Teacher and Grandmother

Interestingly, the person who had the most impact on my life was my grandmother. My grandmother was a retired College Principal, but for me she was always my Grandmother. She taught me the kinds of things that school teachers never could teach in the classroom. Because my parents were at work and my grandmother was retired, I spent a lot of time with her. She was a mother, a grandparent and a teacher at the same time. She always prepared an interesting activity for the day. We visited museums, theatres, went to the zoo, visited the library, watched movies or just stayed at home and did something fun together. She always created the proper schedule with the weather and my age in mind. I loved the way she could find the tone and the language with me, keeping in mind my capacity. She had a good sense of humor and always tried to cheer me up when she saw lack of interest or tiredness. The biggest lesson I learned from her was how to be a happy and independent child. She let my free spirit wander, making me curious and adventurous. She never lectured me or gave me boring speeches; she always found ways to engage my interest through stories and examples from her life. It were very important for her. She wanted my imagination to grow and explore different ideas and topics in my head. When I could not read by myself, she was the one who introduced me to picture books, and when I went to first grade she sat down with me and held my hand during my discovery of reading independently. My Grandmother was the first person who put a pencil in my hand. First we drew and colored together, and then slowly I learned how to form my letters and to write my name down before I started my school education. As I mentioned before, my parents had to work, so my Grandmother picked me up from school everyday. When we arrived home we always had snack and then a little free time before we sat down to do my homework. If I had a difficult assignment, for example from chemistry or physics, we tried to associate with baking as a science, or made an experiment to see how it could work in real life. She never disciplined me. How it worked between us was very natural; she was older and wiser, I was little and hungry for knowledge. I admired her knowledge, life experience and her enthusiasm; I asked question after question, begged for stories of her life and never let her sit down for a moment. She tried to keep up with me and never complained of being tired and I was never bored. I was the engine of her life and she was the educator in mine. When I was older and went to stay at overnight camps during the summer, she wrote me letters every single day. I learned how important it was to keep contact, communicate and express my feelings and ideas in writing. My grandmother made a huge impact on my life: I learned how much I should appreciate life everyday. I learned how I can make changes if I have an open and curious heart.

Does Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (Pbis)?

Does Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) affect Student Growth? July, 2012 Executive Summary In this paper, I will investigate the correlation of Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) and the effects on students’ academic growth. Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a systemic approach to proactive, school-wide behavior based on a Response to Intervention (RtI) model. (Wisconsin PBIS Network) I believe PBIS will have a positive effect on students’ academic growth.The federal government strongly recommends that schools adopt Response to Intervention (RTI) as part of their general and special education programs (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). Most RTI models are a three-tier support system with two spheres, one academic and one behavioral (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) has been used to describe school-wide and statewide efforts to implement and monitor comprehensive initiatives in our school s to decrease problem behaviors (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).For the purpose of this paper, SWPBIS, PBS and PBIS refer to School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support. Overview of Program As a component of Response to Intervention (RtI), PBS provides the tools that are essential for stabilizing and improving a student’s behavior, self-esteem, and relationship in general education classes as well as inclusive settings (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).As a system within RtI, PBS shifts the burden on the teacher from competency to â€Å"manage† the class and â€Å"control† the students’ disruptive behavior to identifying causes of inappropriate behavior, encouraging positive behaviors and monitoring interventions (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). By implementing PBIS, the teacher has a unique and important role in each students schooling. PBS is based on understanding why problem behaviors occur and it gives educators and parents a new way to think about behavior s.It is the application of evidence-based strategies and systems to assist schools to increase academic performance, increase safety, decrease problem behavior and establish positive school culture (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). RTI is a â€Å"three-tier composite of academic and behavioral spheres that, in fact, interact with one another, rather than being parallel but isolated (Buffum, Mattos & Weber, 2010). † The RtI is a three tier composite of academic and behavioral spheres, these reflect and reinforce one another (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).This model is based on and understanding that academic performance is a form of student behavior. These two spheres are interdependent and inseparable and the program needs to evaluate all aspects of a child’s performance in school including curriculum works and social interactions (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). It is scientifically and nationally recognized as the most effective approach to integrating both spheres of a childâ⠂¬â„¢s life (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). In reviewing these three spheres, PBS is an effective intervention in each of the three tiers.In the behavior sphere, it is often a greater challenge to identify goals and interventions because they are less well known and tested (Clonin, McDougal, Clark and Davison, 2007). One of the greatest advances of RtI over traditional student evaluation processes is its reliance on proactive identification of students who may be at risk and the use of early interventions that might prevent this. There are few reliable screening processes (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).RTI is about establishing a school-wide system for allocating instructional resources where they are needed. This initiative gives all students (Tier 1) access to the regular curriculum and provides differentiated instruction and support. It requires high quality differentiated instruction based on insights into student thinking and keeping track of students’ progress. General educat ion teachers can use the CHAMPs (Conversation-Help-Activity-Movement-Participation-Success) model by Randy Sprick (2009) as one of the effective approaches to PBS for a Tier 1 student.It allows teachers to design a proactive and positive approach to classroom management that has been proven successful for large numbers of struggling students in a clear, teacher and student friendly system of five prosocial behaviors (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). This model assists the teacher in identifying the behaviors they want to see and teach what these behaviors look like in the classroom by giving students specific behaviors to practice and expectations and reminders are reinforced (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).Students who are struggling and need more targeted interventions will receive increasingly intense intervention matched to their need at Tier 2. These services and interventions are usually provided in small group settings in addition to their instruction in the general curriculum. If beh aviors still need to be reinforced, there are other Tier 2 interventions like peer mentoring, group counseling, being assigned an adult role model to work with (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).One of the significant impacts that RTI and PBS have is the systematic collection of data on each child’s response to the interventions as well as support from teachers, parents and guidance counselors who can report on the effect of interventions inside and outside the school environment (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). Some students may need a more intensive individualized intervention that targets the students’ skill deficits in Tier 3. There would be a reanalysis of all the data from Tier 1 and 2, looking particularly for potential causes or interventions that had been overlooked (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).The team may decide to complete a functional behavior assessment (FBA) that will collect extensive data to identify, the antecedents that may have caused negative behavior, review of the behavior itself and the consequences of the behavior (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). This would then lead the team to create a professionally developed behavior intervention plan (BIP), which would recommend specific interventions based on the data collected from the FBA (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).Students who do not achieve the desired level of progress in response to these targeted interventions are then referred for a comprehensive evaluation by the Committee on Special Education. Analysis In reviewing the current literature, there were several studies that determined the key elements of SWPBIS that make it successful. In addition, the following studies conducted have reviewed the correlation between SWPBIS and student achievement. All eight studies found a positive relationship between the implementation of SWPBIS programs and improved student behavior.A positive correlation between the use of SWPBIS programs and improved student achievement was found in research by Hong, L eBurn, Pavlovich, and Yeung. Hong (2011) investigated the effectiveness the effectiveness of SWPBIS on statewide standardized tests using a longitudinal study over a three year period at both elementary and middle school levels in Minnesota. Preliminary data analysis based on elementary schools indicates there was statistical significant relationship between SW-PBIS program and schools’ accountability.Another study conducted by Pavlovich (2008) examined the relationship between PBIS strategies and school-wide discipline problems as well as the difference in educator’s perceptions of the school climate and academic achievement. Results indicated a significant increase in third grade reading scores between the years of PBIS implementation and one year following PBIS implementation. In addition, LeBurn (2008) looked at the â€Å"Effects of Large Scale Implementation of School Wide Positive Behavior Support on Student Discipline and Academic Achievement (SW-PBIS). The stu dy began in 2002 and went on for 3 consecutive years, with 124 public and private schools from K-12 in New Hampshire across four cohorts that participated. Implementation was associated with academics gains in math whereas the reading remained neutral. Finally, Yeung (2009) examined the effects of The Positive Behavior for Learning (PBL) initiative (adopted from the PBIS model in the USA) in Australia to improve learning outcomes for students. The results of the study show that PBL made some significant contributions in determining long term benefits for students.These preliminary findings suggest that the school-wide PBL system has the potential to make a difference in learning outcomes. One of the most significant aspects of PBIS that educators need to understand is that behavior and academics are a major part of a child’s life in school. You can not only concentrate on one aspect and ignore the other. I believe PBIS will improve student success in school because more time will be dedicated to teaching rather than managing misbehavior. The program will also improve the school climate for students and teachers.Through PBIS, there will be an enduring, positive change in behavior, reduction in suspensions as well as increase in graduation rates. I think there are still years of work and development in PBIS, but I believe this is a significant paradigm shift in education where educators are collaborating and assuring that all children learn by analyzing their academic work as well as their behaviors. Decision Matrix Key Characteristics| Weight %| Fidelity of the PBIS Program| 25%| Increase in referrals to Special Education| 20%|Increase in Suspension and behavior issues| 30%| Teacher/Student Buy In| 10%| Cost Effectiveness| 15%| Total| 100%| Key CharacteristicsOptions weight| Fidelity| Referrals| Suspension| Teacher/Student Buy In| Cost| Total:| | 25%| 20%| 30%| 10%| 15%| 100%| 1. PBIS| raw| 10| 8| 8| 7| 7| | | wt. | 300| 160| 160| 105| 105| 830| 2. Rippl e Effects| raw| 5| 5| 5| 4| 5| | | wt. | 150| 100| 100| 60| 75| 485| 3. Leaps| raw| 3| 5| 4| 5| 7| | | wt. | 90| 100| 80| 75| 105| 450| References: Benner, G. , Nelson, J. , Ron, J. Sanders, E. , Ralston, N. (2012). Behavior intervention for students with externalizing behavior problems: primary-level standard protocol. Exceptional Children, 78 ( 2). Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. arktos. nyit. edu/education/docview/916923328/137DC178FA97D350E74/1? accountid=12917 Buffum, A. , Mattos, M. , & Weber, C. (2008) Pyramid response to intervention: RtI, professional learning communities, and how to respond when kids don’t learn. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. Burton, D. & Kappenberg, J. 2012). The complete guide to RTI: an implementation toolkit. California, Corwin Clonin, S. M. , McDougal, J. L. , Clark, K. , & Davison, S. (2007). Use of office discipline referrals in school wide decision making: A practical example. Psycology in the schools, 44(1), 19-27. Hong, S. , Ryoo, J. (2011). Investigating the effectiveness of SW-PBIS on school’s accountability at both elementary and middle schools: Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, Retrieved from http://www. eric. ed. gov/PDFS/ED528760. pdf.

How to Write the Williams College Essays 2018-2019

Williams College is found tucked away in the idyllic college town of Williamstown, a liberal arts college renowned for its undergraduate education. Only 2000 students attend Williams, allowing for a stellar focus on its undergraduates and a 7:1 student-faculty ratio. Williams was founded in 1793, and through its 225 years of existence, has accrued a deep history and a wealth of tightly held traditions. Williams College has consistently been ranked the nation’s top liberal arts college by the US News College Ranking. Williams is also highly selective: for their class of 2022, the college only admitted 12% of its applicants. Notable alumni include former president James A. Garfield, composer Stephen Sondheim, and photographer Walker Evans. The early decision deadline for Williams is on November 15th, and the regular decision deadline is on January 1st. Choose one of the following: (300 words) Option 1: At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like Aesthetic Outrage, Financial Crises: Causes and Cures, and Genome Sciences: At the Cutting Edge. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. Of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why? Option 2: Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty, and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams? Option 3: Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers? Choosing a single essay may seem daunting at first, as you may wonder if you are choosing the perfect essay prompt that will convey yourself to the reader in the best way possible. However, just like in the Common App personal statement, you may not necessarily have to â€Å"choose† your essay. After looking through the prompts and brainstorming parts of your identity and passions that you want to show to the admissions team, you will easily be able to answer any one of the questions, as all three prompts revolve around your personal story, interests, and ambitions, albeit in slightly different fashions. As a result, the prompt choice becomes much less important than distilling your nuances and complexities onto the page. Option 1: At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like Aesthetic Outrage, Financial Crises: Causes and Cures, and Genome Sciences: At the Cutting Edge. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. Of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why? If you choose this first prompt, there are a couple of points you should make in the essay. First, your possibility of options are infinite in this prompt—as a result, make sure the person and class you settle on reveal important parts of your own background and interests. You definitely want to describe why you chose the person and class you did, but make sure to return the focus back to you, and how you could grow through interacting with this person. The goal of this essay is to allow you to highlight one of your academic interests, so don’t stray too far by fawning over your chosen partner. Here are some brainstorm questions you should think about before writing: You should look up the list of tutorials offered for the 2018-2019 school year as a source of valuable information, which is also a good starting place for sparking ideas. If there is a course pertinent to your own interests as well as the person you choose, feel free to mention the course. However, don’t feel limited to these classes, and make up a class topic of your own which you feel like your partner would be an excellent collaborator in (in this case, it could be good to mention a professor whose research deals with the topic you want to focus on). One note of caution: be wary of choosing incredibly common historical figures: Julius Caesar, Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah, etc. If you do so, make sure to have a fresh, unique, and persuasive set of reasons as to why you would pick this person. You should also be careful if you decide to talk about very controversial leaders and politicians, past or present. Anything that could evoke strong emotional responses in an outside reader could be risky. On the other hand, if the person you choose is not well known, give a sentence or two introducing to the reader the person’s significance. Example 1: Say you were particularly drawn to the course â€Å"Leaving the World Behind: The Literature of Reclusion† because you were always interested in both the relationship between technology and society and literature, your stated major. As a result, you would love to engage in a semester-long course with someone who grew up in an era without constant global communication. To do this, you bring out Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), someone whose texts you poured over while trying to find peace in your own solitude (to no avail). You and Saint Francis, who spent much of his life in solitude and solo travel, could spend each class discussing the relationship between the individual and society, and how this relationship has been negotiated throughout time and space. Example 2: You could also put a personal twist on the prompt. Say your parents immigrated from Korea, and your Korean identity makes a large portion of who you are. As a result, you choose your grandmother, an incredibly bright woman who fled from North Korea to South Korea as a teenager during the Korean War. As someone planning to study history in college, you want to make sure you learn about your family’s own history and how that fits into a larger framework of foreign policy and global politics. As a result, you would love to take â€Å"The Two Koreas† as a tutorial with your grandmother. You would study perceptions of both Koreas from different generations, as well as Koreans in Korea and Koreans living abroad. You also want to know yourself on a deeper level, especially through tracing a legacy of generational war trauma in your family. Example 3: Say after reading this prompt, instead of focusing on a class topic, you instead immediately think of a person to work with, this person being the Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. You have read every single one of his novels, interviews, and essays, and yearn to pick the mind of someone you see as the world’s greatest storyteller. However, you wouldn’t want a tutorial class that focuses on his novels, or even the magical realist genre he worked in. Instead, you imagine studying Russian 19th century realist fiction with him, a genre of literature very different in style, but very similar in emotional insight, doing a comparative analysis of sorts. You would also get to hear the plethora of personal stories he could share. Example 4: Maybe in high school, you fell in love with Richard Feynman’s famous â€Å"Feynman Lectures on Physics,† which led you to eventually put your intended major as physics on the Common Application. You would love to take the â€Å"Applications of Quantum Mechanics† tutorial with Feynman, who you know to be not just a physicist, but someone with wide-ranging interests in things like Brazilian Samba music and the relationship between science and the government, specifically in his assistance in creating the atomic bomb. As someone who eventually wants to work in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, you want not just to grow deeper in your understanding of physics, but more broadly understand the different ways people configure meaning in the world, whether in physics or music or ethics. You find that Richard Feynman, who struggled with these questions his entire life, could help you get closer to these goals of yours. Option 2: Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams? The second prompt is also incredibly open: talk about something that happened in your life. Of course, you want the story that you pick to have a greater significance beyond the simple narrative, whether this is a coming of age moment, a moment of realization and clarity, or a moment that has indubitably formed the person you are today. As for what constitutes a â€Å"brief story,† think about a singular episode that you could tell someone in person in around ten minutes. As to the last part of the prompt, â€Å"how would these lessons inform your time at Williams,† this could take various shapes and forms. Maybe this is simply being a more community-focused human being on campus, or maybe this could mean creating a campus organization that reflects what you learned, or maybe this means coming into Williams a more open-minded person. If your Common App essay delves into more serious themes involving your identities and your passions, you could possibly use this essay to reveal more lighthearted, fun elements of your personality. Whether or not you do this, the key here is to show, not tell, as you want your essay to read like a gripping campfire story. You could immerse the admissions reader with the present tense, â€Å"in the moment† narrative of your story, or you could use the past tense to evoke a more reflective mood.    As a side note, don’t forget the word â€Å"brief† here—you probably don’t want an incredibly long-winded story detailing all your major trials and tribulations. Stick to one event that is illustrative of greater themes in your life. Dig into your past. Here are a few examples: Example 1: Say you had a poignant breakthrough moment with your father, with whom you never really had a strong relationship before. Your father, an ex-military, stoic man, never really shared his past with you, but one night you asked him about his days in the military, and he told you a hodgepodge of stories both thrilling and depressing. You learned so much about him that night, allowing you to piece together more of your own identity and where you came from. The lessons you learned that night, that vulnerability bridges relationships, would undoubtedly carry over to Williams, where you have the ability to form once-in-a-lifetime friendships. Example 2: This could also be a â€Å"summer shenanigan† type story if it was a particularly formative experience. Say you and your friends, on one particularly boring summer night, decided to buy goldfishes for many of your other friends. After showing up at your friends’ doors, you were met with equal amounts of shock and laughter, but each friend promised to take care of their fish. What started as a prank turned into a bonding moment where a group of friends collectively took charge of the lives of their goldfishes. You could then transition to talking about how this experience, in a weird way, mirrors the tight undergraduate experience provided at Williams, in regards to how everyone is together pursuing a common goal of learning about the world through a liberal arts curriculum. You also believe these ideas would transition well to a tight-knit cultural group on campus, which for you is Williams South Asian Student Association. Example 3: Maybe you are still learning the lessons of the story you choose, as the story itself has some unfilled pages. Say you came out to your parents, who immediately rejected you as their child. Talk about how, at the time of writing, you are still trying to negotiate your identity with your status in your family, even though your parents find your situation non-negotiable. You could talk about how, if you were afforded the opportunity to attend Williams and escape from your current surroundings, you could have clearer mental headspace, as well as be able to take part in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. Option 3: Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers? In this â€Å"what unique things do you contribute to our school?† prompt, you have a few paragraphs to advocate for and brag about yourself. By no means, however, does this essay have to be a glorified achievements list. If you feel uncomfortable bragging about yourself, reframe the prompt as ultimately being candid about your background. You could also frame it as bragging about your family, or a community you were a part of, and using these groups as a way to illustrate your own identity formation. We can break down this prompt into the three mentioned facets of diversity: backgrounds, perspectives, and interests. These three obviously overlap with each other, as perspectives and interests often come out of background, but think about each of these three aspects and unearth the most compelling parts of yourself that you think makes you unique. However, don’t be dissuaded if you aren’t the best in the world at a certain activity, or come from a faraway country most people have not heard of. If you speak with candor and love for your roots and passions, a uniqueness in how you frame yourself will cut through to the readers. Even if you feel like your passion/story is common, with 300 words, you can more than adequately illustrate the complexity and uniqueness of your situation. Here are a few routes you can take with this prompt: Example 1: Say your primary interest is in math. Even though this interest is common to many, the reasons why math is so fascinating to you is more unique than just liking problem-solving. Instead, you are passionate about math pedagogy, specifically, how current primary and secondary school math education has been twisted and standardized to a point where you believe it is almost a completely different subject from the one you grew up loving. As a result, you started a math circle with middle school students, allowing them to explore the open-ended and creative side of math so different from algebra and geometry, and in the essay, you can use specific anecdotes with students who disliked school math but loved the math they did in their math circle. In regards to bringing diversity, you could talk about how you treat math as simultaneously a STEM and humanities field, and how this seamless fluidity between the two informs much of your personhood. Example 2: Say music and the performing arts are your primary interests, another set of common interests. Talk about your rocky experience with the indie band you started in high school, and how all of your preconceived notions of glory and greatness were crushed. You could transition into talking about how you learned from this failure, and how you feel ready to even possibly grab some Entry mates and start a band once more. Example 3: Say you’re a first generation immigrant who lives in New Mexico. You could talk about how you want to retain your cultural heritage although desiring at the same time to live in a completely foreign environment like New England. Coming from Latin America to New England by way of the American Southwest, your fashion and culture would immediately make you stand out from the other, largely coastal students. Example 4: Maybe you grew up as a racial, sexual, or economic minority in a community, in which you felt a constant brush of hostility. Although this may also not be entirely unique, maybe the community you grew up in was actually known to the country as an inclusive and progressive community, but your personal experience was anything but that. Example 5: If you do have a niche interest, such as lepidopterology (the study of moths and butterflies), and are an avid butterfly watcher, talk about why this activity is so important to you. Talk about the joy you feel after spotting a certain butterfly you’d been searching for hours for after traveling to a new environment, or the amazement you feel when looking at butterflies in a natural history museum. You could distill the core parts of this activity into a more generalized set of things you have learned—in the case of lepidopterology, it could be dogged persistence, or the pleasure of immersing yourself into nature without technology, or how you found a community with other lepidopterologist who share your passion. Overall, after talking about your passion or background, make sure to explain why it is so significant to you, and how that would allow the students in your Entry to grow in their own worldviews. You could also talk with excitement about how you too would love to hear the different perspectives of all those in your Entry, and how the Entry system, in general, would allow you to experience the polar opposite of the cloistered, homogenous environment you grew up in. As you have seen, Williams College requires numerous supplemental essays, many of which you may struggle with. If you want professional help on your Williams application essays, click to learn about our College Apps Program . If you want to quickly edit your college essay, submit it to our Rapid Review program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team. How to Spend Your Summer as an Aspiring Engineer Future engineers, we see you. The movers, shakers, thinkers, and game-changers-to-be of the world. And you’ve prepared, too. Science olympiad and math league are old hat, whatever math you’re currently taking is one of your favorite classes, and you’ve probably tinkered with more odds and ends than you can remember. But then summer rolls around and school ends, and along with it goes all of the science, math, and outreach extracurriculars that operate when school’s in session. You now have this huge amount of free time that you can do practically anything with — while it may not seem like much on the surface, it’s actually a big opportunity in disguise. There’s nothing more an engineering college loves to see than a curious self-starter who’s not afraid to get his or her hands dirty, and taking initiative to enrich your own engineering portfolio during the summer is a good way to show the engineering adcoms just that. Of course, some of you already have things planned out, and that’s great! But for the people who are drawing a blank, who need some inspiration or ideas, this post is for you. Here’s a list of summer plans that we recommend for aspiring engineers — some drawn from our own experiences. Let’s get this one out of the way first since this is what usually comes to mind for people when they think about application-boosting summer experiences. This is essentially the better version of summer camp, where you go to a college and take college-level classes, or refine your skills through real-world practice. Point is, you’ll go somewhere that’s not home for the sole purpose of building your technical repertoire with a group of like-minded people — which is essentially what college is, for an engineer. And it’s immensely fun. Programs like Carnegie Mellon’s Pre-College and the University of California’s Summer School for Mathematics and Science are designed to train future engineers and scientists that will go on to use their skills in college and even to participate in research beyond that. Often, gaining admission to these programs is in itself a rigorous process, and can signal to colleges your skill and interest in the STEM subjects. Another good part about participating in these summer programs is that they can help you network and make connections with people in STEM — a good mentor relationship with a summer program’s professor, for instance, can make for a valuable recommendation letter when it comes application time. Other times, some of these program are also geared towards building leaders in the STEM fields, so they   can also double as a leadership extracurricular. However, not all of these programs are free — some of them may offer scholarships, but not all of them do. That’s the main drawback to this type of summer program; some of these programs may be just as expensive as paying summer tuition at these colleges. The good news, though, is that price is often inversely proportional to the prestige of the program; the less you pay to get in, the more impressive it looks on an application. In fact, you should be wary of expensive summer programs, as those are perceived as more of a sign of privilege on an application than your engineering capabilities. The go-getter: Learning a new (programming) language Coding is an important skill to have as an engineer today. If you’re going into software engineering, then it’s a given. If you’re a mechanical engineer, programs can be helpful in running simulations. If you’re analysing data, you’ll need something like Matlab. Computers are some of the most powerful engineering tools we have today, and to be able to use them freely is a valuable addition to any skillset. In fact, many engineering colleges now require their undergraduates to take at least one coding class as a graduation requirement. If you’re already a logical thinker (like many of you are), this shouldn’t be too hard. With the wealth of online tutorials, videos, APIs, forums, and other resources, all the information you need to master a new language is readily available. It might take a bit of practice and lots of trial and error, but it’ll be worth it in the end when you can create your own programs that make your life easier. To help you focus your efforts, you can try studying for a specific test; AP Compsci isn’t a bad choice, as getting a 5 on this test can get you out of many intro computing classes. Or you can set a personal project as your goal: an app, a website, a program that sets your alarms for you or makes your friend’s computer randomly play a YouTube video every six minutes — whatever floats your boat. Either of these pursuits can show up as a bright spot on any application, especially since your motivation for starting this pursuit (and completing it) was entirely intrinsic. It can also be good material for a personal statement, since honestly — how many people can go into college saying they’ve built their own app from scratch? The altruist: Teaching and sharing your knowledge Engineering is what builds the entire infrastructure of our modern society, and engineers can definitely change the world. But what about on a smaller scale? What about helping, mentoring, or inspiring one person at a time? Colleges like to admit community-builders, people who are willing to help other people out and people who can appreciate diversity. So, if you feel comfortable in your STEM skills and knowledge, why not spend a summer sharing it with others? Many summer educational camps and programs love having tutors work with younger children to try and foster an early interest in science and math. Science museums across the nation always welcome knowledgeable, enthusiastic tour guides who would love to answer questions for curious guests. Or you could even volunteer and start your own mentoring program — outreach is always important for STEM, and if you’re dedicated to making science and math more accessible to people, this might just put your interests in line with those of your ideal college. Sharing your knowledge for the sake of other people shows your interest in making positive, altruistic change in the world, and may also attest to your mentorship and social skills. While your intelligence and your academic ability are important to a college in deciding whether or not to admit you, who you are as a person also factors in greatly, as a result of holistic admissions. So in presenting yourself, applications-wise, it’s important to remember not to just show yourself as the student that adcoms want to see in their lecture halls, but the person that they would love to see around campus. Whether it’s by taking a summer off for a STEM program, teaching yourself a new skill, or by helping others out with the knowledge you have, you won’t just be outstanding in your stats alone — these summer experiences will show these colleges that you are the type of person that they’d want to see as an engineer at their institution.

Assessment of the child with complex needs Essay

Assessment of the child with complex needs - Essay Example Overall I feel that despite the set of abilities which the pupil demonstrates, she needs a holistic communication system that aims at making use of all the senses to support her communication, understanding and education. In addition to the diagnoses, reports dated 11.11.2010, 9.9.12.2010, 10.3.2011 by a multi-agency team based at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children indicate that Pupil Z’s abnormalities in development impact on her motor development, and her visual and cognitive processing that support communication and learning. For example, the cerebral palsy affects her ability to control her body, head and eye movement, and this further impacts her learning and cognitive development. Due to the complexity of her needs she now attends a special school which caters for children with sensory impairments and learning difficulties. Aiming to determine the Pupil Z’s functional vision available for communication and education, led me to a review of literature and con cepts relating to assessment of learners who present significant difficulties for researchers. Addressing the issue of the heterogeneity of deaf-blind / multi-sensory impaired population was essential in selecting an assessment approach to assess functional vision for my pupil (Robson 1993 & 2002). ... There is literature relating directly to assessing vision for learners with multiply disabilities based on systematic investigation. However, I have chosen ‘Vision for Doing’ model designed by Stuart Aitken and Marianna Buultjens (1992) as this approach allows me to assess Pupil Z’s functional vision in the context of multiple disabilities. The strengths and limitations of this particular assessment model have been evaluated below. I observed Pupil Z over three weeks participating in group and one-to-one activities with different people. I noted time of the day; places (classroom, sensory room) and positioning (wheelchair, standing frame) to learn about how she uses her vision for learning. I felt that observations of Pupil Z during routine activities / tasks would be the most effective method of collecting data as it would give me first hand evidence of Pupil Z’s visual abilities. I also felt that well established routine activities will motivate her to us e her vision and try to communicate her responses more. SECTION 3 OBSERVING THE PUPIL Z Pupil Z likes / dislikes Activities: Likes / dislikes Number of observers: 1 Positioning: Pupil Z was observed in a quiet, distraction-free area as well as the busy classroom at a time of the day when she was alert and displaying neutral and communicative behaviors. She was positioned in her wheelchair / stander, 19.7 inch from the screen. Listening / watching to a story / song on the plasma screen: â€Å"We are going on a bear hunt† â€Å"Incy Wincy spider† Observations: During three weeks of observation of Pupil Z despite showing pockets of abilities, she was not consistent in her responses to these activates. We have observed mixed responses to both activities,

Learning activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Learning activities - Essay Example The Americans public displays of affection are seen as liberated and rude in front of elders of Asian countries like the Philippines. It is in this way that false assumptions are made of cultural differences. While racism seeks to rationally and consciously oust different ethnicities, ethnocentrism is created by enculturation (Patterson 2005). A great disparity occurs because of the presence of ethnocentrism in the minds of individuals. With it comes improper deliverance of health care facilities to members of different races and ethnicities. Health workers, community members and policies are all affected by ethnocentrism which prevents individuals from getting the full benefits of a health care program. Despite all of this, there have been universal standards of right and wrong that are introduced and prevalent in the world today. The ideas of a superior white race during America's colonial times have been replaced with equal systems being created for whites and blacks alike. Thus, with time come change and a greater acceptance of different cultures. 2. There are certain health care jobs that each federal and state government is responsible for providing to the citizens of their country. This includes basic ideas like protecting the health and safety of every individual. The physical and mental health of each citizen has to be recognized and acknowledged through providence of proper food and nutrition along with controlling of diseases and providing for the elderly. But it also includes the measures that must be taken to protect the health of citizens during disasters. This includes providing and realizing the basic health care needs of each individual in a disaster hit area and providing relief medicine and goods accordingly. 3. Don't know 4. Don't know 5. Medicare refers to a social insurance program that is set up by the United States government to provide for the coverage of health insurance to any citizen over the age of sixty five or those who meet the special criteria (Medicare Rights Centre). Operating under a single fund, the doctors and expenses of this insurance program are all funded by the government itself. 6. Medicare is a perfect example of a health policy provided for by a single payer: in this case the government. Thus, living up to the ideals of social liberalism, Medicare provides equally for the patients who fit the required needs. 7. The presence of health care provided according to income is ample proof of an economic liberalism that exists in the United States Module 5 Allied health professionals provide a varied and diverse number of services. The education sought by each of these doctors, the degree of autonomy they have been allowed by the medical establishment that employs them and the regulations that have been set out to control their practices are all varied and different from professional to professional. However, there are a number of similarities between them. Emerging from the same history and evolutionary path, the creation of the autonomy is distinctly similar. Cost effective strategies have forced tremendous

Content Area Teaching Assignment Research Paper - 1

Content Area Teaching Assignment - Research Paper Example However, this paper aims at stressing the flaws in the education system and teaching practices which contribute to the loss of interest amongst the students. The paper will focus on at least three web lessons, which would then be taken as a reference to explain how the teaching practices can be improved and the students’ motivation increased. One of the most important topics of study in world history is the relations between the superpowers – the relations marked by the cold war; this is an essential course for almost all students enrolled for elementary education level courses. For this reason, a lesson designed for students from Grade 9-12 will be taken as a reference; it has been published by the Oregon Public Broadcasting1. Apparently, the chapter has been designed in a very appealing yet credible manner for the students to become aware of the origins and major concepts relevant to the cold war. The chapter has been effectively divided into headings and subheadings to enhance the interest of the students in the content. The chapter opens with the narration describing how the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which began what is termed as the cold war era. The chapter also in the latter sections stresses the military and strategic dimensions of the motives behind the bombings, and explains how this event was the beginning of the cold war. Moreover, the chapter explains the policy of containment followed by the US in response to the policy of expansionism being pursued by the Soviet Union. It also stresses important dates where several events took place, explains how the concept of iron curtain was introduced and was a sole reason behind the origins of war. Moreover, this chapter sheds light on some of the reports which are crucial in this context. Though this is a well quoted and a well explained chapter, some of the students may find in monotonous and rather boring if not taught

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Proposal - Essay Example Relying on information from stakeholders in the university is wrong. Instead, they could have focused on the views of employed outsiders who have graduated from the institution. The university does not prepare students fully for the challenges of life as portrayed in the video. According to Nathan (2), students need to learn some of the experience on their own instead of relying on academic institutions. It is necessary to be motivated and concentrate in studies after watching the video as a student at the university. It is necessary to overlook the challenges that graduates encounter upon completing studies. However, this fails to guarantee that students can accomplish goals. There are discriminatory acts at the institution that makes it difficult for students to concentrate on studies. The video fails to present the existing situation in America when organizations employ graduates who have experience. The video does not highlight issues of the cost in education. The information pro vided by the institutions concerning learning is misleading because students need to take practical lessons to acquire experience necessary to enhance their survival in the competitive world. It is necessary to address the challenges that graduates face upon graduating from universities. ... Additionally, they do not have the skills necessary to handle challenges of the corporate world. The institutions should focus on the practical aspects of academics at the expense of theories. This writing will create awareness concerning students who are aspiring to handle challenges that come with employment. Students are dissatisfied with the programs that they pursue at Houston because the lectures do not meet their expectations. Universities may fail to provide students complete information concerning their expectation after graduating. Besides, administrators tend be subjective in addressing challenges that students face. According to Nathan (232), some of the programs offered at the institution favor specific groups of students. Moreover, the university lacks a feedback channel that determines the progress of their students after graduating. The stakeholders are exaggerating the value of the programs on offer at the University. Lastly, the institution has hidden charges that m ake life difficult for students. Institutions should conduct research prior to advertising the programs that they offer to the public. Importantly, the administrators should be realistic when explaining to the students the challenges that they are likely to face upon graduating (Choosing Houston 1). This is because experience is important than practical knowledge upon completion of studies. The institution should offer a brief overview of the evaluation criteria that administration employ. This will prepare students psychologically for the challenges that come with studying. Moreover, the university should provide complete information concerning operations at the institution. They should emphasize learning on current affairs by encouraging students to develop entrepreneurial skills

To review the work you have completed in the course and to reflect on Essay

To review the work you have completed in the course and to reflect on what you have learned from it - Essay Example When I consider writing and understanding arguments within a paper, I realize that often papers do not just consist of an essay of thoughts. They also are not necessarily incorporated just of facts and research. The best thing I have learned about writing research papers is that sometimes when writing an argumentative paper, a person has the chance to research two sides of the subject and discuss the pros and cons of it throughout the paper. It allows for someone not to just look at one part of it, but to write a paper that is more informative when someone were to look at two sides of an issues. Some subjects are simply much broader. Through my desire to further obtain goals, it is necessary to continue the steps needed in order to achieve them. This class was part of the stepping stones that I have needed to take in regards to sounding like a more proficient writer and more intelligent person. Although sometimes I have ideas, it is hard to sometimes convey them in a written form. I have been able to better learn how to do that. In regards to some of the areas I think I have grown the most is in my selection of resources. Not only do I realize that I need two sides of a subject in order to tell the complete story behind a paper, I also know that research must be credible. What is always online is not always what should be believed. Some resources that are online are sometimes offered as scholar or peer-reviewed journal entries. Some organizations also offer helpful articles on their websites. When looking for true factual information, you cannot just go to some website and assume it is true. Wikipedia for example can give somewhat of a background about a topic but as far as its credibility, by its name you would think it was like an encyclopedia. Instead of it being an encyclopedia, it is a waste of time because it is not legitimate. I have learned other areas where to look for credible resources. Though

Providing Quality Service Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Providing Quality Service - Research Paper Example How the Industry Involves Guests in Order to Provide Quality Service Therefore, in order for the hospitality industry to get involved in the good service delivery, it has to provide programs that involve its guests. To do this, the industry may choose on certain programs such as; collecting information from the customers and provide a system through which customers can give their feedback about the kind of service and experience they received from the industry. Information can be collected from a short and precisely designed questionnaire which can be given to the customers as they board the facility so that they return the duly completed questionnaires at the time they leave the facility. In this way, the guests will be able to fill the questionnaires appropriately as they experience the particular questions in the questionnaire. The guests will be able to give their minds about what they feel is done right as well as what they feel needs to be adjusted. This information is then col lected from various guests and then well sorted to provide the major areas of weaknesses and strengths in the industry. The suggestions are then implemented by the company in order to ensure that service delivery is improved. Likewise, a hospitality firm may also provide a suggestion box for its guests so that the guests may give out their suggestions about their experience with the particular firm. The suggestion boxes should be put strategically in their rooms of residence and even outside so that they do not look for them. The guests need to be reminded to be giving their suggestions through the suggestion box in order to help the firm in improving service delivery (Jay, Connie, & Beverly, 2001). Service Standards Used by the Industry to Meet Customer Expectations The hospitality industry needs to maintain certain service standards in order to meet customer expectations. One such standard includes having an excellent customer care service. What makes the basis of a good hospitali ty industry is how the customers are handled and taken care of. Therefore, this industry finds strength in an excellent customer care department that knows its customer’s needs and solved them appropriately. A client may like the industry from the way they were received by the receptionist. A rude and careless receptionist will give the industry a bad image and make it lose customers. The guests who come to such industries most of the time are on holiday and therefore they would wish to be away from stress and just relax in the most welcoming environment. Therefore, they expect a warm reception from where they want to spend their holiday so that their mission can be accomplished. Another service standard that needs to be maintained by the hospitality industry is the quality of service offered by the employees. Employees should be properly trained in order to be able to take care of the guests well. The guests need to be satisfied with the kind of services they require to be o ffered to them by the industry. The industry offers such services through their employees, therefore, employees need to receive proper training that will enable them to execute such

Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems Essay Example for Free

Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems Essay The â€Å"Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems† case study discusses a project developed after the war in Lebanon in July of 2006. After the war, President George W. Bush urged 5 U. S. based companies to partner together to help with the reconstruction efforts in Lebanon, including Cisco systems (led by John Chambers), Intel corp. (led by Craig Barrett), Ghafari Inc. (led by Yousif Ghafari), Occidental Petroleum (led by Dr. Ray Irani), and Microsoft (led by Steve Balmer). The partnership of these 5 successful U. S. companies formed the Partnership for Lebanon, or the PFL, for which a woman named Salam Yamout was appointed as project manager (Jimali, 2011). Upon the formation of the PFL in 2006, the leaders met at the Paris III donor conference with Fuad Seniora, the Lebanese prime Minister, to discuss and develop the key goals that would need to be achieved in the Lebanese reconstruction efforts, and to map out the main initiatives of the PFL (Jimali, 2011). With a primary focus on efficient and productive communities and advancement opportunities for the Lebanese people, they developed the following 5 key objectives for which they made significant progress over the next three years: 1. Emergency Relief and Response: The first of the 5 key objectives, emergency relief and response, was essential to establishing a sense of security among the Lebanese people following the war. From 2006 through 2009, the PFL helped more than 1000 families to rebuild their homes, and helped many communities to resettle. This was a first step toward rebuilding the infrastructure and public society needed for economic and workforce growth (Jimali, 2011). The PFL also rebuilt 10 youth and IT centers, complete with computer labs and Internet technology, providing a training center for over 1400 young people in Lebanon and rehabilitated the schools that stood in the areas most affected by the war, focusing on school safety, quality of student life, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) training (Jimali, 2011). Finally, in order to reduce continued casualties, the PFL trained and certified two dogs to detect landmines, a $65,000 effort that likely saved lives and increased the mobility of the Lebanese people. 2. Job Creation/Private Sector renewal: The next key objective of the PFL was to increase the number of available jobs in Lebanon, particularly in the private sector. Much of the focus on this initiative was suggested by Cisco leader John Chambers, who, in a visit to the American University of Beirut, was affected by the number of highly educated, multi-lingual Lebanese young people who would look for employment opportunities outside of Lebanon immediately following graduation. Noting the emigration of the most capable young workers as a significant obstacle to the future prosperity of the Lebanese people, Chambers suggested the job creation be made a top priority. As a top global leader in the Information Communication Technology industry, Cisco took the lead by developing a $1 million grant program called the â€Å"CREDIT† program, which they used to deliver 133 loans to businesses specializing in ICT (Jimali, 2011). Furthermore, in order to provide learning opportunities for Lebanese businesses, the PFL developed the Executive Mentorship Program, which matched successful U. S. businesses with leaders of Lebanese businesses. 3. Developing ICT infrastructure: As part of the PFL’s job creation efforts, Cisco also took the lead in developing a sustainable Information Communication Technology infrastructure. The first step toward this was to expand broadband service to all rural and urban areas. By partnering with the Lebanese Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (TRA), the PFL developed a long-term strategy for expanding broadband service, which began with the development of several new Internet exchange points and an International Internet gateway. 4. Workforce Training ICT education: Finally in workforce development, the PFL set out to create private sector job opportunities for the uneducated Lebanese population. By creating professional training programs and ICT education, a basic infrastructure targeted at building a middle-class could be developed. The PFL made several achievements in this area, including using high-speed broadband connections to connect 50 public schools to the Ministry of Education, providing online learning materials, sponsoring and ICT/life skills youth summer camp program, placing interns in Lebanese businesses, and helping to integrate ICT programs in Lebanese schools (Jimali, 2011). 5. Developing connected communities and connected governments: The final PFL objective sought to develop connected communities throughout Lebanon. A major stride in this objective involved developing ICT centers where people without broadband capabilities could go to stay connected through variety of Medias. In addition to developing 10 of these ICT centers, the PFL also enabled 5 full-service community access points that were affected by the war (Jimali, 2011). CSR Lessons There are several key strategic lessons that the PFL learned throughout their efforts in Lebanon concerning the creation and implementation of development programs, particularly those that would be able to be adopted by any senior manager. Perhaps the most important strategic lesson was that a targeted, overall objective must be developed in order to maintain the highest likelihood of success. Instead of developing a wide spectrum of initiatives to help rebuild Lebanon, Cisco and the other PFL partners focused on ICT as a means for rebuilding infrastructure and developing economic and educational opportunities for the Lebanese people. By developing this focused mission, Cisco avoided wasting time and resources or putting a great deal of input into unrelated initiatives that may or may not have had beneficial results. Furthermore, by developing a single mission that was within their expertise, Cisco was able to make valuable contributions in a vital area and thus maximize their impact. The PFL recognized that it could not solve all of Lebanon’s problems, but by developing a set of initiatives that Cisco and partnering companies felt well equipped to address, they were able to develop a plan within the ICT industry where it could make a measurable impact (Jimali, 2011). Another key strategic lesson learned by the PFL was that a thorough situational analysis is essential to developing an effective restructuring campaign. This is a lesson that is relevant to any rebuilding efforts, whether it is for a nation, a corporation, or a nonprofit organization. By conducting a detailed situational analysis, Cisco as able to analyze which objectives would create opportunities in Lebanon and how Lebanese government organizations, businesses, and communities would utilize various initiatives. Cisco’s thorough analysis allowed them to develop an effective methodology for implementing various programs, as well as to gain government cooperation and support throughout the process. This analysis also provided Cisco with insight regarding which support and resources they would need to ensure success and therefore allowed them to gather the support they needed before beginning the process in order to produce the fastest and more effective results. John Chambers, Cisco CEO, said, â€Å"In September, we visited Lebanon and we saw a country that can achieve many of the goals itself, but with the proper assistance can achieve them at a much faster pace and rebuild the country for the future, not just rebuild back to where they were before. † (Cisco CSR Report, 2009). Lastly, an essential strategic lesson learned by the PFL concerning the implementation and running of development programs was that a change process must be developed in carefully planned incremental steps, beginning with the development of the infrastructure needed to prepare for the next step. This is especially important for ensuring that the strategy can be adopted by any senior manager, because it allows for a step-by-step map of development that allows managers to build upon previous initiatives. Cisco, Corporate Sponsors, and PFL Because of its expertise in this area and its long-time commitment to investing in community sustainability, Cisco was an effective leader in the PFL’s objectives, providing valuable insight on how to encourage job creation that would continue to evolve over time. Cisco is a leading organization in global networking and communications technology, and was the creator of the multi-protocol router, which revolutionized Internet communications. A company worth $550 billion in 2000, Cisco’s success has been attributed to a focus on customer need that was so targeted that they did not commit to any specific technology and were willing to change in whatever way they needed in order to meet their customers need. It was this willingness to adapt as well as Cisco’s commitment to community and economic investments that made Cisco the right leader for the PFL’s goals. Cisco’s CSR initiatives had always been designed in a way that sought to add value to the organization through strategically planned initiatives and to leverage the company’s core competence and sustainability levels in a way that provided clear and measurable outputs. Cisco also took a lead in the PFL’s educational and professional training programs, which provided crucial career opportunities for the Lebanese people. The Challenge of Sustainability Despite the successful implementation of the PFL initiatives from 2006 through 2009, in September of 2009, PLF project manager Salam Yamout expressed concern to her manager, George Akiki regarding the long-term sustainability of the PLF initiatives. She said, â€Å"The PFL has undoubtedly been successful across the 5 work streams, and has infused much needed resources, support and hope in a context of post-war devastation, but the key question haunting me now is how to sustain this impact into the future. † (Jimali, 2011). Akiki agreed, and thus the question of how Lebanon could sustain the development initiated by the PLF without the generous management and resource contributions of Cisco and PLF partners. While the sustainability challenges faced by the PLF may seem daunting, the educational and job training programs developed by the program can be designed to be self-supporting, these programs, if continued and managed by competent leaders, can allow Lebanon’s ICT related programs to continue to prepare Lebanese people for good jobs. The first step to maintaining these programs is to gather investors from both within Lebanon and from the International community, particularly those who benefit from the increased educational and professional opportunities in the Middle East. Moreover, if the Lebanese government is able to recognize the benefit hat a more vibrant ICT community can offer to the economy, a system of public funding can be developed. Furthermore, if individuals who are trained through these programs can be offered incentives to remain within the program as educators, the programs can become self-sustaining through generations. Conclusion Cisco and the partners that formed the PLF provide an example of an efficient program for utilizing the specific expertise and resources of one industry to enact positive change on a community in desperate need of rebuilding. Their thorough analysis, clear-cut mission, and careful planning in an area that they were well resources in, allowed for an extremely effective rebuilding process. Moreover, Cisco provided a valuable framework for how with productive partnerships and effective leadership, successful organizations can help to address societal problems in a way that adds value to both the community involved and the partnering organizations. Too often, today’s conversation regarding CSR presents in if/or debate, as if companies must choose between economic value and ethical value. The economic argument suggests that corporations are obligated only to shareholders, and that investments made in activities that do not directly maximize profits are irresponsible, while the ethical argument suggests that because corporations benefit from the people and infrastructure of communities, they are obligated to make investments in those communities (Bansal, 2005). However, a modern view of CSR suggests that there is a middle ground where economics and ethics can converge to create longer term sustainable value. Cisco’s participation in the PLF program is an example of this middle ground. In its participation in the PLF program, Cisco expanded its influence in a part of the world where they previously had little reach, thus creating added value to their organization while addressing significant societal problems.

Tourism Impact Studies Toward The Society Tourism Essay

Tourism Impact Studies Toward The Society Tourism Essay Tourism is often referred as the worlds largest industry and look upon as a means of achieving community development (Sharpley, 2002). According to the World Tourism Organisation (2009), tourism is one of the worlds fastest growing industry and one of the global engines of development. One of the most popular issues of tourism is tourism impact studies toward the society. The understanding of communitys perceptions on tourism impacts is important. The main reason for this study was to know, the increasing support that tourism bring both positive and negative impacts on local communities life. Different perception from different residents can give insight into the nature and degree of tourism impacts towards the respective tourist destination. The community perceptions on tourism impacts are likely to be an important planning for successful community development (Ko Stewart, 2002). 2.1 Social Conflict Theory The social conflict theories perceive society as providing a setting that creates conflicts and changes. In fact, this approach laid importance on equality and come across the degree to which factors like race, ethnicity, gender and age are connected to unequal distribution of money, power, and social prestige. (Macionis, 2000). Equation engaged a number of cases where communities are involved in struggling with tourism developments. Social change strengthen by challenges of tourism can be negative as well as positive. Indeed the positive example described above went through set-backs and conflicts as part of the process. However, in several cases, increased conflict is more than a momentary jinx. Conflict has arisen both within and between communities. 2.2 Aspects of Conflict Therefore, by discarding the fact that society functions to encourage solidarity and social consensus, conflict theorists put onward that society is about competition for scarce resources. This competition is replicated in the social institutions themselves and allows some people and organizations to have more resources and maintain their power and influence in society. Moreover, residents may experience a sense of elimination and isolation over planning and development concerning the village and they may even endure a loss of control over the community future as outsiders seize over the new development and establishment. Hotels built in massive quantity or restaurants with standardized franchise designs might collide with local standards and disrupt the aesthetic appearance of the community, harm the unique community character, and spread equality. Furthermore, since the tourism industry has developed, there have been an increasing number of incidents whereby local people are denied access to their traditional rights of use to beaches, land and sea. The locals often allege that they are chased away from their lands and are denied their exclusive rights. The farmers are compelled to move away from their original farms as soon as the area is earmarked for tourism development. 2.3 Doxeys Irridex Model Doxeys created a theoretical model in 1975, which has come to be considered as one of the most significant contribution to tourism literature. The Doxeys Irridex Model affirms that an increase in the numbers of tourists and a more developed tourism industry at the destination results in irritation in the community. In other words, this can show the way to incongruity of the local people and the guest. This irritation can take the form of unfriendly behavior personified as resentment from the local community towards tourism. In this case the perception of the residents varies from euphoria (a feeling of happiness or comfort) to apathy when locals start losing interest in tourism; to annoyance after the numbers of tourist and the unfavorable impacts have increased; and finally antagonism (a generation of hostile reaction against tourism) (Cordero 2008). 2.4 Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model (2006) proposed that every tourist destination experience similar stages of development: exploration involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, decline and/or rejuvenation. Figure 1: Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model (Source: Butler 1980) The primary stage in the destination lifecycle begins with small numbers of tourists who visit the area steadily due to limitation such as accessibility to the area. The numbers of tourist increases as development take several forms depending on such factors as the availability of information, marketing activities in the area and the existence of various services and facilities. The numbers of tourists then begin to decline because of the destination reaching its full carrying capacity. Butlers model has been supported by scholars such as Akis (1996); it has been contradicted by others such as Dyer (2007). Both Butlers Destination Lifecycle Model and Doxeys Irridex Model are limited by their unidirectional conceptualizations. 2.5 Aps Model For Understanding Residents Reactions According to Eagly (1993), attitude is defined as an emotional tendency that is articulated by evaluating a particular entity with some degrees of favor or disfavor. Development stages here are illustrated as embracement, tolerance, adjustment and finally withdrawal (Ap 1993). Similar to Doxeys and Butlers models, this model illustrates the way in which tourism development influences local peoples attitudes towards tourism. Embracement takes place when local people, especially those who benefit from tourism, accept it and feel positively about its impacts. In the tolerance stage, local people start feeling more of the impact of tourism. They become divided between being for or against tourism. Depending on the degree of their involvement in tourism, some of them adjust as per the adjustment stage while others do not. To end with, withdrawal takes place when local people can no longer deal with the impact of tourism and so their negative perceptions take over. 2.6 Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory (SET), applied here, proposes that residents are akin to support tourism as long as the perceived benefits exceed the perceived costs. SET is supported on the principle that human beings are reward-seeking and punishment avoiding and that people are motivated to action by the expectation of profits (Skidmore, 1975). SET presumes that social relations engage exchange of resources among groups seeking mutual benefits from exchange relationships. There are a number of issues influencing residents attitudes towards tourism development related to its social, cultural, and environmental implications that have been studied using social exchange theory. SET is concerned with identifying the exchange of resources between parties in a dealings situation where the objects suggested for exchange have value, are measurable, and there is mutual dispensation of rewards and costs between actors (Ap, 1992; Madrigal,1995). From a tourism standpoint, SET hypothesizes that an individuals attitudes towards this industry, and ensuing level of support for its development, will be prejudiced by his or her valuation of resulting outcomes in the community. Exchanges must take place to have tourism in a community. Thus residents must enlarge and encourage it, and then serve the needs of the tourists. Some community residents obtain the benefits, while others may be negatively impacted. Social exchange theory advocates people estimate an exchange based on the expenses and profit incurred as a result of that exchange. An entity that makes out benefits from an exchange is likely to evaluate it positively; one that makes out costs is likely to evaluate it negatively. Thus, residents perceiving their benefiting from tourism are likely to view it positively, and visa versa. In general, we may end that residents are likely to contribute in an exchange if they believe that they are likely to gain benefits without incur ring unacceptable costs. If locals perceive that the benefits are greater than the costs, they are inclined to be involved in the exchange and, thus endorse future development in their community. 2.6 Tourism and Sustainability Sustainability, for tourism encompasses of three interconnected aspects: Socio Cultural, Economical and Environmental. Sustainability entails durability, so sustainable tourism embrace optimum use of resources, in concert with biological diversity; minimization of ecological, cultural and social impacts, and maximization of benefits to conservation and local communities. However, the promotion of tourism development in many circumstances often takes place without balancing short term economic other than priorities with longer-term environmental and socio cultural objectives. The tourism development study replicated highlights the importance of peoples participation throughout power sharing, social cohesion and knowledge enhancement (Prentice, 1993; Frumn, 1998; Timothy, 1999; Tosun, 2000; Mitchell and Reid, 2001). Therefore the justification of this study was to investigate the different type of conflicts and consequences arising from tourism in the village of Belle Mare. Tourisms socio cultural, economical and environmental impacts are example, from the perspective of the host community, of the problem caused by tourists. 2.7 Socio-Cultural Impacts of tourism The socio cultural impacts are changes occurring in the daily life of the society and the adaptation to the existence and operation of the tourism sector. Tourism has often been assessing for its negative socio cultural impacts, but all types of modern development bring socio cultural impacts. Socio-cultural amendment stimulated by tourism on host communities includes changes in conventional lifestyle, value systems, family relationships, individual behavior and community structure (Ratz 2000). They basically resulted from the cultural and economic differences between residents and tourists (Lavery, 1996; Crosby and Moreda, 1996). Evidence from numerous assessments of tourism impact reveals that tourism activity and development have both positive and negative impacts on local communities and their cultures. In simple term, Wolf (1977:3) states that socio cultural impacts are People Impacts; they refer to the positive and negative effects on the host population of their direct and ind irect connection with tourist. Socio-cultural impacts relay to changes in societal value systems, individual behavior, social relationships, lifestyle, and mode of expression and community structures. The focal point of socio-cultural impacts tends to be on the host community, i.e., the people who reside in tourist destinations, rather than the tourist-generating region. Mathieson and Wall (1982), state that socio-cultural impacts are the effect on the people of host communities, of their direct and indirect associations with tourists. The impacts of tourism on socio cultural aspect can be both positive and negative (Swarbrooke 1999). He argues that the negative or positive impacts are concluded in accordance of the factor such as the structure of the local community and its own culture. Thus the residents perception on the impacts can alter by factors such as age, education, gender, community attachment, and the reliance on tourism. With regard to community attachment, most studies have accomplished that the longer, a host has been resident in the area, the less they like tourism that is they are less attached to tourism (Jurowski 1997, Weaver 2001, McGehee and Andereck 2004). 2.7.1 Positive Cultural Impacts of Tourism Tourists want to welcome the uniqueness aspects of culture of various sections of the heterogeneous population that why they travel from one country to another. However, culture can be understood as the whole way of life that is fundamental for the survival of a specific group or people living in a specific society. Thus, culture can be the dominant values that give direction for the day-to-day activities of people in society, comprising of the symbolic values and beliefs, intellectual and artistic achievements, traditions and rituals as well as the dominant patterns of living. Arts and Handicrafts Tourism contributes in the protection of Archeological and Historical sites, Arts and Handicrafts, Customer and Traditions in our country. Special mention should be made to Arts and Handicrafts for tourism in Mauritius as it has paved the way for the success of this particular sector. The arts and Handicrafts sector produces a variety of souvenirs, with higher-quality carvings, and hand made Artifacts to please the demands of foreign visitors. In order to attract more tourists, architectural and historical sites are restored and protected (Inskeep, 1991; Liu and Var 1986). Souvenir is recognized as authentic memento of a particular place and is powerful signifiers of ideological meaning. It can be use as an aide memoire of a particular place; a symbols of certain cultures and religions and also as a reflex of social processes, interest and power relations. In certain societies the souvenir is important, not only as a cultural artifact but also as an analytic tool for understanding complex social processes. Culture Expression Tourism is the edge for cultural exchange, facilitating the communication between residents and guests (domestic and international). Apart from the economic benefits there are also outside contacts which draws the awareness to the community that is the resident want to intermingle with other culture, learn about other traditions and even meet with new perspectives of life and society. Tourism has brought villagers into closer contact with the outside world; residents come into contact with ideas of the wider world, partly by having conversation with tourists. Tourism also helps to encourage interest in, and conserve aspects of, the hosts cultural heritage, which contribute for additional income for the destination as well as for the individuals and local business. Moreover, many people of different cultures come together by means of tourism facilitating the exchange of cultures (Brayley et al, 1990). Tourism in general is an experience driven industry, and local culture is a sole experience, than building attractions. The further one makes out and learns about a destination or its culture the more satisfying the experience will be. Tourism also helps to encourage a sense of community pride when tourists visit a specific location for a reason. Nonetheless, community pride is normally transmitted into economic prosperity. Well-groomed village and well-maintained facilities help visitors to feel welcome and can contribute to community pride. 2.7.2 Negative Cultural Impacts of Tourism Negative socio cultural impacts are the result of direct contact and the demonstration effect. Tourism has been criticized because it generates anxiety and it can be a source of inter-generational stress. There are also other instances where cultural tourism has resulted in the commercialization of customs and traditional ceremonies. As stated by McNaughton (2006), tourism has the potential to create inequality and social tension. Sing-Cheong (2007) state that the tourism industry and globalizations are crossing borders between nations and cultures, resulting in many socio-cultural consequences. Trivialization It refers to the revolutionized facets of culture into a commercialized form of entertainment for tourist. A very well-known example of trivialization refers to the sega in Mauritius. The sega is mostly being sung by the slaves to grieve for their loss of freedom and taking them away from their homes or loved one. But today it has become a commercialized form of entertainment performed in an elegant style by professional groups in Hotels and Restaurants. The customary musical instrument The Maravanne, The Ravanne, The tambourine, and The Triangle have been replaced by sophisticated modern instruments with a view to develop culture. The sega has lost its natural beauty; they turned out to stimulate the inner feelings of the tourists. Religious Conviction Sacred places such as, Grand Bassin, Cathedrale Saint Louis, Le Temple Kaliamen (Kalaysson), La Jummah Mosquee, Le Marie Reine De La Paix and Le tombeau De Pere Laval are famous religious visiting sites in Mauritius. Important issues to be noted here is that tourists in Mauritius are free to visit any religious shrines. But when visiting all these holy places, they are not properly dressed that is they wears shorts, miniskirts, and no removal of shoes at the temple and mosques. Tourist Behavior Tourists often, out of ignorance or carelessness, fail to respect local customs and moral values, when they take a quick snap shot of the labourer or fisherman without asking their permission. When they do so, they can bring about irritation and stereotyping and can also invade the local peoples lives. Social Evils The relationship between tourism and crime is hard to ascertain. According to Doxey, 1975, tourism may also be related to an increased in crime, drugs, and prostitution and beyond a certain volume it can be a source of antagonism. Tourism may also lead to a decline in moral values, invokes use of alcohol and drugs; increase crime rates and tension in the community (Liu and Var 1986; Milman and Pizam 1988). But crime rates naturally increase with the growth and urbanization of an area. The existence of large number of tourists with lots of money to spend, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing. The commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women has paralleled the growth of tourism. Belle-Mare has become a victim of this act as apartments are being rent on a timely basis. Nevertheless tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation; it provides easy access to it. Loss of Control over Community Future The main collisions of the tourist host relationship are the demonstration effect, when the local people manners are modified in order to imitate tourists. Youth are particular prone to demonstration effect particularly in term of changing dress behavior, spending extravagantly on consumption and so on. As such tourist host interaction constitutes only one factor for change in attitudes, values or behavior. There are also other major agents who lead to the demonstration effects such as radio, internet, print media, increased traveling, television and videos. Access to Resources Though Mauritius has a number of potential inland attractions, beach visitation remains a popular leisure activity of Mauritians. The spreading out of hotels and campement along the coastline has snatched away the rights of the citizens to walk freely or enjoy the attractiveness of their beaches. They are even forced to move away from their original farms as soon as the area is earn marked for tourism development. The residents are as such not against tourist but rather against the restriction. The local people express a feeling of fear and frustration as the village of Belle Mare is developing rapidly and this will impinge further Right of Future Generation. 2.8 Economic Impacts of tourism The most prominent benefits used to promote tourism development are the economic benefits that communities can anticipate to derive from tourism activity. Thus tourism was encouraged first because of its economic impacts. Tourism is an engine for generating a range of new private and public income opportunities. Tourism is an industry with enormous economic impacts The most immediate and direct benefit of tourism development is the creation of jobs and the opportunity for people to increase their income and standard of living in local communities. Hence local communities turn to tourism as a means of raising income, increase employment and living standards (Akis et al., 1996). These impacts are obvious as tourists interact with the local economy, and community. The economic impacts of tourism are the most widely researched impacts of tourism community (Mason, 2003). Economic impacts are easier to research in local community because it is small and generally easier to assess. The impa ct can either be positive, beneficial, or negative and detrimental to local community. Tourism can have positive economic effects on local economies, and are visible impact on national GDP growth. It could also an essential component for both community development and poverty reduction (Ashe, 2005). The economic impacts of tourism are therefore, generally perceived positively by the residents (Tatoglu et al., 2000). Economic impacts are one of the most researched areas of tourism. As Pearce (1989) put out: Studies of the impact of tourist development on a destination or destinations have been the largest single element of tourism research à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦much of this is predominantly the work of economists and has concentrated on the effects of income and employment. Hence economic impacts are associated to and cannot be easily alienated from other types of impacts. All economic developments pertaining to tourism have effects on the society, economy and the environment. 2.8.1 Positive Economic Impacts of Tourism Tourism has been a milestone in the development of Mauritian economy. Our country has passed through several distinct phases and in the process, has successfully diversified from a Monocrop culture highly dependent on the Export of sugar into Manufacturing, Tourism and Financial sector. Contribution to GDP The National income or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of the most important measures of the pecuniary consequences of Tourism. As the largest component of tourism industry, hotels and restaurants, inevitably reflects a fair idea of overall tourism contribution on the economy. Data from the Bank of Mauritius indicate that gross tourism receipts for the first nine months of 2010 were Rs 28,167 million, i.e. an increase of 9.7% compared to Rs 25,685 million for the same period of 2009, (Table 1). Increase Opportunities for Shopping Another argument for the growth of tourism industry is that it gives local people the opportunity for more shopping. This is so because with the development of tourism, there are more and more shopping centers, supermarket, shops, restaurants and many other business units which are setting up in Belle Mare, as providing them with first class services for both the local as well for the foreigners. Employment Opportunities Tourism as a highly labour intensive service industry offers a wide range of Direct Employment and Indirect Employment. Also, tourism helps out to generate employments (e.g., Ahmed Krohn, 1992; Backman Backman, 1997; Milman Pizam, 1987; Var Kim, 1990). With the setting up of different hotels, restaurants, bungalows, shopping centers, supermarkets and many other businesses in Belle Mare, have help to reduce the unemployment problem. According to the survey of Employment and Earnings conducted by the Central Statistics Office, direct employment in hotels, restaurants and travel and tourism establishments employing 10 persons or more stood at 27,161 at the end of March 2010 showing an increase of 0.6% over the figure of 27,002 for March 2009. Of this number, 20,847 or 76.8% were engaged in hotel, (Table 2). Improve Transport, Infrastructures and Public Utilities The development or improvement of infrastructure constitutes an essential economic impact of tourism development in Mauritius. Urbanization caused by rapid development of tourism might improve governmental and local services such as police station, fire station and security (Milman and Pizam 1988). Usually the gains from infrastructural investment leads to good electricity, water network supply, improvements of roads networks and modernization of Airport are widely shared by other economic sector, tourist and hosts of the country 2.8.2 Negative Economic Impacts According to Schianetz, Kavanagh and Lockington (2007), while tourism provides financial benefits, it can also generate negative effects in other areas. An impact of tourism is generally evaluated negatively, it is concern for the welfare of the community as a whole and cooperation among its citizens is decreased markedly as tourism increases and incomes rise. Rise in Price The very expansion of tourism development has increased land values especially in some coastal tourist village. Increasing demand for accommodation, especially in tourism seasons, might push up the rents as well as the land prices for building new houses and hotels (Pizam 1978; Var et al, 1985). For example, lands for residential development in Belle-Mare were sold in 1987 at an average price of hundreds per square meter but in 2010 the land valued is within millions per square meter. Tourism is yet only one factor for escalation in the land values-speculative attitudes have been endangered by the increasing influence of the host population and by a realization that land is a scarce resource in small island Mauritius are potential significant factors to take into consideration. Cost of Living Negative economic impacts highlighted by an increase in the price of goods and services have been alleged by residents in several surveys (Belisle Hoy, 1980; Keogh, 1989; Pizam, 1978; Tosun, 2002; Weaver Lawton, 2001). Tourism is a contributor to inflation by preempting supplies, leading to higher prices of consumer items especially fresh fruits and vegetables, and fresh fish in tourist zone. Even Liu and Var (1986) argue that the price of goods and services might go up with the increased demand from foreign customers. Resident argues Belle-Mare has become very expensive, with the same price charged to resident and tourist alike. There exist a feeling of frustration and irritation among residents of tourist zone who felt deprive of some consumer items. Imported goods There are other short-term economic costs that may result from tourism. If tourism growth is largely dependent on imported goods and services, there is a risk that existing local production may be hit adversely. This effect can be particularly noteworthy if demonstration effect results in the local population, copying tourists and increasing their consumption of imported goods and services rather than domestically produced ones. Infrastructure Cost The development of tourism can cost the local government and local taxpayers a great deal of money. Developers will rely on the government to improve the airport, roads and other infrastructure, and other financial advantage, which are costly activities for the government and they will only enjoy the benefits. Public resources spent on the financing of infrastructure may trim down government investment in other artificial areas such as education and health 2.9 Environment Impact in Tourism The environment is being increasingly recognized as a key factor in the tourism sector. In the last decade of the twentieth century, it has been noted that tourism depends ultimately upon the environment, as it is a major tourism attraction itself, or in the context in which tourism activity take place (Holden, 2000). Tourism and the environment are directly linked since the idea of tourism is based completely on mans desire to get out and experience nature. The term environment is often assumed to be only the physical or natural features of a landscape but according to swarbrooke, 1999, there are five aspect of the environment, namely, the natural environment, wildlife, the farmed environment, the built environment and natural resources. Among these, each component are linked together. If tourism is not well planned it can result in the following consequences for the environment: Land Resources Since there is a rapid development in the tourism sector, there is a high use of land resources to cater for the demand of recreational facilities as well as construction of tourism accommodation and other infrastructure and consequently the natural landscape is threatened through deforestation. Sewage and Littering The construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increase sewage and littering. Waste water has polluted seas and rivers surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. There is also wide use of toxic pesticides on the beaches to control sand files and other pests. The chemical ends up in the sea in a very short time, thus sewage and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the water and cause the death of marine animals. Pollution Besides the consumption of large amounts of natural and other local resources, the tourism industry also generates considerable air, noise and sea pollution, which can be detrimental for the residents living in the locality. 2.10 Conclusion Thus we can say that in Mauritius, a more appropriately planned tourism development process is needed which would spread both costs and benefit more equitably as well as be more sensitive to the social and cultural impacts. This would not only reduce for local residents to trade off their quality of life and social costs for economic growth, but would also contribute to having more broadly based positive attitude towards tourism (Mansfield 1992). A larger proportion of the local population should benefit from tourism, rather than merely bearing the burden of its costs. Manu analysts call for greater local participation in the tourism sector to permit a more equitable distribution of costs and benefits (Blank 1989)