New Schools New Education New People

High school education system in the United States is considered inefficient by just about everybody – explanations why it is so may differ from person to person, but the idea is that our schools don’t do their job right. Yet despite doom and gloom in most predictions, there are patches of sunlight – primarily in the form of so-called charter schools. Charter schools come as a result of two-decade-long experiment aimed at further reformation of education system nationwide. So far their number is limited, but in some places, like Washington, D.C., they account for almost half of total number of students – quite enough to tell how this entire thing is doing. And it is doing extremely well. In Washington D.C. charter school students consistently show higher test scores than students in other city schools. They are more likely to successfully finish school, get admitted into college and graduate from it. So what’s so special about charter schools? What are they? Charter schools were created nationwide in 1991 as an alternative to the failing public education system, with a special emphasis on helping children coming from the poorest, especially Black and Hispanic, neighborhoods. The idea is to give low income parents opportunities, very similar to those, open to their more affluent counterparts who often move to a better neighborhood or send their children to a private school to ensure better education. Instead of being forced to go to a school in their own district, charter school students may attend a school of their choice, irrespectively of its location. The main difference a charter school has from a public one is that it doesn’t have an overarching authority looking over its shoulder and dictating its every move. They are still publicly funded, but in most respects are run independently from the local public school system. They make their own decisions concerning hiring and dismissing staff, greater freedom in organizing their curricula and, what’s probably most important – they are much more likely to be shut down completely if students fail to enroll in them or don’t show considerable results after studying there for a while. In other words, despite being publicly funded, they operate to a much greater extent on the free market basis. They have motivation to compete and succeed; they have a relatively free hand in choosing ways to do so and are not stifled by regulations. As a result, they show a great and diverse choice of specializations. Hands-on learning, language immersion learning, specializations in foster and juvenile care – if there is demand for it, you are likely to find a charter school catering for the needs of this particular group of students. It is, in other words, a direct opposite of the overarching unification we see in American educational system in general. It is hard to say if the rest of the system is going to follow suit, or if charter schools remain an interesting but localized experiment in schooling. However, if it is accepted on a larger scale, we will probably see something fascinating happening in our high school system in the years to come.

The Social Work Profession And Career Interests - 1946 Words

Master Integrative Assignment Introduction My perspective about the social work profession and career interests have been evolving and gaining more depth since I entered the MSW program. I would like to contribute to the betterment of the lives of the disadvantaged or marginalized individuals, and I am confident that graduating from the UTSA MSW program will enable me to apply my knowledge to culturally competent practice. It was my career in teaching that directed me through the years of my professional experience toward social work. Currently, my areas of interest are in school social work and gerontology. I can also envision myself having an active role within a hospital or clinic working with people to address their needs. Advanced Methods: Groups Group membership is natural to human life because being a member of the society means belonging to numerous groups. The classroom turned into a safe place for voicing our own dilemmas, and there was always room for conversation and discussion of controversial issues, for instance, related to the current national and global events, as well as pertaining to more ethical issues, such as what kind of icebreakers should be used in social work practice with groups. Classroom experience also provided a safe environment for use of a role play and psychodrama to rehearse different scenarios applicable to real-life situations, such as applying for job or internship. During discussions, we continued to learn from each other, giveShow MoreRelatedThe Development Of A Social Work1527 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment of your interest in social work. Please discuss any volunteer or paid experiences in human services, community work, or other experiences that contributed to your choice of social work as a profession. 1. 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It will investigateRead MoreThe Profession Of Social Work1290 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the main purposes of my interest in the profession of social work is to gain the knowledge and skill set to effectively help, counsel, and accordingly, provide services for all individuals so that their problems and needs are met. The profession of social work can be rigorous, yet it is a rewarding career that I am ready and willing to engage in. With the career being very diverse, it allows me to devote to my community in a num ber of ways from working in mental health to provide adequateRead MoreTime Waits For No One And I Desire1430 Words   |  6 Pageslong lasting social change in each and every individual or family I come in contact with, being their voice, advocacy, intervention, and treatment. In order to actualize this vision my short range goal is to gain acceptance within Walden University Masters of Social Work advancing standing program. Acceptance into the program will give me the education needed to better help each individual I come in contact with. The advance standing program in social work will facilitate my graduate career and makeRead MoreCareer Goals : My Career Essay1393 Words   |  6 PagesAs a student of psychology, my career assessments test showed me many options for my career goal path. For starters, my career interest profile results are broken into six main categories which are: social, artistic, investigative, enterprising, realistic, and conventional. According to my resul ts, my career matches are as followed: preschool, primary, secondary, and special education teacher. I am 28% social, 22% artistic, 17% investigative, 11% enterprising, 10% realistic, and 9% realistic. AccordingRead MoreComparing The Eq I And The Strong Interest Inventory Assessments1733 Words   |  7 Pagesand the Strong Interest Inventory assessments. EQ-i stands for emotional quotient inventory. The EQ-i was developed to assess emotion and social intelligence of people. Taking the EQ-i assessment helps many people determine what their strengths when dealing with things pertaining to stress, work ethic, and emotions that will affect the way they act and their success in the working world. The Strong Interest Inventory is used in career assessment. It gives insight on a person’s interests, so that theyRead MoreA Study On Child And Family Development Essay1530 Words   |  7 Pagesto the social work field with various different career opportunities (Child and Family Develo pment | Academics | Western Michigan University, n.d.). The ultimate goal of obtaining this degree and working in the social work field is to help improve the quality of life of individuals and their families within a dynamic community. The profession of a Social Worker originated in the 19th century. With the demise of the feudalism, the rising level of poverty was seen as a menace to the social orderRead MoreMy Interest On Social Work1226 Words   |  5 Pages My interest in social work began with taking a semester off of school during my undergraduate career. I was given the opportunity to live and work in Puerto Rico. This season away from classes allowed me time to contemplate a career and a major that would best fit my interests, values, and skills. I felt that social work was the only major that adequately reflected this. After returning to school to begin my social work classes, my interest in the field began to develop more fully. The followingRead MoreSocial Work Essay1360 Words   |  6 PagesThe social work profession as I understand essentially concerns the desire to help those in need of resources, services, and counsel. I consider the social work profession to be a passion-driven and providing career. I understand social work to be a profession providing helpful resources to those who seek assistance from others in various aspects, along with those who do not but can benefit. Being a social work professional means to me p roviding services only obtainable by professionals to thoseRead MorePersonal Career Analysis : Social Worker Essay1063 Words   |  5 PagesPersonal Career Analysis: Social worker The world is full of social injustices. Human beings are faced with these injustices every day. Some people have it harder than others. A few social injustices humans face are poverty and economic disparity, discrimination, oppression, racism, and even more unfairness. This is where the profession of Social Work is essential. The reason of Social work is to promote the well-being of humans and the community. This field interests me because I want to help

Animal Dissection Free Essays

Animal Dissection: No Longer Cutting Edge American Politics 115-01 Dr. Griffith Chelsea Morrison April 24, 2012 The use of animals in science that results in harm or death has traditionally played an integral role in education. Many thousands of animals have been killed worldwide during attempts to teach practical skills or to demonstrate scientific principles which have, in many cases, been established for decades. We will write a custom essay sample on Animal Dissection or any similar topic only for you Order Now Anatomy and experimental physiology started to be practiced around 300 B. C. Notable scientists like Aristotle, Vesalius and Gale conducted countless scientific studies with the dissection of animals almost every day. If the law permitted, human cadavers were also dissected, but the use of animals in vivisection and dissection was generally less mired in ethical or religious concerns. Like today, animals were dissected not only to learn more about them, but also as surrogates for humans. Though animal and human dissections were used to educate medical students, artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who wanted to learn to illustrate their subjects with better accuracy, also conducted dissections (Knight). They were also performed simply to illustrate the contents of ancient scientific texts. Later the 1500s, Andreas Vesalius, the founder of modern human anatomy, thought that dissection should be used to correctly teach students about anatomy instead of using illustrations in books, as well as to gain new knowledge (Knight). From this, Vesalius set the foundation for dissection as a teaching and research tool. In the early 1900s, the dissection of animals became more common in biology classes (Knight). Frog dissection was established in college level courses and eventually was taught in high schools. Around 1915, frogs became commercially available for use in education and by the 1920s, many high school classes considered frog dissection routine. A wider variety of animal dissection in high school became widespread after the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). The BSCS was a federally-funded initiative in the 1960’s to create a science curriculum for elementary and high school students (Gilmore). Also as a result, more high schools offered advanced biology courses with the dissection of cats, minks, and fetal pigs, and even live animals. In 1998, it was estimated that animal dissection occurred in 75-80% of pre-college level biology classes (Gilmore). Most prevalently today, dissection of such animals is now in college anatomy courses. In fact, each year, an estimated 20 million animals – around 170 or more different species – are used in the U. S. in all areas of education and grade level (Capaldo). In most countries, veterinary students learn surgery through surgical practice on healthy animals and then killed afterwards by the students. It’s these practices that are controversial in veterinary school in concern for animals being harmed. But since harm accrues from any pain or discomfort associated with such procedures, and it disrupts of the animals’ normal life, the dissections are harmful. With student being exposed to the vast amount of animal dissection worldwide, students are exhibiting an opinion being forced on them with no options to oppose dissection. Under the stress of forced dissection, education is also is disheartened. When forced to use animals in ways the student objects to, the student is traumatized and invariably learns less (Capaldo). But there are other options to animal dissection like â€Å"computer simulations, high quality videos, ‘ethically-sourced cadavers,’ such as from animals euthanized for medical reasons, preserved specimens, models and surgical simulators, non-invasive self-experimentation, and supervised clinical experiences†(Knight). Such options have been studied and proven to over and over to benefit both schools, educators and students. In a 2007 study, â€Å"twenty nine papers in which live animal dissection didn’t occur illustrated additional benefits of humane teaching methods in veterinary education† (PETA). These benefits include time and cost savings, enhanced potential for customisation and repeatability of the learning exercise, increased student confidence and satisfaction, increased compliance with animal use legislation, elimination of objections to the use of purpose-killed animals, and integration of clinical perspectives and ethics early in the curriculum. This evidence demonstrates that educators can best serve their students and animals, while minimising financial and time burdens, by introducing humane teaching methods that are not reliant on harmful animal use. Classroom dissection desensitizes students to the sanctity of life. Research has shown that a significant number of students at every educational level are uncomfortable with the use of animals in dissection and experimentation (PETA). Studies also suggest that exposing young people to animal dissection as ‘science’ can foster a callousness toward animals and nature and even dissuade some from pursuing careers in science. (Wadman) Students simply do not need to cut up animals to understand basic anatomy and physiology. In contradicting, students who plan to go into a medical field can do better to study humans in a controlled and supervised setting, examine human cadavers, or use any of the many non-animal learning methods available, such as those provided by computer models and sophisticated simulators. The simulation-based education would more accurately reflect what students will encounter when they get to medical school. This is in consideration that more than 90% of U. S. medical schools have abandoned the use of animals in their standard curricula (Wadman). Yet, despite the benefits, from 1986 to 2007, many academics remain opposed to the use of humane teaching methods (AAVS). I think more students haven’t stood up for their rights to not dissect because they do not even know where the animals are coming from and the process that occur. Pound seizure is a term that not many people are familiar with unless they are against humane animal dissection. Any animal shelter or pound that is located in a state that has a pound-seizure law, must turn over animals who are not claimed within a about five days, to laboratories that ask for them. These animals are then used in animal dissection or experiments and usually the healthiest animals are used for dissection. This presents an uncomfortable situation for families when they learn this because if their cat should run away and is not found for a week, chances are the cat has gone through pound seizure and since it’s a healthy house cat, their child might see her cat in the next dissection lab. Education institutions know this very well and support it because pound seizure provides an inexpensive and easy source of animals and allows educators to continue using animals instead of switching to better and humane alternatives that may require a financial outlay. For example, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center had bought cats for decades from a local animal shelter. They paid fifteen dollars for each cat and used the cats in cruel and deadly medical training exercises and dissections. Cats used had tubes lodged down their throats and needles stabbed into their chests, even though sophisticated simulators were available (City of Odessa). However, after PETA sprang a campaign that uncovered the school’s relationship with the shelter, the school stopped buying animals from the shelter and ended the use of animals in their courses (Hartman). More controversy is spiked from claims that the best educational learning is solely attributable to dissection on animals (Animal-Dissection); this is simply not true. An article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine  evaluated the claims and concluded that it was not supported by any evidence (PETA). In fact, most animal dissections are not relevant to human health, don’t add meaningfully to medical advances, and many are done out of sheer curiosity and don’t even hold promise for curing illnesses. People are only under the misapprehension because the media, experimenters, universities and lobbying groups exaggerate the potential of animal dissection to lead to be the only way to learn and how they have helped in past medical advances- as in centuries ago with Galen, which is irrelevant with today’s technology-. In the last presidential election, 2012 midterms and most recent republican primaries, no laws or acts were implemented against animal dissection in education. The obvious reason is because the public is not concerned with the issue and is not being properly informed. In a 2009, a survey of opinions was conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to a general public of 2,000 adults. The poll reviled that â€Å"59% of the people thought regulations on animal research are not serious at all of an issue and only 27% said it’s a very serious issue†(PRCPP). However, past progress has been made, but it’s minimal. The following states have laws safeguarding students’ rights to choose humane alternatives over dissection without being penalized: Florida, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Illinois, Virginia, Oregon, New Jersey and Vermont. Currently, student-choice legislation is pending in Connecticut. In Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Mexico the Board of Education have policies, and Louisiana passed a state resolution in 1992. Numerous schools and school boards have also independently enacted student-choice policies because of student-run campaigns. This information relates to Bill of Rights that is frequently discussed in class and what we have learned about one of its ten parts; the freedom of religion, speech, press, right of assembly, petition. PETA itself is a non-profit government organization that despite many people who disagree with their beliefs, still releases revolutionary and controversial articles such as this one because of its right to freedom of speech and press. Hundreds of large, infamous companies have been fined millions, given a bad reputation, and shut down like PLRS because of PETA. I am sure many large research companies that use animal testing, zoo’s, food industry CEO’s and others would like PETA to keep their mouths shut and silence their undercover workers so they can stop sweating through late night anxiety attacks about whether PETA will catch them red handed next. But, because PETA’s work is protected under the Bill of Rights, their beautiful, righteous, revolutionary, jaw-dropping and god-like work can continue to save millions of animals’ lives. I am for the new virtual dissections because of its significantly better educational attributes and it prevents innocent animals from being victims of companies trying to make a quick profit. I would improve animal dissection in education by implementing a law that requires all education institutions to provide students with an option to dissect real animals or do the virtual dissection. In addition, the optional agreement must provide each student with a list of both the positive and negative facts about each option because not many students will know why they should choose one option over the other. This shows both a lack of awareness and education of the severity of animal experimentation. In order to allow the student to form their own opinion, they must be given the correct facts about both options. Plus, PETA provides a wonderful service that allows you to create your own leaflet (brochure) advocating an issue your concerned about so I would   start a campaign urging local high school students not to dissect animals, create leaflets for the students or download or  order PETA’s anti-dissection leaflets and then expand to my college. This issue greatly impacts my life now and in the future. Currently, I dissected a fetal pig last week and was told my juniors who are also majoring in biology, that I must also dissect a cat and human cadaver. I understand the person who died did not die for the purpose of being dissected and willing donated their body to science, unlike animals. If I had been informed of where the fetal pigs came from and if there was a virtual option available, I would have definitely chosen the virtual option. Therefore, I am comfortable dissecting the cadaver but not the cat or any other future animals for dissection. How to cite Animal Dissection, Papers

Management And Decision Making Process †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Management And Decision Making Process. Answer: Introduction Management of employees, organizational culture, structure and policies is an important part of every business. Change is the only constant in any organization and for the growth and development of the business, it is imperative to adopt and embrace changes as and when they are required. I work in a startup which makes mobile applications for corporates. Our firm is relatively small and currently employees only 75 people. The biggest problem faced in the business is that of communication and decision making. Since the organization is at its beginning phase, everyone associated with the business has a high sense of ownership and hence takes part in the decision making process of the firm. This is causing various problems like conflicts in communication and delayed decision making Problem Statement Delayed decision making and increased conflicts due to flat organizational structure. Framework for analysis A flat organization structure is being adopted by various organizations especially startups. However such a structure works effectively for a smaller organization where the number of employees are relatively less. For an organization of 75 people, a flat structure creates conflicts, delayed decision making and slowed processes. The proposed solution would be to divide the entire organization in different departments with one department head. The departmentalization would include a marketing department, sales department, IT department, HR department, Accounts and Finance department andcustomer relationship management department. All the employees could be divided as per their qualifications and work expertise. Departments with under ten members (like accounts department and HR department) would have one department head while other departments would have 2 department heads. The remaining structure would still remain flat. There are various advantages associated with such a structure. Faster decision making Decision making would be much faster as the department heads would discuss matters with their team members and finally reach a decision for their department. Faster decision making would enhance the overall productivity of the business. Increased coordination Coordination would increase because instead of collaborating with 75 people, now 6 departments would require collaboration with each other. This would surely be a lot simpler process than before. Increased coordination within departments would lead to better customer service and efficient delivery. Less conflicts When people communicate within their departments, the number of conflicts would also reduce. An entirely flat structure also makes it difficult for an organization to manage conflicts. However, now it would be the responsibility of the department heads to handle conflicts of their team effectively. Clear direction When teams are divided in departments, it would be easy to provide a single direction for the entire department. The department heads would be the final decision makers and would be responsible for effectively delegating responsibility within their department. Conclusion A flat organizational structure has various benefits like improved sense of ownership and transparency in communication. However, in our firm, such a structure has more cons than pros. Therefore, it is recommended to divide the firm in departments to enhance communication and improve decision-making process.