Free Essays on Deep Curriculum Alignment

Chapter one discusses the reasons why assessment and accountability have become increasingly prevalent over the last 50 years. Interestingly, English blames most of the problems with assessment and accountability on politics. The chapter discusses in depth the rhetoric associated with the defects of public education today. Six culprits including the monopolistic and inefficient nature of public education, the genetic incapacity of minority children and children of color to do well in school, the intransigence of teacher unions to educational reform, the lack of intellectual rigor in colleges of education, the good ‘ole boy coaches who dominate school leadership positions, and the lack of â€Å"quality† in schools which must be forcefully inserted by ratcheting up the consequences of not doing well on state tests were all investigated in the chapter. I can very easily relate to all six of these â€Å"culprits.† At different times in my education career, I have heard reference to all six. I particularly enjoyed the discussion centered on the last culprit since this high-stakes testing practice is used in the state of Alabama. What is most thought provoking about this is that I had actually bought into the belief that some of these â€Å"culprits† were actually legitimate. English points out that these aspects have little or nothing to do with poor tests score and fixing them will not improve tests scores since test scores are not caused by any of them. This chapter also explores four popular myths about tests. Among these myths are tests are neutral and objective, tests are meritocratic tools, tests take the politics out of education, and one can test (inspect) quality in education. I found of particular interest the section dealing with tests and politics. English refers many times to the politics involved in high stakes testing in this chapter. To be perfectly honest, I did not realize to what extent testing was political... Free Essays on Deep Curriculum Alignment Free Essays on Deep Curriculum Alignment Chapter one discusses the reasons why assessment and accountability have become increasingly prevalent over the last 50 years. Interestingly, English blames most of the problems with assessment and accountability on politics. The chapter discusses in depth the rhetoric associated with the defects of public education today. Six culprits including the monopolistic and inefficient nature of public education, the genetic incapacity of minority children and children of color to do well in school, the intransigence of teacher unions to educational reform, the lack of intellectual rigor in colleges of education, the good ‘ole boy coaches who dominate school leadership positions, and the lack of â€Å"quality† in schools which must be forcefully inserted by ratcheting up the consequences of not doing well on state tests were all investigated in the chapter. I can very easily relate to all six of these â€Å"culprits.† At different times in my education career, I have heard reference to all six. I particularly enjoyed the discussion centered on the last culprit since this high-stakes testing practice is used in the state of Alabama. What is most thought provoking about this is that I had actually bought into the belief that some of these â€Å"culprits† were actually legitimate. English points out that these aspects have little or nothing to do with poor tests score and fixing them will not improve tests scores since test scores are not caused by any of them. This chapter also explores four popular myths about tests. Among these myths are tests are neutral and objective, tests are meritocratic tools, tests take the politics out of education, and one can test (inspect) quality in education. I found of particular interest the section dealing with tests and politics. English refers many times to the politics involved in high stakes testing in this chapter. To be perfectly honest, I did not realize to what extent testing was political...

buy custom Thomas Green essay

buy custom Thomas Green essay Thomas Green had been a lucky man. At 28, he was able to establish a name for himself. A name his contemporaries could only hope for. Hed been at Dynamic Displays, a company that specializes in customer assistance in airports and hotels, since March 2007. Dynamics Display had gold in their hands when they hired Green. As an account executive, he delivered beyond expectations. This was what drove Shannon McDonald, the vice president to the Travel and Hospitality Division, to take notice of his abilities. By September 2007, he got promoted from the account executive position to senior market specialist. McDonald backed him up, fully acknowledging his skills and potentials. They, being both from Atlanta may have contributed to this promotion. McDonald, upon Greens promotion, forewarned him of the status of his promotion and problems he might encounter, especially with his immediate superior, Frank Davis. Davis held Greens position before he got promoted to Marketing Director. He had been set to choose his own replacement. Green had been keen to heed McDonalds advice. The Budget Panel meeting on October 2007 had been the signal of Greens woes. Thinking that Davis projection for the year 2008 way overboard, he stood up to question the formers marketing plans. This did not sit well for Davis. A series of communication was exchanged between McDonald and Davis, as well as meetings between Green and Davis. Davis obviously was not pleased how Green stood up against him, and thought it was highly inappropriate. Davis discussed with Green what he found lacking in him and made suggestions as to how to improve his performance. The same thing happened three months later. Davis continued on to take note of Greens deficiencies. This prompted Green to think that Davis may have took what happened in the board meeting, personal and suspected that Davis was out to get him fired. Now 5 months into the job, Green is in a limbo. Hes been ask by Shannon McDonald herself to explain his supposedly shortcomings. At this point, Green knew he was in trouble. He thinks that losing his job would be bad for him, with his current status, having just purchased a house and a series of furniture. His dilemma lies on to what steps he need to do to get the problem over and done with. The problem lies with how Green handles his job. He is clashing heads with Davis as to ideas and ideologies. Issues regarding superior and subordinate may have contributed to this problem. Politics may have been a factor in getting Green hired it could also be the reason why he can get fired. Discussions 1. What is your analysis of Thomas actions and job performance in his first 5 months after he got promoted? What mistakes has he made? What other elements does your team think contribute to the problem that Thomas Green faces in the case? 5 months into the job, Green had been an asset to Dynamic Displays. His creativity and approach in dealing with his tasks had been effective, but not all would agree to his strategy. He had been a welcome addition to the managerial team. McDonald believed in him, well enough to gamble in making his promotion possible. Some co- workers may have seen him as too bold in his ways with his dealings. He does not adhere with convention, as to planning and making of reports. He approaches the task at face value, disregarding convention and ethics. He may have over- calculated, thinking skills alone would assure him success in his job. He failed to realize that as a novice in his position, he must have listened to immediate superiors and did precautionary measures to assure him his retention. McDonald has forewarned him that he did not necessarily get the job for his skills. He had been an expert at sales, but no experience whatsoever in managerial work. He was under- qualified for the positi on, so he must have tried to educate himself, by listening to superiors, without fully throwing his own skills. He should have established a cordial working relationship with his superior, Frank Davis. He must have been motivated by too much ambition, thinking he could take on the tasks alone. In trying to establish a name for himself in the company, his working relationship with his immediate superior had been tainted. One of the biggest factors that may have contributed to his dilemma is his opposing to Davis proposal. This shows a lack of respect for authority. Davis may have thought he knew better, being in the position for quite some time before getting promoted. He may have taken a strong dislike for Thomas Green for questioning his authority and his intelligence. Thomas Green University of Georgia; Bachelors Degree- Economics (2001) ; summa cum laude National Business Solutions; Atlanta, Georgia Account Executive (2001- 2007) Dynamic Displays; Boston, Massachusetts Account Executive (February 2007- September 2007) Dynamic Displays; Boston, Massachusetts Senior Market Specialist (September 2007- present) 2. What are the personalities and work styles of Thomas Green and Frank Davis? How do actions of Thomas different from the expectations of Frank? Both Green and Davis utilize different approach in organization. Frank, being the superior between the two utilizes McGregors Theory X that focuses on managers need to micromanage thinking their employees are immature for their job. Davis exhibits attitudes inherent to Theory X managers. He is bossy, bordering to arrogance, he demands perfection, he is result- driven, vengeful, often resort to ultimatums, and most pronouncedly, he is poor at accepting criticism and is likely to retaliate. Green, on the other hand, exhibit the Expectancy Theory, wherein he decides to act on his will and is motivated by the need to choose a certain behavior over the other to influence outcomes. He believes that outcomes will be determined by past experiences and his confidence of getting the job done. Thomas Green Frank Davis Independent Poor communicator Creative Knows how to strategize Bossy Result-driven Highly sensitive to criticism Vengeful 3. Assume that you are a conflict management consultant to advise Thomas on the conflict with Frank, which conflict-handling style(s) would you suggest as the most appropriate style(s) for Thomas to use going forward and why? Would you further recommend any other influence tactics that can be employed to help the situation? What actions would you ultimately take if you were Thomas? If I were to handle the situation, I would advise Green to study his options. If he wanted to stay on his job, he better man up and propose to Davis solutions as to settle their differences. He would have a lot of pride- swallowing to do in admitting to Davis that he had his faults, as well as assuring Davis he would be up to doing his task accordingly. Another option for him is, if he decides he wants to stand by his principles, he quit his job immediately. If he believes that their differences in opinions and working styles cannot be mended, he better save face and resign voluntarily. 4. Please discuss methods/strategies for developing an effective relationship with ones boss. Can you provide advice/tips for making the most out of experiences with a difficult boss? Businessdirectory.com defines Organizational behavior as Actions and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and toward the organization as a whole, and its effect on the organization's functioning and performance. Both characters tend to clash in opinions thus, structure is in disarray. Communication is a means of ensuring that goals are to be met and outcomes are to be specifically set. In order to have good working relationship between individuals, sharing of ideas, through good communication, must be practiced. Communication can be formal or informal. The use of correspondence, such as memos and planning through schedules is formal communication, whilst informal communication is done by words of mouth. I recommend that utilizing the Principle of Functional Definition be imposed. This principle suggests that all functions of individuals in a group be properly defined. By defining duties, responsibilities, and authority, a company ensures good working relationship and proper coordination among members of a team. This would help in ensuring effective and correct role- assumptions. Outlining structures, such as redefining roles and responsibilities must be done to ensure a harmonious and productive environment. Utilizing the Unity and Chain of Command Principle help in ensuring that roles are clearly emphasized. In this principle the superior and subordinate follows a chain of hierarchy that enable the team to work in such a way leaders assume a role to lead and maximize employees skill potential. Thomas Green must know where he stands in the company. Being a novice entails that he works well with his boss. By doing so, he gets to get the job at hand done without having to deal with internal conflicts in the organization. Listening to suggestions and adhering to convention wont get in the way of his job, so he might as well listen and dont act alone in making decisions. It would help him extremely if he observed company protocol and do his best to stick to the rules of the company. By listening intently, he gets to know pointers from the experts. Davis fully knows what he is talking about. Hed been in the company for 17 years. If there was anything Green could do, it would be to maintain an open line of communication with his immediate superior. Getting your boss to listen to your insights can be difficult, especially if the boss has taken a certain dislike of you, but getting your point across by making the boss look bad is certainly a career- killer. Green would benefit much if he practiced work Ethics in dealing with his difference in opinion with Davis. 5. Politics is not inherently bad. It is merely a way to get things done within organizationsIn fact, politics is a fact of life in organizations. Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? Please defend your position. a) If you answered yes to Question 5, do you then believe it is ever justifiable to engage in illegitimate political behaviors (In doing so, you need to define what constitutes illegitimate political behaviors in organizations)? If so, what are some conditions that might justify such behaviors? What might be some negative effects on the perpetrators and on the organization as a whole? b) If you answered no to Question 6, do you then believe that political behaviors, whether illegitimate or legitimate, should not be part of organizational life under any circumstances/conditionsplease elaborate on your position. Though politicking is part of the trade, I have to disagree in this statement. Businessdirectory.com defines organizational politics as the pursuit of individual agendas and self-interest in an organization without regard to their effect on the organization's efforts to achieve its goals. If organizational politicking was to be allowed, despite issues with Ethics, structures in organizations will be disrupted. Politics in organization hinders growth and sets limits to individuals. Politics entails getting people hire not for what they know, but who they know, can be harmful for the working environment. Not only does politics flame conflicts, it tend to result in poor job delivery. Indulging in the illegal is not only unjustifiable, it is downright harmful. No amount of justification can ever correct a system that has been based on politics. Organizational politics lead to people getting jobs they are not qualified for, thus threatening the structure of the organization by not measuring up to expectations. Goals that were set are never achieved once this becomes inherent in a company. 6. Please create a question that you believe is crucial to understanding issues presented in the case but the preceding questions did not adequately address. Then, answer your question. The main issue in the cases presented is Greens handling of his new position. Now, the main question to be asked is Was he the right man for the position? Did he deserve that promotion? I sincerely believe that Thomas Green, though good at sales, could have honed his skills more if he got promoted to Market Specialist instead. His lack of experience may be the root of his problems now. He was obviously not qualified to assume a position that was so different from the previous. He assumed a position he has no knowledge of, he did not adhere to company protocols, his work Ethics is questionable, he is stubborn to listen to superiors. With these faults, it can safely be assumed that he did not deserve to be Senior Market Specialist. He does not have the adequate qualifications whatsoever. Someone who had worked for Dynamic Displays longer could have done a greater job. Politics inside the organization helped him get the promotion. Because of this, he is at peril of losing his job. Conclusion To ensure that goals are met in an organization, communication is vital. Organizations, such as Dynamic Displays, must adhere to strict policies regarding promotion and evaluation of employees skills and competency. More often than not, conflicts arise from internal politics. This is bad for the organization because it hinders growth and harmonious working relationships. Each individual has his own attitude towards work and leadership. It is through communication that these individual personalities meet halfway. Buy custom Thomas Green essay

Washington Irvings Famous Story of a Sleeping Man

Washington Irving's Famous Story of a Sleeping Man Rip van Winkle  is an 1819 story by Washington Irving, American short-story writer. The story was published as part of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, and was based on a German fairy tale. It chronicles the story of a man who falls asleep in the Catskills just before the American Revolution, and wakes up 20 years later to a completely different society.   Rip ends up in the mountains in the first place while trying to escape his nagging wife, and meets a man struggling with a heavy keg of moonshine. He helps the man carry it to a hollow where they encounter strange men playing a game of ninepins. Rip drinks some of their moonshine, and falls asleep 20 years later with a rusted musket and a long beard. He later learns that the man with the keg was the ghost of Henry Hudson.   Here are some questions for study and discussion about Rip van Winkle: Who are the strange men that Rip encounters in the hollow? Is it helpful to know that the story is based on a German fairy tale? Why or why not? Is Rips long sleep a reward (perhaps for helping the men playing ninepins) or a punishment (for being a generally lazy guy)? What is the portrayal of women in the story, including that of Rips wife Dame van Winkle? Can you think of a more contemporary story where a nagging wife is so central to a storys plot? How does Irving reveal character in Rip van Winkle? Compare/Contrast Rip van Winkle with Gulliver of Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift. Are there other characters in literature that compare to Rip van Winkle? Is Rip van Winkle consistent in his actions? Is he a fully-developed character? Discuss some of the symbols in Rip Van Winkle. Compare Rip van Winkle  with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. How are they similar? How are they different? How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? What if the story had been set before and after the Civil War, or the War of 1812? How realistic is Irvings depiction of the Catskills? Why did he choose to set the story there? How does time figure into the story? Why was Rips slumber 20 years long, and not 10 years or 30 years? What would a sequel to Rip van Winkle have looked like? What would you expect Rip would be doing in another 20 years time? Is Rip van Winkle a tragedy or a comedy? Is there a central moral or lesson to be learned? Is this a childrens story? Why or why not?

American Heritage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

American Heritage - Essay Example employed to determine and govern the way that each of these aforementioned three actors can and should behave with relation to the tasks they were responsible for fulfilling and with regards to the level of cross jurisdictional activity that was allowed to occur between the two. It should be noted that although a powerful judiciary and/or legislature were feared as well, the ultimate fear that the founders had was with regards to the growth and over abundance of power that a strong executive might carve out for himself/herself. In this way, a secondary benefit of the separation of power can be seen to have an ancillary benefit of ensuring that none of the three becomes too powerful; however, the ultimate goal that was originally intended to ensure that the executive branch was not able to exact total control over the system. This was primarily born out of the fear that was a result of the means by which the colonists had experienced the full might and whimsical wrath of King George III. After having a far less than pleasant experience with the way in which a total monarch (the ultimate executive) could exhibit control over each and every aspect of life, the colonists and the framers wanted to ensure that they could create a system of governance that did not exhibit this particular flaw. By refusing the power of the legislature to enact law, by refusing the power of the executive to pass legislation, and by refusing the judicial power the powers associated with either the legislative or executive branches, the framers were able to create a system that most effectively represented the means by which checks and balances could be ensured between all three branches. By not making any one entity or individual ultimately responsible, the framers sought to create a medium of governance that would not perish by nature of its very inability to provide rapid and/or radical changes based upon the whims or personal interests of a single individual or a cabal of self

Human Resource Management regarding Coca Cola Company Essay

Human Resource Management regarding Coca Cola Company - Essay Example The personnel management accentuates the transactional leadership style where the leader is not viewed as a job-oriented individual. In this style of management, focus is directed at set procedures, completion of duties, and punishment for not performing or complying with the rules. Human aspects like consideration, concern, lenience, and personal relationships attract less attention. Human resources management, however, creates transformational leaders. This style of management seeks to promote the sharing of business goals by both management and employees. This management is workforce oriented and shares the objectives of the business with its employees. The second distinction is that in personnel management the job plan is functional. Pay policies are not based on ability and information. The value in this management is based on the duties outlined in the contract only. The human resources management encourages workforce to view the pay as a motivation to improvement of job perfor mance. The job design focuses on teamwork, job rotation and enlargement as an approach created by the human resources manager. Third, the personnel management ensures that personnel strictly follow the contract of employment. This style of management allows no room for modifications or changes in the contract outline. The human resources management employs a flexible approach to the workforce that entails open contract agreements. The employees granted the freedom to choose working systems that suit them. This style ensures that the employees are free hence more input leading to the benefit of the organization (Ster & Koster, 2007, p. 6). This style is referred to as a win-win approach. The nature of relations is also different because in the personnel management the relationship is contractual. In this management one individual hires whereas the other one performs. The human resources management focuses on sharing mission and vision associated with the achievement of the organizat

Critical appraisal of a marketing topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Critical appraisal of a marketing topic - Essay Example The organizational top heads have realized where they have gone wrong all this while, and what more could be done to bring sanity within their own ranks. This has called for clear cut strategic directions and policies that must be developed in the wake of changing marketing, management and business initiatives. New products and services get introduced with each passing day (Cooper, 2001). What is important is to discern the exact basis of growth and productivity within the related realms. This is needed because the marketing can only come about in full circle when there are all-out efforts and endeavors made by the management concerns. It would solve the anomalies present within the system of conducting business and resolve issues that could be from the smaller to the magnanimous ones. This paper touches upon how maritime businesses have been able to depict their true place within the globally changing dynamics of conducting business operations. The Dynamics of Maritime Businesses Th e maritime business is comprised of the handling of vessels as well as its different components. These revolve around the debate of having enterprises that are doing their bit at the relevant business realms, manufacturing, designing and repairing of the vessels and so on. It has developed into a full-fledged industry and many different organizations are working worldwide to extract the immense benefits that lie within their folds. The maritime businesses have been largely focused on the sea operations as it is the first and foremost requirement indeed. Without a sea or even a river, the maritime business would not be able to come about in entirety. The maritime businesses have made it big because the management realms within their concerns have realized how big a market it is for the investors, stakeholders and retailers. They have also come to the reckoning that the maritime business is a consistent process and does not come to a standstill at any point in time. It is much similar to the aircraft industry or even a road transport system that is in place all over the world (Elkin, 1998). Different shipping lines, cruise companies and brokerage services are under the aegis of the maritime business that has made it a huge hit in the time and age of today. There are the marine railways, freight forwarding services and related undertakings within the maritime businesses. Also merchant navy works under the same aegis and not to forget the maritime professionals who have literally made this industry a giant one. Recommendations for Marketing Strategic Projects It is important that the strategic projects within the marketing dynamics are handled in an adequate way so that any shortcomings that exist within the related fore are taken care of. The strategic projects are only successful when their marketing realms are handled properly where concentration is on deriving the maximum possible value. These strategic projects can only come about when they are given the room to be exploited.

The Practical Benefits of Personal Skills Essay

The Practical Benefits of Personal Skills - Essay Example The four skills that I have chosen are coordination, active learning, active listening, and critical thinking. Possession of these life skills is said to be very beneficial and eases difficult conditions, both in terms of personal matters and in terms of those that deal with the workplace. Indeed, when faced with life's problems, which are natural however, one should possess the basic life skills so that he may be armed in defeating all life's foes. My chosen skills are beneficial to a person in a variety of ways that one can imagine. Its importance is seen in the tendency of a suicidal patient to end his life, which is a certain manifestation of hardship in dealing with a current problem. This condition only mirrors the truth that this person has not equipped himself effectively enough with life's basic skills. The reason may perhaps be because he is not aware that these are important skills that must be developed and carried on in life, or it may be that he did not have the opportunity to develop them in the first place, the environment he is in is not one conducive enough for such development, or he simply did not have the knowledge of how important they are to his own advantage. Below are the four chosen basic skills and their benefits: Coordinatio Coordination Skills Coordination is adjusting actions in relation to others' action.1 It implies one's ability to adapt to situations and the people around it. Getting something through whatever means possible is contrary to the development of this basic skill, since one has to consider others - their ideas, feelings, and impacts of an undertaking or a decision - and unite them with one's ideas in making things work out the most possible and desirable way. Adjusting one's actions with those of others in a pursuit to achieve an individual or a group goal is the best way of dealing with differences.2 The benefits that this basic skill extends to an individual are massive. The results are manifested in a healthy work environment, a give-and-take relationship, and new and renewed friendships. People will also appreciate one's consideration and ability of involving them in his worldview, a rare capacity that must be developed, especially in the workplace. This mere appreciation is a benefit in itself, for it leads to the extension of one's sphere of influence and linkage building, necessary in making certain goals achievable and with ease. Coordination skill is one that I have acquired recently and I am reaping various positive outcomes as a result. Developing and sustaining new friendships is one benefit that I directly experience. Coordination has made me develop my receptivity as a person, a trait, which I think is important especially that people always want to have their ideas and insights be considered and being repulsive to them will scare them just the same. It does not mea n however, that this receptivity is just simply allowing people get their way. Rather, it is more of digesting their insights, weighting them with mine, considering them if they are attuned to my values and ethics, and informing people the reasons why I do not consider them in case I