Corporate Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate Strategy - Research Paper Example It is possible to assume that both companies have large cash reserves spent on research and development. These reserves also enable them to take risks in spending large sums for advertising and promotion. Both companies have good reputation among customers and created cost advantage from propriety know-how. S&W and Makatume take full advantage of the quality image their products have earned over time because of automated modern factories and use of modern management methods. Aggressive advertising is used by S&W as the main marketing tool that allows the company to reach wider target audience and expend internationally. Also, cooperation and assistance of such retailers as Big Boxes, allows S&W to stock many of its products. The strength of Makatume is fast growing cordless segment and innovative production facilities in Japan. Makatume has substantial advantages over S&W, especially in its ability to achieve higher levels of quality and productivity and in the availability of low-cost labor and financing. Makatume takes full advantage of these benefits in effectively competing with American firms in U.S. markets. The main weakness of S&W is market confusion between its professional and consumer power tools. In contrast to Makatume, S&W does not have a strong position in cordless market segment. Another weakness of S&W is negative attitude of its distributors caused by abuse of their market position. S&W cannot react effectively to changing market conditions because of its size and outdated product lines. S&W has a high cost structure (old technologies and high labor cost) which prevents it from rapid growth and change. The weaknesses of Makatume include lower voltage product market and importance to invest in R&D and introduce new products, higher voltage segment. It is necessary to develop specific strategies to incorporate quality into product, promotion, pricing, and distribution areas (Johnson, Scholes 2003). Opportunities Favorable economic conditions and arrival of new technologies propose both companies opportunities to grow and increase their market share. Favorable exchange rate and stable economic situation in the region provide new opportunities for the product/market expansion grid and a framework for the marketers to consider the balance of product offerings. Threats Increased competition is the main threat for both companies. The growing imports from Chine and low price products proposed by domestic and foreign competitors become a real threat for such giants as W&S and Makatume. The threat of new entrants is the main problem: new companies can reduce industry profits and specific market share for the existing products. In the case of PEPT market, the number of companies and their location are the first indicators of the intensity of competition. This competition is further heightened by the presence of substitute products. Solutions and Recommendation In order to minimize weakness and threats, S&W has to update its product lines and introduce new brand for consumer products. It will help to avoid confusion and create a unique image of its products. Restructuring and organizational change is another step to improve market and operations performance. Only in this case, S&W will be able to deal simultaneously with various day-to-day crises. New technologies and methods of manufacturing will help S&W respond to market

Internet Use in the classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Internet Use in the classroom - Essay Example There are changes that are taking in the design and delivery of the curriculum. There has also been change in the way classrooms are designed in light of the new emerging technology in the market. The design of the class room has been greatly affected by the ICT tools that are currently being used. There is redesigning of the space available for student. The arrival of more computers has complicated the design of the earlier classroom and the profound use of these computers in the learning process has required teachers to up with new classroom designs that will ensure that all students acre given the attention that they require. Creating of space in the classroom for the computer and the peripherals like printer and network connection, large monitors and other gadgets is one of the factors in the adoption of classroom space to the use of computers. This has necessitated the reevaluation of the how classroom activities and the learning experiences will work best in the course of learning. In the early year of use of ICT in school, there was creation of computers laboratory where acted as technology center or building which were dedicated of house to computer and their peripheral alone. This was different from the classroom atmosphere and therefore their management was different. Although this arrangement is slowly being done away with and new methods of integrated use of computer in the classroom adopted, there are still some schools which have remained to use it due to the challenge in the use of ICT in the classroom. The creation of 3D classroom reflects the new arrangement in the use of ICT in the classroom. This necessitates provision of central access facilities and a distribution network that is highly effective. There is a change that has started and that is ongoing on the design of the classroom and the adoption of ICT in the classroom. The integration o ICT material in the learning process has necessitated a

Developing management skills Essay Example for Free

Developing management skills Essay By reading the Southfield Case, one can quickly realize that there is definitely lack of direct communication and goal expectations between both Mark Sanders, Vp of account services and Frank Belby, Reginald manager. I believe, there was a lack of supportive communication between Mark and Frank since in the case it was mentioned that Belby viewed professional guidance from Sanders as threatening and it usually caused Belby to distance himself from Frank, which it negatively resulted production. Based on the reading of chapter four of Developing Management Skills, there is a fine line between coaching and counseling and it is extremely challenging for managers to effectively perform both and in the same time make sure that they are not directly ignoring the other persons feelings and confidence. When Frank needed professional advice or when professional criticism was required, instead he mostly got coaching instead of counseling, which resulted in the distance relationship between them, which frank interpreted as a criticism attack on his character. Furthermore, we also learn that in one incident Mark had intervened in a problematic situation between Frank and one of his customers and was able to save that clients contract. By not allowing Frank to resolve the situation, Mark is stretching his duties far too thin and does not allow other employees to delegate effectively, which results in low productivity over all. Based on chapter four readings, the best relationships are based on congruence, which one cannot really find between Mark and Frank’s relationship. Frank is not being clear about his expectations from Mark. It was mentioned in the case that Frank didn’t get the promotion partially because he never directly communicated to frank that he wanted the promotion.

The Benefits of Being a Physical Therapist Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Being a Physical Therapist Essay Professional realization is one of the most important aspects of life for most contemporary people. Its obvious that a person should be satisfied with what he/she is doing in order to reach the high level of professionalism, thus when choosing a career I considered some factors beside the size of the salary and job security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first and one of the weightiest arguments for choosing the career of a Physical Therapist was the variety of working environments it offered. I dont have much experience with different working environments, thus Im not sure what will suit me the best. That is why Im going to try all of the environments where the PT could be employed, such as hospital, clinic, patients home, social security service or some other facility. I believe that the quality of work often depends on the environment the person is in, thus I m attracted by the variety of alternatives the PTs job offers. I am also sure, that the physical condition of the patient is subordinate to his/her psychological condition. It often happens that the patient doesn’t show any improvements in a hospital or clinic because of the strange environment he/she is in, and when he/she is transferred home, the process of getting better accelerates greatly. I like the idea to qualify as a PT because it will give me the opportunity to help people out of hospital environment, everywhere where they will need my help and assistance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One more reason for which I decided to take this occupation is that it allows making the life of the elderly people more qualitative by showing them that their body is still capable of doing the things theyve long forgotten about. In my opinion physical therapy is one of the keys for solving some of the psychological problems the elderly have as it helps this category of people to feel in control of their lives again. The duration of life has increased greatly through the past century, and the next task the society and the medical workers have to face is making the life of the elderly more qualitative by giving them physical ability to continue the full social life they led when being younger. I feel that Physical Therapist is one of the specialists most needed for accomplishing this task, as he/she is able to explain the older people what should they do to preserve their health and activity as long as possible. PT will advice on the choice of physical activities, which is one of the basic things for healthy life, will recommend the hours this or that person needs them a week. PT is even able to advice on the choice of the diet that will help to preserve physical and mental activity. Another category of clients I would like to work with are professional athletes, as those people are exploring the borders of that what the humans body is capable of, and this is one of the topics that interests me the most about the human beings. I’d like to know how the professional sportsmen manage to reach the results ordinary people can’t even dream about. It is also known that this category of people often have health problems regardless of their perfect physical shape. I would like to help professional athletes to keep that balance between the impressive sports achievements and physical health for to increase the period they can perform actively and reduce the negative effect of the continuous trainings most of them have from their early childhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The last but not the least argument for choosing thee career of PT was the challenges this job offered. The thing is that every person the PT has to work with is unique, thus treating him/her needs special individually developed strategy that will help him/her realize their full potential without harming the organism. For me it is very fascinating to help the humans body work the way it has to work, to discover the great potential each of the human beings has, and which often stays covered because of the mistakes people make in their choice of occupation, lifestyle, quantity of physical activities and nutrition during their life-span.

Using Talk for Learning in the Primary School

Using Talk for Learning in the Primary School Historically, talk was discouraged in a classroom.  It was a place for the teacher to give instructions and the class simply to  listen. However, the use of talk for learning has been studied in recent years, indicating that it can in fact be constructive. In this study, I explored how talk could be used for two particular purposes. Firstly, as a tool to optimise childrens learning in a classroom environment; secondly, for a teacher to assess the childrens understanding by listening to the childrens talk in return. Alexander (2008: p.93) states, If children need talk in order to learn about the world, teachers need talk in order to learn about children.   My theory was that talk is not the obstruction to learning that it was considered in the past, but rather a powerful tool in the classroom. I believed that teachers could use talk constructively in order for children to gain a deeper understanding of the material presented to them. To investigate how to use talk in the classroom effectively, I looked at past research and conducted my own observations and investigations during a four week placement. This will help me to develop my own teaching techniques in the future. I conducted this study at a Grade 2 Leicester city school with nearly 400 children on roll, aged from 4 to 11. The pupils within the school were mostly from minority ethnic backgrounds, predominantly Asian and Asian British and speaking English as a second language (Ofsted, 2009).   I was based with 27 children in one of two Year 3 classes. Literature Review It is only during the last 40 years or so that the quantity and quality of talk in the classroom has been studied and evaluated. A key concern is that constructive talk in the classroom is still underused (Alexander, 2008: p.92). The Primary National Strategy which was introduced in 2003 barely touches upon talk at all (DfES, 2003a cited in Cambridge Primary Review, 2009: p.15) and as a result teachers are left with little advice on how to use talk effectively for learning. This isnt the case elsewhere in Europe. Alexander (2008: p.99) reported that in France dialogue has a much greater emphasis in the classroom. He noted that good skills in speech, reasoning and the ability to argue would identify an educated person in France, whereas in Britain good readers and writers are valued higher in society. Despite this emphasis on reading and writing skills in Britain, the Confederation of British Industry reported in 2006 that spelling and grammar skills are of a low standard (Alexander, 2008: p.99). The National Curriculum requires children to read from age five, but Sage (2000: p.135) thinks that children are sometimes being required to read before they have developed the necessary language and communication skills to read with comprehension. The National Strategies argue that talk is an acquired skill rather than one that can be taught (Alexander, 2008: p.100), but this does not mean that the teacher cannot support childrens talk development. Language can be modelled and encouraged in the classroom and this would particularly benefit children with English as a second language, where it may not be spoken or supported effectively at home. Alexander (2008), cited in Mercer and Hodgkinson (2008: p.105), gave five principles to outline the key features of dialogic teaching, all of which can encourage classroom talk and increase these language and communication skills. The first three principles were teaching must be collective, reciprocal and cumulative. To achieve this, the teachers and children must learn together as a group, share ideas and build on the ideas of their peers as well as their own. The fourth principle was the teachers plan must be purposeful with particular learning objectives, a matter that is now generally used in every lesson. Finally, Alexander (2008: p.185) emphasised the importance of a supportive learning environment; children should be able to express ideas without the worry of being embarrassed if they give what the teacher sees as an unsatisfactory response. Alexander (2003, 2004b), cited in Alexander (2008: pp. 115-116), found that following a period of dialogic teaching, children answered questions with more clarity and confidence, listened better, thought aloud more and were more helpful and respectful to their peers. Furthermore, following the increase in talk, the childrens skills in reading and writing showed improvement, especially the less able. This supports Sages theory that language is essential for literacy. However, Smith et al. (2004 cited in Alexander, 2008: p.108) found that, in the classes they studied, childrens answers only lasted an average of five seconds and in 70% of occasions were limited to a maximum of three words. This indicates that dialogic teaching is not being widely used. Question-answer methods are more commonly used, aiming to develop understanding, improve recall and encourage imagination (Sage, 2000: p.64). Questions encourage children to verbalise their thoughts (Van Ments, 1990: p.77), which can provide the vital link between language, reading and writing. Questioning techniques are popular because they enable the teacher not only to control the use and context of talk, but to also gauge the childrens level of understanding, knowledge and creativity. Questions allow for another perspective to be added and misconceptions to be corrected immediately, making them more accessible than written comments, which can easily be ignored. However, Barnes (1976/1992, cited in Barnes 2008: p.6) noted the difficulty in teachers gaining a full understanding of a childs thinking by relying on short answers to questions. Thus, although questioning provides an immediate way of informally assessing the children and giving feedback, it can be a vague and narrow minded approach to assessing a childs ability, so it should be used alongside other methods. In England, open questions are generally thought of as preferable; children think through the answers themselves rather than merely repeating a teachers pre-determined answer. However, teachers still tend to ask a large proportion of closed questions (Barnes et al, 1986, Alexander, 1992; both cited in Myhill and Dunkin, 2005: p.416). Myhill et al. (2006: p.72) used a complex model, creating four categories of questions; process, procedural, factual and speculative. We may generally think of factual questions as closed and speculative as open. They found that the majority (60%) of questions asked by teachers were factual. Sometimes closed questions are preferable. Sullivan (1992) found that using open questions to teach mathematics had no advantage. This may be due to the extremely factual nature of mathematics, with a right or wrong answer which is not negotiable. Open questions are more effective when the child can use their personal experiences and ideas to extend their understanding. Barnes (1976/1992, cited in Barnes 2008: pp.5-7) constructivist approach divides talk into exploratory and presentational. Exploratory talk defines the child verbalising ideas, taking others contributions into account and ordering these to develop their own understanding. Open questions can encourage children to use exploratory talk. Presentational talk takes the audience into account and happens frequently when children recall information, allowing the teacher to assess their knowledge (Barnes, 2008: p.6), thus the teacher can ask closed questions to encourage presentational talk. Barnes believed a child should have the opportunity to order their ideas through exploratory talk before being asked to present them through presentational talk (Barnes, 2008: p.7). In the classroom both talk types are vital, but teachers must use them appropriately by being aware of the benefits of both; many teachers dont give children enough time to grasp new ideas through exploratory talk before using presentational talk (Barnes, 2008: p.7). Children need time to talk, develop and share before they can gain a firm understanding (Barnes, 2008: p.2). Piaget understood the importance of exploratory talk. He believed that a childs intelligence is based on their interactions with their environment and their commitment to develop their own understanding (Mercer and Littleton, 2007: p.8-9). Piaget believed that every child has a schema an understanding of the world around them. Exploratory talk supports new knowledge and experiences to be either assimilated if they fit a childs existing schema, or accommodated if the schema must be changed corresponding to the new information (Piaget and Inhelder, 1969). Piaget labelled the teacher simply as the assessor and provider to give children these facilities to learn actively (Moore, 2000: p.13). Group work provides children with this opportunity, since it allows the children to self-discover and share their ideas with one another. Piaget believed that children worked most efficiently when grouped into similar stages of development. Children are less likely to be intimidated if placed with others of a similar ability, encouraging them to talk through their ideas together. Vygotskys theory contradicts this. He named the bridge between a childs current level of knowledge and their potential level the Zone of Proximal Development and described the support given to reach this potential level as scaffolding (Mercer and Littleton, 2007; pp.14-15). Due to the structured and guided nature of scaffolding, Vygotsky believed that dialogue worked best when children were guided by an adult or a child of a higher level of knowledge. Methods and Procedure My investigation was based on two science tasks on floating and sinking, a topic in which the children had very little prior knowledge. The same four children attended two twenty minute sessions and my aim was to develop their knowledge on why objects float or sink (see Appendices A and B for lesson plans). I planned the tasks after observing the teacher and children in a wide range of subjects (Appendices C and D) to gain an understanding of the teachers practices and record how talk was used in the classroom. I particularly observed the types of questions the teacher used, the use of exploratory and presentational talk, how the children were grouped together and the use of dialogic teaching, to see their influence on the childrens learning and the teachers assessment opportunities. Reflecting upon the effectiveness of these methods influenced my own lessons within the class (Appendix E). I used a lot of talk within these lessons, so the post-lesson evaluations (Appendix F) allowed me to observe which talk methods were the most effective, which in turn influenced my science task plans. My TE1 partner observed and took notes of the discussion and activities during these tasks (Appendix G). Worksheets also allowed me to record the childrens ideas (Appendices H and I). The first science task was to assess the childrens initial understanding of floating and sinking. I documented the general misconceptions that were stated during this session (Appendix J). The second science task, influenced by these misconceptions, provided the children with experiences aimed to develop their understanding. Analysis and Interpretation of Evidence I analysed the areas of dialogic teaching, exploratory talk, questioning and ability grouping with relation to talk for learning and assessment. Dialogic Teaching Alexanders dialogic teaching principles were all present in an observed lesson (Appendix C). The children were sat on the carpet for the starter, sharing and developing their ideas. The teacher had a specific learning objective and used questions to structure the lesson and assess the childrens understanding. This technique was successful in forcing the children to think for themselves and vocalise their ideas aloud, so that their ideas could be shared and developed together. Using talk in the classroom allowed the children to gain a deeper understanding, as misconceptions could be discussed and good contributions verbally rewarded, which encouraged the children to carefully think through their answers. Dialogic talk kept the children engaged, whereas in lessons that did not include much dialogic talk, I observed that the children tended to lose interest sooner, suggesting that talk can aid concentration. Aspects of dialogic teaching were present in all lessons but not necessarily all five principles, supporting previous research which indicates that dialogic teaching is not widely used (Smith et al, 2004). The lessons always had a purposeful plan and usually incorporated a collective approach, for example via class discussions. However, the other three aspects (reciprocal, cumulative and a supportive environment) were not always present; children didnt always have the opportunity to share and develop ideas together and the teacher often expected a certain answer, which resulted in many children not being confident enough to answer in case they were wrong. Shy children and those of a lower ability struggled more in these lessons, possibly due to a lack of structured idea sharing. Appendix K shows the work of a less able child during a literacy lesson before and after dialogue; the improvement of her writing after using talk based on dialogic teaching is astounding. This supports Alexanders (2008) findings; the writing of less able children improved following dialogic teaching. Thus, Alexanders principles of dialogic teaching are all important and dictate how talk can be used constructively to create a positive learning environment. I included dialogic teaching myself within my tasks. I used talk to assess the childrens knowledge, develop their understanding and encourage them to share their ideas without being intimidating; the children had time to express and develop their ideas, or expand on their peers ideas. They gave long answers, such as I was surprised that the wooden cube floated because I thought it would sink because of its shape. This contradicts Smith et al.s (2004) research, which found that 70% of answers didnt exceed three words. The children added to each others ideas politely and seemed genuinely interested in the opinions of others. For example, when one child stated that wood sank, another pointed out that in a film they had recently watched as a class, the boat was made from wood and floated. The first child then admitted that this was true; this new insight allowed them to assimilate this new concept into their schema. Without conversation different perspectives like this, which can be the link to understanding, might be lost. Exploratory Talk Within the observed science lesson the teacher set up an experiment. A lot of exploratory talk was encouraged (Appendix C) before the children made their own predictions. During the follow up lesson, the experiment was completed; the children used presentational talk to explain the results. This allocation of talk types worked well, supporting Barness (2008: p.7) theory that giving children time for exploratory talk is favourable, allowing them to gather their ideas before expressing their conclusions using presentational talk. I found exploratory talk to be very beneficial in my second science task to encourage self-discovery. I found that the childrens talk didnt always flow fluently, but as Barnes (2008: p.4) observed, exploratory talk is hesitant and incomplete because it enables the speaker to try out ideas, to hear how they sound, to see what others make of them, to arrange information and ideas into different patterns. Using exploratory talk allowed the children to express opinions and consider everyones experiences, thus gaining a deep understanding of the topic. Questioning My findings extend the research of Barnes et al (1986), Alexander (1992) and Myhill at al (2006), who found closed questions were dominant in the classroom overall. I found that in numeracy and some foundation subjects, closed questions were dominant; they simply follow the facts, e.g. What is half of 50? According to Sullivan, although open questions are generally preferable, they have no advantage in numeracy. However, within literacy and science most questions were open, e.g. Why do you think the egg will disappear? (Appendix C). The children were encouraged to refer to their own experiences and ideas to construct their own predictions. Therefore, the dominant question type depended on the subject. I found open questions to be an advantage in my science task; children were encouraged to provide and develop their own original ideas, e.g. Why did you think the cork will float? Soon the children offered developed ideas without encouragement, e.g. I think the cork will float because it is made from wood. Open questions allowed me to model responses until children expanded their answers naturally. Ability Grouping The groupings I saw generally supported Piagets approach of ability grouping, which is common practice across the UK. Numeracy consisted of two ability groups and lower ability children were often grouped together in literacy. I found this approach preferable to encourage peer talk within a familiar topic, since they were not intimidated to discuss their ideas. Vygotskys approach of putting a learner with someone of a higher level of knowledge was rarely used on a peer level. It concentrates on developing the skills of the lower ability child and is of little aid to the higher ability child. However, this scaffolding was present in adult-child teaching, for example an autistic child had a teaching assistant someone of higher ability who supported his development. It was a very effective method, but this level of personalised teaching is too time-consuming and impractical to use on every child. My science task consisted of both the children developing their ideas together (similar ability teaching) and myself aiding them (higher ability teaching). I found that when I wasnt controlling the discussion the children were very enthusiastic share ideas, but often presented inaccurate ideas to one another as facts. Therefore, I needed to step in to avoid the children sharing their misconceptions. The children were more relaxed by having no input from someone of a higher ability, but I found that this method did not work in this case. This may have been because it was a new topic; therefore the children had little experience to call upon. Validity I have based this study on a series of observations within a wide range of subjects to gain a thorough insight into talk for learning within a particular class. However, I concentrated on one teacher, one class and my science task was based on only four children. Therefore, my conclusions assume that other classes would act similarly. On the other hand, my findings are often supported by other studies which have used a larger test sample. These studies increase the validity of my own findings. Conclusion of Findings Dialogic Teaching Dialogic teaching is very effective when encouraging new and creative ideas. It builds confidence, as the children are encouraged not to rely too heavily on their teacher, but to be in charge of their own learning. Children can share ideas, develop their own, improve their communication skills and the teacher can assess the childrens talk content. I found that dialogic talk improved childrens imagination and understanding. My research supported Alexanders (2003, 2004b) findings that dialogic teaching encourages children to answer questions confidently and clearly and listen respectfully to their peers. Using dialogic teaching also allowed me to assess the children quickly and subtly. Children who needed extra help could be identified before the main activity if dialogic talk is used during the lesson starter. Exploratory Talk I found that it is good practice to give children time for exploratory talk when starting a new topic, to discuss and develop ideas in an informal setting. Only when children have personally ordered these ideas should presentational talk be introduced. Exploratory talk allows new concepts to be assimilated or accommodated into the childs existing schema. Questioning I think open questions are vital to encourage children to think for themselves, allowing the children to achieve a deeper understanding. However, closed questions are appropriate in factual based subjects such as maths, since there is not much room for opinion. Questioning can gauge the general understanding of the class and encourage the children to share and develop their ideas. Individual knowledge can be assessed and immediate feedback given. However, as Barnes (1976/1992) notes, it is difficult to gain a deep understanding of individuals knowledge, so questioning should be used alongside other methods. Ability Grouping Placing children with someone of a higher ability was preferable when developing a new concept, to avoid misconceptions being shared and amplified. However, ability grouping was best to encourage talk when the children were applying and developing their understanding, since the children could discuss their work at the same level and without being intimidated. Conclusion of Investigation Focusing on specific areas of classroom talk allowed me to produce a focused analysis. My study was carefully planned, based on my areas of focus and observations of existing practice to analyse the use of talk for learning. I compared my findings to those of existing studies, drawing links between my literature review and my own research to increase validity. The small test sizes within this investigation may have negatively affected my results. For example, I found dialogic teaching effective, stating that the children were comfortable in expressing their ideas. However, the small group size might have created a less intimidating environment and in fact be the cause to the effect, rather than dialogic teaching itself. My observations were based on the same class, so discrepancies in location, age and teaching will not have been picked up. Therefore, to improve the accuracy and validity of my results, I would have to look at a wider range of schools and age groups. Overall, by developing my investigation in a structured and focused manner, I gained a well rounded insight into the best ways of using talk for learning, which I will apply in my own teaching. (Word Count: 3500) Referencing Alexander, R. 2008: Essays on Pedagogy. London, UK: Routledge. Alexander, R. 2008: Culture, Dialogue and Learning: Notes on an Emerging Pedagogy. In Mercer N. and Hodgkinson S. (ed.). Exploring Talk in School. London, UK: Sage Publications, pp.91-114. Barnes, D. 2008: Exploratory Talk for Learning. In Mercer N. and Hodgkinson S. (ed.). Exploring Talk in School. London, UK: Sage Publications, pp.1-15. Cambridge Primary Review. 2009: Towards a new Primary Curriculum. Accessed 27/10/10: www.primaryreview.org.uk/Downloads/Curriculum_report/CPR_Curric_rep_Pt1_Past_Present.pdf Mercer, N. and Littleton, K. 2007: Chapter 2 How Does Interaction Help Learning and Development? in Dialogue and the Development of Childrens Thinking: A Sociocultural Approach. London, UK: Routledge, pp.8-23. Myhill, D. and Dunkin, F. 2005: Questioning Learning. UK: University of Exeter, Vol. 19, No. 5, pp.415-428. Accessed 10/12/10: http://eric.exeter.ac.uk/exeter/bitstream/10036/15292/1/MyhillDunkinQuestioningLearning.pdf Myhill, D. et al. 2006: Chapter 4 Questioning and Learning in Talking, Listening, Learning: Effective Talk in the Primary Classroom. Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp.68 -84. Ofsted (2009) Section 5 Inspection. Accessed 05/12/10: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk Sage, Rosemary. 2000: Class Talk: Successful Learning Through Effective Communication. Stafford, UK: Network Educational Press Ltd. Sullivan, P. 1992: Using Open Questions For Teaching: A Classroom Experiment. Victoria, Australia: Australian Catholic University. Accessed 17/11/10: www.merga.net.au/documents/RP_Sullivan_1992.pdf Van Ments, Morry. 1990: Active Talk: The Effective Use of Discussion in Learning. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited. Jones, P. 1988: Lipservice: The Story of Talk in School. Milton Keynes, England: Open University Press. Sharp, E. 2005: Learning Through Talk in the Early Years Practical Activities for the Classroom. London, UK: Paul Chapman Publishing, A SAGE Publications Company. Moore, A. 2000: Teaching and learning: pedagogy, curriculum and culture. London, UK: RoutledgeFalmer.

Harbor Seals Essay example -- Animals Sea Wildlife Descriptive Essays

Harbor Seals Harbor seals are marine mammals that have spotted coats in a variety of shades from silver gray, black to dark brown. They reach 5 to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 300 pounds. Harbor seals are dimorphic, with the male being slightly larger than the female. They are true, or crawling seals, which means they have no external earflaps. True seals also have small flippers, and move on land by flopping along on their bellies. They breathe at the surface and hold their breath while diving. They can dive to 1,500 feet for up to 40 minutes, although their average dive lasts 3 to 7 minutes. Their scientific name basically means 'sea calf' or 'sea dog.' This nickname is fits them well, as these seals closely resemble a dog when their head is viewed at the surface of the water. When the harbor seal pup (baby seal) is born, it has a coat that closely resembles the adult coat. Some have a longer, softer white or gray coat (lanugo) when born, but they shed that coat within about 10 days. Harbor seals are found across the Northern Hemisphere in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the northeast Pacific, they range from Alaska to Baja California, in Mexico. They live near-shore coastal waters and frequent sandy beaches, mudflats, bays, and estuaries. Some harbor seals even live in certain areas of Europe such as Finland. The total harbor seal population in the northeast Pacific is estimated to be 330,000, in California the estimated population was 40,000, and in Europe the estimated population was 6,000 in 1997. Harbor seals spend about half their time on land and half in water, and they sometimes sleep in water. They may sleep most of the day on the beach to keep safe from the predators that hunt them, and go into the water only a couple of times each day to hunt for food. Harbor seals don?t have a permanent place to live but they usually are found in small groups, but sometimes occur in numbers of up to 100 to 500. Their average life span is around 25 years, although some have lived for over 30 years. However, males seem to live shorter lives, probably because of the added physical stress of fighting during mating season.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harbor Seal is both a predator and a prey. They are very vital in the food chain. Seals eat a lot of fish and prevent over population, and they are a great source of food to animals such as orca whales, great... ... high tolerance to carbon dioxide in the tissues, they have the ability to store large amounts of oxygen in the muscle tissues, and they have the ability to make their lungs collapse when air is expelled before they dive, which helps to prevent the bends. To help see in dark and murky waters, the seals have special adapted eyes that make them able to see in such conditions. To guard against very cold water temperatures, harbor seals maintain a thick layer of fat beneath their skin, giving them a thick sausage shape. To make the harbor seals less noticeable to predators, their coats sometimes blend in with the rocks or sand they?re lying in. To help them find food easier, they have a keen sense of smell. Without these adaptations, who knows if the Harbor Seal would still exist today. Works Cited: *Hanan, D. (1999). Pacific Harbor Seals. Alolkoy Publishing Co. PP 12-59. *King, J. (1983). Seals of the World. British Museum (Natural History) and Cornell University Press. PP 20-26. *Internet: Sea World web site. www.seaworld.org/animal_bytes/harborsealab.html April 20, 2001 *Internet: The Marine Mammal Center web site. www.tmmc.org/harborsl.htm April 20, 2001

My Philosophy as a Teacher :: Philosophy of Education Statement Teaching Essays

My Philosophy as a Teacher I want that â€Å"A† assignment displayed on David’s refrigerator. I want Julie to recount that discussion about Elie Weisel’s Night to her friend on the bus, and I want them to feel enlightened and emotional about it. Years from now, I want to hear Jose tell his son about the class where he realized he wasn’t stupid and could write well. I want him to write a story about it. I haven’t taught a David, a Julie or a Jose yet, but one day I want to have that kind of effect on my students. No matter how a child feels about school, it plays a tremendous part in a child’s life. Teachers can brighten or burden a student’s day, every day, depending on how a teacher conducts her class and how she relates to her students. For this reason, I believe I must teach more than just English and more than that which can be measured by grades. I believe a good teacher can give a student the skills and self confidence that may propel that child through life. Whetting a child’s interest in learning and pushing a child to prove himself capable of obtaining and improving on his talents, is of vital importance. Having been a student for nearly sixteen years now, I believe that in order to be an effective conveyer of skills and knowledge, I must always plan, be organized, structured and make my expectations high and clear for my students. Whenever possible, I must streamline and simplify complex ideas in order to help students grasp new skills and concepts. Teaching freshly, creatively and entertainingly is also highly important. As an English teacher, I want to guide my students closely through their writing processes, emphasizing the revision process, which I find to be crucial in learning to write well. I want to help alleviate the intense stress that students sometimes feel about writing by making them write often. With practice, I hope to make writing feel natural and enjoyable for even my most English-hating students.