Classification Of Computers :: Computer PC Desktop Technology

Classifications of Computers According to the U.S. Census "Forty-four million households, or 42 percent, had at least one member who used the Internet at home in 2000" (Home Computers 2). Today, no doubt, even more family members in the United States use computers. Most people are aware of the desktop computers which can be found in the home and in the workplace. What are the different types of computers and what are their purposes? Computers can be classified into three different categories of home computers, portable computers, and business computers including workstations and super computers. First, what is a computer? "While the term computer can apply to virtually any device that has a microprocessor in it, most people think of a computer as a device that receives input from the user through a mouse or keyboard, processes it in some fashion and displays the result on a screen" (What are the Different p. 1). Home computers are being used by children, teenagers, and adults. The PC or personal computer is designed to be used by one person. The term, Mac, is a PC, but most people link computers with Windows software such as Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. A PC is actually a desktop that is designed to be used in one set location. "Most desktops offer more power, storage, and versatility for less than their portable brethren" (What Are p. 3). Many desktop computers are used at home and at work. Various types of software have been designed to meet individual needs of the computer user. The use of home computers or PCs can be for various purposes such as education, w ork at home, personal communication through e-mail, to gain knowledge about different topics, to find recipes, and even to play games. The second classification of computers is portable computers. This type of classification includes lap tops and palm tops. The personal digital assistant or PDA was designed to help people stay organized. This was expanded upon and now PDA's offer a variety of services. PDA's are "easy to use and capable of sharing information with your PC. It's supposed to be an extension of the PC, not a replacement" with many different types of services (How PDAs Work p. 1). Many PDA's are even capable of connecting with the Internet and act as global positioning devices. Other portable computers are now available. Another portable computer is the palmtop.

Office Management Essay

According to Npower (Business Case Studies) Often these decisions are administrative in nature and can be implemented quickly and tend to carry a little risk and are smaller scale, but are never the less important choices that people have to make to fulfil their role. Strategic Decision Implementing that laptops are to be used by partners while out of the office would be a strategic decision. There are lots of problems with the partners being out of the office and with the use of laptops as communication tools this will provide a direct link between the office staff and the partners. I believe that this is a strategic decision as with the right planning and overseeing the development this could really be a step forward for Classic Interiors because work can be exchanged between partners and the office and messages can be passed on effectively meaning that there won’t be a build-up of work or office staff with no work and communication between everyone will be made a lot easier. Operational Decision Stipulating a lunch time for each staff member would be an organisational decision. The current system for lunch time is not convenient as the employees get to decide when they go as long as one of them is in the office. I believe this is an operational decision because if affects the day to day running of the organisation. If the administrators were set a lunch hour each they would have to stick to it and get used to working alongside the time set. Role of Office Manager Operational Planning Process As the office manager my role in establishing a new routine for lunch hour would be to organise a meeting to communicate the proposed changes with administrators and gain their views. Then I would create a plan to put forward to the administrators and partners. When a decision has been reached and the new plan is put into action I would have to oversee the progress of the plan gathering feedback at every opportunity. Issues There is increased frustration between partners and administrators due to the partners carrying out task they believe the administrators could be doing which would free up more time for the partners. The solution to this would be to for all administrators to be trained how to use the specialist interior design software, this would enable them to alleviate the work load from the partners and feel more involved in the design side of their work. This would likely be time consuming to train the administrators but the overall outcome would be beneficial to the company. The relationship between partners and the administrators is suffering due to the partners being out of the office as communication is often via short telephone messages and emails which has led to information being mis-communicated. The solution would be to introduce the use of PDA’s (Personal digital Assistants) for partners to be able to communicate with administrators. This would enable the administrators to contact the partners if a problem arises while carrying out work so that no mistakes are made and also they would be able to check their diaries to make appointments without the chance of double booking. Instant messaging could also help with communication as they are received instantly and can be replied to in seconds. Financial Planning and Budgetary Control Financial Planning According to Jim Priebe (ehow) A financial plan is like a blue print. It is a description of what you want to achieve and the tools you need to achieve it. Financial planning is the process of asking questions to ensure that you manage your risk against unexpected events. Managers need to be able to exercise control over the organisation that they manage to make sure that financial plans are being achieved both for the long term and the short term. Benefits of financial planning are: 1 Reducing the risk of a financial crisis. 2 Allows you to understand how each financial decision made affects other areas of finance. Barriers of financial planning are: 1 It can be time consuming 2 Can be costly as will involve accountants. Budgetary Control Budgetary control is precise control of an organisations operations through establishment of standards and targets concerning income and expenditure. Continuous monitoring is required to be effective. Benefits of budgetary control are: 1 Coordinates activities across departments. 2 Provides a record of organisational activities. Barriers of budgetary control are: 1 Budgets can demotivate staff. 2 May cause competition for resources. Effective Delegation Delegation is the distribution of tasks by the office manager. Giving responsibilities to employees to carry out the work but the work will remain liable to the office manager. When delegation is carried out properly very good results and high productivity can be achieved. The Process of Delegation Delegation can be very difficult. The process of delegation is: 1 Define the task 2 Select the Individual 3 Explain what must be achieved (clear instructions) 4 Discuss requirement to completion 5 Agree a deadline 6 Be there for support 7 Always give feedback Benefits Time management would be a benefit of delegation as this would allow partners to delegate work so that they have a more manageable work load. Delegating tasks will motivate staff and increase productivity. Barriers Forcing someone to do a task that they don’t want to or are not capable of would be a barrier, this can be seen in the case study when Izzy asked one of the administrators to just follow what had been done before. This lead to the administrator getting upset and Izzy feeling unable to approach anyone else. This could have been avoided by management setting out a procedure for staff to follow and allocating the task to someone suitable. Confusion about who is ultimately responsible for tasks is a barrier to effective delegation, this can be seen in the case study as partners are frustrated because they believe that administration is responsible for some of their tasks. This can be corrected by training administrators to make the delegation process easier. Leadership Models I think Tomi uses democratic leadership. As Tomi involves the staff in the decision making process of meeting times and encouraged staff to offer their opinions which made the administrators feel like what they said mattered. I believe Izzi uses Autocratic Leadership. When Izzi was in charge she would decide the times of meetings even when it was inconvenient to the others meaning work started to suffer which she then thought they could not manage and devised a new procedure which is hopeless but Izzi cannot see this. Staff find it difficult to communicate with her. Autocratic Leadership works where there is no need for input on the decisions and Democratic leadership works when a leader seeks help and guidance from staff to make decisions. Democratic leadership The impact of this leadership style is that it gives staff a voice and they are able to communicate better with management. Democratic leadership style encourages better cooperation and motivates staff because they feel well informed in everything that affects their work. Autocratic Leadership The impact of this leadership style is that it fails to motivate staff and they feel forced to do things managements way although It is not always the best way and staff become stressed being pushed. Autocratic leadership style encourages no communication between staff and management as management make all the decisions based on what they feel is best for the organisation. References Hamel, G. (2008) ‘What is strategic Decision Making’ http://smallbusiness. chron. com/strategic-decision-making-23782. html Npower. ‘Developing people through decision making’ http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/npower/developing-people-through-decision-making/tactical-decisions. html Priebe, J. ‘What is the purpose of Financial Planning’ http://www. ehow. com/info_7755005_purpose-financial-plan. html

Analysis of Romanticism, The Brothers Grimm, and Hansel...

Timothy Towers Becky Austin Honors English IV April 18th, 2014 The Brothers Grimm, Romanticism, and Hansel and Gretel Today when one thinks about the Grimm Brothers, they most likely think about how widespread their stories are, being that they are told in many homes and have had many adaptations of them. This was not the case however when Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm first started to write and collect their tales. Many were uncomfortable with them and the very violent scenes they had. People eventually came around and Jacob and Wilhelm became two of the most famous people in the history of things relating to literature and this shows through their tales such as Hansel and Gretel. The Grimm Brothers were both born in Hanau Germany†¦show more content†¦One of the few points on which all people who claimed to be a Romantic was the refutation of enlightenment’s skeptical rationalism. Romantics were more concerned with the imagination and relied on metaphysical things, where as someone who was a part of the enlightenment movement would cl aim that there is no evidence and is therefore irrational. Another point that most Romantics agreed upon was a love and respect for nature. One a part of the enlightened movement would want to use intellect to â€Å"master† nature while a Romantic would rather admire the beauty, wildness, and other inspirational qualities of nature (Micale 2026). Along with the admiration of nature and the strong use of imagination goes the strong interest in the emotions and getting in touch with one’s roots. Some topics related to the emotions heavily emphasized in Romanticism are dreams, horror, fantasy, and madness. The Grimm Brothers were influenced by Romanticism in both this emotional sense, their tales encompassing often times all four of the emotional ideas just stated, and by getting back to one’s roots. It was the getting back to one’s roots that helped the Grimm Brothers feel led to collect folk tales from throughout the ages (â€Å"Grimm Brothers† 838) . Most of Grimm Fairy Tales are rooted in society’s problems. During this time there were many wars, plagues, and famines and there were

Gender, Gender And Race, By Christine Overall And Cressida...

Christine Overall and Cressida Heyes are two authors who argue whether transracial surgery is legitimate under the condition of that transsexual surgery is acceptable. Their arguments are opposing to each other. Overall insists that both surgeries should be acceptable while Heyes does not agree with Overall. They both agree with that race and sex-gender are socially constructed. Thus, Overall has no problem with the concept of identity changes—for both sex-gender and race—however, Heyes argues that they are not constructed in the same way. Christine Overall is advocating the claim that transracial surgery is not problematic if transsexual surgery is acceptable. She brings possible arguments and discusses them against â€Å"rejecters of†¦show more content†¦Someone might point out that people who want to have the surgery for identity change, which can be either sex or race, are not be able to make a right decision or psychologically confused. However, Overall suggests that we have seen many people who did not have any problem in their work, relationship, and life after the surgery. If we assume that someone wants to change his or her identity due to a confusion, this case must be considered with oppression and discrimination that this person has experienced. Thus, it is not correct to say that people who want to change their identity are purely due to the mental sickness or confusion. Unlike Overall, Cressida Heyes argues that transracialism is not reasonable, while transsexualism is. Heyes brings up Overallâ €™s statement, claiming â€Å"if transsexual surgery is morally acceptable†¦ then transracial surgery should be morally acceptable† (269). Heyes admits that the argument of Overall is clear—both sex and race are socially constructed rather than inherited. Nonetheless, Heyes throws a question if they are constructed in the same way. Heyes would say no since Overall’s hypothetical approach is not meant to consider the history of two different identities. She also suggests few other differences between race and sex. Heyes brings three different points between race and sex. Firstly, she introduces â€Å"One-Drop Rule†

Planned Parenthood Fund Or Defund Essay - 1818 Words

Planned Parenthood: Fund or Defund Just imagine a 17 year old girl sitting on her bathroom floor. She is staring at this plastic stick that is now going to determine her choices for the rest of her life. The little plus sign causes her stomach to tense up and her throat to choke up. Who will help her? Who will pay for the food her and her baby need? Who is the father? Will she finish high-school and go to college? How will her parents react? This young girl has a choice that will have major impact on her life no matter what she decides. What if she was able to decide when and how she wanted these decisions/questions to come up? That young girl isn’t the only girl thinking about this choice; actually thousands of girls are. The United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate among developed countries. 800,000 of unintended pregnancies a year with 400,000 live births (Yang). Within the years 2006 and 2007 the birth rate for adolescents aged 15-19 increased by 4%. Luckily within the last 10 year s recent policy changes have decreased these shocking rates. These policy changes include the defunding of abstinence-only education programs and the availability of over the counter emergency contraception to women of all ages. The most recent policy change was Obama’s new Title X rule. This new rule refuses the states from withholding Title X federal family planning money from patients that include political and religious reasons. In summary, it means that statesShow MoreRelatedParenthood : A Non Profit Organization That Does A World Of Good?966 Words   |  4 Pagesthink it’s right to defund a non-profit organization that does a world of good? I most certainly don’t. Planned Parenthood protects, supports, and educates our society greatly from the services they provide. This essay will provide evidence and reasoning that prove that Planned Parenthood is a beneficial necessity for society, proving that it would be a horrific mistake if Congress chose to de fund Planned Parenthood. First things first, it is important to know that Planned Parenthood mainly providesRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Debate1305 Words   |  6 Pagesaround Planned Parenthood. GOP continues to push the ban on federal funds allotted to this particular organization, due to its involvement in abortions and alleged tissue and stem cell sales. But how is tax payer’s money actually being directed to abortion procedures? Realistically, taxpayers last year alone spend 528 million dollars that directly went to Planned Parenthood (Planned Parenthood, 2015). However, that money does not directly go from the taxpayer’s hand to Planned Parenthood. What actuallyRead MorePlanned Parenthood : A Program That Has Been Servicing Communities For Over 100 Years909 Words   |  4 PagesPlanned Parenthood a program that has been servicing communities for over 100 years by providing sexual health care and preventative services for women and men is going to be possibly defunded by the gov ernment according to â€Å"the Grand Old Party†, or Republican Party. In an order to avoid government a shutdown in efforts to save federal funding, the government will defund Planned Parenthood for one year to create financial savings. According to the Washington Post, â€Å"Planned Parenthood receives aboutRead MorePlanned Parenthood : A Funded Program1712 Words   |  7 PagesPlanned Parenthood Federation of America has been a governmentally funded program in the United States of America since 1970 despite countless efforts nationwide to defund the organization. Founded by Martha Sanger and Ethel Byrne, Planned Parenthood (PPFA) is a nonprofit organization which provides reproductive health services in Africa as well as North, Central and South America. Over 650 clinics across the nation provide a collective four million medical visits annually.10 PPFA, one of the largestRead MoreParenthood, A Non Profit Healthcare Group1574 Words   |  7 PagesThe History of Planned P arenthood and the Constitutional Right to Abortions Planned Parenthood, a non-profit healthcare group has been under fire with the public hoping to defund the clinics. Planned Parenthood is a health care provider that was funded 100 years ago. In 1916 a Birth control organization was created by Margaret Sanger . When it was first created, it didn’t consider the health or rights of women as a motive. Instead it was founded in order to stop child labor and infant mortality (PrimroseRead MorePlanned Parenthood1299 Words   |  6 PagesPlanned Parenthood Planned Parenthood federation of America (PPFA), better known as Planned Parenthood, is a non-profit organization that provides healthcare and family planning services. Planned Parenthood is the nations leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate (Planned). Planned Parenthood receives federal funding to help practice the services they provide, but some groups believe that funding this organization is morally wrong. Critics of Planned Parenthood say theRead MoreHealth At Stake . There Has Been A Recent Event Where The1441 Words   |  6 Pagesyear, which can save many lives. People rely heavily on Planned Parenthood, being the nation’s health care provider, as it provides them with reproductive health benefits. 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They deliver and educate us about birth control, cancer, men and women’s sexual health, pregnancy, sexual orientation and offer the Morning-After Pill (emergency contraception) and sexually transmittedRead MoreThe Parenthood Act Of 2015 Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesBill H.R.3134 Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 was introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-6) in the House. This bill calls to call to prohibit for a year the availability of federal funds for Planned Parenthood, and it was passed in the Ho use, but failed to do so in the Senate. Remarkably, Steve King (R-IA-4) voted present, and Charlie Dent (R-PA-15), Robert Dold (R-IL10), and Richard Hanna (R-NY-22), all Republicans voted against the bill. On the other hand, only 2 members of the DemocraticRead MoreThe Debate Of Womens Reproductive Health1194 Words   |  5 Pagesdebated on the most is the topic of abortions. Two organizations that have opposing stances on reproductive health are Planned Parenthood and the National Right to Life organization. Their opposing viewpoints make it hard to come to a compromise but they do both agree on some sort of health care so the best solution would be to devise legislation for health care for women. Planned Parenthood is a women’s health care provider. This organization goes above and beyond research and help when it comes to providing

Maintaining a Learning Environment Free Essays

The teacher is a manger. The organization he or she manages is a group of students from diverse backgrounds and with differing skills and abilities. Some are already eager learners, while others have to be awakened to the joys and satisfactions of learning. We will write a custom essay sample on Maintaining a Learning Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Still others have special problems that must be dealt with effectively in order for them to learn and in order to maintain an environment conducive to learning for the whole group. It’s important, first, to provide students with opportunities to learn about things that interest them and then, to find ways to introduce the learning that peaks the student’s interest. If the teacher can find ways to relate the topic to the student’s present experience, and provide interactive learning activities that the student can actively participate in, then the student will gain motivation. The physical environment plays a role in learning too. Some students learn better in different lighting (softer or brighter), sitting at a desk or lying on the floor, with music on or in perfect silence, in a warmer or cooler place, etc. The teacher can establish areas in the room that meet these different needs and styles of learning. Students who learn better lying down, for example, could bring mats to school that can be unrolled for study time. A small tent in the corner could provide the dimmer light some students need. A radio or CD player with earphones could be allowed during study time provided it truly helps the student to learn. The importance of reasonable rules that everyone understands can hardly be overestimated. On the first or second day of school the teacher could initiate an interactive discussion with the students about why rules are needed in the classroom. Let students share a few experiences that happened when there were no rules. Then, ask them to come up with no more than five rules for classroom behavior. They could each write down a rule or two they think is important on an index card, and the teacher could then let each person read what he/she wrote down. A list could be generated on the board. Or, they could start by brainstorming a list of every rule they can think of, then evaluate, eliminate, combine (just the word respect, for example, includes many rules), and whittle them down into three to five good rules. A student with good handwriting or an artistic bent could be chosen to make a large poster with the rules, or a bulletin board for classroom display where everybody can see it. Once the students have set their classroom rules, they are invested in them. I have tried this with grades 4-7 students, and it worked very well to establish an orderly learning environment. The students took the rules more seriously because they had had a say in setting them. It teaches democracy, too. If the students do not think of something the teacher considers important, the teacher can add it to their list and explain why. However, this is unlikely. In my experience, the student’s rules tend to be very good-actually, the same rules I would have made myself, only they mean more to the students since they have developed them as a group and the rules are in their own words. Lane and Wehby (2005) report that 1% of school age children have been labeled emotionally disturbed and are receiving special education services because of it. They estimate an additional 2% to 16% of U. S. students who demonstrate anti-social behavior patterns such as defiance disorders or conduct disorders. When a student is oppositional or defiant, the teacher must be careful not to respond angrily and get into a confrontation. Teachers should be aware of their own triggers so that they can control their own behavior. This will help them to avoid a confrontation. It is best to remain calm and to diffuse the student’s anger before it escalates into a crisis and/or violence. If a student refuses to do a certain task, offering an alternative choice may help, and it would be a good idea for the teacher always to have alternative tasks ready just in case-alternative activities that are still learning activities. A sense of humor may be a teacher’s best defense when students are uncooperative. It is better to prevent escalation than to deal with a crisis later. One way to do this is to reinforce good behavior with praise, a smile, gesture, touch, â€Å"or a pleasant comment when they display unprompted, socially appropriate behavior† (Albin, 2003). Don’t wait until students are disruptive to pay attention to them! Teachers should make the effort to notice and praise good behavior and reward it. Punishment is a negative way of dealing with problematic behavior. It may provide reinforcement for bad behavior if the reason the student is misbehaving is because he/she wants attention. If a student misbehaves because he doesn’t want to do his work, and then gets sent out in the hall or to the office, then he gets what he wanted, and the bad behavior is reinforced. Rewards for positive behavior, such as time to do an activity the students loves, a toy or candy, or one-on-one time with the teacher (just to talk and visit for a few minutes) makes students happy to learn and to be in school. Punishment often produces resentment, and may make the student hate school. A student who hates school is not an eager learner, so punishment can be anti-productive (Peck Scarpati (2005). Teachers commonly deal with difficult students by restricting them-the more intense the student’s needs are, the more restriction–such as placing a child’s desk toward the wall (Duhaney, 2003). However, a needs-based approach is more positive and effective and suggests recourse to greater resources. Perhaps the child needs to learn appropriate ways to handle anger and aggression, more problem-solving skills, or receive feedback for appropriate behaviors. If the child has trouble with self-control, instructional strategies could include modeling, role-play, and feedback to help him stay out of fights, solve problems, express anger appropriately, and deal with frustration. Without intervention students with or at risk for behavioral disorders are liable to experience many negative outcomes both in school and outside such as impaired social relationships, academic underachievement, and discipline problems (Lane, Wehby, Barton-Arwood, 2005). Social skills interventions have been used and evaluated for more than 25 years, but their efficacy continues to be questioned. Researchers suggest that social skills training makes only a modest impact; however, most educators agree that not doing anything is worse. The ability to adapt and modify instruction is crucial to effectively educating these children. Before starting an intervention, it would be wise to gather information about the student, such as why, where and when he uses the particular behavior. Identify what social, affective, cultural, or contextual elements might be at work, and analyze the information. List the specific behaviors and describe where when and with whom the behavior is likely to occur. What consequences are usually administered? Keep anecdotal records so you can look for patterns and what triggers the behavior. Then figure out what strategies might be effective to avoid the behavior; for example, teach self-talk to students who are impulsive and organize the classroom environment to help hyperactive students. Consider making a contract with the student. Develop personal schedules for students who have difficulty making good use of their time. Consider implementing a token economy in which the teacher systematically awards or withdraws tokens or points for appropriate or inappropriate behavior. The student can redeem the tokens for something he wants such as privileges, desired activities, or food. Conflict resolution is a way to help students express their feelings and communicate better with others. We tend to see conflict as negative because of the disruption it causes in the classroom; however, conflict is neither good nor bad but simply a fact of life. According to Vollmer, Drook and Harned (1999) â€Å"Learning through social conflict is important to all human development† (p. 122). As children develop cognitive reasoning skills, they begin to see that others have perspectives, needs, and desires too. Early training with role plays and simulations will help them develop the social skills they need to maintain relationships. Students can be taught a process for resolution of conflict. One way is to use a large visual of a traffic light which shows the steps to conflict resolution and includes the words Cool down and Ground Rules (RED), Tell your side and Listen (YELLOW), and Brainstorm and Ideas (GREEN). A turn arrow at the bottom has the words Choose solution, and do it and Shake hands. Teachers report that students take more responsibility and often initiate conflict-resolution strategies on their own after learning and practicing this system (Vollmer, Drook Harned, 1999, p. 124). The teacher should provide a quiet place in the room where students can work things out when they have a conflict. Once they have mastered a structured routine for conflict management, it will be unnecessary for the teacher to get involved. Classroom management is a challenge that requires the teacher to put his or her heart into it. An ancient Chinese proverb states that a student only learns from a teacher who loves home. In other words, a child needs to feel accepted and that the teacher cares about him or her. All children have basic needs–physical needs, safety needs, and social needs–that must be met before they can feel free to learn and develop to their true potential. If their needs are met and a positive learning environment is created, they will learn and be eager to participate. Therefore, the teacher’s goal should be, not to fill their heads with specific information, but to make learning possible in a calm, structured, safe, and flexible environment and help them gain the skills to go after knowledge. How to cite Maintaining a Learning Environment, Papers Maintaining a Learning Environment Free Essays The teacher is a manger. The organization he or she manages is a group of students from diverse backgrounds and with differing skills and abilities. Some are already eager learners, while others have to be awakened to the joys and satisfactions of learning. We will write a custom essay sample on Maintaining a Learning Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Still others have special problems that must be dealt with effectively in order for them to learn and in order to maintain an environment conducive to learning for the whole group. It’s important, first, to provide students with opportunities to learn about things that interest them and then, to find ways to introduce the learning that peaks the student’s interest. If the teacher can find ways to relate the topic to the student’s present experience, and provide interactive learning activities that the student can actively participate in, then the student will gain motivation. The physical environment plays a role in learning too. Some students learn better in different lighting (softer or brighter), sitting at a desk or lying on the floor, with music on or in perfect silence, in a warmer or cooler place, etc. The teacher can establish areas in the room that meet these different needs and styles of learning. Students who learn better lying down, for example, could bring mats to school that can be unrolled for study time. A small tent in the corner could provide the dimmer light some students need. A radio or CD player with earphones could be allowed during study time provided it truly helps the student to learn. The importance of reasonable rules that everyone understands can hardly be overestimated. On the first or second day of school the teacher could initiate an interactive discussion with the students about why rules are needed in the classroom. Let students share a few experiences that happened when there were no rules. Then, ask them to come up with no more than five rules for classroom behavior. They could each write down a rule or two they think is important on an index card, and the teacher could then let each person read what he/she wrote down. A list could be generated on the board. Or, they could start by brainstorming a list of every rule they can think of, then evaluate, eliminate, combine (just the word respect, for example, includes many rules), and whittle them down into three to five good rules. A student with good handwriting or an artistic bent could be chosen to make a large poster with the rules, or a bulletin board for classroom display where everybody can see it. Once the students have set their classroom rules, they are invested in them. I have tried this with grades 4-7 students, and it worked very well to establish an orderly learning environment. The students took the rules more seriously because they had had a say in setting them. It teaches democracy, too. If the students do not think of something the teacher considers important, the teacher can add it to their list and explain why. However, this is unlikely. In my experience, the student’s rules tend to be very good-actually, the same rules I would have made myself, only they mean more to the students since they have developed them as a group and the rules are in their own words. Lane and Wehby (2005) report that 1% of school age children have been labeled emotionally disturbed and are receiving special education services because of it. They estimate an additional 2% to 16% of U. S. students who demonstrate anti-social behavior patterns such as defiance disorders or conduct disorders. When a student is oppositional or defiant, the teacher must be careful not to respond angrily and get into a confrontation. Teachers should be aware of their own triggers so that they can control their own behavior. This will help them to avoid a confrontation. It is best to remain calm and to diffuse the student’s anger before it escalates into a crisis and/or violence. If a student refuses to do a certain task, offering an alternative choice may help, and it would be a good idea for the teacher always to have alternative tasks ready just in case-alternative activities that are still learning activities. A sense of humor may be a teacher’s best defense when students are uncooperative. It is better to prevent escalation than to deal with a crisis later. One way to do this is to reinforce good behavior with praise, a smile, gesture, touch, â€Å"or a pleasant comment when they display unprompted, socially appropriate behavior† (Albin, 2003). Don’t wait until students are disruptive to pay attention to them! Teachers should make the effort to notice and praise good behavior and reward it. Punishment is a negative way of dealing with problematic behavior. It may provide reinforcement for bad behavior if the reason the student is misbehaving is because he/she wants attention. If a student misbehaves because he doesn’t want to do his work, and then gets sent out in the hall or to the office, then he gets what he wanted, and the bad behavior is reinforced. Rewards for positive behavior, such as time to do an activity the students loves, a toy or candy, or one-on-one time with the teacher (just to talk and visit for a few minutes) makes students happy to learn and to be in school. Punishment often produces resentment, and may make the student hate school. A student who hates school is not an eager learner, so punishment can be anti-productive (Peck Scarpati (2005). Teachers commonly deal with difficult students by restricting them-the more intense the student’s needs are, the more restriction–such as placing a child’s desk toward the wall (Duhaney, 2003). However, a needs-based approach is more positive and effective and suggests recourse to greater resources. Perhaps the child needs to learn appropriate ways to handle anger and aggression, more problem-solving skills, or receive feedback for appropriate behaviors. If the child has trouble with self-control, instructional strategies could include modeling, role-play, and feedback to help him stay out of fights, solve problems, express anger appropriately, and deal with frustration. Without intervention students with or at risk for behavioral disorders are liable to experience many negative outcomes both in school and outside such as impaired social relationships, academic underachievement, and discipline problems (Lane, Wehby, Barton-Arwood, 2005). Social skills interventions have been used and evaluated for more than 25 years, but their efficacy continues to be questioned. Researchers suggest that social skills training makes only a modest impact; however, most educators agree that not doing anything is worse. The ability to adapt and modify instruction is crucial to effectively educating these children. Before starting an intervention, it would be wise to gather information about the student, such as why, where and when he uses the particular behavior. Identify what social, affective, cultural, or contextual elements might be at work, and analyze the information. List the specific behaviors and describe where when and with whom the behavior is likely to occur. What consequences are usually administered? Keep anecdotal records so you can look for patterns and what triggers the behavior. Then figure out what strategies might be effective to avoid the behavior; for example, teach self-talk to students who are impulsive and organize the classroom environment to help hyperactive students. Consider making a contract with the student. Develop personal schedules for students who have difficulty making good use of their time. Consider implementing a token economy in which the teacher systematically awards or withdraws tokens or points for appropriate or inappropriate behavior. The student can redeem the tokens for something he wants such as privileges, desired activities, or food. Conflict resolution is a way to help students express their feelings and communicate better with others. We tend to see conflict as negative because of the disruption it causes in the classroom; however, conflict is neither good nor bad but simply a fact of life. According to Vollmer, Drook and Harned (1999) â€Å"Learning through social conflict is important to all human development† (p. 122). As children develop cognitive reasoning skills, they begin to see that others have perspectives, needs, and desires too. Early training with role plays and simulations will help them develop the social skills they need to maintain relationships. Students can be taught a process for resolution of conflict. One way is to use a large visual of a traffic light which shows the steps to conflict resolution and includes the words Cool down and Ground Rules (RED), Tell your side and Listen (YELLOW), and Brainstorm and Ideas (GREEN). A turn arrow at the bottom has the words Choose solution, and do it and Shake hands. Teachers report that students take more responsibility and often initiate conflict-resolution strategies on their own after learning and practicing this system (Vollmer, Drook Harned, 1999, p. 124). The teacher should provide a quiet place in the room where students can work things out when they have a conflict. Once they have mastered a structured routine for conflict management, it will be unnecessary for the teacher to get involved. Classroom management is a challenge that requires the teacher to put his or her heart into it. An ancient Chinese proverb states that a student only learns from a teacher who loves home. In other words, a child needs to feel accepted and that the teacher cares about him or her. All children have basic needs–physical needs, safety needs, and social needs–that must be met before they can feel free to learn and develop to their true potential. If their needs are met and a positive learning environment is created, they will learn and be eager to participate. Therefore, the teacher’s goal should be, not to fill their heads with specific information, but to make learning possible in a calm, structured, safe, and flexible environment and help them gain the skills to go after knowledge. How to cite Maintaining a Learning Environment, Essay examples

Araby The Maturity Of A Boy Essay Example For Students

Araby: The Maturity Of A Boy Essay The Maturity of a Boy Passion, adolescence, foolishness, and maturity are the first words that come to ones mind to describe James Joyces short story, Araby. In it, he writes about a boy who falls deeply in love with his best friends sister, who through the story, doesnt seem to notice him or care about him. The boy, who has yet to be named, lives in a poor and run-down town. During the story, certain characters contribute to the boys developing sense of maturity, and eventually, lead him into adulthood. Mangans sister, the boys uncle, the priest, and the girl at the bazaar all serve the purpose of molding the boy into a mature person. Undoubtedly the main person who unknowingly helps the boy along the path of maturity is Mangans sister. She is the boys crush. Whenever he sees her, he follows her wherever she goes. This is strange because the boy admits to hardly ever speaking to her, and he does not know her name. He even pulls up the blinds so that he can watch her. These points show the boys immaturity, but such can be expected from a boy his age. He thinks about Mangans sister and visualizes her image everywhere he goes. He idolizes her as an angel. She seems to become a symbol of what he is living for, and she gives meaning to his life. He shows that he is truly in love with her when he starts to talk with her and forgets what he says, which is because he is so caught up in the moment talking with her to think about what he is trying to say. The phrase She asked me was I going to Araby. I forgot whether I answered yes or no. , best exemplifies these ideas. His immaturity shows in these scenes, but in the end, he finally realizes how immature he really has been by following this girl around. By saying that, we find out that the boy does not just realize his immaturity right away, it takes him a while to mature enough to figure this fact out on his own, and therefore, Mangans sister plays a major role in the development of the boy. Aside from the girl, there were also other people with a major impact on the boys maturing process. Another one of the characters who aided the boy in the development of his maturity, was his uncle. The boys uncle is a symbol of the boys father figure. The boys uncle always seems to be stressed with the difficulties of his life. He shows that he is stressed by the way that he comes home late and forgets things. When the uncle forgets that the boy wants to go to the bazaar, he does not sound like he cares about what the boy wants to do, but yet, he also is perceived to be very humble about these things. He exemplifies that he does not really care about what the boy wants when the boy tries to tell his uncle that he wants to go to the bazaar. All that the uncle does is get off of the topic and he begins to ask questions about The Arabs Farewell to His Steed. The boy does not get angry though; he just walks away which shows he has developed maturity. By coming home late to take the boy to the bazaar, the uncle again shows how he does not care about what the boy wants to do. Again, the boy is not perceived to be angry at this point. He is only described as not smiling. By acting that way, the boy sounds as though he is learning to cope with the various stresses of becoming an adult. As the boy gets older, he will not want to be like his uncle, and therefore, he will have matured in that sense. Other than the boys uncle, who is essential in the development of the boy, there is yet another character that is also just as important. Madame Bovary vs The Awakening Essay The priest also makes an impression on the development of the boy. Now, the priest has already died in the back drawing room of the boys .