Jumping Rope in Physical Education Settings Essay Example for Free

Jumping Rope in Physical Education Settings Essay This article by Susan B. Nye was written to educate all students that jumping rope is an activity that can be fun and enjoyable. The overall layout of this article I thought was well constructed. The article begins with background information about jumping rope and why it is important to incorporate jumping rope in the classroom as well as why it is considered a lifelong physical activity. Then the article shifts toward the basics of jump roping which is laid out in an easy to follow guideline. Moving on, the article shifts to the safety procedure that comes with jumping rope. Then lastly, the article shifts to more advanced jump roping activities that can be played that are fun for all students once each student has shown that they understand the basics and the Ready-Set-Jump protocol. The safety procedure that this article focuses on is described by Susan B. Nye in a three step process called the â€Å"Ready-Set-Jump† protocol. The author did a great job when writing this article so that either a public or private schools can understand and incorporate jumping rope into the classroom. The article states that jumping rope is an inexpensive way to engage students in a lifelong physical activity. After reading that I was shocked to believe that jumping rope was considered a lifelong physical activity. I also did not know that according to this article that depending on the students jumping pace, an individual can burn an estimated 11 calories per minute. Along with burning calories I did not realize that there are different various types of rope: beaded, speed long handled ropes that were mentioned in this article. The beaded jump ropes are designed for beginning learners because they have a slower rotation rate. They are also better jump ropes for rougher surfaces. Speed jump ropes are inexpensive which can be fit into even the smallest school budgets. The benefits of the speed ropes are that they turn easier and can be easily adjusted to fit all students. The long handled jump ropes are great for beginning to perform tricks such as the criss-cross. The one aspect of the article I really did enjoy reading was the explanation of the safety procedures that are associated with jumping rope. The article describes the safety procedure for jumping rope as a â€Å"ready-set-jump† protocol. The goal of the â€Å"Ready-Set-Jump† is for students to utilize this protocol outside of class to remain safe and have fun. The ready stage in the safety protocol reminds students to fit their own jump rope and to correctly hold the jump rope. Holding the handle by your thumb and index finger is the proper way to hold the jump rope. Correctly measuring the jump rope is another key component to the safety protocol for jumping rope. I did not know this but there are three different measurements: standard, chest and lower rib cage when measuring for the correct jump rope length. The standard measurement is for the beginning learners; the shorter the rope the faster the revolutions per second. The second stage in the safety protocol is called â€Å"set†. In this stage students reinforce self space. The proper self space when jumping rope is two feet above your head, three feet on each side of your body and five feet in front and behind of the individual. The last stage of the safety protocol is simple it allows the students to know that it is time to jump rope and have fun. Jumping rope is considered being a high impact activity that requires coordination, balance and endurance. Jumping rope may be hard for younger students simply because it requires two skills: rope turning and jumping. The most effective way to implement jumping rope in your classroom is to teach it as a station or an instant activity but for short amounts of time no more than three to five minutes long. In conclusion, I totally agree with this article that if implemented properly in the classroom, jumping rope can be a high impact and inexpensive way to engage students in a lifelong physical activity. The author of this article did a great job with the overall organization of the information because it was in an easy to follow format for anyone to read. I can honestly say after reading this article I have a greater knowledge of how effective incorporating jumping rope can be in the classroom for all students.

My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun Essay Example for Free

My Life had stood a Loaded Gun Essay Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"My Life had stood a Loaded Gun† is a powerful poem that takes into account various thematic expressions. Its comprehensiveness in brevity is another essential feature of this poem. It symbolizes power and unconventional feminist urges on the art of the poetess. In this poem, Emily Dickinson finds an instrument adequate enough to render her need for fulfillment through absolute commitment to love’s service. The poem begins with a brilliant conceit. Fused from the ambiguous abstraction of life and the explicit concretion of loaded gun, it expresses the charged potential of the human being who remains dormant until â€Å"identified† into a conscious vitality. And after hat identification, we observe the start of a new poem i. e. the start of a new life. Historically, it was written in age when American society was torn with civil war. The symbol that Emily Dickenson has used is an essence of an experience. It is quite obvious that a universal insight that the poet tries to express in not obtained merely by imaginative wandering, it is based on concrete experiences. Emily Dickinson presents the same insight into the historical experiences of her time. The very first stanza symbolizes the paradox of finding oneself through losing oneself. It is rendered in the poem by one word: identity is claimed when someone claimed the gun as her own. The American civil war was also the process of finding ones own identity by losing ones own identity. The internal rivalries and petty identities were to be removed to achieve a national reconciliation. This national reconciliation ultimately brought the national identity. Although this process was on halt and stayed â€Å"in corners† for many decades till a day came. Now they â€Å"roam in Sovereign Woods†. So Emily Dickinson has epitomized a national experience. Now this â€Å"gun† is â€Å"foe of His Im deadly foe†. â€Å"His can be described in various connotations. â€Å"His† is emblem of nation state that is fully sovereign. â€Å"His† is an integrated society or the one who longs to be integrated after the pathos and miseries of Civil war. Poetess further emphasize that â€Å"None stir the second time -/ whom I lay a Yellow Eye -/ an emphatic Thumb†. All these gestures are for those who are internal or external antagonists to the new national experience. This poem has also captivated the feminist attention who has given it a new evaluative dimension. Some critics are of the view that thorough this poem, Emily has tried to present a woman that she was not primarily in the second half of the 19th century whereas other feminist critics holds the view that poem totally negates the feminine qualities and the main metaphor considers â€Å"everything [that]woman is not: cruel not pleasant, hard not soft, emphatic not weak, one who kills not one who nurtures. † (Bennet, 1986) But Emily Dickinson has provided a framework of power i. e. feminine power and established certain pattern on which women power can grow and has shown certain direction where women power can direct itself. It must be kept in mind that all the action verbs in the poem are not destructive or of insidious nature. It expresses powers to hunt speak† smile guard and kill. So this power has paradoxical nature and a balance mix of these powers is necessary as shown and done by Emily Dickinson. Furthermore, Miss Dickinson does show a longing for deadliness but in actuality it is only for safeguarding. Wrath is a part of her being but she does not let it go if not invoked or incited. So her aggression and anger and the consequences as a result of it (killing and deaths) are not unwomanly but are an extension of her very personality. These feelings are not uncommon but are surely unpredictable. In the second half of the poem, she is only providing guard to one who has helped her to get rid of her alienation and had blessed her with intimacy. Here Emily Dickinson seems conventional in her feminist approach that a woman can do everything unwomanly for the one who is her companion in true sense of the word. Christine Miller (1987) says in this regard that â€Å"In the second instance, the speaker prefers guarding the master to having shared his pillow, that is, to having shared intimacy with himprimarily sexual, one would guess from the general structure of the poem. † On the other hand, this poem expresses the agonies of a female poet that was restricted by her family and society to a narrow life devoid of any intellectual and/or literary independence. These social and familial compulsion produced rashness in Emily’s attitude. She was forced to produce art in seclusion and to it keep to herself only. So language becomes her only mean and tool to bear the torments of her intellectual beings. She embodies language as gun and is of the view that this loaded gun accompanied with her literary beings is fatal for socio-cultural compulsion against women. It provided her a sense of power and control. She further eulogizes language and considers it a safeguard to her literary being. And her language is enemy to al those traditions, norms, people and things who are against her poetical endeavors. This poem can further illustrate the conflicts between two classes with their interest. Although this conflict is not materialistic or monetary but it exists in the socio-cultural domain. One class adheres to the conventions and does not allow female members to express their view on any issue especially in the form of poetry whereas other lass are comprised of the intellectual beings who consider it their right to create and disseminate their thoughts and ideas in the literary form. This poem symbolizes the struggle of the latter class and demonstrates that they are more powerful than the convention-ridden society. The poem starts with an individual quest for his/her identity but it changed into a capitalized â€Å"We†. Now the concern of the poetess is no more individualistic and sentimental, rather it has been transformed into something collective, societal and concrete. The identities have been mingled up with each other. Both owner and the â€Å"owned† perform the same masculine activities. They are no more individual but become a part of the larger whole i. e. society. Overall the poem captures a variety of themes through various thematic expressions. Although the conclusion is disturbing but it has relevance to the thematic expressions as it tries to resolve the problem initiated in the first half. Powerlessness or even fear of that is death to the poetess has no other option but â€Å"to die† without powerlessness. Last stanza is not a moralistic commentary but is identification of a wider truth. Bennett, Paula. My Life a Loaded Gun: Dickinson, Plath, Rich, and Female Creativity. Boston: Beacon Press. 1986. Gilbert, Sandra M Gubar, Susan. The madwoman in the attic: the woman writer and the nineteenth-century literary imagination. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1979. Miller, Christanne. Emily Dickinson, a poets grammar. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press. 1987. Smith, Martha Nell Loeffelholz, Mary. A companion to Emily Dickinson. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pubishers. 2008.

A Mentor Is A More Experienced Individual Nursing Essay

A Mentor Is A More Experienced Individual Nursing Essay My belief in mentoring is to let a mentee develop their skills and to progress professionally on their own rather than a mentor being directive. My idea is in line with Hawkey, (1998, p.665, in Harrison, Dymoke Pell, 2004, p.1065) that mentoring is about mentors giving help to develop mentees skills. However, a mentor plays many roles in the life of a mentee and the mentor role has been defined in various different ways. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD, 2010) has pointed out, for example, that mentoring is a reciprocal professional learning relationship between the mentor and mentee on what happens in the classroom. In short, mentoring is typically viewed and presented as the process of supporting and guiding the mentee with the aim of helping them to progress professionally. Mentoring has featured in a variety of ways throughout my professional life as an educator. As a first time mentor, it was quite difficult to be a mentor though I am still learning to become more confident and an effective mentor. However, I became interested in unpicking the concepts and practices of mentoring in direct response to my role, which demands me to be more critically aware of the process in order to support my mentee effectively. I have had the good fortune of being both a mentee and now a mentor. In an effort to help build the best mentoring relationship possible, both mentor and mentee need to see if they can communicate with each other since this is an important aspect in the mentor relationship. Pittenger and Heimann, (2000) explores this mentor relationship in George Mapilly (2012) advocating that mentoring relationships require mentor and mentee to engage in challenging activities, utilizing new skills (p.140). Being a first time mentor, it was vital to my continuing practice that I critically examine my own practice in relation to my mentee, since being a critically reflective mentor would help me à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to define a way of thinking that accepts uncertainty and acknowledges dilemmas (Dewey, 1933, 1938; King Kitchener, 1994; Sparks-Langer Colton, 1991; Zehm Kottler, 1993, in Larrivee B. 2000, p294). The purpose of this assignment is to provide information about effective mentoring practice and to suggest how mentors and mentees can get the best out of a mentoring relationship which is highlighted by Holloway and White (1994), by emphasizing that there is a need for an unbiased relationship to enable the mentee to effectively explore their own development (in Woodd, 1997 p.335). The assignment will further evaluate my own practice in peer- mentoring a member of my own department. We both teach Home- Economics and I have been working alongside her for four years. My mentee is an experienced teacher who has been teaching for four years, the same as me. After I arranged a day and time to go observe my mentee, she asked me if we could meet before the class to give me a brief overview about the class. We discussed class size and level. We also briefly discussed the activities that they were going to be doing that day. This initial meeting was important to make her feel at ease (Maynar d, 2000). Basically, the outcomes of my mentoring relationship depended on the interpersonal qualities of both mentor and mentee. Through the mentoring relationship the mentee could achieve guidance practice (Harrison, Dymoke Pell, 2004, p.1058) provided by the mentor. An effective mentor involved being a reflective practitioner (Schà ¶n, 1983, in Russell T. 2005, p.199) as stated by Larrivee B. (2000) that becoming an effective teacher involves considerably more than accumulating skills and strategies. The first week lesson observation (see appendix 1) was not that easy for me as the teacher (mentee) was not feeling at ease and my presence was not highly appreciated. Roberts (2000) quotes Smith and Alfred in saying that it is extremely difficult to fulfill the role of mentorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p.161). Therefore, mentors need to be good role models (Stammers, 1992, in Roberts, 2000, p. 159) who have the respect of their mentees and are held in good regard for their personal attributes. I hold the opinion that my engagement as a mentor was not as effective as I would have liked in the initial period of mentoring. So, the ability to critically analyze my own performance and to seek ways to improve was fundamental. Hence, being engaged in reflective practice could help to improve professionally and is a great way to increase confidence. I recognised therefore and decided to look closely at Gibbs reflective cycle (Gibbs, 1988) so that I could use this as a better model for future meetings. I was new to the role of mentor and did not fully understand the challenges of mentoring as I was not demonstrating enough attention and support to my mentee. Only upon being engaged in the mentor-mentee relationship really opened my eyes to the potential of mentoring and the role I could play. Lester and Johnson (1981), envelop the holistic nature of mentoring by saying that mentoring is a one- to- one learning relationship between an an older person and a less experienced person based on a modelling of behaviour and extended dialogue between them. (in George Mampilly, 2012, p.137). With this increased understanding, I started to engage much better in my role. I was not there to answer all the questions but to listen and hopefully help my mentee find her own answers. As a mentor, I felt there was an obvious need to use a range of strategies that would enable my mentee to develop her skills. For a successful and productive mentoring relationship, it was important for both mentor a nd mentee to have a common view of their roles and to understand how to get the best out of the mentoring experience. Once I completed the Bell (2002), mentors scale, I realized that I am very kind- hearted and a generous person where I am inclined more to openness, sociability and less to dominance. This is significant, as I am open to criticism and this positively helped me while mentoring. I furthermore laid stress on the significance of communication as I would have failed as a mentor if there were communication barriers between us. It was very noteworthy for me that my mentee sensed as resolved as she could, as this shall aid to strongly build a hopeful mentor and mentee relationship. My mentee has been teaching the same length as me. Since my presence was not highly appreciated during the first week, I thought we should have a feedback meeting as soon as possible. It is identified by Waite, 1997; Hyland Lo, 2006; Copland, 2008a, in Copland (2010) that In order to perform these duties, tutors/mentors usually hold a feedback session with the trainee teacher after having observed them teaching ( p. 266). In the course of this meeting while questioning her, it became clear that she felt pressured due to my presence in the class. Therefore it was very important that I build her confidence by being as supportive as I could and wanted her to be independent. Korthagen Vasalos, (2005) claimed that many teacher educators use Kolbs model (Kolb Fry, 1975), which describes experiential learning as a cyclical process of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation (p.50). I followed the Kolb model of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984). This suggested that by going through the different stages of the learning cycle could help both mentor and mentee engage in professional learning development. As a result, mentors can thus help mentees develop the skills of reflective practice and acquire initial experiences (Russell T. 2005, p.199) On the other hand, a mentors responsibility is also to help another individual to address the major transitions or thresholds that the individual is facing (Megginson, 1994, in Woodds, 1997, p335). Mentors do not need to be perfect but they do need to be willing and able to grow in a relationship and build on mutual contributions where this role is seen as an occasion to learn from the mentee as well as providing training to her. During the second week observation (see appendix 2), I believe there was a shift in our relationship. We were encouraging each other with our own professional development and there was a new air of confidence surrounding us. As I assisted my mentee to develop her own professional practice, I was interested into improving my own mentoring skills (Coombs and Fletcher, 2005). Working in a collaborative way enabled me as a mentor to start finding solutions to the problems arising. Since a mentor is someone who imparts knowledge and experience and shares it with a less experienced person; he/ she acts as a guide (Roberts, 2000), master or advisor (Gibbs, 2003). Thus, the mentor also uses specific skills, frameworks and processes to develop insight and to promote change. In regard to knowledge development, good mentors are seen as sources of knowledge (Little, 1990, in Orland- Barak Hasin, 2009, p.429). In this respect, mentors access their theoretical knowledge and translate it for mento ring purposes in order to enhance the mentees teaching- learning processes (Ardery, 1990: Roberts, 2000, in Orland- Barak Hasin, 2009, p.429). The term mentor has been used for a number of different models, as I believe there are many factors that affect the role including the mentees level of experience and the time in the mentoring relationship. As a mentor I had encountered some difficulties in finding the best way to work with my mentee so I was keen to adopt a different approach to my mentoring relationship. If my skills of mentoring were lacking then my mentee might have received less support during mentoring relationship than she otherwise would have done. Yet, I veered more towards the directive approach and was offering suggestions rather than waiting for my mentee to come to her own conclusions. My focus was very much on the development of my interpersonal skills and practice. Nevertheless, it was in listening where I felt that there was actual development in my practice over the two observations. My understanding to a mentors role was that I should be a good listener (Cain, 2009, p.55) so that I enable my mentee to reflect on the actuality of her practice (John and Gilchrist, 1999, p.102). I was actually in the moment, listening to what was being said and then responding to it, rather than listening and trying to work out what was my own response to them might be. Likewise, the Mauritian Teaching Competencies 2.3 (See Appendix 6), teachers should be able to gain learners attention and be able to sustain their interests. My mentee used video lesson to gain the learners attention. Moreover, she did not meet the terms with the Mauritian Teaching Competencies 1.2.4 and 1.2.5 (see Appendix 6), which are: an understanding of the special needs of individual learners and of specific learning difficulties, an understanding of how to develop the thinking and problem solving skills of learners across the curriculum. She should pay attention to the development of literacy and numeracy skills in every subject, every lesson (DfES 2004, 3, p.2). It is imperative to highlight the features of each subject that need constant attention in order to boost performance and ensure progression. It is thus significant to realise what motivates lower-attaining students to learn and what methods could be used in in order to create motivation. By following the third observation (see appendix 3), there may be, therefore, a mismatch with a teacher who, as a qualified person, would wish to be able to make their own decisions about personal and professional development and about their pupils needs. In my communications with my mentee consequently made me feel assured by seeing her able to use appropriate teaching strategies relevant to the age, ability and attainment level of learners which is an area which is linked to Mauritian teaching competency 1.3.4 (see appendix 6). When I observed my mentee in class, she did engage the students in group work which was lacking during the first observation, conformed to the active engagement techniques (DfES, 2004, 11). My mentee involved the students in sharing their knowledge, ideas and perspectives and arrive at a fuller understanding than they might have done working alone (DfES, 2004, 11, p.5). In order for a successful mentoring relationship take place, I believe that skills and qu alities such as open communication (Bradbury Koballa, 2008, p.55), listening (Edwards and Collison, 1996, in Hobson, 2002, p.2135), mutual trust (Awaya et al., 2003, p.55) and being supportive should prevail. Mentoring and coaching provides a vital link with positive reflective practice. Throughout the mentoring relationship, there need to be a strong sense of self belief and efficacy, as goals can be realistically achieved. Through this experience, I managed to prove myself and help my mentee by not giving up. The foundation for being a good mentor is in building a good working relationship with the mentee. Achieving this one initial, important goal will solidly underpin every other aspect of mentoring. In mentoring, time is at a premium. As such, there should be effective use of time in order for good working relationships to be achieved as quickly as possible. However, to achieve this, the mentees first day and week should be managed in a productive and welcoming way (Maynard, 2 000, p.26), and furthermore the mentor should make use of good communication skills and active listening. The effective mentor does not feel that they are perfect nor that they know all the answers. They are real people who are still learning themselves but are willing to share what they do know. Good mentors are non- judgmental about their mentees and in being so are able to develop a relationship based upon trust and acceptance. Only in such an open and trusting atmosphere can a student really feel at ease and free to ask for help and to question. Perhaps the most useful communication skill in mentoring is that of active listening. I then proceeded with my fourth class observation (See Appendix 4). By identifying my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats helped me to develop and improve my own mentoring skills. For this assignment, a personal SWOT analysis (QuintCareers.Com) was developed where I reflected on my own development as a mentor. The SWOT analysis (see appendix 7) was then used to identify my personal development goals. The goals were centered on consolidating strengths and thinking about how best I could use them. The goals were also about overcoming my weaknesses, exploiting opportunities and nullifying threats. The personal SWOT analysis proved to be a useful tool for helping me to be self- reflective. As a consequence my aim as a mentor was to increase teacher effectiveness where while mentoring I assumed my responsibility to help mentee evaluate and overcome challenges in the classroom in order to become better teachers (Korthagen, 2004). Particularly, my idea is in line with Lopez-Rea l Kwan, (2005, in Kwan Lopez-Real, 2010) that in the process of mentoring, my own personal and professional understanding developed as I worked collaboratively and reflectively with my mentee (p. 724). When I observed my mentee in class, she portrayed an image of a teacher who stands at the front of the classroom and explaining things (Korthagen, 2004, p.81). Learning can be described as a process (Edwards Protheroe, 2003). The environment such as: school culture and classroom, where the learner will evolve is an important fact. Therefore, the teacher (mentee) has to act as a facilitator. The teacher has to be more students centered and lass dominant in the classroom. Thus the teachers approach to interaction with learners should be different. To some extent, my mentee have used engaged learning technique in the classroom. Basically, in terms of building prior knowledge of students, this is done by conducting a brainstorming session in class (DfES, 2004, 19)My mentee organised th e students into group so that they could discuss, plan, monitor and reflect on their work. As such they developed their thinking and problem solving skills. As a result, the role of the mentor became one of raising the ante by gradually (Edwards Protheroe, 2003, p. 231) facilitating the mentee to distinguish and answer to the difficulty of the situation even though, the mentee as learner is involved in practice. My first time as a mentor allowed me to learn a lot where I learnt about my individual development as a mentor. It has also helped me out to achieve the ability to challenge, motivate and reflect. In sum, if mentoring relationship is successful then inevitably the coach themselves will notice an increase in their own awareness. I feel that the process of trying to identify myself as a mentor has equipped me with skills which will serve me well both professionally and personally and I can say without doubt that the journey thus far has been very enlightening. This piece of work underlined, the significance of the affective in students school-based learning: the close relationship that exists between the personal and the professional (Furlong Maynard, 1995, in Maynard, 2000, p.29). In mentoring, mentee often discussed good practice and made reference to how mentors made them feel. For example, welcome, accepted, included, supported and recognised as an individual (Maynard, 2000). The way in which the mentee responded to me in this respect impacted on the mentor mentee relationship and eventually contributed to her success. There is absolutely a need for mentors to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with the mentee.

The Cause, Course, and Consequences of world War II :: World War II WWII WW2

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The Allied Powers consisted of the British Empire, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America was known as â€Å"The Big Three†. The Axis Powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan, they were part of a military alliance on the signing of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940. There were many causes of World War II. Germany wanted to expand in Europe. Italy wanted to expand in Africa. Japan wanted to expand in Asia & the Pacific. Other causes of the War include: the Treaty of Versailles, rise of dictatorship in Italy and Germany, expansionist policy of the Axis Powers, policy of Appeasement, and the weakness of the League of Nations. Hitler made clear to his generals that victory was the only important thing in war. Victory and Stalemate: while Hitler continued to move his troops eastward, Britain refused to back down under Churchill and Hitler was forced to invade Britain. The British rebuilt the air force and inflicted major losses on the Luffwaffe. Germany had lost the Battle of Britain and postponed the invasion of Britain. War in Asia: Dec. 7, 1941- Pearl Harbor attack. Also attacks on Philippines and advances on Malaya. US declared war on Japan the next day. The Turning Point (1942-1943): The Grand Alliance was created when the U.S. entered. June 4th, Battle of Midway Island, American planes destroyed all 4 attacking Japanese aircraft carriers est. Am. naval superiority in Pacific. Bitter engagements near the Solomon Islands led to faded Japanese fortunes. The Last Years: Axis forces first surrendered in Tunisia on May 13, 1943. Japan surrendered unconditionally on Aug. 14th 1945†¦.marking the end of WWII.

Essay --

I am presently studying Business Computing Solutions with Technical Support which involves learning about computer components as well as hardware and software’s. I am also learning how to solve issues which users may come across professionally by troubleshooting and testing. Technical support in IT is evolving a lot over the years as virtualisation is now taking over the IT industry. In this report, I will be discussing different employment trends and how this will be a factor once when I graduate and look for a career in Technical support. Many organisations require Technical Support staff since help desks have a key role in the organisations computing structure, therefore they will require employees who specialize in the Technical Support field to support the IT Help Desk systems. Some of the organisations that would require Technical Support staff vary from schools, hospitals, universities, government, banks and much more. Employment Trends in Technical Support (Local and National) I.T Technical Support is increasingly growing and evolving over the last few years. As new technologies are becoming popular, IT Technical Support is in high demand due to the benefits that arise in organisations. Many organisations have claimed â€Å"Professional, reliable, effective and efficient Technical Support Services are the foundation of a well-running computer or network system and lead to increased productivity, reduced costs and improved profitability.† (Essential IT Service, Inc. 2014) This aids an organisation to be more successful as it saves them time and money. IT support organisations and help desks are experiencing big differences today in the sense that technologies are being developed and consumed. Cloud based solutions are emerging... ...dge is known as a CPD (continuous personal/professional development). It is a combination of ideas and techniques that will allow individuals to manage their own learning and how they could achieve their targets. ‘CPD isn't a fixed process, although we do lay down certain basic processes. Fundamentally, it's a question of setting yourself objectives for development and then charting your progress towards achieving them. It's about where you want to be and how you plan to get there.’(CIPD, 2014) As well as this, there is a professional non-profit organisation that is committed to ensure individuals, professionals and all businesses keep a CPD for their future development. This organisation is called CIPD. ‘The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is the professional body for those involved in the management and development of people.’ (CIPD, 2014)

Female Lawyers in the 20th Century :: Attorneys Law Careers Professions Essays

Female Lawyers in the 20th Century As early as the American Civil War, women fought to enter the legal profession. Since then, they have repeatedly proven themselves competent, and yet many have felt the pressure of opposition from their male counterparts. Even today, discrimination still exists, not from outside the profession, but from within. The reader will confront the history of female attorneys, what obstacles stand in their way, what advances are being made with regards to equality, and where the profession stands today. In addition, the reader will confront interviews with actual women lawyers from New York City, and case studies from across the United States. These women each have unique backgrounds. They work in large law firms, in solo practices, and for the City of New York. For contrast, also included is an interview with a female attorney from Oneonta, New York. Oneonta is a small city in Upstate New York with a population of approximately 14,000. Through the use of these interviews and case st udies, the reader will get a first-hand accounting of what it means to be a female attorney today. History of Women in the Legal Profession The late 19th century saw the rise of the first female lawyers. The Civil War, as all subsequent wars, had an important affect on women. Women were brought out of the home in order to take over the roles of the men who were away at war. Some women did not wish to return to the domestic life they had left behind and sought their way into the professional world. The first female attorneys were married women, and most came from the Midwest. As there were no law schools at the time, women seeking to enter the legal profession were taught by their lawyer husbands. In 1869 Arabelle A. Manfield became the first woman to be granted a law license. However, not all women would be so fortunate. In 1870, Myra Bradwell passed the Illinois state legal examination. Unfortunately, the state of Illinois â€Å"refused to issue her a license on the grounds that law was a wholly unsuitable profession for any wife and mother.†[1] Unhappy with the decision, Bradwell appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

Bureaucratic Management Essay

The concept of bureaucracy as a form of organization has become the basis for scholars and practitioners to determine and evaluate other forms of organizations. It is observed that whenever an organization is described, one always says it is either bureaucratic or non-bureaucratic. This paper will identify the characteristics of bureaucratic organizations and determine whether these characteristics are still present among organizations of today. This essay is outlined according to the following structure: The first part introduces the reader to Max Weber and his idea of the bureaucratic organization. The major characteristics of the bureaucracy will be presented and discussed in accordance with the original ideas propounded by Weber himself, either through his own writings or those who have exhaustively studied his works. The second part will be a discussion of why the bureaucratic forms developed, interpreted to mean a discussion of their causes as well as the reasons why the bureaucracy flourished as a model of an organization. The final part is a qualified assessment of whether the bureaucratic model of organizations is still being used by present-day organizations or whether organizations have outgrown it and have found the more effective form. Some examples will be given as to what organizational structures or forms are being used by modern organizations. From these will be determined if organizations are now in the post-bureaucratic period. Bureaucracy as a concept of organization was a contribution to theory attributable to either Karl Marx or Max Weber. However, since much of the writings of Karl Marx are more ideologically focused on the philosophical and social aspects, especially with his concept of revolutionary communism, Max Weber has come to be known as the proponent of the concept of bureaucracy. It is safe to believe at this point though, that Max Weber was highly influenced by the writings of Karl Marx and from whose ideas some his bureaucratic concepts are anchored. This essay will focus on the ideas advanced by Max Weber regarding the bureaucratic organization. The description â€Å"Weberian†, referring to his model of bureaucracy, has become a comfortable term to use in bureaucratic literature. Being the major contributor to social theory with his idea of the bureaucratic organization, Max Weber finds himself in major written works, proving his important place in social and political theory. The reasons for his importance are discussed in the Weber book edited by Sam Whimster entitled The Essential Weber: A Reader.   Some reasons provided are: the concept of the work ethic; the idea of rationality as applied to the capitalist enterprise, the bureaucratic organization, and legal systems; discipline; the legitimacy of power and leadership; a general theory of power based on the Marxist idea of social classes; among others.[1] Having said this, one wonders why Weber’s bureaucracy is considered the â€Å"ideal organization† or the â€Å"ideal-type† organization. What makes it become the model for future organizations? What are the main characteristics of the bureaucratic organization? To know these characteristics will help one understand why his model is considered to be an ideal model. The Main Characteristics of Bureaucratic Management The idea of bureaucracy elicits varied reactions from different people. Some agree with the idea of achieving order through its prescribed system of doing things. Others though condemn it for causing problems like delays, corruption, being too impersonal, etc.   In order to put all these in their proper perspective, a good starting point is to define the concept of bureaucracy. The first and most common word one comes across in literature related to bureaucracy is the word rationality. Quoting Weber, Neil Garston defines bureaucracy in the book Bureaucracy: Three Paradigms by way of the categories of rational legal authority.   Authority in this sense is equated to bureaucracy and involves the following: [2] 1. A continuous organization of official functions bound by rules 2. A specified fear of competence involving spheres of obligations marked by division of labor; incumbent being provided with authority to carry out functions; clearly defined means of compulsion 3. The organization of offices follows the principle of hierarchy 4. The rules which regulate the conduct of an office may be technical rules or norms 5. Administration is completely separated from ownership 6. Complete absence of appropriation of his position by the incumbent 7. Administrative acts, decisions and rules are formulated and recorded in writing. Garston goes on to describe the purely bureaucratic organization as â€Å"being from the technical point of view, capable of attaining the highest degree of efficiency and is in this sense the most rational means of carrying out imperative control of human beings.[3] From above description of bureaucracy, a rational organization for Weber is an organization that is governed by a system of rules and procedures. The rationality in his ideal organization is its capability to be efficient through methods of carrying out control over human beings. The aspects of being stable and reliable make the organization ideal. The rules which are observed with much discipline make the organization less prone to instability because there will be none or very little room for sudden changes which may result in the breakdown of the system. In short, Weber advocates an organization that is governed by rules which are universally and strictly followed by people who are qualified and properly trained. Below is a further explanation of the characteristics of a bureaucratic organization, as presented in the initial part of the essay: 1. A continuous organization of official functions bound by rules The application of rules is for everyone and the rules have to be complied with. Rules are applied irrespective of the position and not the person who occupies the position. 2. A specified sphere of competence involving spheres of obligations marked by division of labor; incumbent being provided with authority to carry out functions; clearly defined means of compulsion. Work is divided among the staff, each one with his own set of responsibilities as well as the means of doing them.   The different position titles reflect the nature of how work is divided among the staff, each position has corresponding obligations and responsibilities. 3. The organization of offices follows the principle of hierarchy The organization is characterized by positions of authority structured in a hierarchy, which means that, according to Weber, each lower office is controlled and supervised by a higher one. And consequently, there are positions that have more power. 4. The rules which regulate the conduct of an office may be technical rules or norms. This means that the organization is staffed by qualified people because only those who pass the standards get hired. The basis of both the selection and promotion of employees is the employees’ technical qualifications. As an example, in the specific area of HR, the Personnel Manual codifies the qualification criteria for the selection and hiring of employees. 5. Administration is completely separated from ownership 6. Complete absence of appropriation of his position by the incumbent Both characteristics refer to the aspect of separating administration from ownership in bureaucratic organizations. The means of administration do not belong to the bureaucrat but are concentrated at the top. Thus the position of the official cannot be sold or inherited and it cannot be appropriated and integrated in his private patrimony.[4] The means of production and  administration referred to include the physical equipment like computers, documents, buildings, etc. 7. Administrative acts, decisions and rules are formulated and recorded in writing.   Weber advocates the recording of rules and all acts of administration through written forms, which he referred to as â€Å"the files†. Weber uses the terms â€Å"rational† and â€Å"bureaucratic† in his model. From this, bureaucracy is sometimes called the bureaucratic rationality theory. An assessment of this idea was made by   Stanley Udy Jr. in the article â€Å"Bureaucracy and Rationality in Weber’s Organization Theory: An Empirical Study. The specifications made by Weber were reformulated as either â€Å"bureaucratic† or â€Å"rational† variables. The study proposed the positive and negative associations between the variables from a comparative analysis of 150 formal organizations in 150 non-industrial societies: â€Å"(a) bureaucratic variables are positively associated; (b) rational variables are positively associated; but (c) rational variables are negatively associated with bureaucratic variables†.[5]   This is interpreted to mean that there are certain characteristics of Weber’s bureaucracy that are considered rational, some are considered bureaucratic but not all of them are both bureaucratic and rational. This is really proof of how much dissected the bureaucratic theory is. How about the effect of bureaucracy to the people within the organization? The bureaucracy, with all its characteristic features, is seen as producing two views of the human outcomes, the positive and the negative views. According to the negative view, the bureaucratic form of organization stifles creativity, fosters dissatisfaction, and demotivates employees while in the positive view, bureaucracy provides the needed guidance and clarifies responsibilities, thereby easing role stress and helping individuals be and feel more effective.[6] The Development of Bureaucratic Forms In the writings of Weber, there were already indications of a bureaucratic organization as early as in the middle ages under the rule of the kings. Kings during that time ruled on traveled around ruling the country on horseback, bringing with them sometimes an army of men who took his orders. We have seen this scene fully documented in movies of ancient times where the king, with just a simple signal, can get his men to follow all his orders, from simple documentation to the complex instructions about going into battle. Weber saw this  as a sign of bureaucracy with his idea of the â€Å"bureau†. From this ancient practice developed the concept of the modern bureaucracy.   Presently though, the bureau as Weber described it is structured in a variety of ways, but the main idea of having staff and having an office still remains. Weber called the ancient practice as the â€Å"bureaucratization of the army†.[7] Weber’s works are dominated by the term â€Å"rationalization†. This seemed to have moved him to write about the bureaucratic model as an ideal type organization. According to him, this concept of rationality can help organizations achieve their objectives. The early theories and models of organizations, which are considered traditional, were highly criticized by Weber, saying they are either irrational or non-rational. Being a sociologist mainly, he believed that the use of religion or even magic in ruling is not effective. The traditional forms were not systematic and there were no rules, leaders only relied on feelings and supernatural explanations or perhaps their charisma. While Max Weber considered history to be a force in motivating him to write about bureaucracy, another author provides another dimension to how bureaucratic forms of  organizations developed. Contentions were made relative to Hegel’s Theory of Bureaucracy.   One is that Hegel’s theory is as comprehensive as Weber’s ideal type of bureaucratic organization in that the paradigm of Weber could fit in a reformulation of Hegel’s model.   A second contention made is that Hegel adapts the Aristotelian category of practical judgment to characterize the bureaucratic activity as subsumption. The Weberian concept of rationality is even helpful in the clarifying the difficulties in Hegel’s political thought. This leads to the third contention that Hegel’s model can contribute to a theory of bureaucracy that is more applicable to modern political and social reality.[8] This whole idea of comparing Hegel and Weber and even using the ideas of Aristotle proves that the bureaucracy is an idea that is not only forced by history but also one that is a natural way of organizations. The scholars and other students of bureaucracy only attempted to improve what has already been an idea and a model in the minds of the thinkers. Thus it can be said that the bureaucracy developed as a result of the need to improve the traditional methods of establishing the structures for organizations. While organizations were not really devoid of structure then, the weaknesses in their models became a motivation to come up with better models. The ideas of the bureaucracy were borne out of the need to make them more efficient by following the structure proposed by Weber. The presence of a system of rules governing administration is believed by Weber to be an important component of being able to run the affairs of the organization very smoothly. This is especially true among formal organizations as they are more applicable to them. Another reason is the need to do away with the subjectivity and personal biases governing human organizations. This means that when there are standardized rules, the  possibility of a lot of personal favors may be avoided. It is considered ideal to have the rules universally applied so that there are no personal biases that may arise. The â€Å"personalization† of the positions sometimes cause complex problems arising out of differences in perceptions and attitudes. The impersonal touch of organization is seen to be beneficial in order that rules may be universally applied more easily. The bureaucracy also developed further as it was seen to be continuously pertinent   .. even in today’s socioeconomic and cultural life. This is the position espoused in the book Max Weber and the New Century. The book advances the position that Weber’s ideas are still preeminent and continue to have lasting vitality within social theory. By applying them to topics of contemporary concern, they are expressed in different cultural forms. Sica calls the study of Weber’s works â€Å"a universe of Weberian analysis†.[9]