Critical Thinking at Work Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking at Work Essay The aforementioned â€Å"Rational Model† actually entails following 4 processes including: First of all is to pinpoint or identify the problem; second is to bring into being diverse alternatives/answers to the problem that has just been identified; third is to choose or pick a solution from the second stage or process; and last but not least is to implement the chosen solution before finally assessing it (Decision Making, n. d. ). The description provided will be further understood in the following example taken from my personal experience at the William Smith Sr. Tri-County Early Head Start. Example from My Personal Experience at William Smith Sr. Tri-County Early Head Start Keith A. , a student of the William Smith Sr. Tri-County Early Head Start has often been exhibiting temper tantrums. There are times when he would throw objects at other kids, slap them, lash out at them, etc. He does not seem to know how to calm down. The same thing happened during one of the weekly field trips. All of a sudden, he pushed his seatmate in the bus, yelled at her, and then eventually hit her. Following that incident, a school official seated behind him stood up and sat next to him. I thought she was just going to speak to the child, remind him that what he did was an unacceptable behavior, and oblige him to apologize to his seatmate, etc. But instead of doing so, he held the boy’s hands tightly and angrily told him to behave. When the young boy yelled at the school official, he held Keith’s cheek tightly, said â€Å"you better show some respect young man†. Keith spit at the school official as a response and so he was slapped in return. I did not protect the child. I did not have the courage to tell the school official that he should not treat the young boy that way even if what he did was wrong. Later that day, I was torn between telling the truth and just letting the occurrence pass. I knew in my heart that what the school official did was wrong. It clearly defies the philosophy/vision/mission, as well as, goals of the programs offered in William Smith Sr. Tri-County Early Head Start (William Smith, Sr. , Tri-County Child Development Council, Inc. , n. d. ). I would like to tell the head of the school about what I saw so that the school official who did that to Keith would be subjected to disciplinary action/s and so that such an untoward incident would never happen again because if it did so many students will probably be traumatized if that is how they will be treated if they misbehaved. It is quite difficult on my part to go to the head of the school though and relay what I had just witnessed earlier that day because I am only an ordinary â€Å"rank-and-file employee†. It would be my word as an ordinary employee against the high and mighty school official. It could mean loss of a job on my part. Importance/Benefits of Critical Thinking in the Decision-making Process I utilized the â€Å"Rational Model† here. First, I have identified the problem, which is whether or not to report the untoward incident that I witnessed. Second, I have realized the choices: a) I will tell the head about it to prevent such occurrence in the future; or b) I will just keep it to myself so as to keep my job as well. Third is to pick choice â€Å"a† because it is the right thing to do. Finally, carry it out. Critical thinking played a large role in the decision-making process that I had engaged in since I was able to balance/weigh everything before I moved. Without the â€Å"Rational Model† and without the process of critical thinking, I would not be able to decide objectively and probably arrived at the wrong/unethical decision. References Decision Making. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 17, 2008 from http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:ycQOog9jFygJ:www. unf. edu/~gbaker/Man6204/Decision. PDF+decision-making+modelshl=tlct=clnkcd=2gl=phclient=firefox-a William Smith, Sr. , Tri-County Child Development Council, Inc. (n. d. ). About Us. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from http://www. wsstricounty. org/About. html

Catal Huyuk was a Civilization Essay examples -- essays research paper

Catal Huyuk was a Civilization According to archaeologist in order to be defined as a civilization certain criteria must be met. Early archaeologists believed in order to be considered a civilization a society must have cultural superiority, which meant they must have the ability to read and write. If this was the sole criteria used to judge if a society was labeled a civilization, then you could say the Inca of South America, who constructed cities on top of mountains and had a complex system of irrigation canals, were not one because they did not have a system for reading or writing. Modern archaeologists now think of civilization as not better but different. The modern definition of civilization consists of the development of cities, or urbanization, the existence of a centralized political unit, a dense population in the thousands and a degree of organizational complexity. After reading and listening to class lecture I believe that Catal Huyuk should be considered a civilization. As you read on I will discuss point by point why I feel Catal Huyuk was a civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Signs of craft specialization are very apparent at Catal Huyuk. There are a variety tools and weapons made from obsidian, flint, stone and bone. A process called flint knapping, or chipping, was used to shape a stone, like flint, into a sharp tool which could be used in arrowheads. Another process that was used in making tools was called grounding. This involved using two ston...

Educational Coaches Essay

Educational or instructional coaches – also called â€Å"master teachers† – in elementary and secondary education are facilitators who train other teachers to improve instructional practices and generate higher levels of student achievement (Buly et al, 2004). Specifically, they are trained to serve as support for schools and districts experiencing â€Å"market failure;† i. e. , that have large numbers of students unable to meet state and federal achievement standards (Buly et al, 2004). This document is written as an outline to provide qualitative and quantitative evidence (in economic and real terms) that justifies educational managers (elementary, middle and high school principals, superintendents and school board members) utilizing educational/instructional coaches to achieve the following goals: (1) improving aggregate output through schools’ and districts’ overall level of student achievement on state- and/or federally-mandated testing, and (2) improving micro-level behavior through resource allocation, individual classroom management, implementation of learning strategies and instruction of subject matter. The following is a summary of the main points of this document: †¢ Discussion of what educational/instructional coaches are and their estimated microeconomic impact on students’ and teachers’ performances †¢ Discussion of district and schools’ economic costs and factors including fiscal policy, funding sources, overall output and the impact of budgetary decisions such as hiring educational/instructional coaches †¢ An econometric case study: regression analysis of schools in Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida that utilize educational/instructional coaches Definition The field of education, unlike some markets, is not perfectly competitive. Individual buyers (students) and sellers (teachers) do have the ability to significantly influence the cost and quality of education. Consequently, educators continuously strive to make the educational marketplace more efficient and productive; i. e. , they search for methods and tools that improve the process of and environment for learning and address the diverse and changing needs of teachers and students. Unfortunately, the field of education is constrained by limits, and the equitable and efficient distribution of income (state and federal funding) and other resources (teachers) remains an issue that managers (educational administrators such as superintendents, school board members and principals) must address annually. In 1989, an educational organization called the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) developed America’s Choice, a school design model based on high quality instructional materials, technical support and professional development for teachers (NCEE, 2009). Educational/instructional coaches are a central component of America’s Choice (NCEE, 2009). The goal of this paper is to determine whether or not educational managers are making the most fiscally responsible decision when hiring educational/instructional coaches to meet district- and school-based needs. While educational/instructional coaches are an often-used solution in some school districts, managers have other alternatives available to provide support to teachers and students in the classroom. These options utilize different methods of resource allocation. One alternative to â€Å"classroom coaching† is making capital improvements. An example of a capital improvement is upgrading a district’s and/or school’s technological infrastructure. This would involve purchasing computers and/or networks with more memory and larger capacities for data storage and manipulation, increasing the value and useful life of a district’s or school’s technological infrastructure. This could also involve purchasing software such as web-based educational tools for both students and teachers to use. Another option is additional training for teachers through in-service workshops (training provided during the school day) or additional education courses (college and/or university level). A third alternative is realignment of the student-teacher ratio based on aggregate demand; i. e. , the total demand (number of students) for goods (teachers/classes) and services (instruction) in the educational market (classroom). A fourth alternative is awarding financial bonuses to teachers with high or greatly improved student achievement rates. Educational/Instructional Coaches: Their Economic Costs and Factors When evaluating the benefits of using educational/instructional coaches, educational managers must ask themselves, â€Å"What are the accounting and opportunity costs of this decision? † In other words, managers need to determine expenses like salary, benefits, health insurance for the educational/instructional coaches; they also must construct the benefits of other educational options. According to payscale. com, a global, online compensation database, the average salary for K-12 public school teachers in the United States is $42,000 annually for a nine-month school year (Payscale, Inc. , 2009). Educational coaches are often at the top tier for teachers’ salaries and make on average $52,000 each year (Payscale, Inc. , 2009). Thus, the opportunity cost of hiring an educational coach at a school is, on average, $52,000 annually. An educational manager have an additional $52,000 (plus the cost of insurance and benefits) within his/her budget to invest in computer hardware, software, training for existing teachers, or actually hiring a new teacher (thereby reducing the teacher/student ratio). If a school principal hired more than one educational coach – many schools have one for every major academic discipline – the costs would be even greater. Across a school district, the aggregate costs would be much larger. For example, Duval County Public Schools is a school district in Jacksonville, Florida, has 160 schools, and uses America’s Choice, employing educational coaches at all 160 schools (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). At the very least, Duval County Public Schools’ accounting cost for hiring 160 educational coaches would be (on average) approximately 8. 32 million dollars annually, not including benefits and insurance. While educational managers must consider costs, they must also contend with economic factors. There are a wide range of economic factors that affect educational managers’ ability to hire educational coaches. Some of the most important are federal and state government policies, school district management, taxation, and student achievement levels. Before educational managers can make hiring decisions, school districts must meet state and federal approval through accreditation (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). Accreditation is the process by which â€Å"an official body gives authority to something when recognized standards are met† (Lindberg, Ed. , 2004, p. 8). The governing body for public schools in the southern part of the United States is the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS). In October 2008, SACS awarded Duval County Public Schools full accreditation, which indicates the district complied with meeting state and federal standards for student achievement (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). Schools must be accredited to hire new staff. Thus, the accreditation process was necessary before educational managers could hire educational coaches. Another factor affecting the hiring process is district management. Before principals can finalize hiring any new educators, including educational coaches, the new hires must be approved by the school board (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). The school board is â€Å"a local authority responsible for the provision and maintenance of schools† (Lindberg, Ed. , 2004, p. 1220). In Duval County Public Schools, for example, the school board must vote on whether or not they approve principals hiring educational coaches. Another factor affecting the hiring of educational coaches is funding. Funding for school districts is a fiscal policy issue and comes from a combination of local, state and federal sources (Howell & Miller, 1997). Local funding is generally financed by property taxes (Howell & Miller, 1997). State financing is generally through sales taxation (Howell & Miller, 1997). Both local and state taxation are affected by state policy decisions and voting decisions of the population (Howell & Miller, 1997). For example, a governor may issue a proposition to reduce property taxes across a state. If the population votes to accept the tax reduction, the funds available to make hiring decisions are reduced. While federal monies are financed through national income tax, these come to schools and schools districts via an assortment of federally mandated programs, often for at-risk student populations (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). For example, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is the most recent federal education legislation. Enacted in 2001, NCLB is an initiative of former U. S. President George W. Bush and it authorizes the distribution of educational grants for low-income students, textbooks, professional development for educators and more (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). Often a school’s student population determines how much and if that school can receive federal funding (U. S. Department of Education, 2007) Thus, government policy decisions at the local, state and federal levels affect educational managers’ decisions to hire educational coaches. A final factor that determines whether or not educational managers hire educational coaches is actual student achievement. If a school has a significant number of students not meeting state and federal achievement standards, educational managers seek solutions through options like educational coaches. For example, in Duval County Public Schools, William M. Raines High School has a student population characterized by low-incomes and low test scores (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). The school district also contains Stanton High School, rated

World Economy from 1850 Until Today - 3262 Words

Analyze the development of the world economy from 1850 until present day. Constantly changing, the world economy will never be the same as it was a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. It might repeat itself in a similar manner or proceed in cycles but because of globalization it never stagnates and there is endless activity. Two hundred years in the past, our society and economy was radically different and went through multiple phases to reach where we are today. Though the boundaries of these phases cannot be specifically defined, the world economy from 1850 until present day can be roughly split up into three different stages. The first stage being British dominance, the second being American domination, and lastly globalization†¦show more content†¦Indeed Europe colonized Africa and Asia only after the Industrial Revolution and European industries got a lot of raw materials from their colonies. Reliable transportation and military technology from the Industrial Revolution made colonization a very easy task, thus leading to Imperialism. Th e ideas of Karl Marx, the founder of communism and an opponent of industrialization, blamed the capitalist society for imperialism; â€Å"imperialism is the highest form of capitalism†. Marx believed in a cycle, which would always lead back to a communist revolution because of the tension between the proletariat and the ruling bourgeoisie class. He wanted a â€Å"dictatorship of the proletariat† in which case the class divisions would disappear and everyone would be equal. Nonetheless, Karl Marx was not the only influential figure who had his own opinions on how a country and its economy should function. Adam Smith, a philosopher of modern capitalism, had very different thoughts from Marx. His basic ideas revolved around minimum state intervention and maximum free trade. Smith was a free market capitalist and visualized a country where the government cuts it’s spending and lets the economy recover, grow, or fail. In the middle of these two poles lie the theories of John Maynard Keynes. According to him the government should invest money (unlike free market capitalists) soShow MoreRelatedThe California Gold Rush Essay1637 Words   |  7 Pages Not only did the Gold Rush lead to California’s admittance into the Union in 1850, it also rekindled the idea of the American Dream. Hundred’s of thousands of people poured into the state by the lure of quick and infinite riches. As a result of the Gold Rush, California eventually became an advanced technologic, and agrarian state, which would help pave the roads to urban development and a very capitalistic economy. The California Gold Rush jump-started the development of California as a stateRead MoreCalifornia Gold Rush Essay1715 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Gold Rush prompt California s permission into the Union in 1850, it additionally revived the possibility of the American Dream. Hundred s of thousands of individuals filled the state by the draw of brisk and unending wealth. Because of the Gold Rush, California in the end turned into a progressed technologic, and agrarian state, which would help clear the streets to urban advancement and an exceptionally industrialist economy. The California Gold Rush kicked off the advancement of CaliforniaRead MoreThe Gold Rush And Discrimination1668 Words   |  7 Pagesacross the country and around the world that attracted hundreds of thousands of gold seekers from different areas came to California. Moreover, in the December 5, 1948, President James K. 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