Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free

Impact of Technology Essay Students in the early grades, from pre-K to grade 3, and in the middle school grades appear to benefit most from DES applications for reading instruction, as do students with special reading needs. In a 2000 study commissioned by the Software and Information Industry Association, Sivin-Kachala and Bialo (2000) reviewed 311 research studies on the effectiveness of technology on student achievement. Their findings revealed positive and consistent patterns when students were engaged in technology-rich environments, including significant gains and achievement in all subject areas, increased achievement in preschool through high school for both regular and special needs students, and improved attitudes toward learning and increased self-esteem. ODwyer, Russell, Bebell, and Tucker-Seeley (2005) found that, while controlling for both prior achievement and socioeconomic status, fourth-grade students who reported greater frequency of technology use at school to edit papers were likely to have higher total English/language arts test scores and higher writing scores on fourth grade test scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English/Language Arts test. Michigans Freedom to Learn (FTL) initiative, an effort to provide middle school students and teachers with access to wireless laptop computers, has been credited with improving grades, motivation and discipline in classrooms across the state, with one exemplary school seeing reading proficiency scores on the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test, administered in January 2005, reportedly increasing from 29 percent to 41 percent for seventh graders and from 31 to 63 percent for eighth graders (eSchool News, 2005). In examining large-scale state and national studies, as well as some innovative smaller studies on newer educational technologies, Schacter (1999) found that students with access to any of a number of technologies (such as computer assisted instruction, integrated learning systems, simulations and software that teaches higher order thinking, collaborative networked technologies, or design and programming technologies) show positive gains in achievement on researcher constructed tests, standardized tests, and national tests. Cavanaughs synthesis (2001) of 19 experimental and quasi-experimental studies of the effectiveness of interactive distance education using videoconferencing and telecommunications for K-12 academic achievement found a small positive effect in favor of distance education and more positive effect sizes for interactive distance education programs that combine an individualized approach with traditional classroom instruction. Boster, Meyer, Roberto, ; Inge (2002) examined the integration of standards-based video clips into lessons developed by classroom teachers and found increases student achievement. The study of more than 1,400 elementary and middle school students in three Virginia school districts showed an average increase in learning for students exposed to the video clip application compared to students who received traditional instruction alone. Wenglinsky (1998) noted that for fourth- and eighth-graders technology has positive benefits on achievement as measured in NAEPs mathematics test. Interestingly, Wenglinsky found that using computers to teach low order thinking skills, such as drill and practice, had a negative impact on academic achievement, while using computers to solve simulations saw their students math scores increase significantly. Hiebert (1999) raised a similar point. When students over-practice procedures before they understand them, they have more difficulty making sense of them later; however, they can learn new concepts and skills while they are solving problems. In a study that examined relationship between computer use and students science achievement based on data from a standardized assessment, Papanastasiou, Zemblyas, Vrasidas (2003) found it is not the computer use itself that has a positive or negative effect on achievement of students, but the way in which computers are used. Researchers are also making progress on the more complicated task of investigating the impact of technology use on higher order thinking skills as measured through means other than standardized tests. They are examining students ability to understand complex phenomena, analyze and synthesize multiple sources of information, and build representations of their own knowledge. At the same time, some researchers are calling for newer standardized assessments that emphasize the ability to access, interpret, and synthesize information. Research indicates that computer technology can help support learning and is especially useful in developing the higher-order skills of critical thinking, analysis, and scientific inquiry by engaging students in authentic, complex tasks within collaborative learning contexts (Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin ; Means, 2000; Means, et. al. , 1993). While research linking technology integration, inquiry-based teaching, and emphasis on problem solving with student achievement is emergent, some research exists that suggests a connection. In a 2001 study of Enhancing Missouris Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMints) program, a statewide technology integration initiative, eMINTS students scored consistently higher on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) than non-eMINTS students, including eMINTS students classified as having special needs. The higher MAP results were found to be associated with the instructional practices (Evaluation Team Policy Brief, 2002). The eMINTS program provides teachers with professional development to help integrate technology so that they can use inquiry-based teaching and emphasize critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. The program has since expanded to not only Missouri schools and districts but also other states as well. Currently, 232 Missouri districts, 10 Utah districts, 56 Maine districts, 2 Nevada districts, and 1 Illinois district, representing 1,000 classrooms and 22,500 students now take advantage of the eMINTS program offerings. Test results continue to show that, on most state tests, students enrolled in eMINTS classrooms scored higher than students enrolled in non-eMINTS classrooms and that low-income and special education students in eMINTS classes generally score higher than their non-eMINTS peers (eMINTS, 2005). Results from other studies (Perez-Prado and Thirunarayanan 2002; Cooper 2001; Smith, Ferguson and Caris 2001) also suggest that students can benefit from technology-enhanced collaborative learning methods and the interactive learning process. Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin, Means (2000) identify four fundamental characteristics of how technology can enhance both what and how children learn in the classroom: (1) active engagement, (2) participation in groups, (3) frequent interaction and feedback, and (4) connections to real-world contexts. They also indicate that use of technology is more effective as a learning tool when embedded in a broader education reform movement that includes improvements in teacher training, curriculum, student assessment, and a schools capacity for change. Back To Top FACTORS TO CONSIDER Inclusion: Reaching All Students A major concern of many educators with regard to educational technology is its potential to exclude those who may not have access to it, or may not be able to use it. Regardless of what research may indicate concerning positive effects of technology on student learning, technology will be of limited use in achieving the goals of NCLB if is not available to all students. Students at Risk. Research demonstrates that the challenge of helping teachers and students achieve ICT literacy, and the challenge of establishing frameworks for assessing their skills, is most acute in schools serving low-socioeconomic, minority students (Becker, 2000b; Becker ; Ravitz, 1997). While public debate about the digital divide centers on basic technology access, the gap is even wider when measured by the pedagogical practices associated with technology use in different schools. More than half (53%) of teachers in public schools who have computers use them or the Internet for instruction during class. But in schools whose students are from higher-income families, 61 percent of teachers with computers use them in class compared to 50 percent of those teaching in schools with lower-income students (Lenhart, Rainie ; Lewis, 2001). And as wired as many young people are, the same study that found 87 percent of young people use the Internet also found that 3 million remain without Internet access. Many of those without access come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, and a disproportionate number are black (eSchool News, 2005a). Schools serving students living in poverty tend to use technology for more traditional memory-based and remedial activities, while schools serving wealthier communities are more likely to focus on communication and expression. A nationwide study examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and teaching practices around technology found that teaching in low-SES schools correlated most strongly with using technology for reinforcement of skills and remediation of skills, while teaching in higher-SES schools correlated most with analyzing information and presenting information to an audience (Becker, 2000b). At the same time, although less studied than other outcomes, demonstration efforts and anecdotal evidence suggest that teaching ICT literacy skills (specifically those related to multimedia literacy in Web, publishing and video production) can improve the economic prospects of at-risk youth by giving them marketable skills (Lau ; Lazarus, 2002). Back To Top Language Learners. Likewise, in teaching language learners, using technology has distinct advantages that relate not only to language education but preparing students for todays information society. Computer technologies and the Internet are powerful tools for assisting language teaching because Web technology is a part of todays social fabric, meaning language learners can now learn thorough writing e-mail and conducting online research (Wang, 2005). In Oregon secondary schools, wirelessly networked note taking is used to support Hispanic migrant students who speak English as a second language (ESL). As part of the InTime project, ESL students attend regular high school classes along with a bilingual, note-taking/mentoring partner. Note takers and students communicate using a collaborative word processing and graphics package on wirelessly networked laptop computers. During class presentations, ESL students can read their note takers translation of key words, allowing students to build both English and Spanish literacy skills as they advance academically (Knox and Anderson-Inman, 2001). Students with Disabilities. For several decades, the American educational system has taken a narrow view of special education, treating it as a mini-school within the school where teachers, largely cut off from the rest of the staff, faced a group of students with an incredibly wide range of abilities and disabilities and made the best of it. Today, that view of special education is giving way to a broader, more philosophical approach—an approach designed to weave inclusive practices into t he fabric of the whole-school environment. (MOSAIC, 2000a). The shift in recognizing the needs of students with disabilities in relationship to their general education peers began with the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Before the law, many children with disabilities who were not in schools at all because schools had chosen to exclude them (MOSAIC, 2000b). IDEA clearly established that all students with disabilities have the right to public education. More than 6 million children with disabilities ages 3 to 21 years old are served in federally supported programs (Snyder Tan, 2005). However, students with disabilities frequently experience insufficient access to and success in the general education curriculum. This is especially true for adolescent learners, even non-disabled students, who must cope with the emphasis on learning from text (Biancarosa Snow, 2004; Kamil, 2003). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) takes advantage of the opportunity brought by rapidly evolving communication technologies to create flexible teaching methods and curriculum materials that can reach diverse learners and improve student access to the general education curriculum (Rose Meyer, 2002). UDL assumes that students bring different needs and skills to the task of learning, and the learning environment should be designed to both accommodate, and make use of, these differences (Bowe 2000; Rose Meyer, 2002). To promote improved access to the general curriculum for all learners, including learners with disabilities, Rose Meyer (2002) have identified three key principles or guidelines for UDL: Presenting information in multiple formats and multiple media. Offering students with multiple ways to express and demonstrate what they have learned. Providing multiple entry points to engage student interest and motivate learning. For example, printed reading materials pose substantial challenges to the learning of students with disabilities (J. Zorfass: personal communication, October 2005). Technology can assist with such difficulties by enabling a shift from printed text to electronic text, which Anderson-Inman and Reinking (1998) assert can be modified, enhanced, programmed, linked, searched, collapsed, and collaborative. Text styles and font sizes can be modified as needed by readers with visual disabilities; read aloud by a computer-based text-to-speech translators; and integrated with illustrations, videos, and audio. Electronic text affords alternative formats for reading materials that can be customized to match learner needs, can be structured in ways that scaffold the learning process and expand both physical and cognitive access, and can foster new modes of expression through revision and multimedia (J. Zorfass: personal communication, October 2005). It represents one way that technology can support the achievement of students with disabilities. Technology also has a role to play in the testing of students with disabilities. A notable outgrowth of NCLB is the legislations mandatory requirement that states account for individual subgroups, which has further challenged schools and districts to acknowledge students with disabilities (McLaughlin, S Embler, K Nagle, 2004; Nagle, 2005). State academic content and achievement standards now define the goals of education for all students, and most students with disabilities are now expected to reach the same level of proficiency as their non-disabled peers. In order to ensure that disabilities do not prevent students from participating in standardized assessments, students with disabilities are entitled to take these tests in the same way as their peers, with accommodations, or with an alternate assessment (Thompson, Thurlow, ; Moore, 2003). These accommodations or alternatives must not alter the content standard being measured nor the achievement standard (McLaughlin, Embler ; Nagle, 2004). While technology can support such accommodations and alternatives, striking a balance between accommodation and standardization across all students testing experiences remains a subject of debate today (Murray, 2005). Back To Top Educational Technology and Data Driven Decision Making The effectiveness of educational technology on student learning depends not only on what outcomes are targeted and how the technology is integrated into instruction, but also on how teachers assess student performance in classrooms and adjust instruction accordingly. Technology offers teachers a broad range of tools to collect and analyze data, and richer sets of student data to guide instructional decisions. NCLB has prompted educators to think much more systematically about educational decision-making and the use of data to inform their decisions about everything from resource allocation to instructional practice. Schools are now expected to monitor their efforts to enable all students to achieve, and administrators and teachers are now expected to be prepared to use data to understand where students are academically and to establish targeted, responsive, and flexible ways to improve this academic standing (Mitchell, Lee, Herman, 2000, p. 2). However, despite encouragement at the policy level, there is growing consensus that schools are not adequately prepared for the task of routinely thinking critically about the relationships between instructional practices and student outcomes (Confrey Makar, 2005; Olsen, 2003; Hammerman Rubin, 2002; Herman Gribbons, 2001; Kearns Harvey, 2000). Recent research conducted by EDCs Center for Children and Technology has found that educators working at different levels of a school system have distinctive intuitive approaches to the process, despite the absence of systematic training in a particular approach to data-driven decision-making. For example, school administrators use high-stakes test data to allocate resources and plan professional development and other kinds of targeted intervention activities by identifying general patterns of performance, class-, grade-, and school-wide strengths and weaknesses. Teachers tend to use multiple sources of data—homework assignments, in-class tests, classroom performances, and experiential information—to inform their thinking about their students strengths and weaknesses (Brunner, Fasca, Heinze, Honey, Light, Mandinach ; Wexler, 2005; Light, Wexler ; Heinze, 2004; Honey, Brunner, Light, Kim, McDermott, Heinze, Bereiter ; Mandinach, 2002). While drawing on varied sources of data to form opinions about students competencies is not new behavior for teachers, significant research (Mandinach, Honey, Light, Heinze, Rivas, 2005; Confrey Makar, 2002, 2005; Hammerman, Rubin, 2002, 2003) suggests that teachers examine factors that contribute to individual patterns of behavior and think case-by-case, rather than identify patterns in data at different levels of aggregation, from student-to-student, class-to-class, and year-to-year, and systematically analyze the relationship between student performance and instructional strategies and materials. Data literacy—the ability of instructional leaders and teachers to work individually and collectively to examine outcomes-based achievement data, formative assessment measures of student performance, and students work products, and to develop strategies for improvement based on these data—is now widely recognized as a critical strategy in the academic performance of schools (Fullan, 1999; Haycock, 2001; Johnson, 1996; Love, 2004; Schmoker, 1999; Zalles, 2005). A key concept of data literacy is generating only the data that are needed and making full use of whats collected. The National Research Council (1996) notes that, far too often, more educational data are collected and analyzed than are used to make decisions or take action (p. 90). Those resources become meaningful to educators only when they are transformed into information, and ultimately into usable or actionable knowledge (Mandinach Honey, 2005). Taken as a whole, the emerging research in this area suggests that what is needed is a comprehensive and purposeful approach to the use of data that not only informs the practices of individual teachers, but is supported as an essential and strategic part of school-wide improvement strategies. New professional development programs are now training teachers and school leaders in how to make use of data in systematic and rigorous ways to continuously improve student performance. For example, TERC has created Using Data, a professional development model that introduces teachers to a process through which they learn to frame questions, collect data, formulate hypotheses, draw conclusions, take action, and monitor results (Love, 2002). Preliminary studies have indicated that this model has had an impact on teacher classroom behavior and on their approach to data analysis and interpretation (Love, 2004), and has also improved student learning as indicated by state and formative assessments (Zuman, 2005). Results from external evaluations of the intervention conducted in various locations have shown substantial gains in student performance on state accountability measures in the areas of math and language arts. Technology has a vital role to play in enabling data-driven decision-making. Web-based test data reporting systems provide an interface to the state and city testing results by organizing raw data into information that is aligned with state standards and mobile computing devices, such as handhelds, provide teachers with a platform to administer and analyze the data of classroom-based assessments. For example, according to the 2004 Quality Education Data, 55 percent of the nations public school districts used PDAs or handheld PCs in the 2002-2003 school year with an additional 8 percent expected to purchase them for use during the 2003-2004 school year. The numbers released by Wireless Generation, a for-profit company that designs educational assessment applications for handheld devices, suggests an even greater increase. During the fall of 2005, Wireless estimates that roughly 80,000 teachers, working in 48 states will be using their software to collect and analyze data for up to one million students in pre-K through sixth grade. The company currently has contracts with ten Reading First states, as well as with some of the largest school districts in the nation, including the New York City Board of Education and Chicago Public Schools. While using PDAs to administer assessments and view data are becoming increasingly popular, few studies have examined the effect they have on teacher practice and student achievement (Brunner ; Honey, 2001; Hupert, Martin, Heinze, Kanaya, ; Perez, 2004; Sharp ; Risko, 2003; Sharp, 2004). Studies that have begun to examine this trend suggest that that these tools assist teachers in thinking more substantively about students progress. As a whole, the research indicates that the single most powerful affordance of the technology is its ability to support teachers in using assessments to acquire information about students thinking and learning, and to use the understanding gained to further shape their instructional practice (Brunner ; Honey, 2001; Hupert et al. , 2004; Sharp ; Risko, 2003). Such a strategy places assessment squarely in the center of the classroom where it can potentially count the most. Back To Top The Complex Nature of Change Another factor influencing the impact of technology on student achievement is that changes in classroom technologies correlate to changes in other educational factors as well. Originally the determination of student achievement was based on traditional methods of social scientific investigation: it asked whether there was a specific, causal relationship between one thing—technology—and another—student achievement. Because schools are complex social environments, however, it is impossible to change just one thing at a time (Glennan ; Melmed, 1996; Hawkins, Panush, ; Spielvogel, 1996; Newman, 1990). If a new technology is introduced into a classroom, other things also change. For example, teachers perceptions of their students capabilities can shift dramatically when technology is integrated into the classroom (Honey, Chang, Light, Moeller, in press). Also, teachers frequently find themselves acting more as coaches and less as lecturers (Henriquez ; Riconscente, 1998). Another example is that use of technology tends to foster collaboration among students, which in turn may have a positive effect on student achievement (Tinzmann, 1998). Because the technology becomes part of a complex network of changes, its impact cannot be reduced to a simple cause-and-effect model that would provide a definitive answer to how it has improved student achievement. Back To Top IMPLICATIONS These findings have implications for every district and school using or planning to use technology. Research on successfully developing, evaluating, studying, and implementing a wide range of technology-based educational programs suggests that the value of technology for students will not be realized unless attention is paid to several important considerations that support the effective use of technology (ISTE, 2002; Byrom ; Bingham, 2001; Chang, Henriquez, Honey, Light, Moeller, ; Ross, 1998; Cradler, 1997; Frederiksen ; White, 1997; Hawkins, Panush, ; Spielvogel, 1996; Honey, McMillan, Tsikalas, ; Light, 1996; National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1996; Pea ; Gomez, 1992). These considerations are: Specific educational goals and a vision of learning through technology Ongoing professional development Structural changes in the school day A robust technical infrastructure and technical support Ongoing evaluation Back To Top 1. Educational Goals and a Vision of Learning Through Technology Before technology is purchased or teachers participate in their first professional development session, the educational goals for students should be determined. What do students need to learn, and how can technology promote those learning goals? To answer these questions, the school can convene a technology planning team comprising administrators, teachers, other instructional staff, technology coordinators, students, parents, and representatives of the community. This team first develops a clear set of goals, expectations, and criteria for student learning based on national and state standards, the student population, and community concerns. Next, it determines the types of technology that will best support efforts to meet those goals. The viewpoints of parents and community members are helpful in presenting a broader perspective of skills that students need to succeed after school. In fact, communitywide involvement in determining the schools technology goals benefits the entire educational process (Byrom Bingham, 2001; Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). Rather than using technology for technologys sake, the planning team ensures that particular educational objectives are achieved more efficiently, in more depth, or with more flexibility through technology. Cuban (cited in Trotter, 1998) states, The obligation is for educators, practitioners, and educational policymakers to think about what they are after. Only with clear goals can educators be intelligent about how much they want to spend for what purpose and under what conditions. If there is a clear understanding of the purpose of and type of technology used, evaluating the impact is easier and more valuable. According to Hawkins, Panush, and Spielvogel (1996) and Byrom ; Bingham (2001), school districts that successfully integrate technology show a clear and meaningful connection between technology and larger educational goals. Next, the planning team develops a vision of how technology can improve teaching and learning. Without a vision, lasting school improvement is almost impossible (Byrom ; Bingham, 2001). Team members come to consensus in answering the question How Will You Use Technology to Support Your Vision of Learning? Essential to this vision is an emphasis on meaningful, engaged learning with technology, in which students are actively involved in the learning process. Educational technology is less effective when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus of the technology use is diffuse (Schacter, 1999). The schools vision of learning through technology also emphasizes the importance of all students having equitable access and use of technology—females, special-needs students, minority students, disadvantaged students, students at risk of educational failure, rural and inner-city students. All students need opportunities to use technology in meaningful, authentic tasks that develop higher-order thinking skills. (For further information, refer to the Critical Issue Ensuring Equitable Use of Education Technology. ) Back To Top 2. Professional Development After the educational goals and vision of learning through technology have been determined, it is important to provide professional development to teachers to help them choose the most appropriate technologies and instructional strategies to meet these goals. Students cannot be expected to benefit from technology if their teachers are neither familiar nor comfortable with it. Teachers need to be supported in their efforts to use technology. The primary reason teachers do not use technology in their classrooms is a lack of experience with the technology (Wenglinsky, 1998; Rosen Weil, 1995). Wenglinsky (cited in Archer, 1998) found that teachers who had received professional development with computers during the last five years were more likely to use computers in effective ways than those who had not participated in such training. Yet teacher induction programs too often focus narrowly on helping new teachers survive the initial year (Fulton, Yoon, Lee, 2005). Ongoing professional development is necessary to help teachers learn not only how to use new technology but also how to provide meaningful instruction and activities using technology in the classroom (Ringstaff Kelley, 2002). Teachers must be offered training in using computers, notes Sulla (1999), but their training must go beyond that to the instructional strategies needed to infuse technological skills into the learning process. In successful projects, teachers are provided with ongoing professional development on practical applications of technology. Teachers cannot be expected to learn how to use educational technology in their teaching after a one-time workshop. Teachers need in-depth, sustained assistance not only in the use of the technology but in their efforts to integrate technology into the curriculum (Kanaya Light, 2005). Teachers also need embedded opportunities for professional learning and collaborating with colleagues in order to overcome the barrier of time and teachers daily schedules (The National Council of Staff Development, 2001; Kanaya ; Light, 2005). Skills training becomes peripheral to alternative forms of ongoing support that addresses a range of issues, including teachers changing practices and curricula, new technologies and other new resources, and changing assessment practices. This time spent ensuring that teachers are using technology to enrich their students learning experiences is an important piece in determining the value of technology to their students. According to Soloway (cited in Archer, 1998), teachers always have been the key to determining the impact of innovations, and this situation also is true of technology. Besides pedagogical support to help students use technology to reach learning goals, teachers also need time to become familiar with available products, software, and online resources. They also need time to discuss technology use with other teachers. Transforming schools into 21st century learning communities means recognizing that teachers must become members of a growing network of shared expertise (Fulton, Yoon, Lee, 2005). Professional collaboration includes communicating with educators in similar situations and others who have experience with technology (Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). This activity can be done in face-to-face meetings or by using technology such as e-mail or videoconferencing. The effects of introducing technology on teacher professionalization include increased collaboration among teachers within a school and increased interaction with external collaborators and resources. Back To Top 3. Structural Changes in the School Day It is important to build time into the daily schedule allowing teachers time to collaborate and to work with their students. Engaged learning through technology is best supported by changes in the structure of the school day, including longer class periods and more allowance for team teaching and interdisciplinary work. For example, when students are working on long-term research projects for which they are making use of online resources (such as artwork, scientific data sets, or historical documents), they may need more than a daily 30- or 40-minute period to find, explore, and synthesize these materials for their research. As schools continue to acquire more technology for student use and as teachers are able to find more ways to incorporate technology into their instruction, the problem will no longer be not enough computers but not enough time (Becker, 1994). Back To Top 4. Technical Infrastructure and Support Increased use of technology in the school requires a robust technical infrastructure and adequate technical support. If teachers are working with a technology infrastructure that realistically cannot support the work they are trying to do, they will become frustrated. School districts have a responsibility to create not only nominal access to computers and electronic networks but access that is robust enough to support the kinds of use that can make a real difference in the classroom. Teachers also must have access to on-site technical support personnel who are responsible for troubleshooting and assistance after the technology and lessons are in place. Back To Top 5. Evaluation Ongoing evaluation of technology applications and student achievement, based on the overall educational goals that were decided on, helps to ensure that he technology is appropriate, adaptable, and useful. Such evaluation also facilitates change if learning goals are not being met. Administrators can acknowledge and recognize incremental improvements in student outcomes as well as changes in teachers curricula and practices. Gradual progress, rather than sudden transformation, is more likely to result in long-term change. Baker (1999) emphasizes that besides being a means to collect, interpret, and document findings, evaluation is a planning tool that should be considered at the beginning of any technology innovation. She adds that the overall focus of evaluation is student learning. Heinecke, Blasi, Milman, and Washington (1999) note that multiple quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures may be necessary to document student learning outcomes. To ensure that evaluation procedures are adequately designed and carried out, administrators and teachers may wish to consult evaluation sources such as An Educators Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms. All of these issues are important in using technology to improve student achievement. Educational technology is not, and never will be, transformative on its own. But when decisions are made strategically with these factors in mind, technology can play a critical role in creating new circumstances and opportunities for learning that can be rich and exciting. At its best, technology can facilitate deep exploration and integration of information, high-level thinking, and profound engagement by allowing students to design, explore, experiment, access information, and model complex phenomena, note Goldman, Cole, and Syer (1999). These new circumstances and opportunities—not the technology on its own—can have a direct and meaningful impact on student achievement. When educators use the accumulating knowledge regarding the circumstances under which technology supports the broad definition of student achievement, they will be able to make informed choices about what technologies will best meet the particular needs of specific schools or districts. They also will be able to ensure that teachers, parents, students, and community members nderstand what role technology is playing in a school or district and how its impact is being evaluated. Finally, they will be able to justify the investments made in technology. To help states, school districts, and school personnel plan ways to measure the impact that technology is having on classroom practices and academic achievement, Dirr (2004) in partnership with the Appalachian Technology in Education Consortium and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Edu cation Consortium, identified the following evaluation strategies: Encourage SEAs and LEAs to set aside 10 percent to 15 percent of funds to evaluate their technology grants. Provide a model comprehensive plan for states and districts to consider as they design their own evaluation plans to include a statement of purpose, identifies clear objectives, demonstrates valid approaches to research design, and specifies appropriate time frames for analysis and reporting. Support efforts to develop shared instruments and sets of common data elements. Develop a database of best practices for technology programs and applications that have shown to support student achievement in scientifically based research studies. Develop a list of highly qualified researchers and evaluators from whom SEAs and LEAs can obtain guidance. Explore the development of validated instruments that could be shared across states. Back To Top ACTION OPTIONS: Administrators, the technology planning team, and teachers can take the following steps to improve student achievement through technology. Administrators and the Planning Team (comprising teacher representatives, technology coordinator, students, parents, and interested community members): Review a range of national and state educational standards for student learning (such as those listed in Developing Educational Standards). Seek out content standards that articulate the goals for students to achieve. Determine key aspects of national and state student learning standards for the school or district to focus on as educational goals. Involve teachers in this process to ensure that their expertise and opinions are considered. Charge cross-disciplinary groups of teachers and technology coordinators with finding new ways that technology can help students to achieve those learning goals. Collaborate to create a technology plan for the school. (Refer to the Critical Issue Developing a School or District Technology Plan. ) Set one-, three-, and five-year goals for improving student learning through technology. Identify specific curricula, practices, skills, attitudes, and policies that can be enhanced through the use of technology to foster significant improvement in the character and quality of student learning. For example, if the district is interested in improving students writing performance, word processing with an emphasis on revision and editing should become a salient part of the curriculum across disciplines. ) Identify classrooms in the district where students are already producing exemplary work using technology; or visit virtual classrooms by viewing CD-ROMs (such as the Captured Wisdom CD-ROM Lib rary produced by the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium), videotapes of echnology use in schools (such as the Learning With Technology videotapes), or Internet sites relating to technology integration in content areas (such as lessons using the Amazing Picture Machine and the Handbook of Engaged Learning Projects). Build a database or other resource that allows the school to share these best practices with school staff and the community in general. Be aware of state technology plans, district technology plans, and related policies. Ensure that the school is in compliance. Become familiar with factors that affect the effective use of technology for teaching and learning. Learn about research studies conducted in real school settings that describe how technology use is influenced by teachers experience with technology, adequacy of release time, professional development opportunities, and length of class periods. Ensure that teachers are aware of the value of technology for all students, especially those considered at risk of educational failure. (Refer to the Critical Issue Using Technology to Enhance Engaged Learning for At-Risk Students. ) Ensure that all students have equitable access to effective uses of technology. Develop strategies for addressing access inequities, strategies for addressing type-of-use inequities, and strategies for addressing curriculum inequities. Provide ongoing, extensive, and research-based professional development opportunities and technical support to help teachers use technology to develop meaningful instructional strategies for students. (Refer to the Critical Issues Realizing New Learning for All Students Through Professional Development and Finding Time for Professional Development. ) Ensure that new, research-based approaches to professional development are consistent with the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for staff development. Provide incentives, structures, and time for teachers to participate in highly effective staff development (such as study groups and action research) to help them integrate technology into their teaching and learning. Find ways to make app ropriate structural changes in the school day and class scheduling to support engaged learning with technology. Consider block scheduling as a possibility. Educate parents about new assessment methods that enable teachers and administrators to make judgments about the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learning. Use appropriate evaluation procedures and tools to determine the impact of technology use on student achievement based on the learning goals that were set. Consult evaluation sources such as An Educators Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms. Share findings with the community. Teachers: Determine the purpose of using technology in the classroom, as determined by the specified educational goals. Is it used to support inquiry, enhance communication, extend access to resources, guide students to analyze and visualize data, enable product development, or encourage expression of ideas? After the purpose is determined, select the appropriate technology and develop the curricula. Create a plan for evaluating students work and assessing the impact of the technology. Coordinate technology implementation efforts with core learning goals, such as improving students writing skills, reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Collaborate with colleagues to design curricula that involve students in meaningful learning activities in which technology is used for research, data analysis, synthesis, and communication. Promote the use of learning circles, which offer opportunities for students to exchange ideas with other students, teachers, and professionals across the world. Encourage students to broaden their horizons with technology by means of global connections, electronic visualization, electronic field trips, and online research and publishing. Ensure that students have equitable access to various technologies (such as presentation software, video production, Web page production, word processing, modeling software, and desktop publishing software) to produce projects that demonstrate what they have learned in particular areas of the curriculum. Encourage students to collaborate on projects and to use peer assessment to critique each others work. In addition to standardized tests, use alternative assessment strategies that are based on students performance of authentic tasks. One strategy is to help students develop electronic portfolios of their work to be used for assessment purposes. Ensure that technology-rich student products can be evaluated directly in relation to the goals for student outcomes, rather than according to students level of skill with the technology. Create opportunities for students to share their work publiclythrough performances, public service, open houses, science fairs, and videos. Use these occasions to inform parents and community members of the kinds of learning outcomes the school is providing for students. Learn how various technologies are used today in the world of work, and help students see the value of technology applications. (Pertinent online information can be found in the 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Information. ) Participate in professional development activities to gain experience with various types of educational technology and learn how to integrate this technology into the curriculum. Use technology (such as an e-mail list) to connect with other teachers outside the school or district and compare successful strategies for teaching with technology.

Impact Of Ethnocentric Staffing Practice Management Essay

Impact Of Ethnocentric Staffing Practice Management Essay Introduction Over the past decades, an inconsiderable amount of research has dealt in the field of managing and reducing employee turnover in international staffing practice. In this study, which appraise staffing policies in International Human Resource and issues relating to employee turnover of local manger in subsidiaries of Multi-national Corporations. This paper evaluates series of issue encountered by the local or subsidiary manager. Hereby consider the role and patterns of international staffing model, the advantages and disadvantages of Parent country national (PCN), Host country national (HCN), retention strategies and approach used in managing avoid staff turnover. in this regard, has examined possible way-out of the present dilemma encountered by the local or subsidiaries mangers and the way forward but might vary in different sectors and culture of a country or probable the culture of the Multi-National Corporation. Function and Pattern of International Staffing Model There are different reasons for international staff transfer which can be as a result of control, co-ordination, developing management, unskilled local personnel and organization development. Which will lead to the increase of companys potential to succeed and compete in the international market (Edstrom and Galbraith, 1977; Harzing, 2001). However, Scholars have also pointed out that the success of knowledge sharing through international transfers is not automatic but rather depends on social processes. In recent it has been pointed out that key rationale for staff transfer is due to the transfer of advance and technical knowledge (Bonache et al., 2001; Hocking et al., 2004). However, staff transfer is a two- sided magnitude, which is between the Head quarter and the subsidiaries and it also involve the process comprises parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs) and third-country nationals (TCNs) (Harzing, 2001; Welch, 2003). In this regard, Head quarters organization that are sent to HCNs and TCNs they are commonly referred to as Expatriates and vice versa for the inpatriates. Perlmutter and Heenan (1969; 1979) identified four different international staffing policies (ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric and regiocentric). MNCs following an ethnocentric staffing policy would appoint mostly parent country nationals to top positions at their subsidiaries, while MNCs following a polycentric staffing policy would prefer to appoint host country nationals (HCNs). Organisation with a geocentric staffing policy might simply pick the best person, regardless of his/her nationality and that could include third country nationals (TCNs), nationals of a country other than the MNCs home country and the country of the subsidiary. The Head quarter-centric nature of the staffing policies has been criticised by Novicevic and Harvey.H (2001) introduced a pluralistic orientation that enable a multiple, diverse and possibly competition which subsidiaries are given more orientations of subsidiary staffing that independent operation within the MNC context. The pluralistic orientation also brought about an alternative concept and a harmony orientation toward international staffing. Thereby indicated a tranquillity between subsidiaries and the Head quarters which is as result of integrative aspect. Pro and Cons of PCNs, HCNs or TCNs These are some of the advantages and disadvantages of employing these different groups of employees. It is shown that none of the options is without its disadvantages whereby will focus on some of the most frequently mentioned advantages and disadvantages (Negandhi, 1987; Phatak, 1989; Dowling, Festing, Engle, 2008) are summarized as follows. In Table 7.1 below Source: Harzing and Reiche 2009. Influences on Subsidiary Staff Turnover Sebastian .R, (2007). Classified two major factors that lead to subsidiary staff turnover which is as a result of the effect of international staffing practices. He then conceptualise it has perceived career advancement opportunities and their organizational identification. Figure 1 shows the integration of all variables in a framework due to the effect of international staffing practices on subsidiary staff retention. Career Opportunities of Subsidiaries Staff These involves situation where the organisation seems to make global exposure and career advancement as part of the employment contract with the local national, but the organisation at the end of the day fail to fulfil their promise and with the design of international staffing practices that has an effect on subsidiary staffs career perspective and also leads to employee turnover .which aligns with (Griffeth et al., 2000; Hom and Griffeth, 1995) turnover studies and (Birdseye and Hill, 1995; Feldman and Thomas, 1992; Naumann, 1992) expatriate turnover research. Recent literature has focused on the view that a huge number of foreign expatriates distorted HCNs career advancement opportunities and create sizeable income and status disparities, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction among locals. In regards, the ethnocentric staffing practices which is a one-sided approach that restrict career advancement of local staff to a mere lower manger position. Sebastian Reiche (2007). Organizational Identification of Subsidiaries This involves situation whereby the international staffing practices affects the subsidiary staff in relation to the identity of their organization (Dutton et al., (1994) The degree at which a member defines himself by the same feature that he or she believes defines the organization. This has been shown to exert a negative effect on turnover intentions (Koh and Goh, 1995; Van Dick et al., 2004). The fulfilment of career aspirations is considered to serve as a key antecedent of organizational identification (Brown, 1969; Reade, 2001). In an organization which consist multiple relationship, each with unique set of values and objective operating from different sources of membership and identification, sustains the notion that individuals experience multiple commitments or identifications (March and Simon, 1958; Reichers, 1985). The polycentric staffing practices mainly shows identification with the local unit. At the same time, might be identified with the global company and it more difficult to promote. As Lawler (1992) notes, identification tends to be more significant with regard to association in contrast to larger organisation and also in the case of a geocentric orientation international career progression may only involve a very small fraction of HCNs. Finally, (Novicevic and Harvey, 2001) pluralistic orientation to international staffing serves as an additional source of identification of a harmonizing approach helps to constitute respective Head quarters policies and practices within it subsidiary which, in turn, facilitates HCNs approval and thus enhances their identification. International Staffing-Related Retention Strategies The staffing retention strategies are of two dimensions namely subsidiary management. Which will help minimize staff turnover in the subsidiaries such as managing subsidiaries through local staff and the expatriation of local staff may help to retain employees in MNCs worldwide operations. Hereby the strategies for the suitable scenario. Subsidiary Management Through Local Staff This involves pluralistic and harmony approach to international staffing that help to reconcile individual and organizational career plans, thereby tying individuals career commitment to the company and hence fostering long-term membership. Global assignments of PCNs which is to be maintained effectively by socializing. This becomes an essential instrument for clearing out dispute between local and foreign personnel (Lueke and Svyantek, 2000). Also strategy challenges the preservation of MNC cohesion. There should be regular regional meetings as well as close communication and exchange of knowledge serve between local personnel to the Head quarter. As important measures to align HCNs to the overall corporate values that may foster locals identification with the global organization. Expatriation and Impatriation of Local Staff This involves establishment of a centralized and comprehensive schedule of all managerial employees, regardless of nationality, for those are readily available for international assignments. But along the line there might be a slight problem to the local staff loss of autonomy. (Kopp,1994). The central record of corporate talent has to be complemented by a regionally administered register of lower-level managers suitable for intra-regional transfers. In the case of re-entry problem are associated with threat of turnover. Therefore, it can be effectively managed by establishing new repatriation policies and career projection from onset, thereby indicating long term commitment to the respective individuals and thus enhancing their organizational identification (Gregersen and Black, 1992; Stroh, 1995). Thus, provision made for international assignments for HCNs involves the concept inpatriation, entails the transfer of subsidiary manager to the Head quarter on a temporary to permanent basis (Harvey and Buckley, 1997; Harvey et al., 2000), that make the manger understand the culture of the Head quarter and build a network which will enhance reduction in employee turnover in MNC subsidiaries by feeling appreciated and fulfilled to an extend on foreign exposure. It also shows an appropriate mechanism to foster international assignments for local staff and to achieve the conflicting aim of share of foreign expatriates through a localization strategy. The term inpatriation will be more productive in subsidiaries developing countries that exhibit institutional distance cultural difference. Contrarily PCNs are still to be expatriated, but mainly to countries where adjustment problems are less critical (Harvey et al., 2000). Inpatriation is also important in the transfer of tactic knowledge from the subsidiaries to the Head quarter and it a plus on the parent company manager exposing them to an international perspective. for example in the case of use of inpatriates, especially in European and US multinationals, will increase in the future (see Box 7.2). The above box illustrate the envisage population rate of inpatriate between European companies and US companies which might increase to this point in the nearest future. Managing and Strategies for Prevent Manager Turnover Maertz and Campion, (1998) explains that an organization manages to avoid turnover or not will be based on the availability of internal retention incentives and how well organization and appropriate the organisation can make it applicable to them. This classification of retention practices is due to the HR policies that result into various outcomes in terms of organisational advancement employee perceived behaviour and exhibit synergies. Delery and Doty, (1996). At this point, which deduce a typology of available HR practices that possess retention capacity. HR practices either have the capacity to control turnover on a short-term and responsive basis nature. Relational employment contract that will increase career development and job enrichment may be effective practices to keep core employees. While transactional relationships in short-term retention needs can be achieved through adequate remuneration, control and overseeing. Sebastian. R,(2008). Classification of Retention Practices Source: Sebastian Reiche 2008. The table above highlight four unique types of retention practices (see Table. 1 above), which is framed following difference between responsive versus preventive practices and practices in transactional versus relational employment relationships. Responsive retention practices in transactional employment relationships Transactional employment relationships are due to majorly time frame to respond and the scope of the retention needs are necessarily limited. It policies is in relation to pay and incentives which will help retain managers in HCN. Shaw et al., (1998). Responsive retention practices in relational employment relationships Relational employment contracts will include long term benefit for managers that are productive. For example Preventive retention practices in transactional employment relationships This is deals with managers that have been fulfilled, motivated, job satisfaction. Thus, entails assigning supervisory role to such managers and in order to retain them managing employees job expectations right from the beginning. Cappelli, (2000); Glisson and Durick, (1988). Preventive retention practices in relational employment relationships This involves equality of the highest order, treating the PCNs, HCNs or TCNs managers equally, in fairness, procedural justice and transparency. Bloom and Michel, (2002); Shaw, Delery, Jenkins, Gupta (1998) J.D. Shaw, J.E. Delery, G.D. Jenkins and N. Gupta, An organization-level analysis of voluntary and involuntary turnover, Academy of Management Journal 41 (5) (1998), pp. 511-525. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (120)Shaw et al., (1998). Conclusion This write up briefly emphasize the main characteristics of international staffing practices of IHRM. This provides an analysis of the various staffing policies, with a focus on the effect of the one-sided effect (ethnocentric staffing) and the deficit effect on the local subsidiaries, dealt with specific influence leading to staff turnover for local managers and also considered the advantages and the disadvantages of using the staffing model. Identifying the effect of international staffing practices on local staff turnover and ways to manage such turnover in order to retain also put into consideration mechanism put in place to reduce turnover and retain subsidiary staff and the management of such turnover. However, local staff are usually the progenitor of tactic knowledge which is the key knowledge and also the linking source towards good social network which is evidence show in scholars research. Sebastian. R, (2007). Therefore, this is an opportunity develop the capability of major local employee over a long period, improve their career and making them feel identified with the company because they serve as mechanism of gaining a competitive edge. A number of subsidiaries are fruitful and Multi- National Corporations are moving in that line for further investment. However, international staffing practice may take exception and might involve different structure, process and also different countries culture. (Porter, 1990 ) At this point, will say international organisation or Multi-National Corporation can adopt the pluralistic view and still need to enforce more attention in the management of the local managers.

Macbeth As A Tragic Character :: essays research papers

In all genres of literature, there are numerous character types one might encounter. Some bring humor or comic relief to a more serious plot, while others bring both pity and fear to the minds of the audience. A tragic character is one who shows characteristics above normality, while simultaneously giving evidence to the audience concerning his or her tragic flaw that causes the character’s life to end in an abnormal state of events. â€Å"A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him.† (George Orwell, Columbia Dictionary of Quotations) In a tragedy the main character rises to greatness, then continues to fall down a shame spiral, which leads to his or her downfall. Throughout his regression from life as a decent and moral man, to becoming indifferent to what is fair and what is foul, Macbeth brought both an immense tragic fate onto himself as well as creating tragedy in th e lives of his peers. Macbeth regressed from being a decent, moral man, to someone closely resembling a devil, who could make no distinction between good and evil. Macbeth became so engrossed in himself as well as the prophecies that were laid upon him by the three witches, that he became indifferent to the thoughts and feelings of the people around him, who once considered themselves to be this demon’s friend. The process of this tragedy was slow to let the audience become comfortable with the power and happiness of the main character. Then, suddenly, signs appeared, foreshadowing an imminent climax as the main character headed toward his inexorable fate. As the play begins a battle ensues between King Duncan of Scotland and Macdonwald of Norway. Macbeth fights bravely on Scotland's side, killing Macdonwald himself. King Duncan hears of Macbeth's brave and noble qualities, crowning him the new Thane of Cawdor. The king states that the old Thane should not device, "... Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, And with his former title greet Macbeth." (I ii 63-65) Macbeth is hostile to accept the rank, because earlier three witches prophesied that the new hero would become Thane of Cawdor even though there was one at that time. Since Macbeth was crowned Thane of Cawdor, Banquo and Macbeth believe that the three weird sisters are able to correctly tell them their fate.

The Iliad of Homer Essay -- essays research papers

The Iliad of Homer Honor is something men and women have fought for century after century. Even now, thousands of American and British men are fighting in Iraq, near to where the Trojan War was to have taken place. These men fight for the greater good. They fight for those in Iraq who are unable to fight for or otherwise defend themselves. They fight for honor. The characters in the Iliad are motivated by their own form of honor, or arete, known similarly as the Homeric Code. And it is because of this code that the Trojan War began. The characters in this story are shown to possess arete, but some have different ideas as to how vastly and to what rate it should be respected. And because of this, many a man’s honor is disturbed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Homeric Code can be defined as â€Å"unwritten rules that guide the conduct of the Homeric Heroes.† For the Homeric Heroes, success means survival and greater honor; failure means death and removal from the struggle for honor. What the Heroic code means is that honor is more important than life itself. It is obvious throughout the books that the characters of high honor are the ones that ignore warnings to stay away from danger, battles, and the like. Courage, physical abilities, and social status are also important contributions to the Homeric code. To truly understand this code and the true dedication to it as told by Homer, means becoming accustom to the values kept by those in this story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Family Structure in Eating Disorders Essay -- Relationships Health Pap

Family Structure in Eating Disorders We are all genetically and socially affected by our families. Families serve as the matrix of our identity. It is through interactions within the family that we develop a sense of who we are and how we fit in (Minuchin, Rosman & Baker, 1978). Parents serve as role models, providing examples for attitudes, coping skills, and eating habits, as well as setting standards for perfection, ambition and acceptance (Hall & Cohn, 1992). Many researchers claim that family dynamics are at the root of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. The role of dysfunctional family interactions in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa has been given a prominent place in the research field. Evidence for a specific family constellation in this disorder, however, has been conflicting. While the majority of studies argue for a specific family interaction style, further studies must be conducted to identify distinguishing characteristics of anorexic subtypes and to determine whether these characteristics are of a causal or consequential nature (Minuchin, Rosman & Baker, 1978). Family focused treatments for anorexia nervosa have been developed based on accounts in family therapy literature of the "typical" anorexic or "psychosomatic" family (Weme & Yalom, 1996). Anorexic families may appear to have a perfect or ideal environment on the surface, but upon close observation little expression of affection or warmth is seen. Members of these families seldom take specific stands on issues, and conflict is avoided at all costs. Underlying dissatisfaction and tension is often present within the parental dyad. It has been suggested that parents of anorexic offspring put high expectations on their children to over-com... ...oanalysis and Eatiniz Disorders. Guilford Press: New York. Blinder, B.J., Chaitin, B.F., & Goldstein, R.S. (1988) The Eating Disorders. PMA Publishing: New York. Broberg, A. (1993). The anorectic family--an old-fashioned concept. Lakartidningen, 5@O 4550-4553. Hall, L., & Cohn, L. (1992). Bulimia, A Guide To Recovory Gurze Books: CA. Le Grange, D.C., & Rutherford, J. (1994). Redefining the psychosomatic family; family processes of 26 eating disorder families. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 3, 211-226. Minuchin, S., Rosman, B.L., & Baker, L. (1978). PYchosomatic Families. Harvard University Press: Mass. Weiss, L., Katzman, M., & Wolchik, S. (1985). Treating Bulimia. A Psychoeducational Approach. Pergamon Press: New York. Weme, J., & Yalom, J.D. (1996). Treating Eating Disorders. Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco.

Helping Victims of Domestic Abuse Essay

Domestic abuse has grown to be one of society’s most shameful scourges. Its victims who more often that not comprise of women, endure public humiliation meted out by their spouse, extreme jealousy, control over who they see and talk to, spousal financial control, sexual assault, emotional and mental manipulation and in most cases, physical violence. There are many ways by which domestic abuse is perpetrated by abusive spouses but very few of its victims are willing to admit to it or are even aware that they are indeed being abused. When nineteen-year old Vickii Coffey married her childhood sweetheart at age 19, she thought her wedding day was just the first day of the life of her dreams. Little did she know that the following eight years of her married life would be spent in and out of hospitals as a victim of domestic violence. After 8 years of enduring such abuse and fearing for her and her son’s safety, Vickii finally filed for divorce. Today, 13 years after her nightmarish marriage, Vikki is happily married and works as the executive director of Greenhouse, Chicago’s oldest and largest shelter for battered women and their children. (Barber) â€Å"†The question I get all the time is, ‘Why would a woman stay there and take something like that? What’s her problem? ‘† says Coffey who now counsels women on their options to violence. † (Barber) Medical Sociologist Dr. Jacquelyne Johnson Jackson from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N. C. , believes that many women, who stay and endure spousal abuse, have been â€Å"conditioned† to know their place as women often subservient to their fathers and other male members of the family(Barber). Some women however, stay because they do not know they are actually being abused. A newspaper article that appeared in Glasgow, Scotland’s Sunday Mail in January 23, 2005, details the experience of Julie Black, a 47-year old woman from Dumfries who nearly lost her life after being badly battered by her husband, David Hill for three hours (â€Å"It All Started with† 34). Hospital staff who tended to her counted up to 56 injuries on her body including a fractured skull and badly beaten eyes that puffed up so she could hardly see. Of her experience, Julie is quoted as saying: ‘He had to almost kill me before I realised I didn’t deserve to be treated that way. ‘I’m a fairly strong person. I’ve never thought of myself as a victim. But domestic violence creeps up on you so gradually you hardly notice†¦ ‘My friends and family were horrified. I was so ashamed of what was happening, I’d kept the abuse secret. Perhaps if I’d confided in someone, they could have talked sense into me and I’d have got out sooner. ‘ (â€Å"It All Started with† 34) It is normal for concerned friends to want to help people they suspect of being victims of abuse. While one’s first instinct would be to call the police or crisis agencies, sometimes the only thing they need to do is to just listen and be a friend. Here are a few guidelines (â€Å"How to help†) in how people should talking to a friend whom they suspect of being abused by her spouse: In preparing for the talk, concerned friends or family members must set aside some time to talk with her. They must make sure to pick a quiet place where the victim feels safe and comfortable. It is important to keep in mind that discussing such a serious and personal issue as abuse may not be easy at first. As the victim begins to talk, it is important that she feels her friend’s concern, as well as receive assurance that what she is going through is not â€Å"normal. † Victims of spousal abuse often feel that they deserve the abuse their partners do. They need to be re-assured that they are being understood and that the abuse is not their fault. It would be good for friends to let the victim know that they are worried for her and if any, her children’s safety. Victims constantly need to be reminded there are people who love and care for her who are ready to help the minute she asks. It is important that she doesn’t feel judged. Friends should be prepared to listen and simply be the victim’s friend. Let her talk at her own pace and in her own terms. Victims who feel comfortable in their friends’ presence will find it easier for to open up and just let the words flow. Shame and guilt are common among victims of abuse. Friends must be ready to reassure the victim that she is not alone in her situation and there are many people willing to help should she wish to ask for it. Abused women should never feel forced to do things she may not be ready to do as yet such as packing up and leaving her partner. While concerned friends may be tempted to tell the victim what to do, they must respect her space and decisions. If the victim does ask for advice, it is best to help her explore her options rather than give direct feedback. A â€Å"safety plan† she may follow should things get to be too difficult at home is always helpful. Whenever possible, concerned friends and family members are advised to read up on brochures and information regarding crisis centers and women’s support groups so that they may be able to give informed advice to the victim. It will probably be a good idea to offer to look up sources of help on her behalf. She may not want to right now but in the future, it may be good to have an idea of possible agencies that may be able to help her such as women’s crisis centers, psychiatrists or shelters. If after all is said and done and the victim still wishes to go back to her relationship, people must be able to respect her wishes and support her. It can be frustrating at times when after all the talking and crying is done, the victim may still decide to stay in an abusive relationship. It is very important to remember however that one cannot just â€Å"rescue† a friend. There are simply some things that take time and victims may need such time to come to terms with the reality of their situation before being able to concretely decide what to do. Works Cited Barber, Marchel’Le Renise. â€Å"Why Some Men Batter Women (and Why Some Women Take It): Domestic Violence Is America’s Most Common Crime. † Ebony Oct. 1990: 54+. Questia. 22 Oct. 2007 . â€Å"How to Help a Friend Who is Being Abused. † Violence Against Women. National Women’s Health information Center. 4women. gov. 21 Oct. 2007

Conservatism ‘key words’ Essay

Authoritarianism – Strong authority imposed from above is necessary or desirable and therefore demands unquestioning obedience. ‘Harsh’ form of social control via the legal system and criminal policies.. Thatcher’s slogan ‘TINA’ is associated very much with authoritarianism. It translates into ‘There Is No Alternative’ – we must be harsh! New Right – An ideological trend within conservatism that embraces a blend of the laissez-faire economics and social authoritarianism. (Reagan + Thatcher) New Right conservatism is an amalgam of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. In this combination exist two counter ideologies which ultimately go hand-in-hand to make each other work; Classical liberalism and Traditional conservatism. Traditional conservatism is much about the community as a whole working together to create social cohesion. In Traditional conservatism the individual should work, be disciplined and have a sense of self-realisation. Authoritarian rules can cater for individualism by moulding a social matrix within which autonomous peoples can pursue their interests, and prosper accordingly. Classical liberalism referred to as ‘neo-liberalism’ is about the free market, allowing the individual to be free from state intervention in private family life such as spending. Privacy here gives the individual a motive – work hard, earn money, and spend it in any way within the legal boundaries. Anomie – A weakening of values and normative rules associated with the feelings of isolation, loneliness and meaninglessness. (Durkheim argument against negative freedom.) Organicism – Belief that society operates like an organism, whose parts work together. The organism is sustained by a fragile set of relationships between & amongst its parts. Organisms are shaped by ‘natural factors’. i.e the family was not invented by a social thinker but is a product of natural social impulses. Disraeli’s One Nation conservatism was very much framed by the Organic model†¦ For a body to function healthily all of its organs and limbs must correspond in a symbiotic relationship. Taking the latter formula into account and applying it to a human society we see that the paternalistic government has to carry out its duty of care known as noblesse oblige whilst the people pursue their legal obligations such as tax-paying and law-abiding. The Organic model gathers all individuals; irrespective of class, race, gender or sexuality, and places them into one whole – a nation. Hierarchy – A system of social positions or status Natural aristocracy – The idea that talent and leadership are innate/inbred qualities and can not be acquired through effort or self-advancement. (Burke supported this; â€Å"there must be leaders and there must be followers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Authority – The power or right to exert influence (give orders, make decisions, enforce obedience). Conservatives authority develops naturally in society –> Parents have authority over their children. Thus –> Authority refers to the ability to exert influence over a people either by force or by legitimate procedures. In a self-determined nation-state authority is de jure, the people have accepted the body of authority and thus have accepted the policies imposed by such authority. However, in a failed society such as Mogadishu where there is no identifiable centre of authority, bodies of government operate by force, fear and de facto authority. –> So yes, the POWER (de facto) or RIGHT (de jure) to make decisions. Property – The ownership of physical goods or wealth. Burke used property as a metaphor for tradition. We should respect traditional institutions as we inherit them just as we inherit property. Property provides security –> something to ‘fall back on’. Those who own property are more likely to respect the property of others and be aware that property must be protected from disorder and lawlessness. (Property–>stake in society) Privatisation – Transfer of state assets to the private sector. Free market/laissez-faire approach. Reflects a contraction of state’s responsibilities. Populism – the political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite. (Perà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½n –> helping the ‘shirtless ones’) Paternalism – the attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good. (Laws such as wearing a seatbelt. ‘Soft’ and ‘Hard’ paternalism) Neoliberalism – Liberal political views with an emphasis on economic growth. Free market as the ideal form of social organisation and as a means of solving all central political issues. (Friedman) Neoconservatism – A modern version of social conservatism that emphasises the need to restore order, and return to traditional values. One must observe the context within which Thatcherism developed. Thatcher came into office at a time when society had become permissive. Gay rights were being sought after, multiculturalism was on its highs, teenage pregnancies became modern fads, rebellion became the Rock’n’Roll attitude of the time –> society was loose. Thatcher thus decided that order must be restored. And she brought this restoration about by punitive laws and restrictions.