Using Qualitative Research Methods For Teaching And...

Focus group interviews are a common process for putting together collecting qualitative data (Morgan 1996; Krueger Casey, 2000; Bloor et al., 2001). Krueger Casey (2000) commented that focus group interviews are focussed on making a group with particular qualities provide qualitative data related to the research topic in an environment that is comfortable, under the supervision of a facilitator and through group discussions. To put it another way, a focus group is a special group with a particular target, in a specific composition, and required to complete a certain process Krueger Casey (2000). Morgan (1997) also pointed out that the uses of focus group interview can be identifies into 3 categories 1. It can be employed on its own†¦show more content†¦The advantage of focus group research is that they support the group in shaping the research Bennett (2002) and can be informal in structure supporting dialogues, rather than forced communications. Unlike individual intervi ews, focus groups can be employed reveal the differences, contradictions, unique experiences, views, perceptions and attitudes expressed by different group members (Bennett, 2002; Hyde ´n Bu ¨low, 2003), allowing for a deeper exploration of the issues. Cameron (2000) reveals that even though focus groups take up much planning and interpretation they are engaging and valuable research too that can generate views and understandings that are new to both participants and researchers. Cameron (2000) argues that focus groups can either be the single research method, or can be used in partnership with quantitative methods. When conducting pedagogic research, focus groups may be employed as part of a medium or large scale research project, method may also be used on a smaller scale, for example analysing the efficiency and impact of teaching methods within a project. In some cases, pedagogic research methods may take shape into an integral part of the learning and teaching strategy. Fo r example focus groups may be useful areas of research that requiring students to reflect on their experiences. One of the most important aspects to consider when using focus group interviews is that group members are able to communicate in a comfortable way. With thisShow MoreRelatedUsing Teacher Evaluation Tools For Teaching And Learning Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesIt is possible for accurate feedback to be a powerful resource in efforts to improve teaching and learning. Nevertheless, feedback that classifies the observed practices incorrectly is likely to involve a considerable opportunity cost for teachers as well as students (Iqbal, 2013). Notably, in 2009, a report by the name The Widget Effect was released by The New Teacher Project (TNTP). The report exposed the prevailing teacher evaluations as both infrequent and largely subjective (Jerald, 2012). SimilarlyRead MoreM4 Research Design Critique Report1143 Words   |  5 PagesM4 Research Design Critique Report A research scenario that could be addressed using an experimental design would be: What are the differential effects of two different instructional methods, problem based learning and lecture based learning, on the understanding of physics topics on forty students in high school physics. To address concerns of internal validity, two classes of students with a similar learning history and student demographic will be utilized; also, both classes will be taught byRead MoreEvaluation And Outcomes Of Inquiry Based Learning Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesTo better understand mixed methods design and its role in my field, I chose to review â€Å"Implementation and Outcomes of Inquiry-based Learning in Mathematics Content Courses for Pre-service Teachers† by Laursen, Hassi, and Hough (2016). The following discussion provides the selection criteria, and an article summary, and evaluates the article based upon the 11 review criteria used in the Journal of Mixed Methods Researchâ€⠄¢s review process. The selection of this article relied on specific criteriaRead MoreStrengths And Limitations Of Qualitative Research1394 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Research is crucial to understand various issues and in order to resolve them. It can be done either quantitatively or qualitatively depending on the type of research paradigm and the requirements of the researcher. Qualitative research particularly doesn’t involve numerical data but studies and collects data in an empirical form. Kerlinger’s view (1966) completely rejected the idea of qualitative research whereas Campbell’s idea (Mile Huberman, 1994) stated all research has a qualitativeRead MoreThe Problem Of Multicultural Education Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Faculty perceptions of multicultural teaching in a large urban university,† the authors believe that â€Å"lack of understanding of multicultural teaching is evident in spite of the growing literature on theories of multicultural education and data documenting best practices† (Bigatti, S. M., et. al, 2012, p. 78). The authors of this article defines the meaning of the multicultura l teaching, the purpose of multicultural teaching, and the challenges in multicultural teaching. After evaluating several studiesRead MoreEssay on Qualitative Research for Instructional Technology1063 Words   |  5 PagesQualitative Research for Instructional Technology Background: A trend of the past several years has been the growing use of qualitative research for educational research. Qualitative research, broadly defined, means any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. Where quantitative researchers seek causal determination, prediction, and generalization of findings, qualitative researchers seek instead illuminationRead MoreTeacher Assessment And Assessment913 Words   |  4 Pagesof educators and their ability to use computer software to run analyses but also to competences such as formulating research questions, isolation of relevant data outputs, interpreting results and effectively developing and using classroom assessments (Marsh and Ikemoto, 2006). Instructional leaders ought to know how to use data and evidence to inform decisions associated with learning, more so when those decisions become standard practice (Martin et al 2016). In the light of seemly widespread callRead MoreEnglish Language Learners Methodology Comparison Essay874 Words   |  4 PagesThe academic development of students’ learning relies on teachers’ instructional practices. In order to successfully educate diverse learners, especially English Language Learners (ELLs), teachers use research to gain knowledge on teaching practices. The findings gained from research provide an insight over a topic of interest through statistical data and/or narrative investigations (Choy, 2014). Researchers use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods to conduct a study. Each methodologyRead MoreThe Overall Evaluation / Research Strategy Or Design?1543 Words   |  7 PagesSection 1: Action Research What is the overall evaluation/research strategy or design? The article that was selected is, â€Å"Assessing the impact of a year-long faculty development program on faculty approaches to teaching†, by Light, Calkins, Luna, Drane (2009). The design is action research. Why is this type of strategy or design selected for this study? This design was selected because action research is a process and the seven-step process was initiated in the development of the design selectedRead MoreTechnology Technologies On Learning869 Words   |  4 Pagestechnologies on learning. The authors conduct a 50-items survey in Canada with 14,283 college students, which include the impact of online resource, teaching methods, study strategies, self-regulatory strategies and the use of ICT. Then they draw a conclusion that gender is a significant influence factor for motivation to use technologies in learning, and that online learning sometimes even has a better performance than face to face instruction because of active learning. This article uses mix research method

Social Networking Sites For The Detection Of Traffic Essay

ABSTRACT Nowadays social networking sites play a major role in providing information to public. This paper discusses the social networking site twitter. Twitter as a social networking site can be used as a source of information for event detection with reference to traffic congestion and road accidents. In this paper we consider a real time monitoring system for the detection of traffic in metropolitan cities. For this approach, the system fetches information from the status update messages of twitter. The system thus fetches each tweets from the update messages. Then the tweets are processed in a way to extract useful information from the tweet. Each tweets are subjected to various data mining process and thus the useful information is mined from those data. Keywords:-Part of speech tagging, Natural language processing, Status update messages. 1. Introduction Social networking sites are used as a source of information in event detection for traffic congestion and road accidents. Today social networking sites like Facebook, twitter have gained a high popularity through their real time information broadcasting channel. People mainly use social networking sites to report (public or personal) real life events around them to gain a public attention and also to express their genuine opinion in a particular topic. These messages are shared public among all the users in a social networking sites. Thus each updated messages in these sites gain a high popularity. Our paper discussesShow MoreRelatedTechnological Advancements Have Increased Number Of Internet Enabled Devices1504 Words   |  7 PagesOrganizations face some common threats to their network computing environment. The five items that are of significant concerns are: †¢ Larger attack surface area †¢ Increase and complexity of the attack model †¢ Innovations of threats and solutions †¢ Social Networking †¢ Social Engineering All of these concerns have increased the network security gap, which offers hackers the needed opening opportunity to initiate their exploits, at a faster rate than organizations can address identified vulnerabilities. LargerRead MoreNetwork Security Is The Procedure Of Computer Or Any Computer On Your Network1430 Words   |  6 Pagesthe procedure of preventing and identifying unsanctioned use of your computer or any computer on your network. Preventative measures allow you to stop unauthorized users, also known as intruders or â€Å"hackers,† from accessing your computer system. Detection helps establish whether or not someone has attempted to break into your system, if they were successful, and what they may have done . The Internet has grown to give us the ability to shop, pay bills, and create online profiles hence, people andRead MoreTop 10 Marketing Innovations in Last 10 Years1127 Words   |  5 Pages10 of the Greatest Marketing Innovations in the Past 10 Years What we love about marketing is that it is a continually in a state of evolution. From email and mobile to the real-time web, to social acquisition and personalization capabilities, marketing technology innovates and improves. Through all of this, the best marketing innovations find ways to improve an organizations ability to foster and develop relationships with customers and prospects. In celebrating Neolane’s 10 years of marketingRead MoreHow Security Is Important For A Successful And Secure Computer Network System942 Words   |  4 PagesComputer networking and Information systems, minor the possible threats and challenges against them and with a conclusive discussion of importance of rapid research for secured computer network system. Keywords: Research, Plans, System,Security,Threats. Strategies and Plans in Executing Information Security Introduction Security has been playing a vital role in every sector. But the security is highly essential factor and parameter in the field of Computer Networking InformationRead MoreA Brief Note On Access Control Access Controls1617 Words   |  7 Pagesencryption key. Access control is based on the assumption that only the authorized entity has possession of what they are, know or have (Shabtai, Yuval and Rokach 2012). However access control is limited in preventing data leakage due to social engineering and networking. This have led to recent development of using more than one form of access control in a process called layered authentication like audio-visual interfaces (Jang-Jaccard and Nepal 2014). Access control also holds employees accountableRead MoreProjectP 1869 Words   |  4 Pagesmarketing strategy UNFO will follow the 10 online marketing avenues that craft-based Web site. Participate in craft-related forums building relationships. These relationships come from the customer. Drive articles to the web site with article links, issue an online press releases for new fishing products or services, develop a link exchange program with related web sites, use click based advertising on related sites , and register the bookmarks of your business online with companies. The enhancing theRead MoreNetwork Monitoring And Packet Analysis. A Network Monitoring1482 Words   |  6 Pages Network monitoring allows the administrator to intervene quickly, even remotely, if they are not on site. The following are standards that an administrator should consider when selecting any type of monitoring tool. The first one to consider is security. A monitoring solution supports the safe keeping of a network. For example, if the solution shows an unexpected jump in CPU usage or if traffic the values suddenly fluctuate a great deal from the median, this can be a noteworthy indication for theRead MoreRemote Access And Using Extensible Authentication Protocol Essay1129 Words   |  5 Pages(EAP-TLS) in addition to smartcards for authentication purposes. Traffic will also be encrypted by using Layer Two Tunneling Protocol over IPSEC (TechNet, 2016). To implement this configuration properly, the certificate authority mentioned above will be used to provide certificates to the servers and clients to authenticate and encrypt transmissions over public networks. The network firewall will be configured to accept this traffic and direct it to the VPN server. This configuration will allow securedRead MoreWeb Design And Hosting The World Wide Web1735 Words   |  7 Pagesgathering is a crucial step with certain things to consider like purpose, goals, target audience and content. During the planning phase web designer will help you decide on what technologies to be implemented. Elements such as whether to create a CMS site using WordPress, Joomla or a static HTML pages. A design should be user-friendly to the extent possible, without the need for adaptation or advanced design. Providing access for visitors with visual, auditory, and other challenges should be an integralRead MoreThe Importance of Corporate Network Security Essay2849 Wor ds   |  12 PagesNetworking is a norm in many corporate based institutions in modern society. Computerized applications, software and communication has been greatly deployed to foster service delivery in the organizations. Despite the many merits tied to networking, it poses some threats that can proof costly if not handled professionally. Good news is that there are measures that can be adopted to form a robust computer network system that will ensure minimal or no intrusion by any assailants. This paper seeks to

Paperless Auditing - 2619 Words

Paperless auditing is a very important issue facing the accounting profession today. Several firms throughout the world are faced with the decision to go paperless and many are in the early stages of becoming a paperless office. It is important for a company to go at this task full force or the benefits will be significantly reduced. When the decision has been made to go to a paperless office, several issues present themselves for the firm. These issues include the level and how to implement a paperless system, what audit issues need to be addressed in the conversion and use, and what are the pros and cons of this system. So with all this talk about going paperless, what exactly does it mean? There are various definitions of†¦show more content†¦This also allows more the one auditor to be working on the same engagement. The software allows the user to see the immediate affect of a journal entry on the various bases of accounting. A nice feature of this program is the f act that it will calculate several preliminary analytical procedures for you automatically. GoSystems also has the uniqueness of being able to consolidate up to 75 different entities. So if you are a bigger business you are also able to utilize this software. This software is an integrated software package so you can use FileCabinet CS with GoSystems to effectively store your files in an organized fashion. You can also link it with GoSystems tax to save time during the busy tax season and not having to re-key in all the information into a tax program. Overall GoSystems has several unique features that might be right for either a small or large company. Prosystem fx Engagement is the final program that we will highlight. According to the CCH Groups website, Prosystem allows multiple users to be working on the same engagement at the same time. It has a check out procedure where the user checks out only the materials he/she needs to complete their section of the audit. One uniq ue feature of Prosystem is that it assigns teams of employees rather then individuals to the binders. This allows quicker set-up and makes the audit flow faster and more smoothly because individuals do not have to be added oneShow MoreRelatedSystem Integration and Validation970 Words   |  4 Pagesand Validation Computer technology has advanced enough to help auditors find more efficient ways to audit. By using different auditing techniques and utilizing audit productivity software auditors can find errors in a business computer system faster and easier. Using this type of computer technology improves Audit documentation and processes. Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques or CAAT’s can be used to validate data and system integrity by using different types such as testing data, integratedRead MoreInformation Technology and The Auditing Professional: The Statements of Auditing Standards No. 109873 Words   |  4 Pagesquestions: 1) â€Å"What aspects of clients accounting information systems must be understood by auditing professionals?† and 2) â€Å"How should auditing professionals use their firms information technology in performing their work?† As the use of information systems has extended over the past decade and continues to do so, auditors must understand that many business entities are in the process of going â€Å"paperless†, that is keeping all records in electronic form only. Hence, tasks which were previously performedRead MoreEvaluation Of A New Employee1571 Words   |  7 Pagesis certain information that will need to be captured for a new customer, these will include: Customers Full Name Date of Birth Current Address for billing purposes (if billing is required) Current email address for billing purposes if your in a paperless environment. Some phone calls will bring up an existing customer where is it just as important to verify all information the above information is correct before progressing on. Other times the person you are speaking with will be a new customerRead MoreE-Commerce and Information System2987 Words   |  12 Pagestests can be performed in a cheaper and more effective manner than before. These changes have improved the method of auditing through the computer. Even with these improvements the approach to auditing has changed when applied to e-commerce. These changes can be seen in the audit trail, internal controls, audit risk, and the shift from traditional auditing to continuous auditing. With the emergence of more businesses using electronic commerce, there was a going concern as to how auditors wouldRead MoreCritique Paper on Completing the Audit and Post-Audit Reponsibilities2301 Words   |  10 PagesCase† studies the relationship between the frequency of RPTs and the external auditors’ reputation. Regulators, standard setters and market participants consider related party transactions a major problem in financial markets. The quality of external auditing may be proposed as an important governance mechanism to alleviate the propensity of insiders to use related party transactions. The study tests the prevalence of audit quality to reduce the number of these transactions. Audit quality is positivelyRead MoreProfessional Misconduct58343 Words   |  234 Pagestotal exceeds the fees payable for carrying out the statutory audit of the same. ↠ As auditor of a concern while he is indebted to the concern or has given any guarantee for limits fixed in the statute in other cases exceeding Rs. 10,000. AUDITING AND ASSURANCE STANDARD AAS – 1 BASIC PRINCIPLES GOVERNING AN AUDIT Documentation : The auditor should maintain documentation of the important matters. Integrity, Objectivity and Independence : – Auditor should be interestRead MoreSystem Integrity and Validation1007 Words   |  5 PagesFoods, encouragement of ways to improve audit documentation and process, by using computer technology was addressed to Kudler’s management team. As a result, Kudler Fine Foods management team is considering incorporating proposed computer assisted auditing techniques (CAATs) within its systems. CAATs will increase efficiency levels of an auditor’s personal productivity during analysis and data extraction of the audit which is beneficial to the performance of Kudler. CAAT will also service as a validationRead MoreThesis1205 Words   |  5 PagesLocal, Gap Bridge of the Study, Synthesis of the Study. Related Literature: With signiï ¬ cant U.S. federal funds now available to replace outdated punch-card and mechanical voting systems, municipalities and states throughout the U.S. are adopting paperless electronic voting systems from a number of different vendors. We present a security analysis of the source code to one such machine used in a signiï ¬ cant share of the market. Our analysis shows that this voting system is far below even the most minimalRead MoreIntels Value Chain767 Words   |  4 Pagesat universities across the nation, and are a unique way that Intel can groom and train new talent and potential employees, even before they are ready for hire. Firm infrastructure: A publicly listed company, with sound financial auditing and an emphasis on going paperless. Intel encourages its investors to enroll in Electronic Shareholder Communications and receive their statements, tax information and proxy materials electronically. A flexible quality management system architecture is in place toRead MoreTechnology And Risk Management Process1297 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Research Industry are revision to the â€Å"Common Rule† â€Å"to reduce burden, delay and ambiguity for investigators†, the Food and Drug administration (FDA) encouraging Diversity because there is variability of drug response and FDA’s initiatives for paperless trials with the release of multiple guidance documents addressing technology tools including electronic informed consent (FDA, 2017; HHS, 2017 and Mitchel Helfgott, 2017). Furthermore, widespread adoption of new software and technologies like

Article Review for Child Protection in Australia - myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theArticle Review for Child Protection in Australia. Answer: Summary of Ideas and Arguments In the article titled, Child Protection and Vulnerable Families: Trends and Issues in the Australian Context, the author Elizabeth Fernandez provides a discussion on the development of child protection in Australia. She argues that instances of Child maltreatment are more prevalent among vulnerable families in the country (Fernandez, 2014). This has led to the federal government intervening in cases of child abuse through state government child protection agencies. The author indicates that one of the most effective ways to protect children from the maltreatment in their homes is through empowering vulnerable families (Fernandez, 2014). Doing this has proven to be effective as it has led to an increase in the number of reports on child abuse thereby enabling the relevant government agencies to take action to safeguard the child. Theories The arguments presented by the author are underpinned by the culture of poverty theories. A popular facet of the culture of poverty theories holds that a significant percentage of abusive parents tend to replicate the parenting style they experienced growing up (Bywaters et al., 2016). This serves to explain why cases of child mistreatment are predominant amongst members of the countries indigenous community. Influence of Information Presented The information will help me as a social worker be able to effectively relate to abused children from the vulnerable families, interact with their parents and develop effective treatment plans. The information is also helpful in deciding whether or not an out of home care system is the best option for a mistreated child or not. Reflection The information presented in the article is quite significant to me as it demonstrates the major drivers of child mistreatment in Australia. It also educates me on the major forms of child abuse in the country and the different protection processes an abused child can go through. Through this information, one can be able to effectively execute his/her duties as a social worker and child protector. Aged Care in Australia Summary The article, Residential Aged Care Policy in Australia- Are We Learning from Evidence? by Lynn Chenoweth, Marie dela Rama, and Richard Baldwin provides information on the development of the country's aged care industry. The authors indicate that the country's aged care sector will grow significantly in the coming ten years thereby resulting in an increase in government expenditure (Baldwin, Chenoweth, 2015). The authors argue that the reforms being implemented by the government are likely to impact the quality of care that is provided for the age in society. They indicate there is a need for the government to implement policy that is evidence-based and reflect the industry structure. Theory The information provided in the article is based on the theory of resource mobilization where the greater the demand, the more the cost (McCarthy, Zald, 2013). This will make it difficult for a significant percentage of those who require aged care to get access to it. The government, therefore, needs to implement policies that will cushion those who need residential care from the rising cost. Influence of Information Presented As a social worker, the information presented in the article might make one more active in government policy formulation. The more proactive a social worker is in policy formulation, the more successful he/she is at his work. This is largely because the information demonstrates the fact that government policy plays a significant role in influencing the cost and quality of care. Reflection The information presented in the article is quite significant to a social worker as it reflects on the impact of government policies on the number of social workers. Through the information provided, it is also evident that for the residential aged care industry to grow, there is a need for policy decisions to be based on evidence-based practice. Social Justice The article titled, A Social Justice View of Educators Conceptions of Aboriginal Children Starting School, by Lysa Dealtry, Sue Dockett, and Bob Perry investigates the challenges faced by aboriginal children in the Australian education system (Dealtry et al., 2017). In the article, the authors indicate that aboriginal children are treated differently from white children in the countrys academic system. In the article, the author discusses the pedagogical principles educators rely on when considering the strength and needs of aboriginal children as they transition from home to school setting (Dealtry et al., 2017). The article reveals that despite measures to effectively integrate the aboriginal educational system into the mainstream system of learning, there are still numerous challenges facing aboriginal students (Dealtry et al., 2017). The system is highly discriminatory against aboriginal students. Theory The arguments presented in the article are based on the principle of cultural discrimination. The principle of cultural discrimination reflects the practice of treating people differently based on their cultural practices (Farkas, 2003). This is largely because the members of the aboriginal community have different cultural practices and as a result are prone to numerous challenges. Influence As a social worker, the information presented in the paper plays a considerable role in developing child education system that is fair and just. It is evident that aboriginal children in the country face significant challenges in the education system and thus there is a need for mechanisms to make the transition smoother for them. Reflection The information presented is quite important as it demonstrates the practice of cultural discrimination within the education system. Through this information, social workers can identify the areas in which the country's education system is failing and improve on them. By doing this education is made fair to all children. References Dealtry, L., Perry, B., Dockett, S. (2017). A Social Justice View of Educators Conceptions of Aboriginal Children Starting School. InPedagogies of Educational Transitions(pp. 113-130). Springer International Publishing. Bywaters, P., Bunting, L., Davidson, G., Hanratty, J., Mason, W., McCartan, C., Steils, N. (2016). The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect: An evidence review. Fernandez, E. (2014). Child protection and vulnerable families: trends and issues in the Australian context.Social Sciences,3(4), 785-808. Baldwin, R., Chenoweth, L. (2015). Residential Aged Care Policy in AustraliaAre We Learning from Evidence?.Australian Journal of Public Administration,74(2), 128-141. Farkas, G. (2003). Racial disparities and discrimination in education: What do we know, how do we know it, and what do we need to know?.Teachers College Record,105(6), 1119-1146. McCarthy, J. D., Zald, M. N. (2013). Resource mobilization and social movements: A partial theory.American journal of sociology,82(6), 1212-1241.

My Life as a Bug free essay sample

The day started out as normal as any day could be. I woke up, played with my bugs life finger puppets, ate some cereal, hopped in the shower, and took off towards school. I was running late, like usual, when my car decided not to start. So naturally, instead of asking my parents for a ride, I decided to sprint. I made it half way to the school when I felt something crawling on my head. I immediately started screaming and turning in circles until I fell on the ground in a panic.My legs began to flail, I started beating my hands on the ground, and began chanting, Bog Log, Shimmy Change, Tipsy Tops, AWAKE! When my eyes flew open, I could not believe what I saw. My vision was so clear. I could see a complete circle all the way around me. I thought it was a little bit odd that I didnt have to turn around to complete this task, but my attention was not focused on what transformation had taken place. We will write a custom essay sample on My Life as a Bug or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I stared to stand up, but realized that I was already standing. I looked down and opened my mouth to let out an enormous scream.Instead of a scream, the noise that escaped my mouth was ear piercing. The tone resembled fingernails on a chalkboard. I tried to scream again, but all that came was the same noise over and over again. As soon as I became fed up with trying to scream, I decided I better get to school no matter what shape I was In. When I arrived at the school, I stood there, straightening on how to open the door. I spotted Lope coming out of the office towards the front door, so I held In the garden my Mrs. . Greens room. I waited for him to walk out the door and scurried Into the school.I Hough I had made It with out anyone seeing me but Mr.. Sutton started walking in the opposite direction as Lope. I stood as still as possible. When I noticed that he was talking to himself again about how good he looked In his suit, I knew I was safe. I crawled to the office so I could look at the clock and see which class I needed to attend. It was fourth hour, which meant the hour was government class. My heart sank. From the beginning of the year, Mr.. Barrett set only two rules. One, no looking him directly In the eye, and two, no talking about, looking at, or crushingI could not even bring my self to say the word. Mr.. Barrett was deathly afraid of this word. He had to be rushed to the hospital after he saw this word. He had poison stashed In his overhead cart that would kill this word wealth seconds of exposure. My worst nightmare was playing out right before my eyes! I had somehow become a gigantic this word! Im a Lam a.. . Lam A BUG! As I shrieked that last statement, I knew I could not have been the only one to hear my awful excuse for a voice.I began to feel quick feet moving around Mr.. Barrettes classroom, red flashing lights with alarms activated, and a loud machine-Like sound growled from Inside. The door opened, I saw a puff of dust, and before I hit the ground, I noticed In Mr.. Barrettes shirt pocket a book entitled; How to be Prepared When Killer Bugs Strike For Dummies. I hit the ground and everything went black. Unbelievable things had taken place that odd day. When I awoke, I had what felt Like the worst pain In the world shooting all the way through the front side of my body.I looked around and realized I was sprawled out In the he color of a tasty summer tomato. For 4 hours, I had been laying in the road having a dream about turning into a giant bug while acquiring the worst sunburn of my life. I stood up, painfully brushed off the rock and dirt, and made my way down the path towards school for the second, and what I hoped to be, the last time that day. Nothing was going to stop me from having a good day, not even a third degree burn That was until I heard the tires shriek, horn honk, and the whole cycle of the day beginning once more.

Strategic Planning in Educational Organizations

Introduction Strategic planning has been employed mainly in business environments to shape long-term future. This is mainly because sustainability of such businesses is crucial to their competitiveness. In the recent past, strategic planning has been implemented in educational institutions and organizations. This has resulted in mixed reactions about its achievements.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Planning in Educational Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, its effectiveness in most businesses has also received mixed reactions. This poses the question as to how and when it can be effective. Several theorists have suggested ways of ensuring strategic planning is successfully implemented in businesses and educational centers as well as other organizations. In some cases, strategic planning tries to define organization’s direction and plan for the future. Furthermore, businesse s use it to overcome or avoid completion. It is quite important to note that for strategic planning to be effectively implemented; those concerned must ensure that its conditions are met. If this is not done, the outcome is usually unpredictable. This paper will examine strategic planning in educational organizations, conditions for its implementation, pros and cons as well as provide a recommendation on its use as a change in elementary work setting (Reeves, 2007, P. 1). Strategic Planning Strategic Planning refers to the process of shaping an organization or an individual’s future. It may also imply that a mission is desired and therefore every effort is channeled towards its achievement. Long-term future of any organization is dependent on its performance. In addition, the organization must have a vision or picture that conveys its desired future. All these should be in place before starting the process of strategic planning. Again, it is crucial to note that strategic pla nning assumes a collaborative process. This may disappoint those hoping to oversee implementation as detailed in the strategic plan. Strategic planning is inclusive and requires collaboration for achievement of goals. The plan usually defines a number (small, for instance, 10) of strategic objectives, which should be met to the desired goal or vision of such an organization. This involves an exclusive examination of approaches and process of strategic planning to achieve success. These are as stated below.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Approaches to Strategic Planning Implementation of strategic planning involves choice of different approaches. These include Future search, SWOT, ZOPP/OOP/LFA, and Open space, among others. These approaches share some similar principles such as the belief that future can always be shaped. The approaches also share a belief in â€Å"whole system†, which means that all stakeholders need to be involved for any success to be achieved. Similarly, the approaches have differences, which are observed in their strengths and weaknesses. Future search This kind of approach is commonly observed in non-business organizations. It involves planning and executing actions found to enjoy mutual support. It emphasizes on â€Å"leap forward† technique, in which the organization identifies its future condition and tries to reach it. SWOT SWOT is very common in business environments. This is mainly because it tries to evaluate the weaknesses, strengths and opportunities, as well as threats to survival of the business. ZOPP/OOP/LFA This terms refers to (LFA) Logical framework approach which is sometimes known as (OOPP) Objective oriented project planning or ZOPP in German, This type of approach emphasizes on identifying the problems by use of cause effective analysis method and then looks at ways of alleviating them. Open space This meth od of approach is a precursor to the initial approach, Future search. It goes on with already agreed topics and agenda. It is usually brought forward by a facilitator who allows people to nominate pressing issues and is ready to take responsibility (Schmoker, 2004, P. 5). Processes of Strategic Planning Strategic planning involves several processes for its requirements to be met. These processes are sequential and involve various activities. Educational organizations need to follow a systematic process in strategic management to achieve their goals. These include articulation of core values for institution or educational organization, developing of its mission statement, vision statement, and determining of the organization’s strategic objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Planning in Educational Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Further, on, the organization should define its main activities plus responsibilities and then disseminate as well as implement its plan. Finally, the organization should monitor outcomes of its activities and amend its plan as necessary. These processes entail various steps as shown above. Moreover, each of these steps involves several activities. In order to achieve the required results, all steps above have to be executed. In addition, execution of these steps should be in their correct order. In case executions are done in a different manner, which is not in the correct order, latter processes would be compromised. This may lead to eventual failure of the whole process. These processes should therefore be followed as prescribed to avoid mixed results. Merits of the strategic planning process in schools and other organizations Strategic planning has several advantages to organizations. These include increasing probability of an organization’s survival, increasing their market share, in case of other organizations, and motivating other stakeholders within the organization. Other advantages include improving the organization’s competitiveness and planning of quantum leap, which elevates it to a new level. It also enables the organization to renew its direction in case plan is for renewal. Strategic planning is important in allowing for smooth mergers and acquisitions of organization as it conveys its mission and the prevailing position. Strategic planning is also important in helping the organization to manage both internal and external factors that may affect it. Drawbacks of the strategic planning process in schools and other organizations Strategic planning is very important in monitoring the progress of organizations and schools. However, this is not easy as any mistake in following the laid out strategic plan compromises latter stages of the whole process. This is a drawback since such failures would mean starting the whole process a fresh and would be more expensive as well as time was ting. Other disadvantages include the fact that, in a school setting, some targets such a behavior of students may not be quantified. In essence, methods of evaluating the results may not be valid. Strategic planning has several strict conditions that may not apply in school settings; this may not be helpful for the organization (Evans, 2007, P. 2).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conditions under which strategic planning is both effective and ineffective Strategic planning can only be effective if done according to the prescribed order. This involves several steps and processes, which include activities that have to be done in accordance with the strategic plan. On the other hand, strategic planning cannot be effective if done without following correct order. This compromises the latter stages of strategic process and leads to a failure (Bonstingl, 2009, P. 3). Strategic Planning and change in your work setting Strategic planning was mainly used in business settings. Its adoption in school settings has outputted mixed results since school settings involve many activities and stakeholders. This starts from the staff, parents to students, among other stakeholders. Since strategic planning involves inclusion of all stakeholders, and given the gap between these groups of individuals in school setting, implementing strategic plan is quite involving. However, when done in accordance with the correct procedure, which may involve combination of its approaches, it can be successful. Change in work setting can therefore be attained by adopting and implementing strategic planning (Basham Lunenburg, 1989, p. 29). Conclusion Strategic Planning refers to the process of shaping an organization or an individual’s future. More often than not, it has been employed in business environments to shape their long-term futures. This is mainly because sustainability of such businesses is crucial to their competitiveness. In the recent past, strategic planning has been implemented in educational institutions and organizations. This has resulted in mixed reactions concerning its achievements. Moreover, its effectiveness in most businesses has also received mixed reactions. The paper examines four main approaches to strategic planning along with processes involved in strategic planning. These approaches are Future search, SWOT, ZOPP/OOP/LFA, and Open spac e, among others. In addition, the processes include among others, articulation of core values for institution or educational organization, developing of its mission statement, vision statement, and determining of the organization’s strategic objectives. Strategic planning has several advantages, which include among others, increasing the probability of an organization’s survival. Strategic planning is therefore important in educational organizations (Cook, 1988, p. 25). Recommendation Just as Strategic planning is important in business sector, it is also necessary in educational organizations. However, this must be done in accordance with the provided sequence of steps. Organizations should therefore ensure that all the laid out procedures are followed as agreed to succeed in strategic planning (McCune, 1986, p. 45). Reference List Basham, V., Lunenburg, F. (1989). Strategic planning, student achievement and school district financial and demographic factors. Planning and Changing, 20(3), 158–171. Bonstingl, J. J. (2009). Strategic planning during tough times. Leadership, 38(3), 8-10. Grand Canyon University Library Cook, B. (1988). Strategic planning for America’s schools. Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators. Evans, R. (2007). The case against strategic planning. Independent School, 67(1), 92-104. Grand Canyon University Librar. McCune, S. (1986). Strategic planning for educators. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Reeves, D. B. (2007). Making strategic planning work. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 86-87. Grand Canyon University Library. Schmoker, M. (2004). Tipping point: From feckless reform to substantive instructional improvement. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(6), 424-432. Grand Canyon University Library. This essay on Strategic Planning in Educational Organizations was written and submitted by user Kristopher Barr to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Strategic Planning in Educational Organizations

TOEFL Essay Writing - Topics and Ideas For Writing a Good TOEFL Essay

TOEFL Essay Writing - Topics and Ideas For Writing a Good TOEFL EssayThe topic of a TOEFL essay writing must be extremely interesting to the student. It should also be well rounded and complex. This will not be easy for the students because there are several interesting topics out there that require studying. Nonetheless, they have to make sure that it is interesting enough so that the students who will be studying the essay can enjoy reading the essay.To test the writing skills of the student, the teacher has to write in some particular topics on the TOEFL essay writing and then ask a group of students to guess the topic of the essay. The teacher has to provide a detailed explanation and examples to support their hypothesis. The students should not feel annoyed if the teacher provides some theories and they are not totally convinced. The best way is to understand the theory that the teacher has to prove so that the students can make up their own mind about the topic of the essay.The student has to work hard and be sincere in his answer. It is not the student's responsibility to decide on the topic of the essay. The teacher does this task and that is all. The student has to decide whether he/she is able to address the main points of the paper. There are topics like 'Beauty and the Beast', 'The Lion King', 'The Butterfly Effect' and the other fictitious topics.The first thing that a student should think about is not to use the same word for all the topics of the essay. There are several different genres out there and the students have to choose their own topic from the variety. For example, if there is a fictitious topic 'The Butterfly Effect' then it is better if the student uses a few different words to address the topic. This will help the student address the topic with some creativity and with some imagination.One important part of the TOEFL essay writing is the analysis of the materials. The students should not waste their time and energy by answering one q uestion and moving on to another question that is related to the given topic. Instead, the student should use the entire duration of the essay to analyze the materials so that he/she will understand them. The students should know what materials are used in the studies so that they will know how to conduct the study effectively. This will definitely help the student.As far as the presentation of the material is concerned, the student should give an unbiased and fair idea to the reader. He/she should make sure that the student gives an accurate presentation of the material. The student should be able to explain and give the right answers. Students should be able to utilize the material effectively so that they can answer all the questions successfully.One important part of the TOEFL essay writing is to be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the student. They should know the information that is used in the given topic. The student should be able to follow and organize the information properly. If the student knows how to use the information correctly, then it is already an excellent achievement.