Examine the Key Factors Influencing

Examine the key factors influencing inclusive teaching and learning Inclusive teaching means recognising, accommodating and meeting the learning needs of all students, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or sexual orientation. This starts with acknowledging that students are members of diverse communities, have a range of individual learning needs, and deserve equal opportunity to access the learning experience. Applying inclusive learning is increasingly important in our diverse society and education should reflect, promote and facilitate this. For example, there are more and more disabled people entering education nowadays than there used to be: an inclusive environment must ensure that they are equally valued and accepted and that their efforts to learn are recognised and judged without bias. Traditional teaching holds that students with diverse needs be placed in the general education setting only once they can meet traditional academic expectations.Inclusive education, on the other hand, celebrate people’s diversity and brings all students together in one classroom, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, and seeks to maximize the potential of all of them by encouraging and using their different backgrounds and knowledge to broaden the learning experience. In order to create an effective inclusive learning environment we must overcome barriers that might stop lea rners getting the best from their learning experience. Barriers to learning are problems or situations that  prevent learners from accessing programs,  going to class, concentrating and learning. Intrinsic barriers of learning are located within the learner, hence of an intrinsic nature, and can be physical, sensory, physiological or intellectual. For example not knowing, or not being comfortable with, the rest of the class could constitute a barrier. Icebreakers could be used in this instance to encourage learners to talk to us, to each other and to the group as a whole. Similarly climate setters can be used to promote learning related to session objectives; this is particularly important as people can be intimidated in a situation where they are asked to come up with ideas. Intrinsic barriers of learning are located within the learner, hence of an intrinsic nature, and can be physical, sensory, physiological or intellectual. For example not knowing, or not being comfortable with, the rest of the class could constitute a barrier. Icebreakers could be used in this instance to encourage learners to talk to us, to each other and to the group as a whole. Similarly climate setters can be used to promote learning related to session objectives; this is particularly important as people can be intimidated in a situation where they are asked to come up with ideas.Hence the tutor needs to create an environment where students feel comfortable to express themselves. Learners may also face extrinsic barriers, related to the environment they live, work and study in. Issues with family relationships, social support, employment and financial matters provide some such examples. It’s very important to motivate learners in order for them to get the most out of their classes. To motivate a learner we must first understand what motivates them and teach to their particular strengths and weaknesses.Sometimes we may have to match teaching approaches to their learning styles and provide support to those who need it. Other times we may have to use energizers to challenge the class or refocus learners’ attention, e. g. after a long period of concentration or after a break. Also, encouraging friendly competition could provide motivational challenges for all of them. Most of all, we need to give them constructive feedback to encourage personal improvement. One theory we can be refer to for motivational purposes is Maslow’s pyramid of needs.According to his pyramid we must feel that we are satisfied with our physiological needs before we can think of getting a roof. Having the feeling of being secure motivates us to seek love. Once we have accomplished the need for belongingness then we seek a better future which motivates us to set goals an d achieve something honourable in life. Once we have accomplished a settled life with love and respect, we might then look to reach our full potential. To ensure all students gain the most from their learning, consideration must be based on the particular learning style and objectives for each individual.An initial assessment of the students can be carried out for this purpose and then use a mixture of two or more styles and a range of different approaches to meet the needs of individuals and groups. Typical teaching methods fall into three categories: * Teacher-led: this is where the tutor transmits ideas, information and skills via lectures or presentations; * Participative: this involves interaction which allows knowledge and experience to be shared between the teacher and the learners; * Learner centred: this is where learners explore and discover by themselves, either on their own or in small collaborative groups.Benjamin Bloom provided the theory of Taxonomy to help tutors cho ose the appropriate teaching method. He made a classification of learning objectives that educators set for students in order to create a more holistic form of education. Bloom’s Taxonomy divides educational objectives into Cognitive, Affective and Psycho Motor domains. Skills in the cognitive domain revolve around knowledge, comprehension and critical thinking on a particular topic; traditional education tends to emphasize the skills in this domain and uses methods like lectures, small group work and problem solving tasks.Skills in the affective domain describe the way people react emotionally and their awareness to other people’s joy or pain; teaching methods in this domain might include discussion, case studies, role play and simulation. Finally, skills in the psychomotor domain describe the ability to physically manipulate a tool or instrument; typical teaching methods in this domain will include demonstration, individual practice and coaching. A tutor must also de vise a programme of strategies to cater for the specific needs of their own specialism. This relates to the arrangements we make to get the class discuss particular aspects of the subject.Depending on specialism we can have discussions in pairs or in small groups. If the class is not too big we can also get the whole group work together and bounce ideas off each other. We could also take this one step further and consider if the class could benefit from group project work rather than individual project work. In that respect, Bruce Tuckman's theory on stages of group development comes to our aid in understanding and assessing students in a group effort. This theory has gained a great deal of popularity and suggested that for a group to achieve maximum effectiveness it needs to move through four stages.These are: * Forming: at this first stage the team is new and the members are unfamiliar with each other. Each seeks group acceptance with caution, and conflict is avoided. * Storming:   at this stage different ideas compete for consideration and the he team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve. Team members open up to each other and confront each other's ideas and perspectives. * Norming: here the team manages to agree on common goals and comes to a mutual plan for achieving them.Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team function. * Performing: by this stage members are motivated and knowledgeable and the team functions as a unit in order to achieve agreed goals. Many long-standing teams go through these cycles many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to  storming  as the new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team. Another important aspect of inclusive learning is the resources we use.It’s vital that these are carefully selected so as to reflect and meet the needs of all l earners. If resources fail to do this they will create barriers to learning and disadvantage some individuals in the group. There is a wide range of resources that can be used but here is a selection that may meet learners’ needs: * Powerpoint: this is a vital resource when delivering information and, if used in the correct manner, can appeal to all learning styles. For example they can provide the basis for teaching other activities and can be left up at all time to remind students of their aims and objectives. Picture Cards: these are good visual resource and can support the topic being taught. They are particularly useful in multicultural environments and can be adapted easily in order to make them inclusive. * Films: appeal to all learning styles and abilities as they create a relaxed environment and can offer real life situations that can't be created in the classroom setting. Films also have a way of explaining different points of view in an alternative way. Moreover, t hey can act as an assessment method to check the learners have understood what has been shown. Case Studies: this is a powerful resource that stimulates learners to understand and critique how a subject is applied in the real world. * Quiz: this is a fun and interactive resource that can be tailored to different learning styles and ability levels. Other examples of resources include handouts and books to study and discuss theoretical aspects of the subject; computers, software and hi-tech equipment for hands-on experience of ICT subjects; and of course writing boards and flip charts to create on-the-spot diagrams and workflows and to have the whole class participate and interact.We also need to provide opportunities for learners to practice their literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills. This can be achieved by embedding functional skills. Functional skills are practical skills in English, information ; communication technology, and mathematics. Allowing for these transferable sk ills to be included in our teaching will enable individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life. For example, facilitating contribution to discussions and working in groups will enable learners to develop literacy skills which they will then be able to use in their everyday lives.Also, coursework assessments and reflective learning logs constitute effective method of encouraging learners to use written skills. Also, we can encourage Maths skills by using for example number games, and ICT skills by including computer-led teaching and assessments. In organizing a class it’s increasingly important to establish ground rules with learners in order to adhere to minimum necessary conditions for getting learning work done in the class and promote respect for each other.The setting down of ground rules at the start of the course gives structure and guidance to the group ensuring that the people’s beliefs and wants are taken into account and the course can run productively within the set rules. Though there is no definitive list for all classes it is an essential exercise to think through what we want on the list. Typical ground rules may  include items like arriving on time, respecting health and safety regulations, switching off mobile phones, respecting other people's contributions and not interrupting fellow-students.Usually, ground rules are teacher imposed but learners can make valuable contributions and sometimes there can be room for negotiation. Obviously, the majority of the ground rules cannot be negotiated but getting the learners to aid in the setting of the rules puts the ounce on them to adhere to them more. Moreover, it will make them aware of what will happen should the rules be broken. We also need to create assessment opportunities that meet the needs of learners. Assessment is the process of appraising the learner’s understanding of the subject and also of recording their knowledge, skills and attitudes.I t can focus on individual learners or a group of learners as a whole. It is always best to start any course with an assessment of the students’ prior knowledge so that the tutor can start their teaching at the correct level and can ensure an inclusive teaching method where every learner’s needs are met. There are many methods of assessment depending on specialism. For example in assessing foreign language learning we can use multiple choice exercises, written answers, essay writing, class test, listening and speaking activities, to name but a few.When assessing learners we need to give constructive feedback in order to spur and motivate them to hone their skills. It’s important to tell them when they are doing something well and why, as this will serve as encouragement. However, constructive feedback doesn’t just mean positive feedback. We can give negative feedback too as long as we clearly state what could be improved and why. This means talking first a bout what a learner has done well, then going on to discussing points for improvement and then ending on another positive note.Using this strategy students are motivated by their achievements and evaluate the negative aspect of their feedback in a constructive way to better themselves. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation [ 2 ]. Bloom, B. S. , Engelhart, M. D. , Furst, E. J. , Hill, W. H. , & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals; Handbook I: Cognitive Domain New York, Longmans, Green [ 3 ]. Tuckman, Bruce (1965). â€Å"Developmental sequence in small groups†.

Genetic Engineering Genetically Modified Foods - 1312 Words

When food is genetically engineered, it has specific changes made to its DNA and is far more effective than past procedures like selective breeding and mutative breeding. Most food, we eat today, is, in fact, genetically modified. Food, like vegetables and fruit, are modified commonly to enhance their traits such as herbicide resistance and added nutritional content. The enhancement used to be done largely by selective breeding, which is very time-consuming and more often than not, it is not very accurate of effective. Genetic engineering is extremely controversial as people feel that it is not very safe as there could be unknown health risks involved and there have been a growing number of protests against GM foods across the globe.†¦show more content†¦Modified food is able to resist these diseases. Food is also being modified so that crops typically grown only in warm climates can now be grown in much colder climates that before, would cause them to die. This is done by t aking the antifreeze gene from cold water fish and introducing it to plants. Food is being modified to contain additional nutrition as well. Malnutrition is Common in many third world countries, where the main source of food is rice which does not contain much nutrition. However, rice is now being modified at the Swiss federal institute of technology called â€Å"golden rice†. It is said to contain unusually high levels beta-carotene (vitamin A). They hope to be able to give it freely to third world countries, helping eradicate the problem of blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. However, this may not happen due to growing anti-GM protests in Europe. A problem with GM foods is the unintended harm to other organisms, a big example of this is the problem of pollen from b.t corn which is a GM crop, was responsible for killing large amounts of monarch butterfly caterpillars. Scientists believe that the pollen was blown onto the milkweed plant that the caterpillars eat and were in turn consumed by the caterpillars. People Van Patter-Niescior 2 are also concerned that like when mosquitos developed a resistance to the DDT

Movie Review on Daughter from Danang

Daughter of Danang, a film by Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco, may be ranked amongst the greatest documentaries of this century. Unlike most Hollywood movies, this is a real, absolutely true harrowing story that takes its beginning from the Vietnam War. There are no stunts or special effects, outstanding actors or hackneyed phrases – there is just a real life with all its problems, misunderstandings, pros and cons, love and pain. Being abandoned (let us call things by their proper names) by her Vietnamese mother, Heidi, the mixed-race girl whose father is American servant, flies to the US with other American-Vietnamese children due to Ford’s ‘Operation Babylift’. She is brought up by American adopted mother who tries to hide Heidi’s Vietnamese origin and keep her on a tight rein. Until one day a family feud with adopted mother occurs and Heidi realizes that her real mother is the only person whom she would like to have in her life most of all. They have not seen each other for 22 years, though close bond between a parent and a child procreates a great desire to see a real mother and revive family ties. The action really gets going when Heidi is thrilled to bits at the news that her mother’s address is available at the adoption centre. Feeling upturn coming, Heidi flies to Vietnam, Danang, to see a person who gave her a birth. No one watching this film can fail to see fear and at the same time blissful happiness in Heidi’s eyes. She impatiently wishes to see her biological mother, her relatives and her house as soon as possible. If I were to have one complaint about the film, it would be that exactly this moment should be the end of the moving story. Though, unfortunately, the curtain of happy memories and heartwarming feelings is falling down†¦ Finally, Heidi finds herself surrounded by numerous relatives, horrible conditions for living and importunate low-brow mother. All Heidi’s dreams turn sour, she feels the downfall of all her expectations. What is more, she understands that these Vietnamese people are literally strangers to her. On discovering this horrible truth, Heidi feels like a cat on hot bricks and very depressed. Then the last straw to break the camel’s back comes the main heroine realizes that her relatives are stingy opportunistic people who want to use her. They abruptly ask her to support their mother financially, motivating that by the fact that Heidi is better-off and it is her responsibility to care for her mother and all the relatives. Being all adrift, Heidi bursts into tears, feeling that her own mother, who abandoned her many years ago, now is ready to take the shirt off Heidi’s back. It seems to me that everything she has in her heart at this moment is a strong abhorrence to he r relatives. There is no other way to defuse tension but go back home, to the United States. One of the great strength of this film is the way it shows off people’s nature. Almost unknowingly, the movie leads you through the twists and turns of Heidi’s feelings and her huge disappointment. Having such a gripping story, Heidi evokes sympathy in my heart. To tell the truth, the only thing I would thank her mother for, if I were in Heidi’s shoes, would be abandonment and letting her be adopted by American woman. Perhaps it may sound cruel, but being brought up without her real mother helped Heidi to remain a good person who deserves happy life. To sum up, I consider Daughter from Donang to be down-to-earth story that can teach one a lot of things like being realistic and ready to face great disappointment. The result is an awesome film which will have you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning till the end.

Reflection of the Article PC James Kiddie Escapes Jail...

The article PC James Kiddie Escapes jail after been filmed punching woman three times in head by Ewan Palmer takes place in London, United Kingdom. On November 26, 2013 Officer Kiddie was called by security guards from the Uniqlo clothing store in response to a suspected shoplifting woman by the name of Sarah Reed. The officer arrived at the scene alone without any back-up and was caught by closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the shop’s storeroom beating her various times. A second officer reviewed the footage and became concerned of the level of force used by Kiddie during the arrest therefore reported PC Kiddie’s actions to the forces Directorate of Professional Standards where the decision to dismiss PC Kiddie from the Metropolitan Police force was concluded. While investigating the officer’s misconduct behavior, PC Kiddie justified his brutal and abusive actions by saying that Sarah Reed bit him on the finger and claimed to have the AIDS virus. On March 2014, PC Kiddie a father of two, escaped prison time and was sentenced to 150-hour community service, a fee total of  £560 and victim surcharge after being found guilty of assault. In my opinion, the officer received a slap on the wrist. I have watched the video footage multiple times and did not see Sarah Reed, biting his finger that leads me to believe that his claim is false. If, in fact, it was true, as an officer who is supposed to serve and protect the citizens, PC Kiddie should not have reacted that violently. I

Personal computer free essay sample

This case study is referenced throughout the recommended course text â€Å"Business Data Communications† (Fitzgerald, J. and Dennis, A. ; 10ed Wiley International Student Version). It concerns a fictitious firm, Next-Day Air Service (NDAS). The questions posed do not have one unique solution. There are too many options when dealing with LANs, WANs, MANs, BNs and the Internet, so a realistic network design and development problem can have several workable answers. The purpose of the preliminary assignment is to introduce students to the kinds of problems confronting those introducing ecommerce infrastructures in business situations. As with any real-life problem with ambiguities or unresolved considerations, you must make your own assumptions but be sure to provide adequate justification for any recommendations you make. Background: NDAS was founded in1985 to compete in the expanding market for overnight package deliveries. NDAS provides local pickup and delivery of these parcels and other small freight items. The founders initially restricted their efforts to the rapidly growing central Florida region of USA. To support its operation, NDAS purchased a facility near the Tampa International Airport. This facility consisted of a main building and a secondary building for dispatch and fleet maintenance. Because NDAS intended to expand its services throughout the south eastern United States, this facility also served as NDAS’s corporate headquarters. Between 1985 and 1992, NDAS experienced very rapid growth. As business volume increased and the company’s reputation became firmly established, expansion of the facility became imperative. Consequently, NDAS purchased land adjacent to its corporate head quarters so it would have room to relocate both the maintenance shop and the company’s vehicle parking lot. In addition, NDAS tripled the size of its building to accommodate its growing business. Finally, in1994, NDAS completed the expansion of the office building to house its corporate operations. As its business volume increased, NDAS realized it had to develop branch offices throughout its service region to continue growing. In addition to the corporate offices in Tampa, NDAS also purchased or leased facilities in several other southeastern cities, including Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, and Memphis. CaseFigure1–1 is the NDAS map of operations. NDAS also contracted with Chicago-based firm Overnight Delivery, Inc. (ODI) to provide overnight shipping service between Atlanta and the greater Chicago area. NDAS also entered into similar agreements with other air carriers. The purpose of these agreements was to enable NDAS to provide service throughout the United States. As Case Figure1 shows, connecting routes established with other carriers lead from Memphis to St. Louis and from Atlanta to Chicago and Washington, D. C. These routes allow NDAS to deliver parcels to the northeastern states and the Midwest. There are flight links out of Dallas to both Denver and Los Angeles. These two routes have been added recently to provide delivery service to the northwestern states and the West Coast, respectively. After extending its flight routes, NDAS added agents in the cities of Jacksonville, Florida; Montgomery, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas. To date, this is the scope of NDAS’s parcel delivery operation. Initially, NDAS contracted a computing services company to handle billing. As the computing power of small computers increased, however, NDAS purchased a minicomputer and took responsibility for its own data processing. The Payroll Department now runs the pay roll twice monthly on this computer. Employees clock in with an ID-badge system. The Payroll Department then prepares the paychecks for both hourly and salaried employees. The paychecks are sent via overnight delivery on the following Thursdays. Although the Information Services/ Data Processing Division, under Les Coone as acting manager, performs all data entry, processing, and check printing, John Lawson in Accounts Payable is the person who generates, performs all data entry, processing, and check printing, John Lawson in Accounts Payable is the person who generates, reviews, and approves the reports and totals. Because so many new employees have been added at both the corporate and branch offices, a new full-time position has been added in Accounts Payable to handle the payroll and assist Lawson. The subject of paying employees weekly has been discussed as well. Case Figure 2 shows the NDAS organization chart. The branch offices currently batch all billing data by order date and send them daily by overnight delivery to the corporate office along with other interoffice correspondence. When Information Services/Data Processing receives the packages, it enters the batches and processes them daily. The billing processing normally takes place from 48 to 96 hours after freight and parcel delivery. Once this processing has been ompleted, the data base supports the resolution of any questions or problems associated with the billings. Because of an increasing volume of paperwork brought about by continued business expansion, the varying complexity of the billing process, and the preferred rates being given by competitors, NDAS’s corporate management has decided to automate the billing process throughout its Florida offices. This is the first step in a series of strategic moves planned to provide online transaction processing and real-time customer information through the Internet. Management expects online transaction processing to speed the billing process and improve receivables collection time significantly. The online query system will enable agents at remote offices to obtain information such as credit status, correct delivery address, and package delivery status. The Internet component will enable customers to obtain the delivery status of packages they have sent or are expecting to receive. The status of automation varies greatly among the various departments. The Marketing and Sales Division, headed by Bob Jones, has a personal computer (PC) for each account representative. All of these computers are connected to a small LAN that serves only Sales and Marketing. The Accounts Receivable Division, headed by Jane Van Dyke, is responsible for all billing and collection activities. It recently replaced its aging minicomputer with a powerful microcomputer server. This new server provides databases for both customer billing and bad debts. The Accounts Payable Division, led by John Lawson, maintains its own vendor database that is stored on an older minicomputer server. This database also contains the other service carriers’ billings, such as those from ODI to NDAS. This division also is responsible for the payroll. It is in the process of downsizing to a powerful modern desktop computer. Employees in the Accounts Receivable and Payable Divisions have PCs on their desk. The Fleet Maintenance Division has no computer capability. Its management has chosen to trace all necessary information manually. Peter Browne, the maintenance supervisor, prefers this mode of operation and has steadfastly refused to automate his division’s record keeping processes. Dispatch, which is part of the Fleet Maintenance Division, also processes its work manually. Dispatch currently bundles incoming packages twice daily, according to their major destination point, for overnight delivery. The bundles of packages are marked with the following information: †¢DEST: City, state †¢DATE: Current date †¢TIME: Time package left dispatch †¢NPKG: Number of individual packages in the bundle †¢INIT: Initials of the person preparing the bundle When the bundles arrive at their respective delivery points, the off-loaders mark the arrival time on the bundles’ tags, write their own initials on the back of the tags, and return the tags to Corporate headquarters. The packages are then delivered. The various remote offices currently communicate with the corporate headquarters and with one another by voicemail, telephone, fax, mail, or interoffice mail, sent on company aircraft along with the daily batched transactions. There are desktop computers in each of the remote offices. However, some of the offices have Apple Macintosh computers and others use Intel-based systems. A number of managers have laptop computers with wireless and wired networking capabilities, which, again, come from various computer manufacturers. NDAS corporate management realizes that these various stages of computer support are a far cry from an integrated system. It sees the necessity for standardizing and streamlining systems, equipment, and procedures before any serious networking can be accomplished. Moreover, corporate management has stated that NDAS must enter the international package delivery market to offer full service to its major customers. Any growth plans must be able to support international operations. Management also expects that e-mail and automated package tracking will be part of the new system. In addition, management expects any system to allow for expansion into other information technology areas of networking, such as video conferencing and use of the Internet. As its first step in this direction, NDAS has decided to hire a new systems analyst, who will work full time to assess the current level of information system support, determine which functions should be automated, recommend the type of hardware and software systems to be installed, recommend appropriate organizational changes (if any), and, most important, determine the type of data communications support that will be required to meet the needs of NDAS’s current operations and future growth. You have been offered this position. Your experience is in information systems. Because you see the job as a remarkable opportunity to learn and grow, you accept the post. You report directly to Lee Coone, president of NDAS, and are expected to prepare your solution immediately. Preliminary Assignment 1. Briefly describe the current state of NDAS’s office automation, system integration, and networking. Begin by explaining how each department uses information technology, what hardware it uses, and what functions currently are automated. The first Key Task for the Preliminary Assignment is to assess which Department is most in need of a network. 2. Students are advised to make some preliminary studies of ecommerce infrastructures (LANs, WANs) to decide whether these two kinds of networks might be beneficial to NDAS? The second Key Task for the Preliminary Assignment is to justify your answer. 3. The third Key Task for the Assignment is to indicate which areas within NDAS’s current characteristics or practices are identified as possible candidates for its proposed integrated data communication network?