Learning and Teaching Essay Example

Learning and Teaching Essay TASK 1 A critical analysis of an individual child’s observed learning behaviour during a teaching session and analysis of the implications for their further learning and their support needs (i. e. the TA’s possible role in supporting and developing further learning) (1500 words) INTRODUCTION This essay is about how I, as a teaching assistant (TA), develop my understanding of how my learners learn and develop. I will rename the teacher as Ms K and the students as student M throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms K in Year 2C class for 3 months. The subject of the observation is student M from Iran, whose learning I analysed during a 40 minutes English lesson. I have known the student for 3 months, and as treats me like a friend, is honest and open with me. He discusses his favourite movies, toys, games and even confides in me. I have noticed that he is loquacious and as I give him more time, he has a closer relationship with me as compared to Ms K. I tend to spend my time with my learners during breaks. I have never experienced problem communicating with student M as he is able to speak good English, although he sometimes struggles with reading and writing. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Teaching specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Teaching specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Teaching specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer According to Janine Murphy ‘A teacher must be flexible and observant†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (2011), so as a TA, I feel I should be more observant of the strengths, interests and learning needs of my learners. STUDENT M’s BACKGROUND Student M is from Iran and is 8 years old. He is slightly overweight and one of the tallest in the class. He does not like to sit at the same place for a long time and he prefers waking around the class and dancing. I often see him bullying his friends, pushing them break, hitting them whenever he likes and also annoying them by singing loudly in class. He is quite sensitive when someone scolds him, but he never cries. He communicates well with other students and teachers. Moreover, he enjoys Physical Education (PE) and Dance most, as he gets to be more active and he works finely in group activities. He seems to hate English and this is maybe due to the way Ms K delivers her lessons which may not be able to conducive to his kinaesthetic learning style. The majority of the students in 2C class also seem to have a kinaesthetic style. According to David Glen â€Å"Almost certainly, you were told that your instruction should match your students learning styles†¦Now four psychologists argue that you were told wrong. There is no strong scientific evidence to support the â€Å"matching† idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2009) I totally do not agree with that statement because I feel that by complying the needs of a learner will actually make them more interested to learn something rather than just wasting time in a place where they do not like. There are for 4 aspects I have observed, learning style: 1. Personality and Learning style 2. Experience and interest 3. Stage of development 4. Abilities DEFINATION OF KINAESTHETIC We keep hearing things like, â€Å"My mind works better when I’m doing something physical, like running or walking. â€Å"I like spending all my free time in the open air. † â€Å"I enjoy working with my hands. † All these form kinaesthetic intelligence. According to Ian Ducket â€Å"Kinaesthetic learners usually tend to remember things that they do and experience and may tend to tap their pencil or pen during a lesson†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (n. d) As a TA I would try my best to make sure my learners will experience a perfect learning environment with suitable resources used to help them to understand more effectively. According to learning specialist,  Pat Wyman, M. A. , concept †¦is the importance of matching input and  output in teaching. For example, it  may be obvious to  anyone that a child cannot acquire the skill of swimming  (output) by reading  about it in a book. He has to get in the water and practice the  skill (input)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012) LESSON DELIVERED BY MS K ON 14/112011 FROM 10. 40am – 11. 20am I have chosen English lesson to observe and it is a teaching session of one period which is equivalent to 40 minutes Time| Record of Observation| 10. 40am – 10. 55am| Ms K entered the class and ordered them to sit on the floor in front of her. Then she did a recall session with them based on what they previously learnt, but I noticed student M was not paying attention as he was talking and singing to himself. Ms K read them a story titled ‘Secret’ from their Fitzroy book. The story is about a boy who cannot keep secrets and ends up destroying himself. Ms K told student M to be quite. However, he didn’t take notice, so, I decided to sit next to him on the floor. I was helping him to read the story step by step, as I am aware of his limited reading ability. However, he was not interested in reading, so I briefly explained about the story to him. I used examples and face expressions which engaged him and he even gave examples related to his experience. | 10. 55am – 11. 10am| After reading them the story, Ms K asked them to sit at their desks and wrote 5 questions on the whiteboard. All the students were required to copy the questions into their exercise book. Rather than, copying the questions, student M was busy doodling in his book. According to Shelley Vernon  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦Kinaesthetic learners are often the students who just dont get what youre trying to teach in a traditional lecture or worksheet based lesson. Kinaesthetic learners take in information best when they use their whole bodies to complete practice exercises†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  (2008) Ms K tried her best to persuade him to copy the questions, but in vain. He did copy a few letters as Ms K observed him, but once she left, he continued drawing and started singing again. Ms K told him if he does it again she will complain to his mother. Instead of obeying her, he replied saying that his mother was scared of him and he had even hit his mother before. He also stated that his dad does not say anything to him. I helped him to spell the words so it would be easier for him to write. In order to gauge his level. I asked him to write down the alphabets. From the result, it was clear that student M (the name of the students is not written for the anonymity of the institution, students and staff) does not know all the alphabets, and if the letters he knew, he wrote some upside down. Eventually, he did copy the questions but did not answer them due to a shortage of time. | 11. 10am – 11. 20am| Next, Ms K asked them to sit again on the floor in front of her to go through the answer with them. She picked a few students to read out their answers. One of those was student M who surprisingly answered the question correctly. Ms K did correct a few students who answered wrongly. At the end of the period, Ms K collected all the books to be marked. | WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE TO SUPPORT THE LEARNERS As a TA I would never make my learners feel scared of me because this will cause them to not share their problems with me. I would also sit with them and guide them to do their work and if there is having any doubt, I will always be there to clear their confusion. However, I would make sure that the class environment is suitable with the needs of my learners such as I have decorated the class with more pictures as I know that my learners prefer to see rather than reading. According to Terry Farwell â€Å"Once students understand their learning styles, they can better adapt to their learning environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012). Since I know it is impossible to expect them to sit quietly for long and listen to something without experiencing it physically so it is better to give them tools and equipment to use in class. Rather than stopping them from moving, it is better to let their bodies build up through expression, enabling them to grow up into inspired individuals. WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE AS A TEACHER Since I know that student M is a kinaesthetic learner, I would have created a lesson plan which involved more moving activity. According to Erin, â€Å"While some students can learn effectively through quiet study, others gain the most information through active learning activities. If you are charged with the task of teaching English to a kinaesthetic learner, you can increase the effectiveness of the lessons you offer by mixing movement into your learning activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012) At the beginning of the lesson I would have read them the story then I asked them to do role play in 4 groups where every group had a peer guide to guide the weaker ones. This way, student M would have had the chance to show off his talent, move around and talk loudly as he loves to. Once they had performed their role play, I would have asked them to remain in their groups and called every group leader to come forward to choose a question. They are required to show their answer in the form of a picture or drawing. According to Elizabeth, she stated â€Å"†¦kinaesthetic learners sometimes process information such as class notes better by drawing pictures than by writing words. Kinaesthetic learners may need to draw models, write in different colours if taking text notes and use highlighters to help them concentrate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2011). Thus, this would give student M the opportunity to show his talent at drawing. Furthermore, this activity would not only have benefited student M; it will also benefit other students as well since they all love colouring. Finally, every group would present their drawing and explain their answer to the class. Elizabeth also stated that â€Å"Allow kinaesthetic learners to assess orally through simple answers, presentations, poems or songs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (2011) and I have to agree with her statements. Student M would learn the story twice and thus improve his thinking and imagining skills. I have also noticed that Ms K does not like any interruption when she is teaching even if students want to ask questions. If I were the teacher I would have given students the opportunity to ask questions, on condition that if they wish to ask a question they must first raise their hands and get permission. Ms K told me the reason she wants them to copy the questions is because she wants them to improve their writing and at the same time memorize the spelling. I feel it is a good practice but unfortunately it does not fit the learning style of student M. CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE I feel that as a teacher assistant (TA), it is my responsibility to make sure that every learner gains something from a lesson, since I believe that the teacher is busy and she cannot give individual attention to all 19 students. Overall, I believe that as a TA, I will help student M to develop his skills by guiding him during learning session. I will try to divide my time equally everyday to all my learners so that no one will be left out. Albert Einstein once stated that â€Å"†¦he felt it in his muscles, when he was thinking about something that later proved to be very significant. This heightened kinesthetic sense tells us that helping develop this kinesthetic sensitivity from an early age, instead of suppressing it, will help people turning out to be more creative individuals†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2008) As a conclusion, I agree with Albert Einstein and I am also applying it in my role to support my learners. Furthermore, it is my responsibility to make sure my learners are in ease when the learning session is going on. REFERENCING Ducket, Ian. , (n. d) Effective Practice: Learning styles and their application for effective learning, Available at: http://www. itslifejimbutnotasweknowit. rg. uk/files/LearningStyles. pdf (date accessed: 05/01/2012) Farwell, Terry. , (2000 – 2012) Family Education: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://school. familyeducation. com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519. html (date accessed: 09/01/2012) Glen, David. , (2009) Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style May Not Help Students, Available at: http://c hronicle. com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to/49497/ (date accessed: 03/01/2012) Guffanti, Stephen. , (2011) Learning Styles: What Does It Feels Like To Be A Kinesthetic Learner, Available at: http://www. howtolearn. om/2011/11/learning-styles-what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-a-kinesthetic-learner (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Hasan, (2008) ‘Understanding Kinesthetic Intelligence! ’ , Reaction Of Society, Available at: http://www. dirjournal. com/guides/understanding-kinesthetic-intelligence/ (date accessed: 12/01/2012) Murphy, Janine. , (2011) What Types of Communication Are Used in Teaching? , Available at: http://www. ehow. com/info_8420301_types-communications-used-teaching. html (date accessed: 25/12/2011) Schreiner, Erin. , (1999 – 2012) How to Teach English to Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://www. how. com/how_6914515_teach-english-kinesthetic-learners. html (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Stover, Elizabeth. , (2011) Adaptations for Kinesthetic Learners , Available at:: http://www. ehow. com/info_8718466_adaptations-kinesthetic-learners. html (date accessed: 12/01/2012) Vernon, Shelley. , (2006 – 2012) Teaching English Games: How to Teach English For Different Learning Styles, Available at: http://www. teachingenglishgames. com/Articles/Learning_Styles. htm (date accessed: 09/01/2012) TABLE OF CONTENT FOR TASK 2 No | Topic / Area| Page| 1. | Introduction| 14 | 2. | Learner’s Background| 15 | 3. How have I plan my lesson relate to my learners needs| 15 – 16 | 4. | Session plan for learning session of 120 minutes| 16 – 18 | 5. | How do I make sure that learning has take place| 19 | 6. | Evaluation of my lesson plan| 20 – 21 | 7. | Conclusion I have made| 21| 8. | Reference| 22 – 23 | 9| Appendix| 24 – 32 | TASK 2 Plan and deliver a lesson in a core subject for a group of mixed ability pupils, ensuring that all are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategie s and resources. Include assessment opportunities and personalised provision as appropriate. Assess the learning that took place and evaluate the effectiveness of the planning and issues raised for consideration in future planning. The plan will form an appendix. The school’s preferred planning format can be used. INTRODUCTION This essay is about me, planning and delivering a Mathematics lesson for a group of mixed ability pupils for class PYP 1. PYP stands for Primary Year Programme. I have made sure that all my learners are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategies and resources. I have also given them assessment to know their level of knowledge and how effective is my teaching towards them. As it is stated in the webpage of University of Western Australia â€Å"Assessment is that part of the learning process used to better understand the current knowledge that a student possesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Anon. , 2001) I will rename my mentor as Ms R throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms R for 3 months and I have gained a lot of knowledgeable information from Ms R. I planned my lesson by not repeating the mistakes done by Ms R since I have been observing her for 3 months and I have learnt the face expression and how they react towards learning. LEARNERS BACKGROUND PYP 1 students are 5 years old to 7 years old and they are from mixed countries. There are 19 students in this class and they have well spoken English. Since I know the type of learners I am handling with which I realised they are mostly kinaesthetic and visual learners so I will conduct an activity that requires them to move around such as swapping their places with their friends. In addition, I will also choose the materials I am going to use according to my learners needs so that they will feel comfortable during my session and will concentrate on their learning. I have identified the needs of my learners by conducting a diagnostic meeting and also observing them in the class when they are learning. I realised that they prefer to talk rather than listening and most of my learners prefer to learn by doing a moving activity. Every morning I am instructed by Ms R to collect their work book, while arranging their books I will check it before I hand it to Ms R and I usually will have a short conversation about our learners every morning. According to Kimberly Olver, the meaning of diagnostic meeting is â€Å"†¦which is concerned with how well the students understand the concepts of a particular part of the curriculum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012) HOW HAVE I PLAN MY LESSON RELATE TO MY LEARNERS NEEDS I have designed learning activities relate the learner needs by using ‘match and stretch’ method so that all the students will have the opportunity to fulfil their needs since not all the students requires the same learning style. Such as I will have more of visual r and kinaesthetic style of learning since the majority of my learners prefer not to read or listen but I will also have short activity involving reading complying the needs of other learners. There will be group activity and single activity I plan so that I will know their abilities on the subject and get to know my learner needs better. As it is stated that, To ensure the greatest probability of learning, we must carefully select and arrange activities that will produce the desired learning outcomes in our students. Only through careful planning can we be certain that we include all necessary information and have our lesson plan properly organized to achieve the lesson objective†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Anon. , n. d. ) The meaning of ‘match’ is when I comply with their needs of learning and the meaning of ‘stretch’ is when I go against their opposite needs. Such as, I give them quizzes using a projector and kinaesthetic learners will feel ‘stretch’ but will ‘match’ the visual learners. It is stated that â€Å"A learning stretch is defined as the demonstration of knowledge and research over and beyond previously learned material† (Anon. , n. d) There are quizzes (refer to appendix) and activity using projector. This will benefit the visual learners as they prefer to see pictures rather than reading. Furthermore, the worksheet that they will have to attempt requires them to move around. Such as, there will be 4 groups and each group will be located at a different area in the class and they have to swap places with another group in order to answer a new worksheet. SESSION PLAN FOR LEARNING SESSION OF 120 MINUTES Session title| Additions : two digit numbers with tens| Aim| To understand and able to solve mathematical addition involving two digit numbers by themselves| Learning objectives| By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to solve addition involving to two digit numbers in many kind of ways within 30 minutes| Plan Time| Teacher Activity| Learner Activity| Differentiation| Assessment| Materials / Resources| 5 minutes| Teacher recalls what is single and double digit is all about and provides a few examples for the students. Student listens to teacher and tries to understand. | I target prepared open and closed questions at students of my choice. This exercise will give me instant feedback on the quality of their previous lesson knowledge. | Discussion and Questionnaire| * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes| Teacher asks students to come out and give example of addition that they have learnt previously and then teacher will choose a student to answer the question. | Student engages with teacher and other students when creating their own questions in front of the class. Students should be alert and prepare with answers because they might be the chosen one to solve the question. | Students will understand more when their peer provides examples and explain how to solve it because this will help the weaker students. | Discussion and Questionnaire| * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes| Teacher divides the students into 4 groups consist of 5 people and every group has a peer guide. Teacher tells them that there are 3 worksheet and what each group is require to do and explain the instruction of the worksheets. They will be ask to finish each activity within 10 minutes. Students cooperate with the teacher by listening to her instruction and quietly move to the tables. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Questionnaire | N/A| 30 minutes| Teacher shows where the needle of t he watch will be after 10 minutes and they have to stop doing and swap their place to another table where there is another sheet of question paper with a different type of question. Students view the clock on the wall while the teacher shows them when they should swap their places to proceed to the next activity. They start doing their worksheet in couples. | Record the achievement of each of my student, in particular who surprised me by being more or less able than I thought? | Group discussion and colouring the correct answer. | * Worksheet * Counters * Number cards * Number charts to 100 * Colour pencils| 10 minutes| Teacher collects the worksheets and asks the students to gather and ask them question based on what they have learnt. Students attempts to answer question given by teacher, based on their level of understanding from what student has learnt. | I will give them feedback on their worksheet which I have observed them doing so that they can improve themselves. | Discussio n and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker| 20 minutes| Teacher shows slides and examples of question and how to solve it. Teacher divides the students into 4 groups and starts a fun addition game with the students. | Students views slides shown by teacher. If unclear, students are supposed to ask teacher. Student engages with teacher and other students when playing the subtraction game. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Discussion and Questionnaire. | * Projector * Google search * Questions on quizzes(www. mathsisfun. com)| HOW DO I MAKE SURE THAT LEARNING HAS TAKE PLACE In order for me to succeed in making my learners to learn, I would need the learners to be reflectors. As it is stated in the webpage of Campaign For Learning â€Å"Reflectors like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own† (Anon. , n. d) I would need them to reflect onto anything that they do not understand so that I will be able to help them. On the other hand, the students should also be good communicators. As they are many activities planned, I am hoping for the students to also engage well in all activities. According to Penelope Eckert â€Å"†¦engaged learning occurs when people appropriate the learning process in the service of their goals as individuals and as members of society † (n. d) To ensure that the element of active learning which are talking and listening, writing, reading, and reflecting has taken place, I will do summative assessment with them such as quiz and questionnaire based on what I have taught them. At the end, I will conclude what they have learnt since I know their level of knowledge since I have asked them questions before I start my lesson. As it stated in the webpage of University of Michigan, the meaning of active learning is define as â€Å"†¦a process whereby students engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (n. d). EVALUATION OF MY LESSON PLAN First and foremost, I will self-evaluate myself after I have delivered my lesson. I will also need the help of my learners and Ms R since she is the mentor. I completed a session with my learner’s form where I obtained oral feedback from them. I asked them a few questions to complete the session. As for my Ms R, I would evaluate my lesson after she completes the observation reports and also some oral feedback. I had one-to-one session with Ms R to improve myself as a teacher and I believe that Ms R has given me a lot of beneficial advice. As it is stated that evaluation can be in the form of, â€Å"Formal and informal†¦formal evaluation done after instruction-testing-confirms whether the teacher and students have successfully accomplished the objectives, but its results often come too late to do the students much good†¦. Informal evaluation done during instruction is often the most useful and influential type. † (Anon. , n. d) I agree with the statement. I should always consider three levels of evaluation which is: * How did my learners react to the activity? * What did my learners learn from the activity? * How are my learners performing their role differently? Evaluation procedures must obtain valuable information, whilst being as unobtrusive to the flow of my learners as possible. I faced minor problems while delivering my lesson as I am very new to teaching. One of the problems I faced was giving instruction. According to Susana Maria Li Ruso â€Å"It is essential for teachers to develop an awareness of the importance of clear oral instructions for good class management. † (2002-2003) Ms R told me that I should learn to give a simple instruction since my learners are very young so I have taken her advice and try to improve myself in future. I have attached my observation of feedback, observation of review and observation report done by Ms R as appendix. CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE Since I am trying my best to improve myself as teacher, I would always learn from mistakes that I have made and other teacher’s mistakes that I have been observing. I believe there is always space for improvement so I will never let anything to put me down as teacher to support my learners. Moreover, as a TA who fosters positive relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students’ developmental, emotional and academic needs. Such as, my learners will always confront me if they have any problem at home or at school. As it is stated in the webpage of American Psychological Association,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"If a student feels a personal connection to a teacher, experiences frequent communication with a teacher, and receives more guidance and praise than criticism from the teacher, then the student is likely to become more trustful of that teacher, show more engagement in the academic content presented, display better classroom behavior, and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012). REFERENCING American Psychological Association (2012) Improving Students Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Support for Learning, Available at: http://www. apa. org/education/k12/relationships. aspx, (date accessed: 12/01/2012) Arthur, F. (n. d) University Of Michigan: Teaching Strategies: Active Learning, Available at: http://www. crlt. umich. edu/tstrategies/tsal. php, (date accessed: 10/01/2011) Campaign For Learning (n. d) Reflectors, Available at: http://www. campaign-for-learning. org. uk/cfl/yourlearning/whatlearner/reflector. asp (date accessed: 11/01/2012) Eckert, Penelope. (n. d: 6), The School of Engaged Learners: Students Are Engaged Learners, Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/~eckert/PDF/SasCEL. pdf, (date accessed: 11/01/2012) EGHS Senior Project, (n. d) What is a Learning Stretch? Available at: https://sites. google. com/site/eghsseniorproject/what-is-a-learning-stretch (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Evaluation (n. d) Evaluation, Available at: http://linguistics. byu. edu/faculty/henrichsenl/lessonplanning/lp_14. html, (date accessed: 07/01/2012) Homeport Training Norfolk, Virginia (n. d) Developing The Lesson Plan: The Importance of a Lesson Plan, Available at: http://www. mysdcc. sdccd. edu/Norfolk_Homeport_Training/Instructor_Info/Importance_of_a_Lesson_Plan. htm (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Liruso, Susana Maria (2002 – 2003) ‘Giving Oral Feedback to EFL Young Learners’ Abstract, pp. 38, Available at: http://www. encuentrojournal. org/textos/13. 13. pdf, (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Olver, Kimberly. , (2012) Article for Teachers: Class Meetings, Available at: http://www. eslteachersboard. com/cgi-bin/articles/index. pl? page=3;read=3554 (date accessed: 09/01/2012) University of Western Australia (2001) Outcomes Based Education and Assessment at UWA, Available at: http://www. catl. uwa. edu. au/__data/page/77897/OBE_and_Assessment. pdf (date accessed: 08/01/20 12) Learning and Teaching Essay Example Learning and Teaching Essay TASK 1 A critical analysis of an individual child’s observed learning behaviour during a teaching session and analysis of the implications for their further learning and their support needs (i. e. the TA’s possible role in supporting and developing further learning) (1500 words) INTRODUCTION This essay is about how I, as a teaching assistant (TA), develop my understanding of how my learners learn and develop. I will rename the teacher as Ms K and the students as student M throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms K in Year 2C class for 3 months. The subject of the observation is student M from Iran, whose learning I analysed during a 40 minutes English lesson. I have known the student for 3 months, and as treats me like a friend, is honest and open with me. He discusses his favourite movies, toys, games and even confides in me. I have noticed that he is loquacious and as I give him more time, he has a closer relationship with me as compared to Ms K. I tend to spend my time with my learners during breaks. I have never experienced problem communicating with student M as he is able to speak good English, although he sometimes struggles with reading and writing. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Teaching specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Teaching specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Teaching specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer According to Janine Murphy ‘A teacher must be flexible and observant†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (2011), so as a TA, I feel I should be more observant of the strengths, interests and learning needs of my learners. STUDENT M’s BACKGROUND Student M is from Iran and is 8 years old. He is slightly overweight and one of the tallest in the class. He does not like to sit at the same place for a long time and he prefers waking around the class and dancing. I often see him bullying his friends, pushing them break, hitting them whenever he likes and also annoying them by singing loudly in class. He is quite sensitive when someone scolds him, but he never cries. He communicates well with other students and teachers. Moreover, he enjoys Physical Education (PE) and Dance most, as he gets to be more active and he works finely in group activities. He seems to hate English and this is maybe due to the way Ms K delivers her lessons which may not be able to conducive to his kinaesthetic learning style. The majority of the students in 2C class also seem to have a kinaesthetic style. According to David Glen â€Å"Almost certainly, you were told that your instruction should match your students learning styles†¦Now four psychologists argue that you were told wrong. There is no strong scientific evidence to support the â€Å"matching† idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2009) I totally do not agree with that statement because I feel that by complying the needs of a learner will actually make them more interested to learn something rather than just wasting time in a place where they do not like. There are for 4 aspects I have observed, learning style: 1. Personality and Learning style 2. Experience and interest 3. Stage of development 4. Abilities DEFINATION OF KINAESTHETIC We keep hearing things like, â€Å"My mind works better when I’m doing something physical, like running or walking. â€Å"I like spending all my free time in the open air. † â€Å"I enjoy working with my hands. † All these form kinaesthetic intelligence. According to Ian Ducket â€Å"Kinaesthetic learners usually tend to remember things that they do and experience and may tend to tap their pencil or pen during a lesson†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (n. d) As a TA I would try my best to make sure my learners will experience a perfect learning environment with suitable resources used to help them to understand more effectively. According to learning specialist,  Pat Wyman, M. A. , concept †¦is the importance of matching input and  output in teaching. For example, it  may be obvious to  anyone that a child cannot acquire the skill of swimming  (output) by reading  about it in a book. He has to get in the water and practice the  skill (input)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012) LESSON DELIVERED BY MS K ON 14/112011 FROM 10. 40am – 11. 20am I have chosen English lesson to observe and it is a teaching session of one period which is equivalent to 40 minutes Time| Record of Observation| 10. 40am – 10. 55am| Ms K entered the class and ordered them to sit on the floor in front of her. Then she did a recall session with them based on what they previously learnt, but I noticed student M was not paying attention as he was talking and singing to himself. Ms K read them a story titled ‘Secret’ from their Fitzroy book. The story is about a boy who cannot keep secrets and ends up destroying himself. Ms K told student M to be quite. However, he didn’t take notice, so, I decided to sit next to him on the floor. I was helping him to read the story step by step, as I am aware of his limited reading ability. However, he was not interested in reading, so I briefly explained about the story to him. I used examples and face expressions which engaged him and he even gave examples related to his experience. | 10. 55am – 11. 10am| After reading them the story, Ms K asked them to sit at their desks and wrote 5 questions on the whiteboard. All the students were required to copy the questions into their exercise book. Rather than, copying the questions, student M was busy doodling in his book. According to Shelley Vernon  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦Kinaesthetic learners are often the students who just dont get what youre trying to teach in a traditional lecture or worksheet based lesson. Kinaesthetic learners take in information best when they use their whole bodies to complete practice exercises†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  (2008) Ms K tried her best to persuade him to copy the questions, but in vain. He did copy a few letters as Ms K observed him, but once she left, he continued drawing and started singing again. Ms K told him if he does it again she will complain to his mother. Instead of obeying her, he replied saying that his mother was scared of him and he had even hit his mother before. He also stated that his dad does not say anything to him. I helped him to spell the words so it would be easier for him to write. In order to gauge his level. I asked him to write down the alphabets. From the result, it was clear that student M (the name of the students is not written for the anonymity of the institution, students and staff) does not know all the alphabets, and if the letters he knew, he wrote some upside down. Eventually, he did copy the questions but did not answer them due to a shortage of time. | 11. 10am – 11. 20am| Next, Ms K asked them to sit again on the floor in front of her to go through the answer with them. She picked a few students to read out their answers. One of those was student M who surprisingly answered the question correctly. Ms K did correct a few students who answered wrongly. At the end of the period, Ms K collected all the books to be marked. | WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE TO SUPPORT THE LEARNERS As a TA I would never make my learners feel scared of me because this will cause them to not share their problems with me. I would also sit with them and guide them to do their work and if there is having any doubt, I will always be there to clear their confusion. However, I would make sure that the class environment is suitable with the needs of my learners such as I have decorated the class with more pictures as I know that my learners prefer to see rather than reading. According to Terry Farwell â€Å"Once students understand their learning styles, they can better adapt to their learning environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012). Since I know it is impossible to expect them to sit quietly for long and listen to something without experiencing it physically so it is better to give them tools and equipment to use in class. Rather than stopping them from moving, it is better to let their bodies build up through expression, enabling them to grow up into inspired individuals. WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE AS A TEACHER Since I know that student M is a kinaesthetic learner, I would have created a lesson plan which involved more moving activity. According to Erin, â€Å"While some students can learn effectively through quiet study, others gain the most information through active learning activities. If you are charged with the task of teaching English to a kinaesthetic learner, you can increase the effectiveness of the lessons you offer by mixing movement into your learning activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012) At the beginning of the lesson I would have read them the story then I asked them to do role play in 4 groups where every group had a peer guide to guide the weaker ones. This way, student M would have had the chance to show off his talent, move around and talk loudly as he loves to. Once they had performed their role play, I would have asked them to remain in their groups and called every group leader to come forward to choose a question. They are required to show their answer in the form of a picture or drawing. According to Elizabeth, she stated â€Å"†¦kinaesthetic learners sometimes process information such as class notes better by drawing pictures than by writing words. Kinaesthetic learners may need to draw models, write in different colours if taking text notes and use highlighters to help them concentrate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2011). Thus, this would give student M the opportunity to show his talent at drawing. Furthermore, this activity would not only have benefited student M; it will also benefit other students as well since they all love colouring. Finally, every group would present their drawing and explain their answer to the class. Elizabeth also stated that â€Å"Allow kinaesthetic learners to assess orally through simple answers, presentations, poems or songs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (2011) and I have to agree with her statements. Student M would learn the story twice and thus improve his thinking and imagining skills. I have also noticed that Ms K does not like any interruption when she is teaching even if students want to ask questions. If I were the teacher I would have given students the opportunity to ask questions, on condition that if they wish to ask a question they must first raise their hands and get permission. Ms K told me the reason she wants them to copy the questions is because she wants them to improve their writing and at the same time memorize the spelling. I feel it is a good practice but unfortunately it does not fit the learning style of student M. CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE I feel that as a teacher assistant (TA), it is my responsibility to make sure that every learner gains something from a lesson, since I believe that the teacher is busy and she cannot give individual attention to all 19 students. Overall, I believe that as a TA, I will help student M to develop his skills by guiding him during learning session. I will try to divide my time equally everyday to all my learners so that no one will be left out. Albert Einstein once stated that â€Å"†¦he felt it in his muscles, when he was thinking about something that later proved to be very significant. This heightened kinesthetic sense tells us that helping develop this kinesthetic sensitivity from an early age, instead of suppressing it, will help people turning out to be more creative individuals†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2008) As a conclusion, I agree with Albert Einstein and I am also applying it in my role to support my learners. Furthermore, it is my responsibility to make sure my learners are in ease when the learning session is going on. REFERENCING Ducket, Ian. , (n. d) Effective Practice: Learning styles and their application for effective learning, Available at: http://www. itslifejimbutnotasweknowit. rg. uk/files/LearningStyles. pdf (date accessed: 05/01/2012) Farwell, Terry. , (2000 – 2012) Family Education: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://school. familyeducation. com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519. html (date accessed: 09/01/2012) Glen, David. , (2009) Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style May Not Help Students, Available at: http://c hronicle. com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to/49497/ (date accessed: 03/01/2012) Guffanti, Stephen. , (2011) Learning Styles: What Does It Feels Like To Be A Kinesthetic Learner, Available at: http://www. howtolearn. om/2011/11/learning-styles-what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-a-kinesthetic-learner (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Hasan, (2008) ‘Understanding Kinesthetic Intelligence! ’ , Reaction Of Society, Available at: http://www. dirjournal. com/guides/understanding-kinesthetic-intelligence/ (date accessed: 12/01/2012) Murphy, Janine. , (2011) What Types of Communication Are Used in Teaching? , Available at: http://www. ehow. com/info_8420301_types-communications-used-teaching. html (date accessed: 25/12/2011) Schreiner, Erin. , (1999 – 2012) How to Teach English to Kinesthetic Learners, Available at: http://www. how. com/how_6914515_teach-english-kinesthetic-learners. html (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Stover, Elizabeth. , (2011) Adaptations for Kinesthetic Learners , Available at:: http://www. ehow. com/info_8718466_adaptations-kinesthetic-learners. html (date accessed: 12/01/2012) Vernon, Shelley. , (2006 – 2012) Teaching English Games: How to Teach English For Different Learning Styles, Available at: http://www. teachingenglishgames. com/Articles/Learning_Styles. htm (date accessed: 09/01/2012) TABLE OF CONTENT FOR TASK 2 No | Topic / Area| Page| 1. | Introduction| 14 | 2. | Learner’s Background| 15 | 3. How have I plan my lesson relate to my learners needs| 15 – 16 | 4. | Session plan for learning session of 120 minutes| 16 – 18 | 5. | How do I make sure that learning has take place| 19 | 6. | Evaluation of my lesson plan| 20 – 21 | 7. | Conclusion I have made| 21| 8. | Reference| 22 – 23 | 9| Appendix| 24 – 32 | TASK 2 Plan and deliver a lesson in a core subject for a group of mixed ability pupils, ensuring that all are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategie s and resources. Include assessment opportunities and personalised provision as appropriate. Assess the learning that took place and evaluate the effectiveness of the planning and issues raised for consideration in future planning. The plan will form an appendix. The school’s preferred planning format can be used. INTRODUCTION This essay is about me, planning and delivering a Mathematics lesson for a group of mixed ability pupils for class PYP 1. PYP stands for Primary Year Programme. I have made sure that all my learners are able to access learning through the use of a range of teaching strategies and resources. I have also given them assessment to know their level of knowledge and how effective is my teaching towards them. As it is stated in the webpage of University of Western Australia â€Å"Assessment is that part of the learning process used to better understand the current knowledge that a student possesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Anon. , 2001) I will rename my mentor as Ms R throughout the context. I have been assisting Ms R for 3 months and I have gained a lot of knowledgeable information from Ms R. I planned my lesson by not repeating the mistakes done by Ms R since I have been observing her for 3 months and I have learnt the face expression and how they react towards learning. LEARNERS BACKGROUND PYP 1 students are 5 years old to 7 years old and they are from mixed countries. There are 19 students in this class and they have well spoken English. Since I know the type of learners I am handling with which I realised they are mostly kinaesthetic and visual learners so I will conduct an activity that requires them to move around such as swapping their places with their friends. In addition, I will also choose the materials I am going to use according to my learners needs so that they will feel comfortable during my session and will concentrate on their learning. I have identified the needs of my learners by conducting a diagnostic meeting and also observing them in the class when they are learning. I realised that they prefer to talk rather than listening and most of my learners prefer to learn by doing a moving activity. Every morning I am instructed by Ms R to collect their work book, while arranging their books I will check it before I hand it to Ms R and I usually will have a short conversation about our learners every morning. According to Kimberly Olver, the meaning of diagnostic meeting is â€Å"†¦which is concerned with how well the students understand the concepts of a particular part of the curriculum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012) HOW HAVE I PLAN MY LESSON RELATE TO MY LEARNERS NEEDS I have designed learning activities relate the learner needs by using ‘match and stretch’ method so that all the students will have the opportunity to fulfil their needs since not all the students requires the same learning style. Such as I will have more of visual r and kinaesthetic style of learning since the majority of my learners prefer not to read or listen but I will also have short activity involving reading complying the needs of other learners. There will be group activity and single activity I plan so that I will know their abilities on the subject and get to know my learner needs better. As it is stated that, To ensure the greatest probability of learning, we must carefully select and arrange activities that will produce the desired learning outcomes in our students. Only through careful planning can we be certain that we include all necessary information and have our lesson plan properly organized to achieve the lesson objective†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Anon. , n. d. ) The meaning of ‘match’ is when I comply with their needs of learning and the meaning of ‘stretch’ is when I go against their opposite needs. Such as, I give them quizzes using a projector and kinaesthetic learners will feel ‘stretch’ but will ‘match’ the visual learners. It is stated that â€Å"A learning stretch is defined as the demonstration of knowledge and research over and beyond previously learned material† (Anon. , n. d) There are quizzes (refer to appendix) and activity using projector. This will benefit the visual learners as they prefer to see pictures rather than reading. Furthermore, the worksheet that they will have to attempt requires them to move around. Such as, there will be 4 groups and each group will be located at a different area in the class and they have to swap places with another group in order to answer a new worksheet. SESSION PLAN FOR LEARNING SESSION OF 120 MINUTES Session title| Additions : two digit numbers with tens| Aim| To understand and able to solve mathematical addition involving two digit numbers by themselves| Learning objectives| By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to solve addition involving to two digit numbers in many kind of ways within 30 minutes| Plan Time| Teacher Activity| Learner Activity| Differentiation| Assessment| Materials / Resources| 5 minutes| Teacher recalls what is single and double digit is all about and provides a few examples for the students. Student listens to teacher and tries to understand. | I target prepared open and closed questions at students of my choice. This exercise will give me instant feedback on the quality of their previous lesson knowledge. | Discussion and Questionnaire| * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes| Teacher asks students to come out and give example of addition that they have learnt previously and then teacher will choose a student to answer the question. | Student engages with teacher and other students when creating their own questions in front of the class. Students should be alert and prepare with answers because they might be the chosen one to solve the question. | Students will understand more when their peer provides examples and explain how to solve it because this will help the weaker students. | Discussion and Questionnaire| * Whiteboard * Marker | 5 minutes| Teacher divides the students into 4 groups consist of 5 people and every group has a peer guide. Teacher tells them that there are 3 worksheet and what each group is require to do and explain the instruction of the worksheets. They will be ask to finish each activity within 10 minutes. Students cooperate with the teacher by listening to her instruction and quietly move to the tables. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Questionnaire | N/A| 30 minutes| Teacher shows where the needle of t he watch will be after 10 minutes and they have to stop doing and swap their place to another table where there is another sheet of question paper with a different type of question. Students view the clock on the wall while the teacher shows them when they should swap their places to proceed to the next activity. They start doing their worksheet in couples. | Record the achievement of each of my student, in particular who surprised me by being more or less able than I thought? | Group discussion and colouring the correct answer. | * Worksheet * Counters * Number cards * Number charts to 100 * Colour pencils| 10 minutes| Teacher collects the worksheets and asks the students to gather and ask them question based on what they have learnt. Students attempts to answer question given by teacher, based on their level of understanding from what student has learnt. | I will give them feedback on their worksheet which I have observed them doing so that they can improve themselves. | Discussio n and Questionnaire | * Whiteboard * Marker| 20 minutes| Teacher shows slides and examples of question and how to solve it. Teacher divides the students into 4 groups and starts a fun addition game with the students. | Students views slides shown by teacher. If unclear, students are supposed to ask teacher. Student engages with teacher and other students when playing the subtraction game. | I choose the pairings based on which children I know can work together harmoniously. The seating arrangement is such that I can move freely between the pairs listening to their descriptions and evaluating their achievement. | Discussion and Questionnaire. | * Projector * Google search * Questions on quizzes(www. mathsisfun. com)| HOW DO I MAKE SURE THAT LEARNING HAS TAKE PLACE In order for me to succeed in making my learners to learn, I would need the learners to be reflectors. As it is stated in the webpage of Campaign For Learning â€Å"Reflectors like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own† (Anon. , n. d) I would need them to reflect onto anything that they do not understand so that I will be able to help them. On the other hand, the students should also be good communicators. As they are many activities planned, I am hoping for the students to also engage well in all activities. According to Penelope Eckert â€Å"†¦engaged learning occurs when people appropriate the learning process in the service of their goals as individuals and as members of society † (n. d) To ensure that the element of active learning which are talking and listening, writing, reading, and reflecting has taken place, I will do summative assessment with them such as quiz and questionnaire based on what I have taught them. At the end, I will conclude what they have learnt since I know their level of knowledge since I have asked them questions before I start my lesson. As it stated in the webpage of University of Michigan, the meaning of active learning is define as â€Å"†¦a process whereby students engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (n. d). EVALUATION OF MY LESSON PLAN First and foremost, I will self-evaluate myself after I have delivered my lesson. I will also need the help of my learners and Ms R since she is the mentor. I completed a session with my learner’s form where I obtained oral feedback from them. I asked them a few questions to complete the session. As for my Ms R, I would evaluate my lesson after she completes the observation reports and also some oral feedback. I had one-to-one session with Ms R to improve myself as a teacher and I believe that Ms R has given me a lot of beneficial advice. As it is stated that evaluation can be in the form of, â€Å"Formal and informal†¦formal evaluation done after instruction-testing-confirms whether the teacher and students have successfully accomplished the objectives, but its results often come too late to do the students much good†¦. Informal evaluation done during instruction is often the most useful and influential type. † (Anon. , n. d) I agree with the statement. I should always consider three levels of evaluation which is: * How did my learners react to the activity? * What did my learners learn from the activity? * How are my learners performing their role differently? Evaluation procedures must obtain valuable information, whilst being as unobtrusive to the flow of my learners as possible. I faced minor problems while delivering my lesson as I am very new to teaching. One of the problems I faced was giving instruction. According to Susana Maria Li Ruso â€Å"It is essential for teachers to develop an awareness of the importance of clear oral instructions for good class management. † (2002-2003) Ms R told me that I should learn to give a simple instruction since my learners are very young so I have taken her advice and try to improve myself in future. I have attached my observation of feedback, observation of review and observation report done by Ms R as appendix. CONCLUSION I HAVE MADE Since I am trying my best to improve myself as teacher, I would always learn from mistakes that I have made and other teacher’s mistakes that I have been observing. I believe there is always space for improvement so I will never let anything to put me down as teacher to support my learners. Moreover, as a TA who fosters positive relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students’ developmental, emotional and academic needs. Such as, my learners will always confront me if they have any problem at home or at school. As it is stated in the webpage of American Psychological Association,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"If a student feels a personal connection to a teacher, experiences frequent communication with a teacher, and receives more guidance and praise than criticism from the teacher, then the student is likely to become more trustful of that teacher, show more engagement in the academic content presented, display better classroom behavior, and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2012). REFERENCING American Psychological Association (2012) Improving Students Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Support for Learning, Available at: http://www. apa. org/education/k12/relationships. aspx, (date accessed: 12/01/2012) Arthur, F. (n. d) University Of Michigan: Teaching Strategies: Active Learning, Available at: http://www. crlt. umich. edu/tstrategies/tsal. php, (date accessed: 10/01/2011) Campaign For Learning (n. d) Reflectors, Available at: http://www. campaign-for-learning. org. uk/cfl/yourlearning/whatlearner/reflector. asp (date accessed: 11/01/2012) Eckert, Penelope. (n. d: 6), The School of Engaged Learners: Students Are Engaged Learners, Available at: http://www. stanford. edu/~eckert/PDF/SasCEL. pdf, (date accessed: 11/01/2012) EGHS Senior Project, (n. d) What is a Learning Stretch? Available at: https://sites. google. com/site/eghsseniorproject/what-is-a-learning-stretch (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Evaluation (n. d) Evaluation, Available at: http://linguistics. byu. edu/faculty/henrichsenl/lessonplanning/lp_14. html, (date accessed: 07/01/2012) Homeport Training Norfolk, Virginia (n. d) Developing The Lesson Plan: The Importance of a Lesson Plan, Available at: http://www. mysdcc. sdccd. edu/Norfolk_Homeport_Training/Instructor_Info/Importance_of_a_Lesson_Plan. htm (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Liruso, Susana Maria (2002 – 2003) ‘Giving Oral Feedback to EFL Young Learners’ Abstract, pp. 38, Available at: http://www. encuentrojournal. org/textos/13. 13. pdf, (date accessed: 10/01/2012) Olver, Kimberly. , (2012) Article for Teachers: Class Meetings, Available at: http://www. eslteachersboard. com/cgi-bin/articles/index. pl? page=3;read=3554 (date accessed: 09/01/2012) University of Western Australia (2001) Outcomes Based Education and Assessment at UWA, Available at: http://www. catl. uwa. edu. au/__data/page/77897/OBE_and_Assessment. pdf (date accessed: 08/01/20 12)

Team Building Interventions

Team Building Interventions There is a widespread impression, evident from popular research and casual empiricism, of the inability of scholars and organisations to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of team building in measuring changes in skills or attitudes. Often what the evaluation tools do is evaluate the team before and after team building event in anticipation of valuable outcomes.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Team Building Interventions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the methodology employed in team building evaluation has not been successful in gathering and assessing data that would serve conclusive. One major short coming of team building interventions is that is the research employed does not even attempt an evaluation. Across the social science, skill is a fundamental yet problematic concept and the inaccuracies of evaluation methods may be linked to the phenomena under investigation and the circumstanc es under which the data is collected that does not produce conclusive analysis. In this paper I will discuss three leadership styles using my past work experience. Then I will go through some aspects of teamwork. Finally, I will give a summary about myself as a leader and how personal characteristics influence leadership style. Key theories, concepts and empirical research carried out to evaluate team building interventions (TBIs) have proven frustrating leading us to examine what has been done to overcome this problem. To obtain conclusive, data was collected from 22 full time MBA students on a three day trip via open ended questionnaire to determine what’s happening both within team and individuals involved in team building event in order to determine the kinds of practices, support and resources used to ensure effective data collection. Each student for this case was given a responsibility to record their negative and positive events on a daily basis bearing changes in the mselves and their team members (Rushmer 1997, p.316). Since team building interventions used open ended questionnaires to collect data, I found it difficult to process and analyse large amount of data in limited time. Open ended questions for my case would be hard to record my exact feelings which would be measured to provide conclusive results.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to the changing economic and social context of employee relations, there’s need to evaluate the effectiveness of team building Interventions (TBIs) in organizational development projects. Schools and organisations for this instance should recognise the inherent benefits associated with such evaluations such as their ability to justify direct and indirect costs of interventions to organisations and providing evidence to its validity to scholars to ascertain whether progra ms are truly operational and beneficial. However, in my analysis, the journal’s weakness is that the team building strategy used in measuring outcomes has not been able to adequately gather or assess data that would serve as conclusive. Plenty of evidence suggests that students who are more likely to integrate into groups were more likely to get through their course completion and to successfully gain their award. Evidently from my analysis, students grouped into teams are able manage through their academic years either due to the emotional support received from fellow students, the practical advice gained from drawing from each others skills, expertise and experiences, opportunity to clarify their ideas with each other or it could possibility be a combination of all these factors. Therefore, as the MBA students undertake their full time residential period, TBI takes place in their first week of the program to â€Å"build the teams† at the beginning of the course (Rush mer 1997, p.316). I therefore support the journal’s theory of group integration in team building activities since it provides reliable analysis to support the evidence. Participation Participants age group ranged from 22 to 37 with an average age of 25 combined with a great range of cultural background, a strategy that was not put into consideration in regard to how their participation would affect TBI. In this case, I stand against the team building theory since the spit groups in regard to gender were not considered as female participants of ages 35 were not likely to stay full time in the residents due to family ties hence making the data collected unreliable. The groups were further divided into three groups; teams, gender, nationality and age and stayed together during the TBI duration (Rushmer 1997, p.316).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Team Building Interventions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Methodology Data collected from the 22-full time MBA students teams on a three day outward bound residential team building course was done through open ended questionnaire in order to allow participants to answer freely in their own words. This strategy was used in anticipation that extensive data will be collected on how each member perceived changes and developments during their trip rather than forcing themselves into YES and NO replies on pre-existing scales designed around the authors beliefs. The advantage of this journal article was that the method of data collection used by students to record raw information and report the findings on the sensitive issues to map the phenomena was reliable. On the other hand, the sorting through large amount of data served as a disadvantage since it would take considerable amount of time jeopardising the credibility of data collected (Rushmer 1997, p.316). Open ended questionnaires are disadvantaged to the sense that the answers produc ed were inadequate and missing valuable data that were to be measured against at the end of the project. Poor warded questions may prevent responses from answering individual questions, therefore increasing unit non response. The project supervisor should have opted for more explicit questions that would produce accurate answers to be used for School surveys as a self administered mode of data collection. Participant observation The author was actively involved in TBI exercise and task taking which enabled him obtain tacit knowledge and experience, team membership and team functioning which helped him extract qualitative data from questionnaire returns and assemble them into themes in reflection to what happened in TBI and to report the events as close as it was. The author classified important stages in the process of becoming a team as the following; Emergent themes The themes of â€Å"Speaking to† and â€Å"getting to know† were introduced at the beginning of projec t, a strategy that facilitated the process of getting to know each other. On a social level, â€Å"speaking to† enabled the relationship between the team members to develop although there is no strong indication that all team members got along successively.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the participant reported that, once team members were able to speak to each other, everyone was friendly and they felt relaxed and even made friends at the end of the process. The themes, â€Å"speaking to† and â€Å"getting to know† was identifies as the first step in facilitating the process of team building. Here, Maslow’s theory of motivation which stipulates that team members draw satisfaction from safety and belongingness of membership of the team was identified. Maslow’s theory of motivation that proposes the model of how happy, healthy and functioning people are, are only based on concrete observations of people rather than coming up with an ideal formular for basing their theory. The motivation theory explains where â€Å"self-actualising† personality comes from which reacts too much on reductionism. Though the theory has taken into consideration the existing healthy personalities, the observations are more detailed than the theory can predict and the data contradicts the theory to some extend (Rushmer 1997, p.316). The data collected in the group dynamic theory that stipulates that people sometimes join groups in order to gain comfort, security and friendship was also identified. Since the project was task oriented, participants in day three began to notice strength and weaknesses of team members and learned how to work with each other. In my opinion, when there is no â€Å"speaking to† and â€Å"getting to know† then there would be no way of knowing what different teams can or cannot do in terms of skills, expertise and experience. It is to this i conclude that socializing was more fruitful strategy in the task orientation since teams reported more communication and unity (Rushmer 1997, p.316: Hays 2004). Refusal of leaders Following the dynamics of group behaviour, the teams refused to provide group leaders at the beginning of the project but allowed it to happen naturally as the project went on. One of the team members become one of the spokesman, a role that made him feel commanding often perceived with linked to negative comments. Strong leadership is seen to destroy both unity and coherence of the team. An Egalitarian team? In the process of team building, I can see egalitarian team developing where leaders are allowed to guide and the team members are satisfied when everyone takes part. This theory may be misleading in the sense that leadership has often been perceived as a force that directs action, tasks, unifies group and suggests solutions but we can see that this activities were not solely directed at one person, but were directed by different team members depending on task t hand, therefore not bale to base our conclusive result on (Rushmer 1997, p.316). In relation to organisations, management should set realistic goals of their team members by making it clear of the expected outcomes making clear of the task to be carried out to prevent unnecessary de-motiva ting influences and unrealistic expectations which often cause disappointments. This is often experienced in organisation with complicated communication channels through policies and practices. Organisation should also reduce the formal appearance of hierarchy since employees often link them with negative comments. Leaders should fully participate in organization projects to allow acquisition of new skills (Rushmer 1997, p.316). The project strategy was also aimed at determining who would enact leadership behaviour for example in tasks requiring physical strength and for this case, it was the biggest member of them team that took the role. Likewise, when rock climbing, team members who had initially experienced similar exercise appeared to direct the others. It’s therefore concluded that a given task is determined by ones skills, expertise or experience. Leadership as evident from this project may seem to be influenced by expert’s power, rather that permanent role of a particular individual (Rushmer 1997, p.316). Benefit of the team Participation of team members forces them to try out new behaviours and acquire new skills, team members attest to that. One member attests to this by saying that the he tried out new things he wouldn’t without the team work. This brings me to conclusive evidence that teamwork modifies behaviour for the sake of the team, hence the theory of â€Å"team will†. This however supports the assertion that ‘team’ is a body that forces people to do things they would not have done on their own. Members reported to have gained self confidence which were often rewarding and made the team experience enjoyable. There was also a â€Å"feel good factor† that enhanced positive feelings and stimulated team spirit. One of the participants regarded his team to be the best because of the fun and motivation received. The ability to identify with the team helps build the feel good factor (Rushmer 1997, p.31 6). Since the participants were eager to undergo new experiences, learn new ideas and skills, Maslow’s theory calls for accurate perception of reality which is inconsistence to ordinary people’s ability to deny, repress or deform perceptions to fit their own prejudices. Here Maslow’s theory agrees with the experiences of participants’ intuitive levels and their conscious on rational levels. The general concept to this self-actualizer is that may be attracted to the unknown rather than being afraid of it. Achieving the task: Process, outcomes and motivation There is a strong indication of positive outcomes in complimentary with task orientation to teamwork as it motivates and heightens team’s efforts to achieve their tasks. Since everyone participated in the task, everyone celebrated its success hence the theory of â€Å"one for all, all for one† ethos of success. In task orientation process, the pathways travelled in order to achieve this ou tcome helped them recognise important process in accomplishment of these stages which determines the effective functioning of the team as the actual achievement of the outcome. The outcome helped the team recognise real organisation, planning, discussion and action to be the major component of their team building. In relation to task orientation, the task outcomes and task process did not give conclusive results on how the team operates. We also realised that demanding tasks gave rise to supportiveness, encouragement which stimulated relationship orientation behaviour since members desired to help each other to succeed. Task difficulty challenged members to rise up to cooperation and encouragement within the team. We therefore conclude that team work motivated people to work together and stay till the end of the project (Hays 2004; Rushmer 1997, p.316). De-motivation Team members also complained of cold and wet weather in which they were required to exercise and not all activities r equired them to work as a team. Therefore motivation as part of team building spirit departs from the theory that states that team work encourages full participation of members. Conclusion Since individuals were inclined to pre-set groups, team members were unable to mix and talk freely and therefore knowing each other’s skills and expertise was only limited to the preset groups. Structural and geographical arrangements were also a hindering factor to team operations. People should read the article because it encourages organisation to implement more challenging tasks as a strategy to pull all members participation towards task accomplishment. Challenging task as i have already mentioned help members gain positive side effects and increases participation thereby enabling development of new skills, increases confidence and motivation and built team spirit and co-operation. This should therefore be incorporated in work places by rewarding hard working employees by their skills, experience and length of service. People should also read the article because it teaches new learner on methods of data collection and different theories applied in team building activities List of References Hays, J. 2004, Building High-Performance Teams: A Practitioner’s Guide. Argos Press: Canberra Rushmer, R. 1997, ‘What happens to the team during teambuilding? Examining the change process that helps to build a team’, The Journal of Management Development, Vol. 16, pg. 316

Process Analysis Essay on Falling Down is Part of Growing

Process Analysis on Falling Down is Part of Growing - Essay Example This paper explores some of the achievements that have been made by Petroski, in this case, it places biases on his famous writing, â€Å"Falling Down is Part of Growing.† The literal work that provides an examination of how the engineering field has been successful in achieving some important milestones as far as human life is concerned amidst various social and economic challenges among others. Petroski explains that before the world ushered in the new millennium, there was a need to look back and reflect on the path engineering had taken, this was in order to find out some of the important achievements that have been attained (Petroski para 1-2). This concern promoted the National Academy of Engineering to convene a meeting to brainstorm and deliberate on this agenda. It is during this meeting that it was discovered that many achievements have been made, some of the important achievements included, improved electrification programs in the country and beyond, the automobile and airplane sectors among many others The rural electrification program in the United States at this time had led to many other achievements because of the efficiency that was being experienced in many other industrial processes. Many people who took a lot at how the process was done under carefully planned coordination and collaborative process by engineers and physicians can ascertain that it was one of the best achievements to usher in the new millennium.

Gear Smartwatch - Features, challenges, and Vulnerability Research Paper

Gear Smartwatch - Features, challenges, and Vulnerability - Research Paper Example It uses technique of sophisticated processing in order to find solutions of various sophisticated tasks just by using this small watch. Additionally, the feature of voice memos were also build in Gear smart watch, through a built-in speaker, that enables the owner to even answer the calls just by using their wrist and operate the gadget via voice commands. Additionally, it was a full-color work with the platform of Android sized in the fashion of an old calculator watch. Correspondingly, it runs the application, which was developed by Samsung as well as the third-party partners. During the year 2014 company replaced the Gear operating system with Tizen (Brewis, 2014). Gear was not able to withstand the expectation of the user and the security side of Gear with high confidentiality in term of exchanging the data Smartphone due to the issue of vulnerability. The most obvious reason of vulnerability issue in the gadget was due to its feature of typical ‘companion gadget’, which is worthless without the Smartphone as it has to be connected via Bluetooth. The people who turned up for the Gear will be likely to experience the features of Smartphone messaging, Personal Information Manager (PIM) and other apps just in the wrist. Correspondingly, in the current scenario the smart watch only works with the help of Samsungs Note Smartphone, the Note 3. With the help of Gear smart watch wireless communication can only be possible through using the Bluetooth connectivity feature, which led to risk of unauthorized uses. Moreover, the major issue with this device is related to its security and misuse of the various applications. With the growing ad vancement in the technology hacker are able to track the pitfall of the device very easily through finding the various vulnerabilities and utilize them in order to extract the information of the users, along with they can also utilize the

Block Buster Entertainment Case Study

Block Buster Entertainment Case Study Blockbuster is one of the world leading companies that provide video, DVD rental and games. It has grown more than 8500 stores franchised worldwide that bring Blockbuster as one of gigantic in rentable home entertainment. It also has more than 40,000 titles that can be choosing by consumers every day. In the year 2000, Blockbuster begins to explore the Pay-Per-View market and well establish in the 2001 [Cases in Crafting and Executing Strategy]. Leading market position- Blockbuster is the worlds largest video rent chain, with about 9,000 company-owned or franchised stores in 25 countries including US. In the United States and its territories Blockbuster has 5,194 stores operating under its name. Of the 5,194 stores, 939 were operated through its franchisees. One of the largest competitors of Blockbuster, the Movie Gallery, owns and operates approximately 4,575 stores in the US and Canada, which is less than what Blockbuster, owns only in the United States. Blockbuster has 2.2 million online subscribers, including 2.0 million paying subscribers in the fiscal year of 2006. The strong market presence enhances the brand name image of the company and helps in attracting new consumers and as a result increasing the market share. Strong merchandise sales division- Blockbuster has the strongest merchandise sales division. Beside the rental business Blockbuster is strong on the merchandise sales, which include sale of movies and games. In addition to sales of new movies and games blockbuster has positioned some small merchandise like popcorn candy etc. next to the check out counter so people waiting on line are more likely to purchase those merchandise. Total access program.- Blockbuster has generated an online subscription program that allows consumers to have easy access to their preference of movies. This is an Internet based subscription that allows customer to rent a DVD by mail and offers more varieties of titles than the store offers. Through the Total access program, Blockbuster enhanced and integrated its in-store and online rental business. Blockbuster continues to focus on offering programs that are an alternative to the programs offered by mass merchant retailers and other online subscription service providers. Strong brand equity-Blockbuster has 3,166 stores operating under the Blockbuster brand name internationally because of its strong local brand awareness (Finance.yahoo.com). The company operates under XTRA-Vision brand name in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Also they offer free-standing under the Game Rush brand name in Canada, Ital, Mexico and Denmark. The companys strong brand name gives it an advantage of successfully introducing newer services and increasing its market share. Blockbuster, has about 40% share of domestic rental market and a globally recognized brand, is the leading provider of rentable DVDs (Full report). Let us take a closer look at each components of marketing mix and various strategies that Blockbuster is currently using to achieve its vision. Product Blockbuster is known for its movie renting and also now has video games and products available. Blockbuster also has option for buying DVDs as well as video games. It is also trying to get extended movie rights for International and making deals to have high volume of movies available at any given time. Price- Blockbuster had different services offered for various prices. The price for in-store movie rental is about $4.32 for new and old movies for x amount of days. The online movie services are as follows The company uses different approaches to acquire new and retain existing customers. In response to Netflixs online rental program, Blockbuster deployed its own version of online rental program. Moreover, the company went one-step further by offering the exchange of the online movies against more at the local stores. Customers find it convenient and a quick method to swap, and Blockbuster acquires the much needed flow of customers in and out of the stores. Recently, the company also went through two different types of store remodeling tests. One of them is called Rock the Block, which is for the technology-savvy customers who are comfortable using kiosks and interactive displays. The other one is called White Tornado, which also includes new paint, carpet, fixtures, and lower-hanging shelves for a different look and appeal. The prototype test stores results reflected an increase of 7% to 12% in revenues (Gruenwedel). Another aspect of this business is high price-elasticity. Consumers can easily switch to another product (from a different source) without losing quality or some other attribute. They also have a choice of acquiring the same product from redbox for one-fourth the price. To overcome these challenges, the company employs different methods to add value for the economic profit. These include rewards programs and online marketing with coupons, and are created based on the psychology of consumer behavior. For example, the rewards program offers one free movie after every five rentals, and one free older movie with every paid rental on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (when the traffic tends to be slow). Finally, all employees are trained and expected to offer best possible customer service to the customers; this is critical in retaining the existing customers and earning new ones through word of mouth. Blockbuster is very active in building community relations. The companys community mission states: At Blockbuster, our community relations activities are designed to: Utilize corporate and employee resources and talents to benefit the communities we serve by supporting organizations which impact children/families, reflect a film/video focus or fulfill specific company operating objectives related to diversity and employment (Blockbuster Community, 2008). Similarly, the organization is committed to providing diversity through each phase of the business. The size of the organization and market share are also important social trends for both the company and the stockholders/shareholders. Although the value of Blockbuster decreased over the years, the value of a stock depends entirely on the economic profits that investors expect a company to produce in the future. Past profits matter only because they play a role in creating expectations about future performance (Boyes, 2004, 51). The financial results of the company reflect profits for the four consecutive quarters, after years of reported losses; therefore, the value of stocks is expected to increase. Perhaps the most important political trend for a company is to get involved in a merger or acquisition. Blockbuster had attempted to acquire Hollywood in 2005, but Hollywood entered into the merger agreement with Movie Gallery (Fran Finnegan Company, 2008). In April 2008, Blockbuster proposed a merger with Circuit City (Blockbuster merger, 2008). Facing legal actions in the business would be another aspect of political trends. Blockbuster has faced numerous lawsuits in the past including being sued over no late fees in 2005 by consumers, and over using the online rental model by Netflix in 2006. The legal department (of the company) works diligently to handle these and similar legal and political issues as they arise. In the online DVD rental channel, Blockbusters competitor Netflix has forced it to pursue a cross-channel strategy. Blockbuster has been able to successfully leverage its physical storefront presence with its Total Access program which allows customers to have DVDs sent to their house and exchange them at the actual store (Blockbuster.com). This synergy has allowed Blockbuster to actually earn a twenty cent profit in the first quarter. (Motley Fools Website Blockbuster Eats Brains) The current in-store strategy and requirement is to focus more on the retail items, and push the sale of impulse purchase products. There are rumors that the company would be pulling away from the rental, and would only be offering the new retail movies and games. This would certainly be an interesting change, and Blockbuster stores would become more like Game Rush stores.

Jasper Jones Essay Essay

Introduction Although fiction texts are simply narratives, they can also reflect a particular time and place. The novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey follows the character of Charlie, the thirteen year old protagonist, who is forced to rethink his traditional notions of right and wrong, through his friendship with Jasper Jones. The novel highlights Australia’s attitudes towards foreigners and Indigenous people. The small country town held strong beliefs about the value of sport but also the lack of education. Jasper Jones is marginalised in society due to his indigenous background causing him to be the first to be blamed for any matters of trouble. In the novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey the dominant beliefs of society and racist attitudes towards indigenous people are reflected. ‘He’s the first to be blamed for all manner of trouble.’ As Jasper is indigenous he is being stereotyped as being a troublemaker. This puts the reader in a position to picture him as exactly that and might cause Jasper to act up like that. The readers consider Jasper to be questionable and unreliable. The town’s pre judgements of Jasper and his bad reputation cause him to be blamed for crimes he often does not commit. ‘Jasper jones is right. Of course this town will blame him.’ Through Charlie’s narrative point of view we are given an insight in to what his thoughts on this issue are. Of course the town will immediately assume the death of Laura was him. Jasper is being judged unfairly. Readers are put in a position to understand the town are hypocritical and judgemental of Jasper even though he has done nothing wrong. The town hold these assumptions based on his Indigenous background. The white dominated small country town in Australia highlights the lack of value placed on multiculturalism as shown through the treatment of the Lu family. In the novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey the mistreatment of foreign cultures is evident in Australia 1960’s. ‘But Sue Findlay hadn’t finished. Jabbing her finger, she screeched the most horrible words, the nastiest things imaginable, her voice uneven with tears, her eyes crazy.’ During the time the book was published the Vietnam was happening and many  Australians had been sent over to fight. Sue Findlay has been used as a representative of the town as Mrs Lu is picked on and marginalised by the town. Sue is blaming Mrs Lu for the conscription of her son in the Vietnam War, as she was Vietnamese. It focuses on the issues of racism present in Australia society during the 1960’s. ‘I can hear them shouting: Red rat! Fucking red rat!’ These extremely racist and derogatory comments made about the Lu family reflect the racists attitudes held by the citizens of Australian during the 1960’s.the towns’ people were very abusive and did not accept any success associated with the Lu family very well. It clearly shows their lack of value placed on multiculturalism and respect towards others. Australia had a very critical attitude towards foreigners. The small Australian country town represents the dominant beliefs of 1950’s Australia regarding masculinity and sporting ability. In the novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey highlights the social issues associated with sport and culture. Charlies’ lack of sporting ability makes him a minority and highlights the value of being good at sport and also the lack of value towards academic achievement. ‘I’m lousy at sport, and better than most at school, which garners me only ire in the classroom and resentment when report cards are issued.’ Charlie is picked on at school merely for his intelligence. Charlie receives goods grades and is intellectual rather than athletic. In the town of Corrigan where sporting ability is highly valued he is somewhat viewed as an outsider. Sport is the social currency. Their hierarchy based on their skill with a ball. ‘They’ll surround him and scruff at his hair in celebration, they’ll applaud and pat his arse, but once the game is over, the pattern returns.’ Jasper although is looked down upon due to his Indigenous background is viewed as any other normal person during a game of football. It is evident that in the Australian 1960’s, the society held the value of sport higher rather than their views on Jasper and his background and their racist attitudes.

Black People and Roberta Essay

In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif,† the story is about two girls, Twyla and Roberta. They grow up in an orphanage because their mothers could not care for them. Morrison makes it clear the girls come from different ethnic backgrounds but never states which one is black or white. At one point in the story Twyla comments, â€Å"We looked like salt and pepper. † I grew frustrated with the story and had to read it several times. I could never determine who was black and white and the lesson I learned should have been it doesn’t really matter. The story begins with Twyla’s mother dropping her off at the orphanage. She meets Roberta and they become best friends. The bond they share occurs because they were not considered real orphans. They were abandoned kids unlike the other children whose parents had died. One of the last times the girls see each other was the day of a visitation. On that night, Twyla’s mother was wearing â€Å"those tight green slacks that made her butt stick out. † Many people have labeled blacks as having larger butts. She could have been black, she could have been a heavy white woman with a large butt, or a Hispanic woman like me. But I automatically stereotyped and went with Twyla has to be black. During the visitation Roberta’s mother â€Å"had brought chicken legs. † Twyla notices Roberta does not eat the chicken legs. I always thought black people liked chicken more than white people which means Roberta was white since she did not eat the chicken. Or maybe she just wasn’t hungry. Shortly after that visitation Roberta’s mother came to take her home, leaving the girls devastated. They see each other several times throughout the years. At their first meeting, Roberta was rude and distant because she was high. Roberta tells Twyla she is on the way to see Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was an infamous black guitarist. I thought at this point Roberta has to be black. However Hendrix’s band was interracial with a diverse audience. Roberta could have been white due to the diverse audience. I am a huge Hendrix fan and I am not black so why would I think Roberta is. Twelve years later they meet again at a grocery store. Roberta married a rich man and was extremely friendly to Twyla. Twyla cannot hold back her emotions and asks Roberta about the last time they saw each other. Roberta shrugs it off, â€Å"Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black—white. You know how everything was. † I can relate to this. In 1980, the Cuban Mariel Boat Lifts came over bring thousands of Cubans. I am Cuban but I was born here. Kids I had known since kindergarten treated me as if I just come over on the boats. It had a lasting effect on me and matured me beyond my years. The third time they meet is at the school where their children attend. Roberta and other mothers were picketing because they did not want their kids to be segregated. This led to a fight severing any last chance of a friendship for them as it would not be resolved until Twyla and Roberta meet for a final time. As the story ends I do not get a sense of closure. The question of which girl is white or black remains unanswered. It opened my eyes and made me question how prejudice I really am. I try to not stereotype as a result of what I went through as a child but I found myself doing just that. I can understand why Morrison wrote the way she. I am not sure what her goal was overall but to me it seemed as if she were teaching me about prejudices. â€Å"Recitatif† challenged me to not judge either girl by their race but accept them for who they are. In the end, what difference did it really make about the girls’ races? The story is about how their friendship develops and then deteriorates. Nothing more; nothing less.