity theory does. For instance, individuals can have several different group identities (e.g. gender, occupation, or nationality) and also several different individual identities depending on context (e.g. how someone considers themself as a male or how they consider themselves compared to their colleagues at work).[16][17] This concept of a hierarchy of different identities replaced the continuum in social identity theory, and allowed an individual an unlimited range of identities based on context.[18] The salience of a particular group identity is based on how accessible a categorization is to an individual, and how well it fits the social context (e.g. bearing in mind what the individual wants to achieve with their behaviour, or what they did last time they were in the situation). For instance, when discussing political issues in a conversation, nationality may become more salient.[19] Bad triviualise issues such as diability Ethical ? Labtest unreliable? Can results be applied to real life stuations. Some criritces cos it trear groups as indivudals (see bx on pg 66) Conclusion:- Although Eriksons theory of identity development is widely cited, other theories provide important knowledge about identity and its development. However Eriksons work is as relevant today as when he first outlined his original theory, in fact given the modern pressures on society, family and relationships and the quest for personal development and fulfilment his ideas are probably more relevant now than ever. Erikson was keen to improve the way children and young people are taught and nurtured, and it would be appropriate for his ideas to be more widely known and used in day-to-day life, beyond the clinical and counselling professions. Eriksons psychosocial theory is. As with any concept there are critics, but generally Eriksons theory is considered fundamentally significant. Erikson was a psychoanalyst and also a humanitarian. So his theory is useful far beyond psychoanalysis its useful for any application involving personal awareness and development of oneself or others. Social learning theories expand the constructs of self concept and self worth as the basis of self description in late childhood. Cognitive development theory describes the age-related processes leading to a childs limitation before adolescence and competence during adolescence for establishing identity. Researchers investigating Eriksons theory of identity development have provided important modifications to the theory.