THEORIES OF MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

THEORIES OF MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example Therefore, not all lessons in management development are products of theories alone. It can be said that management development theories give a framework of analysis and understanding in modeling the learning process in real world experience. It is imperative for business organizations to give emphasis to management development. In fact, it â€Å"should be central to business strategy† and â€Å"learning should be a cherished organizational value† (Thomson et al., 2011). This paper aims to provide a brief discussion on the basic theories involved in management development. To do so, every theory would be provided ample space for articulation and are divided into sections of this essay. Steps in Management Development Mumford points out that management development, generally, cannot be planned or intentionally initiated. What can be done, however, is that the experiences of managers which may be accidental, unintentional, and informal should be assessed and considered as a learning experience afterwards (Mumford & Gold, 2004). However, there is an opposing view on this matter. Ashton defines management development as a conscious and systematic decision making process to control the development of managerial resources and achieve organizational goals and strategies (Dalton, 2010). Ashton’s model defines three patterns that an organization can take up in management development. The first pattern is where there is little or no commitment to management development from line managers. The second is where the line managers are uncertain about the merits of development and participate with low commitment and the third is where the line managers embrace the development concept and integrate it with normal activities. The model emphasizes on the contextual elements such as the goodwill and motivation of key stakeholders in determining the nature of management development. It is apparent that Ashton takes into consideration the three possible attitude s of managers towards the aspect of continuous build-up of leadership skills. The Ashridge 4F Model The model holds out the prospect of steady movement to higher levels of management development sophistication, strategic integration and purpose. This model has four stages which include the fragmented approach, the formalized approach, the focused approach and the fully integrated model (Select Knowledge, 2001). At a glance, this theory may be considered as the combination of the Mumford’s thesis and the Ashton management development model. This is because the 4F model actually integrates the essential assertion of Mumford that learning in management is not always formal or planned. However, it also takes a proactive approach, overcoming the empiricist tendency of Mumford’s argument. The fragmented approach is where management development is unplanned thus little connection between the development of organizational goals and the management development. The formalized ap proach is systematic, planned and integrated with other human resources management functions. This approach is a formal analysis and practice which may be a demerit to the organization. The focused approach is based on continuous learning and there are clear links between organizational goals and development plans, while the fully integrated model is where all kinds of management learning is integrated in everyday works of the organization and reflects on lessons of development tied to

Illegal Immigration and US Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Illegal Immigration and US Policy - Essay Example Illegal immigration is one of these issues. Illegal immigration is a multifaceted problem for the United States, and therefore politicians are unwilling to develop a solution, at least not yet. It seems that our representatives in Washington are more concerned how their actions will affect their political base, and thus their ability to remain power rather than making honest evaluations of the impact 11 million illegal immigrants are having on the American economic engine. After all, if the politician isn't able to engender support and win voters by his or her policy decisions, why make a decision at all Why not pass the problem onto the next senator or congressman, and make them deal with the political hot button rather than risk taking a dive in the next popularity pole. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the current estimate on the number of illegal workers in America is over 12 million, with 400,000 arriving each year. 1 This number breaks down to 1100 illegal immigrants per day entering this country. For the Democratic Party, who typically builds large social support programs in order to influence voter support, this group represents an up and coming power base. For the Republicans who lean toward supporting business efforts in order to stoke the fires of our economic engine, this group represents huge amounts of inexpensive labor. However, for the people of our nation, these groups if immigrants represent the following problems rather than a potential voter block. For the labor unions, inexpensive labor represents a virtual coup which will undermine for their stranglehold on American labor force. For the American social services sector, these illegal immigrants represent a drain on the limited economic resources allocate to serve the poor and the needy of our country. For the educational system, the influx of non-English speaking students has created a significant strain on educational progress, and educational quality at a time during which the educational system is already lagging behind world standards. Affecting union and organized labor, education, medical and social services, and finally legal systems - this growing people group represents a threat to the very establishments which make our nation great, and set up apart from countries like Mexico, from which the majority of illegal are escaping. Illegal Immigration and Labor At the heart of the argument is the claim that illegal immigrants are only here to do work that Americans will no longer do. They work the fields, landscape, and take low wage jobs which Americans refuse to do. Vicente Fox, the Mexican president, has recently said that "Mexicans do jobs that even blacks won't do." 2 While this idea is distasteful to hear, the general concept is unfortunately accepted by many politicians. Therefore, according to those who support illegal immigration, they are a necessary part of the American economic landscape. To some level this claim is accurate. Our nation has always had a class of peoples which worked below the economic parity, and produced much for little pay. When our nation was settled, African slaves were imported in the South. Their work fueled the textile industry, and made it possible for America to move to the forefront in this industry. During the 1800's, and the nation's westward expansion, the Chinese immigrants,

Landscape Character Assessment for Heritage Management

Landscape Character Assessment for Heritage Management In 200 words or less describe why landscape characterisation has over the past decade provided a significant new dimension to heritage management practice Landscape Characterisation has been described by English Heritage as ‘a powerful tool that provides a framework for broadening our understanding of the whole landscape and contributes to decisions affecting tomorrows landscape.’[1] Landscape characterisation enables archaeologists, landscape specialists, and conservationists to work together to manage change within landscapes, using a common source that compiles often disparate research into the character of landscapes into a unified and accessible ‘map’ of the area. For heritage management this development is particularly useful because it allows for a more comprehensive study of the area under management – such as the identifying, mapping and assessing of habitats. This allows for more careful consideration of development planning especially in semi-rural areas where land is sought for residential use. To better understand the character of a landscape is to learn how to best protect it and this of fers the potential for a better ‘case’ for preserving important and/ or historic features of landscapes. The process is unique as it helps to facilitate the compilation of data from a great variety of specific historical, archaeological, and paleontological sites onto internationally accessible databases – this information is then used to help professionals manage change within landscapes on a national scale. This information can be put to good use in heritage management, particularly in terms of resources for education and visitor information. Landscape characterisation also helps the cohesion and implementation of management action plans and facilitates the strategic conservation of heritage. It does this by providing a historical context for already existing descriptions and research on landscapes, thus developing the understanding of how to manage landscapes especially on a local and regional level. Issues that interact through the process of landscape chara cterisation include local development and its control, environmental issues, and government proposals. Its use has also widened the scope for heritage management practice as it provides valuable data for existing heritage programmes and assists in future proposals involving historic field systems. Using at least three examples describe the benefits and uses of characterisation for managing landscape change. Your examples can be either urban (eg. from the EUS and UAD programmes), rural (eg. HLC) or thematic, or a combination. Historic Landscape Characterization was first developed in Cornwall in 1994 and now runs as a well-established and major programme that has redefined work with spatial historic analyses (Clark et al, 2004). It has altered perceptions of how the historic environment should be managed and encourages professionals to take into consideration the greater historical timeframe of the landscape where development has been slow, rather than more recent changes which have tended to be more rapid and unsustainable. The approach does not attempt to set precedents – rather it aims to open up discussion of land-use and make accessible information that could influence contemporary decisions. The rural impact of landscape characterization work has much to do with methods of maintaining, conserving, and managing heritage – both geological, archaeological, and architectural heritage. As expressed by Clark et al in their publication for English Heritage: â€Å"The drawing of ‘red lines’ around parts of the historic landscape was seen to risk devaluing the areas outside of the line; most importantly, it was not clear what would  be achieved other than a flagging up of interest, an objective that can be reached more directly and clearly by other methods.†[2] In both Hampshire and Lancashire the programme is reshaping the approach towards heritage management by producing interactive GIS-based descriptions of the ‘historic dimension the time-depth that characterises [the] rural landscape.’[3] It benefits from being approved by and working in accordance with the European Landscape Convention; this shows that the approach is not only applicable to projects outside the UK but has been welcomed by foreign professionals and its value recognised. As much as the UK, Europe is experiencing the squeeze of development, especially in its rural areas, and HLC is useful as it specifically focuses on how to protect and manage these changing rural landscapes. It distinguishes itself from other methods as it has been identified as being more direct and clear than other methods.[4] Perhaps one of the greatest potential selling points of the programme is that it addresses a loophole in the system, whereby common rural land can become overlook ed – falling in a ‘gap’ between the safety of having visible buildings of obvious archaeological importance and being of special scientific importance or exceptional natural beauty. In many cases the historical importance gets overlooked. English Heritage prides itself on the useful amalgamation of ‘Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC), run in partnership with County Council Sites and Monuments Records.’[5] Landscape characterisation is developing into one of the most useful and valuable resources in a society that promotes development and change, and which does so in response to the increasing demands being placed upon Britain’s landscape by the country’s economy and burgeoning population. As noted by Ucko and Layton[6] landscape character research is primarily driven by research objectives that require more in depth and comprehensive information about the landscape. For example, English Heritage need conservation-oriented information, while the planning system needs guidance, and land management decisions can rely upon the mapping of information to create landscapes of the future. A good example of how HLC is being used in the rural landscape can be seen in Suffolk, where a local Heritage Initiative has been overseeing a survey of the landscape that incorporates landscape mapping and photography. The objective of the initiative is to follow up a similar survey that was c onducted in 1999, and involves a partnership between the Womens Institute federations of East and West Suffolk, the local planning authorities in Suffolk and the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Project Partnership.[7] This is a good example of what the process of landscape characterisation can bring to a community; it can promote the integration of otherwise separate governing bodies and social groups, and thus facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the area. Different local Women’s Institute groups throughout Suffolk (about 75% of the total) surveyed the landscape and received training through events, a handbook, a leaflet and a video. The results of the study have been used to identify, rate, and type sources changes in the landscape between 1999 and 2004. The results were said to be assessed and analysed to ‘test the effectiveness of planning policies in protecting and enhancing landscape character.’[8] To aid community cohesion and promote the findings a n exhibition of the WI groups’ findings was created, as well as local exhibitions within each community that took part. At Creswell Crags near the Peak District a Management Action Plan has made use of landscape characterisation work within an ecological potentiality study that: Identifies, maps and assesses the management of existing areas of high quality habitat characteristic of the Heritage Area Identifies, maps and assesses the potential for linking and extending these areas of high quality habitat Identifies landscape characterisation work and its relationship to identification of potential for wildlife corridor links or extensions to major biodiversity nodes.[9] Again, this example shows the potential for working on an interdisciplinary basis where landscape character can help professionals from different academic backgrounds to work together in better understanding of the forces which shape and change our historic landscapes. English Heritage has also been researching extensively into historic fields and settlements in their project titled ‘Turning the Plough’ that culminated in a publication documenting the dramatic loss of mediaeval fields systems in the east Midlands. Using landscape character research the project results established that ‘the loss of these ridge and furrow landscapes is extreme’[10] and that English Heritage, DEFRA and other agencies have the ’urgent’ task of sustaining a future for what remains. These examples qualify the study of landscape character as a crucial development in the archaeology profession but also one that links archaeology to a number of other important areas, s uch as planning, community work, heritage management, and geology. It is important to recognise that landscape change occurs as a result of many different influences that the activities of mankind within the landscape reflect, embody, and destroy formations which owe their existence to much older geological processes. It is our choice whether we choose to preserve the record of human endeavour as shown by the mediaeval field system project ‘Turning the Plough’ and the extent to which we maintain and preserve the heritage of rural landscapes depends on the availability of funds, resources, and the efforts of professionals. Perhaps of more apparent concern is whether we do actually have a choice, or whether landscape change is accelerating beyond our control. These are some of the issues that projects involving landscape characterisation seek to address. Bibliography Clark, J, Darlington, J, and Fairclough, G, ‘Using Historic Land Characterization.’ (2002), English Heritage [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/a4report.pdf Countryside Agency, 2006 [online]. Available from:  http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory/projects_by_region/east_of_england/suffolk/suffolk_changing_landscape/index.html  [Accessed 24/08/08] English Heritage, ‘Landscape Character.’ [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293  [Accessed 23/08/08] English Heritage. ‘Cresswell Crags Limestone Heritage Area’ [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.4112  [Accessed 24/08/08] Hall, D. (2001), Turning the Plough. Northamptonshire County Council [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/turning_plough.pdf. Full version available from:  http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/goto/openfields  [Accessed 24/08/08] Ucko, P.J, and Layton, R. (1999) The Archaeology and Anthropology of Landscape: Shaping Your Landscape. London: Routledge  1 [1] English Heritage, ‘Landscape Character.’ [online]. Available from:http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293[Accessed 23/08/08] [2] Clark, J, Darlington, J, and Fairclough, G, ‘Using Historic Land Characterization.’ (2002), English Heritage, p.4. [3] English Heritage [online]: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293 [4] Clark et al, 2002: 2. [5] English Heritage [online]: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293 [6] Ucko, P.J, and Layton, R. (1999) The Archaeology and Anthropology of Landscape: Shaping Your Landscape. London: Routledge. [7] Countryside Agency, 2006 [online]. Available from:http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory/projects_by_region/east_of_england/suffolk/suffolk_changing_landscape/index.html[Accessed 24/08/08] [8] Ibid. [9] ‘Cresswell Crags Limestone Heritage Area’ [online]. Available from:http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.4112[Accessed 24/08/08] [10] Hall, D. (2001), Turning the Plough. Northamptonshire County Council [online]. Available from:http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/turning_plough.pdf. Full version available from:http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/goto/openfields [Accessed 24/08/08]

Life :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you are   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  born in the United States with an Hispanic background, You are taught what your parents know. They teach you Spanish because that the language they know very well and they grew up with learning by their parents for a long time. But after you learn to speak your native language, then they want us to learn English very well and to use it more than the Spanish language. Being bilingual is to people advantages in getting jobs and becoming a big part in the business world know these days. More and more people want to hire people that know more that two languages so they can sell more to other people than just to people that can speak English. Like for example the Spanish language is very big to everyone know these days because were growing very fast in the United States. So know everytime you open up like instruction booklets or anything else, you will see it in English than the other language will be Spanish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1980 a boy name Juan Carlos flew to New York from the Dominican Republic, he was so exhausted from the hot, sweaty flight he had. So then he jump into a yellow new york city cab, that had a very bad odor. Next he went to go to stay at his grandmother house. When he saw his five foot one inch grandmother with high cheek bones, he just ran up to her to give her a big huge hug. So when he got to her apartment he went to his small one window bedroom and was satisfy that he finally has its own room because he had to share with his two older brothers while he was back home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Juan Carlos main goal was to get a decent enough job so that he can support his mother that is very ill from her high blood pressure. So he loved his mother so much he decided to go to New York and support his mother while he’s here working. The next day he left with his cousin Jr. whose an older than him and is very smart in his studies at school to look for a job, so that Juan can support his mother. They were walking in the crowded city of New York, when Jaun past by a Glamorous, beautiful hotel in 42 street. When he and his cousin stepped in their face was so shocked because they never seen such a beautiful hotel like that in their life.

Factors Affecting the School Readiness of Public Kindergarten Pupils in Lanao Del Sur I †B Essay

Kindergarten marks the beginning of formal education. The child’s initial school experience can influence the way he feels and acts to future school activities. I will also affect the way he relates to other people and his environment for the rest of his life. Success or failure at this stage can affect his well-being, self-esteem, motivation and perspectives. Lack of kindergarten readiness may also lead to his being held back in the next grade level. School readiness is defined as the â€Å"ability to cope, learn, and achieve without undue stress†. In the Philippines public and private schooling begins with kindergarten, when a child is about 5 years old. Kindergarten is 3 to 4 hours a day or depending on the specific requirement of a particular school. While most of the activities in kindergarten are play activities like singing, storytelling, and drawing, children are also learning basic skills through these activities that will be needed throughout their lives. These skills include listening to direction, using and managing time well, being patient, sharing, and working in cooperation with others. Kindergarten helps children adjust to school slowly, going only a few hours each day. It bridges the gap between the age when kids spent their days playing at home or in a daycare or nursery school and the more formal learning that will begin once a child moves on to the next level. Many parents still believe that kindergarten is just an introduction to school. They merrily think that children just enjoy playtime, art, story time, and maybe even learn their colors, alphabet, and numerals while they are at it. However, at present the expectation s for kindergarteners have leveled up and are much stricter than before. Today, there is actually a set of curricum that must be followed and expected to keep up. Parts of the curriculum include reading readiness, writing, math, science, social studies and other subject related. Children are also taught about proper manners, classroom rules, hygiene and sanitation. Parents should take a personalized approach and focus as their children’s potentials and skills and see if they are already prepared for kindergarten school. Parents must take the initiative to actively participate in home base learning before they heed on out to school. It is important to keep an eye on the children and decipher their behavior, to come to conclusion if they are ready to attend kindergarten or not. Some children tend to develop skills a lilltle later depending on what they have been exposed to and how fast they can grasp these things depending on their surroundings. Specialists in the field of child development feel strongly that readiness is not something that a child is trained for but is the understanding of the child’s unique development and grow pattern and what types of activities will enhance the natural development of a child in the areas of motor development, visual processing skills, auditory processing skills, language skills, numerical skills, conceptual skills, and social-emotional behaviors. TheNatioanl Association For The Education Of Young Children (NAEYC) stated that school readiness is defined as the state of early development that enables individual child to engage in and benefit from early learning experience, As a result of family nurturing and interactions with others, a young child at this stage has reached certain level of social and emotional development, cognition and general knowledge, language development, physical well-being, and motor development. (AnneArundel and Harford) Parents are the first and most important teachers in their child’s life. Staying involved and providing children with a supportive, nurturing environment will help strengthen the learning process. Parents must allow their chilred to make choices and simple decision making so that children will achieve a reliable sense of right and wrong. Language helps to shape the brain, and teaching children to speak according to Jerome Brunner helps them not only organized words in a sentence but also helps organize their minds. Children need many types of language experiences which include being read with and also participation in family conversation. Storytelling, nursery rhyme and reading enrich the language experience. Parents must spend time with oral language activities for a strong foundation in reading and spelling (Graue. 1992). There are several factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils namely: maturation, relevance of materials and methods of instruction, emotional attitude, personal adjustment, social status and tribe. Other contributors to the readiness gap are environmental stress, family income, parents’ literacy, nutrition premature birth, health, early childcare, experiences, low birth weight and genetic endowment. Maturation affects the readiness of the kindergarteners because the child has not reach yet a sufficient stage of mental and physical development needed to perform school tasks characteristics of that particular grade level which entails a higher level of performance than that of which he has at the moment. Experiences determine the kindergarten readiness for learning. Exposure to environment and varied activities will help the child learn. Children learn from seeing, hearing, touching and these experiences will help the child get to know his environment better. To interpret reality, children must experience their surroundings through imagination and discovery. Rooted in the experience of early childhood are the values that individuals will carve for themselves in later years, their capacity to live according these values, and their attitudes towards themselves and the human community. (Bredekamp,1987) Research shows that relevance of materials and methods of interest affects children’s readiness; children are more ready to learn if the material meet their needs and fits their interest. They are more ready to learn if they are having fun doing the tasks. (Karweit,1988) Emotional attitude and personal adjustment plays a great influence in children’s readiness. Emotional stress blocks them from learning especially those resulting from unmet needs, rejection from home, over protection, experience of failures, home difficulties, poverty, peace conflict, and other related issues. ( Shepard and Smith, 1986). Greg Duncan and Katherine Magnuson documented that children who live in poverty with poor socio-economic status are more likely not ready for kindergarten school since their parents will most likely spend for basic needs than materials for learning like books and other learning kits . Parents in families with low socio-economic status are less likely to talk with. Read with. And teach young children since they would rather spend their time looking for sources of income. Environmental stress affects school readiness according to Kimberly Noble, N. Tottenham, and B. J. Casey. They explained that chronic stress or abuse in childhood can impair development of the hippocampus the region of the brain involved in learning and memory, and reduces a child’s cognitive ability. Thus the impact of stress on brain development during childhood may explain a large portion of the gap in school readiness. Health is another factor that affects school readiness according to Janet Currie, child’s health combined with maternal health and behavior may account for success or failure of kindergarten pupils. Children’s who are not in the best health condition may not be always present in the classroom those will be missing development of skills and knowledge. Nancy Reichman reported that premature birth and low birth weight can seriously impair cognitive development. A renting which include nurturance, discipline, and home base teaching are greatly link to the development of children’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Feelings of self-worth develop as a child feels good about his environment and the way he interacts in that environment. The most important gift a parent could give his child is quality time. Children need unhurried periods to explore and experiment, to understand and affirm through idea of freedom. They must also be provided with the security, acceptance, love, thoughtful and appropriate restrictions. (htpp://www. mayoclinic. com/health/kindergarten-readiness) Everyone agrees that a child’s future academic success is dependent on being ready to learn and participate in a successful kindergarten experience. Yet, defining (readiness) can be a very difficult task. Due to children’s different prekindergarten education experiences and development, they enter kindergarten with varying skills, knowledge, and level of preparedness. Parents and teachers have different expectations for what children should know and be able to do before starting kindergarten. Furthermore, discussions of readiness do not always include how schools and community can enhance and support children’s and kindergarten readiness. It is within this premise that the researcher would want to conduct a study and find out the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. Theoretical Framework This study is anchor on various theoretical perspectives. Several theories of child development of child development and learning have influenced discussions of school readiness. These have had profound impact on kindergarten readiness practice. These three theories include the maturationist, environmentalist, and constructive perspective of development (Powell, 1991). Maturationist Theory The maturationist theory was advanced by the work of Arnild Gessell. Maturationists believe that development is a biological process that occurs automatically in predictable, sequential stages over time (Hunt, 1969). This perspective leads many educators and families to assume that young children will knowledge naturally and automatically as they grow up physically and ecome older, provided that they are healthy (Demarest, Reisner, Anderson, Humphrey, Farquhar, and Stein, 1993). School readiness, according to maturationist is a state at which all healthy young children arrive when they can perform tasks such as reciting the alphabet and counting; these tasks are for learning more complex tasks such as reading and arithmetic. Because development and school readiness occur naturally and automatically, maturationist believe the best practice are for parents to teach young children to recite the alphabet and count while being patient and waiting children to become ready for kindergarten. If a child is developmentally unready for school, maturationist might suggest referrals to transitional kindergartens, retention, or holding educators, and parents when a young child developmentally lags behind his or her peers. The young child’s underperform at the level of his or her peers. Environmentalist Theory Theorist as John Watson, B. F. Skinner, and Albert Bandura contributes greatly to the environmentalist perspective of development. Environmentalist believe the child’s environment shapes learning and behavior; in fact, human behavior, development, and learning are though of as reactions of the environment. This perspective leads many families, schools, and educators to assume that young children and acquire new knowledge by reacting their surroundings. Kindergarten readiness, according to the environmentalist, is the age or stage when young children can respond appropriately to the environment of the school and the classroom (e.g. , rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group settings and directions and instructions from teachers and other adults in school). The ability to respond appropriately to this environment is necessary for young children to participate in teacher initiated learning activities. Success is dependent on the child following instructions from the teachers or the adult in the classroom. Many environmentalist-influenced educators and parents believe that young children lean best by rote activities. Such as reciting the alphabet over and over, copying letters, and tracing numbers. This viewpoint is evident in kindergarten classrooms where young children are expected to sit at desk arranged in rows and listens attentively to their teachers. At home, parents may provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities as coloring or tracing letters and numbers-activities that require little interaction between parents and child. When young children are unable to respond appropriately to the classroom and school environment, they often are labeled as having some form of leaning disabilities and are tracked in classroom with curriculum designed to control their behavior and responses. Constructivist Theory The constructivist perspective of readiness and development was advanced by theorist such as Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori, and Lev Vygotsky. Although their work varies, each articulates a similar context of learning and development. They are consistent in their belief that learning and development occur when young children interact with the environment and people around them (Hunt, 1969). Constructivist view young children as active participant in the learning process. In addition, constructivists believe young children initiate most of the activities required for learning and development. Because active interaction with the environment and people are necessary for learning and development, constructivist believe that children are ready for school when they can initiate many of the interactions they have with the environment and people around them. Conceptual Theory This study takes into account the independent variables and dependent variables. The socio demographic factors which include age, sex, health, parents’ literacy, socio-economic status, experience, child abuse and child stress. The independent variables are presumed to affect or influence the dependent variables which are the school readiness of kindergarten pupils which include gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual discrimination skills, auditory discrimination skills, language skills, math-numeracy skills, and social-emotional behaviors. Base on the outcome of this studies, the writer aims to find the factors affecting the school readiness of the kindergarten pupils to insure that this children will have an opportunity to enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities. Furthermore it aims to encourage the parent to have hands-on training of their children. The researchers seeks to encourage the teachers to recognize pupils individual differences, re-enforce and extend their strengths, assist them in overcome their difficulties and develop in them sensitivity to community values. Finally, the writer would want to learn what the public kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B know and able to do as they enter kindergarten level. The writer wishes to find an in-depth study for the strengths and needs of individual learners, motivation for learning instruction, and interventions. The researcher believes the child’s inputs, reflections, and self evaluation are essential to the process of leaning and development. ? Schematic Presentation of the Conceptual Framework of the Study Independent Variables Dependent VariablesResult Statement of the problem This study seeks to investigate the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils. It is the objective of the researcher to determine whether or not age, sex, health, parent’s literacy, socio-economic status, experience, child stress, child abuse, and socio-emotional behavior can affect or influence the school readiness. This study also aims to answer the following propositions: 1. ) What are the factors affecting the public school kindergarten pupils in terms of: 1. 1Gross motor skill 1. 2Fine motor skill 1. 3Visual discrimination skills 1. 4Auditory discrimination skills 1. 5Language skill 1. 6Math-numeracy awareness 1. 7Social-emotional behavior 2. ) What are parents, community stake holders, teachers, and schools intervention program to enhance pupil readiness for kindergarten? 3. ) Is there a significant relationship between this interventions and pupil’s school readiness? Scope and limitation of the study This study is conducted in the public Central School in Lanao Del Sur 1 B in the school year 2011-2012. The study is focused on the factor affecting the school readiness of puplic kindergarten pupils in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. The pupils, teacher, and parents are randomly selected. Data are gathered through the questioner which is composed of pupils, teachers, and parents questioners. This study is delimited to the public kindergarten pupils in the Central School in Lanao Del Sur 1 B. Significance of the study. This study aims to identify the factors affecting the school readiness of public kindergarten pupils to give life on the perceptions of the parents, teachers, and school administrators. Furthermore, it wishes to determine if parenting and nurturance, maturation, health condition, experience, teachers expectation, and school curriculum has some important role in the school readiness of the kindergarten pupil. This study would investigate the underlying reasons/factors which affect the school readiness of the kindergarteners. Finally this study aims to be a significant contribution to provide opportunity to enhance the skill, knowledge, and abilities of the pupil. This study will provide an assessment of young children not only in measuring it but in their ability to work through activities, to solve problems, to work independently, and to reflect on their thinking. To The pupils- this study could assist the young learners to respond appropriately to the environment of the home, classroom and community (rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group setting, directions and instruction from the teacher other adults in the school). To The parents- this study will help the parents to provide appropriate time and management to engage their children in learning task such as reading and writing the alphabet, basic counting skills, identification of colors, size and shape. This will also encourage the parents to be patient and loving, waiting for their children to become developmentally ready for kindergarten. The parents are urge to provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities in coloring, tracing letters and numbers. To The teachers- this research study will help the teacher to understand and support the child natural curiosity and the diverse way in which the child learns. The teacher is also encourage to give the child some individualized attention and customize the classroom curriculum to help the child address his difficulties. To The school administrators- being conscious of the factors affecting the school readiness of the kindergarten pupils the school  administrators could provide small classes with higher teacher-pupil ratio, teacher with bachelor degree and training in early childhood education, parents-teacher training component that will re-enforce what teacher are doing in school to enhance children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. To The Curriculum Makers- this study will give a new perspective that will lead to the formulation of a curriculum that is cognitively stimulating and child center base. To The Community of Lanao Del Sur 1 B- this study will act as a catalyst for positive change. Local government and community agencies will have to work together to enhance programs for the learning development of kindergarten pupils. Definition of terms The terms use in this study is conceptually and operationally define for better understanding and clarity. Maturation – conceptually defined as the appropriate stage of mental and physical development, when a child is ready to perform school tasks characteristics of that particular grade . Operationally it means the chronological age of a child which is legally acceptable to enter a grade level. Experience – means the teaching exposure, learning materials, methods of learning, practices, facilities, and structures in home and in environment which help the child learns and develops in ways that are most natural and suitable for their ages and levels of maturity. Operationally defined as the results of work done by the child in whom the child retains memory, mastery, knowledge, and skills. School readiness – conceptually means the ability to cope, learn, and achieve without undue stress. This is the proficiency level of the child in specific area of a grade level. It is also the developmental stage whom the child is ready to learn new things. Operationally it means that the child is already of age to enroll in a grade level. This could also mean that the child has the ability to participate in classroom activities, work as instructed and cooperate with his classmates in group works. Fine motor development – means the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers. These skills are essential to complete task such as writing, tracing, cutting, holding things, moving little pieces of object, putting together of parts of a whole. These skills are needed in taking precision in the hand-eye coordination. Gross motor skills- are the developmental awareness and coordination of large muscles activity. These skills are needed in walking, running, jumping, dancing, and playing. Visual discrimination skills- means the ability to visually differentiate the forms, and symbols in the environment . This is needed in the matching, and sorting of colors, sizes, shapes, and quantities. Visual memory skills – means the ability to recall accurately prior visual experience. It is also the ability to remember what has been done. Heard, touched, smelled, and tasted and seen.. Auditory discrimination skills refer to the ability to receive and differentiate auditory stimuli. It is the capacity and ability to identify ,distinguish, imitate, differentiate the sounds heard. Auditory memory skills – means the ability to retain and recall auditory information. It also means the ability to remember, recite, repeat, tell, and do what is heard. Receptive language skills – refers to the ability to express oneself verbally, to say what the child thinks and feels and to engage in simple group conversations. Comprehension skills – refers to the judgment and reason as the child understands his environment. It is the ability to make comparisons, understand differences and recognized cause and effect. Social – emotional behavior – refer to the ability to relate meaningfully to others and be accepted in both one-on-one and group emotions. This also means the ability to act among other children, to cooperate with the group, to show feelings, and to demonstrate responsibility. Math and number awareness – refers to the ability to identify and recognize numerals, to count on, recognize patterns, and sorting and classifying of objects.

Placebo Effect

Feda Aziz Amy Blitchok ENG 1060-0013 April 30, 2012 Placebo over Mind For years, scientists and researchers have sought to find an explanation for the placebo effect. What many scientists and researchers do not realize is that placebo or â€Å"fake medicine† has been used as early as the revolutionary period in the seventeen hundreds. The mind is a powerful organ, in which controls all our body’s functions and thoughts. Everyday functions such as breathing and walking relies heavily on the most important part of our organ: the mind.However, through the use of placebos, it is becoming clear that the mind may have an even greater influence on our daily lives, influencing our perception of well- being. The placebo, which is Latin for â€Å"to please,† is a sugar-pill that can be taken in many different forms such as injection, liquid intake or by pill. Research conducted by physicians and scientists on placebos revealed that patients who receives treatment for asthm a, irritable bowel syndromes, knee surgery and much more showed improvements and are symptom free which in turn demonstrated how mind is more powerful than the body.The Placebo effect is when the administration of some entirely harmless or inactive drug or pill seems to make people better. It can also reduce the experience of pain by blocking pain signals in the spinal cord from arriving at the brain in the first place. When patients expect a treatment to be effective, the brain area responsible for pain control is activated, causing the release of natural endorphins. The endorphins send instructions down to the spinal cord to suppress incoming pain signals and patients feel better whether or not the treatment had any direct effect.This article explained how the mind and placebo work together in sending messages from the brain to the area of pain. Other problems exist in testing placebos' effectiveness. They cannot be used in studies on life-threatening or degenerative illnesses, si nce taking an inactive treatment rather than a real one could do patients real harm. Tests in which patients know they may be taking placebos show different results from tests in which they are given only a drug.Patients have been shown to react less to real medicine if they know there is a fifty percent chance they are actually getting sugar pills (Amaral) . Very few doctors are this open about prescribing placebos, but most of them do not outright lie to their patients, either. In general, doctors who prescribe placebos often say that they have something that they believe can help, but they do not know exactly how it will work, either. Supporters of the use of placebos point out that this is not lying; placebos are known to be beneficial in some cases.The American Medical Association (AMA) policy suggests that doctors could explain the placebo effect to their patients and receive consent to prescribe them in the course of treating any illness. This way, the patients don't know exa ctly when they might be prescribed a placebo and they could still benefit from the placebo effect (â€Å"http://www. ama-assn. org/†). The Placebo effect refers to the situation where patients feel better after taking a medication even if the drug is ineffective. A study proved the effectiveness of placebo medicine in patients diagnosed with heart failure.When given the placebo to heart failure patients and they took it whole heartedly and faithfully they showed a thirty four percent decrease in death rate. The researchers are unsure about the results but some theories are; mind is as powerful as any organ in the body. People who took their placebo faithfully, and believe it would help, may actually have gotten real help. Also patients who have heart failure have to exercise and cut salt intake so that may have had an important role in the placebo succeeding (Amaral). The placebo effect is a powerful effect that can consistently induce a perceived benefit.Once the placebo was identified as a valid medication able to create a response, such as becoming symptom free, became more widely used as a control in clinical trials. As a result, the placebo effect has been extensively studied throughout history. In a study; four groups of asthma patients were given albuterol inhalers, placebo inhalers, sham acupuncture, or no treatment. When the researchers tested the patients' lung function, the albuterol, a standard treatment for asthma, showed improvement, whereas the placebos had no effect. On the contrary, half of those who used the albuterol reported feeling better.But so did nearly half of those who got the placebo inhaler or the sham acupuncture. Doctors may not fully understand the cause of it but what they do know is two inert pills can work better than one, colorful inert pills can work better than plain ones, and injections can work better than pills (Bates). The perception of the benefits was recognized due to the perceptions of the mind, and not to th e ingredients that makes up the fake treatment. The placebo effect shows us that the mind heavily influences our perceptions of wellness and health.The placebo was also used during the Civil War; nurses often ran out of medicine, in order to keep the soldiers moving they injected them with saltwater, and believed it was morphine. Many scientists began wondering how the solider can feel better and become symptom free without taking the actual morphine. Thus, the scientists came to the conclusion that before simply thinking you can feel better you actually will. However, there is the nocebo effect in which the opposite occurs. A patient thinks he will feel bad, and he then will feel symptoms and pain.Also when a doctor proclaims that the medicine will cause symptoms or pain, the patient is more likely to feel the symptoms (Cloud). While the mind may be labeled as an organ easily fooled by placebos, whose benefit has no physical basis, it is clear that the mind may have an even greater role in behavior. Throughout the world, it is widely believed that the placebo effect simply is of random chance or it temporarily works on symptoms or diseases. To prove the skeptics wrong, a test was conducted with one hundred and eight patients that were divided in half.Half of them received arthroscopy knee surgery, and the other half received fake knee surgery. Arthroscopy knee surgery requires only three tiny incisions through the skin and the fake surgery received a small cut on their knee. The results were astonishing placebo surgery turned out to be just as effective as real surgery. Many people think it is irrational to be cured by fake medicine, but the truth is patients who were successfully healed by fake surgery were in fact healed by the power of their own minds (Easton).Placebos can no longer be thought of as a blind fold covering the eyes. These sugar pills induce the mind to create a very real and physical response that may be specific to the placebo; as a result, use of a placebo can become a very seductive treatment option for many. With the ongoing use of placebos, both as a control, and potentially as an alternative treatment, several issues emerge: Such as if the placebo is ethical or not. Furthermore, can it be guaranteed that placebos will generate a safe, and effective, result.While these pills may seem nonthreatening by being less active than experimental drugs, the risk for harmful and unethical consequences still does exist. Dr. Sobel ,co-author of The Healing Brain, explains â€Å"doctors spend a lot of time prescribing and giving medicine when improvement can be just by giving positive reinforcement†. Dr. Sobel also clarifies that if giving positive feedback made patients feel better then why give a placebo or sugar pill at all when you can prescribe yoga or meditation.For example when a child gets hurt, the compassionate parent would say â€Å"a kiss will make it better† and the child walks away tearless because m ommy made it feel better. Carefully, studies were conducted and on average, if you take one hundred people with certain illnesses and give them a sugar pill; about a third would be expected to improve (Friend). Some doctors believe that instead of ignoring the placebo effect, it may help to enhance it. A study was conducted in which the placebo effect worked on patients who had irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. In 2008, Harvard's Ted J.Kaptchuk wanted to treat IBS but in a safe way. He devised a fake remedy which contained fake acupuncture with no needles and plenty of soft talk. Kaptchuk experiment showed sixty-two percent of them actually got better and for the patients who had fake acupuncture and no soft talk saw a forty two percent improvement. Many mainstream medicine and drug companies try to minimize conducting clinical trials, but Kaptchuk argues that instead of minimizing they should enhance it and use placebos more often because it will lower costs of medicine and produce fewer side effects (Herper).Anesthetist, Henry Beecher, published an article on the use and effects of placebo in treatment of different diseases. Since then, many studies have shown that situations can also trigger the human mind to generate placebo effect. Kaptchuk explains that rituals of treatment activate brain areas in the same way as done by drugs. The newest neurobiological theories on placebos suggest that in some situations the appearance and rituals of treatment activate brain areas similar to when one takes drugs. So, for the drug to work, you may not need the drug at all (Marglin).Freed and his associates conducted a study examining the outcomes of forty patients, ages thirty four through seventy five, who had severe Parkinson's disease. In this study, the patients either underwent neuronal transplantation surgery or sham surgery (placebo). These patients were randomly assigned to the different groups. In the patients who underwent the sham surgery, holes were drilled i nto their skulls, but not penetrated. While all of the patients had hoped to receive this neuronal transplant, only half actually did. The rest had the placebo surgery (Amaral).Freed found that although there was no notable effect among the older patients in either transplantation or placebo surgeries, the younger transplantation recipients showed much improvement as compared with the placebo surgery group. No one from the placebo surgery group benefited from the procedure. Results were measured using the standardized scoring system of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). They measure symptoms of Parkinson's disease including mentation/mood and performance in the activities of daily living, respectively.Freed, further analyzed results for growth of transplants by using the PET scans. PET scans use nuclear medicine imaging to produce 3-dimensional color images of the functional processes within the human body. These tests all concluded that the only group that benefi ted from the study was the younger transplantation group, leaving many concerned due to the lack of improvement in their condition. Half of those in the placebo group experienced additional pain, and some experienced trauma. In addition to not benefiting from the procedure, many experienced significant pain from the placebo surgery.In this case, the mind could not be induced into generating the type of physical response that is desired from this surgery. And further, the potential for pain as well as harm are also clear in this example. It is clear that the ethics behind placebos, given that they are active substances that can induce very real physical responses need to be taken seriously. The mind is a complex organ that may not always respond in the way that we hope it will (Amaral). The placebo effect has shed great light on the complex functions of the mind. The mind has the remarkable ability to generate a physiological and real response to placebos.Furthermore, the mind can di scern a placebo from an experimental drug, as we see through the specific activation of the prefrontal cortex by the placebo. The mind has functions and capabilities that are larger than just thinking, breathing and walking. It not only controls our perception of our well-being, but may control the physicalitys of our well-being more extensively than was previously thought. While the placebo effect has yielded important information on the powers of the mind, we need to think more responsibly about the use of placebos, and the potential effects of these active stimuli on the brain.Given that placebos do activate the brain, we need to re-address our notions of these pills as inactive sugar pills. What if placebos could have the potential to affect the mind in a way that is not positive? What if placebo pills, and furthermore surgeries, could be harmful to the patient? The ethics of placebos, and the role of the mind in responding to them, should not be underestimated as we move forwar d in our studies of how the mind works. Our well-being depends on it. There are several recent studies suggesting that placebos themselves are beneficial.According to a paper presented to the American Psychological Association's (APA) 104th annual convention, the placebo effect accounts for fifty percent of improvements in depressed patients taking antidepressants. Listening to Prozac but Hearing Placebo: A Meta-Analysis of Antidepressant Medication, a controversial study done on the effectiveness of using pharmaceuticals in treatment of depression. According to another study, when placebos are given for pain management, the course of pain relief follows that of an active drug The Placebo Prescription, comprehensive non-scientific article on the placebo effect.For both the placebo and the active medicine, peak relief comes about an hour after administration. The placebo effect seems to be acknowledged, perhaps unwittingly, by most medical doctors when one considers that until recent ly prescribing antibiotics for viral colds and flus was a common practice (Ammaral. ) A patient's belief in the treatment and the placebo response are dependent upon a variety of factors. First, the patient's expectations of treatment effects clearly influence the responses.For example, a study in England was done where a hundred men were told that they were taking chemotherapy, when in actuality they were taking inactive saline solution. Twenty percent of these men lost their hair, demonstrating the power of the belief of effects of the treatment. Second, the relationship between patient and care-provider is quite important in determining treatment or placebo results. If there is a positive rapport between the two, then most often there will be a positive enthusiasm for the treatment, and therefore a positive outcome, no matter if a placebo or pharmacologic treatment was used.The friendliness, interest, sympathy, prestige, and positive attitude of the care- provider toward the pati ent and toward the treatment are associated with positive effects of placebos as well as of active treatments. For example, in a double- blind study of dental extractions, two groups were compared: the first, where the doctors knew they would administer a narcotic analgesic, a placebo, or a narcotic antagonistic and the second, where the doctors knew they would administer either a placebo or narcotic antagonist. The patients from the first group who received placebo had significantly less pain.Since the two placebo groups were only different in the doctors' knowledge of possible treatment, this knowledge must have resulted in differences in behaviors by the doctor that influenced patient responses. Third, placebos have time- effect curves and peaks, cumulative and carryover effects after end of treatment which is quite similar to those of pharmacologically active medications. For example, â€Å"when varying doses of analgesic followed by a placebo are administered, patients' placeb o responses correspond in degree of pain relief over time to their original dosage of analgesic† (Turner).In addition, dose-response effects have also been documented where two placebo pills were demonstrated to have more pronounced effects than one. In recent decades studies have confirmed the efficacy of various sham treatments in nearly all areas of medicine. Placebos have helped alleviate pain, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory disorders and even cancer. These studies show that people’s perception of their treatment plays an important role in healing. In other words, people not only think that a drug or procedure will benefit them, but over time, they unconsciously associate the taking of medicine with relief.This essay has stated what the placebo effect is, how it will be used to care for a patient with given evidence and the restrictions of the placebo effect. Up to now medical science has not fully explained what is the cause or causes of the placebo effect. But it seems that it is the result of the patient’s expectation of an effect. The debate will continue concerning what constitutes a placebo, but whether doctors and researchers should continue to use them. Even some supporters of placebo use claim that it is such a loaded word that perhaps we should start using terms like â€Å"mind-body medicine† or â€Å"integrated healing† instead.But as long as many people believe that the placebo effect works, they're not likely to go away anytime soon. Work Cited â€Å"AMA American Medical Association. † http://www. ama-assn. org/. N. p. , 2012. Web. 29 Apr 2012. . Amaral, Julio Rocha and Renato M. E. Sabbatini. Placebo Effect The Power of the Sugar Pill. February 5,the Mysterious Placebo Effect, an article from Modern Drug Discovery Bates, Stephen. â€Å"Nothing helps: a placebo a day. † The Wilson Quarterly 35. 4 (2011): 15. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Clo ud, John. â€Å"How A Sugar Pill Can Heal (Or Hurt) You. † Time 174. 17 (2009): 59. TOPIC search. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. Easton MD â€Å"The placebo effect an amazing reality. † Sunday Star (Easton, MD) 1 Jul. 2007, Supplements HealthWise: NewsBank. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Friend, Tim. â€Å"The placebo effect: Gauging the mind's role in healing. † USA TODAY 15 Jun. 1993, FINAL, LIFE: 6D. NewsBank. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Herper, Matthew, and Robert Langreth. â€Å"The Nothing Cure. † Forbes 185. 5 (2010): 24. TOPICsearch. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Marglin, Elizabeth. The PLACEBO Effect. † Natural Health 40. 5 (2010): 68-95. Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. â€Å"The Powerful Placebo. † Harvard Men's Health Watch 12. 11 (2008): 4-6. Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Therapeutic Placebo Effect:A Mind/Body Connection. † placeboeffect. com 10 Apr 2012 . Turner, et al, â€Å"The importance of placebo e ffects in pain treatment and research†, JAMA, 1994: http://www. ovid. med. virginia. edu/ovidweb/ovidweb. cgi