Teaching Values in the Classroom

Teaching Values in the Classroom Replace an empty mind with an open one Malcolm Forbes simple quote above explains one important aspect of education which is that of broadening the mind. This could be one purpose of education but not the only one. A purpose could differ from one society to another or even from one time period to another. I shall illustrate this using the contrast between Singapores education system of the past and present. In the 1800s under the British colonial rule, education was present to make the social structure more efficient through vernacular schools. Later in the post-war period (1950s), schools were re-established to ensure societal progress on the road to self-governance. From 1960s onwards, education was seen as an essential tool for gaining the technical skills and competencies needed to face a more industrialized Singapore. Education was thus necessary to gain employment and possibly alleviate the family economic status. In the late 1970s however, there was a change proposed by late Dr. Goh Keng Swee to embrace a more efficiency-driven education where the purpose was to cater to the different learning abilities of the students to make them learn at their own pace. The present education system however has evolved to be more holistic that prepares one to be a more globalised citizen. This ultimately links to globalised job opportunities. It can be clearly seen that the purpose of education has changed from that of improving literacy rate and getting a stable job to that of gaining the 21st century values, knowledge and expertise to work in a contemporary globalised world. Purpose of Education The purpose of education does not have to be the same for each individual because it ultimately depends on what one gains from the education he receives. In my view, the purpose of education is to acquire knowledge, values and skills of the 21st century that would prepare one to face the challenges of a contemporary globalised world of today and to motivate one to pursue life-long learning. John Deweys Philosophy This purpose which is largely relevant to the current Singapores context and time frame has been mostly derived from John Deweys philosophy of education. John Dewey, a famous philosopher and educational theorist, believed that education is a process that should enhance the quality of life. He conceived an approach to education that would equip individuals with the skills and outlook that he believed were necessary for taking on the hardships and possibilities of life and thereby for building a better world. He introduced the idea of an informal educational approach whereby the teachers would centre on the curriculum, instructional settings and the physical setting of the learning experience. Hence, teachers could select and come up with innovative learning activities that would stimulate the students to process and apply their curriculum content in more creative and original ways. John Dewey also states that education involves reconstruction of a students prior understanding and knowledge as he/she asks new questions and explores other perceptions of the like. This makes education a transformative process where one does not gain new knowledge but rather expands on his existing one. This transformation would continue so long as new knowledge and information is discovered and learnt. His theories therefore suggest that education has to be practical, engaging and transformational on top of just knowledge acquisition. Since his philosophy is more in line with Singapores educational system and cultural context, I have used it as a foundation for developing my purpose of education. Positive Implications Students The educational purpose does have its implications on both the teaching and learning community in Singapore, in particular to teachers and students in Singapore schools. The purpose can be split into two components, firstly the acquiring of 21st century competencies for a globalised world and secondly the motivation for life-long learning. The former would allow students to become global players on an international platform. This would open the doors for better job prospects in the near future and thus render them internationally employable since job expectations have increased tremendously to include social communication, information technology, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The latter would make individuals active learners as they are more independent of their learning process and will not depend on the teachers for spoon-feeding information. Thus when they are encouraged to find out for themselves, it will become a quest for knowledge. How is this implied? The Ministry of Education (MOE) has shifted its focus to adapt a more holistic educational approach by introducing the 21st century competencies and desired outcomes framework which illustrates the skills and values that an individual would possess after completing his education in Singapore. My main focus would be the inner red ring which represents the socio-emotional values that students will develop together with their core values and the outer orange ring which represents the 21st century skills that the students will gain. These are similar to the purpose that I have pointed out above which is that of acquiring the knowledge, values and skills of the 21st century. Schools have therefore revamped their teaching styles and approaches so as to equip students with these competencies. With the implementation of the Teach Less, Learn More policy in 2004, teachers have taken one step back from the traditional teaching approach and started taking the role of a facilitator in the classroom. For instance, there have been project works being introduced as part of the course curriculum as it enhances students knowledge and enables them to acquire skills like collaboration, communication and independent learning. They would also be making links across different disciplines and applying the knowledge without just memorising the facts and figures for regurgitation during examinations. Knowledge Aspect A simple example would be the Integrated Project Work (IPW) that has been initiated in Bukit Merah Secondary School. It is a group project assignment for the lower secondary students which integrates three different subjects together namely English, Science and Humanities such that the students use the content from their Science and Humanities and their language power of English to come up with a project idea based on the task assigned. The final marks would then be split equally for the three subjects. No doubt IT skills would also come into play during the research stage where internet is the main resource and the presentation stage where PowerPoint, video and other visual aids would be used. IPW has also been used in North View Primary School as well as Republic Polytechnic. Skills Aspect Another MOE initiative would be Information Communication Technology (ICT) in schools. I would use my own secondary school, Crescent Girls School (CGS) as an example. It was one of the first schools to introduce Mobile Learning (m-learning) through the use of tablet PCs in 2003. These PCs replaced the normal textbooks used by students as digital textbooks came into play and specialised software applications were installed as additional learning tools for Mathematics, English, Art and Geography. For instance, when preparing for our Oral Examinations, we recorded ourselves reading out a text and uploaded it as a podcast in our schools web portal. Our English teacher then gave us her comments for improvement after hearing it. This method increased the efficiency as it could be done outside curriculum time with no individual consultations with the teacher while also making preparations for exams more fun. Group discussions were further facilitated by the portable PCs. These Tablet PCs al lowed students to easily obtain information, expand their learning environment, find resources for innovative ideas and think critically. Values Aspect Lastly, I will look at the Social Emotional Learning programmes that are in place in schools. Compulsory Community Involvement Programmes (CIP) and Service-Learning initiatives allow students to gain awareness of their community and possibly the global environment. They can hone their core values such as graciousness, courtesy, integrity, care and concern which define an individual. Values like resilience, perseverance and confidence which are needed to overcome the challenges ahead are also instilled and developed via workshops. Just focusing on the skills and knowledge alone does not guarantee success so one must not ignore the values that shape a person. These 3 aspects help to explain how my purpose has actually been achieved through some policies and pedagogies being effectively carried out in the local schools. 1) Negative Implication Students Stress On the other hand, there is the stress factor. As students have to learn the content as well as develop their other areas to face the globalised world, they would undoubtedly encounter the pressure of meeting deadlines and studying for their examinations. I believe that more time has to be set aside for revision for exams as these grades are clearly reflected in our academic certificates. When projects are assigned, more time should be allocated to prepare for the presentations and yet it has to be ensured that they do not clash with other deadlines and exam dates. Proper organization is of the essence here. Hate studying attitude Secondly, pushing the potential of students at a young age could possibly make them hate studying. An example would be the introduction of Science in Primary 1. Although this move was to allow students to gain an exposure before being formally taught the subject in Primary 3, it would only confuse students especially since they have only stepped out of kindergarten into a new territory, the Primary School. Being bombarded with new information at this age could terrify them. I feel that it is better to familiarise them with the foundational subjects such as English, Mathematics and Mother Tongue first and let them get a grip on these first. 2) Positive Implication Teachers Boost for creativity Moving on, the next level of the school fraternity is the teachers. My purpose of education would give teachers the freedom to conduct their lessons in a more interesting and engaging way that is more effective for the students learning. Teachers can retain their formal role as an educator by imparting content knowledge but deviate from the conventional teaching method of reading from and writing on whiteboards to encouraging role-play and debates in the classroom setting. Thus, teachers come up with innovative indirect teaching approaches that will largely boost their own creativity and originality in planning lessons. It would give them the opportunity for trial-and-error as they try out new ideas to reach out better to their students. Professional Development As teachers motivate their students to be life-long learners, they themselves are motivated in the process to learn as they teach. This brings about professional development on the teachers part which can be seen as another positive implication as the former principal of CGS, Mrs Lee Bee Yann once mentioned that Teachers have become more confident and reflective practitioners when asked about the impact of m-learning on teachers. The teaching career would also seem more fulfilling and rewarding as they teach students important life skills infused with content knowledge rather than just English, Mathematics and Science alone. 3) Negative Implication Teachers Stress Trying to mould each individual to acquire the required 21st century competencies and motive them to be independent learners can be seen as not an easy task since each individual differs in their own set of strengths and weaknesses. This may contribute to stress of a different kind that relates to the question of How to teach as creatively as possible yet ensuring that the student gains the necessary skills out of it? Attending educational forums overseas could help teachers see how teaching is done in other schools on a worldwide scale and implement them in their schools. Also via cooperative learning, ideas can be shared among colleagues. Moreover it will not seem to be a daunting task once the psychological behaviour of students are understood and their motivational factors are identified as these would aid in getting them to acquire the knowledge and skills while shaping their values. Conclusion The purpose of education, which I derived from John Deweys philosophy, is that of acquiring knowledge, skills and values of the 21st century that would prepare one to face the challenges of a contemporary globalised world of today and that of being motivated to pursue life-long learning. However, the purpose has both positive and negative implications for the teachers and students in Singapore Schools but there are possible suggested solutions which can minimize the negative effects. My purpose may not be the only purpose of education. As I mentioned earlier different individuals will have their own purpose depending on their future goals. It may be subjective but most definitely not wrong.

Investigate notions of sisters and sisterhood within Top Girls :: English Literature

Investigate notions of sisters and sisterhood within Top Girls In Act 1 the women at the dinner party, speak of their suffering in the past, but they all relate to Marlene and to each other as a sisterhood of the present, even though the women represent contemporary figures supposedly alive in the early 1980’s in England. Lady Nijo and Pope Joan are similar in that they both had babies in difficult situations, and both stood up for their rights as women. The portrayal of these women contrasts with the traditional and ‘classical’ representation of women in plays. In the past women characters have been presented as dependent on men and limited by the conversations of a male dominates world. A typical example of this is seen in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, with both Gertrude and Ophelia saying ‘I will obey my lord’ however in Top Girls the characters think independently and believe in themselves and show support for their sisters. The characters are individualised which is dramatically interesting as they open to a new experience on the stage. The modern women is shown in Top Girls to be living in the time of shifting priorities and expectations, challenging the female ‘roles’. An example of this is Louise in act 2 saying, ‘She has a different style, she’s a new kind†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Many themes that run throughout Top Girls relate to the time when the play was written. An example of this and also an example of sisters in the play is the argument between Joyce and Marlene. Marlene is an individualistic and through her own determination and effort has managed to lift herself out of working class environment to middle class. Class structure, as seen by Marlene, is the cause of oppression and the row between the sisters is exaggerated and simplified with Marlene saying ‘I hat the working class’ and Joy replying ‘ I spit when I see a Rolls Royce.’ Marlene shows support for Thatcher saying ‘She’s a tough lady, Maggie†¦. Certainly gets my vote.’ Which can be interpreted as, her own success could have been due to the encouragement and initiative of an individual. Act 3 reveals aspects of Marlene’s life that could be questioned. She left home at the age of 17, she cut herself of from all family ties, she hasn’t been home for 6 years and Angie’s arrival in the office is a complete inconvenience to her. In many respects Joyce can be interpreted as a failure too, she is worn out, let down by her husband and has a mixed success to look after Angie. The history of the sister’s social and family background is grim.

Bookbinders Book Club Essay

About 50,000 new titles, including new editions, are published in the United States each year, giving rise to a $20+ billion book publishing industry. About 10 percent of the books are sold through mail order. Book retailing in the 1970s was characterized by the growth of chain bookstore operations in concert with the development of shopping malls. Traffic in bookstores in the 1980s was enhanced by the spread of discounting. In the 1990s, the superstore concept of book retailing was responsible for the double-digit growth of the book industry. Generally situated near large shopping centers, superstores maintain large inventories of anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 titles. Superstores are putting intense competitive pressure on book clubs, mail-order firms and retail outlets. Recently, online superstores, such as www. amazon. com, have emerged, carrying 1–2. 5 million titles and further intensifying the pressure on book clubs and mail-order firms. In response to these pressures, book clubs are starting to look at alternative business models that will make them more responsive to their customers’ preferences. Historically, book clubs offered their readers continuity and negative option programs that were based on an extended contractual relationship between the club and its subscribers. In a continuity program, popular in such genres as children’s books, a reader signs up for an offer of several books for a few dollars each (plus shipping and handling on each book) and agrees to receive Copyright  © 2008 by DecisionPro, Inc. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, go to www. decisionpro. biz. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the permission of DecisionPro, Inc. a shipment of one or two books each month thereafter. In a negative option program, subscribers get to choose which and how many additional books they will receive, but the default option is that the club’s selection will be delivered to them each month. The club informs them of the monthly selection and they must mark â€Å"no† on their order forms if they do not want to receive it. Some firms are now beginning to offer books on a positive-option basis, but only to selected segments of their customer lists that they deem receptive to specific offers. Book clubs are also beginning to use database marketing techniques to work smarter rather than expand the coverage of their mailings. According to Doubleday president Marcus Willhelm, â€Å"The database is the key to what we are doing†¦. We have to understand what our customers want and be more flexible. I doubt book clubs can survive if they offer the same 16 offers, the same fulfillment to everybody. 2 Doubleday uses modeling techniques to look at more than 80 variables, including geography and the types of books customers purchase, and selects three to five variables that are the most influential predictors. The Bookbinders Book Club The BBB Club was established in 1986 for the purpose of selling specialty books through direct marketing. BBBC is strictly a distributor and does not publish any of the books it sells. In anticipation of using database marketing, BBBC made a strategic decision right from the start to build and maintain a detailed database about its members containing all the relevant information about them. Readers fill out an insert and return it to BBBC which then enters the data into the database. The company currently has a database of 500,000 readers and sends out a mailing about once a month. BBBC is exploring whether to use predictive modeling approaches to improve the efficacy of its direct mail program. For a recent mailing, the company selected 20,000 customers in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio from its database and included with their regular mailing a specially produced brochure for the book The Art History of Florence. This resulted in a 9. 03 percent response rate (1806 orders) for the purchase of the book. BBBC then developed a database to calibrate a response model to identify the factors that influenced these purchases. For this case analysis, we will use a subset of the database available to BBBC. It consists of data for 400 customers who purchased the book, and 1,200 customers who did not, thereby over-representing the response group. The dependent variable for the analysis is Choice — purchase or no purchase of The Art History of Florence. BBBC also selected several independent variables that it thought might explain the observed choice behavior. Below is a description of the variables used for the analysis: Choice: Whether the customer purchased the The Art History of Florence. 1 corresponds to a purchase and 0 corresponds to a nonpurchase. Gender: 0 = Female and 1 = Male. Amount purchased: Total money spent on BBBC books. Frequency: Total number of purchases in the chosen period (used as a proxy for frequency. ) Last purchase (recency of purchase): Months since last purchase. First purchase: Months since first purchase.

Shortcuts In The Great Gatsby Analysis - 1448 Words

How long does it take for society to find shortcuts? In most cases, the human race is constantly innovating to find faster more efficient ways to do just about everything. Some things, however, are not meant to be rushed. Throughout The Great Gatsby, one of the most prominent themes is that of the American Dream- a so called sense of achievement and reward free to anyone who works for it. Though this idea is nice, the novel goes to show that this concept is very warped and often either unreachable or grabbed for sloppily by taking shortcuts to happiness. Whether this refers to Daisy and Tom, who use other methods to find entertainment as opposed to working for real relationships, Gatsby, who pines over an unachievable desire, or society in†¦show more content†¦For Tom, this means running of to New York when it suits him and finding pleasure from his other romantic affiliations. Daisy is no more faithful. Throughout the novel, Tom expresses distaste for the very type of woman he married as well as the girls he continues to see. The â€Å"modern† woman is supposedly not at all to his taste, with all of the running around and flirtation. After his discovery of Daisy’s affair, he erupts, shaming the lifestyle he himself leads. â€Å"I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife† (Fitzgerald 139). Tom and Daisy represent the failed American Dream completely- each unhappy, corrupt, and pretending to live a lifestyle inconsistent with their actions. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. Next, Gatsby appears to be living the American Dream because he is rich and supposedly well liked. However, his American Dream is never achieved, as Gatsby is actually quite unhappy and lives without fulfillment. His expectations for his American Dream are extremely high and virtually unachievable. After all, the core of his dream rests on reliving the past, and ultimately, Daisy. Daisy is far from perfect. Therefore, â€Å"Gatsby must make her what she is not and must give her every perfection; his love for Daisy has to be lifted above time and reality†Show MoreRelated The Fall of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Essay1776 Words   |  8 Pagesall showed that a person had been successful in their life and were vital points to the American Dreams of the Characters in the Great Gatsby. Many of them strived in their own way to achieve â€Å"the dream†, however, twisted ideals of love, wealth, and class led to the eventual fall of the American Dream in The Great Gat sby. Love was turned into a conquest in The Great Gatsby instead of what love should really be; deep feelings of care and affection towards a person. According to Marilyn Roberts, â€Å"TheRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesï » ¿TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS The purpose of Text Interpretation and Analysis is a literary and linguistic commentary in which the reader explains what the text reveals under close examination. Any literary work is unique. It is created by the author in accordance with his vision and is permeated with his idea of the world. The reader’s interpretation is also highly individual and depends to a great extent on his knowledge and personal experience. That’s why one cannot lay down a fixed â€Å"model†Read MoreThe Core Competence of the Corporation8328 Words   |  34 PagesHamel is lecturer in business policy and management at the London Business School. Their most recent HBR article, ‘‘Strategic Intent’’ (May–June 1989), won the 1989 McKinsey Award for excellence. This article is based on research funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Copyright businesses, but it had no experience as an operating telecommunications company. Yet look at the positions of GTE and NEC in 1988. GTE’s 1988 sales were $16.46 billion, and NEC’s sales were considerably higher