My Philosophy of Education :: Teaching Education Essays

My Philosophy of Education Philosophy of education helps educators understand the purpose of education, what should be taught, and how students learn. All teachers must think about these important questions. A philosophy helps integrate understanding into the educational process. My philosophy is that all children should be educated, because it makes our society better as a whole. I believe that if we can educate all children, we can improve our society in many ways. In my opinion, the best way to educate children is using the pragmatism theory. Pragmatism is knowledge that is obtained and developed through experiences and interactions with the environment (Tanner 1997). This is important in education because children learn more through actual experiences. They learn from their actions, some even being mistakes. Pragmatism is a practical approach and it will work well when teaching children. Pragmatists believe that we should improve society through means of education that are geared toward problem solving and must be ongoing (Encarta Online 1995-2000). This is a great point because learning is a continuous process throughout life and it is all about solving problems. A teacher who is a pragmatist will help students understand what is known is changeable, there are a number of ways to interpret events, and there is no absolute truth (Crooner, Knight, and Wiseman 1999). Pragmatism has been around for a long time. It was developed by the 19th century by American philosophers, one of them being John Dewey. To him pragmatism implied that education should represent growth in individual capacity to deal with situations, should be a continuous process that cannot be terminated by the completion of course requirements, and demands self-direction as opposed to authoritarian imposition (Wyett 1998). This led to using the interests of students and their desires to learn as a main point in curriculum. I believe this helps in the classroom. If the children are interested in what they are learning, they will most likely learn that subject matter better. Along with this the classroom should also be democratic. In this process students will have their values respected, and their insights made available to fellow students and professors (Beck 1993). A philosophy in education is very important for a teacher to have.

Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities Essay

The Project Manager is the person responsible for developing, in conjunction with the Project Sponsor, a definition of the project. The Project Manager then ensures that the project is delivered on time, to budget and to the required quality standard (within agreed specifications). He/she ensures the project has sufficient resources and manages relationships with a wide range of groups (including all project contributors). The Project Manager is also responsible for managing the work of consultants, allocating and utilizing resources in an efficient manner and maintaining a co-operative, motivated and successful team. Additional responsibilities include: managing and leading the project team,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   recruiting project staff and consultants, managing co-ordination between the partners and working groups engaged in project work, detailed project planning and control. Control would incorporate: Developing and maintaining a detailed project plan. Managing project deliverables in line with the project plan. Maintaining records of and managing project issues. Resolving conflicts at project level. Managing project scope and change control and escalating issues where necessary. Monitoring project progress and performance. Providing status reports to the project sponsor. Managing project training within the defined budget. Liaison with, and updates on progress to, the project steering board/senior management. Managing project evaluation and dissemination activities. Managing consultancy input within the defined budget. Final approval of the design specification. Working closely with users to ensure the project meets business needs. Definition and management of : â€Å"User Acceptance Testing† stage. Identifying user training needs and devising and managing user training programmes. As an illustration of the roles and responsibilities of a Project manager, I am going to use the simple example of changing the wheel of a car with one person in charge (project manager). In the exposition that follows, the steps followed will be under the headlines of the five essential ones outlined in the PMBOK: Initiating The initiating stage in replacing a punctured car-wheel is the process of preparing to replace the wheel. To begin with, the project manager, or whoever is overseeing the operation, ensures that all the tools necessary for the job are available. The tools necessary in this case would comprise the jerk, wheel spanner, the unique key-for some car models, maybe some props such as stones where there is a possibility of the car slipping downhill and finally, labor. Planning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once the initiating stage is completed, we move on to the planning stage whereby different strategies are proposed and quickly debated with one being agreed upon. The role of the project manager in this stage is to ensure that everyone is given an opportunity to express their opinions on how best to approach the problem. Then, he/she should harmonize every participant’s views and in cases if the group cannot reach a resolution unanimously, he/she should apply his/her critical thinking abilities and skills in choosing the most reasonable approach that would be most efficient, effective and feasible. The planning would entail deciding which nuts to unscrew first e.g. diagonally, where to place the jerk and the props and where to put the tools and nuts in such a manner as to ensure they don’t get lost or pose a hazard to any of the team members. The Plan will also incorporate delegation of duties amongst the team members i.e. deciding who will place the jerk, who will unscrew the nuts, who will carry the spare wheel, and who will screw the new wheel back. The delegation of duties should be fair such that no member feels exploited or alienated and it is the work of the project manager to study everyone’s character and tell who is suited best for what. The final parts of the plan involve training participants as necessary, scheduling everything, and monitoring progress. Executing or Implementation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After initiating and planning, finally the time comes to put the plan into action. During this stage, the team implements the strategy decided upon with a view to achieving the intended objective. The team removes the bad wheel and replaces it with one that is in good condition. The work of the project manager is to ensure that each participant plays his/ her assigned role and that the operation goes according to plan by correcting any digressions and getting rid of any impediments that might arise in the course of the implementation. Controlling and Monitoring   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to controlling and monitoring, this entails putting measures in place in anticipation of pitfalls during the process of implementing the plan. Pitfalls to be anticipated might include: some members do not like the roles they are assigned and so they don’t play their roles with the necessary devotion. Also it is possible   that some members might want to sabotage the project for any of a number of reasons or one of the tools gets damaged and cannot be repaired in time for the work at hand. To avoid alienation, the project manager should make every member feel as though they own the project and when it succeeds the glory will be shared and the benefits mutual. In addition, the project manager has the responsibility of ensuring that, if a member were assigned a role he/she does not like, they are free to voice their concerns so that a speedy resolution is sought. The speedy resolution could be training or instruction where a member is assigned work they do not know how to do. Alternatively, members could swap roles to resolve any stalemates. Finally, a backup plan should be in place to cater for unanticipated hitches. Closing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In finishing up, the project manager should ensure the team tightens the nuts to the required extent and remove the jerk and props. He/she should also ensure that any member who sustains any injury should be attended to and all the tools-wheel spanners, jerk, props, key- together with the bad wheel are all returned and checked to ensure they are in good condition, then put in their respective places of storage. BIBLIOGRAPHY K. Bainey, The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 3rd ed. Project Management Institute, New Jersey, 2004

Poetry and Mother Essay

Outline It is an afternoon and the mom is washing clothes in a tub. The child has written a poem for her mother and gives it to her as she is washing. The mother scans the poem but rejects it as not being ‘all there is to life’. She feels that there is much more to life than reading or writing poetry. Despite her protest, the mother glances at the poem while she continues to wash clothes. Stanza 1 The mother obviously has given her life to hard work and struggle and seems to have lost interest in life. She does not seem to appreciate the effort of her child to offer some relief or change in her burdensome routine. That her mother washes in the afternoon indicates that her workload is enormous (as washing is usually done in the morning so the clothes can be hung out to dry.) The images of stress and strain are effectively captured in the description of the women ‘hunched’ over the washtub and her ‘shrivelled hands’. The word ‘hunched’ suggests her strenuous routine which has physically harmed her posture. The comparison of her hands to the shrivelled burnt skin of granadilla evokes the destructive efforts of hard labour on her physical body. Stanza 2 The words of the child’s poem are compared to a piece of slippery soap. Just as soap is used to cleanse dirt off clothes in this case, so too do the words of the poem give the mother strength and the power to bear her burden to restore her to some state of wholesomeness, just like soap restores clothes to their original clean condition. Note that the mother ‘grabbed’ the words and ‘used’ them, suggesting that she needed them desperately to sustain her to cope with the oppressive burden of life. Stanza 3 It is the burden of life which weighs down oppressively, that prevents the mother from appreciating or being sensitive to other aspects of life (like reading and enjoying poetry) But the fact that she does read the poem indicates that she is aware of its significance and healing power. (A poem appeals to our aesthetic sense.) It makes us see life in detail and appreciate the multi-faceted experiences of life. The word ‘scanning’ suggests that she does read the poem. The reference to the mother’s ‘blue-ringed gaze’ suggests that she has a deeper, appreciative side to her nature. Note that the colour ‘blue’ is usually associated with sky and beauty. The reference to the ‘dirty water’ is a metaphor for the pollution and corruption of life which have sullied or dirtied capacity to be sensitive to the beauty of nature of life. Stanza 4 The poem ends on a positive note. The mother continues to hold onto the words of the poem, the word ‘clenched’ recalls the term ‘grabbed’ of stanza 2, it means to hold tightly onto something. That the words are clenched ‘smaller and smaller’ indicates the great effort exerted by the mother to make the world of poetry a part of her life, she realises the value of poetry to guide her through the difficulties of life. Central message of the poem The poem whilst acknowledging the burden and harshness of life, confirms the value of developing our aesthetic nature, our capacity to appreciate what life has to offer as the only hope to cope with the hostility and problems we encounter on a daily basis. Further Consideration The writer uses simple words to reinforce the innocent, pure exchange between mother and child. The simplicity of the words also evokes the humility of their life – the setting is most likely a rural one.  The poem also has a simple structure; the lines are uniform and short reinforcing the simple effort of the child to console her mother.

Compare and Contrast Pi and Chuck

Josh Monsi English 12/4 Ms. Rock 29 November 2012 There is not one key to survival; no it’s more like the key ring to survival. The first key I want to talk about is strength, but there is more to strength then just the physical strength there is also a need for emotional strength. â€Å"Its life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. † Martel, Yann. â€Å"56. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 203. Print. This is why the mastery of fear can help you survive.Love which is almost an exact opposite of fear but goes hand in hand with hope; alas there are many forms of love that can bring about the needs to survive, this helps Pi and Chuck near the end of the trials. Knowing you are at the top, or that you are the alpha gives you strength and courage to carry on, both Chuck and Pi need to come to this realization in order to survive. This key ring of characteristics does not stop here; I have only a chosen a select few. Although both Pi and Chuck survived they accomplished this feat using the same characteristics but in a unique way differing from the other.Emotional and physical strength will determine your ability to survive as it did in the stories of Pi and Chuck. â€Å"†¦ without mercy. Not caring if we're healthy or ill. Hungry or drunk. Russian, American, beings from Mars. It's like a fire, it could either destroy us or it could keep us warm. †. Castaway. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. 20th Century Fox, 2000. DVD. This quote is from the movie Castaway and in a way explains what the lack of physical and emotional strength can do to you. First the physical side of strength, this characteristic helped Pi and Chuck with the physical challenges they faced.Pi's first major struggle was with hunger; this burden took most if not all of Pi's strength. The hunger lead Pi to do things and eat things he would have never done in his life if he were not in this situation where he had no other choic e. Chuck had a different first physical challenge, this challenge affected him quite a lot in his story and it was physical injuries; constantly he was getting cut by his tools or getting hurt by things he was trying to build, but in any case he was getting hurt and cutting down on his physical strengths.Though these trials are different they both needed physical strengths to overcome their challenges. Emotional strain can cause a person to lose the will to survive or even the will to live. This is more clearly shown when chick is thinking about suicide, his emotional strength was done he no longer had the will to live. Pi didn’t struggle with the thought of suicide like Chuck but instead he emotionally struggled with death. From the ship that went down with his family to the lifeboat with slaughtered animals this all must have been an emotional shock to a boy who cannot even kill a fish without tears.Though the trials of their physical and emotional strengths were different hey both had the strength needed to survive. Strength played another important role in both of their stories when they needed to step up and be the alpha male. â€Å"I had to devise a training program for Richard Parker’s had to make him understand that I was the top tiger and that his territory was limited†¦ †Martel, Yann. â€Å"58. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 211.Print Pi and Chuck both show the characteristic of being an alpha male, but at the same time show a weakness to something that might be stronger. In the quote above it talks about Pi when he is starting to train Richard Parker the lion, peeing on the boat, and blowing his whistle are a few of the ways that he marks his territory and lets him know he is the alpha. Chuck on the other hand there is not doubt he is alpha, alone on an island he has total control nothing to fear but there is one thing still holding him in place.So in order to survive you need to be an alpha male and both of these characters eventually by the end of survival overcome these two antagonists holding them back. With Pi his antagonist is Richard Parker, but soon he marks his territory and trains Richard Parker and it’s easier sailing from there. Chucks antagonist was the waves; the waves held him back when he tried to escape and left him in fear until he finally had the courage and resources to try again. In both stories the characters survive because they were able to overcome these obstacles and truly be the alpha in their certain situations.A big part that they had to overcome on their path to being alpha was the fear of the task; fear plays an immense role in the story of survival for these two. â€Å"Fear next turns to your body†¦ your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though they were dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Martel, Yann. â€Å"56. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. Ne w York: Harcourt, 2001. 203. Print. The fear that Pi has is the same fear that chuck has, though the fear may come in a different form it is something they both have to overcome.One of the reasons these two are able to survive is because of their fear, the fear of pain, of death, this fear is what helps them to push on and survive. Pi describes fear almost like a disease the way it affects you, this fear almost led chuck to suicide and this fear almost influenced Pi to give up his hope. By being able to surpass this fear and suppress it as well chuck doesn’t give up hope and he is soon rewarded by a piece of trash that will help him overcome and pass through that seemingly impenetrable wall of water blocking his escape.For Pi his fear was of living on a raft with a 450 pound killing machine and with good reason, but by overcoming his fear not only is he able to survive but train the tiger as well in order to survive more comfortable. Fear was a necessary characteristic that t hese two needed in order to survive, but they needed another characteristic to have a ying and yang effect and help them progress, which was love. â€Å"I just want to love God† Martel, Yann. â€Å"23. †Ã‚  Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. 87.Print, Pi’s love for God helped him understand his trial and that he would just needed to be patient and have hope. I say this about pi to show how love can help you survive; he learned through his love of God to appreciate the little things that did go right and to deal with the big things that went wrong. Chuck had a similar love but this love was for his fiance, he wanted to return to her and he used the wanting to push him to live and to survive. Now fear has the effect for one to be afraid of death or pain; love on the other hand helps a person look at their life and learn to love it.This love of life is just as powerful as the fear of death, these two characteristics make them want to survive and even at the same time help them to survive. This unbeatable mix of characteristics helped Pi stay on a small boat even though death was feet away in striped fur, and it was this same two characteristics that froze Chucks feet in place when he wanted to jump of the cliff and end his life. Even though love may seem like one small key on a big key ring it can help you survive longer than the strongest man without love.This key ring is not complete, I have selected only a few of the keys that Chuck and Pi needed to survive. Their Mental and Physical strength may have faltered at times but they didn’t stop, they didn’t give in to the doubt that filled their minds and they pushed through their trials headstrong. They proved their strength by becoming the alphas; they took the obstacles in their way and faced them head on having the courage to take risk that could end their lives. They feared, they feared the end and were not ready for it to come and they used fear to push them to t he limits.They loved thought they loved for different reasons they still loved, Pi with his love of God and Chuck with his love of women pushed through and survived to the end. Although their trials may have been different these two characters utilized the same characteristics to help them overcome their challenges and survive. Knowing that they survived it almost makes you think about your own future and your own set of characteristics, and in a way makes you want to go out there and try to survive and see if you really have what it takes; to be an mentally and physically strong, to be the alpha, to fear death, to love life, but ultimately to survive.

Talent Management Issues Relevant to the Field of IHRM Assignment

Talent Management Issues Relevant to the Field of IHRM - Assignment Example Therefore, the management must take measures to retain the asset through effective talent management. In this respect, organizations need to prepare their potential employees for the leadership position by exposing them to different business cultures and challenges. The objective of the study is to critically review the article written by Collings & Mellahi (2009) with the title â€Å"Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda†. The study also aims to identify issues related to talent management in relation to the context of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) with reference to the findings from the above-mentioned article. According to Collings and Mellahi (2009), talent management plays a vital role to drive the performance of the organization both at the group level and the individual level1. Talent is directly related to human assets. Performance of the employees contributes towards the accomplishments of the long-term goals and short-term objectives2. Talent management is the procedure to attract productive employees, to identify the right potential possessed by the workforce, to grease their potentials for better results and to take measures for retaining the assets over the long run3. However, organization s should understand that only attracting the employees would not suffice the sustainability and productivity goals; identifying the strengths and then grooming them accordingly is also important4. Talent management methodologies help in analyzing the performance of the employees. As stated by Collings and Mellahi (2009), in the recessionary context maximization of the talent present in the existing employees holds important priority among global organizations.  

Meno and Phaedo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Meno and Phaedo - Essay Example The following will present three succinct (and related) arguments which defend the position concerning the immortality of the soul. The arguments in question, are as follows (1) ‘argument from opposites’ [69e-72e], (2) argument from recollection [73-78b], and finally, (3) ‘the argument from affinity’ [84c-88b]. The focus of this analysis will be on the above three sections, however, both a consideration of some of the objections will follow, and finally, the final or summary refutation provided by Plato’s mouthpiece (Socrates). The first position in question, is the argument from opposites. This is an argument which is based on an inference which is an extension of observation. What we perceive around us, is a process in nature where opposites turn into each other. In this section in question, Plato observes the following opposites which typify this process of â€Å"becoming† [72B], namely, the opposites of ‘small/larger’ [70E]â₠¬Ëœfaster/slower’, ‘waking/sleeping’[71D], and ‘hot/cold’[71B]. As mentioned, these are processes whereby opposites turn into one another. There are, however, some problems with this argument. First, the very notion of ‘opposite’ is problematic. ... in Celsius) between ‘hot’ and ‘cold’, but they are not opposites in the contradictory sense of ‘life’ and ‘death’. In other words, ‘life’ and ‘death’ are binary opposites in the sense that a person is either ‘alive’, or they are ‘dead’. A difference in the sense presented by Plato with respect to ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ or conversely, ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ are not binary opposites – the admit of a middle ground, and moreover, they are united or related in some sense. They are related in the sense of being relative to another. While a tortoise is relatively slow when compared with a hare, a hare is slow when compared to the speed of light. Thus, is the ‘hare’ fast or slow? In normal logic, one cannot predicate real opposites of the same thing, this is the law of non-contradiction [Wagner 28] and this is actually that which brings into question some of what Plato is claiming concerning these opposites. This said, Plato is claiming that â€Å"all things come to be in this way, opposites from opposites† [71A]. Further, he infers that among â€Å"all† of these â€Å"things†, must also be the soul and the body. Thus, if everything turns into its opposite, then, the soul must turn into the body, and the body must turn into the soul. Phrased in terms of a syllogism, (1.) if it can be said â€Å"that to be dead is the opposite of being alive† [71D], and (2) â€Å"all things come to be in this way, opposites from opposites† [71A], then, (3) it can be inferred that the body and soul turn into each other. As has been noted, the form of this argument is an inference, and there are some problems, and second, his very notion of opposites includes ‘contraries’ and not just ‘contradictories’ – that is,

Own Memories of Learning to Read or Write Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Own Memories of Learning to Read or Write - Essay Example I remember that my parents used to subscribe to young children's magazines for me. They were stories that were silly about turtles or butterflies or the basic type of scenario for a children's book. However, they were also stories that had morals to them. I remember being read to almost every evening by my dad, a magazine that was one of my favorites. I looked forward to those magazines not only because my father would be reading me something new but also I got the mail. I enjoyed these stories and was never ready for bedtime until I had heard my story. When looking back on the instant that I began to really remember learning to read was not really reading at all. Instead, it was recollecting. I remember my grandmother reading me my favorite story. It was a book that I would always try to talk someone into reading to me. While she was reading the story, I had heard it so much that I basically had it memorized. When she stumbled upon some of the words or did not read it completely correct as I had had it memorized, I told her, â€Å"Grandma, that is not what it says there.† She would give me a puzzled look and have to correct herself to my own personal satisfaction but she was amazed at my memory of the story almost verbatim. That was the first memory I have of a milestone that taught me how to read. It was not exactly what one would call reading, but it was through word recognition. When I think back to learning how to read, I realize how differently I learned based on that milestone. While I was a fairly decent student growing up, I had my own methods of learning to read and expand vocabulary. Back then, it was a big deal to teach phonics in the classroom at a young age. This then would place emphasis on learning how to sound out words. I really struggled with phonics.