Category: Education

There are many articles investigating the demand and supply framework of higher education, but the valuable investigations of current costs and benefits of a college education are rare. High costs of higher education cause a situation in which an average family cannot pay for education (Ehrenberg, 2009, p. 6). As tuition fees continue to grow, numerous questions about the economic benefit of college education arise (Leonhardt, 2014, par. 2). Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz investigate this issue in their article Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs? (2014), published in Current Issues in Economics and Finance.

The authors explore the issue and determine if a college education can be regarded as a good investment. Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz managed to make their article very informative and reasonable, as they investigated the costs, benefits, and economic return of a college education and presented valuable conclusions based on up-to-date data and information related to the issue. Their investigation is of great value for students studying issues related to the topic of the article.

The first part of the article explores whether college education gives a visible economic benefit. Higher wages the person with a college degree can earn are regarded as proof of an economic advantage of attending a college. The authors used data from the March supplement to the Current Population Survey. The authors estimated average wages using a fixed composition approach. They used the linear regression model to estimate average wages that control for differences in observable characteristics of workers between education groups and over time (Abel & Deitz, 2014, p. 3). The results reveal an economic benefit of a college education that lasts a lifetime, as earnings of people with a college degree appeared to be much greater than the earnings of those who do not have it.

To estimate the average economic cost of college education, the authors measured both direct costs and opportunity costs. The direct costs are those, which are clearly and directly associated with the cost objective (Guan, Hansen, & Mowen, 2007, p. 25). The authors used the data from the College Board and the U.S. Department of Education to measure the direct costs (Abel & Deitz, 2014, p. 4). The opportunity costs are the best alternatives sacrificed for the chosen alternatives (Tucker, 2008, p. 33).

They were estimated based on the data about the average wages of workers with a high school diploma. The authors put the pieces together and estimated the total cost of a college education. The authors method of measuring is of great interest to people studying economics, as it shows an effective way of estimating the total costs. The results demonstrate that despite the continuous rise in tuition, the total cost has not experienced some dramatic changes over the past decades. The results are presented in the form of a chart to make it easier for the readers to analyze and understand them.

Education is considered an investment. Therefore it is appropriate to evaluate the internal rate of return to education as for any other investment (Cahuc, Carcillo, McCuaig, & Zylberberg, 2014, p. 215). This method was used by the authors. The results have shown that a college education is a successful investment, as they return to each type of college degree remains well above 7 percent (Abel & Deitz, 2014, p. 7). The authors investigated the dependence between the major and the return to college. Engineering majors and math and computer majors earned the highest return. Healthcare majors also earned an above-average return, as the growth of this sector resulted in higher demand for specialists in this scope. Overall results of the investigation conducted by the authors demonstrate that the return to college remains high on average.

The intended audience of the article consists of young people deciding on their future education and economists interested in the analysis of the economic side of a college education. The authors did their best to reach the intended audience by using proper terms and explaining every issue in detail for those who are not strong in economics. The article is successful in terms of its real-to-life problematic. Obviously, the authors primary goal in this piece of writing was to demonstrate valuable information about real return to a college education. To reach the object, Abel and Deitz backed up their argument with the research data and persuasive conclusions. The results of the investigations conducted by the authors can help young people to see the real efficacy of getting a college education.

The article is a perfect example of a successful economic investigation. It presents a detailed analysis of the costs of a college education and can be a good example for students studying the specifics of the cost-benefit analysis. The authors used such terms as direct costs and opportunity costs and demonstrated the right way to assess these activities. The authors have shown that the marginal efficiency of investment in college education should not be underestimated. The article is very useful for students eager to study the specifics of testing costs activities and making appropriate conclusions based on the gained results.

Abel and Deitz managed to demonstrate that the high demand for a college education is based on its economic benefits. The authors investigated the costs, benefits, and economic return of a college education and presented valuable research data, which proves the fact that a college education remains a good investment. The article is of great value for students studying economics, as it demonstrates an effective way of analyzing costs and economic benefits.

References

Abel, J. R., & Deitz, R. (2014). Do the benefits of college still outweigh the costs? Current Issues in Economics and Finance, 20(3), 1-9. Web.

Cahuc, P., Carcillo, S., McCuaig, W., & Zylberberg, A. (2014). Labor economics. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Web.

Ehrenberg, R. G. (2009). Tuition rising: Why college costs so much. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Web.

Guan, L., Hansen, D., & Mowen, M. (2007). Cost management: Accounting and control. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Web.

Leonhardt, D. (2014). Is college worth it? Clearly, new data say. Web.

Tucker, I. (2008). Macroeconomics for today. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. Web.

In the list of ten strategic actions directed at the strengthening of the research universities in the United States, there are two that I would like to discuss in this report. Firstly, the action that recommends increasing the cost-effectiveness and productivity of the research facilities is one of the vital measures that could enhance the performance of the affiliations throughout the country (The National Academies par. 8). This action is tightly connected to the leadership of the educational facilities that has been one of the frequently discussed issues in the field of operations management.

The researchers agree that the productivity in higher education can be increased significantly using rearrangement of the leadership strategies applied there; in other words, transformational and situational leadership is to be integrated with the fixed and inflexible structure of the educational institutions with strict top-down management hierarchy (Bryman 2; Parke and Pehlke 1; Shah 10). Since this strategy targets people as the key factor of the progress facilitation, job satisfaction, and motivation among the employees are to be maintained at a high level. That is why this action can be initiated by the gradual restructuration of institutions for the purpose to decentralize their leadership and provide more flexibility to the departments and individuals from the lower levels of management. Due to this, the institutions will begin to function with more autonomy, and that will increase the motivation of the employees. However, putting this strategy into practice might be rather difficult because the organizational culture of the educational institutions has been based on the centralized leadership model for generations (Parke & Pehlke, 2015).

The second action for discussion is the investment in the infrastructure of institutions, and especially in their equipment (The National Academies par. 8). Modern education begins to rely on modern technologies more and more. Providing researchers and educators with free access to the latest technologies, the government ensures the successful functioning and rapid development of research and higher education. Moreover, the cyber-infrastructure of the educational institutions includes its operations management systems and software responsible for the optimization of the processes held within the organizations.

That way, the two discussed actions are interrelated as the improvement of the cyber-infrastructure of the institutions will facilitate and stimulate their productivity and cost-effectiveness. Taking into consideration the modern composition of the national and global workforce that demonstrates a steady tendency towards the domination of the Millennials (people aged 15 to 35) as the main demographic segment, the improvement of technological reliance of the research and educational facilities is highly important (Characteristics of the Millennial Generation par. 2). The generation of Millennials that is about to take over the leadership and management positions within the next 10-15 years has grown up in the cyber world and needs to transfer their skills to their career fields. In other words, the improvement of the cyber-infrastructure of the institutions is an inevitable tendency everywhere in the world, and the nations that accomplish this mission sooner will end up having the nest resources and attracting the largest amount of young talent.

To conclude, I strongly agree with the two actions mentioned above and believe that their implementation will result in multiple benefits for the research and educational facilities in the United States and give the country a big push forward to it can reclaim its leading position as the generator of new knowledge.

Works Cited

Bryman, Alan. Effective Leadership in Higher Education. 2007. Web.

Characteristics of the Millennial Generation. 2006. Web.

Parke, Lauck, and Joy Pehlke. Get on the Train or Get Out of the Way: A Passing Glance at Transformational Leadership. The Vermont Connection 25.5 (2015): 1-3. Print.

The National Academies.For future prosperity, U.S. should strengthen efforts to maintain world-class research universities. 2012. Web.

Introduction

The California education system has adopted several documents that aid the state to run its education sector. The states department of education has established one of the most important ways to achieve educational goals. This way is to define the content standards for the students. In fact, the Californians have adopted different standards for each subject that students are taught. This implies that the Californian education system does not adhere to a single universal set of standards in the teaching domains. The set of the subject standards depends on several factors, but the most influencing one appears to be the overall subject rigor. As I was looking through different standards that are employed in setting the educational goals for the Californians, three documented standards have attracted my special attention. These include the mathematics contents standards, the professional teaching standards and the laws and regulations that are pertinent in the process of transferring knowledge and skills through the system (Mohan, 1986).

Mathematics Content Standards

The mathematics content standards, which were designed to help mathematics professionals in their work, defined the contents of the subject in detail. They cover the standards for learners at their primary level of learning. The set of standards consists of those for the kindergarten pupils and those students undertaking their grade twelve studies. They emphasize that every student is able to study mathematics and know it well. These standards can be regarded as more or less objective requirements for the professionals that have to deliver knowledge to the students at each level of their studies (Gass, 1994).

Laws and Regulations

Laws and regulations are another control canon that has drawn my attention. I thought the initial click would spare time for me by abolishing the meandering from one website to another. However, I have only found out that I had to drag the cursor and punch to view the Californians laws and codes, students safety and violence prevention, just like many other laws dealing with the retention of a student in the learning mainstream. After I connected myself to a point with several mouse punches, I then felt relieved from frustration by scrolling down a few pages.

Teaching Standards

California has also adopted the teaching standards for the entire system of education for the purpose of effectiveness. This appeared like a mosaic of standards. It was one of the most intriguing accounts which pose a challenge right from the beginning of the introduction, where it seemingly looked to address various teaching organizations responsibilities rather than standards (Renkema, 1993). Forty pages of paper contained standards addressing supporting and engaging the students in their studies, ensuring effectiveness, and organization of subject matter among others.

Connections between the Three Documents

Similarities

The Californians learning system maintains its educational goals through the employment of different standards. The mathematics content standards document, the laws and regulations, and the teaching standards  each of these may be of great interest for a teaching professional. These three documents are meant to make the task of the tutors and teaching professionals manageable and enjoyable. First and foremost, the professionals should view these as the tool that sets boundaries for their operations. The laws and regulations are there in the teaching system to guide the teaching staff in the activities that are the most necessary for the achievement of educational goals (Omaggio, 1986). In addition, they help the educators to keep to the right moral code of conduct during their work. For instance, the laws and regulations standards declare that there should be no discrimination in the system of education. Thus, the laws prohibiting racism set to abolish the vice of discrimination in the learning systems particularly within the teaching professionals. Further, these are significant documents that help in maintaining and/or augmenting the quality of education in the learning systems. The elimination of illicit treatments in education together with the delivery of the right content in each subject helps to retain and bolster the quality of education. The improvement of grades and general academic performance are the main indicators of such requirements. Whereas teaching standards based on the developed instructions and curricula set the basis for the development of the contents, the implementation of the laws and regulations ensures that the teaching profession delivers the contents to the students or the targeted audience in a supportive way (CSTP, 1997).

Conclusion

Though there are several similarities in the reviewed documents, there are still distinguishing differences in them. As for the laws and regulations standards, it is obvious that the essence of these standards is far from being just within the educational institutions. The violation of the laws and regulations of the set standards even demands the perpetrators to be prosecuted under the U.S court; thus, it is regarded as the violation of the federal, rather than only state laws. This implies that laws and regulations standards effectively keep and maintain the learning environment. The teaching standards are just a guiding line in the profession; they help to motivate the teaching professionals, but they do not involve statements which impede and bind the professionals into legal matters. Unlike other accounts, the mathematics content standards aim at real transference of the actual learning materials which cannot be delivered without these standards.

References

Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.

CSTP (1997). California standards for the teaching profession. 2010. Web.

Gass, C., (1994). An Introductory Course. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Mohan, B. (1986). Content-based Language Instruction. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley.

Omaggio, A. (1986). Proficiency-oriented Instruction. Boston: Heinle Publishers.

Renkema, J. (1993). Discourse Studies: An Introductory Textbook. John Benjamins Publishing Co.

In his book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, Tough (2013) brings out another explanation as to why children succeed. Tough believes that skills, intelligence, readiness, and wit do not lead to success. According to him, a character, which is integrity, self-control, curiosity, and confidence, determines the success of a child. Tough goes on to explain that character is gotten from lifes experiences and challenges. The ability of a person to stand beyond their failures and challenges generates character, which in turn leads to success.

I have learned from this book that hurtful experiences during childhood can alter the development of character in a child but attentive and nurturing parents or guardians can help children overcome everyday challenges, and in turn, children develop a strong character that leads to success in all aspects in life (Tough, 2013). Situations such as poverty or loss of parents in childhood may affect the development of character in a child, though, in some situations, children may be forced to stand up beyond their challenges and obstacles and hence the development of character. On the other hand, children born to very rich families may also have a problem developing character as they are spoilt, and they believe that they can easily inherit success from their parents without having to work hard.

I also learned that nurturance in older adults doesnt necessarily lead to a growth in character. Older adults should be allowed to explore and handle situations on their own in order to build character. Parents need to only guide them and act as role models but should not make decisions on their behalf (Tough, 2013). When young adults are given time to explore and learn on their own, they fail, they make mistakes, and they face obstacles that lead them to seek ways that help solve all these issues. By so doing, they build character traits such as persistence, self-concept, integrity, confidence, perseverance, hard work, and problem- solving skills.

These modules will assist me in various ways as I become an excellent teacher of common core standards. First, they will help me learn various ways of creating a positive learning environment (CCSS Professional Learning Modules for Educators  Common Core State Standards (CA Dept of Education), n.d.). A learning environment should be conducive and positive for all learners, irrespective of their individual differences. A positive learning environment will ensure comfort, safety, participation, and motivation in my class; hence students are bound to gain and retain knowledge from the lesson.

Second, they will help me improvise and utilize instructional resources. Instructional resources are materials that teachers use to assist learning and also to increase learners interest in learning. The modules provide various instructional resources such as audiovisuals, which the teacher can use to enhance learning during the lesson. The modules also give a guide on how the teacher can improvise instructional resources that is to adapt materials for use other than buying the items commercially. Resources enhance students participation in class, and also arouse learners interest in the class, making teaching and learning effectively.

Third, they will help me choose the best teaching strategies that will focus on the students language learning needs. A teaching strategy refers to the way in which content is presented in a learning environment. Various factors need to be considered when selecting a teaching strategy which includes the abilities of the learners, size of the class, nature of the topic to be taught, time available, the level of the learners, resources available and the objectives to be achieved by the end of the lesson. These modules are divided into units where each unit outlines how teaching at each level should take place, which will assist me in choosing the most appropriate teaching method; teacher-centered or student-centered.

Fourth, the modules will help me to plan my lesson. The modules offer a deeper insight into the needs of students and how they should be taught. With this knowledge, I will be able to plan my lesson by identifying the learning activities that is a brief description of what the learners will be doing during the learning-teaching process such as reading, taking notes, reciting English passages and answering oral questions. Planning will also help me avoid under teaching or over teaching, whereby I present less content to the students or a lot of content that the students cannot handle. Planning will also enable me to manage time appropriately as a plan will guide me in and during the lesson. It will help me in introducing the lesson, building the lesson, and concluding the lesson and will spare me from dwelling so much on the introduction, body, or conclusion of a lesson.

The modules will help me cater to students individual differences. Individual differences are the characteristics of an individual, which bring about a uniqueness in them. In the classroom, differences are related to intelligence, skills, habits, emotions, experiences, goals, interests, and readiness. By understanding the individual differences of the students, a teacher is able to choose teaching methods that are appropriate, and that ensure effective teaching and learning. The modules also assist me in getting effective teaching strategies from colleagues as it provides a platform where I can engage with other teachers online and learn one or two things from them.

The module helped me acquire knowledge on how to teach in a sequential manner from the simplest to the hardest concepts and from the known to unknown. This arouses the learners interest and increases the participation of the learners. It also helps learners link what they learn with their personal experiences and hence more retention.

While completing the module, I felt excited as I couldnt wait to implement the many strategies I had learned in my lesson. The module was an eye-opener as I saw the various loopholes that exist in effective teaching and learning of English and how I can become an effective teacher. The module gave me more knowledge of evaluation and how to conduct an evaluation, which will help me in becoming an effective teacher.

I learned various things from the module, such as planning, catering for individual differences, evaluation, utilizing instructional materials, characteristics of different learners at different levels, and new ways of making instructional techniques effective. From the module, I learned the needs of students in all grades and how I should cater to their needs. Students in different grades cannot be taught in the same way as their intelligence, readiness, comprehension, and understanding is different. I learned how to focus on students needs explicitly by using a variety of techniques to teach, providing tutorials and remedial, and making assignments flexible.

References

CCSS Professional Learning Modules for Educators  Common Core State Standards (CA Dept of Education). (n.d.). Web.

Tough, P. (2013). How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character. New York: Mariner.

Modern day specialists in the area of education face numerous issues in their practice. The case study under consideration presents a number of effective ideas on being a successful teacher. In the following paper, some specific issues discussed in this case study will be examined in terms of their significance for the educational process.

The given case study offers comprehensive dissuasion of significant educational issues on the basis of experience of Conmee Community School. Further eight of them will be addressed in terms of their correspondence to the material studied in class.

At first, the case study mentions caring for all students equally as an important condition for success during the educational process. This requirement finds its grounds in numerous sources. Students are to be provided with equal conditions and care by their teachers no matter how different they might be from their peers in any relation including their origin, race, cultural background and so on.

Ball (2004) talks about the analytical possibilities opened up by the new sociology of education; the role of reflexivity. The basic issues are related to the legitimacy and authority of scholarly practice (Ball 2004).

Secondly, the case study emphasis that the families disadvantaged in socio-economic terms are faced with especial pressure, which makes it much harder for a child from such family to achieve good academic results.

Generally, the key values a childs academic achievement must be formed on include the need for love and understanding, the desire for knowledge, the need to make meaning or for the satisfaction of intellectual curiosity, the need for security or for engagement with others, the need to avoid retaliation& (Henry 2009).

Thirdly, parental involvement is shown in the case study under consideration as one of the principal goals, which is to be achieved by the home-school community liaison teacher. Finally, the investigation of factors, influencing whether parents perceive the presence of problems or the need for services may help explain the gap between service need and service use (Garralda 2010).

Fourthly, specific level of learning difficulty is significantly emphasized in the case study under consideration. This principle can find many reflections in the works studies in class. Among such publications is the book by Gardner.

He is of the opinion that much of the information probed for in intelligence tests reflects knowledge gained from living in a specific social and educational milieu (Gardner 2011). Specific level of learning difficulty is to be regulated on the basis of the students previous experience.

In fifth, engagement in collective and reflective practice is shown as an important goal for teachers. This idea expressed in the case study finds its numerous reflections in many publications studied in class, including the book by Bancroft and Machover.

Bancroft & Machover (1990) argue that teachers are to combine their experience, in order to provide their relevant assistance to their students during the complicated period of adolescences, as the stereotype of the adolescent includes emotional perturbation, and certainly a proportion of adolescents have an emotionally uncomfortable time before settling into adulthood.

Motivation is considered to be another important variable, which mostly depends upon teaching style, a teachers informal interactions with students, and the structure of a discipline. So, it is evident that motivation is closely related to a teachers behaviour.

Personality seems to be also rather important, as one of the teachers key tasks is to become familiar with a students personality, in order to facilitate the process of learning (through the so-called psychological background).

• Teaching and learning styles determine a students academic achievement.
• Coping and resilience skills of students enhance their abilities to learn about the world.
• Seeing increasing evidence that students were abusing alcohol or drugs is closely related to a students emotional state (depression, etc.).

As a final point, the case study under consideration presents important constituents, which are to be implemented by a teacher in order to overcome common difficulties occurring in ones practice.

References

Ball, S 2004, RoutledgeFalmer reader in the sociology of education. RoutledgeFalmer, London. Web.

Bancroft, J & Machover, R 1990, Adolescence and puberty. Blackwell Publishers, the United States. Web.

Gardner, H 2011, Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. Basic Books, the United States. Web.

Garralda, M 2010, Increasing awareness of child and adolescent mental health. Jason Aronson, the United States. Web.

Henry, R 2009, Psychologies of mind: the collected papers of John Maze. Continuum, The United States. Web.

Although only the best projects are awarded according to the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program, it is also possible to determine the strongest and weakest projects among the awardees of 2011. Thus, the ArtWorks program can be discussed as the most successful and important project because it provides young people with the opportunities to develop their creativity and personal traits as well as to receive real-life experience because of participating in real-world projects. As a result, young people not only improve their artistic skills and focus on real-world communication with clients but also contribute to their further career progress (NAHYPA, 2013).

Despite the concentration on the important issues and pursuing effective goals, the project known as Sojourn to the Past does not respond completely to the programs requirements related to the development of young peoples creativity, artistic skills, self-expression, and ambitions. The main goal of the project which is to organize the young people to struggle with inequality, injustice, and intolerance in all forms is more correlated with the direct social projects than with the Arts and Humanities programs (NAHYPA, 2013). Thus, it is appropriate to award this project with references to the other standards.

Reference

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards. (2013). Web.

An interesting topic, a proper outline and correct structured draft determine the superior quality of the final essay, which in turn dictate a students score.

Writing an essay can prove to be tiresome and frustrating especially for students who lack basic research, evaluation, and writing skills. It is no wonder that some scholars procrastinate until when the paper is almost due. Last minute pressure makes them panic and deliver mediocre or poor work.

The final copy of an essay should be comprehensible and precise. This paper demonstrates that an interesting topic, a proper outline and correct structured draft determine the superior quality of the final essay, which in turn dictates a students score.

An excellent essay ought to have a compelling topic. Choosing an ideal topic begins with brainstorming several topics and selecting one. Brainstorming may involve formulating a lot of questions which may lead to a brilliant paper idea. The topic should be appealing to the reader and even more to the writer.

It should be narrow in a way that it is researchable but not too narrow as to lack research materials. A student should avoid general topics as they tend to be vague and time consuming due to the availability of numerous resources to read. For example, a wide topic such as technological advancements would require more research and information.

In contrast, a topic such as the impacts of technological advancements in the education sector is less demanding. This is because the former is too general and may require information on all technology types that exist in the world. The latter is narrow and specific as it concentrates only on impacts and the education sector.

Developing an outline helps in the organization of a writers ideas. An outline is a sketch that shows the order in which the author intends to arrange the ideas and how one plans to create a flow by connecting the ideas to one another. It highlights the main ideas first followed by the subordinate ideas.

A solid outline features an introduction amid a thesis statement, a number of body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It is advisable to sketch the ideas before writing them down in the first draft. A writer should use one line sentences in an outline to describe paragraphs as they are accurate and easy to understand.

The subsequent step is to write the first draft. The introduction should be intriguing in order to capture the readers attention. It ought to highlight the issue of discussion and leads to the thesis i.e. answer the essay question in a clear statement. In addition, it introduces the main points to support the argument.

The essay draft discusses all the core points in the order they emerge in the introduction so as to maintain the flow of the final essay. Topic sentences precede each paragraph and supports claims with proof. This expounds the writers ideas in the clearest manner. Each paragraph presents a separate idea from the others, and each idea relates to the thesis.

The concluding paragraph ends on a quotation, an outstanding idea or a motivation for action. It summarizes the entire text without including new information. The writer prepares the final essay after proofreading, editing and formatting the entire work in the draft.

This paper has discussed the necessities for a basic essay academic paper by emphasizing on the importance of a compelling topic, proper outline and appropriate organization in writing a substantial essay that can earn high scores for any scholar.

The Summary

Since the advent of computers, handwriting has become a thing of the past for many. Many students have resorted to handing in typed assignments as they consider handwriting a tiresome activity, but a few still submit handwritten assignments. Using computers to type is easy and one is able to produce neat work.

It is also easy to correct typing errors using delete and back space keys when typing as opposed to handwriting. Besides, many schools only teach handwriting in the lower grades. Nevertheless, handwriting is convenient for scribbling short notes and reminders.

Moreover, handwriting provides a clear reflection of ones personality; something that typed work can never bring out. For example, rushed scratches in handwritten piece of work could mean that the writer was angry while writing. It is for this reason that we can recognize ones handwriting even without reading a word.

Furthermore, Julia Cameron insists in her book titled The Artists Way that writing once in a while is good exercise for the hand muscles. It is always surprising how teachers can write so much on the blackboard considering how tiresome the task can get. On the other hand, typing is less tiresome and one can type volumes of materials within a short time.

The Essay

The many technological developments since the 21^st century has made work easy for us, but we always tend to cling to the old ways of doing some things. Why is this so? There are various advantages associated with doing some things in the old fashioned way.

First, some of the things we do in the old fashioned way are artistic. They represent acts that have been perfected over time and we would rather hold on to them because somehow we have learned to do them so well and find it hard to adopt the new ways.

For example, writing is an art that one perfects over years to be able to write neatly. Therefore, one would decide to hand write instead of typing because the result for either is the same.

Second, old fashioned ways of doing things have proven to be at times easier and cheaper. This is because the new technologies that act as alternative are either expensive to acquire and their usage requires some kind of training or may not be easily portable.

For example, owning a notepad computer may be too expensive for some people. Even if one decides to buy a desktop, it will still not be portable; therefore, one resorts to the old fashioned methods, i.e. handwriting.

Third, most of the old fashioned methods of doing things involve both the hand and the brain. This has some health benefits through exercising both hand and brain. This is, however, not the case for new technologies like typing where one just presses keys and tabs thus only exercising the hands.

Fourth, doing things the old fashioned way reveals ones personality more than doing them the modern way. This is because we use our hands and creativity in most cases to produce the final piece of work. This, if well-done, could be more attractive to the eyes than the work done using the modern method.

For example, the work done by a person with neat and legible handwriting would always attract many readers as it stands out from the rest. Besides, things done using the old fashioned way is better appreciated. For example, a good handwritten piece of work is likely to be complemented than if the same piece of work was typed.

But how can the modern children learn the old fashioned way of doing things? We can use the following avenues to learn the old fashioned methods of doing things. Schools provide the first avenue for us to learn. We are taught how to write, cook, and hand sew.

Through such subjects, we are taught to perfect our hand skills while at the same time use the knowledge for examination purposes. Apart from school learning, we can acquire some of these skills by observing other people. For example, one may learn how to cook by just watching other people do it.

Better still, one can undergo some form of training so as to be able to do things the old fashioned way. For example, one may have to be trained for some time to gain the skills of hand sewing.

But for what reasons would one still resort to using these old fashioned methods even if the modern technology is available? First and foremost, the testing of ones skills leaves very little room for modern technology. For example, sit-in exams demand that one presents handwritten work.

Besides, if one was trained using the old fashioned methods, e.g. in carpentry and sewing, then such a person will have no option, but to practice using the same old methods.

Second, people would do things the old fashioned way because they have the passion for doing it. This becomes a good enough reason for them not to adopt the modern way of doing things. For example, one could hand sew, not because they cannot access a sewing machine, but because they have the passion for hand sewing.

Third, the modern ways of doing things may at times be expensive making them inaccessible to many people. For example, students may resort to handwriting instead of typing because they do not have a computer of their own and it would be expensive to hire typing services.

All in all, doing things the old fashioned way reinforces ones other skills. Doing things the old way provides the opportunity to perfect ones work other than letting the machine do everything. This makes people to be cautious in their work to produce good results.

Keeping to the old fashioned ways of doing things also help us to keep our traditions and culture close. For example, people could use fire wood to cook instead of electric and gas appliances for fun and while performing traditional rituals especially during borne fires.

To sum up, the old fashioned skills that we learn can have a significant influence the world since more and more people are now beginning to embrace their culture. We can use these skills to earn one some cash simply by being creative and producing pieces of art work that are capable of attracting many customers. We can even use these skills to solve environmental problems.

For example, if someone makes traditional baskets, then all environmentally conscience people would opt to use such baskets as opposed to plastic bags. The old fashioned skills also have important health benefits, which can never be found in new technologies. For these reasons, let as all appreciate the old fashioned way of doing things and use them whenever it is appropriate.

It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that its citizens access quality education. Scholars believe that education is a key to success. Therefore, making education accessible to all citizens in a country is the first step towards development and social change. In Canada, attaining tertiary education is a monumental challenge to people with limited resources. However, the case is slightly different in the province of Ontario.

The provincial government of Ontario has been working closely with the federal government of Canada to facilitate education loans for needy students in the province. The two governments developed a program called Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which coordinates funding of post-secondary education in the province.

OSAP is funding provided by the Ontario government to individuals interested in pursuing education beyond high school level. However, not everyone is eligible to receive funds provided by the program. Funding depends on the income of the applicants parents, the program pursued by the applicant, the institution (University or College), student status (full-time or part-time) and any other exceptional circumstances that may arise.

In order to receive funding from OSAP, three policies must apply. The first policy is approval of the applicants program. The second policy is establishing the income of the applicants family. The third policy is how much funding is possible. Students use the funds received to finance their tuition and other education expenses. The cost of tuition and living expenses can be crippling regardless of the students program.

Efforts made to fund tertiary education are essential for most students. However, the policies in place leave many students unable to afford their education. A students program choice, their family income, and the limit on how much funding is possible are just a few of the many policies leaving students struggling financially. The charter of rights states that everyone should have equal opportunity to education.

According to the charter, people should not worry about the government setting cost for tertiary education at an unaffordable level. Since the 1990s, the average tuition fee in Ontario has been marginally higher than the national average. Currently, Ontario is the most expensive province by a noticeable amount for tertiary education.

The cost of education has been escalating at a rate of 5% each year. The cost of tertiary education in Ontario for 2015/2016 could be 2.5 times the cost of tuition in the early 1990. The cost of tertiary education makes it difficult for many parents to finance their childrens education.

The government of Ontario has been instrumental in funding college and university education through OSAP. The Ministry of Training in coordination with tertiary institutions is responsible for fair administration of OSAP. This program helps needy students who are unable to finance their tertiary education. Government officials vet all loan applicants. This ensures that only eligible students in Ontario receive assistance from the program.

However, this program supplements the payment of tertiary education and not everything. A student should contribute some money towards their tertiary education. The central government facilitates the program through federal and provincial governments to ensure equal distribution of funds.

Apart from OSAP, the government also channels funds through the Canada Students Loans Program. The Federal government in harmonization with the Department of Human Resources and Social Development administers this program. The loans granted to students are free of any interest for a maximum period of seven years. However, a small percentage of interest applies on the loan after seven years.

This applies to encourage students to pay up their loans after graduating. The Ontario First Generation Bursary is another agency that supports needy students in Ontario. The government provides funds for this program that only supports students in public tertiary institutions.

The other program that supports needy students is the Ontario Crown Ward Post Secondary Application Fee Reimbursement Program. This program covers application fees for eligible candidates. OSAP financial aid comprises a range of programs that include grants and student loans.

The government of Canada and the provincial government of Ontario rely on tax proceeds as well as contributions from the private sector to fund education programs. Private financial institutions offer tertiary education loans to willing borrowers who fail to meet the government criteria for getting government loans.

Some of the key players in these programs include the National Students Loans Service Centre, which offers information on the loan application process and the procedure for repaying the loan. Various parties have expressed a range of views on programs that fund tertiary education.

The conservative view believes investment in education helps students to succeed and be competitive in the market. Liberal view believes that everyone in Canada deserves access to affordable education. Democrats believe that support systems are plentiful and propose that tuition should be frozen and lowered in Canada. Marxist view believes that it is advantageous to provide free education for those who intend to pursue it.

The government can improve their support services by increasing the areas they cover, setting more conditions for money use and fixing the loan repayment schedule. Since students are required to pay this loan after they have successfully completed their college education, it has been an enormous challenge for most of them because of the current repayment scheme.

Introduction

This report forms an important part of my undergraduate course as it reflects upon my work-integrated learning experience. The report highlights knowledge development from the assessment of my professional skills and shows the relationship between the theoretical knowledge learned and practical on-the-job experience. It also highlights the areas that I need to develop so as to improve my employability. It reflects on how I have been able to develop certain work-related attributes such as communication skills, problem-solving and career goal-setting abilities, collaboration, and team work experiences as well as how to manage the work experience.

This knowledge is expected to build an understanding of the already existing knowledge and skills on work related experiences. It is also expected to measure the level of development of work-related practical skills and highlight the relationship between theoretical learned experiences and real-life experiences.

Problem-solving skills

Work-integrated learning has given me an opportunity to develop my problem-solving skills. I have noticed that I have developed a cognitive awareness of the existing problems as well as identifying the context in which the problems were occurring. I was increasingly becoming areas of the problem of both meeting deadlines for work-related schedules and the implications that it had on the entire job process.

Furthermore I was beginning to note that lack of a clearly defined work-related objective was blurring the realization of the work-related goals. When these problems arose, I realized that initially that I didnt have a well defined and properly structured approach to dealing with the problems. As such, I felt timid due to inexperience but with time I started to take initiatives in dealing with such problems. As such, stated developing the tendency to evaluate the problems and sometimes categorizing them into levels of complexity. This meant that I had to gather some information on the nature of the problem at hand.

With the information at hand, I realized that I would make an effort in developing strategies to deal with the problem. Initially, my understanding of the nature of the problem-solving strategies was limited but the more I dealt with problematic issues the more I developed the understanding that problem-solving skills require diverse and problem-specific strategies. Therefore with time, I started to adopt a variety of problem-solving skills depending on the nature of the problem (Smith & DeFrates-Densch 2009). I realized that with time I was drawing more from previous experiences in dealing with current ones. I was thus able to arrive at more informed solutions.

Communication skills

Communication skill is another significant attribute that developed with time. In the initial stages of the Work Integrated Learning, I noticed that I assumed a lot when it came to communicating as well as socializing with fellow colleagues. Initially, I found it difficult to communicate with colleges due to my natural predisposition. I am a naturally shy person and as such will be reserved when it comes to socializing and communicating with others especially when am not used to them.

But with time, I gathered the confidence to start holding conversations with my work colleagues. As such, I found it easier to talk and interact with colleagues on a variety of topics, work-related or otherwise. Furthermore, I did not realize that there are various forms of communication in the workplace. With time and experience, I gained valuable insight into the use of both written and verbal communication in the work place. I learned how and when to use a written form of communication such as E-mail, memos as well as when face-to-face communication was more effective. Moreover, I also gained knowledge of the context when each of these communication modes was d to be used.

For clear communication, I learned that I had to use short clear statements to convey simple messages that my colleagues could easily understand. This helped me op overcome the initial communication barriers that consisted of using long windy and sometimes ambiguous statements. This occurs after I deliberately acquired knowledge on the necessary technical jargon which enabled me to use the appropriate words to express my ideas clearly. At the present, I have noted that I am now developing the ability to put information in the right social or formal context (Miller, Watts & Jamieson 1991).

Collaborative relationships

I have realized that more socialization is developed, the more my relationships improve. As such development of this particular skill is having more than one effect. Other than making my role easier it also helped in fostering work-related relationships. Therefore it is aiding effective teamwork. Initially, I would accomplish my task without having to reflect upon how my roles related to the roles other team members were played. I therefore only took a keen interest in autonomous work-related tasks. With improved formal as well as social relationships I found the place of teamwork in the entire process.

I realized that I could engage colleagues in conversation regarding a number of topics both social and work-related. With time I have found out that I gained the confidence to engage colleagues in work related dialogues. In this process, it thus became possible to share work related challenges. The ability to share work-related issues has formed a platform for wide consultation on work-related tasks. This helped us to form informal teams as each member was interested in knowing the progress of other members on their job reacted tasks. Furthermore, all colleagues found it easier to harmonize their progress in their individual tasks with their overall group objectives.

Whenever I was stuck in my job role, I found it easier to consult with other members. As such the team found itself moving as a unit toward the attainment of team objectives other than the attainment of overall team objectives. Despite the fact that I was focusing on my individual role, I realized that the awareness of the impact of my roles on the entire team was changing my perspective on teamwork. As such it has become necessary to consult with another member to ensure that I am on the same plane as the rest (Coffey, Douglas & Stearns 2008)

Career development

The above experiences have opened my knowledge to the idea of transferring face to face classroom learning to the real job environment. This means that I have now increased the understanding that the Work Integrated Learning is more than an experience to practice the theoretical knowledge learned in class into real-life experiences. Work-Related Learning is a chance to learn from practicing what I have already known and observe.

It is an opportunity for context-based learning that challenges the context-free knowledge learned in class. Social interaction at the workplace becomes the platform on which learning occurs in workplace environments (Orrell 2004). However, despite the fact that I have gained valuable attributes from real-life learning, there are some attributes that are still at their rudimentary stages of development. Such include the ability to utilize real-life work-related experience in developing career goals. I am yet to develop a good knowledge base on existing career development opportunities. I have yet to solidify my dream career.

This means that I can not yet develop career development strategies and how to use my work-related learning as stepping stones towards career progression. As such, I need to develop strategies on how to translate knowledge from class as well as work related learning into stepping stones for career growth and development. This is a personal need that I need to develop urgently (Orrell, Cooper & Bowden 2010).

Conclusion

Dependency o the traditional methods of learning are facing new challenges related to Modern learning needs. As such new methods of teaching and learning have been developed to supplement traditional classroom learning. Some of these strategies include work-related learning.

This type of learning has provided me with the opportunity to employ and test the knowledge learned in class into real-life experiences. Furthermore, it has also been a valuable learning experience that has supplemented classroom knowledge. I have thus been able to develop desirable graduate attributes such as problem-solving skills, work-related as well as social skills. However, translating my real-life learning into realizable career goals is an area that I still need to develop. As such this form forms my developmental focus for my coming term.

Reference List

Coffey, J., Douglas, R., & Stearns, C. 2008, Assessing Science Learning: Perspectives from Research and Practice. New York: NSTA press.

Orrell, J., 2004. Work-integrated Learning Programmes: Management and Educational Quality. Web.

Orrell, J., Cooper, L., & Bowden, M., 2010, Work integrated learning: a guide to effective practice. New York: Rutledge.

Miller, A., Watts, A., & Jamieson, I., 1991, Rethinking Work Experience. London: The Falmer Press.

Smith M., & DeFrates-Densch, N., 2009, Handbook of Research on Adult Learning and Development. New York: Rutledge.