Communication Skills Free Essays

Teaching is generally considered as only fifty percent knowledge and fifty percent interpersonal or communication skills. For a teacher, it is not just important to give a quality lecture but it is more important for the presentation of a lesson or lecture in class. Communication skills for teachers are thus as important as their in-depth knowledge of the particular subject, which they teach. We will write a custom essay sample on Communication Skills or any similar topic only for you Order Now Teachers should be aware of the importance of communication skills in teaching. They must also realize that all students have different levels of strengths and weaknesses. It is only through communication skills that a teacher can introduce creative and effective solutions to the problems of the students. Thus, a teacher can enhance the learning process. Following are some of the communication skills that a teacher must possess so that they interact properly with the students – Positive Motivation This is one of the important things that a teacher must possess. In a class, students always have different kinds of taste and preferences over subjects. So it is the job of the teacher to create enthusiasm and interest in the minds of the students towards a subject. It is also a teacher’s role to remove any fear and inhibitions that a student may have towards a subject. Effective Body Language This is the most powerful communication skill that a teacher must possess. Good presentation skills include a powerful body language supported by verbal skills. This can create a long lasting impression in the minds of the students. Thus, a teachers lectures will inevitably become more interactive and interesting for the students. Besides, a teacher should maintain the volume, tone and rhythm of their voice during a lecture. Sense of Humor The importance of this factor has been regularly underestimated. A good sense of humor keeps the students active and interested in the teachers class. A teacher who is dour and lacks humor doesnt contribute to the overall well being of the students. Understanding the Students Teachers should encourage students to communicate openly. There should be emphasis on cultivating a dialogue rather than a monologue. So while solving any kind of problems in the classroom, it is always wise to hear the opinions of the students also. Team Formation This is a good method where you can divide the classroom into small teams and ask them to solve different problems or complete assignments. This practice will increase not only the interaction among the students but also among the teacher and students. Technical Skills It is also important that teachers should be up to date with all the latest teaching aids like computers, video conferencing and especially the use of internet. This will also help the students to keep up their interest in the learning process. Students are the future of every nation. That is why the role of teachers is so important to the society. It is through a teacher that generations of youngsters are deeply influenced. Overall improvement in a student can be expected when communication skills for teachers is given due importance. Thus, it is important that communication skills become an important ingredient of a teachers professional competency. How to cite Communication Skills, Papers Communication Skills Free Essays NLP Soft skills or NLP Personal Excellence NLP Soft skills is an explicit blend of NLP training and Soft skills which are a perfect value add to various thinking styles about personal and professional lives irrespective of any field people come from. This course is designed for people who have personal and professional interests in developing their own skills and insights into how language and thinking interact. It is also aimed at people who want to find out more about the powers of language. We will write a custom essay sample on Communication Skills or any similar topic only for you Order Now Managers and coaches may find the insights that they obtain useful and most importantly to anyone who want to realise their full potential. Why does it stand out? As we create the difference you need. The process works perfectly. If you want to change your lifestyle to welcome a lot of peace into your lives then you need to change the thoughts, actions, and feelings that go into producing them. If you want to understand, act – the learning is in the doing. Modules Be Outspoken Be Outspoken is a course which was designed to deliver a combination of soft skill subjects with a psychological twist. We have concentrated greatly on the changing mindset of people and changing behaviours to create these courses. These subjects would cater to your objectives, needs and changing lifestyles. Topics which we would deliver on are: * Managing change effectively * Building excellent customer services * Delivering professional presentations * Become an excellent negotiator * Improve your assertiveness skills * Effective interviewing processes Solving problems more creatively Attaining Personal Excellence Attaining Personal Excellence is a diverse course which covers a lot of areas to develop communication skills and influencing abilities, methods to avoid conflict and improve management techniques. Topics which are included are: * Recognising our own and others’ channels of communication * Powerful techniques for planning and achieving goals * Tools to realise your potential * How to broaden perceptual positions to defuse conflict, * Enhance assertiveness and improve negotiation skills Exploring timelines and how to improve our time-management systems * Discovering how our greatest successes are achieved when their objectives and goals are aligned with our values * Techniques for breaking unresourceful mindsets and replacing them with positive ones * How to identify, explore and change negative beliefs to achieve your goals * Exploring rapport to improve communication skills and enhance relationships Learning to manage effectively The first level supervisor or team leader encounters a special challenge. Usually, they still have a certain responsibility for some ‘hands-on’ activity and personal output, but are now required in addition to spend time co-ordinating the work of a team. This programme helps participants define their skills to ensure they get a strong management and leadership foundation. The programme also helps people to manage themselves effectively in a perfect coordination with different psychological aspects. The topics on which we would deliver are Module 1 Team leadership and management role, time and priority planning, coaching and instruction delegation Clarify and define their role and responsibilities * Describe and define leadership as a set of skills, rather than as a personal style * Identify the key elements of leadership * Set themselves and others empowering outcomes * Plan effectively and realistically * Set goals and schedule action plans * Identify their personal â€Å"time thieves† * Pinpoint strategies for reducing â€Å"time thi eves† * Use the resources of others to achieve more in less time * Explain the key benefits of delegation * Uncover and overcome the barriers to delegation Define the difference between task allocation and true delegation * Apply a structured step-by-step approach to delegate effectively Module 2 Motivating, Communicating and Influencing * Analyse the motivation levels and the motivational drives of themselves and others * Highlight the key motivators which push/pull behaviour * Identify appropriate levers to motivate a team or a specific individual * Address issues of de-motivation in themselves and others * Take action to improve motivation levels * Listen actively * Use questioning skills to control interactions * Recognise non-verbal signals in self and others Build rapport based on respect and mutual outcomes * Identify assertive, aggressive and passive behaviours * Ask assertively for specific action or behaviour change * Make a case persuasively to influence others * Ne gotiate agreement between conflicting viewpoints * Address unwanted behaviour in others * Manage and mediate in situations of conflict Module 3 Managing Performance, Coaching and Instruction * Buy into the purpose and process of an appraisal process * Willingly use an appraisal system in order to gain optimum performance and development * Assess people’s performance fairly and objectively Manage the appraisal interview effectively * Identify methods to manage all levels of performance * Give constructive feedback to enhance or improve performance * Set effective performance measures and standards * Design and agree effective action and development plans * Complete appraisal documentation fully, constructively and on schedule * Commit to holding regular one-to-one follow-up sessions with team members * Establish their own and others’ learning styles * Define learning objectives * Assess a learner’s existing skill level * Prepare and deliver effective instruction Plan a coaching session * Deliver coaching to enhance and empower learning * Tailor delivery of coaching to match learner’s style * Elicit and give constructive feedback on performance * Review the effectiveness of coaching * Support the transfer of new skills to the job Leadership Management After managers grasp the basic concepts of their new role, they increasingly move away from â€Å"hands on† involvement in the core activity of their departments. Instead their responsibility is more and more about achieving results through maximising the output of their teams. This programme is designed to build managers’ skills in the critical areas of relationships, performance, influence and change. Topics on which we would deliver are: * clarify and define their role and responsibilities as managers of output within their organisations * review the strengths, vulnerabilities and impact of their personal management style preferences * apply practical techniques to manage effectively: change, performance, teams, conflict, relationships and influence Six course competencies: One: Managing Relationships It includes models for constructive interaction, understanding personality, difficult relationships and how to make them workable and emotional intelligence. Two: Managing Teams Leadership styles, Team roles and preferences, how teams interact, Strategies for building and maintaining teams, Symptoms and causes of conflict, Resolving conflict. Three: Managing Change and Stress Change and the accelerating pace of change; managing inevitable ambiguity, coping with uncertainty; stakeholder analysis; strategies for announcing change; convincer patterns; harnessing change-related stress as positive energy. Four: Managing Influence Making a case persuasively, Influencing patterns, belief, trust, conviction and authority, Influencing models and strategies, Influencing styles, The language of influence, body language and influence and Managing arguments Five: Managing Conflict Sources and types of conflict, One-to-one conflict and group/team conflicts, Conflict in meetings, Disruptive behaviours, challenging behaviour, conflict over facts, opinions or values, Building consensus, How to negotiate agreements that work, Building an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, Managing clashes of personality and the art of mediation. Six: Managing Performance Optimising the productivity of every team member, Setting and agreeing standards, re-assessing job profiles, managing by objectives, Goals and targets that work, Recognising and motivating high achievers, managing poor performance constructively, Developing potential – assessing skills gaps and development needs, coaching and development plans and Cost effective development solutions. How to cite Communication Skills, Essay examples

What Does Democracy Mean free essay sample

For me personally, in one word, democracy means freedom. More in depth, democracy is much more complex because it allows all citizens to have an equal say in many different decisions that affect lives. Democracy allows citizens of the United States to equally voice their opinion through elected representatives and by the creation of new laws and the freedom of speech. The country used to be run under communism which was much more controlled than democracy. No one was allowed to own their own businesses which really limited freedom because everything belonged to the state. No one really had the freedom to express themselves because the state controlled everything. The writers of the U. S Constitution criticized the idea of democracy because they doubted the ability of ordinary American’s to make informed judgments about what the government should do. (Edwards, G. C. , III, Wattenberg, M. P, and Lineberry R. L. (2008). Government in America: People, politics, and policy (brief 9th ed. ). New York, NY: Pearson Education. ) Others believe democracy creates political instability because government representatives frequently change and bring their new ideas with them which creates a lack of consistency.In reality, we live in a corrupt political government which results in the American people criticizing the government. It is well known that with power comes misuse which ultimately results in corruption. The wealthy continue to find ways to become wealthier, and fail to have compassion for the lower class. (Romney Makes the Rich Richer and the Poor Poorer, June 4,2012 Retrieved from;http://hampton-northhampton. patch. com/blog_posts/romney-makes-the-rich-richer-and-the-poor-poorer) I have to question the current selection of politicians we have to choose from to represent the people of the United States.They are constantly bickering like children on National television and are hardly acting professional. It seems to me like America is in some trouble and it doesnt appear that anyone has the discipline or professionalism that it takes to run this country. I hope the politics can prove me wrong and that the people of the United States make choose the right people to lead this country! In conclusion, democracy is a very complex matter that involves the opinions of others. Some people view democracy as a necessary freedom for the people, and others view it as political instability.

An Evaluation and Analysis of the Effectiveness of Professional Training in Preparing Teachers for Dealing with bullying and Classroom Management The WritePass Journal

An Evaluation and Analysis of the Effectiveness of Professional Training in Preparing Teachers for Dealing with bullying and Classroom Management ABSTRACT An Evaluation and Analysis of the Effectiveness of Professional Training in Preparing Teachers for Dealing with bullying and Classroom Management ). They may be the first adults to observe or become aware of bullying behavior at school, so it follows that teachers should have input into the creation of school anti-bullying programs in order to ensure the classroom environment, and the school as a whole, is safe for all students. Research objective Conducting a study of teachers’ perspectives on bullying and their classroom management skills could make an important contribution to the creation of an appropriate, successful anti-bullying intervention. Olweus noted that to achieve this â€Å"adults at school and, to some degree, at home [need to] become aware of the extent of bully/victim problems in ‘their’ school; [and to] decide to engage themselves, with some degree of seriousness, in changing the situation† (Olweus, 1993, p66). Bradshaw et al., (2011) confirm that an examination of staff members’ interpretations of bullying is important and constitutes a significant advance in improving how these are understood. Wright (2003) provides teachers with strategies and guidelines to assist them to understand, and improve their skills to manage, the problem of bullying in school settings. Thus, teachers’ knowledge, experience and skills in dealing with students are highly likely to make a us eful contribution to the creation of effective interventions. Proposal structure This research proposal contains an overview of the subject literature, followed by an outline methodology. The research philosophy, approach and strategy are explored; data collection and analysis is outlined and access and ethical issues are considered. Ideas for sample questions, definitions of terms and research variables are contained in Appendix 1. LITERATURE REVIEW The literature on bullying is comprehensive and studies are now attempting to address why and how bullying occurs, and ultimately who is to blame. Bradshaw et al. (2011) suggest that teachers should fully comprehend a working definition of bullying and work with the Department of Education to carry out classroom procedures to deal with it. Some researchers suggest that students themselves should not be labeled as a bully or victim, and instead it is the behavior that should be labeled bullying or victim behavior (Burzinski, 2012). Overt or direct bullying behavior involves observable behaviors that are usually conveyed by verbal and physical means. Normally direct bullying takes place face to face and involves relatively blatant attacks on a victim; additionally, children may use disruptive acts that are just as hurtful, but are more difficult to detect. Covert or indirect bullying includes actions such as spreading rumors to damage another child’s character, deliberately excluding others or encouraging other children to dislike another person. Such behavior may happen behind someone’s back, rather than face to face. Porter (2009) states that the intention to harm physically/emotionally is an essential component of bullying behavior. For example, a friend teasing another friend good-naturedly is not classed as bullying, while a person deliberately teasing another in order to upset them is classed as bullying. Further, bullying can be defined as a ubiquitous aggression, frequently occurring in schools, which has specific features that distinguish it from other aggressive behaviors, namely, it is repetitive, and the victims of bullying have less access to power than the perpetrators. Cyber-bullying is increasing but verbal abuse is still more common (Childnet International, 2007). During the last two decades researchers have focused on identifying the causes and results of bullying, however there are still significant gaps in the literature. While many studies have investigated students’ views of school bullying, only very few have looked at these issues from staff members’ perspectives (Bradshaw, Sawyer and O’Brennan, 2007; Juvonen, Nishina and Graham, 2008; Goldstein, Young and Boyd, 2008). Newman-Carlson and Horne (2004) state that despite the existence of numerous commended programs in schools to confront the bullying problem, few empirical studies have evaluated or confirmed their effectiveness. Recording teachers’ views based on managing and monitoring behaviors in a classroom setting is therefore valuable in this context. Pellegrini and Bartini (2002) posit that research provides counselors with useful guidelines for developing successful bullying assessment programs. These programs deliver the most precise information when they are conducted over a considerable period of time. Members of a school team, including teachers, who work alongside counselors, may assist the process of creating a more integrated format for successful programs. However Lakewood (2012) notes that while during the last ten years bullying has become the central issue that schools have to tackle, and research has examined programs to assess successful and unsuccessful interventions, there appears to be no single program for bullying prevention or bullying intervention that is likely to work in every environment. Dan Olweus’ Swedish study of â€Å"mobbing†, a term for bullying most prevalent in the Scandinavian countries, as reported in â€Å"Aggression in the schools: Bullies and whipping boys† (1978) was the first notable study of school bullying. Subsequently many other countries have undertaken research to try to understand the bullying phenomenon including Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan and the United States (Porter, 2009). These studies show the problem of bullying is prevalent on a national and worldwide level. Increasing reports of bullying and its consequences have encouraged more research studies. Milsom and Gallo (2006) note that research demonstrates a tendency for bullying to reach its height in late childhood or early adolescence. This implies that taking steps for prevention and intervention in middle school is crucial. The findings from the National Education Association’s Nationwide Study of Bullying are that the views of bullying expressed by school staff members differ from those of students, who perceive that staff members do not respond adequately when told of bullying incidents (Bradshaw et al., 2011). The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), a sub-department of the Department of Education, has decreed that individual schools are responsible for devising policies and programs to tackle bullying. Data held by the OCR seeks to help school officials to better understand that some acts of bullying may effectively violate the civil rights of the victim, and that this can have an influence on the way a bullying incident is reported. Literature review summary Bullying is not just a minor problem; the phenomenon has escalated in recent years to such an extent that community leaders, academic researchers, parents, school officials, teachers, and the media have recognized the need for prevention and intervention. The literature concludes that teachers and other school staff require training to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills to deal with the pervasiveness of bullying (Blosnich and Bossarte, 2011). Research question Teachers and students have different views about how teachers handle bullying incidents. Commonly, victims of bullying fail to report it to a teacher. This is because, according to those who do, while some teachers may help, others are indifferent or even contribute to making the bullying more serious. Contrary to this, the teachers’ view is that they intervene in bullying incidents; students do not feel this is accurate (Porter, 2009). This study seeks to explore teachers’ attitudes to and perspectives on the bullying problem and to gain insights into their understanding of it. Further, this study will look at the different methods teachers use to manage their classrooms and the role of training in developing these methods. Through analysis of the collected data, the study will examine the research question: does teacher training adequately equip teachers with effective techniques to tackle bullying in the classroom? The objective of this study is to use the evidence g athered to arrive at sound conclusions that will help inform future anti-bullying programs. METHODOLGY Research philosophy The majority of researchers agree that the most effective anti-bullying interventions are comprehensive (Espelage and Swearer, 2003), engaging adults and children at individual level, at classroom level and at whole-school level (Olweus, 1993, p64). There is a lack of research on how teachers understand bullying, and on the specific factors that influence their interventions and views (Mishna, Scarcello, Pepler and Wiener, 2005). This is a curious omission as teachers are in an important and influential position on the subject. If teachers feel respected and their point of view is valued, then intervention programs may be more effective. The planned research will adhere to a positivist philosophy, which holds that every rationally justifiable assertion is capable of logical or mathematical proof or can be scientifically verified and will examine teachers’ perspectives on bullying, and how they manage the phenomenon in their classrooms. Research approach There have been many international media stories concerning high-profile events linked to behavioral problems in schools, such as the Columbine school murders in 1999 and the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, both incidents in which angry teenagers killed and injured fellow students on school premises. Subsequent investigations often reveal an element of revenge for bullying on the part of the perpetrators of such crimes. Then there are other incidents where students have died or committed suicide as a result of being bullied. Neil Marr and Tim Field coined the word ‘bullycide’ to describe these tragic deaths in their book Bullycide: Death at Playtime (2001) and the â€Å"bullyonline† website has a Bullycide memorial page listing the names and circumstances of many young people who have died in the UK and elsewhere as a result of bullying. Such events provide a focus on the seriousness of bullying and the extent of the problem, highlighting the enormity of the emoti onal and physical devastation that the victims, and their families, experience. The planned approach for the research is to conduct a quantitative survey of teachers, collecting data and converting it into numerical form in order to make statistical calculations and draw valid conclusions. This will contribute knowledge that will enable improved strategies for classroom management across all schools, which could have a substantial effect on the frequency and severity of school bullying, and may prevent incidents escalating to such extremes. Research strategy The Brentwood School district includes four middle schools – North, South, East and West – which have a total of about 150 teachers. With permission from the school administration and the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the research strategy is to conduct a survey of teachers’ views across these four schools. The researcher will use self-administered questionnaires to gather data, to analyze it across a number of constituent elements and to draw conclusions from the findings. Although a longitudinal study may deliver more detailed results, this would be time-consuming and onerous for participants as well as the researcher. As a research tool, a survey is cost effective, takes a relatively short amount of time to answer, and is more convenient and less stressful for the participants (Creswell, 2009). This study focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of teachers in regard to bullying and classroom management. Both male and female teachers will be recruited from the four middle schools in Brentwood, NY. All teachers will be invited to take part and the target is to achieve a 55% response rate, which is deemed to be sufficient for making sound judgments (Van Bennekom, 2011). School principals will be asked for permission to approach the teachers for this study and also asked to ensure the questionnaires are placed in the mailbox of the teachers, in each school listed. Data collection Having obtained permission from the director of special programs via an introductory letter explaining the reason behind and the importance of the survey, the questionnaires and accompanying stamped, self-addressed envelopes will be placed in the teachers’ mailboxes. Participants will also receive a letter explaining the research, assuring them that responses will remain confidential and asking them to confirm their consent. No financial compensation will be provided for participation in the study; however, respondents will be able to receive a copy of the survey findings. Teachers will be asked to return the questionnaires within a two-week period in the envelopes provided. On completion of all the returned questionnaires, the data analysis will commence. The data will be stored in the office of the researcher in a locked cabinet. Data analysis A good survey design permits a clear and rigorous assessment process via a logical model (Babbie, 1990). The questionnaire for the survey will be designed to measure the attitudes of teachers concerning bullying; a series of questions will allow responses across a Likert scale ranging from 1 (disagree strongly) to 7 (agree strongly). Other questions will cover demographic information, such as age, gender, racial and ethnic background and length of time teaching in this district, as well as a series of questions about teachers’ experiences of observing and dealing with bullying in the classroom, and their perceptions of self-efficacy. A text analysis using a free online lexical analysis tool will be carried out on information contributed in these areas. Bandura (1994) defines perceived self-efficacy as the beliefs people hold concerning their capacity to produce certain levels of accomplishment that are known to â€Å"exercise influence over events that affect their lives† (Bandura, 1994, p. 71). Thus, self-efficacy beliefs govern how people think, feel, behave and motivate themselves. Bandura’s instrument teacher self-efficacy scale will be used to measure responses in which teachers are assessing their own self-efficacy. Teachers will be asked to complete and return questionnaires within two weeks. This should give them sufficient time, without pressure on them, although a prompt may be provided closer to the deadline. The research will undertake coding and analysis of the returned questionnaires using a computer program specifically made for data analysis (SPSS). See Appendix 1 for sample questions, definitions of terms and research variables. Access As long as permission is obtained as planned, there are unlikely to be major access issues. The use of a postal questionnaire means that the geographic location of the participating schools can be overcome. For people with disabilities, additional steps can be taken to make the survey accessible. For example, large-print versions of the questionnaire could be issued for any participants with sight impairment. The two-week period during which forms can be returned is considered to be sufficient time to allow busy teachers to complete the form. Reliability, validity, and generalizability The range of questions asked allows for a correlation between several factors (see Appendix 1), including levels of teacher training, effectiveness of the schools’ anti-bullying programs and policies, and levels of teacher confidence in dealing with bullying behavior. Data on social and ethnic backgrounds is also being collected, in order to underline any specific trends that may emerge concerning how bullying is viewed in different parts of the district, for example, or by teachers of a specific age and background. A T-test can be used to assess whether the means of the different groups of teachers are statistically different from each other. The results will be representative of the district, and may be held to be valid for a large number of middle schools elsewhere in the USA. Ethical issues Bullying causes stress and Blosnich and Bossarte (2011) propose that school bullying, as a form of low-level violent behavior that has been associated with negative outcomes for both physical and mental health, continues to be a serious public health issue. People dealing with bullying also suffer stress, and it will be important when conducting this research to ask questions in such a way as to elicit general information from teachers, rather than ask them to recall specific bullying incidents, which may be upsetting and uncomfortable. The same applies to questions of self-efficacy – being asked to judge their own competence in terms of classroom management is a delicate subject area and must be handled with care. Research limitations Due to time constraints, and the ways in which schools function, it is not feasible or practicable to observe how anti-bullying programs within schools work at first hand. The study is thus limited to an analysis of data gathered via a survey of teachers’ views on the bullying situations in their classes; how they feel about the programs used in their schools; and their self-perceptions of their own confidence levels in dealing with bullying behavior. This data will be specific to teachers and will not reflect the views of students other than as perceived by teachers. The participating schools and teachers, and the information extrapolated from the resulting data, may not necessarily be typical of how all teachers in all schools view bullying. CONCLUSION Bullying is acknowledged as a widespread problem and the need for further research has been voiced consistently by academics in the field. This dissertation proposal offers the opportunity to design a new study focused on teachers’ views and attitudes. Its findings will inform current knowledge about interventions designed to mitigate school bullying, and may provide substantial new information that can be used to improve current policies, programs and the scope of teacher training. APPENDIX 1 An agreed definition of bullying would ensure that stakeholders have a shared understanding of the issue. Important questions to be considered are: What is the individual teacher’s definition of bullying? This may indicate how the teacher approaches bullying in the classroom. A definition will be offered and individuals will be asked to score the extent to which they agree or disagree using a Likert scale. How does the teacher perceive the anti-bullying program that is in place in the school? This may indicate how bullying situations are approached across the whole school. Has the teacher had any training on bullying prevention? This may indicate if the teacher will properly implement the program. How does the teacher perceive the target of bullying and the bully? The words used to describe the individuals will be counted as part of the text analysis. Is the teacher competent and/or confident in handling bullying situations? Examining the age and gender differences of teachers, in the context of the extent of their anti-bullying training, could provide useful information on whether these factors influence approaches to dealing with bullying. These are the key questions that will be addressed during the development of the study. Definitions Bullying– behavior perpetrated by one or more students (the bullies) who single out a child (the target or victim) with an intention to harm that child. Bullying actions may include making threats, attacking someone physically or verbally, spreading rumors and deliberately excluding someone from a group. Teachers’ training– any training acquired as part of obtaining teaching credentials, including training about bullying; any additional anti-bullying training received within the current school. Training may include in school seminars and lectures; knowledge and information obtained through the Internet; workshops given by the school or any outside sources; continuing education credits (CEUs); any extra reading, or individual personal knowledge, or certifications, (there should be written documentation by the organization that gave the class or workshop). Teachers’ understanding– teacher’s understanding and interpretation of bullying and anti-bullying terms according to the definitions used by the New York State Board of Education. Increased reporting– as measured by the teachers’ incident reports (counting increases in the report logs). Effective classroom management– decrease of bullying behavior as perceived by the teacher; evidence of the positive cooperation of students formerly involved in classroom aggression toward other students; increase in student work production. Fewer episodes– evidence of decrease in student involvement in name-calling, shoving, pushing, teasing, etc; evidence of decrease in classroom disruptions. Student trust– evidence that students feel more confident about telling the teacher of any uncomfortable circumstances; evidence that teacher is helping students gain access to needed services i.e., guidance counselor referrals; evidence that the teacher will discreetly attend to the bullying within the classroom and observe the victim and the bully, deflating any pending incidents. Confiding– evidence that the student trusts the teacher to help the student; increased disclosure of any problems they may be having concerning bullying or similar incidents within the school perimeter. Research variables The independent variables are: 1.Teacher training; 2. Teacher understanding; 3. Increased reporting by teachers; 4. Effective classroom management. The dependent variables are: 1. Increase in reported bullying incidents throughout the school; 2. Fewer episodes of classroom bullying; 3. Student trust level; 4. Confiding in the teacher. Students’ levels of trust and the extent to which they confide in the teacher can be measured by counting the teachers’ reports of students coming to them to give an account of bullying incidents, demonstrating the extent to which the students trust the teachers to help them. References American Heritage Dictionary (2nd ed.) (1982). Boston: MA: Houghton Mifflin. Atlas, R. S., and Pepler, D. J. (1998). Observations of bullying in the classroom. The Journal of Educational Research. 92(2), 86–99. Babbie, E. (1990) Survey research Methods (2nd ed.) Belmont: CA Wadsworth Publishing Company. Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, 71–81). New York: Academic Press. Retrieved from: uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/BanEncy.html. [Accessed 18th February 2013]. Blosnich, J., and Bossarte, R. (2011). Low-Level violence in schools: Is there an association between school safety measures and peer victimization? Journal of School Health (81) 2, 107-113. Bradshaw, C., Koth, C., Thornton, L., and Leaf, P. (2008). Altering school climate through school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports: Findings from a group-randomized effectiveness trial. Prevention Science 10 (2), 100-115. Bradshaw, C., Sawyer, A. and O’Brennan, L. (2007) Bullying and peer victimization at school: Perceptual differences between students and school staff. School Psychology Review, Vol 36(3), Sep 2007, 361-382. Bradshaw, et al. (2011). Findings from the National Education Association’s Nationwide Study of Bullying: Teachers’ and Education Support Professionals’ Perspectives. Washington, DC: National Education Association. Online. Retrieved from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:M7Ja_BU9K4sJ:www.bravesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Findings_from_NEAs_Nationwide_Study_of_Bullying.pdf+hl=engl=ukpid=blsrcid=ADGEEShns9qVRsy_wFWvNCgAXTB_C284yPVfTZqGa1DPBVOeKQZ9mPQvpnxJkvYDUG2Dg3VE. [Accessed 18th February 2013]. Brentwood School District home page brentwood.k12.ny.u Boulton, M. J. (1997) Teachers views on bullying: Definitions, attitudes and ability to cope. British Journal of Educational Psychology 67:223-233 doi:10.111/J2044-8279.1997.tbd 1239x Brockenbrough, K. (2001). Peer victimization and bullying prevention among elementary school students. Dissertation Abstracts International. (UMI number 3000186). Bullyonline (2005). Bullycide memorial page. Online webpage listing young people who have died as a result of bullying. Retrieved from bullyonline.org/schoolbully/cases.htm. [Accessed 15th February 2013]. Burzinski, A. (2012) Dos and Don’ts of Bullying. 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Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Crothers, L. M., Levinson, E. M. (2004). Assessment of bullying: A review of methods and instruments. Journal of Counseling and Development (82) 4 Dempsey, A. G., and Storch, E. A. (2008). Relational victimization is the association between recalled adolescent social experiences and emotional adjustment in early adulthood. Psychology in the school 45 (4) 310–322. Childnet International. (2007) Cyberbullying. Pages on Digizen.org website. Retrieved from http://old.digizen.org/cyberbullying/default.aspx. [Accessed 27th February 2013]. Espelage, D. and Swearer, S. (2003). Research on school bullying and victimization: what have we learned and where do we go from here? School Psychology Review. 32. (3). 365–383. Goldstein, S., Young, A. and Boyd, C. (2008). Relational aggression at school: Associations with school safety and social climate. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 37. 6. 641–654. Juvonen, J., Nishina, A. and Graham, S. (2006). 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Haber-Bosch Process Information

Haber-Bosch Process Information The Haber process or Haber-Bosch process is the primary industrial method used to make ammonia or fix nitrogen. The Haber process reacts nitrogen and hydrogen gas to form ammonia: N2   3 H2  Ã¢â€ â€™ 2 NH3  Ã‚  (ΔH −92.4 kJ ·mol−1) History of the Haber Process Fritz Haber, a German chemist, and Robert Le Rossignol, a British chemist,  demonstrated the first ammonia synthesis process in 1909. They formed ammonia drop by drop from pressurized air.  However, the technology did not exist to extend the pressure required in this tabletop apparatus to commercial production. Carl  Bosch, an engineer at BASF, resolved the engineering problems associated with industrial ammonia production.  BASFs German Oppau  plant commenced ammonia production in 1913. How the Haber-Bosch Process Works Habers original process made ammonia from air. The industrial Haber-Bosch process mixes nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas in a pressure vessel that contains a special catalyst to speed the reaction. From a thermodynamic standpoint, the reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen favors the product at room temperature and pressure, but the reaction does not generate much ammonia. The reaction is exothermic; at increased temperature and atmospheric pressure, the equilibrium quickly switches to the other direction. The catalyst and increased pressure are the scientific magic behind the process. Boschs original catalyst was osmium, but BASF quickly settled upon a less-expensive iron-based catalyst which is still in use today. Some modern processes employ a ruthenium catalyst, which is more active than the iron catalyst. Although Bosch originally electrolyzed water to obtain hydrogen, the modern version of the process uses natural gas to obtain methane, which is processed to get hydrogen gas. It is estimated that 3-5 percent of the worlds natural gas production goes toward the Haber process. The gases pass over the catalyst bed  multiple times since conversion to ammonia is only around 15 percent each time. By the end of the process, about 97 percent conversion of nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia is achieved. Importance of the Haber Process Some people consider the Haber process to be the most important invention of the past 200 years! The primary reason the Haber process is important is because ammonia is used as a plant fertilizer, enabling farmers to grow enough crops to support an ever-increasing world population. The Haber process supplies  500 million tons (453 billion kilograms) of nitrogen-based fertilizer annually, which is estimated to support food for a third of the people on Earth. There are negative associations with the Haber process, too. In World War I, the ammonia was used to produce nitric acid to manufacture  munitions. Some argue the population explosion, for better or worse, would not have happened without the increased food available because of the fertilizer. Also, the release of nitrogen compounds has had a negative environmental impact. References Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production,  Vaclav Smil  (2001)  ISBN 0-262-19449-X. US Environmental Protection Agency: Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle: Causes and Consequences by Peter M. Vitousek, Chair, John Aber, Robert W. Howarth, Gene E. Likens, Pamela A. Matson, David W. Schindler, William H. Schlesinger, and G. David Tilman Fritz Haber Biography, Nobel e-Museum, retrieved October 4, 2013.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 132

Essay Example According to him, a government is not needed and should be regulated when a natural society is large enough as a moral virtue is unnecessary in governing man prone challenges. In comparison to my own ideas enlightenment living, Paine’s idea of government as unavoidable evil is out of place because; people need an authority and a point of reference. Governments and monarchies are rightly places because people need a leader in charge of decision-making, protect and preserve the community. The government represents its citizens in the entire nation and without it citizen would lack a single entity to stand for their feelings. The country’s security is risked without the government that represents the voice of its people. Paine argues that monarchy is not grounded in liberty but prejudice, while people’s constitution is the real freedom form. He challenges people to see the underlying problems of the monarch irrespective of its enduring tradition that is unquestionable, (Paine, Cronauer & Recorded Books, 2005). Paine firmly disagrees with the monarchy and hereditary succession principle and he quotes the bible in many occasions that the basis of monarchy is strongly in opposition of the truth of bible. He terms the Kings government as outright idolatry, an kind of administration that did not emanate from nature or divinity but originated from Heathens that resulted from disorderly gangs and cruelly forced themselves in power against people’s will. He refers to as England’s Monarchy founder as French bastard because he believes that William the Conqueror forced his way to boastful rule against his people’s will, (Paine & University of Virginia, 1993). According to pain the hereditary leaderships of leaders is not a moral virtue guarantee because moral virtue cannot be inherited and future generations will be led by enthroned gracious kings. Hereditary

Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 24

Reaction paper - Essay Example There were other neighboring plantations in the area like New Design and also Wye Town. The home plantation was the administrative base of all the twenty farms in the area. The slaves who proved unmanageable were also punished at the home plantation. The punishment forms include; whipping, sloop boarding, and being sold. These punishments were aimed at minimizing or eliminating resistance from other slaves. At the home plantation, all the slaves received their monthly food allowance for sustenance (Douglas 16). Mr. Litch was another player who, despite being uneducated was very wealthy. His plantation had approximately 600 slaves. He employed competent overseers to manage his plantation, and he adequately remunerated them. There was a jail and also a whipping post within his plantation. These punishment approaches, were aimed at the slaves who did not adhere to set down rules. Mr. Litch even engaged in murder, without being questioned due to his vast amounts of wealth. The reaction illustrates very inhumane punishment that the slaves received in the plantation of Mr. Litch. He required strict compliance to eight commandments, within his plantation. However, if a neighbor accused a slave against theft, the master engaged in browbeating and also assurances that he provides adequately for his slaves and hence they do not have reasons of stealing. The accuser was, however, whipped as a form of punishment, after the neighbor has left. The slaves who engaged in stealing pieces of meat or corn we re punished through being chained, imprisoned and finally subjected to hunger (Jacobs 57). The north and the south regions of America are different due to the direct issue of slavery. Thus the reaction paper illustrates the 1857 south crisis. The south policy is relatively ineffective, in the moral, social and political areas. The north, through its effective approaches and policy, are effective in almost all issues and opinions. It is

Health Insurance Coverage Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Insurance Coverage - Term Paper Example In the absence of universal healthcare, which is the prevalent norm in neighboring Canada and other developed countries in Europe, the US faces peculiar problems in the delivery of healthcare services’ as the latter are provided in majority by the private insurance sector and employing agencies. President Barack Obama’s latest ‘Healthcare Reform Bill’ endeavors to bring healthcare services within access of the poorest sections’ of American society, and its provisions already claim that due to its enactment as Law, healthcare services will be available to 95% of the US population, at the same time unburdening the private companies from healthcare expenditure for employees’ insurance (Gabbatt, 2010). Another reform, the ‘Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act’ has been aimed at unburdening families and businesses by allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ healthcare plans until the attainment of 26 years age (HHS, W eb). In addition to the abovementioned national policies on healthcare, individual states are streamlining their healthcare infrastructures in order to make it more accessible to everyone through advances in information technology (IT) and state policies’. ... Such exchanges are speculated to assist individuals and small employees in selecting tailor-made private health plans for individual needs from a single unified platform. The State of Oregon has been awarded an amount of $ 48,096, 307 in order to facilitate the implementation of such an exchange which will cater to the 516,000 Medicaid clients and 277,000 commercial insurance consumers to enroll for health coverage according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) (Irving, 2011). Similarly, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services now has access to $ 37, 757, 266 to implement an exchange which will assist state residents to access state based subsidized and non-subsidized health plans from a single platform. The Wisconsin Health department anticipates that this Grant will allow it to make available such services to 35% of the State’s hitherto non served population comprising of 160,000 individuals in the non-group market, a million employees of small businesses, and 770,000 pa rticipants involved in the State’s BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Programs (Irving, 2011). In Massachusetts, the University Medical School has been awarded a sum of $ 35.591,333 in order to facilitate an IT exchange which will cater to a multi-state consortium involving Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, along with the parent state in making healthcare plans more accessible and individualized for the residents (Irving, 2011). Voters in Oregon had already disapproved a movement to implement a Canadian-style universal healthcare plan being propositioned in 2003, fearing huge taxes and expressing mistrust in the bureaucracy, which would have assumed enormous powers in case a universal healthcare system had been implemented (Korcok, 2003).