Blue Print for Personal and Professional Growth Essay Example for Free

Blue Print for Personal and Professional Growth Essay This course has provided me with a multitude of tools, and it has definitely taught me to put careful thought into every situation as it pertains to change; whether it relates to work, school, or things that are going on in my personal life. These tools are both important and necessary in order to become an effective manager in the future. This course has taught me a lot in terms of initiating and managing change, and Kotter’s eight-stage process is a very useful approach when it comes to making changes within an organization. This course has helped me strengthen my skills in overcoming barriers that tend to get and make it difficult to keep up with the change process. For me, the most interesting part of the course was learning about how today’s organizations are constantly evolving to accommodate change and learning about the tools that are required in order to work through those barriers that are known to effect efficient and positive change within organizations. To become an effective change advocate, it will be important for me to understand that although the change process can become somewhat difficult, it is possible when the necessary steps are applied to the change process. In addition to believing that change is possible, it is also important to carefully plan for change to assure that the process has been carefully thought out before attempting to apply changes within an organization. Being creative and motivated will also help me to become an effective change advocate as being creative will allow me to step outside of my comfort zone and think outside of the box while being motivated will help build momentum among myself and my employees as well as trust. Being creative will also give me the courage to take risks. Finally, to become an effective change advocate, it will be important for me to be flexible when it comes to change so that I will be able to adjust to any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. Leadership for Change: Enduring Skills for Change Masters Upon reviewing Kanter’s Article, â€Å"Leadership for Change: Enduring Skills for Change Master’s†, I found that of the seven skills described by Kanter, one area of weakness is skill #1: Sensing Needs and Opportunities: Tuning in to the Environment. As the author states, â€Å"Innovation begins with someone being aware enough to sense a new need† (Kanter, 2003). Being a person who has always struggled with adapting to new things, I would definitely benefit from strengthening this skill so that I am equipped with the necessary tools that will allow me to sense when there is a need for change as well as being able to identify the gaps between what is and what could be. Another weak area for me is skill #4: Enlisting Backers and Supporters: Getting Buy-Ins, Building Coalitions†. Strengthening this skill will allow me to bring on board the right people who are needed to help successfully implement the change as having too many people involved with the process could cause a delay in the implementation of the change, or could result in failure. This will require me to communicate my vision in order to find out who is receptive of the change and who is resistant as well ask finding out exactly who I will need to help with the change process. In order to further strengthen my management skills, I will continue with my program at Walden University until I have earned a Master’s degree in the field of management. This program will prepare me to successfully manage my employees and projects as well as how to face some of the critical challenges that exist in today’s society. I will also refer to the tools that have been provided to me in this course as I am sure they will serve as a guide in my quest to enter into the management arena as well as my personal life when change becomes necessary. When it comes to change, it is important to be able to determine both the reason for the change and why it is necessary. I will use the skills that I’ve gained in this course by applying them to changes that take place in my personal life and in my professional life, when applicable. When I am involved in the change process, I will make sure to follow Kotter’s eight-stage process to ensure that the change is implemented successfully and will little or no interferences.

John Locke Essays -- Empiricists, Empiricism

John Locke believes that man ought to have more freedom in political society than John Stuart Mill does. John Locke's The Second Treatise of Government and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty are influential and potent literary works which while outlining the conceptual framework of each thinkers ideal state present two divergent visions of the very nature of man and his freedom. John Locke and John Stuart Mill have different views regarding how much freedom man ought to have in political society because they have different views regarding man's basic potential for inherently good or evil behavior, as well as the ends or purpose of political societies. In order to examine how each thinker views man and the freedom he ought to have in political society it is necessary to define freedom or liberty from each philosophers perspective. In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke states his belief that all men exist in "a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of t heir possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man. " (Locke 4) Locke believes that man exists in a state of nature and thus exists in a state of uncontrollable liberty which has only the law of nature to restrict it, which is reason. (Locke 5) However Locke does state that man does not have the license to destroy himself or any other creature in his possession unless a legitimate purpose requires it. Locke emphasizes the ability and opportunity to own and profit from property as being necessary to be free. In On Liberty John Stuart Mill defines liberty in relation to three spheres; each successive sphere progressively encompasses and defines more elements relating to political society. The first sphere consists of the individuals "inward domain of consciousness; demanding liberty of conscious in the most comprehensive sense; liberty of thought and feeling; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological." (Mill 13) The second sphere of Mill's definition encompasses the general freedoms which allow an individual to freely peruse a "...life to suit our own character; of doing as we like..." (Mill 13). Mill also states that these freedoms must not be interfered with by "fellow crea... ...ave left an indelible mark on the concept of freedom in political societies. John Locke favours greater freedom for man in political society than does John Stuart Mill does. Their beliefs regarding the nature of man and the purpose of the state are bound to their respective views regarding freedom because one position perpetuates and demands a conclusion regarding another. Locke system for dealing with man freedom and all other related matters severely limits the role of state to strictly guaranteeing individual freedom. This is the best method of preventing the perversion and abuse of the role and power of the state. Locke views simply stem from his faith in man and his potential to succeed independently, which collectively promotes the prosperity of the state. Mill does not implicitly trust or distrust man and therefore does not explicitly limit freedom, in fact he does define freedom in very liberal terms, however he does leave the potential for unlimited intervention into the personal freedoms of the individual by the state. This nullifies any freedoms or rights individuals are said to have because they subject to the whims and fancy of the state. from: ksampson@mustang.uwo.ca

Prejudice, Stereotypes, and Discrimination Essay

â€Å"We all decry prejudice, yet are all prejudiced. † Herbert Spencer. One of the greatest problem that our world faces is prejudice, we discrimination and stereotype those that we find not to be the same as us or even slightly different. In some form or another we all have experience some form of stereotype or discrimination. It has an effect on the way we think and act. Here we try to understand the reason for prejudice, why we stereotypes and discrimination that has continue to affect out world. What is prejudice? â€Å"Prejudice is the act of judging an individual of a certain group based on perceived notions about that particular group. Prejudice is linked to discrimination but prejudice is an attitude whereas discrimination is the action associated with that attitude. †(Prejudice 2001). Many times we dislike something or someone just because they look or act differently from us. â€Å"A group that you are a part of is called your in-group. Ingroups might include gender, race, or city or state of residence, as well as groups you might intentionally join, like Kiwanis or a bowling league. A group that you do not identify with is called your outgroup. † ( Feenstra, 2013) everyone belongs to a certain group and we all know who is in our group and those that do not fit in our groups. Most time adult do not realize when they somehow out a person from there groups, but some do it intentionally. When we out a person from our group we really do not take the time to get to know or find out who they are, but we tend to pass judgment on them anyways. â€Å"Stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics of particular groups or members of those groups. †( Feenstra, 2013) people tend to place into categories things and people, gathering them together without learn who or what they are. For example; that everyone that speaks Spanish is Mexican, when in reality there is a total of 21 Spanish country and they do not all speak the same Spanish. When we stereotype people into groups, we form opinion about them without getting to know there person, this sometime causing prejudice and discrimination against them. â€Å"They not only reflect beliefs about the traits that characterize the typical member of a group but also contain information about other qualities, such as social roles, the degree to which members of the group share a quality, and emotional reactions. Stereotypes imply a substantial amount of other information about a person besides what is immediately apparent and generate expectations about individual group members beyond the current situation ). One important time frame in the world would be the holocaust were the Jewish people were separated from other people because they were believed to be lower than the German and the cause of their problem lead them to torture and abuse the Jewish people as well as kill thousands of Jewish men woman and children. The people that suffer the most from prejudice and any form of discrimination are woman and children especially those living in third world country were at time it is the root of wars. I have been lucky not have been affected by any form of prejudice or discrimination. But as a teen in high school there was always that one person that felt like stereotyping a few people to try to hurt them. Only thru education can we combat any form of stereotypes, discrimination and Prejudice. In conclusion stereotypes, discrimination and Prejudice has influence the way people think and act. It has been the cause of suffering to those effected, as well as the cause of war and separation. Prejudice is a form of ignorance; it is a lack of knowledge, a lack of understanding toward others. Thru education and tolerances we can learn to accept other no matter where they.

Assessments In Physical Education - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1479 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/23 Category Education Essay Level High school Tags: Physical Education Essay Did you like this example? The importance of assessment in education appears to be at an all-time high. In many schools, physical education teachers and programs are being tasked with documenting evidence of student learning and progress. In addition to assessing student learning in their specific content area, physical education teachers are often being asked to address literacy goals and to demonstrate their effectiveness through quality assessment measures (Mercier, Whitley, Manson, 2014). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Assessments In Physical Education" essay for you Create order To increase the apparent value of PE and justify its importance as a part of students well-rounded education, physical educators need to examine the means by which they define, measure and report student achievement in the physical education setting, and commit to developing and implementing quality assessment (Sundaresan, Dashoush, Shangraw, 2017). Though assessment in physical education is not new, a national focus on teacher evaluation systems including the use of student achievement scores is indeed new. Added attention has been given to the implementation of Common Core Learning Standards in all subject areas, including physical education. Physical educators are now being charged with implementing literacy concepts throughout their curriculum. Although many effective physical educators have incorporated literacy concepts into their curriculum for decades, recent reform efforts have placed the added expectation of documenting student learning in physical education (Lundvall, 2015). While many teachers continue to ignore the practice of assessing student achievement in physical education, the trend of an increased focus on assessment has failed to go away. Recent administrative pressure to include student assessment data in teacher evaluation systems is yet another indicator assessments of student outcomes are here to stay for all teachers. Though there is a strong tradition of assessing teacher practice in physical education, standardized measures of student achievement in physical education are relatively new (Mercier Doolittle, 2013). Physical education teachers often cite the lack of time to administer assessments, the inability to maintain a fun environment, and the lack of agreement between physical education goals and established assessments as reasons for not assessing students in physical education (Baghurst, 2014). However, if physical education is to be viewed as an integral part of the curriculum, assessment is necessary to help ensure a quality physical education program for students, to provide feedback to teachers concerning their performance and the effect of their programs, to provide program justification, and to contribute to the accountability of the PE profession (Constantinou, 2017). Todays physical education assessments vary greatly. Some educators focus on learning, others on skill development, and others on enjoyment or effort. Many combine more than one of these components to develop a more uniform and standardized assessment. Physical fitness tests are extremely popular worldwide as a standardized measure and are often a requirement of a state or national curriculum (Fisette Franck, 2012). Most physical education experts caution against training students to perform well on fitness tests. Instead, there is consensus in the profession that physical education should promote enjoyable physical activity, help develop motor skills, and provide opportunities to engage in a wide range of physical activities, both now and in the future. If fitness scores were to be used for teacher evaluation, decision makers should be prepared to see physical education move away from lifelong physical activities toward mere physical training (Mercier Doolittle, 2013). In addition, although training students to do well on fitness tests may improve fitness test scores, it may also contribute to students developing negative feelings about participating in physical activity. Fitness testing has previously been shown to decrease positive attitudes toward physical education, and fitness testing is the most common negative memory adults have of physical education. With this in mind, it is important for physical educators to be aware of the long-term effect fitness testing may have on their students (Georgakis, Wilson, Evans, 2015). Fitness testing should be part of a quality physical education program including instruction on fitness education. A concern with using fitness tests to evaluate student achievement is they may not serve as an accurate assessment tool because students scores could easily be affected by factors such as genetics, effort, motivation, and the testing environment (Mercier Doolittle, 2013). A disconnect currently exists between fitness testing and fitness education. Fitness testing is too often an isolated event, the purpose of which is unclear to students. Often fitness testing merely provides students with a score and does not require students to demonstrate knowledge of what the score measured. Quality physical education programs should give students the opportunity to learn about the aspects of health-related fitness through fitness testing, data analysis, and exercise planning (Georgakis, Wilson, Evans, 2015). Within education, determining whether a student is progressing appropriately occurs through assessment. However, opinions regarding how physical education students should be assessed vary greatly. As a consequence, some physical education professionals encourage skills-driven measures of competency, and others believe attributes such as attitude, effort, and participation are equally or even more important (Baghurst, 2014). Physical educators who focus on grading effort may do so to recognize the student who tries hard but struggles to master skills. For example, elementary students are tested on their skills in executing the forearm pass in volleyball. One student has exhibited enormous effort trying to master the skill, even spending time after school, but is simply unable to improve on his or her original performance. When assigning a grade, the teacher recognizes that although the results were subpar, the effort put forth was excellent, and a higher grade is awarded than deserved by the skills demonstrated (Fox, 2012). Another issue regarding grading on effort is how subjective it is, being based on feelings rather than an objective, standardized measure. For example, because effort is controllable, a teacher may feel anger at a student for not putting forth effort. However, the teacher also may feel pity if the student makes an effort but fails. As a consequence, grades are awarded based on feelings rather than identifying evidence of effort and therefore result in a subjective grade (Baghurst, 2014). However, PE teachers should not ignore effort and participation completely. Although parents want to know where their child stands with respect to their skill level, they also are likely to desire an indication of how he or she behaves during class and whether the child demonstrates effort. Thus, instead of being included in a formal grade indicating proficiency, effort and participation should be minimally weighted or included as a separate grade or level (Constantinou, 2017). In a recent survey of 617 schools, administrative duties such as dressing out, participation, and effort accounted for over 50% of the achievable grade. This is in direct contrast to state and professional recommendations for standards-based assessments (Young, 2011). Assessment methods including dressing out, attendance, and participation are too common. In addition, although skill proficiency is sometimes used as an assessment, grading is based on improvement as opposed to competency. Thus, a student who improves more than another may receive a superior grade. This may be unfair to the student who has mastered the skill already and has little upon which to improve (Baghurst, 2014). A grade informs administrators whether a student has been successful and allows the teacher to hold students accountable. Unsurprisingly, physical education has a poor reputation academically, given how students grades are heavily determined by the clothing they wear or their effort and participation (Yo ung, 2011). Assessments found to be aligned with established learning standards while demonstrating student achievement have been, and continue to be developed by physical education scholars at the state and national levels (Lundvall, 2015). When refining and mastering a skill, students benefit most from meaningful and concrete feedback. Due to logistical issues of class size, a student may receive little or no feedback from the teacher when needed. With this challenge in mind, peer assessment provides an excellent opportunity for immediate and substantive feedback to individuals (Gibbons Kankkonen, 2011). An important piece of a quality physical education program is to teach students the value and importance of demonstrating personal and social responsibility. Assessing these areas in the cognitive domain may help to promote appropriate participation during physical activity both within and outside of physical education. Incorporating the use of writing skills to assess cognitive knowledge in the area of personal and social responsibility offers the teacher a practical alternative to assessment based solely on teacher observation (Constantinou, 2017). In conclusion, the writer found that the use of authentic assessments is of paramount importance if physical educators are to be respected when compared to other subjects. Far too often, PE teachers have placed a great deal of importance on how students dressed, behaved or displayed effort in class, while ignoring more skills based assessments used by classroom teachers. Though effort and behavior cannot be completely overlooked, the essence of any authentic assessment should be to help students achieve physical literacy through the acquisition of important skills necessary for their physical development. Alternate assessments such as peer assessments should be attempted in an effort to involve students in the process, helping them understand what they are learning and why it is so crucial to their development.