Phi Delta Kappa

Phi Delta Kappa is an international organization for professional educators. The organization's mission is to promote quality education, with particular emphasis on publicly supported education, as essential to the development and maintenance of a democratic way of life. Each year Phi Delta Kappa conducts a Gallop Poll to see the publics view toward Public Schools. The poll tackles many different issues that are important in their own way, but the ones that interest me the, favoring or opposing a voucher system, zero tolerance polices, and school standards. One of the most controversial issues in the gallup poll is the usage of vouchers as a means of improving the quality of the public schools. It is suggested that doing so will promote competition between public and private schools and that competition will bring about improvement in the public schools. Opponents of the voucher plan believe that being able to use vouchers for religious schools will violate the separation of church and state established by the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. In addition, parents might be forced to send their children to a school of a different religion because no other schools are available. The result of the poll show that 47% favor vouchers, 48% oppose them and 5% don†t know. I am surprised that so many people support vouchers when there is no proof that private schools improve students academic achievement. Competition between public and private schools could affect the salaries of presevice teachers and whether or not a teacher can be hired in private schools because of their religion. The best public policy is to provide parents with even more choices within the public schools, which serve over 90% of children. Legislators should concentrate on making all public schools stronger, safer, more challenging, and accountable. Public tax dollars should be spent only to improve public schools – not to assist the limited numbers of parents who choose to enroll their children in private secular or religious schools. Concern over school crime and violence has also become a huge issue. It has prompted many public schools to take various measures to reduce and prevent drugs and violence and to ensure safety in schools. Such measures include adopting zero tolerance policies. The zero tolerance policies enact mandatory expulsion for violent or drug-related student misconduct. This forces preservice teachers to change the disciplinary structure of the classroom. The poll shows that 90% of the people favor zero tolerance and 10% oppose it. I feel that zero tolerance, as explained in the reading, is a fantastic thing. But when hearing about students suspended for having aspirin or even cough drops, leaves me to wonder whether zero tolerance policies are achieving their designated purpose. The response to zero tolerance by school districts is getting out of hand. Schools need to make sure that their focus is not on blind enforcement of a rule but on actively working to detect warning signs, counsel students and punish those involved with real drugs or weapons. A third critical issue is school standards. Achievement standards in the classroom is a very important thing. 57% of people think that the standards are about right and 33% think they are too low. Another issue about standards is social promotion. Social promotion means moving children from grade to grade in order to keep them with others in their age group. 2 % favored stricter standards for social promotion and 26% opposed. I agree with the majority in both these cases. School standard are about right but it is important for preservice teachers to know and keep up with the standards. It is also important for teachers to have stricter standards for social promotion even if more students are held back. It isn†t fair to send a slacking students to the next grade to another teacher that has to re-teach the curriculum of the previous grade just for a student to two. My view on vouchers is pretty clear. People who support them believe that it will improve public school because of competition. Competition is based on an even playing field; there is no fair competition when â€Å"competitors† play by different rules. Public schools have to accept all applicants; private schools don†t. Private schools are not required to provide transportation, special education, bilingual education, free and reduced lunches, and many other programs that public schools provide. I agree with zero tolerance but they are taking it too far. I can also understand the schools' rationale for zero tolerance. They are concerned about student safety and want to project the image that they are being tough on drugs and violence, but use some common sense. When it comes to the standards of student achievement I agree with the majority of the people polled, but many of the issues of the Phi Delta Kappa Gallup Poll I disagreed with because I feel that the people being polled are uneducated in the subject and don†t know how their opinion can affect schools.

National Honor Society Essay

Being nominated to become a member of the National Honor Society is a highly prestigious honor, and I am very grateful to be a candidate. I have always strove to do the best that I can to achieve the highest grades possible and to stand out amongst my peers. Not only do I focus on my academics, but I strive to be an outstanding asset to the student body throughout my years here at East Clinton High School as well. Getting admitted into the National Honor Society has been one of my goals since I first arrived here at high school, and I have recognized the standards for entry into the organization. I understand that to become an official member of the society, I need to acquire and demonstrate four key characteristics of an ideal National Honor Society member: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. To my acknowledgment, there are no questionable incidents that could be used to challenge my selection into the National Honor Society. I sustain a high grade point average of 3. 8 while engaging in college preparatory classes such as College English, Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, and – in a previous year – Biology 2. In addition to my current attending classes, I also take an online college math class that assists me in solving problems in real world situations. Education has been one of my first priorities since childhood, and I plan to further advance in my studies each day. I have in many ways shown my characteristic of scholarship. In addition to my scholastic achievements, I participate in various co-curricular activities that demonstrate my involvement with the school and community. I am a varsity athlete for the sports, tennis and track. This year I, along with my fellow tennis teammates were proud to present ourselves as the SBAAC League champions. In addition to that, we concluded the SBCN season with an undefeated title. It was my greatest pleasure to receive an SBAAC Scholar Athlete award from my tennis coach on the day of the awards ceremony. Spanish Club, headed by Mrs. Elizabeth De Leon, is a club that recognizes the Spanish culture and then incorporates the culture into entertaining service projects. I was one of several members to participate in a successful bake sale that raised just under 200 dollars. I was also a member of the Student Council my sophomore year, and together as an organization we successfully provided a wonderful homecoming for the student body. Above all, I was selected by my class advisor to represent the junior class as their Treasurer in the Prom Committee. As Treasurer, I am responsible for keeping track of as well as counting the incoming funds that are received from any fundraisers. In my spare time, I help raise money by volunteering to work at the concession stands for sporting events as well as any fundraiser that is active at the moment. I attend all Prom Committee meetings with an open mind and ready to formulate new ideas for the committee. Key Club, an international organization which provides service, is an organization I am proud to represent. I have pledged to uphold the objects of Key Club International since my freshman year to present day. I have participated in many service projects within Key Club. Some projects that I have aided in or with are the Ho Ho Shop, Sabina’s Historical Society Museum for Christmas around Sabina, and Highway Clean Up. Moreover, I was honored with the privilege to attend a leadership camp held by Kiwanis International in Ashley, Ohio. With the selection from my Key Club advisors, I was able to travel to a 3-day camp that was accompanied by inspiring students from other schools from all over south Ohio. There, I learned the principals of being a good leader, and also lead groups in assigned projects. At the camp, you were able to find inspired, motivated young adults who were kind and open-hearted. Being surrounded by peers who were comprised of excellent qualities enabled me to comfortably present myself and my character in an assertive manner. At school, I contribute my service by aiding teachers and students. As a junior, I offered to assist teachers with their work whether it may be grading papers or filing their documents. In addition, I was a library helper the first semester of this year. To conclude, my amount of service activity participation has demonstrated that the characteristic, ‘service’, is present. Taking on the position of Treasurer and a Student Council member are both examples of my leadership. However, I am a Yearbook Editor in School Publications as well. I am one of twelve yearbook editors that construct the contents of the yearbook. With such a position, it is imperative to attend events in which are in relation to what you were assigned. Being a part of the junior class fundraising and obtaining the position of Treasurer for Prom Committee is admirable. If being in Prom Committee has taught me anything, it is that you have set your priorities and acknowledge your responsibilities and to follow through with them. The Committee has taught me a great deal about being a leader.

Emily Dickinson Essay

Emily Dickinson’s poem â€Å"I like the look of Agony† focuses people’s attention on great suffering and death. I personally find it to be cold and extremely cruel yet naturally truthful. Contrary to what it may seem, liking the look of agony is not a sadistic manner. It artistically implies how people respond to emotional sufferings and heartache. The poem itself shows the dramatic device of literature, which could be one way of showing her uniqueness and weirdness entertaining herself to go beyond the social norm. The author puts the sentence â€Å"I like the look of agony† at the beginning not because she likes looking to people who is in agony but rather, she is just having the intense interest of the way we absorb emotional sufferings, pain and the agony especially when death of a love one occurs. And it is so surprising to the reader to read the first line being so direct with extreme cruelty. Different emotions occurs and may be expressed inappropriately when we come to realize that death is unavoidable. Some people tend to control their emotions and try to have a full power on them. They feel comfortable out of it. It is called defense mechanism. Refer to the second line, which I personally believe that it is the heart of the poem, â€Å"Because I know it’s true. † She must have gotten a lot of untrue looks and hated them because she was a painfully shy and homely woman. We can speculate that the untrue looks are looks of interest or even attraction to her: looks of friendship, admiration and love. She doesn’t trust all those things, only the agony of dying, â€Å"Homely Anguish† -the personification of love. We know that most people often fear death, whereas we should be aware of the fact that everyone of us will come to an end and death is close to us. Suffering does not have to be associated with fear. We have to perceive that death is an event and it’s happening to everyone of us. We just have to stand and be prepared to face it. Agony is somewhat like having a cancer. How an excruciating pain of someone who is suffering from severe cancer feels like. This is the moment were we can be genuinely honest on how we truly feels. We don’t assume or pretend, but just live the moment and don’t even know how to gain control of it. None of us can deceive the physical appearance to go along an agony. In my view, death is something that we have to be prepared. It is unstoppable and beyond anyone’s control. We just have to accept that each one of us is uncertain when coming to an end. Lastly, I agree with what the author has trying to tell us, to be ready to face the last pace of life death. Analyzing this poem of Dickinson is one way of seeing the positive look of agony and death, which is to express the deepest emotions on a highly emotional incident involving the lost of someone.

Muir and Wordsworth Essay

Thesis Statement, Opening Paragraph, evidence & conclusion REVISED While both poets Muir and Wordsworth wrote about the happy feelings that they have towards nature the beautiful outdoors or what some people may say Mother Nature, some of which the feelings are the same and some that are different as they speak of the different plants. In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.† – John Muir Nature does not only show the beauty of the Earth, but it shows the beauty within us. So then, is it not easy to say that both of these authors have great beauty within them? After reading both â€Å"Calypso Borealis,† -John Muir and â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† -William Wordsworth, I can boldly state that with their loving choice of diction, tone, and use of syntax they clearly show that they truly admire nature and their surroundings. People say â€Å"Nature is the best medicine.† I know exactly what they mean. Sometimes, I’m fe eling down because something didn’t go right, or has popped up in my life. After a enjoying a beautiful morning, outside with the nature I’m back in my right state of mind. If you felt the emotion in this scene, the works of two authors, John Muir and William Wordsworth, would certainly catch your eye. â€Å"Calypso Borealis† by Muir and the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by Wordsworth are two beautiful pieces of literature written very differently, but with key similarities, one of them being nature. The powerful emotions within the unique tone and personalities of the two authors not only expressed their relationships with nature, it allowed the reader to connect with the feelings of the author both visually and mentally. When you first read these two pieces of literature, you’ll find yourself captivated wonderfully in a descriptive world. In â€Å"Calypso Borealis† Muir has a particularly vivid section in which the main character off on an excursion into a swamp surrounding the great lakes. Starting on his journey, Muir is greeted by a diversity of flora. He marvels in the plants and happily soaks up natures treasures. Muir creatively informs the reader just how much the main character truly loves nature. The same marvel and beauty is shared in the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.† After a long climb over a high hill he finds his reward a valley shining with a huge field of daffodils. â€Å"Besides the lakes, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in  the breeze.† As Wordsworth explains the scene. As each scene pops out of the poem, a new addition to the painting in your mind appears each time. The painting may vary from person to person, but I believe the sam e sense of awe is present with every mind. The portions cited are just the beginning of these two works; enough to splash your mind with colors and emotions, but later parts are what truly makes them worth reading. â€Å"Calypso Borealis† turns from revelation to a desperate situation. Weary and empty, the main character prepares to spend the night in the wet swamp, in a tree nest. Just as the sun was about to set, the future very unpredictable, when â€Å"Everything seemed most dangerous and discouraging†, the story continues, â€Å"I found beautiful Calypso on the mossy bank of stream.† Overwhelmed by the purity and beauty of the Calypso, he collapses by the flower and cries. This rather quick change of pace I what kept me reading, and the fact the Calypso was so beautiful it made the main character break down in tears. Imagine finding the glorious treasure you’ve been seeking the entire time. The change of tone from depressing to overwhelmingly happy is similar to the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.† In the last stanza, when Wordsworth is sitting on his couch, lonely and depressed, he remembers the beautiful scene overlooking the field of daffodils and is instantly uplifted with joy. Wordsworth describes it as, â€Å"In vacant or in pensive mood they flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude.† The marvelous change of tones in these two works makes them a rollercoaster of emotions. If you are very emotional person, these two pieces of literature will certainly touch you. The poem â€Å"Calypso Borealis† by John Muir and the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth two great works centered on nature that contain vivid imagery and emotional changes of tone the pictures in your mind are the illustrations, your emotions are the story, and nature is the cover. These two works inspired by events in the 19th century are different in many areas, but not the emotional and colorful images they provoke.

Using Mental Force of The Employees Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Using Mental Force of The Employees - Thesis Example People pursue good health and will do anything new that will help them to live a better life. Corporates too do the same by pursuing strategies of improvements and breakthroughs that create new products and new markets. This is a continuous exercise and any let up, in health or corporate endeavours will invite a decline. Innovations are the engine that persuaded the corporates to innovate. The source of innovation is usually the entrepreneur. These are individuals that come up with new ideas of what the market is likely to want or desire. These people have usually gathered this knowledge through interaction with consumers. Sometimes it is the imaginative impulsive desire on their part to offer something new or different, at other times it is an improvement on previous knowledge. However in a corporate or large organisation environment it is often the employees who come up with innovative ideas because of their close contacts with consumers of the product or service of the company. They are very close to the ground realities and can be a great source of finding out the consumer desires or preferences. Although they are employees, they have the entrepreneurial spirit to meet the expectations. This gives them the same satisfaction an entrepreneur would feel on the success and acceptance of his innovative idea. Despite the fact that the urge to innovate exists equally in the entrepreneur and an employee, the larger companies usually ignore the employee contribution. There are not many companies that rely on their employees to contribute towards innovations. Some companies are seen to make a half hearted effort by offering reward for new or innovative ideas to their employees but there is no regulated or organised effort in this direction. There can be some results through rewards but these are few and far in between and just an improvement of the existing product or service and do not fall into the class of an innovation. It has been understood for very

Business Ethics and Deontology SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics and Deontology SLP - Essay Example I am the chief accountant of the company and so responsible for payments of these tenders. My work involves processing of payments and writing of cheques for these suppliers. In the process of doing my work, I realized that some of the tenders were awarded against the company rules, and this is considered to be unethical (Barry, 2000). The ethical problem here is that a supplier was given a tender for supplying computers in our company. When you look at the price quoted, you realize that it is much higher than other suppliers. The question is how did it happen? Why did it happen? Who were responsible for the process of awarding the tender? What was the objective of awarding the tender? As an accountant, I demanded to get all the answers for the above questions (Barry, 2000). This made me stop the payment process and start making inquiries. Management meeting was called very first and the main agenda was computer supply allocation. As a business entity, our main objective is to reduce cost and maximize profit. We realized that of all applicants, the person who supplied computers were the most expensive. One of the senior managers of the company gave an explanation that the person was given the tender because of the quality goods he assured the company. When you compare what the company had previously with the new computers, no difference was realized. That is when I realized that there was some vested interest by some of the managers to award tenders to their friends so that the suppliers can inflate the prices. Deontology refers to moral obligation and undertaking of duties with the right motives (Darwall, 2003). In this case, the deontological implication of this problem is poor management relations. This is because as a company, we have managers responsible for each department within the organization. It is the managers’ duty to give directions on what is expected. For our case, a group of managers decided to go against the company rules

SKILLS AND LEARNING STATEMENT (SLS) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

SKILLS AND LEARNING STATEMENT (SLS) - Assignment Example With further discussions, I chose HDFC (Housing Development and Finance Corporation) India as the bank on which my RAP will be focused. The bank had currently undergone an ICT innovation initiative for improving its performance and increasing its customer’s base (Rajan, 2010). My objective was to evaluate the bank’s performance before and after the introduction of the integrated multichannel in its operations. In the meeting with my project mentor, we discussed my strengths and weaknesses. I discovered that I was technically strong in literature writing however I was worried about the project analysis .With the help of my mentor, I outlined the structure of the project and he suggested ways to acquire information about the research project. According to him, the RAP should have a suitable structure, illustrative, conciseness, clarity with factual accuracy. Before my second meeting with my mentor, I was prepared with the draft of my project. My project was almost over an d I was just left with the conclusion and recommendation part. After going through the draft of my RAP, my mentor identified some errors on the referencing and Part one of the RAP. According to my mentor, the drafted RAP does not fully explain the reasons for choosing my project topic area and neither provided him with an understanding of the overall framework. He guided me with more information and asked me to make amendments but assured me that the overall approach of the project was satisfactory. He assured me the timetable I have been following is good enough to meet my project deadline. The reassurance and encouragement that the project approach is going on the right direction, helped my confidence. In third meeting with my mentor, I gave a presentation of my project. Before this meeting I had already provided my mentor with the draft of my RAP. This meeting included a 15 minutes presentation. The presentation helped overcome my fear of speaking in public and enhanced my orator y skill. I am an introvert and often stay behind in company’s meetings. I was overcome with fear during the presentation to my mentor and his partner. In the presentation, my mentor recommended some changes. He advised me to keep the language totally business-oriented without use of colloquial terms. The language had to be lucid as well as professional. My mentor commented on my nervousness. There were certain changes he recommended for example, the colour combination, referencing, structure, evidences and outcomes. He mentioned that timing is an important factor to consider in presentations. The presentation enhanced my communication skills and made me learn how to conduct while presenting a project- one should be aware of the right gesture, facial expression and stances. The presentation enabled me to exercise introspection and I am now confident that I can take a lead in office meetings. 2. How well do you think that you have answered your research question(s)? While doing the RAP I had proposed four research questions. Research questions are very important, as they determine the formal aim of the study. The research questions formulated by me clearly stated what the study is going to investigate and efforts had been made by me to address the questions properly. The first proposed research question is â€Å"