New Urbanism Planning and Design

New Urbanism Planning and Design New Urbanism is an urban planning and design movement that began in the United States in the early 1980s. Its goals are to reduce dependence on the car, and to create livable and walkable, neighborhoods with a densely packed array of housing, jobs, and commercial sites. New Urbanism also promotes a return to the traditional town planning seen in places such as downtown Charleston, South Carolina and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. These locations are ideal for New Urbanists because in each one there is an easily walkable Main Street, a downtown park, shopping districts and a gridded street system. History of New Urbanism In the beginning of the 19th century, development of American cities often took a compact, mixed-use form, reminiscent of that found in places like old town Alexandria, Virginia. With the development of the streetcar and affordable rapid transit, however, cities began to spread out and create streetcar suburbs. The later invention of the automobile further increased this decentralization from the central city which later led to separated land uses and urban sprawl. New Urbanism is a reaction to the spreading out of cities. The ideas then began to spread in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as urban planners and architects started to come up with plans to model cities in the U.S. after those in Europe. In 1991, New Urbanism developed more strongly when the Local Government Commission, a nonprofit group in Sacramento, California, invited several architects, including Peter Calthorpe, Michael Corbett, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk among others, to Yosemite National Park to develop a set of principles for land use planning that focused on the community and its livability. The principles, named after Yosemites Ahwahnee Hotel where the conference was held, are called the Ahwahnee Principles. Within these, there are 15 community principles, four regional principles and four principles of implementation. Each one, however, deals with both past and present ideas to make cities as clean, walkable and livable as possible. These principles were then presented to government officials in late 1991 at the Yosemite Conference for Local Elected Officials. Shortly thereafter, some of the architects involved in creating the Ahwahnee Principles formed the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) in 1993. Today, CNU is the leading promoter of New Urbanist ideas and has grown to over 3,000 members. It also holds conferences yearly in cities across the U.S. to further promote New Urbanism design principles. Core New Urbanist Ideas Within the concept of New Urbanism today, there are four key ideas. The first of these is to ensure that a city is walkable. This means that no resident should need a car to get anywhere in the community and they should be no more than a five-minute walk from any basic good or service. To achieve this, communities should invest in sidewalks and narrow streets. In addition to actively promoting walking, cities should also de-emphasize the car by placing garages behind homes or in alleys. There should also only be on-street parking, instead of large parking lots. Another core idea of New Urbanism is that buildings should be mixed both in their style, size, price, and function. For example, a small townhouse can be placed next to a larger, single family home. Mixed-use buildings such as those containing commercial spaces with apartments over them are also ideal in this setting. Finally, a New Urbanist city should have a strong emphasis on the community. This means maintaining connections between people with high density, parks, open spaces and community gathering centers like a plaza or neighborhood square. Examples of New Urbanist Cities Although New Urbanist design strategies have been tried in various places across the U.S., the first fully developed New Urbanist town was Seaside, Florida, designed by architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Construction began there in 1981 and almost immediately, it became famous for its architecture, public spaces, and quality of streets. The Stapleton neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, is another example of New Urbanism in the U.S. It is on the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and construction began in 2001. The neighborhood is zoned as residential, commercial and office and will be one of the largest in Denver. Like Seaside, it too will de-emphasize the car but it will also have parks and open space. Criticisms of New Urbanism Despite the popularity of New Urbanism in the recent decades, there have been some criticisms of its design practices and principles. The first of these is that the density of its cities leads to a lack of privacy for residents. Some critics claim that people want detached homes with yards so they are further away from their neighbors. By having mixed density neighborhoods and possibly sharing driveways and garages, this privacy is lost. Critics also say that New Urbanist towns feel inauthentic and isolated because they do not represent the norm of settlement patterns in the U.S. Many of these critics often point to Seaside as it was used to film portions of the film The Truman Show and as a model of Disneys community, Celebration, Florida. Finally, critics of New Urbanism argue that instead of promoting diversity and community, New Urbanist neighborhoods only attract affluent white residents as they often become very expensive places to live. Regardless of these criticisms though, New Urbanist ideas are becoming a popular form of planning communities and with a growing emphasis on mixed-use buildings, high density settlements, and walkable cities, its principles will continue into the future.

Tips for Moving Back in With Your Parents After College

Tips for Moving Back in With Your Parents After College Sure, moving back in with your parents may not have been your first choice for what to do after you graduated from college. Many people, however, move back in with their folks for a wide range of reasons. No matter why youre doing it, there are some steps you can take to make the situation easier for everyone. Set Reasonable Expectations True, you may have been able to come and go as you please, leave your room a disaster, and have a new guest over every night while you were in the residence halls, but this arrangement may not work for your folks. Set some reasonable expectations - for everyone involved - before you even step through the door. Set Some Ground Rules Alright, you may have to have a curfew so your poor mother doesnt think something terrible has happened to you if youre not home by 4:00 in the morning - but your mom also needs to understand that she cant just barge into your room without any notice. Set some ground rules as soon as possible to make sure everyone is clear on how things will work. Expect a combination of a roommate relationship and a parent/kid relationship. Yes, youve had roommates for the past several years, and you may view your parents as similar to them. Your parents, however, will always view you as their child. Do your best to keep this in mind as you figure out how things will work once you move back in. Sure, it seems ridiculous for a roommate to want to know where youre going every night. But your parents probably have a legitimate right to ask. Set a Time Frame Do you just need someplace to crash between when you graduate from college and when you start graduate school in the fall? Or do you need somewhere to live until you can save enough money on your own to get your own place? Talk about how long you plan on staying - 3 months, 6 months, 1 year - and then check back in with your parents once that time frame is up. Discuss Money, No Matter How Awkward No one really likes to talk about money. But addressing the topic with your parents - how much youll pay in rent, for food, to get back on their health insurance plan, or if the car youve been borrowing needs more gas - will help prevent a ton of problems later. Have Your Own Support Networks Ready to Go After living on your own or in the residence halls during college, living with your parents can become very isolating. Do your best to have systems in place that provide you with an outlet and support network that is separate from your parents. The Relationship Is Give and Take - Both Ways Yes, your parents are letting you stay at their place, and yes, you may pay rent to do so. But are there other ways you can help, especially if money is tight for everyone? Can you help around the house - with yard work, fix-it projects, or technical support for the computers they can never get to work right - in ways that will make your living relationship much more symbiotic? The Person Who Moves Back Is Not the Same Person Who Left Your parents may have a very specific - and outdated - idea of who is moving back in with them. Take a deep breath and do your best to remind them that, while you left the house as an 18-year-old college freshman, you are now returning as a 22-year-old, college-educated adult. Now Is the Time to Build Your Own Life - Not Pause It Just because you are at your parents place, waiting until you can move out on your own, doesnt mean your life is on pause. Volunteer, date, explore new things  and do your best to continue learning and growing instead of just waiting for your first opportunity to move on to somewhere else. Enjoy Yourself This may seem completely unthinkable if moving back in with your folks was the last thing you wanted to do. However, living at home can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally learn your moms secret fried chicken recipe and your dads amazing way with woodworking tools. Live it up and take in as much as you can.

Differences Between Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Differences Between Groups and Teams - Essay Example A group can be defined as the formation of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003, p.172). Groups can be either formal or informal. Any gathering of multiple employees constitutes a group. When the manager arranges a meeting with the employees the leader is directing his message towards a group. There are five stages that characterize the formation of a group. The stages of group formation are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjuring. During the norming stage the employee build a bond of trust between them and the other members that helps improve the overall performance. The size of the group is an important factor to consider. The optimal size of a group is between seven to eight members. Group decision making can be improved using techniques such as brainstorming, nominal group technique, and Delphi technique. A team is a type of formal group in which the members work together to accomplish common goals. One of the major differences between a group and a team is that in team settings individual and group accountability exists (Katzenback & Smith, 1993). Companies create teams for strategic purposes, while most work groups are formulated to accomplish specific tasks. Teams tend to be formulated to achieve long term tasks. For example a company can create a quality control team to reduce product defects. Work groups are different because they are typically formed to achieve short term goals. Another discrepancy between teams and groups is the way they operate. The five steps of the participation process of team members are illustrated below: An important aspect of teamwork is the necessity of leadership to manifest itself. Due to the nature of teamwork employees are able to exert leadership while working in settings even if the person is not the official team leader.

MODERN ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

MODERN ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT - Essay Example Moreover, I feel that the increase in the credit facilities coupled with decreasing interest broadened the market for the firm, as more people could not easily afford a car. As per Barney and Hesterly (2005), in addition to that, the working population has increased as more women have entered the working sector and many are working and studying simultaneously. This has increased the purchasing power of the customers and sales have increased because of it. However, I feel with the increasing working population, the demand has increased along with the competition (Gourlay, 2001, pp. 27-46). As per Ahrens (2010) this means that consumers have more choice and have become much more demanding. Moreover, in countries like India for instance the middle class expands every year by 30-40 million people, which in turn means more people now demand cars in these countries. Today, moreover, the consumers are being offered car loans on easy instalments, which make a positive impact on the sales of Toyota. Additionally, explain Berzon and Khan (2010), the prices of raw materials and petrol have increased which affects the price and thus the sales of Toyota products. These economic conditions play an important role in the increase of sales on Toyota. These conditions have of course affected the strategies of Toyota. With the economic crunch especially in the USA, the firm was proactive and aimed to increase its sales in developing China and India where the crunch was less prominent. The global strategy adopted by the firm worked positively. Additionally. When the economic conditions in the USA lowered the purchasing power of the consumers, the firm changed its strategy and started production of smaller and cheaper cars. Lastly, Jensen (2010) explains that with the increasing prices of the raw material, the firm resorted to the hybrid variety of cars, which reduced the prices increasing the sales. Thus I feel that Toyota altered its strategies very smartly as per the changing ec onomic conditions with the result that even with a global economic crunch, the firm had little effect on its sales (Kane, 2010). Berzon and Khan (2010) explain that the social aspects include the changing trends, the smarter consumer in terms of being more knowledgeable regarding product information. Kane (2010) adds that the customer can now use the internet to know about the number of Toyota recalls in any part of the world, the latest technology available, the new models, price comparisons, product features and much more. The consumer has become more knowledgeable and thus firms cannot fool them with smart and deceptive advertising. Also, Gourlay (2001, pp. 27-46) add that the consumers are becoming more demanding with globalisation, as there are many more products available in the global market. The consumer has now become more fashionable and seeks comfort. Thus Toyota needs to cater to both these social aspects. Ahrens (2010) adds that tradition, culture and the customers in t he respective markets have to be studied before the firm can design a car. Jensen (2010) explains that for instance, in India, the drivers are right hand drivers, thus the cars have to be designed differently for the market. In the US there are more left-hand drivers. Kane (2010) adds that colour preference, design and accessory preference varies from market to market and thus the firms have to cater differently to them. This means that Toyota has to change its traditional lean

Mathematics Educational Theories Essay Example for Free

Mathematics Educational Theories Essay My investigation has led me to think about lots of ideas that can be used with children in Early Years classroom as well as with KS1. Numbers displayed on telephone sets and remote controls are probably the first form of numbers in an order that young children come across with. Primarily, number lines 0 10 0 20, as a part of the 100 square can be used where children familiarise themselves with numbers and recognise the correct order of numbers. Number lines are very versatile. They can be of any size, for individual or whole- class use. They can start on any number. Blank number lines are infinitely adaptable; they can be used for counting calculations using all four number operations. They are a good way to practice and overlearn the number bonds to 20 that children need to be able to remember fluently. Visual counting pattern on number lines can help children to understand relative numbers and number sequences. Moving a step forward from the correct order of numbers, the children can identify and colour all the odd and even numbers and establish rules for recognition. When children are confident with bigger numbers, a large 100 square is ideal to work with the whole class to learn timetables, addition subtraction of larger numbers by counting numbers above it or below it. Children can also identify multiples of 2,3, 5, 10 and others by highlighting numbers in different colours and demonstrate sequential patterns. They can reverse the two digit numbers, read them and make new numbers. Problem solving activities such as pick a number between 0-10 or 0-20, double it and add 1, is very exciting as children manipulate with numbers at their own pace. Lots of different games can be introduced. Snakes Ladders, number dominions, dice games, dot to dot, finding the difference between two dices; place value cards are few examples. By playing and replaying a selection of games, children can practice to grapple ideas, number facts and concepts in a way that they can enjoy and strengthen skills at the same time. Active involvement aids their learning and enhances their attitude towards the subject. But it is important to focus on the particular learning target that the game is reinforcing. Hundred squares can be cut into several parts to form a jigsaw and children can be challenged to put the pieces together again. (See some activity ideas in the appendix)

The Colonies of Culture:The Postcolonial Self in Latin America and Afri

The Colonies of Culture:The Postcolonial Self in Latin America and Africa The colony is not only a possibility in the geographical; it is a mental dominance that can imperialize the entire self. Entire continents have be domineered, resources completely dried, and at colonialism’s usual worst, the mental devastation of the indigenous culture has left a people hollow. Indigenous culture is no longer that. In the globalized world, no culture is autonomous; culture cannot breathe without new ideas and new perspectives, perspectives that have traditionally come from the people who have lived within the culture. But, the imposition of dominant cultures has certainly benefited from culture’s own vulnerability, as global similarities now exist throughout most different, yet not separate cultures. Postcolonialism is imperialism with a mask on, nothing less. As Franz Fanon puts it â€Å"that imperialism which today is fighting against a s true liberation of mankind leaves in its wake here and there tinctures of decay which we must search out and mercilessly expel from our land and our spirits.† Postcolonial power is a hidden monster, it still do this day dominates the economies and pyschologies of Latin America and Africa. This has led to violence, both guerilla and dictator violence, and this violence is an unforgettable part of the past of African and Latin American culture. Culture and the self exist symbiotically, one cannot exist without the other. Culture is the all encompassing social-structure of a given society. It is the child of people, a child that grows to adulthood quickly, and begins to control its parents molding of itself, it encompasses those who create it. Culture is fluid. Violence is an essential part o... ... has been labeled â€Å"terroristic†, yet this was completely overshadowed by the colonial government and vigilantes killing over 11,000 suspected rebels. The Mau Mau movement and the heavyhanded response helped to bring an end to British rule, but when Kenya was granted independence, Mau Mau had nothing to do with it. The poor people of Kenya were terrified as the government responded to the Mau Mau movement, the armed forces didn’t know where to attack, so they used terrorist tactics in response, murdering whoever they could find, destroying entire villages, in order to stop the Mau Mau. These culture of violence created a self in fear, a self that has been trained that it is under attack. The self of the indigenous person has been enslaved, labored, tortured and murdered, all due to the violent power colonialism and postcolonialism spread throughout the world.

Why the Korean War Broke Out

Why did the Korean War break out? Reasons as to why war broke out in Korea can be debated due to the fact that a number of factors contributed towards the war. The viewpoint of North Korea starting the war can be seen as Kim ill sung had the intention of reuniting Korea under communism, however there was hostility within South Korea as Syngman Rhee also aimed to reunite Korea under his nationalist views. The two superpowers of the time can be seen as responsible for the outbreak of war because the Korean War can be viewed as a product of the cold war as the USSR backed the north and the USA helped fight with the south.The view of war breaking out as a result internal conflict within Korea can be seen due to both Kim’s and Rhee’s intent on reuniting Korea under their leadership. North Korea’s aggression towards starting the war is due to the fact that Kim aimed on bringing communism to the south and unite the whole of Korea; Kim’s intent on starting war can be seen in the fact that he had multiple visits to Stalin in order to receive both permission and support for invading the south.Kim was able to persuade Stalin to let him invade by stating there would be no US intervention and that he would have control over the South within a few weeks. North Korea’s actions can also be seen as to why war broke out because they did pass the 38th parallel and invade the south, therefore acting as the aggressor as they had had military equipment supplied by the USSR with an army 135,000 men who believed in what they were fighting for as supposed to South Korea’s unprepared smaller army made up of conscripted men.Regardless of the fact that the north was first to invade the south, blame can still be put on Rhee for the outbreak of war. This is due to the fact that South Korea did launch small scale attacks on the north prior to the invasion and this can be seen as a form of instigation for war. The outbreak of war can also be seen as t he result of internal Korean conflict as Rhee had the same intentions as Kim to reunite Korea by invading past the 38th parallel, only Kim was able to do it first as he had soviet support making him the dominate power whereas Rhee had no US support at the start of the North’s invasion.The war between North and south Korea was regarded as a civil war by the British yet when we look closer into why the war broke out we can see that the superpowers were behind it and that the Korean civil war can be seen as a product of the cold war occurring between the USA and USSR at the time. The USSR can be seen to have responsibility for the outbreak of war as it can be argued that Kim would have not invaded the south without Stalin’s support and permission because without Stalin’s military support Kim would not have been powerful enough to achieve his goal of gaining total control of Korea within a few weeks after his invasion.The USSR can also accept responsibility for the war because of fact that Stalin aimed to spread his communist sphere of influence across the world. Stalin had initially rejected Kim’s request of invading the south but in 1950 he granted Kim support and permission to invade, this was most likely due to the fact that communism was established in china at the time giving him incentive to spread his communist support throughout Asia and also he had successfully detonated the atom bomb giving him more reason to believe that the US would not repeat their use of the atom bomb on Stalin out of fear of retaliation.China’s contribution towards the outbreak war is slim as their only initial contribution to the start of the war was to allow for soviet supplies to pass through china and reach the North Koreans. The involvement of the USA can be seen as the reason why the conflict within Korea transformed from a civil war into a fully recognised war. US aims during the cold war was to contain the spread of communism so that the à ¢â‚¬Å"domino theory† would not occur therefore when they were alerted that the North Koreans invaded the south they went to the United Nations in order to get involved in the war.Other reasons for US involvement include the fact that elections were coming up and Truman believed that taking action in Korea would boost his support. Although the US originally intended to help prevent the north spreading communism to the south McArthur found that he was having great success in fighting the north Korans within South Korea gave him reason to pass the 38th parallel and attempt to take completely remove communism from Korea.The US doing this created outbreak of war in Korea as china decided to get involved out of fear of the US approaching the Yalu River, therefore Turing a civil war into the Korean War Overall the outbreak of war can be blamed all factors that contributed the war. The war breakout can be seen as the result of aggression with Korea with both Kim and Rhee launching sma ll scale attack on each other and sharing the intent of uniting Korea however the superpowers are responsible for the actual outbreak of the Koran war.This is because both sides of Korea would not have been strong enough to start a war without the influence of the superpowers. The USSR gave permission and supplies to Kim allowing him to invade the south and America got involved in Korea creating a war as it caused a form of retaliation from the south that would have lost against a soviet fueled invasion from the north. Therefore the Korean War was a product of the cold war between America and the USSR.

Personal and professional development Essay

Self managed training is a when an individual plans, executes and evaluates his or her own learning. The learner is in control of when learning can happen, the duration and the learning experience or outcome. It is important to always review and adapt your training plan. It is unproductive to remain rigid with the plan, and allowing adaptations will improve its applicability and suitability to individual needs. On the job training is another way to self manage training as it allows the individual to apply what they have learnt to real life experience and develop their skill set by actively taking on tasks and duties within their role. This allows the individual to understand their skill set and realize any deficiencies which can be rectified through on the job learning. Learning such as this is lifelong and it is only by exposure to new tasks that the person can develop. This can be applied whilst working. Again a plan can help to keep you on track and provides a reminder of the objectives you have set. Self managed training allows individuals to learn at their own pace while managing their time constraints and work duties. It gives control back to students in deciding how they take on the learning, how much they learn and the content they learn. This, in turn, can make happier and therefore more successful students as they will be able to apply a concentrated effort to the tasks at hand rather than spread themselves thin in meeting deadlines, learning courses that don’t interest them and balancing work at the same time. 1. 2: Proposing ways in which lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts can be encouraged. There are no formal institutions instead it’s an on-going process where one learns from day-to-day interactions with different people, by observing the world around us and imbibe them to form a definite ‘knowledge’ of what has been experienced by the individual (Herminia, 2003). Lifelong learning in a professional context can be encouraged by providing incentives such as monetary rewards and career development. These are well suited to the most ambitious employees who thrive on challenge and have a deep rooted interest in self development. This has the benefit of companies retaining their employees, as developing their skill set will result in a diverse work force that can tackle many problems. Employees that feel invaluable to their company will thrive and perform better knowing they are a vital part of the workforce. In a personal context, it is important to appeal to the individual based on their personality, their life experiences and their future ambitions. The realization of personal development and its applicability to their future goals will enable them to realize their potential and motivate them to continuously learn and develop. 1. 3: Evaluating the benefits of self-managed learning to the individual and organisation In self managed learning the individual is solely responsible for their own learning and time management. In order to see if this method is effective for the individual, a comparative analysis can be undertaken where any change in work output has occurred after successful completion of the course. An improvement in performance would suggest the training was well received. A further promotion would be a strong indicator of how effective the overall process was. Another indicator is if upon successful completion of a course, if the individual has volunteered for further courses as it shows they have been encouraged to accomplish more and the style of learning was well suited to them. For the employer, if self managed learning has proved to be successful through a visible improvement in employees work output then it is evidenced that it has been useful. It is also beneficial in that the organization does not need to invest more time, effort or money towards the process of self development for individuals thereby saving extra costs for the company but simultaneously consistently improving their work force and making them more efficient. Through the method of self managed learning operational costs can be brought down by not having to spend more money on arranging workshops and further courses internally. By improving their workforce through self managed learning they can utilize employees within the organization to carry out more specialized duties instead of outsourcing to external employees. The progression path can be monitored through arranging regular reviews and collating information on work performance, this information can be stored on a database to compare in reviews and track progress. This is also useful to highlight any changes to be made to further improve. It has also been corroborated that self-managed learning benefits the individual and well the organisation (Murphy-Latta, 2008). TASK 2 2. 1: Evaluating one’s own current skills and competencies against professional standards and organisational standards During the meeting with the training manager of United Utilities I discussed methods to evaluate competencies skills against standards both professional and organizational. The employee review each month with the manager can be compared with the organizational standards to check for areas of improvement and whether employee is reaching targets. The competencies within professional standards can then be used to identify the current skills that the individual has achieved and what more he/she need to do to reach a professional standard. A log or journal of the individuals owns learning and performance can be an ideal way to record progress. Thus, one’s own current skills and competencies do contribute to set a definite professional standards and organizational standards (Bandura, 1997). 2. 2: Identifying own developmental needs and the activities required to meet them In order to identify own development needs it is helpful if a record of learning is kept. Individuals can use a diary or log to do this and can look back at this to reflect and decide on a way forward. This is an opportunity to self reflect, analyse and highlight weaknesses. The individual when put through self-managed learning process he or she would be well aware about their own positive as well as negative sides (Jasper, 2006). A review or a meeting with your manager is a good way to seek advice on areas of concern that may need to be developed. The professional and organizational standards must always be referred to in order to compare and form an idea about the skills that need to be enhanced. The skills or competencies that are highlighted as weak can then be focused on to improve. The training manager can be informed of these issues and suggest the relevant training/course which is beneficial for those issues. 2. 3: Identifying development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs A regular review with managers and trainers is the best way forward as this gives the individual an opportunity to identify which activities are proving to be difficult. It is also a chance for the individual to voice their concerns and request additional training that they feel will be beneficial. Employees can be proactive and request to be placed onto a course that they feel will be beneficial. An employee could devise a business plan to show to the manager how the course will benefit the employee and how it will achieve development needs. The objective and goals should be outlined in the plan and a time frame given to achieve those goals including any reasonable steps that should be taken to achieving said goals. 2. 4: Devising a personal and professional development plan based on identified needs Once development needs have been identified and established, a plan should be implemented to tackle those issues. The plan must include both the personal and professional development as the success in one will inevitably lead to success in the other. The plan must specify objectives that reflect the individual’s needs and how the objectives can be achieved alongside a reasonable timescale. Each objective may have an associated set of steps or actions which will enable the objective to be met in a timely manner. The development needs or gaps in knowledge are normally a priority objective before further development can ensue. A chat with your manager, colleagues or other professionals may ascertain any gaps in knowledge or issues to improve on. The plan should allow for some flexibility upon periodic progress reviews. TASK 3 3. 1: The process and activities required to implement the development plan The process required to implement the development plan occurs after identifying the development needs and once the plan has been arranged. In this case the BT PLC Group human resources manager will need to identify the course that is relevant for employees and will need to assess the workforce and establish what percentage of the workforce can attend training. The company has to remain operational therefore it is important to work out a schedule for employees to attend training/courses without sacrificing current company strategy. The next phase is to make arrangements regarding the actual training program, where the course will be held, for how long and enlisting our services as a training provider. A timetable has to be arranged, fees established and enrolment conducted. 3. 2: Undertaking and document development activities as planned Development activities can be documented by having a record of activities that are derived from the development plan needs that were established. After each training session a form or list can be issued to evaluate what the learner has achieved. This can then be compared to the actual objectives to tick off targets that have been met. This method can also highlight anyone who is struggling to meet targets, which gives the trainer a chance to create other ways to fulfil those goals by making adjustments to their learning plans and varying methods of delivery of the course. The person in charge of the individual’s development prepares a suitable method of recording progress made through adhering to the plan. The documents then get cross-checked by the superior in the administration and approval for the changes is secured from the ultimate authority. At every point in implementing the development program, any progress, accomplishment or changes of the tasks is signed by senior authorities in charge to confirm it has been approved. 3. 3: Critically reflecting on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the developmental plan The learner can critically reflect on own learning by reviewing after each training session what they have learnt or achieved. This can be either done individually or discussed with the trainer. Where there were areas that learners struggled on, those issues can be discussed and an alteration within the action plan will focus the learner. Testing learners is another way to establish what they have been successful in and what they haven’t. An overall score can be given to realize any further areas of development. Learning progress must be compared to the original aims and objectives that were suggested in the development plan. A comparison can be made with the actual learning and the objectives, so as to view where there are any gaps remaining if any. 3. 4 How to update reflect critically on own learning against original aims and objectives set in the development plan Based on the review and evaluation of own learning it is then important to adjust the development plan specifying those areas that still need to be concentrated on. The adjusted plan of action will specify how this can be achieved and set a realistic time frame. The development plan must be reviewed again once this further change of action has been addressed to see how much improvement has been made. The process of planning and reviewing is a lifelong learning tool that will enable the learner to gain knowledge about their own capabilities and to develop a sense of self awareness. TASK 4 4. 1: Selecting work based solution on various situational problems The presentation that I will conduct with employees of Hounslow Council as requested by their Human resources manager is regarding work based solutions on various situational problems. In the presentation I will hand out a document with a quiz in order to interact with the audience. There will be ten questions each giving a scenario with an example of a work based problem. There will be four options listed for the learners to choose from. The learners will need to answer each question keeping in mind the best possible solution. A prize will be offered to the person with the most points out of ten. An example of a one of the questions is if an employee has a voluntary dinner conference at a graduate bureau but then an emergency meeting is arranged for the employee with the manager. Four possible answers are given and the learner must select one. Once the papers are marked, a discussion can occur between learners attending the workshop regarding the answers. Learners gain knowledge on handling work based problems in a relaxed and interactive way. 4. 2: The various communication methods available for being effective at workplace and various situations to use it There are many methods of communication in the workplace with the increasing influence of technology and its usefulness. The different methods are firstly, written communication which can be paper based that can be stored in files for later references and also in digital format such as e-mails and fax (Murphy-Latta, 2008). Written communication is mostly used by the companies to communicate in the workplace. If there is a crisis such as documents stored on the computer deleted in error then written documents can be used as testimonials. Secondly, it is oral communication, either face to face or over the telephone and now with latest technology Skype is an alternative. Oral communication is mostly used in the stock exchanges where everyone is within the audible reach (Susan, 2002). Meetings can provide an opportunity to communicate face to face and can be an effective method to liaise with colleagues and provide the ideal environment for collaborative endeavours. Speaking over the telephone can be a hindrance depending on the quality of the phone line, also relying on people actually answering the phone. However, telephone conferences are a good method of briefing employees, which can save companies time and money. Thirdly, latest technology such as emails, internal memos, fax and intranet sites are effective as it is an instant method to communicate information within the company as it is quick, easy and cost effective. 4. 3: The various factors of time management and strategies Time management is one of the most important elements of successful work and being recognized as an efficient employee. There are various factors on which time management depends such as individual characteristics of the employees, balance in one’s work life, and the influence of the organisation on the individual, the usage of the latest technology that saves time and adds to the accuracy (Golding and Gray, 2006). In order to efficiently manage time employees should plan tasks according to the priority. Employees must be aware of the risk of distraction and wasting time in conducting tasks which will inevitably affect productivity. This eventuality will in turn affect revenue of the company and the employee job security. The strategy to manage time is to plan ahead in all tasks, keeping a checklist of tasks to do and updating this as tasks are being completed. Prioritise the most important or relevant jobs to do, also allocating sufficient time is vital to enable the task to be performed correctly.

010 Evaluation and Peer Review Professor Ramos Blog

010 Evaluation and Peer Review Points to Consider Quick Write An elegy is a sad mournful lament. Why do you think Vance called his book Hillbilly Elegy? How does his own story relate to the title? Points to Consider Mission: Explain your mission early on. Hook us with a good reason to continue reading. Background: Include the conversation on the subject. Focal Point: Evaluate a specific text or product. Compare and Contrast: Examine the differences. Compare the strengths and weaknesses. Keep it Simple: Choose a simple or predictable structure, criteria, and grading/evaluation. Judgment: How does text meet the criteria for evaluation? Purpose: Most evaluations provide usable information and beneficial criticism. After   reading your essay, we should have a better understanding of the text or product. Peer Workshop Peer edit the same way you revise your own work.  Pay attention to global issues first. Don’t worry about grammar or sentence structure yet. Focus on improving and clarifying the ideas. Be specific in identifying problems or opportunities.  Explain what the problem you see if. Avoid vague language like â€Å"awkward.† Explain what it is that is awkward and give suggestions for how to improve. Offer suggestions for improvement.  If they are not mentioning a major counterargument, suggest it for them to address. If a point is unclear, explain how they can clarify it. Praise what is genuinely good in the paper.  No false praise. If you like a particular point or passage, let them know.

Exploring the Academic Credibility of Investigative Journalism

Exploring the Academic Credibility of Investigative Journalism Figure out what an investigative journalism is and how it is connected with the academic credibility. Hashtag: #SwissLeaks World of Superficiality Journalism in its original form is a separate world and far removed from academic sphere. The reason is that superficial thought and research are contradictory attributes of a scholarly article that by nature are systematic, in-depth, and well-structured pieces of writing. An academic complaint article is normally coherent, discusses all sides of the issue, makes use of scientifically acquired facts, properly acknowledged its sources, peer-reviewed, written and presented in technical language for informed readers. In contrast, popular journalistic publications such as newspapers, magazines, and others are mostly for the lay audience, thus informal, skimmed, and speculative. They are sometimes sketchy and one-sided, no author, and lack the credibility of scholarly works. However, the form of journalism responsible for #SwissLeaks or expose of secret billion Swiss bank accounts allegedly owned by HSBC clients seems unusual and more academic in nature than traditional journalism. The reporters that divulged secret bank accounts of known personalities (some may be facing tax invasion charges afterward) are practitioners of Investigative Journalism, an academic compliant form of journalism. This is the same form of journalism (best known as â€Å"Watchdog† journalism) responsible for unmasking corruptions, abuse of power, environmental and health scandals, and publishing of well-researched and written news articles in recent years. Academic Intellectual in Politics Academic Credibility of Investigative Journalism The definition of Investigative Journalism varies from author to author but it is commonly about a journalist’s own initiative to look into the significance of the issue, conduct a comprehensive and exhaustive research, make detailed information public, and inspire reform. Creating an outline of Investigative Journalism features found in literature would give us a form of journalistic undertaking that is truth-seeking, objective, systematic, in-depth, facts and evidence oriented, and consistent. Similarly, a careful analysis of academic research requirements will give us an idea that a certain result of a certain research must add value to existing knowledge. This new knowledge must be acquired through scientific methodologies, ethical, analytical, synthesized, and presented in succinct style and appropriate terminology. In other words, academic research is an objective, systematic, in-depth, and original piece of writing. Given that Investigative Journalism reports or articles are objective in its quest for truth, systematically and thoroughly researched, structured and presented with supporting facts and evidence, then they must be compliant to the  academic standard. The problem, however, is the fact that their method of data gathering will not pass academic ethical scrutiny. Certainly, scientific data gathering in academic sphere is never about #SwissLeaks or systematically stealing data from anyone. In fact, an academic research is about consent and confidentiality. It should be reactive to the welfare of data sources. There is no doubt that investigative journalists and academic intellectuals both seek after the truth. In fact, they are both systematic and support their claims with facts. However, they strangely vary in their values and ethical practices. For instance, although generating and promoting new knowledge is critical, the academic sphere gives more weight to the transparency and integrity of the research process. It is rational but passionate and sensitive to partiality, exploitation, and morality of its quest for truth.

Employment laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment laws - Research Paper Example Some of the labor laws associated with health care establishments are covered by the Federal laws, while many other legal rules and provisions come within the scope of State laws. Many states, including North Carolina have passed laws pertaining to individual rights, employment and healthcare (North Carolina Department of Labor, 2012). Some of the health care employment provisions covered by the State laws include hours and wages, certifications and registration, child care laws, professional licensing, health insurance and employment associated training for health care professionals (North Carolina Department of Labor, 2012). All health care workers with specialized training and skills, including doctors, technicians and nurses are mostly covered by the Federal and State labor laws. Some of the states like Wisconsin have gone one step forward to enact laws that safeguard the health care professionals from retaliation in case they turn out to be whistle blowers regarding any violatio n of standards or ethics in a health care institution. In addition to the Federal and State provisions, there are many counties and municipalities that have passed laws covering wages, work hours, safety standards and employee-employer rights. In that context, it will be really interesting to delve on some of the salient labor laws that a VP of Human Resource in a health care establishment needs to be conversant with. This endeavor will primarily involve the labor laws coming within the scope of Federal and State jurisdiction. The Fair Labor Standards Act pertaining to wages and hours sets up the standards for wages and overtime pay that are to be subscribed by varied public and private healthcare organizations (United States Department of Labor, 2012). It is the Wage and Hour Division which is primarily accountable to manage the provisions of this act. This law tends to govern the minimum wages and the overtime wages paid to the workers