As a rule, four curriculum approaches are typically identified. These include the Behavioral, Managerial, Systems, and Humanistic (self-actualization) Approaches (Ornstein & Hunkins 2008). The Reconceptualist Approach is also often mentioned as the complementary strategy that allows focusing on the promotion of a societal change (Sowell 2005).
Approach Description
The Humanistic Approach implies that the students’ needs and unique abilities should be taken into account when designing the curriculum. Alternative assessment strategies (e.g., peer assessment), self-directed learning and the promotion of the learners’ independence are incorporated into the curriculum (Kelly 2009).
Curriculum innovation
Concept
The idea of curriculum innovation is rather simple. It implies that the learning process should be improved so that students could acquire the necessary skills and knowledge faster. Curriculum innovations may be implemented at several levels, including administrative and academic ones.
First Example
The focus on independent learning can be deemed as an example of curriculum innovation. Teachers may switch to encouraging learners to be proactive in their studies. As a result, the premises for self-directed learning can be created (Mota & Scott 2014).
Second Example
The promotion of the GIM Program in the school setting can also be viewed as an opportunity for an innovation. By definition, the program encourages learners to “transform research outputs into innovative products and services” (Maritz et al. 2014, p. 172). Thus, the program could help understand how research results inform and define the course of the progress.
Reasons to Innovate Curriculum
Reason One
As a rule, the necessity to introduce curriculum innovations into the school setting occurs once schools start failing to meet students’ needs.
Reason Two
Sustaining high performance levels among students should also be listed among the primary reasons behind introducing innovations into the school design.
Curriculum Development and Curriculum Design: Difference
While the curriculum development is typically referred to as the conceptualization process, curriculum design traditionally includes the stages of planning, implementation, and monitoring. Based on their scope, both stages may occur at five key levels (supra, macro, meso, micro, nano) (Ornstein & Hunkins 2008).
Curriculum Development
Key Stages
Traditionally, five essential stages are identified in the development of the curriculum. These include: 1) the identification of the school philosophy and purposes; 2) the establishment of the said purposes; 3) the choice of learning experiences; 4) the organization thereof; and 5) the assessment of the program (Wolven 2013).
Stage One: Discussion
The statement of the school philosophy is a crucial step toward meeting the students’ needs. Unless the focus is kept on the unique characteristics of the learners, promoting active knowledge acquisition will be impossible. Therefore, it is imperative to define the philosophy that will support the educational process and provide the foundation for decision-making processes.
Challenges of Curriculum Development
Identification
There is a plethora of challenges to the development of the curriculum. These include the teachers’ unfamiliarity with the process, limited pre-service preparation, the expenses associated with technology, the lack of computer skills, health risks, the possibility of students cheating, etc. (Ornstein & Hunkins 2008).
Problem One: Resolution
The issue of cheating has been in existence since the dawn of times, but it has not been resolved fully yet. It is suggested that the promotion of education-related values and philosophies should serve as the means of discouraging learners to cheat. As soon as students develop responsibility toward studying, they are bound to stop cheating.
Five Factors Affecting the Curriculum Development
Factors Identification
Among the primary factors that define the development of a school curriculum, one must mention the educational environment, technology, the current curriculum standards, religion, and culture.
Description: Factor One
Technology is, perhaps, the essential driving factor behind the process of the curriculum development. The way in which the teacher interacts with the students, as well as the range of class activities, hinges on the use of technological advances. Finally, technology allows addressing specific needs of learners with specific needs (e.g., disabled students) (Ornstein & Hunkins 2008).
Reference List
Ornstein, A & Hunkins, F 2008, Curriculum: foundations, principles, and issues, 5th edn, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.
Kelly, AV 2009, The curriculum: theory and practice, 6th edn, SAGE, London.
Maritz, A, Waal, AD, Buse, S, Herstatt, C, Lassen, A, & Maclachlan, R 2014, ‘Innovation education programs: toward a conceptual framework’, European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 166-182.
Mota, R & Scott, D 2014, Education for innovation and independent learning, Elsevier, Waltham, MA.
Sowell, E 2005, Curriculum: an integrative introduction, Merrill/Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Wolven, R 2013, ‘Curriculum development resources for teachers and school librarians: a selection of resources’, Reference Reviews, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 4-9.
The purpose of this paper is to redesign the instructional plan for the first-grade students that includes the summative assessment for language lessons. It is important to improve the assessment with the focus on developing students’ innovation skills according to the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In this paper, it is necessary to discuss the approaches to redesigning the assessment and evaluate the outcomes of plan modifications.
Redesign
Alignment and Mastery
The series of language lessons for the first-grade students included formative and summative assessments. The goal of lessons was to develop the students’ vocabulary and understanding of words’ meanings. The summative assessment was based on the reading placement inventory that was distributed on sheets of paper, and students had to select the right word to match the sentence and context. The modification included the alignment of the series of lessons to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.4.a: “Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase” (Common Core State Standards, 2016, para. 5).
Moreover, instead of providing students with printed reading placement inventories, it was reasonable to use tablets and online surveys given in a form of tests to make students become interested in completing the assessment.
Learning and Innovation Skills
While using tablets to conduct summative assessments and unit tests, it is possible to develop students’ innovation skills. Using technologies for testing, students become “open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives” (Framework for 21st century learning, n.d., p. 4). Furthermore, students also become more flexible in demonstrating their knowledge (Neumann, 2014). It is relevant to use not only online reading placement tests but also simulations that are developed to improve the students’ vocabulary.
Modification
In order to meet the redesign expectations, it was necessary to improve the method of conducting the assessment. Tablets and online reading and vocabulary tests were selected as the method of assessment (Neumann, 2016). This slight modification allowed for addressing the MAED program learning outcomes (PLOs). Thus, the teacher received an opportunity to make the assessment time-efficient and attractive. Moreover, the assessment was aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Finally, it is possible to state that the use of devices allowed for building the technology-enriched setting.
Evaluation
In the first grade, tablets are actively used in lessons. Students improve their learning and develop their innovation skills (Harwood, Bajovic, Woloshyn, Di Cesare, & Lane, 2015). The modified assessment is effective to engage students in the technology-driven learning environment (Beetham & Sharpe, 2013). This online resource is appropriate to guarantee the students’ ongoing evaluation and save the teacher’s time because of providing automatic calculations (Neumann, 2016). Thus, students can monitor their progress and changes in scores, and the teachers’ decision-making can be based on collected test results.
Reflection
The main challenge is associated with guaranteeing that each child in the class will have a tablet and the access to online resources which are necessary to complete the test. In a situation when the number of available tablets is limited, it is reasonable to divide students into groups and organize independent and assessment activities for different groups simultaneously. The other challenge is the assessment’s organization with the focus on the Framework for 21st Century Learning. To overcome the barrier, it is reasonable to focus only on the creativity and innovation skill area.
Conclusion
The modified assessment plan is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and principles mentioned in the Framework for 21st Century Learning. The proposed modified assessment allows for improving students’ vocabulary skills, as well as skills in working with technologies. As a result, the application of PLOs is based on changing methods that are typically used in order to assess students’ achievements.
References
Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R. (2013). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Designing for 21st century learning. New York, NY: Routledge.
Common Core State Standards. (2016). English Language Arts Standards: Language, Grade 1. Web.
Framework for 21st century learning. (n.d.). Web.
Harwood, D., Bajovic, M., Woloshyn, V., Di Cesare, D. M., & Lane, L. (2015). Intersecting spaces in early childhood education: Inquiry-based pedagogy and tablets. The International Journal of Holistic Early Learning and Development, 1(2), 53-67.
Neumann, M. M. (2014). An examination of touch screen tablets and emergent literacy in Australian pre-school children. Australian Journal of Education, 58(2), 109-122.
Neumann, M. M. (2016). Young children’s use of touch screen tablets for writing and reading at home: Relationships with emergent literacy. Computers & Education, 97(1), 61-68.
The increasing role of industries centered on the knowledge economy has changed the way companies view their hired talent. Innovative businesses now focus on mindshare and the ability of workers to participate in mindshare practices. Mindshare is a scope of employees’ knowledge, skills, personal characteristics, and opportunities for future growth. Human resource management has developed new strategies for talent acquisition. Networker innovators are the companies that implemented this new approach and succeeded in hiring elite knowledge talent. They can create and use the mindshare of their working talent to move forward.
Mindshare differs from intellectual capital which encompasses human and organizational capital. Human capital is the combination of all qualifications and knowledge possessed by employees. Organizational capital includes all assets of a company. Mindshare incorporates these two elements and adds social capital – relationships between employees, branches, companies, and stakeholders that improve innovation, knowledge gathering, and collaboration.
External relationship capital is a part of this element. It includes external relationships between companies and their employees. Mindshare is focused on unparalleled talent finding and development. Here, employees are not replaceable. They are unique, as they possess individual skills, beliefs, and capabilities that can be utilized by the company. Elite talent is more efficient and can bring more value to the firm than an ordinary worker.
The location of knowledge is shifting towards emerging markets and decentralized systems of operation. Offshoring and outsourcing are more useful than they were before, being valued not for lower prices but better talent and higher networking possibilities. Offshoring provides access to location-specific knowledge and new talent, while outsourcing allows one to employ companies with special education and expertise. Networked research and development strategies drive innovation forward at a higher speed. While home-based research and development facilities give companies more control over the processes, they do not foster innovation at the same rate.
Networked and decentralized systems are risky because they are more complex in nature. They have employees with different values and come with hidden costs such as reluctant knowledge sharing, cultural differences, and the lack of proper communication. Nevertheless, the success of these systems is usually more prominent. China and India are the key places for finding and recruiting knowledge workers.
Talent-centric human resource activities include a number of strategies. Talent retention is a significant aspect of mindshare because turnover lowers companies’ innovative processes and disrupts shared knowledge development. Thus, innovators value practices for talent retention such as the adaptation of the working process to local traditions. Hiring global talent also increases talent quality.
Employers value ambition and desire to grow professionally along with a global mindset, extraordinary thinking, interpersonal skills, social networking, and creativity. Employees are expected to know other professionals, be ready to work on big problems, continuously improve their personal and professional skills, and have strong beliefs corresponding with the company’s values. Sustainability and ethical principles are now valued more by companies, and empowerment culture is the basis of talent retention.
Mindshare can be supported by the robust social network of the company. Interpersonal trust is imperative for information sharing and training. Active collaboration also improves employees’ readiness to contribute. The introduction to cross-cultural experiences for employees helps them develop a more open outlook on innovation. Special technologies breach the gap of communication on long distances. Mindshare is based on a tiered system that values creativity, extraordinariness, and desire for personal improvement.
Contemporary education system is driven by innovation, creativity, as well as invention. Education scholars have suggested various approaches to developing and maintaining good leadership in education institutions as a platform for reliable systems.
As I grew up, I was keen to note how different schools failed to change their education systems remaining almost stagnant. Pupil and students were doing no better than previous groups.
In my undergraduate and Mater’s degree where I specialized in education studies, I have realized that global education system seems to be lagging in the fast changing world. The important segment in the society needs not be left out but proper leadership to make it more competitive should be adopted. When education systems are improved, social economic improvement of an economy is fast-tracked as well. Policy makers that are politicians, sociologists, and economists should keep in mind the need to have proper leadership in education. My main purpose of applying for this course is to get a chance to study in your university where such notions as research, innovation, and invention are embraced. I will be able to develop an effective leadership strategy for education institutions in my thirst for better education systems. I will focus on cost management strategies that education establishments can implement; I will also attain this goal through research and literature review of various readings by management gurus.
I am a person with high self-drive, I am also self-motivated, and result oriented; the above traits combined with my enthusiasm to make positive change will facilitate the attainment of my goal of improving education systems. To make a positive change in the education requires conscientious, determined, and hardworking scholar; these are some of my personal characteristic features. Besides spending much time studying and researching on education management approaches, I have participated in a variety of management positions in education institutions and realized that they have similar problems. From my childhood, my parents have been small scale business-people who introduced me and my siblings to business at an early age. As I grew to teen-age, I realized that they always had similar problems revolving around the gross margin they enjoyed from their sales. In my college life, I volunteered in six education facilities/institutions of different grades and surprisingly, I realized the same problem. As an education student, I actively participated in decision making in the education sector and trying to implement strategic leadership policies I had learnt in class. However, the policies failed in one way or another. After careful consideration, I learnt that education institution models are different from other industries thus they need accustomed policies to address their issues. My experience combined with my academic specialization will enable me to research and come up with an effective education leadership strategy. This is the drive and passion that I have as I apply for my post graduate degree in your reputable university where qualitative and quantitative research is embraced.
Education plays a crucial role in community today, with globalisation, the world needs supportive frameworks to enhance proper and reliable systems. Education leadership should be pioneered by educationists who have knowledge of the industry. Education leadership takes different aspects and aims at addressing different areas; for instance, there is need to understand the needs of pupil/students, need to enact effective human resources management strategies as well as effective resources management. The school community includes students, teaching, and non-teaching staff from which they hail. Effective leadership should ensure that all the three dimensions of effective education have been adhered to. The frameworks are important parameters for effective delivery of education; in the event if any of the area has been ignored, then delivery of education will be hampered. The environment that pupils come from have an effect on how they perceive their education as well as the rate at which they will adopt effective policies of learning. With proper leadership, the challenge will be solved once and for all.
At the end of the course, I will undertake a qualitative research to address leadership strategies that can be applied in education facilities. As a scholar, I believe my dissertation will address issues of ineffective education and recommend education pathways through which much success can be attained in the education fraternity. I am looking forward to addressing issues wholesome and improve education system to facilitate optimal benefit from education and changes in the world. The blue print will be available in major libraries to facilitate access by education leaders. Since change is inevitable, I will continue to research and improve the leadership strategies that have been previously suggested. What is more, I appreciate that contemporary business environment is likely to change with the development in technology and communication network, thus meaning that I will embark on continuous research in my chosen area. To benefit education leaders and students, I will be writing and working on articles in international education journals.
Andrew Palmer explores the benefits and costs of financial innovations. He goes ahead to assess the previous and current regulatory frameworks. Financial innovations are essential in that they may produce many benefits just as they would enhance growth and efficiency in any other industry.
However, it should be moderated so that it does not tend towards excess (Palmer 3). Therefore, financial innovations can be said to have both benefits and costs. Recent financial innovations have been reported to be very explosive. They have been characterised with the presence of a huge number of products that have been introduced to the market before they could be understood fully. Many experts in the field of finance have expressed their worries concerning recent financial innovations.
The Economist uses the example of Peterborough rehabilitation to show some of the ills in terms of financial innovations. It implies that as the Peterborough rehabilitation flourishes, and so do the investors (Palmer 4). There seems to be no motivation for the local authorities to perform. The investors would not be rewarded for living in a dangerous environment.
Many changes have occurred in the industry such that many useful professions have been regarded as dirty businesses. The banking industry, for example, was once a renowned profession whereby the customers were valued highly and their finances safeguarded by the financial institution. However, it has been disregarded and the customers do not appear to be as important as they used to be. The agenda of the bankers appear to be tainted since they seem to only favour their own benefits.
During the financial crisis in 2007 and 2008, financial innovations graced the occasion. However, today’s policymakers are being annoyed by the sovereign credit-default swaps (CDSs). The rising of the exchange-traded funds is making things even worse. Some are worry that they are increasingly becoming more complex such that it is not of benefit to them. Investors and regulators have not been left off the hook either. The trading that is happening at high frequencies is becoming troubling for the investors and regulators.
On the other hand, the innovations that have been deemed controversial have been argued (by the champions of innovation) to be of much importance. These innovations include the likes of securitisation and the credit-default swaps. Investors are increasingly developing ideas on how to create new markets in order to curb the effect of the new laws. They further argue that systems are in place to provide security in case some of these innovations go bad.
The report basically assesses the functions of the financial innovations during the crisis. The benefits and dangers of the ETFs and high frequency trading are assessed. The dangers of conducting high-frequency trade include risk management failures that result in huge losses. However, high frequency trading could be beneficial in putting an edge to the investment this explains why the author believed that it would be hard to imagine a world without high frequency trading (Palmer 12).
The financial crisis was characterised by various failures. The bankers, regulators, economists and shareholders failed in a way or the other (Palmer 13). One of the failures was that of plumbing. Another failure was that of the imagination.
Regulators have been determined to have a weakness in that they may not be good predictors of impending dangers in case of financial crises. Therefore, it is important for the system to have enough capital in order to combat calamity. However, innovations may be encouraged since this would increase the chances for the prosperity of the industry (Palmer 16).
Works Cited
Palmer, Andrew. “Playing with fire.” The Economist 1.1 (2012): 2-16.
Meyer, M. W., & Norman, D. (2020). Changing design education for the 21st century. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 6(1), 13-49.
Designers are being asked to take on more and more challenging tasks. There is a problem with the current system of design education, though. An investigation of the system’s teaching methods and the proper course of action is discussed in this study. Findings show that the most critical aspects of the inventor’s point of view and process are rarely taught. Thus, working in the industry allows some designers to expand their knowledge beyond what they learned in school. There are still many design plans with an insular viewpoint and an incompetent approach to knowledge transfer.
As a result, innovative problem-solving skills are becoming increasingly important. A rational conviction based on the research that connects commercial success to a design-driven strategy is gaining traction in the workplace today. Expert counsel and guidance can be found in medical, law, and business, all of which have a long history of professionalization. This essay draws on their knowledge to provide a design approach. To create a curriculum tailored to each school’s unique needs and goals, a research group will have to compile a list of design and instructional strategies that can be used. To fully realize the value of innovation in the twenty-first century, we’ll need to make a concerted effort to build a strong practitioner community and an effective professoriate inside the design profession.
The source will be helpful in the American education of the 21st century as it evaluates the creative teaching methods of the system. Therefore, it provides knowledge in the teaching design approach to the students on the understanding beyond what is taught in school. As the rest of the fields, such as law, business, and medical, exercise professionalism, it relates to the importance of innovative problem-solving competencies that can also be applied in schools.
Kim, S., Raza, M., & Seidman, E. (2019). Improving 21st-century teaching skills: The key to effective 21st-century learners. Research in Comparative and International Education, 14(1), 99-117.
As a means of promoting the quality of teacher education, the creation of competencies recognized as 21st-century qualities is gaining popularity. Nevertheless, among the critical challenges to attaining the expected results is a lack of context-precise knowledge of teaching techniques and connected strategies to help teacher professional growth. The article emphasizes focusing on the necessity to evaluate the social quality of educational methods in a context-specific way. The attempts to design and assess teaching activities and classroom approaches applying the Teacher Instructional Practice and methods System are discussed (pre-school).
Results show that numerous tools for observation exist, but few have undergone severe scientific growth, and even less actions have been applied in various settings, cultures, and interventions. For intervention studies, checklists and time on work assessment have typically been more recognized because of cost-effectiveness and convenience. Students’ involvement, the utilization of effective teaching practices, and emotional elements that encourage child development cannot be discerned by metrics of time spent on task.
The article will be helpful as teachers and students of the 21st century will benefit from examining how this tool might be utilized for feedback, reflective practice, and continual growth. In the classroom, the quality of instruction can significantly impact educational reform. The research suggests that time on task measurements is too narrow for teacher feedback or evaluation, but it is still possible to use them.
Bedir, H. (2019). Pre-service ELT teachers’ beliefs and perceptions on 21st-century learning and innovation skills (4Cs). Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 15(1), 231-246.
The paper examines pre-service ELT educators’ attitudes and opinions about 21st-century education and invention skills, emphasizing the 4Cs of critical thinking, creativity, cooperation, and communication. Findings confirm that pre-service tutors viewed 21st century knowledge primarily as using technology in classroom instruction. Despite their high opinion of them, they also had a low level of familiarity with and involvement in the 4Cs. Even though 21st-century abilities may have distinct meanings in different contexts, the words, and phrases to describe critical and creative thinking, teamwork, and communication were related to those used in educational contexts.
The authors also had poor views on the national curriculum’s concentration on 4Cs and assessments but favorable views on the subject’s professional development. Students in the twenty-first century receive a brief introduction to the abilities they will need to succeed in a globalized economy. Teachers and schools can better incorporate transformative competencies and other critical concepts into curricula by translating the transformative competencies and other key ideas into specific constructs. Each teaching program should include creative, analytical, and collaborative skills to educate students for the future.
It has become increasingly crucial for pupils in the 21st century to learn how to absorb and retain information because the curriculum was not originally designed to match today’s society’s needs, making the helpful article in my final paper. Additionally, education should be geared toward creating a generation of people who can use digital technology to their advantage in gaining the 4Cs. Researchers have realized that education systems require to be reworked or restructured to meet the needs of 21st-century students.
This is an internship report in the field of IT and Security Networking. The internship took place at the College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University. It was an opportunity for me to apply theoretical lessons into real-life practice in an institutional setting. Zayed University was a perfect choice for the internship because of its highly sophisticated Computer Service Desk and the network system that serve the entire institution. I realised that it was a perfect environment for the internship.
The internship report covers profile of the institution, job description and work plan, internship objectives, accomplishments and lessons learned. This report is concise and focused. It reflects my experiences and accomplishments during eight-week period of engagement with the institution.
Company Profile
Established in 1998, Zayed University is one of the three government-owned institutions of higher learning in the United Arab Emirates with over 17,000 students in various departments. The College of Technological Innovation at the University offers highly sophisticated Computer Service Desk and the network system that serve the entire institution.
The institution has experienced massive success over the past decade because of its effective management and interests in research. Consequently, it has received many honours and accreditation by regional and international bodies as it seeks to embrace research as one of its core values in improving various sectors in the region. It has state-of-the-art equipment meant to promote research in the IT sector among the student community and the faculty members.
The College of Technical Innovation is one of the most advanced departments within Zayed University. It is keen on conducting research in various departments and encouraging collaboration between students and faculty. Hence, it was the right place to conduct my internship.
Job Description and Work Plan
The internship period consisted of eight weeks with various roles categorised under level 1, 2, and 3.
In the first four weeks, I worked at level 1 with students and faculty members to gain practical skills and knowledge. Roles at the first level involved receiving problems and requests. It also involved addressing the problems and trying to find solutions for them. Key roles involved helping students to format their laptops and iPads and installing various software programmes on these devices.
In the fourth week, the department allocated a personal computer desk to me. Consequently, I could personally access the computer system without relying on another machine or individual. My supervisor explained to me that I was allocated a personal computer desk because of diligence, integrity and hard work over the previous weeks and the supervisor was evidently pleased with my work. A personal computer desk was allocated to me because of trust I had established with the department. I could directly coordinate my activities and assign calls for specific problems for both students and members of the faculty. Some of the roles I conducted included:
Formatting laptops and iPads;
Following the due process of installing software for Mac and Dell laptops;
Resolving challenges of executing wireless connections;
Responding to queries through an online platform, composing, sending and reading received e-mails; and
Tackling hardware problems associated with their laptops and personal computers.
I spent the next three weeks at level 2. In the fifth week, I was working with both the first and second levels. The major role at the second level entailed complex activities such as constructing images for the Operating System.
Finally, at the start of the 8th week, I started working at the level 3 in the department to offer computer-networking services.
Internship Objectives
My internship objectives consisted of three parts, namely technical, business and personal objectives. To achieve these objectives, there were specific questions I intended to explore from the organisation during my internship. I believed that these objectives would play a critical role in transforming me from a student to an expert in the IT field.
Technical
I aimed to achieve some specific technical objectives from the internship at the Department of IT in Zayed University. These objectives included the following:
To gain practical knowledge on the management of databases and servers within the institution
To understand how to troubleshoot and address problems within the server
To be able to detect a breach into an institution’s server and how to protect important documents
To be able to connect various offices and individuals in order to enhance communication and document sharing
To ensure that servers within the organization are running effectively, and to offer stakeholders access to information that is only relevant to them
Business
The following were some of the specific business objectives that I sought to achieve from this internship.
To be able to monitor client’s actions online within the website and how to convince them to consider our services
To be able to negotiate business deals on behalf of an institution by the end of the internship
To gain effective communication skills that may help me navigate the competitive market
Personal objectives
The following are some of the specific personal objectives I needed to achieve through the internship.
To get employment in this institution or other related organizations by the end of the internship
To have relevant contacts of people in this field that may help me advance my career
To earn respect in this institution as a way of building my reputation
Questions about the company
These questions were meant to give me guidance on the approach I would take during my internship at the institution.
For how long has the IT department of the organisation been operational?
How important is this department to the normal running of the organisation?
What are some of the cultural values at this organisation that employees should be aware of while at the institution?
What are some of the specific jobs that I will be expected to do as an intern?
Accomplishments
My major accomplishments were guided by specific objectives of the internship within eight weeks. During the first three weeks, I realised the following practical learning outcomes.
Formatting Dell and Mac laptops
Installing Microsoft Office package for Mac laptops
Installing Adobe Photoshop for Dell and Mac PCs
Scanning viruses for laptops and flash drives
Identifying and addressing problems with wireless connections
Recovering and restoring lost data in laptops and iPads because of virus
Although I had set one month to achieve the above objectives, I was impressed to realise them within the first three weeks of my internship.
In the fourth week, I was allocated a desk with a personal computer to facilitate my roles. I had gained a reputation as a dedicated, trustworthy and reliable intern within the Computer Service Department (CSD). I could coordinate my activities with both students and members of the faculty. Specifically, I assigned calls to faculty members and student communities whenever they have specific problems. The desk facilitated direct contact with my stakeholders and therefore it was easy to resolve their problems without necessarily consuming other faculty members’ time.
In the fifth week, I was working with both the first and second levels. From my experience, I noticed that the first level was a lot easier, but the second level entailed complex activities such as constructing images for the Operating System. It was a part of my role to work on several tasks simultaneously. One outstanding challenge involved changing the computer name of a certain laptop. To resolve this challenge, I had to use another domain to change the name. My work environment was ideal because of collaboration and supportive staff at the department.
In the sixth and seventh weeks, I started to work with level 2. The roles included creating Windows images. Although it was my first time to build an image using a computer application, I completed the task with a lot of ease, implying that I rarely needed my supervisor’s assistance. Nevertheless, I still relied on my supervisor when I encountered difficulties. In fact, the supervisor and other personnel in the department were incredibly willing to assist me.
Tasks at level 2 of the department mainly involved formatting and preparing laptops for new students. As a result, I was able to learn the essential aspects in relation to formatting laptops typified by relatively high-levels of new technologies. Toward the end of the 7th week, I was taught how to prepare a tip sheet that was important in formatting a Dell laptop.
At the beginning of the 8th week, I started working at the level 3 in the department, which was offering computer-networking services. I was able to learn when I interacted with the university’s network architect, who provided a presentation that contained networking information. After the presentation, I was exposed to practical sessions that involved types of network, types of cables, wireless connections, components of data centres, firewalls and servers.
Personnel could be called to solve problems and I could accompany them and learn new concepts in networking and maintenance. Some of the problems that I learned to fix were related to access points, wireless connections, office telephone connectivity, and printer-computer networks. In fact, I could be given a chance to assess the source of a problem and apply the best solutions that could result in improved performances of different devices.
It is imperative to note that the above problems were just a fraction of what I handled on a regular basis. Some computing challenges presented to me by the faculty and students ranged from simple to complex tasks. While some of these problems took less than ten minutes to fix, others were highly demanding, time-consuming and equally overwhelming. However, I always appreciated difficult challenges because they created excellent opportunities for me to gain additional knowledge and grow as a computer expert.
Lessons Learned
I learned new concepts about practical aspects of IT and networking. In addition, I also learned the importance of interpersonal skills and organisational culture in a workplace with diverse workforce. Specifically, lessons learned were related to problems I solved during my internship.
A real workplace environment is demanding
Within the first three weeks, I experienced several challenges related to workplace demands. For instance, there was a need to meet demands of students and faculty. In the first three weeks of the semester, the help desk was crowded with students and faculty who need help in addressing various problems with their laptops and iPads. They would always come to the help desk with various problems, and all of them expected to find a way of addressing their issues quickly because laptops and iPads were used for lectures. It took me some time to understand some of the fundamental concepts in wireless connection, but I was able to overcome this challenge.
Technical skills
I learned technical skills during my internship within the department. I mastered important aspects of IT such as formatting laptops, creating computer images, implementing software documentation, making tip sheets and fixing network problems among others. In the future, I think that I can improve my speed of fixing computer network issues. Moreover, skills in IT take time to build and apply effectively.
Organisational culture and interpersonal skills
Employees who aimed at producing excellent performance outcomes typified the work environment. Effective communication was used from senior executives to their juniors and vice-versa. I also learned that the department had supervisors who considered views of their juniors. In addition, knowledge transfer was evident during my internship. My supervisor and other members of the staff assisted me with difficult tasks.
The faculty members and staff were from different socio-cultural background. The organisation had created a culture of tolerance to workforce diversity, and it was difficult to see people aligning themselves based on their religion, social class, gender or any other demographical factors. People at the institution were friendly and supportive, a fact which made the work environment pleasant.
In addition, I established professional networks that would go a long way in helping me in my career in the future.
Potential problems and solutions
In the future, I would anticipate two problems. First, I think that I would experience a problem associated with implementing software documentation. A perfect solution to the issue would be to request my supervisor to explain to me the content in learning resources. Second, I would face the challenge of limited time within a training level of my internship. This would be solved by spending more time within a section of a department.
Another possible fundamental challenge I may face involves understanding the concepts in modern communication technologies such as videoconferencing and latest concepts that cybercriminals use to access databases of individuals and institutions.
Conclusion
My internship period at the College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University was successful and improved my skills, knowledge and practical aspects of the field.
I was able to achieve my three categories of the internship objectives as defined. For instance, I gained technical skills in IT related aspects such as troubleshooting, formatting laptops, creating computer images, implementing software documentation, making tip sheets and fixing network problems among others. In addition, I also acquired work-related skills required in a large organisation with diverse workforce. I noted that interpersonal skills resulted in effective communication and collaboration among employees. At the same time, I also realised my business objectives at the institution.
The lessons learned during my internship were critical for my future personal and career growth. For instance, I realised that workplace environments could be extremely demanding in busy organisations such as universities. In addition, developing technical skills required a work environment with supportive colleagues. Nevertheless, I still need constant learning and practice to be familiar with new technologies, applications such as videoconferencing and data protection from hackers. In addition, I also noted that IT practices and applications required greater flexibility in a supporting work environment to fix some complex challenges.
This internship was important for my career development. After years of academic work, the internship offered me a perfect opportunity to put to practice what I had learned over the years. I was able to interact with some of the successful professionals in this field who offered me guidance in my career path. The choice of Zayed University was the best because it enabled me practice, learn, and interact with the relevant people in this field of technology. In addition, the College of Technological Innovation had robust IT infrastructures, modern communication devices for both academic and administrative purposes. Still, I noted that the institution had improved technologies used to protect data. Such an institution was ideal for my internship because of valuable practical experiences and available resources.
Overall, the period I spent at the department was one of my best learning periods. I established professional networks that would go a long way in helping me in my career growth in the future. Given another chance, I would go to the department to continue learning various concepts in the IT field.
According to Estrin (2009), China has succeeded in competing with other foreign counterparts in the innovation and commercial activities capabilities. It aims to provide its domestic enterprises with advanced products and technologies through the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). China is set to go ahead with the strategy of adopting indigenous innovation. It introduced technologies from other foreign countries to develop its economy. This helped it gain global recognition of creating competition to other foreign investors.
However, this was dispatched in the World Trade International (WTO) where most of the multinationals tried to prevent China from acquiring more knowledge and technologies from foreign investors claiming that they are a threat in market competition. This has made it difficult for China to compete with existing multinational companies. It is therefore necessary for other companies to develop their research to acquire technology knowledge and commercial activities from core technologies to become competitive (Estrin, 2009).
Zhang (2009) adds that China has succeeded because of its confidence, ceaseless experiments, motivation, and patience on developing its own commercial activities and technology. Nevertheless, China lacks the urgency creation in its commercial activities on the importance of indigenous innovation in both the domestic and international markets.
It cannot create confidence to customers in the markets on the reliability and dependability of its products. This has led to low returns on investment by the country. This is risky because for the country to develop its core technologies it becomes very expensive and the bad image and reputation created by the consumers may lead to their underperformance in the markets (Zhang, 2009).
Government Support on Innovation and Commercial Activities
The central government of China introduced a policy that supported indigenous innovation in its domestic companies. Several agencies of the central government joined forces to ensure implementation of the policy. The local government succeeded in implementing this policy through trial measures that proved to be effective.
The National Science and Technology Conference outlined indigenous innovation as a government’s strategy for innovation and commercial activities. The government was ready to create an environment conducive for establishing commercial activities with the strategy.
It made it possible through a series of policies that supported and protected its domestic business enterprises technologies. The policies include the IPR protection, acquisition foreign technology, tax reduction, government purchases, policy coordination, financial support, funding, assimilation of foreign technology, and management of pool of talents (Estrin, 2009).
The country invests heavily on acquiring and maintaining highly talented, competent engineers, and scientists to assist in the campaign for innovation nationally. This is to help provide assistance to enterprises willing to incorporate technological innovations independently. The government played the larger role in promoting the economy of China despite the criticisms from the rules of WTO.
Its unwavering support helped the domestic enterprises realize that it was important to develop core technologies, innovate effectively, and invest more without fear of risks. The government has however taken steps to ensure that it increases competition for its domestic products. This involves the enforcement of policies that encourage the business enterprises to have their own technology and avoid importing technology from foreigners (Estrin, 2009; Zhang, 2009).
The government has promoted technology breakthrough through advancing research in universities, institutes, and business enterprises. The government has introduced regulations on imports and foreign investors to reduce competition of the domestic products and investors.
This has helped the country develop its economy through innovation and commercial activities. The government of China has created long term plans for its business enterprises that include quality education, well trained Army Scientists in the foreign countries, joint ventures with foreign multinationals who bring large incomes to the country’s economy, and a highly competitive domestic market in creating demand for innovated products (Estrin, 2009).
The country supports and encourages management of talents and an international expansion by creating employment opportunities both locally and internationally. Despite the underestimation of its development in innovation by the U.S. government, it continues with its potential and progress without demoralization.
The government has invested heavily in projects that help it develop its own original innovations to curb competition for its products and from new entrances into the market. Nevertheless, the China innovated products and commercial activities are in a good position to succeed even better than most of the multinational products. This calls for greater efforts in the government in promotion of innovations and commercial activities in the country (Estrin, 2009; Zhang, 2009).
Recommendations to the U.S. Government
The capability of China to innovate should not be underestimated, especially by the U.S. government. The U.S. government should not wish that the China government will stumble. This is because China has proven to be successful in commercial activities and innovation. It has been highly competitive for a long period without difficulties and strain. The U.S. government should instead motivate its own investors to innovate more and provide regulations that support and protect its investors.
The U.S. government should emulate the government of China in promoting quality education in schools and intuitions, especially in the sector of technology and innovation. This builds strong roots for more and better innovation activities in the future. The U.S. government should invest heavily on development and research to create a service and knowledge economy of innovation.
This helps the country to improve its GDP and competition for its own products. The government should enforce policies and regulations that discourage foreign investors and products to promote its own and encourage export of its products. This will encourage its investors to innovate and create more commercial activities (Estrin, 2009).
The U.S. government should take time to know China more than China knows it. This will help the government counterfeit the plans of China government to create more competition. The U.S. government has more core technologies than China. It should concentrate on developing these technologies to create more competition in both the domestic and international markets.
It has greater chances of succeeding in the market than China if it implements better policies and regulations on its innovation and commercial activities. It should not allow products from China to create any competition for its products. The U.S. government policies and regulations should consider lowering the price of its goods and services that is a major threat to the success of its brands.
It should also enhance its distribution channels to ensure availability of its products in both the domestic and international markets. This will help the country counterfeit cheap and readily available products from China in the global markets. Nevertheless, the U.S. government is more successful in incorporating and supporting innovation and commercial activities than China by far (Zhang, 2009).
References
Estrin, J. (2009). Closing the innovation gap: reigniting the spark of creativity in a global economy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Zhang, C. (2009). Promoting enterprise-led innovation in China. Kansas City: World Bank Publications.
This article highlights financial innovations which have become a common thing for investors and investment banks currently. According to the article, this may not be the most suitable time for financial innovations given the current global economic problems and the industries regulatory overhaul though the current environment looks perfect for stimulating finance’s innovative products.
With new regulations necessitated by the crisis, as known, these new regulations spark differences of creativity as the “financial engineers try to turn around the new policies and also gain from them.
Martin Chavez, a head of a team of financial experts at Goldman Sachs, says that when a customer wants to take up a specific risk and there is no general solution at hand to the customer’s, it the work of the financial experts at the bank to come up with a derivative that suits the customer’s call rather than say ‘no thanks’ to the customer (The Economist online, 2012).
Sometimes clients want things to happen faster at a time when yields are low, risk is high and the need for investment packages which are designed to assume greater risk can’t put a ceiling on possible losses. Thus, investment banks prefer derivatives-based answers which will promise minimum costs and allow for a restricted amount of returns. Investors are now turning their interests to hedging which is proving vital as asset allocation.
With the need for financial inventiveness to meet the market demands, the investment banker needs meticulous financial management. According to Julie Winkler, working with CME, there are three process for innovation: First, investigation, this ascertains whether the market demands a given product; second, creation, contract conditions are laid out and tests carried out on a small group of voluntary individuals; and, third, validation stage, correspondence from a bigger group of the company departments.
However, investment banks are left with the difficulty of ascertaining the erudition of a client. When an innovation is put in the market, by description it’s not systemic as it may not go well with the intended buyers and sellers, the system regulators and the taxpayers thus it should not have a scale where their flaws can shock the economy.
Basis risk is always a big difficulty for investors. David Howell, the CEO of Pacific Life Re, states, “Investors want something tradable, where they don’t have to make actuarial judgments and can have standardized products.” Many of the derivatives, such as pension funds, require a lot of actuarial expertise at least to say for the normal investor, therefore need for index-based transactions which can be used as a reference point for buyers.
Indices such as rates for quantifying mortality improvement can be used as a reference point for a pension fund buyer (Dalio, 2012). However, there is a need for a market-architect to fill the gap between these two industry players; re-insurer, insurer or investment bank which has the expertise to transact with sellers and is keen to assume the basis risk of indices-based transactions to drive it out to capital markets that is, buyers and sellers.
There is also the longevity risk, which can take decades to come out. That generates another disparity since a bond buyer or seller generally wants to lock up his/her money for about 5 to 10 years and could be short of time as to work as a helpful hedge against individuals living longer.
In conclusion, the article states that there are demanding efforts and risks in creating the financial innovations market. The article suggests that there is need for standardization for its development. As learnt from the economic woes, where some financial market players held a lot of this basis risk and others transferred it to the investors who couldn’t sustain it, intermediaries should be keen in the management of the basis risk, as they could have managed it well and the crisis could not have occurred.
Introduction: The Concept of Innovation in International Business
The global operational opportunities, great discoveries as well as collaboration employ the conception of constant movement. Since the character of both local and international relations is changeable, it is easy to deduce that there are no prerequisites for economic progress and growth without global innovations.
The leading business engines and cooperation of the world direct their financial and creativity resources to the high-quality implementations and design, which could deliver some new solutions to common problems. The specialists define innovation in multiple ways.
Specifically, they identify the conception as a reflection of creativity, which is aligned through the alteration of multi-level strategies. For instance, the innovations may be applied to production, facility background, marketing innovation, as well as organizational and management changes (Potecea & Cebuc 2010).
The domain of international business provides considerate challenges for the individual forms, for, in every part of the world, the tendencies of marketing are influenced by some inner tendencies and specific cultural ideas. Still, the managements have to combine their innovation specifications with the current processes, which occupy the manufacturers from different countries so that not to fall out of the competition sphere.
Usually, every particular business selects it own renovation activities, which comply with both the traditions of the country and the external market needs. The aim is often reached through such operational strategies as unexpected outcomes, perception modification, target-groups orientation, and quality improvement.
Furthermore, many scientists claim that the issues of production delivery, the technological foundation of world manufacturing as well as the regulations of management techniques constitute a substantial ground for the international competition.
This work outlines three basic levels of business innovation, which constitute the core of global marketing. These are technology, transportation, and control reformation. The paper provides an objective justification for the prevailing international business decisions as well as offers some example of innovation sustention.
Transportation-Related Innovation
The distance-related issues and challenges refer to every sphere of human interaction and activity. The concept has a critical meaning for global communication. Since multiple instances of international association are conducted through the delivery of production, the problem of transportation lies in the center of every transaction or exchange.
One can sustain global products delivery in various ways. For instance, the exchanges between such continents as America and Eurasia are conducted through the ocean. Therefore, the participating states need constant renovation of water transport, which would serve as a reliable tool for sustaining operations.
Moreover, the innovation of transportation is peculiar to the inner needs of every manufacturing body. Thus, every industrial process, which starts with the delivery of materials and technological facilities, demands the existence of some high-quality transportation types that would accelerate the rates of delivery. Consequently, the problem of transportation innovation is targeted on both local and global levels.
The recent procedures of transportation innovation embrace several crucial inventions. For instance, lately, the global businesses were facilitated through the introduction of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The modification represents a progressive tool of control, which imposes surveillance over the primary transport systems through the facilitation of wireless connective control.
Specifically, it embraces speed cameras, which allow to direct the operations with the optimal speed. Moreover, it targets some recent navigation systems, which provide the guidelines on the distances and ways of delivery (Kanninen 2006).
The era of active globalization offers a number of technological innovations every year. Thus, the recent tendencies of transportation policy reformation include computational issues mostly. Today, every long-distance ship, planes, and even cars are facilitated with the individual networking tools, which are based on logic controllers with the artificial timing systems.
The modern transportation logistics tends to overtake the compact devices so that to enhance the quality and convenience of international business deliveries. The primary Knowledge-Intensive Business Services are concerned with the ideas of technology innovations such as microprocessor modules for individual transport systems.
The latest implementation history recounts the cases of artificial intelligence and modeling control systems introduction. The models, which are based on artificial intelligence software, for instance, refer to the establishment of the individual control points, which allow the machines such as ships or planes to reveal intelligent behavior without the reference to human resources (Hertog 2000).
Transport innovation offers some smart solutions for international businesses. They provide some constructive applications of computation and navigation tools that control the movement of the machines. However, there are some transportation issues, which pose the danger to the surroundings.
Specifically, every type of vehicle presents a source of direct, indirect, and cumulative effects on the global environment. Through the application if gas emissions and harmful allocations, the transport facilities damage the quality if global water resources as well as damage the soils, air, and contribute to the general changes of climate.
That is why, one of the primary challenges for the modern society is to create an inseparable unity of technological innovation and global policy, which would act on the international regulations of production exchange (Geenhuizen & Geerlings 2003).
The Problem of Technological Innovation in Global Business
There are multiple ways, in which the renovation of technology facilitates international trade and association. Specifically, it targets the exchanges between the states along five primary areas. First, the devices improve the quality of telecommunication, which presupposes the delivery of informational resources throughout the global space.
An invention of social networks, Internet-based cell phones, and wireless connection, the world citizens received an opportunity to connect with their friends and relatives. Concerning the business sphere, the telecommunication devices enhanced the quality of the regular international associations, for it gave the individual corporations diverse opportunities to attend to the activities of their counterparts as well as to make some crucial collaboration decisions over the phone or network conferences (Hagedoorn & Narula 2006).
Second, technological innovation serves as a tool for production globalization. In other words, since the tendencies of worldwide industry became accessible to the global companies, they started to overtake international experiences with the aim of utilizing the leading manufacturing tendencies.
Moreover, the introduction of digital computing tools, the managements of separate corporations learned the ways, in which one can establish a stable control over the fundamental industrial processes, which may be handled from afar. Thus, for instance, the U.S business company, which is located in a big city, may control the procedures of coffee growing, despite the fact that the real plantations are situated on the different continents (Melville, Kraemer, & Gurbaxani 2004).
Third, the natural consequence of global manufacturing became the concept of worldwide marketing. The establishment of the leading technology systems of communication, the companies received a chance for placing their products into the charge-free Internet stores. This innovation provided a global access to international production. Today, the citizens of every country can receive some goods from the different continents, no matter how big the distance between the places is.
The improvement of international transportation offers some consistent low-cost opportunities for production delivery, which extends the scopes of manufacturing compatibility. Moreover, the experts claim that this innovation contributed to the elaboration of intercultural relations, for the clients, who receive import goods, have a chance to understand the tastes and preferences of their counterparts, which promotes global understanding and launches constant collaborations between the worldwide businesses.
Fourth, the central issue of any modern international marketing is electronic commerce, which was born together with the enhancement of technological facilitation. The Internet turned into a base of information about the qualities, parameters, advantages, and shortcomings of the products (Freeman 2001). Therefore, the results of global manufacturing became highly susceptible to multilevel criticism from the side of the customers.
The tendency enhanced the level of global competition since the clients received an abundance of products options (Dunning 2008). Finally, an advent of technological progression launched innovation in terms of production delivery. In other words, it inflicted a sophisticated optimization of the transferring systems (Knowles 2006).
Therefore, one may conclude that the world of technology became a connecting link not only between the worldwide businesses but between the international customers as well. The quality enhancement of diverse production is invariably stipulated by both he the demands of the clients and the competition tendencies between the individual corporations.
The Dimension of Management Innovation
A sustention of international marketing became challenged through the introduction of the advanced technological facilities. However, the innovation contributed to the creation of a unified formula, which binds individual industries together and assists them in understanding the operational technologies of each other.
Nevertheless, no matter how far the computing and machinery progress reaches, the human factor still influences every activity, which is sustained in business dimensions. Thus, every professional is raised on an absolute foundation of national knowledge and experience.
Therefore, it is impossible to detach oneself from the system of business activities, which are supported in individual countries. The ways, in which manufacturing is addressed, differ in multiple cultural settings. Therefore, the process of experience-sharing in the context of international business is still quite undertaking.
The experts claim that there is a certain discrepancy between the successes of the young and old firms in terms of global marketing. Specifically, it is argued that the teams of the specialists, who come from the modern generation of business professionals, tend to evolve more interest to the process of gaining intercultural experience than the qualified workers, who possess many years-competences and are raised on the basis of native manufacturing.
Therefore, the latter fail in the cases of setting the agreements with the international partners since they are neither acquainted with the principles of foreign production nor possess any intercultural communication abilities. In contrast to it, the experts, who have some experience of staying in touch with the representatives of partnering companies, can handle any issue on the level of professionalism and excellence (Knight & Cavusgil 2004).
There are certain strategies, which were developed by the contemporary theory of management education. First, the specialists suggest that every company, which supports any relations with the foreign countries’ businesses, should pay much attention to the selection of human resources’ qualifications. Mainly, the theory recommends settling the issue of international experience as the firm priority in the recruitment.
The point implies that every potential employee should spend some time in a foreign internship or, at least, should strive to connect to the natives of different countries so that to improve one’ s skills of intercultural communication.
The tendency concerns not only the workers, who are expected to support some stable contacts with the international partners but the employees, who are engaged in production and marketing operations, for the technologies of manufacturing should comply with those, which are valued in the states of the corroborative counterparts.
Otherwise, the marketing strategies can fail in terms of selling. Secondly, since it is evident that not every citizen has the opportunities to gain international experience in authentic setting, it is suggested to incorporate the issue of cross-cultural association into the programs of preliminary training, which start before the person is allowed to tackle his direct tasks.
Moreover, every partnering company should develop a manual of risk-prevention, which targets the problematic spheres of collaboration with separate countries so that to help the employees to avoid incongruities and challenges (Miller 2002). Finally, the theory of management competence, which is oriented on globalization tendencies, must be introduced in the educational programs, which aim at the development of progressive business facilities in particular countries (Reuber & Fischer 2007).
Conclusion: Defining the Place of Innovation in International Business
The analysis of multilevel progress tendencies reveals that innovation applies to every dimension of international marketing, for it supports the development and constant improvement of global manufacturing.
The peculiarities of transportation, technology, and management innovation prove that the modern world of business and commerce is highly susceptible to change and conceptual modification. Therefore, the issue of modification has to be nurtured in multicultural settings so that to disclose the opportunities of modern science and human abilities as well as improve the quality of global life.
Reference List
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Potecea, V & Cebuc, G 2010, ‘The importance of innovation in international business’, The Annals of the University of Suceava, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 157-161.
Reuber, R & Fischer, E 2007, ‘The influence of the management team’s international experience on the internationalization behaviors of SME’, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 807-825.