Category: Education

Abstract

The paper dwells on the case of teaching proficiency and contemplates the fairness of an educators dismissal. The purpose of the analysis development concerns the establishment of a consistent correlation between teaching professionalism and a personal life of an instructor. In this context, four structural parts are developed. The first section reviews the relevance of the ethics code, in the dismissal of a teacher, who takes part in swinger activities. The second part refers to the definition of unprofessional conduct in teachers. The third chapter concerns the fact that there is a strong bond between personality implications and occupational practices. Finally, the last section relates to the description of five conduct types, which hamper learning progress.

Right for Privacy Violation: Analyzing the Reasons for Firing

The paper discusses the overview of the case, in which a devoted Californian teacher was dismissed from her job for taking part in swinger activities. The contradiction of the study refers to the correlation between teaching professionalism and the impact of an educators moral picture on school performance.

In the analysis, we argue that the dismissal was fair and could be completely justified by teaching ethics. Indeed, according to the code of educational privacy ethics, an instructor may be fired if he/she reveals the type of behavior, which does not comply with a professional morality picture of a specialist, who may serve as a proper example for the learners (Osler, 2009). The intensification to the criticality of the issue is provided by the fact that the characteristics of the teachers sexual life receive publicity notification.

One can name three reasons, according to which, a dismissal may be considered to be justified. First, despite the personal life of an educator does not always relate to the student performance directly, it should be noted that a teacher is a part of a micro-community. Thus, the surrounding society, which includes teaching stuff, the learners, and their parents, possesses a specific moral standing. If a participant of the communitys life makes the immoral characteristics of his/her personal life public, this person can not be allowed to take a position of an educator. Secondly, the decision of the Board of Education has a greater weight then the law opinion, which pleaded the teacher to be not guilty (Neckles, 2005). Therefore, the act is completely legal. Finally, the case states that the teacher works with the students, who have physical and mental disabilities. It is well-known that such individuals require stable morality examples and appropriate professional (Levy & Slavin, 2013). Since the students have a distorted worldview, the behavior of an educator can facilitate the adoption of immoral values, in class.

Unprofessional Behavior: Teaching Implications

The personal actions of an educator can be estimated as moral or immoral, in the moment when the actions receive public recognition. Thus, when the surrounding community found out about Pettits sex preferences, the Board of Education, automatically, received a right to contemplate the ethical characteristics of the teachers behavior. The participation of Pettit in swingers club shapes a certain picture of moral implications, which question the conduct of an educator as well as her right for taking a position. The teachers must realize that being an educator does not only involve managing successful class activities but also revealing the character features, which exemplify positive personal development.

According to some scientific opinions, swinging may be referred to the group of psychological deviations, which means that the conduct of Pettit might endanger a normal development of the students intellectual abilities. Moreover, unprofessionalism implications may be certified by certain philosophy theories. For instance, according to the utilitarian doctrine, normative ethics relies on the enhancement of utility improvements, which, in the given case, refers to the personal characteristics of the teachers community. Conclusively, one may state that Pettit is unfit for teaching since the characteristics of her negative personal conduct become public.

Professionalism versus Personal Life Characteristics

The case describes a teacher, who, evidently, possesses excellent class management skills as well as a perfect understanding of the students treatment. Thus, the assessment reveals that the learners, in Pettits class, succeed in academic performance and, furthermore, provide a positive feedback to the methods of instruction, which are offered by the teacher. According to that, the Supreme Court, which reviewed the case, suggested that the educator has the right to occupy the position since her personal conduct does not disrupt academic progress. Nevertheless, the conclusion contradicts the professional code of teaching ethics.

Specifically, it is claimed that taking the standing in the sphere of education does not simply embrace good occupational capabilities but a general moral picture of an individual. The issue is connected with the idea that progressive education has a tight connection with the real life since the experiences, which are gained in class, must be transferred in everyday activities so that the learning could be called beneficial. Therefore, if the students receive certain morality examples and knowledge in class, they have to be sure that the information goes from a person, who practices decent ethical persuasions in life. Otherwise, the process of learning may be called dishonest. As a result, Pettit has no rights to occupy the position of a teacher and facilitate morality-based learning in class for the students might find out that she does not follow the instructed principles in reality, which might impose discouragement to study.

Immoral Teaching Behaviors

Despite morality of an educator is one of his critical professional characteristics, one differentiates some additional types of unprofessional behaviors, which contradict the code of teaching ethics. In general, five critical teaching faults may be specified. Primarily, the competence of professional knowledge handling plays a critical role in the domain. Therefore, if an educator has a low understanding of the subject, which is instructed by him/her, the learners progress is hampered.

The second factor, which defines a beneficial development of learning, refers to the healthy environment in class. The condition may be guaranteed if the teacher reveals confidence, emotional stability, and friendliness. Otherwise, the students, who perceive tension in class, and can not find a positive emotional contact with the educator, fail in the process of academic study. The tendency is particularly applicable if one refers to the class of disabled learners for retarded students require special psychological care.

The third professional teaching misconduct concerns the issue of labeling and spreading gossips about the students personal life or academic failures. This characteristic rather refers to the personality of an educator than to his/her professional competence. Thus, a successful teacher must note that class management is a private procedure, which involves only students and an educator, which facilitates trust and confidentiality of academic progress. The fourth factor concerns punctuality and teaching habits. Mainly, if the educator practices absenteeism or reveals inappropriate organizational actions, the learners may develop false professional habits. Finally, the personal life of a teacher should serve as the embodiment of decency and morality, which is illustrated in the example of the analyzed case.

References

Levy, C., & Slavin, S. (2013). Social work ethics on the line. London: Routledge.

Neckles, P. (2005). The dwindling rights of teachers and the closing courthouse door. Fordham Law Review, 44(3), 511-549.

Osler, A. (2009). Teacher and human rights education. London: Trentham Books.

Students enter college, assuming that every course they take is beneficial to their future career. To our disadvantage, the intent of courses like first-year composition FYC is to teach a universal language that does not exist. Requiring students to take the same structured course causes negative results on professors and students. Therefore, the course should be reconstructed so that its curriculum benefits the student in his or her choice of major. If students obtain writing skill that can be applied to their major, it would be beneficial and worth taking.

In todays English composition course, the goals are to acquire basic professional skills in writing, editing, and proofreading, to learn the fundamentals of linguistics, and to gain a thorough knowledge of literature written in English (Lehman College website). The English department gives students one year/ two semesters to obtain these skills. Since English composition is separated into two sections, students generally take English Composition I first, and then upon successful completion, enroll in English Composition II.

Usually English I is taught on a fundamental level of general English like grammar, citation, and understanding the basic writing formats, whereas English II develops our analyzing skills for literature. &The required introductory course teaches grammar, spelling, punctuation, and organization; they view composition faculty as literacy gatekeepers rather than as intellectuals and teachers (Crowley). Crowley states that because of boundaries, professors are not able to teach to their full potential. For every major, there is a different style of writing; this very fact is what inhibits professors from teaching something beneficial to the students. This then leaves students unprepared for what is to come.

English composition professors and students face the greatest challenges. Students enter the classroom, thinking negatively, and the sizes of these classes are large. The material taught often makes students feel like high school scholars again. The required status of the introductory composition course causes resentment on the part of some of its students. The required course feels like high school, and so students employ high-school resistance tactics on their professors (Crowley). English composition courses reinforce high-school material, and many students may feel that their wasting time and money. Also, the writing style taught may or may not help students write for their preferred major. & A one-year-academic writing course will not prepare students to write in all fields, and evidence suggests limitations on the transfer of skills (Miles et al. 503). Different majors require different styles of writing; this basic format of writing is not transferable to all majors, and style cannot be taught in a horizontal format. A horizontal curriculum is taught at a single level; this may not be the best format of learning because not much is taught over one semester.

Reconstructing the course rather than removal is a realistic alternative, As Miles et al. suggest, teaching vertically is a more effective way of building skill and ensuring that concepts are reinforced rather than repressed. &Each learning outcome of our major is carefully sequenced to be introduced, reinforced, and extended over time (Miles et al. 506). The English department should think vertically, with multiple levels linked in a sequence, one building up on the other. This allows students to learn the basics from the 100 levels and get more detailed in their examination of writing style for their major in the higher levels. Different majors require different styles of writing; for example, lab reports differ greatly from case studies for political science. English courses must provide suitable material for students to learn these skills. Another way to improve English composition is to insure smaller class sizes because bigger classes make effective communication impossible. For a student to improve in writing, it takes time and individual attention from the professor to the student.

My personal experience with FYC has not been pleasant; in my first semester; I did not learn anything to strengthen my writing. It was very disappointing because I was expecting to enhance my writing and vocabulary through writing assessments, from the professors judgment on my work, and via reading challenging literature. So far, in my second semester, I have learned the proper way to cite and MLA formation. I am excited to see what else is in store for me this semester.

English is a broad subject with various styles and ways to teach it. The English department should consider changing the format of the course. With the vertical system, students would get a better understanding of the English language as a whole. It will also benefit the student and the professor if the curriculum.

The meeting was held on February 16, 2012, at Beavercreek administration block. The meeting was called to order at 1830 hrs. The board meeting was officially opened by a roll call, followed by a pledge of allegiance.

Next, our districts communication supervisor spoke about the upcoming fish fry, the homecoming parade/pep rally, and channel two presenting our football team with a plaque. Next, the Board introduced the food service supervisor, who informed us on the school menu and how a magnet showing the menu was sent home to each family. She also talked about how they are busy with free and reduced lunch paperwork, and lastly, reminded parents that last years application would expire on September 28.

The members present were presented with the list of the meeting, which they approved as presented.

Next, Board members made their comments, and then the Boards report on different councils was delivered starting with the; Curriculum Improvement Council, Athletic Council, OSBA Council, Performing Art Council, OSBA Student Achievement Council, Enterprise Zone Tax Review Council, District Technology Council, Construction Program Core Team and lastly, Greene County Career Centre.

Several comments and questions followed by the public. Next, Mr.Maag presented the financial report and requested the acceptance of the donated items.

Next, a new business on the list was discussed. These included; the issues of employment, salary changes, leaves of absence, and terminations. These were followed by approval of NEOLAs recommended board policy changes and revisions. Beavercreek city schools 2012-2013 school year calendar were approved.

Another new business discussed was in regards to the new construction/bond issue. The resolution was made to approve the original construction document and authorizing bidding for the Dayton-Xenia road improvement. The answer was also made by the Board to support renovations.

Next, a recommendation was made to go for a five-minute recess. This was followed by the superintendents report on the Dan Schroer presentation.

Next, the dates and venues of various upcoming events and activities were announced. These included the dates and venues of the following events and activities; the next Board of Education meeting, Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, OSBA Southwest Region Spring Conference, and Class of 2012 Graduation Ceremony.

Next, a recommendation to enter into an executive session was made for consideration of the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of an employee, student, or school official. The executive session was to investigate charges or complaints against any such persons unless such a person requests a public hearing.

There has been no other business to discuss a recommendation to adjourn the board meeting was made. All members present were reminded that the meeting was a meeting of the Board of Education in public and should not be considered a public community meeting.

From the meeting, I have learned a lot in regard to the difference between running a school and operating a business. I have learned that the school world involves working for people, unlike the business world, where people work for profit and products. I am aware of the fact that the mistake of one individual can cost the entire team. Lastly, I have realized that to be a good leader; you have to be a good listener, maintain integrity, be thoughtful, and recognize good in everyone. These will enable me to work well with others.

Summary

The article, Have Federal Funds been Left Behind explores the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the inherent limitations and the resulting problems brought about by federal funding issues.

Basically, Dubcombe, Lukemeyer and Yinger (2008) presents the notion that states within the U.S. educational system actually have an incentive to keep their educational standards low in order to avoid severe penalties under the NCLB.

Not only that, they also present the notion that while current methods of federal funding are sufficient for an average level of educational performance, they are no where near the levels needed in order to develop the same performance capacities seen in students from private educational institutions.

Critique

When exploring the article I cannot help but agree with Dubcombe, Lukemeyer and Yinger (2008) regarding the current state of the American educational system.

Through its presentation of the concept of educational accountability and how state budgets are oriented regarding their systems of education it becomes clear that the concern of individual states is not the type of education that is being provided but rather whether it is provided or not.

This would of course result in drastic reductions in overall quality as presented by the article.

One of the weaknesses of the article though was that it lacked sufficient long term evaluations of the possible impact such a method of education will have on the cognitive and intellectual capacties of children that graduate from such a system.

Personal Reaction

Overall, I have to say that the account of Dubcombe, Lukemeyer and Yinger (2008) is an insightful look a the current failings within the U.S. system of education. It becomes immediately apparent that the system seems more like a factory line churning out students for the sake of money rather than creating individuals who can truly make a difference in the world.

It is based on this that I believe that there should be serious reforms in the current allocation of budgetary allotments for education resulting in a system that encourages the development of quality educational systems rather than the current factory assembly line that is is resembling at the present.

Application

When examining the article I can say with certainty that I would attempt to avoid to have anything to do with the public system of education until such a time that is has been revamped based on the recommendations I made in my personal reaction.

Linking standardized tests, school funding makes sense

Summary

In the article Linking standardized tests, school funding makes sense, by Hewitt (2003) readers are presented with two arguments.

The first is that the funds disbursed to schools should be based on the results gained from standardized testing procedures while the second view is that communities rather than the schools themselves should be held accountable.

Critique

When examining the article I have to say that Hewitt (2003) neglected to take into consideration the potential impact that funding based on test scores could have on the quality of education received by students.

The arguments themselves were weak in that they seemingly stemmed from a perspective of an individual that lacked the ability to truly discern how educational systems work and how making performance based initiatives could potentially result in practices that are far from what one can consider quality education.

Personal Reaction

There have been a variety of online articles which have shown that the militaristic system of education implemented in a variety of school systems wherein facts are given without truly delving into the history and intricacies of the lessons learned has resulted in a system of education wherein students know the facts but dont know how to properly apply them. This is the one result that Hewitt (2003) neglected to take into consideration and it shows his ineptitude regarding education.

Application

Based on what I have learned in this article I can say that I will endeavor to bring to light the problems in the current system of education in order to save it from itself.

Reference List

Duncombe, W., Lukemeyer, A., & Yinger, J. (2008). The no child left behind act have federal funds been left behind? Public Finance Review. 36(4). 381-407.

Hewitt, H. (2003, Jul 28). Linking standardized tests, school funding makes sense. Lincoln Journal Star, pp. 04-04.

Introduction

The protagonists and antagonists of post-high school education cost agree that going to college has series of benefits attached to it. For instance, college education guarantees more opportunities that high school diploma, especially when an individual is interested in changing a career or pursing further education. On average, in the US, persons with college education tend to earn more income in lifetime and are likely to experience growth in earnings with time in the labor market that a high school diploma holder. The first alternative would be to apply for a bank loan that is repayable over a period of up to 20 years to finance college education to increase chances of getting mid-level job in the labor market. The second alternative is opting not to go to college due to the high cost and joining the labor market immediately after high school and hoping to rise to mid-level job with time. This paper will present the arguments that supports and oppose these alternatives in order to identify the most rational choice.

Why College education is worth it

According to the poll conducted by Gallup in the year 2014, the findings indicated that more than 50% of those who have recently graduated from colleges indicated that the every rising cost of college education is still worth the benefits of obtaining post secondary education. According to the poll, majority of those who opined that college education is not worth the cost had taken an education loan of more than $50,000. The general finding established that more than 77% of the college graduates agreed that college education is worth its cost in the US (Abel and Deitz 26). As indicated by the head of the poll, reduced conviction among recent graduates is hardly surprising. Those grads emerged with more debt and poorer employment prospects due to a struggling economy. As the debts get paid off and their earnings rise, they may have a change of heart (Cox par. 6).

Despite the high cost of going to college through bank loan, the long term outcome of this decision is often guaranteeing a place within the middle class society. The primary intention of pursuing college education immediately after high school is to guarantee more accumulated earnings during the entire career as compare to high school diploma holder. This means that college education is an investment that has stable returns over a lifetime, despite dynamics or swings that might arise in the labor market. For instance, college degree guarantees an individual a place in the job market, even when the unfavorable economic conditions forces mass retrenchment (Abel, Deitz, and Su 5). The persons who are likely to be the first victims of mass retrenchment are holders of high school diploma since their skills and competent might not match that of the college degree holders.

According to Cox (2013), if it costs $100K to finish your degree over two or more years and you could earn $1M over the next twenty years with the college degree behind you, that would result in having $50K to your W2 per year on average (par. 8). As indicated in the 2014 Gallop poll, persons with college education tend to earn more salary than high school diploma holder up to 60% on average. Specifically, high school graduates earn about 62% of what those with four-year degrees earn, according to a Pew Research Center study (Abel et al. 7). Therefore, an investment of $100,000 to finance a four-year education would give more returns in terms of salary for a lifetime than an otherwise decision that might only result in mid-level job. Despite the fact the financial benefits are long-term, the short-term drawbacks such as high cost of college education might influence an individual to enter the job market and forgo college education (Zafar 312). However, the opportunity cost of this alternative decision will lead to loss of income and restraints career development, irrespective of the experience. Basically, it is not that college graduates are earning so much more, but that the income and economic opportunities for high-school-only graduates have collapsed (Abel and Deitz 25) over the years.

It is still worth to go to college since it guarantees some level of happiness due to more wages that it attract in the long term. Besides, it is very easy to advance career with a college degree since this level of education falls under expertise experience. By postponing immediate gratitude which comes with entry into the job market after the high school diploma, pursuing college education gives an individual the flexibility of picking preferred career besides being in a position to change the career throughout the employment period (Cox par. 11). On an average, having college degree gives an individual an upper hand in accessing different alumni services and direct mentorship from other graduates to increase chances of better job placement. By being in a position to have an access to such services, a holder of college degree is well positioned to follow clear career path as an expert and might reach his or her apex of career fulfillment within a decade. Besides, acquiring college degree gives an individual the opportunity to further education in order to increasing his or her chances of becoming the best in the line of career. However, the acquisition of college degree should be done in a way that it balances the cost with the expected benefits (Abel et al. 7). When the financing of college education is balanced and controlled, the beneficiary is not only in a position to repay the loan within a short time but also improve his or her earnings beyond the repayment period.

Despite the high cost of college education, the decision to pursuing post secondary degree gives an individual the much needed negotiation power, which is needed to support rapid career growth and development. For instance, a college graduate has a higher negotiation power than a high school diploma graduate when seeking better remuneration and employment terms since the former is considered an expert in the job market (Baum and Ma 18). On the other hand, a high school diploma holder will have to be very outstanding to guarantee job security since he or she has to compensate for low academic level with experience. In most cases, the college degree holder will excel when placed with the high school graduate in the same job pool.

Unlike the alternative of direct job entry after high school diploma, attending college gives an individual to draw a clear career path and carry out explicit planning through doing courses that are relevant to a particular career. This means that college education might help an individual to narrow down his or her career aspiration to boost chances of excellence in the job market in the short and long term. According to Abel and Deitz (2014), college students often choose a major related to their career (54% vs. 31% for those who drop after high school), especially if they are seeking career advancement (Abel and Deitz 27). This means that choosing to pursue college education has the potential of exponentially increasing an individuals knowledge, abilities and skills that are instrumental in career advancement since specialization improves performance that is demanded in the labor market. Therefore, on average, a college graduate might stand out when pooled with a high school graduate in performing a specific duty in an organization. The ability to stand out increases the chance of quick career advancement for a college graduate, without necessarily having several years of experience, unlike the high school diploma holder who must work very hard for many years to match the achievements of a college graduate (Abel et al. 7).

Opting to pursuing college education might come with the benefits of creating a very complex and long term network that might result in satisfactory career since college goers have the opportunity to interact with different persons that might act as the reference point in getting jobs, advancing performance, and belonging to private club that increases the visibility of such an individual in the labor market. As a result, a holder of college degree is in a position to pursue career development through a structure network that comprises of other experts as compared to a high school diploma holder who must work extra hard to remain relevant in the every changing job market (Cox par. 12). For instance, a typical high school diploma holder can only do certain jobs even when he or she has vast experience since this individual is always treated as a general worker and not an expert. In the worst case scenario, the high school diploma holder may become irrelevant in the labor market and more companies adopt the post secondary qualification criterion in hiring employees. This approach has been necessitated by the shrinking labor market for the types of jobs that high school diploma holders have.

It is factual that college education has become very expensive in the US since students are forced to take alone of up to $100,000. The current level of dissatisfaction with college education could be attributed to the high cost, which leaves many graduates indebted in the face of very few employment opportunities in the short-term due to shrinking economy. Specifically, increased amounts of debt also make it more likely for graduates to delay goals such as going back to school for more education, buying a home or buying a car (Abel and Deitz 27). This argument basically indicates that it is not worth it to take excessive loan to finance college education that might leave the graduate heavily indebted in the face of very limited job opportunities. Besides, it is not necessary for all Americans to pursue a four-year degree course since there are community colleges that can offer a two-year alternative with the promise of providing similar technical skills. At present, some graduates with four-year degree earn similar income as those in possession of the basic high school diploma. However, everyone should consider some post-secondary training if they do not want to fall down the economic ladder (Abel and Deitz 28).

Another argument against spending too much in college education is the forgone alternative of investing the similar amount in growing personal portfolio. When an individual with a high school diploma enters the job market without having to go through college, he or she will have the opportunity to invest income in stocks, business, and personal needs. This means that such an individual is not tied down to loan repayment and escape running the risk of being included as part of the $1.1 trillion bucket of outstanding student debt that plagues the American economy (Abel et al. 8). Besides, with proper job placement, a person with high school diploma might be in a position to experience career growth just like a college graduate, especially in areas that require experience or other qualifications beyond academic certificates. For instance, in the deep sea mining rigs, graduates shy off from such jobs due to high risks involved, despite the attractive remuneration that comes with it. High school graduates who take such jobs are in a position to experience similar financial gratification as college graduates in the short and long term (Kahn 314).

Conclusion

Though education is considered a public good by policy maker, its consumption can be beneficially at college level depending on the setting and consumption behavior of an individual. Reflectively, an individual can be in a position to make decisions whether to consume it or not. In addressing the interests of the public, college education system prepares the young to be in a position to assume the roles of adults and promote the civil responsibility, uphold common set of political and economic values, and be in a position to share on common language acquired. Apparently, from the above discussion, the value of college education surpasses its cost in the long terms since the benefits are lifetime. On average, a person with college education is likely to have higher income, career positioning, and better living standard that a high school diploma holders who forgo attending college in the long term.

Works Cited

Abel, Jaison and Richard Deitz. Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Cost. Economics and Finance, 20.3 (2014): 24-28. Print.

Abel, Jaison, Richard Deitz and Yaqin Su. Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs? Federal Reserve Bank of New York Current Issues in Economics and Finance, 20.1 (2014): 1-8. Print.

Baum, Sandy, and Jennifer Ma. Trends in College Pricing. New York: The College Board, 2013. Print.

Cox, Jennifer. Arguing Our Value. 2013. Web.

Kahn, Lisa. The Long-Term Labor Market Consequences of Graduating from College in a Bad Economy. Labour Economics17.3 (2010): 303-316. Print.

Zafar, Basit. How Do College Students Form Expectations? Journal of Labor Economics 29.3 (2011): 301-348. Print.

Revision is considered one of the most important steps in writing a report, an essay, research, or any other kind of paper. This is the step that helps the writing get in touch with the topic. During the process of revision, it is very important to take time to re-read the paper and make sure the writing is smooth, logical, and all the points are clear to the potential audience. Through the years, I have noticed that the revision of my papers is extremely necessary because I am the type of person that does not like writing on a specific topic. I find it difficult to write papers where the number of words or pages will be counted and cannot cross a certain limit. The revision has taught me to be more attentive during the process of writing, and pay closer attention to the details, check if there are grammatical errors in my paper. This week will be about revising and finishing up everything; a lot of work needs to be done as achieving the best results will take a lot of focus.

Over the past several years, the process of revision has changed for me. It has helped me improve my writing style; it has helped me grow. The best-revising practice that works for me is to read my papers aloud as if I were reading it to a class. This way is the best to find the majority of my errors and make the necessary corrections as needed. Another very helpful way I use to revise is to re-write my paper of have someone read my paper to see if they understand my concept and if they have learned something from my paper they may not have known before. I think it is very helpful that Keiser offers help through the owl writing lab to assist in keeping our papers on track and make sure the paper flows.

The process of revision is divided into several steps. First of all the writer must check if their work has fulfilled the initial purpose of the writing, pay attention to the title, see if it is suitable for the work if it shows the original topic of the work. The structure of work has to be clear and logical. Introduction of the paper has to be interesting and captivating. If the introduction is boring and too long, the writer is most likely to lose most of the potential audience (Revising and Editing Writing Assignments, 2011). The conclusion is also very important as it must summarize the whole work, it has to present the logical ending, clarify the information brought up in the paper. Ideally, the conclusion has to encourage potential readers to think over certain problems and questions raised in the paper.

Grammatical part of the work is another meaningful aspect. For some people, it is easier to focus on the slow reading of the work, paying attention to each word, for some it is more helpful to read the paper aloud and hear how it sounds. It is better to avoid very long and confusing sentences  this way, the paper sounds clearer and unnecessary punctuation errors will not be made. It is crucial to avoid overusing words. Repetitions make the writer sound limited; this is why it is better to learn more synonyms to make the style of work more interesting and deepen the descriptions.

Reference List

Revising and Editing Writing Assignments. (2011). Study Guides and Strategies. Web.

Presentation of the material

The content of the paper is formatted clearly and it is stylistically sound. The topic of the article has been placed on the top and in bold print. This has been done to bring emphasis and to draw the attention of the reader to the topic of discussion. The names of the author have been presented after the title to clearly show the owners of the work. The article also has an abstract that summarizes the content of the paper and prepares the reader for what he or she expects to find in the paper.

This is necessary to show the relevance of the content to the reader. The paper is divided into sections that adhere to the style of writing a research paper. It also adheres to APA guidelines for expressing ideas and reducing bias in language. For example, when expressing ideas concerning no particular organization, the authors say an organization and not the organization.

Statistical analyses

The authors use tables extensively in the analysis of the data to facilitate understanding. For example, they provide a table of the use of performance management tools by the organizations. This provides a summary of the various performance management tools in percentages. This provides a visual aid to the reader and facilitates understanding. Another table was used to show the staff perception of performance management.

This table showed if the employees believed that they received a particular form of reward due to their performance. The forms of rewards include performance-related salary, training, performance-related bonuses, among others. The summary of this information in a table facilitates its understanding. Even looking at the tables alone, one can get sufficient information concerning the study.

The statistical analyses used in the paper are appropriate for the subject. First of all, the use of percentages was appropriate in summarizing certain information. Where the specific number of employees was known (n), the percentages were appropriate for use to indicate the percentage number of the total number of employees that provided certain views. For example, the authors talk of 65 percent of the employees perceiving that they received training and feedback due to performance. This is appropriate to indicate that 65 percent of the total number of employees had this particular perception.

The use of percentages was also appropriate in making comparisons between two groups of data. For example, in the third table, the authors provide a comparison of Espoused policy and Practice of performance management. Presenting the percentages side-by-side was appropriate in providing a visual aid in comparison. Correlation analyses were also used appropriately to show comparisons.

The statistical analyses used were conducted appropriately. They were also useful in supporting the conclusion reached by the authors. For example, the analyses helped the authors conclude that performance management tools were underutilized. They were also able to conclude that performance management was positively associated with employee outcomes. This was facilitated by the analysis of the employee perceptions of performance management.

There are no additional analyses that I may perform on the data to gain further knowledge. However, some of the outcomes may be biased. For example, the authors show the link between performance management and major employee outcomes (Selden & Sowa, 2011). It would be more appropriate to show the connection between different performance management systems with the outcome from all the employees and the entire organization. Therefore, this requires the intervention of further research.

Reference

Selden, S., & Sowa, J. (2011). Management and appraisal in human service organization: Management and staff perspectives. Public Personnel Management, 40(3), 251-264.

Developing a Research Question

At the beginning of every research, specific research questions should be clarified before a data collection process. By making a specific scientific inquiry, the research acquires its thematic focus. However, before a research question is refined, it is imperative to define what type of research is engaged, as well as what kind of variables are involved into the scientific exploration.

Hence, there are two types of research  descriptive and exploratory. In order to focus on a descriptive research, several aspects should be discussed (De Vaus, 2002). First, time frames of interest must be defined to narrow the focus of research. Second, geographic location of interest should be highlighted, as well as patterns and features of the chosen groups within this location (De Vaus, 2002). Finally, once location and time are defined, it is necessary to define the topic limits of the research.

All these aspects build a starting point of the research and focus on a particular problem in a broader context. When exploratory research is concerned, the emphasis should be placed on the analysis of causes and effects (De Vaus, 2002). The second step will involve enumeration of the sequence of cause-and-effect lines that fit the topic.

Third, it is strongly suggested to look through previous researches to find out what other scholars have introduced, as well as what implications they defined for further research (De Vaus, 2002). Using limitations and implications can allow to build a foundation for a new topic of research.

Overall, descriptive research is less sophisticated than exploratory and, therefore, it influences the development of research questions. Thus, descriptive research questions focus on describing an event whereas exploratory research questions involve a synthesis of factors that are interrelated and influence each other.

Developing a Hypothesis

A research question formulation is more typical of qualitative research where observations and surveys will give answers to a specific problem. In contrast, a hypothesis aims either to accept or to reject the thesis. At the early stage of research design, a tentative assumption is defined, which is called the null hypothesis and is traditionally denoted H₀ (Anderson et al., 2011).

While formulating the above-presented hypotheses, the importance of situational context is incredible because it affects further procedures of sample collection (Anderson et al., 2011). Apart from the actual procedures of hypotheses development, two important questions should be posed. Specifically, the researcher should clearly identify the purpose of the sample collection, as well as predict the desirable conclusion that can be reached while defining the hypothesis.

While defining both types of hypotheses, it is not necessarily to follow the established succession. In certain situations, it is more reasonable to develop an alternative hypothesis and formulate the null hypothesis and vice versa. Because null hypothesis challenges the alternative one, which is the opposition to the former, the outcome should withdraw one assumption and accept another (Anderson et al., 2011). Therefore, both hypotheses are mutually exclusive.

Narrowing Down the Focus of Research Questions and Hypotheses

Refining the scope of a research question is a daunting task. Because data collection should be initiated, the research question should be flexible, but further exploration will require specificity (Kirby et al., 2006). This stage of focusing and narrowing should be connected with the strategies to define the topic that would captivate the audience and advance the research process.

In this respect, the research question should relate to the research scope, but it should be too specific that makes it difficult to answer (Kirby et al., 2006). A question should invite the scholar to search information so as it is easy to define which keywords should be used to direct the research. Further, a question should be connected to the existing experiences of a researcher.

Finally, the research question should correspond with the results, as well as resonate the communitys concerns (Kirby et al., 2006). The actuality and relevancy of the research question will help the researcher to find out the actual value of the scientific exploration.

The research questions can both address qualitative and quantitative concerns. For instance, it is possible to ask what percentage of population has a certain experience in apposition to the one who lack such (Kirby et al., 2006). Alternatively, the research question can fin out the nature of experience and certain patterns of behavior that are influenced under a new program or innovation.

Focusing on the scope of a research hypothesis, specific topic should be highlighted. For instance, in case the topic is consumer behavior, it is purposeful to first define the percentage of women buying a specific product, as well as the number of males involved in buying a specific product (Panneerselvam, 2004).

Further, income level should also be introduced to define how it influences the distribution of buying capacity. As soon as all these interaction have been detected, a null hypothesis can be defined. For example, the null hypothesis will be females buy cosmetics more frequent than males where the alternative hypothesis female do not buy cosmetics more frequent than males.

References

Anderson, D. R., Sweeney, D. J., and Williams, T. A. (2011). Statistics for Business and Economics. US: Cengage Learning.

De Vaus, D. A. (2002). Surveys in Social Research. US: Routledge.

Kirby, S. L., Greaves, L., and Reid, C. (2006). Experience Research Social Change: Methods beyond the Mainstream. Canada: University of Toronto.

Panneerselvam, R. (2004). Research Methodology. US: PHI Learning.

An essay is a composition which main purpose is to express a certain notion, concept or assertion; it is backed up using opinionated statements. It should follow a certain logical pattern that asserts and brings out the ideas of a writer in a clear way that any reader will understand easily. Students tend to rush through the process of writing an essay owing to tiresome and frustrating nature of it especially those who wait until the last minute or those who lack the basic research, evaluation and writing skills.

Since every essay has a particular topic, it is necessary for every writer to stick to the topic of his or her choice. The writer must make a choice of the topic to which they have a passion for, in this way the task of essay writing becomes easier. If the writer has no choice in terms of choosing the topic, he/she should carefully study it to get all relevant information so as to understand it better and grasp the main idea.

Having a scope to stick to is also vital to avoid getting sidetracked and losing direction of the flow of the essay. The writer should also use sub-headings in order to develop related ideas using personal opinions and facts arranged in a logical order.

Planning an essay is a crucial step since it provides the writer with an idea of the direction of the essay, in other words, the way it should flow. The writer should ensure that the essay is in a chronological order to make it simple for a student to follow. The gathered facts should be structured and put under their respective headings. Having a list of ideas will simplify the work for the writer if done before the essay is written to ensure no point is missing out.

After the writer has adequately planned the essay, he/she should now give an appropriate introduction. A good introduction to an essay is half the battle for the whole essay. It is supposed to capture an undivided attention of the reader and seize his/her interest so as to make him keep reading. The writer gives a brief introduction and gives an indication as to whether the essay is interesting or not.

The radiated captivation gives the reader an immediate feeling of the essay. The writer now moves on to the body of the essay that he should ensure makes absolute sense about the topic at hand. In this part, he should use rational, convincing facts as well as language to support the details of the argument that he/she is putting down without any deviation from the topic and any repetition of points.

Each paragraph should be clearly defined; each point should be clearly explained in detail, the provision of examples to support the facts and the explanation of the relevance of these facts could be included in this part. The writer may give a summary of the main points; he should also give a conclusion of the essay making sure that there is no introduction of new ideas. The audience should fully understand the writers main point. He must also give a moral emphasis on the lesson learned to give an appropriate closure.

These are key basic guidelines for any essay that a student should follow in the endeavour of writing an essay. This will ensure that the student attains a good grade upon submission of his/her completed work.

The research paper is about an investigation of the relationship between reading and signing skills in deaf children. The study was held in the Netherlands, where 87 children had participated in the experimental research. Out of 87 participants, 50 of them were male children while 37 were female, and they all were drawn from five different individual schools in the Netherlands and had similar characteristics in terms of hearing problems. The research question, however, concerns not the definition of the relation between the reading and the signing skills of deaf children, but the locus of these relationships.

Indeed, when considering the article closer, one will find out that there is no need to prove the existence of the link between the skills above since it has already been proven in previous studies. The research question posed by the authors of the study has much to do with my research. The given paper also addresses the issue of teaching to young students, particularly to disabled ones, or the ones with specific deficiencies, either mental or physical ones.

Moreover, the article under discussion renders the problem of the choice of a particular teaching strategy. There is no secret that teaching to younger students presupposes dealing with several issues, especially the means to link the theories learned during classes with their practical application. While in the given case, the link between theory and practice is direct, helping children render the acquired information in the form of signs into specific messages turns into a challenge for a teacher due to the difference between traditional methods, including aural exercises, and the required one, in which there are no aural activities.

Result and findings reveal that on the relationship between sign vocabulary reading vocabulary shows insignificant correlations of 0.42, and at the same time that of STM span for words gives a correlation value of 0.46. This result indicates that there is no relationship between sign vocabulary and reading and STM span of words does not influence reading vocabulary. On the relationship between story comprehensiveness in SLN and written Dutch, there is a strong correlation with a significant level of 0.58 and 0.75, respectively (Hermans, Knoors, Ormel & Verhoeven, 2008). This result is consistent with the model assumptions by the department of bilingual education programs.

The so-called locus mentioned above is, however, yet to be found; according to the hypothesis provided by the authors of the research, the locus exists on a lexical level. To define the locus in their qualitative study, the authors use such a method as an experiment. Fifty boys and 37 girls were chosen for participating in the study. In the course of the study, the link between sign language skills and short-term memory capacity was defined. The data was analyzed with the help of the RAVEN-CPM tool.

From the correlation scores, it is not easy to know the extent of the relationship between the vocabulary scores and overall scores for both study skills. The study also reveals that children in upper grades of primary education acquire a more significant proportionate of new reading vocabulary when they do their own reviews than when they are being taught in class (Hermans, Knoors, Ormel & Verhoeven, 2008). The parental factor plays a limited role concerning sign language learning and comprehension skills.

From the findings, it is clear that parental factor does not influence the learning ability of deaf children but the nature and condition of the study environment. Students with high sign language of the Netherlands can read and write the Dutch language more comprehensively hence the encouragement that deaf students should be allowed to learn sign language of the Netherlands as this will improve their learning and reading skills. The implications are in line with Paul and Trezeks (Paul & Trezek, 2003) findings, where they note that deaf children have problems with text-based reading skills. In the context of my paper, the research implications can be used to define the means of addressing the issues that children with disabilities face in primary school.

References

Hermans, D., Knoors, H., Ormel, E. & Verhoeven, L. (2008). The relationship between the reading and signing skills of deaf children in bilingual education programs. Journal of Deaf Students and Deaf Education, 13(4), 518530. Web.

Trezek, B. V. & Paul, P. V. (2003). Processes and components of reading. In M. Marschark & P. Spencer (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of deaf studies, language and education (pp. 99115). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Web.