Communication Styles Web Field Trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication Styles Web Field Trip - Essay Example 2. Reviewing the questionnaire item by item, can you find aspects of communication in which you are either nonassertive or possibly too assertive? Do you think that your communication style can be improved by making adjustments within these areas of communication? From the questionnaire, I find that I am non-assertive in situations where I am confronted with difficult situations because I do not want to deal with confrontations. Another area where I found out that I am not very assertive is when I am unable to express my anger and frustration with a friend even if it is justified. The reason for this is because I do not want to offend him or hurt his feelings. I also realized that I am assertive in instances where I have to make a phone call to institutions. I think that my communication style can be improved especially in situations where I am non-assertive. In dealing with my anger towards a friend, maybe I should try to control my emotions and be more level-headed at dealing with my friend. I should also try to choose my words carefully so as not to hurt his feelings.

To Sir With Love Book Review Education Essay

To Sir With Love Book Review Education Essay Edward Ricardo Braithwaite, one of the first black teachers in the British school system, recounts his first year as a teacher in the autobiographical novel, To Sir with Love. Unable to secure a job as a physicist in London, despite his many educational degrees, Braithwaite feels the sting of racial discrimination. He is persuaded to take a job as a schoolteacher at a unique school in Londons East End, a notoriously impoverished and tough part of 1940s Post War London. His students, mostly White European immigrants, are typically from unemployed families, have very little money, and are habitually filthy and malnourished. Students are sent to Greenslade Secondary School due to disciplinary problems. Despite their low socioeconomic status, and lack of basic academic skills, Braithwaite, a black man from British Guyana, sees his students as privileged simply because they are white. For their â€Å"underserved† privilege, and ignorance, Braithwaite resents and pities his students . Through the often tempestuous relationship between Braithwaite and his students, issues of racism and class discrimination are exposed. The struggle between teacher and student is a tutorial in critical pedagogy, and take the reader on a journey of internal examination, and individual accountability. In many ways, Braithwaites novel is a positive example of educational methodology, and the human connection needed between teacher and student. The overt message of To Sir with Love is the equal exchange between teacher and student. At Greenslade Secondary School, Braithwaite observes that students are encouraged to speak their minds, and are given regular opportunities to discuss what they are being taught. Teachers collaborate with fellow teachers, as well as with students, to decide the format in which lessons are delivered. Lessons are student-centered, and take into consideration the human-world relationship. Through his first person account, Braithwaite allows readers to follow his evolution from perceiving students as crude, belligerent, and unkempt, to viewing students as unique individuals deserving respect and compassion, resulting in a true paradigm shift. When given the opportunity to demonstrate their humanity, Braithwaite watches his students rise to the occasion in their own time, and in unexpected ways, a message all educators must recognize. From his experience working with students from disadvantaged and un derprivileged backgrounds, Braithwaite learns that all students have the potential to be successful when provided a teacher who believes in their ability. Throughout the novel, Braithwaite stresses the importance of teachers as team players. The commerce of ideas and advice from fellow teachers offers Braithwaite the support he needs to be successful in his classroom. Braithwaite focuses on the integral role faculty play, not only to Greenslades education program, but to student success as well. The enthusiasm for teaching and admiration for one another creates a supportive, successful, and positive school community. Alex Florian, head master of Greenslade Secondary School, seeks to create a school environment in which students feel safe and comfortable enough to learn and express themselves. Florian encourages teachers to discuss student progress with students in Weekly Reports, and encourages students to participate in school-wide Student Council reports, both of which are opportunities for students to have a voice. The educational methods implemented at Greenslade are valuable insights into alternatives to traditions modes of educat ion. To Sir with Love, proclaims to be a non-fictional account of Ricardo Braithwaites first year as a public schoolteacher during a notoriously racially divided period in British history. However, the miraculous and inspiring journey may leave some to consider the extent to which the author, Braithwaite himself, fictionalizes the novel version of himself. Braithwaite claims not to have been aware of racial prejudice until landing in London and searching for employment. The reader may find this notion hard to believe due to Braithwaites admitted service in the Royal Air Force. It is difficult for the reader to discern where autobiography ends, and fiction begins. Despite the apparent weakness in nonfiction voice, the strength of To Sir with Love lies in its message of forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance in the face of hate and prejudice. Braithwaite becomes a successful teacher only when he is able to see students as individuals. He is able to overcome his prejudice and â€Å"hate ful thoughts† ( p. 204) because he learns to love his students despite their shortcomings. Braithwaite learns the most important role he can play in the lives of his underprivileged students, is to provide them with â€Å"affection, confidence, and guidance, more or less in that order, because experience has shown that those are their most immediate needs† (p. 217). Braithwaites novel illustrates the importance of an equal partnership between teacher and student combined with the shared goal of learning.

United States Army’s Organizational Structure and Culture Essay

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief analysis of the United States Army’s organizational structure and its culture and how these two elements impact its workers, associates and affiliates. This paper will first examine the Army’s history, development and structure to highlight the origins of the Army’s culture. Secondly, a brief history of the Army’s organizational development will be followed by a close examination of its philosophy and supporting beliefs. Lastly, this paper will discuss the role of the Army’s leadership, their response to critical issues and the organizational structure of the Army. An analysis of the army’s top leaders will help the reader to understand the Army culture more thoroughly in the context of the Army’s organizational structure. More specifically this section of the paper will examine the Army leadership’s response to the current geo-political environment and other related issues. In con clusion, this paper hopes to highlight the Army’s overall functioning from an organizational standpoint and emphasize that idea that the Army is like a functional corporation. This will be accomplished by addressing various key questions throughout this text. The U.S. Army Organizational Development Army History and development The Army’s history includes many unique global events such as World War I and II, the Vietnam War, the Korean conflict and most recently operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. An in depth study of these historical events is beyond the scope of this paper however, the origin of the Army is relevant in discussing the Army’s overall culture. According to David W. Hogan’s historical text Centuries of Service cited on the United States Army’s website the United States Army was born on 14 June 1775 (Hogan, 2004). Members of the early Army forces were largely volunteers drawn from local militias. In light of conflict with the British Army the Second Continental Congress recognized that a regular military force was necessary if the colonials were to have any hope of standing up to the British Army. On 14 June, Congress adopted the New England army besieging Boston as an American army and authorized the recruitment of soldiers from various colonial states to form the Continental Army. This emerging Continental Army provided the permanent nucleus of a force that would be supplemented by local militia units. ... ...er 11, 2009, from the Center of Military History website http://www.army.mil/cmh/reference/CSAList/list2.htm Hogan, D. (2004). Centuries of Service. Retrieved September 11, 2009, from the Center of Military History website http://www.army.mil/cmh/reference/CSAList/list1.htm http://www.train.army.mil). http://www.goarmy.com/about/ranks_insignia_officer.jsp http://www.goarmy.com/about/enlisted_soldiers_officers.jsp Kazin, M.. (2004, June 28).. U.S. News & World Report, 136 (23), p72. Retrieved September 11, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database. Lodi, S. (1998, November 26). Reflections on Army Culture. Retrieved September 11, 2009, Â  from http://defencejournal.com/jan99/reflection.htm Rumsfeld, D. (2004, September 10). Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld speaks about Iraq at the National Press Club in Washington. Retrieved September 11, 2009, from http://usinfo.state.gov/is/ Schrader. E. (2003, June 28). US push for global police force. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2009, from http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vcwsu/commons/topics/culture/culture-definitions/geertz-text.html http://www.prisonplanet.com/us_push_for_global_peace_force.html

Negotiation Strategy Analysis Essay

Negotiation strategies are used to make negotiations successful. Depending on the type of situation, the negotiations may differ in tactics. This essay will examine two articles different in strategies that use integrative tactics. One article will have a distributive strategy (win-lose), and the other article will have an integrative strategy (win-win). The tactics used in the articles will be related to a work setting involving prospective buyers and apartment companies to create a negotiation in a win-win outcome. Article I – Hostage Takeover Negotiation  This article is about the strategy and tactics used in a hostage takeover. Several tactics have been used in hostage takeovers throughout the years. The strategic strategies are about who holds the power. Some strategies show the hostage taker that the negotiator or the police have the power by taking items away from the hostage taker. Some items that can be taken away are the power to the building and the hostage taker’s ability to negotiate. This type of negotiation can create aggression in the hostage taker. This aggression can lead to an unsuccessful negotiation. In the following example, a different type of strategy is used in a hostage situation. According to Justin Borowsky (2011), a strategy that helps to build the relationship between the negotiator and the hostage taker can bring a favorable outcome. Instead of aggravating the hostage taker, a negotiator can gain the trust and support of the hostage taker. This type of negotiation is a distributive strategy (win-lose) using integrative tactics. The tactics used to gain this relationship is to build rapport by affirmation of the hostage taker’s power. This rapport and affirmation helps the hostage taker to believe he is in control. As the rapport is built, the hostage taker starts to look on the negotiator as his friend. The hostage taker starts to trust the negotiator and listens to alternatives and starts to plan for a good outcome. The negotiator displays a we-are-in-this-together scenario to the hostage taker. This scenario helps to form conversational flexibility creating the officer to obtain a role that has him working collaboratively with the hostage taker. As the officer builds the relationship with the hostage taker, the hostage taker starts to listen and works collectively with the officer to find alternatives to hurting the hostages and obtaining what he or she needs. The officer also is uncovering the needs of the hostage taker to assist in making a smooth transaction. These strategies and tactics have led to a positive outcome for the hostage and a successful negotiation with the hostage taker. The outcome is more of a distributing negotiation as the negotiator wins and the hostage taker loses. Article II – Disabled Individuals and Home Builders This article consists of the negotiation between house builders and the disabled buyers. In this negotiation, the builder has to understand the interests and the needs of the disabled buyer to have a successful outcome to the negotiations. The disabled population consists of 8. 5 million people. Builders are starting to realize that the disabled persons are also customers. The previous thought pattern on the disabled was that the state takes care of them. This is not true. Disabled individuals lead lives in the same manner as nondisabled persons. A disabled person has the ability and the need for home ownership. The disabled population has had tough negotiations with building houses to meet the needs of his or her disability. The builders will allow an individual to make changes to the initial house plan to suit his or her needs. However, many disabled buyers have a difficult time with builders who do not understand the needs of the disabled. The negotiation process is oftentimes a long process to fully uncover the buyer’s needs. This type of negotiation is an integrative bargaining strategy. An integrative bargaining strategy allows both parties to gain a beneficial outcome (Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, 2006). With changes to the house design to fulfill the needs of the disability, a disabled person can appreciate the dream of owning a home. The changes that disable persons need in a house, most builders think are extras. The builders are willing to make the changes; however, the changes made do cost the disabled person extra money (Burns, 2004). Compare and Contract Strategies The two articles addressed in this essay are very different negotiation. However, both of the negotiations have the same tactics in relationship building to have a successful outcome. In the hostage takeover, the negotiator built a relationship on trust and we-can-do-this-together attitude. In the disabled house building, the disabled person built a relationship with the builder to gain the trust and respect needed to accomplish the goal. Another tactic used was interest based bargaining. In both articles the parties addressed the interest of the other party. This interest-based bargaining assisted in the success of the negotiations. The difference between these two articles in the negotiation was the distributive outcome versus the integrative outcome. In the hostage takeover article, the negotiator was gaining the relationship and trust of the hostage taker to gain ground to take the hostage taker out of commission before he killed or hurt a hostage. This trust and relationship building was essential but was also not a true picture of the negotiator. The negotiator had no intentions of continuing the relationship after the success of obtaining the hostage. The builder and the disabled person’s relationship was a true friendship. This relationship could continue throughout the years. Current Work Setting The above two articles relate to the negotiations of a buyer obtaining residential housing through relationship building. Both articles express the tactic of listening skills, relationship building, trust, and uncovering the needs of the other party. When a prospective renter is shopping for a place to live, his or her needs are the most important. However, the needs of the rental company are also important. By entering into an integrative negotiation, both parties can have a successful outcome. For example, a prospect may be looking for a two-bedroom apartment that has a washer and drying already in the unit. The prospect may also be looking to stay under $650 in rent. The apartment company may have apartments that have washer and dryer hookups but not washer and dryers in the unit. The apartment company can elect to listen to the need of the prospect and rent the washer and dryer for the unit. The apartment company can also offer the prospect an apartment that will be within the prospect’s budget. This type of negotiation will continue to build the rapport between the prospect and the apartment company during the prospect’s residency. Conclusion Some distributive negotiations can use the tactics of the integrative strategy in negotiations as shown in the hostage takeover. Good listening skills, uncovering needs of the other party, and gaining trust will lead to a successful negotiation. No matter which type of negotiation is to occur, preparation by uncovering the needs and wants of the other party will help a negotiator gain leverage and success in the negotiation.

Ethics in Research Essay

While conducting research or writing professional articles or papers, it is expected that one meets certain laid-down ethical guidelines. Ethics in research has become one of the most essential topics in academia, and areas of scientific dishonesty have been identified. In my opinion, the areas of scientific dishonesty should be ranked as follows, starting with the most serious to the least serious violation: 1. Fabrication and falsification 2. Plagiarism 3. Faulty data gathering procedures 4. Non-publication of data 5. Sneaky publication practices 6. Poor data storage and retention 7. Misleading authorship Fabrication and falsification of data is publishing information or basing research on events that did not occur at all (Reskin, 2010). Under falsification, overstated numbers, alteration of data, inclusion of personal biases and misinterpretation of literature are the forms of scientific dishonesty. When fabrication and falsification have been done, works produced do not have a basis or any truth in them; and therefore mislead the readers (Reskin, 2010). This could have very serious consequences; basing literature on lies therefore misinforming the public. It therefore comes first in the list. Plagiarism is the use of copyrighted materials or generally other people’s without acknowledging their contribution (Indiana University, 2004). It is very unethical not to give credit to people who struggled to produce work, and a researcher or a professional writer would be claiming to be the originator of the ideas if he or she does not acknowledge the actual producers of literature material. It comes second in my list of scientific dishonesties (Indiana University, 2004). Faulty data gathering is third, since if data collected is not precise or accurate, the conclusions are going to be force; and the effect is like that of falsification (Callahan, & Hobbs, 1998). At number four is non-publication of data, which occurs when data is suppressed. It is unethical to ignore exceptions even in cases where nothing conclusive has been established from research, since finding out nothing is just as important as finding out something. If the results are withheld, future researches may be conducted with the same mistakes (Callahan, & Hobbs, 1998). Sneaky publication practices come in at number five since it withdraws a large measure of integrity or authenticity of information (Gregory, 20003). At number six is poor data storage and retention practices since in this way, information, no matter how valuable, is easily lost, therefore undermining the impact of research and writing. I chose misleading authorship as the least serious area of scientific dishonesty through ethical violations knowing that since it gives people claim for projects they did not fully participate in; it does not have effect on the quality of information (Jefferies, 2004). Informed consent is a term used in the ethical or legal context to indicate that the consent a person gives regarding certain events or activities involving him or her meet certain minimum standards (Reskin, 2010). An informed consent is issued by a person to indicate that he or she is fully aware and that he or she clearly understands and appreciates the facts related to the event, its implications and finally, its long term impact. The purpose of informed consents is to make sure that people are not coerced or forcibly involved in activities against their wish. People must also be made fully aware of the procedures they are to be involved in; and the potential risks from such. People allowed to give informed consents must first be proved to possess properly functioning intuitive and mental faculties (Reskin, 2010). People who are impaired by factors and diseases such as mental retardation, potentially damaging mental illnesses, intoxication from substances like alcohol, acute sleep deprivation, Alzheimer’s disease or a being in a comma are not allowed to give informed consents. Without an informed consent, it would be ethically and legally wrong to perform some acts on an individual (Callahan, & Hobbs, 1998). People who are not in a position to give informed consents for either of the above mentioned reasons or by virtue of being too young generally have other people acting on their behalf give informed consents for them (Jefferies, 1999). For example, a parent or a guardian can give an informed consent relating to their children. The same applies for mentally incapacitated people or people in a comma; like a husband can give an informed consent on behalf of his wife when she is in a comma. Treatment of human subjects must be ethical and respectful at all times. The rights of human subjects are protected by the justice system; and there is a standing requirement that all research projects involving human subjects must first be approved by the Institutional Review Board (Gregory, 2003). Federal Law also has provisions to protect human subjects from abuse by researchers, and the American Psychological Association (APA) has well documented standards of ethics which researchers must abide by while handling human subjects (Gregory, 2003). The above guidelines are meant to ensure that human specimens are treated with the respect they deserve and are not exposed to risks without their consent. It is required that they be informed of all the details of research procedures, the risks that may arise and any potential long term effects of the research (Callahan, & Hobbs, 1998). The research must also be tailored in such a way that it benefits them in one way or another. Their justice should also be assured. Investigators or researchers first have the responsibility of making sure that they study the ethical acceptability of procedures they intent to apply on human subjects; and they must also respect a human subject’s wish to accept or decline involvement in a research, and their choice to withdraw if the need arises (Callahan, & Hobbs, 1998). If undesirable side effects result, it is the responsibility of the researcher to remedy the situation. Animal subjects, despite the fact that they cannot give informed consents, also have rights which are protected; and their use in research is also governed by some ethical standards. First of all, the use of animal subjects in research should be justified (Reskin, 2010). Animals should not be used in projects that are not going to yield anything useful to the human society. Secondly, animal subjects should be properly handled. Any studies conducted on them should not alter their natural functionality or harm them in irreversible ways. Proper living environments and sufficient food should be provided to animals under captivity, and animals should only be handled by sufficiently trained personnel (Reskin, 2010). Research should be optimized to reduce pain and harm on animal subjects, and it is important that the animals are legally acquired and the research given the go ahead by the authorities. It is also an ethical requirement that humane treatment of animals in research institutions is ensured at all times (Reskin, 2010). Animal rights activists have been on the forefront of campaigning for the abolition of vivisection, or at least humane treatment of animal subjects. References Callahan, T. , & Hobbs, R. (1998). Research Ethics. Retrieved May 8, 2010, from http://depts.washington. edu/bioethx/topics/resrch. html Gregory, I. (2003). Ethics in Research. New York: Continuum. Indiana University. (2004). Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid it. Retrieved May 9, 2010, from http://www. indiana. edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism. shtml Jefferies, S. (1999). Ethical Issues in Research. Retrieved May 9, 2010, from http://www. cwu. edu/~jefferis/PEHL557/pehl557_ethics. html Resnik, D. (2010). What is Ethics in Research & Why is It Important? Retrieved May 8, 2010, from http://www. niehs. nih. gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis. cfm