Importance of schools

 Introduction

            Education is viewed as very important in the society among other social institutions by functionalists. They claim that education has two essential functions: primary or manifest and secondary or latent functions. This paper is going to discuss the different ways in which the existence of schools is important basing the two functions. Therefore, according to this theory of functionalist, schools play an important role in the society.

Manifest Functions

            The manifest functions are the visible and intended educational roles. There are usually various functions of schools existence. The first function is socialization. At the beginning of learning; that is in the kindergarten and preschool, learners are taught on how to practice several rules of the society This gives the schools the title of being socialization agencies whereby the learners are able to acquire knowledge on how to relate with others and are also prepared on the ways to tackle the adulthood economic roles. The learners are also in the position to learn the norms and rules of the society (Van & Besthorn, 2017). Previously, the learners had been learning the only about the culture. In the present days, the learners have been in the position to learn about a large number of norms in the society. The school has been able to educate the learners concerning the respect laws and authority. The respect plays an important role in enabling the learners to understand the environment of the school. It also enables the students to prepare themselves on how to mingle with the world after school life. In order to accomplish this function, the classroom activities with the instructors and teachers is usually very crucial. Education is also very important as it plays a major role in social replacement. This method has been in use by people the social mobility which is usually upward. The graduate and college schools have been compared to vehicles which drive the learners towards the careers that would offer the freedom in terms of finance and security in the future. This has been therefore motivating the college learners to study in the important areas that they to be most important and of benefit in their social life.

Latent Functions  

            Education also plays an important role in accomplishing the latent functions. The latent are the unintended or hidden ones. The learners have been able to get equal learning opportunities (Diana, 2015). In the past, there had been the tendency of females being denied education. Through latent functions, changes have been achieved whereby the girls are able to acquire education as equal as the boy child. Through these changes, the girls have been able to graduate in higher education levels than even the boys. The student is exposed to social networks. These might go for many years and could be in the position of seeking jobs after the learners are through with their school life. The use of social media is usually easier to maintain.        

            The functionalists also give recognition to other forms in which the learners benefit from schools. To begin with, there is individualism whereby an individual is more valued than the society or groups. There is the feeling that the reward goes to the student who has done the best in athletics or academics. Through this, learners are prepared to face the competition and the loyalty of the learners towards the teams also brings the sense of belongingness and doing away with social differences (Ferrante-Wallace, 2008). This usually happens through the activities that usually take place during learning like competition in athletics or academics. Another role of schools is teaching the learners about patriotism. This is usually seen where the students recite the national pledge and also during the lessons where they engage in historical subjects whereby they are taught concerning the past of their nation and its heroes. The functionalist theory also brings about another role of schools as that of classifying or sorting the learners according to their academic potentials. It is usually possible to determine the most capable learners while still schooling. This is usually achieved through evaluating the learners. The last but not the least important aspect as to why schools do exist is that they are expected to teach the learners concerning the some traditional functions like human sexuality which was being done at the family level. The schools are also expected to teach the learners concerning important skills like job application and budgeting.

Conclusion

            The function social plays very important roles in explaining the importance of schools existence. As seen in the discussion above, the functionalists divide the educational roles into latent and manifest functions. The latent functions involve the unintended and the hidden roles while the manifest explains the visible and intended roles. Learners are able to about norms and rules in the society. There is also the ability to do away with the gender issues in academics and creating connections with the social networks. This theory of functionalist therefore has been able to explain that schools play important roles in the society.    

Reference

Diana kendall, (2015); Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. Cengage Learning

Ferrante-Wallace, J. (2008). Sociology: A global perspective. Belmont, CA: Thomson      Wadsworth.

Van, W. K. S., & Besthorn, F. H. (2017). Human behavior and the social environment, macro      level:             Groups, communities, and organizations.

Digital Leadership

 My current learning spaces and environments are positive or in other words, we have different learning modes. The school provides real-world tools and as a result, students gain essential skills, global connectedness, problem-solving skills, and creativity. Our learning is not teacher-centered but they are student-centered (Delzer, 2015). This means that we are allowed to use technology in the classroom. Students and teachers are benefiting from educational technologies since students are increasing interest in learning and teachers are enjoying the collaboration.  Our institution is preparing students to become successful in today's world by establishing a learning space where students can use mobile technology (Delzer, 2015).  On the same note, our institution is aware that technology is affecting every aspect of life including work and for this reason, it has embraced the technology to engage students and prepare them for future careers. It is worth saying that our current learning space is positive since it is connecting students, it is increasing collaboration between students and instructors, it is engaging students, students are developing positive learning experience, students are becoming more responsible, and they are improving the decisions making (Pemberton,  Borrego & Cohen, 2006).  Technology-assisted instruction has increased students' motivation, learning, and development.  For example, we use technologies such as LearnStar where students participate in reviews and as a result, they increase performance and satisfaction.

 To improve the learning spaces, the U.S. Department of Education asserts that technology supports teaching and learning and as a result, students' increases engagement and instructors gains new knowledge on how to improve learning. To improve the learning spaces, there should be open educational resources such as digital libraries and podcast to reduce the cost that would be spent on instructional materials (U.S. Department of Education, n.d).  There should be more online opportunities such as dual enrollment and summer school programs to engage students in online learning.  Another way to improve the learning space is through blended learning.  This means that educators should engage students in learning outside the classroom with an aim of reducing the cost that would be used in   instructional materials and provide students with diverse learning styles (U.S. Department of Education, n.d). Other digital resources for education such as digital portfolios and real-time feedback should be used to connect students with real world, help them improve academic performance, and increase the collaboration with instructors.

Social media is an effective tool that connects the institution and the students. However, managing social media is a critical element that should be put into concern. Sheninger (2014) adds that social media is a digital tool that if used appropriately, it can increase communication, improve public relations, increase students'  engagement, and more importantly, build a positive learning space and environment.  For the students and the school to use social media in an effective way and achieve the intended goals, the educators should focus on the content.  Educators must be responsible for what is being posted. They should be in charge of the photos and videos to make sure that the posted information is for education purpose.  Another thing is that for social media to benefit the students and the school, educators should protect privacy.  They should limit the audience who views the posts (U.S Department of Education, n.d). Third, educators should build a school culture where all participants listen, respond and react.  In other words, there should be a culture of collaboration to engage students.  Finally, educators should establish rules and policies that students and instructors should comply with in order to maximize safety and privacy.

  Digital technologies are doing a significant role in the education institution. They are transforming the school cultures from traditional cultures to a modern culture characterized by transparency, engagement, and inspiration. In addition, digital technologies are providing students with a world-class education where students are connected to the real world (Sheninger, 2014). Communication; the pillar of digital leadership is an important element that can be used to transform the school culture.  First, communication in school is important as it enhances confidence between teachers and students and as a result, students perform better academically, and teachers promote teamwork. I would transform the school using communication by connecting the students and teachers with social media tools such as TedEd, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, TeacherTube, WordPress, among other tools (Sheninger, 2014).  These tools would connect the instructors and students and allow them to share information related to learning.  Public relations is also a pillar of digital leadership and this pillar can transform the school culture by allowing and staffs to interact with community members,  teachers, principle, and other members to share information regarding crises and solution,  share information concerning administrative changes and build educational experience (Sheninger, 2014).  Another way that the pillar of digital leadership can transform the school culture is through branding.   I can market the school in social media through creating a school logo and motto, creating a school website, present school prospectus, among other branding strategies.  Students need to be engaged so that they can improve performance. (Sheninger, 2014). Thus, I may provide students with digital tools to engage them and help them increase collaboration, and gain skills such as probe solving skills and creativity.  I can also transform the school culture by establishing a Persona Learning Network where interact and derive knowledge concerning the field of education through sharing ideas, and asking questions. This strategy would help staffs grow professionals to meet the students' needs.

References

Sheninger, E. C. (2014). Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. Corwin

Publishers.

Sheninger, E. (2014). Pillars of digital leadership. International Center for Leadership in

Education.

Delzer, K. (2015).  Reimagining classrooms: Teachers as learners and students as leaders| Kayla Delzer|

TEDxFargo; 2015. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6vVXmwYvgs

Pemberton, J. R., Borrego Jr, J., & Cohen, L. M. (2006). Using interactive computer technology

to enhance learning. Teaching of Psychology, 33(2), 145-147.

 U.S Department of Education. (n.d).  Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved

from: https://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning

Research topic

Effects of Afterschool Programs for Students

Research problem

Afterschool programs are important and they play a critical role in student development when it comes to different aspects of life. Students require more just a good curriculum, time in the classroom and good teachers in order for them to learn and advance effective skills that will aid them succeed in life (Commini, 2016). 

Research problem background

Afterschool programs embrace the time that is between school time and the time before parents most of whom are working get home. This is a crucial time where children can engage in many activities most of which are immoral and unproductive (Commini, 2016). The afterschool programs for these students will help them engage in productive activities, that are both exciting and educative which will help them improve on their social as well as academic lives (Little, 2014).

Theoretical foundations

Theory of change supports the programs arguing that the programs create room for change from the normal classroom environment to a more fun and exciting setting where students get to explore different matters of life (Little, 2014). The afterschool programs help to break the monotony in a child’s life and this motivates them to become more create and hence success in life.

Contributions to theory

Research that has been conducted has shown that children that get engaged in afterschool programs develop a positive attitude toward hard work and performing better academically (Simpkins & Riggs, 2014). They are less probable to connect with gangs and be victims or offenders of violence because they do not have the time for that.

Theoretical implications

Parents are less worried and they tend to be more industrious when the schoolchildren are in afterschool programs which in turns save hundreds of billion dollars for companies that have employed them (Simpkins & Riggs, 2014).

Practical implications

Effective afterschool programs are those that understand that schools require working hand in hand with the entire community to create undertakings that improve and accompaniment effective education (Kremer et al., 2015). The programs engage community based programs and volunteers for example museums and faith grounded groups among others, which influence the best of societies to assist students understand the society better and hence higher chances of success for them (Ha & Park, 2017).

Ethical considerations

After school programs should ensure that they provide a safe nurturing environment for the children and encourage positive relationships within the program (Lee et al., 2012). The activities that the students are engaged in should be comprehensively intellectual and also help improve their physical health.

References

Commini, R. (2016). Enhancing Educator Confidence in Assisting Military-Connected Students in a Multitiered Support System with an Inservice Program (Doctoral dissertation, Middle Tennessee State University).

Ha, Y., & Park, H. J. (2017). Can after-school programs and private tutoring help improve students’ achievement? Revisiting the effects in Korean secondary schools. Asia Pacific Education Review, 18(1), 65-79.

Kremer, K. P., Maynard, B. R., Polanin, J. R., Vaughn, M. G., & Sarteschi, C. M. (2015). Effects of after-school programs with at-risk youth on attendance and externalizing behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of youth and adolescence, 44(3), 616-636.

Lee, A. H., Yang, C. N., & Lin, C. Y. (2012). Evaluation of children’s after-school programs in Taiwan: FAHP approach. Asia Pacific Education Review, 13(2), 347-357.

Little, P. M. (2014). Evaluating afterschool programs. New Directions for Youth Development, 2014(144), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20117

Simpkins, S. D., & Riggs, N. R. (2014). Cultural competence in afterschool programs. New Directions for Youth Development, 2014(144), 105–117. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20116

 Empirical study

 Abstract

The research below was conducted on students of the University of Western Cape in order to establish what are their perceptions of the female characters in fiction movies. The method of research used was the use of questionnaire and most of the questions provided were close ended questionnaire. The questionnaire was conducted on three groups; Mathematics students, science students and technology students. Findings from the research are to be used to convince the grant committee that further research has to be done so as to increase the recognition of women in the field of stem.

Introduction

The topic under study is correlation between male university students of the Western Cape STM students and their perception on fictional scientists and their perception on women in STEM. The empirical study was conducted to establish the perception that people have om these female scientists and the women in STEM.  The main method of conducting data used was use of closed questionnaire, many questions have been posed to this male students since it is their opinion of the fictional characters that I seek to come to a conclusion to. This research is important to establish peoples view and to help the grant committee to further research on how female in the field of stem are perceived. The results of this research show that much has to be done.

Methods

The first questionnaire was carried out on three science students of the university. The information obtained from this students was treated as confidential information. The duration taken to finish the questionnaire was 15 minutes. Close ended questionnaires are time saving since the respondents are only allowed to choose from the available answers. Another advantage that was presented by this form of questionnaire (). The first question in the questionnaire was to draw a scientist, with this question I wanted to know how the students viewed a scientist. I was not shocked when everyone drew a sketch of a male on the space provided.

The next question I asked the respondents to answer how they would describe a scientist. The respondents were to choose from a table with listed characteristic. The table had 30 characteristics. According to Frisch (2006) scientists are people who are passionate about their work and are people who work hard to improve their communication skills. Also the students undergoing the questionnaire were asked to name a female scientists in a movie and if they could not they were allowed to respond with none to the questionnaire There are so many female characters who play scientists in many films an example is Ellie Sattler whose real name is Laura Dern, she appeared as a scientists in the film Jurassic park III and also among the list of women who play scientists is Jodie foster in the film Arroway (Casino, n.d).

The respondents were asked to name a character who plays scientists whether male or female and identify the perception they have on the character whether female or male. The students were asked to indicate whether it is a female or male scientist character that they are likely to come across, they confidentially gave their answers. The students undergoing questionnaire were also asked to agree or disagree that the gender gap in technology is caused by the biological difference between women and men. The students were also given a selection of qualities and from them they were to choose the qualities they see suitable to describe the great scientist Albert Einstein. They were also given a selection of qualities to choose from as they describe Marie Curie.

The next questionnaire was conducted on three mathematics students and they answered most of the questions that were presented to the science students. They were asked to draw a scientist, choose characteristics of a scientist. They were also asked to describe the character of Temperance Brenman (Bones).  They were also asked to describe the character of Sheldon Copper a character in the series The Big Bang.  They were asked to disagree or agree with the statement that men are better scientists because they are more rational than women. The next questionnaire was conducted on technology student.  They were asked to respond to the same questions that were asked to the two previous groups of students.

DISCUSION

The first two questions of the questionnaire were compulsory, the questions were asking them to draw a scientist and name characters of a scientist, the sketches made by these students show that they view scientists as males since none of the drawings indicate anything that would resemble a woman. One student in the group failed to discuss the figure he/she has drawn while the two who described the figures they had drawn explained scientists as people who are calm and composed, one went ahead to describe that they have spikey hair since they do not get a lot of sleep. Mathematics students also described scientists as people who are calm and have shaggy or spikey hair, in their sketches none was seen to be a sketch of a woman. Technology students were also asked to sketch scientists and describe them and to my surprise none of these male students had drawn a figure that would represent a feminine shape. These male student failed to recognize fictional female scientists in in STEM.

They were asked to describe a scientist using qualities that were already mentioned in the questionnaire. Mathematics students choose characteristics such as rational, organized, intelligent, responsible, competent, hard work, reliable and decisive. The second group which is mathematics students descried a scientist as; rational, hardworking, assertive, responsible, objective and confident. Lastly, the technology. The questionnaire requires these students to mention any fictional characters they know and characters such as Sheldon Copper of the big bang, Dr. Who of a film that goes with the same and Cisco Ramon a character in The Flash were mentioned. Some of the students failed to identify any scientist but then it is important to note that no student identified a female character. These students only give examples of male scientists while the Big Bang Theory has other female characters such as Amy (McIntosh, 2014).

The most important question in the questionnaire is the one these students are asked to either disagree or agree that men are more suitable as scientist than women since they are more rational. It is a good thing that most students disagreed with this statement and stated that anyone who is qualified can be a scientist. Another important question concerns what causes the gap that exist between women and men in tech. some students agreed that difference in gender is one of the cause while others disagreed with that for various reasons. Previous research conducted indicates that the gap existing in tech is caused by difference in gender. Looking at the percentage of female employees in giant tech companies it can be noted that the percentage is low; Intel has a percentage of 24% and Google has a percentage of 31% (thussong, 2015). These male students fail to recognize fiction female scientists because they have grown up in a society that does not give credit to women who have accomplished great heights in the fields of science, technology and mathematics.

All this comes down to the conclusion that gender inequality exist, the reason none of the students sketched a female figure is clear indication that the field of STEM cannot be identified with women. This failure to identify female fiction characters in film is reflected in the real world. In the United States only 27% of students taking AP computer science are female but those women who come from countries with high gender inequality are engaging more in STEM, an example is Algeria where 41% of female graduates are graduating in the field of STEM (Khzan, 2018).

Due to the findings of the research conducted I would recommend the grant committee to conduct more research that will aim at creating awareness of the females in STEM so that their representation in fiction films can be noted and appreciated. Also more research that aim at encouraging women to involve themselves in the disciplines of technology, mathematics and science. Research to find ways in which films will be made representing more female fictional characters so as to inspire women in the real world.

Conclusion

The research above was conducted in order to establish how male students of the university view female characters who play scientists in fiction movies. The research was conducted on three groups of students, mathematics students, science students and technology students. I used questionnaire to conduct this research, questions such as drawing a scientist and mentioning fictional scientists that they know were posed to them. The questionnaire was conducted using the shortest time possible with each questionnaire estimated to take about 15 minutes. Most of the students when asked to draw a scientist drew figures of men,  and this can be interpreted by the fact that even in the real world  women who accomplish great deeds in the field of mathematics, science and technology are not regarded highly. Also when identify fictional scientists in great movies such as The Big Bang they failed to recognize female scientists such as Amy and focused on the men such as Sheldon Copper. Research has shown that women’s place in STEM has been greatly ignored. The difference in gender is the main cause of the tech gap that exist. Further research has to be done so as to increase the recognition of female characters in fiction which will result to acknowledgment of this people in the real world society.

References

Casino, A. (n.d). The best Female Scientists in Film. Retrived from;           https://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-scientists-in-film/anncasano

Frisch, L. (2016). The 10 Qualities of Scientist (communicator) Leaders. Retrieved from;             http://beforetheabstract.com/2016/10/20/the-top-10-qualities-of-scientist-communicator-   leaders/

Heather McIntosh (2014) Representations of Female Scientists in The Big Bang Theory, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 42:4, 195-204, DOI: 10.1080/01956051.2014.896779

Khazan, O. (2018). The More Gender Inequality the Fewer Women in STEM. Retrieved from;                 https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/the-more-gender-equality-the-          fewer-women-in-stem/553592/

Thussong (2015). Women @ Work: Closing the Gender Gap. Retrieved from;             https://www.thesoftwareguild.com/blog/closing-the-tech-gender-gap/

Part 1 Ten learning experiences

Interpretation and group discussions societal systems and the various occupational aims

• Child development
• Communication skills
• Languages
• Literacy
• Focusing and discipline hence absorbing more concepts

Sketching or illustrating the diagram of the school premises and labelling all the roles played within various parts of the school.

• Physical development of the child’s mental abilities
• Progressing their motor abilities through sketching of image observed.
• Improve their art talent

Inviting speaker to talk to the children

• The speakers will give the children a different view on life hence enhancing perceptions
• Children acquire new information on the different roles people play within the community.
• The art of listening, learning while at the same time remaining attentive.
• Training on social and emotional growth.

Creating an academic and mental insight of the neighborhood hence preparing them for the outside world

• Gaining curiosity of the outside world
• Make contact with outside community and examine how it handles issues

Pay a visit to the zoo and tag parents and guardians along

• The aim of the parents is grounding the attention of the children on the important matters.

Learning teamwork

• Development of both the physical and mental status of the children
• A new different learning environment for the children.

Applied and hands-on the information acquired that the students selected the previous tasks

• Outdoor activities within the a specific community
• Children will grow both socially and intellectually
• Beneficial to the physical body as the children play and learn outdoors

Incorporation of Engagement learning which explores various learning styles and systems

• Interacts with different learning resources while playing
• Takes part in a series of tasks while playing hence engages then mental faculty and the bodily functions
• Personally chooses the activities he wants to take part in.
• Utilizes trial and error to solve challenges

Originality and innovativeness

• Takes a creative perspective before doing anything hence the ideas remain novel and unique
• Identifies specific extra material for finishing   the activities
• Where in doubt the child raises questions for clarification purposes

Inquisitiveness and inventiveness

• Inquire when faced with doubt
• Shows curiosity during learning and discussing issues
• Actively participate in tasks regarding world issues

Part 2

There are five learning experiences that build on each other. The first five learning experiences develop the physical and mental status of the child. For instance walking around the school gives and then giving the child time to map out school and labelling all the places develop the memory retention capabilities of the child. On the other hand walking around the school enhances the physical component of the child and gives them a chance to actively increase mobility.

 The last five learning experiences focus on engaging the child by changing the learning surrounding and involving the parents or guardians in the learning process of the children. For instance taking the children to the zoo and then giving them a chance to interact with parents. Secondly, inviting professional to talk about their daily work and challenges giving the children a glimpse at their lives, which in turn helps the children gain interest in the outside world.

 Part 3

Parents take part in any outside activities where they can control the attention of the child and interact with him or her appropriately for the sake of effective learning outcomes. For instance, while taking the children to the zoo along with their parents improve the learning experience.

The boundary of the Moebius strip

The Mobius strip is simplified as I² (a, o) – (1-a, 1). One can get a Mobius strip by rotating a section of a straight route with a continuous distance about a loop. In other words, the Mobius strip, attained from a four-sided strip of a malleable material or paper. Winding one end via 180degrees (Tanda et.al, 2002). Second, bringing together the ends is one illustration of a single sided surface. Locating the features and progression shape is a challenging task ever since mathematicians discovered its formulation.

 Reason why one Mobius strip is one circle

In the arena of symplectic geometry, one of the main issues encompasses counting the connection points of various complex symmetrical spaces. For instance, the Mobius rip have two circles consecutively going through it. If any individual looks at a Mobius strip, the circles interconnect to each other at some point within the circles (Tanda et.al, 2002). One of the circles commences overhead the other. However, it split ends beneath it due to the meandering nature of the band. When a person dissects the Mobius strip in two sections. The dissections eliminate the spirals within the strip. Secondly, drawing two rings sections on each part. In the absence of spirals, it’s easy drawing the circles segments so as to develop a parallel without intersection.

 Describing the surface of the Mobius strip

The Mobius strip or a warped tube has no confines. The structure appears as an endless loop. Just like any other usual loop, it like an insect crawling around an area with no end in sight. The Mobius strip is one sided, hence when a small insect crawls through the structure can cover the bottom and the top within a single crawl (Bauer et. al, 2015). More so, constructing a Mobius strip is easy and one has to take a single piece of paper, giving the paper a twist then intersecting the ends of the paper. Mobius strips can vary in dimensions and figure, one can easily visualize the Euclidean space and several other spaces not easy to discern. In terms of Mobius strips topology has an infinite system in the shape of Klein bottles.

 Properties

When one draws a line at the central part of the Mobius strip, tracing the line with a finger one notices the finger returns back to the starting point of the paper. This characteristic proves that picking two points on the Mobius strip enables drawing a path from edge to the other. The Mobius strip has a single confine illustrated by outlining the ends of the Mobius strip with a finger similar to the one drawn to the center via the boundary line (Bauer et. al, 2015).. The Mobius strip has Euler features. Taking into consideration the cylindrical shell is one of the ways of removing the top and the bottom sections of the tin hence forming a rectangular section then classifying the edges with similar alignment. Then flipping the alignments some of the sections of based on the diagram.

 In term of understanding, the figure in 3d dimension the Mobius strip has to engage and utilizing it for understanding the uses of Mobius shape. Due to its one sided features, it has a couple of uses (Bauer et. al, 2015). First, a conveyor belt is in the shape of a Mobius strip hence one is able to fit on both sides.

References

Tanda, S., Tsuneta, T., Okajima, Y., Inagaki, K., Yamaya, K., & Hatakenaka, N. (2002). Crystal topology: A Möbius strip of single crystals. Nature, 417(6887), 397.

Bauer, T., Banzer, P., Karimi, E., Orlov, S., Rubano, A., Marrucci, L., ... & Leuchs, G. (2015). Observation of optical polarization Möbius strips. Science, 347(6225), 964-966.

Part1: learning experiences: reading on societal issues and elaborating on the main ideas 3within the book.

 Domain 1: acquisition of information on community issues.

Domain 2: utilization of the senses to differentiate urgent from other needs within the society.

Domain 3: science: helps in the formulation of ideas for sustainable solutions to meet community needs.

 Domain4: technology encourages the need for integrate knowledge and bring all the concepts under relevant context.

 Domain 5:  Associating one concept with another.

 Learning experience: making comparisons between different foods within the community

Domain 1: taking note of things to do an what not do

Domain 2: demonstrating understanding by choosing the right food types.

Domain 3; Using terms associated with the food types

 Domain 4:  science: exhibiting interest in terms of healthy and unhealthy foods.

Domain5:  technology: integrating information and promoting education among the unknown sectors.

Learning experience: learning socialization skills

Domain 1: Relates the topic with persona; life.

Domain2: Proves he or she can initiate conversations with other people.

Domain 3: science: grasps the feeling of other people and taking part in constructive social activities.

Domain 4: technology: give information orally through slides and other devices.

Domain 5: assessing the topic and personal insights gained from the topic.

Learning experience 3: ways of reducing soil erosion

 Domain 1: defining the underlying challenges.

Domain 2: identifying areas with soil erosion.

Domain3: science: mechanisms of stopping soil erosion.

Domain 4: technology: mechanisms and methods of stopping soil erosion.

Domain5: defining the norms of personal ways of stopping erosion.

 Learning experience 4: discussing etiquette

Domain1: perceptions surrounding the topic

Domain2: personal opinion on the issues.

Domain 3: the inclusion of personal satisfaction after doing what is right for the community.

 Learning experience5: Acquiring good eating habits during family gathering.

 Domain 1: showing the underlying reasons that make good habits relevant and useful.

Domain 2:  Taking the initiative of keeping the real personal initiative in terms table manners.

 Domain3: exploring the underlying reasons for the benefits of good eating habits.\

Learning experience 6: road safety

Domain1: road safety observation tips.

Domain2: discussing the potential threats to the situation.

 Domain3: road signs that will assist on cross the road well.

Learning experience 7: how to wash the hands effectively

Domain1: demonstrating that one knows how to effectively wash hands.

Domain 2: discussing ways of stopping germs from multiplying by washing hands.

 Domain 3:  stating ways of enabling consistent washing of hands.

 Learning experience 8: making a timetable

Domain 1: has to demonstrate the aspects of a timetable applicable for personal use.

Domain 2: the ability to interpret useful ways of incorporating time management skills into the timetable.

 Domain 3: ranking time from busy to leisure time.

Learning experience 9: engaging in helping activities

Domain1: defining the population that needs help from and connecting them with people that can offer help.

 Domain2: embracing change and recognizing ways of improving a needy person life.

 Domain 3: formulation ways of reaching and assisting the needy.

 Learning 10: interpreting weather patterns

Domain: discussing weather elements.

Domain 2: discussing weather forecasting tips.

 Domain 3: using terms associated with weather patterns

 Part2 five related learning experiences

Learning socializing skills related to helping the needy in society, engaging in helpful activities, road safety tips and etiquette all have common themes and help people come up with manner, which in turn improve relation between each other.

All the learning experiences upgrade socializing skills and by applying their concepts, the students get a more accurate picture of the society. As popular sentiments goes, the more people study of issues affecting the community and find ways of improving themselves and the environment they leave in, these actions lift the community up.

 Part 3

Learning does not stop within the confines of the classroom; hence, parents have a duty to take part in their children’s intellectual progress at all times. Most of the times, parents only try to hang about as the children do assignment which impedes creativity and self-improvement. Nevertheless, students become more effective when teachers involve parents in the schoolwork. Parents have a beneficial effect on the progress of the children. Simply put parents should play a role both at school and at home for better results at school.

Hawthorne studies

Abstract: The main objective of this review is to clarify the results that Hawthorne studies and if in today’s world does this effect exist and if it exists, under what circumstances does it exist and what effects does it have.

Introduction: In the 1920s, a study was carried out on workers, who were currently working at a Hawthorne electric plant, the aim of this study was to refocus on how human behavior can be incorporated into the managerial practices. This study was carried out by Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger and they named this study after the plant. These studies also aimed at finding whether employees can increase their productivity if the working environment is improved. This study led to the discovery that employees perform well if they are in conducive environments such as clean workplaces and regular breaks.

Thesis statement: This study led to the discovery of an effect called, Hawthorne effect that has caused a revolution in the business world.

 Paragraph 1: After workers are introduced to a conducive environment for the first time their productivity increases, but afterward the productivity of these workers decreases when they get used to being in this environment for a long time. A certain conclusion was drawn from this study, changing the environments greatly increase the productivity, but this productivity only lasts for a very short time this can be referred to as the Hawthorne effect (Cherry, 2018).  This effect is an effect that exists in today’s business world. This study found out that workers tend to become more productive when shown more attention.

Paragraph 2: All the experiments carried out in the Hawthorne studies show that productivity of workers depends on the amount of attention and approval they receive. This study also helps show that workers want to be made to feel like they belong to a certain group and would love to be included in discussions and decision-making procedures (Cherry, 2018).  The effect discovered from Hawthorne studies exists in real life. An example of a situation where this effect exists in the business world is in a situation where an organization is giving promotions to workers who become productive, these workers will tend to be more productive to get the position but after getting the promotion they relax and decrease productivity.

Paragraph 3:This effect brought about by these studies exists in circumstances such as the one discussed above when employees want to be promoted, if employees’ salaries are increased for the first time their productivity increases and when they don’t receive another raise their productivity decrease, another situation where this effect is seen is when the seniors in an office engage the juniors in decision making and discussions the juniors tend to be more productive since they are receiving attention (Cherry, 2018).  The Hawthorne studies helped to discover that changing a variable in an employee working environment impacts their productivity positively

Conclusion: The Hawthorne studies were a bunch of experiments conducted on workers of a plant by the same name, Hawthorne. These studies came up with a conclusion and named it the Hawthorne effect. This effect exists in a real-world business situation where if employees are given much attention, they tend to increase their productivity and when that attention is withdrawn their productivity decreases. The results from the Hawthorne studies conclude that when the variables affecting the working environment change productivity increases and after these variables are withdrawn productivity decrease.

References

 Cherry, K. (2018). The Hawthorne Effect and Behavioral Studies. Retrieved from;             https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-hawthorne-effect-2795234

The K-12 system of Arizona

Introduction

Some changes were made in Arizona between the year 2016 to 2018 and the teachers strike that took place in Arizona helped to shade some light on the K_12 education system of the country. This system is known to sped a lot of money however, there are no records of how much amount of money it uses. It has been suggested that the Arizona’s 12-K system should also be audited since the amount of money contributed into this system doe not reflect the results of the children under that system. It is advisable that Arizona should try to simply the large amounts of money it spends on this system.

Arizona is among the top countries where the population under the K-12 system has continued to grow. K-12 public schools in the country are responsible for the largest funds that are given to the system, approximately $9.9 billion as general funds. a total of 43% of the funds invested in the country goes to the K-12 system of the country (Butcher, 2018) Arizona continues to be among the countries where they devote their tax on the education system although on several occasion, they have been criticized for not spending much on the education system.

Investing in education is important since it is every child right to a good education. Education is among top factors responsible for a country’s growth therefore a lot of contribution should be made towards it. whether formal or informal education, education is an important aspect of the society we live in every day. Education is responsible for producing law makers who later come to make policies on the education. (Butcher, 2018) better It is my belief that Arizona should increase its spending on the K-12 system for results in the country.

Conclusion

The K-12 system of Arizona is an important education system in the country. Despite its past failures lawmakers are being encouraged to increase their spending on this system. The amount of people in that system has been on the rise for so long. Education is an important aspect in everyone’s therefore much should be spent on educating individuals

References

Butcher, J. (2018) ARIZONA PUBLIC SCHOOL SPENDING, 2016-2018: WHAT DO THE CHANGES MEAN FOR FAMILIES AND TAXPAYERS?. Retrieved from: https://goldwaterinstitute.org/article/arizona-public-school-spending-2016-2018/

 Mary is planning a study to see if learning of 6th graders on a math lesson is affected by background noise level. She wants to use a t-test for independent groups to analyze her results. Help her plan her study.

What is her independent variable (IV) here?

            The independent variable that she has entails studying the noise level

Describe two conditions she could create for the IV in her study.

            Condition 1: When the lesson is being taught, it is important to ensure that music is being                                                 played at a low tone

            Condition 2: It is vital to ensure that there is no background music to be played during the                                    lesson

What is her dependent variable (DV) here?

            The amount of the mathematic learned

Describe a way to measure the DV so that each participant would have one score at the end. Would this DV measure be on a continuous scale of measurement? Why is this important? Explain and justify.

            One of the best means of measuring the DV entails obtaining one score that will have the ability of summarizing the information that was covered during the lesson.   

The independent variable (IV) is 'background noise level'.

            From the information collected, it is important for her to take into consideration the questions or the tests that they are given in the classroom. On the other hand, in case the main objective entails obtaining one score from each individual participant it is important to ensure that the same procedure have been used for the purpose of measuring each the work done by each participant. On the other hand, in case the main objective is to get a single score from each participant, it then implies that such a measurement will have the ability of offering the ultimate means of their competence (Gravetter & Wallnau, 2017). The reason for that is because the DV scale could be on the continuous scale.

            Therefore, the freedom to select the methods of measuring the extent of accuracy or the amount of variables to be used is the one that have the ability of making such variables to be continuous. The significance of that is because the participants’ score will have to be measured for the purpose of creating a single score for each one of them. At the end of the day, it implies that the same procedure will have the potential of enabling researchers to evaluate the areas that they participants could have learned differently in the process of enabling them to solve their academic problems (Gravetter & Wallnau, 2017). 

Consider Mary's experiment regarding whether learning of 6th graders on a math lesson is affected by background noise level. Mary has collected her data.

What is the null hypothesis for her study?

            The background information that is being played in their classroom has not effect on their learning

What is the alternative hypothesis for her study?

            Utilizing the t-test will be the best means of understanding the effects the background noise has on learning

What are the assumptions that must be met about her data before she can correctly use an independent t-test to test the hypotheses? Why?

Ideally, the general selection of independent t-test will only be valid if it has the ability of meeting its main criterion.  One of the main criteria is that the dependent variable to be used in learning of 6^th graders will be based on the effect they have on the continuous scale in the homogenous group from the normal distribution. In the process of testing this hypothesis, it is important for her to ensure that she has created data and conditions.  It, therefore, implies that this condition will have to take into account members having the common strategy of redoing the mathematics lesson earlier taught by their instructor (Gravetter & Wallnau, 2012). 

            The next condition will entail associating with the same students so as to assist in ensuring maximum utilization of the math lesson. In so doing, it is important to ensure that some gadgets like earphones are prohibited during learning and windows are open to enhance sound clarity. 

How would she see if her data met these assumptions?

            At the end of the lesson, it is important for her to take into account the number of the students using earphones. This is to say that the learners who could have had the ability of completing at least 3 correct math questions should be indicated having an ordinal rank of 2. On the other hand, those students that will obtain less than 3 should be given an ordinal number rank of 1. Conversely, the number of students who will obtain an ordinal number of ones or twos will be based depend on their noise levels (Gravetter et al., 2018). 

            How much room does she have to violate any of these assumptions and still get accurate results from the t-test? Explain and support your answers.

            N= 20.05

            Df= 19.01

            M= 14.03

            Ho= 10.11

            Sm= 4.00

            T=2.09

            Taking into account the T test of 2, it implies that the alternative hypothesis will be valid while the null hypothesis will be rejected. The reason for that is because her percentage (95%) will not be showing the impact noise has on their learning experience.

                                                            References

Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2012). Essentials of statistics for the behavioral sciences.        Vancouver, B.C: Langara College.
Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2017). Statistics for the behavioral sciences. Cengage Learning Press

Gravetter, F. J., Wallnau, L. B., & Forzano, L.-A. B. (2018). Essentials of statistics for the           behavioral sciences. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Animal testing

Introduction

Animal testing is the experimentation on animals by human that seek to control factors or traits that affect human behavior or to determine the effects of a biological system that is under study. Mostly in pharmaceutical industries animals are tested on in order to further research such as, finding cures to diseases’ and testing the effect of cosmetic products. Mostly, after animals are tested on they are euthanized and allowed to die because of incurable diseases acquired during the process of testing them on new products. Some nations such as Britain support animal testing and argue that any major medical achievement relied on animal testing and not even sophisticated models of computers can be able to produce results such as the ones produced from animal testing. Animal testing is cruel and it subjects the animals to a lot of pain and suffering. Animal testing should come to an end and humans should consider using other alternatives that are available in order to save the life of many animals.

Rights of animals is a debate that emerges due to the invention of modern day science. Scientists are using animals to check the safety of the food that humans consume, to check and ensure the safety of drugs before they are used on humans, effects of beauty products such as lipsticks and eye shadows before humans can be allowed to use them. Britain is a country where animal testing is legalized since the year 1876, this led to a brutal series of animal testing in the country in the years that followed 1885, when the nation found a cure to rabies it was tested on dogs and rabbits to ensure the safety of the cure, in the 1930s, the country developed modern anesthesia and tested it on dogs and in the early 1940s treatment for arthritis was tested and studied on rabbits and monkeys (Hayhurst, 8). This is evident that the rights of animals have been violated in the country by using them as test subjects on researches that might even kill them.

Countless pictures taken of these animals that are tested on shows that these animals endure a lot of pain in the process. Many people, including doctors and scientists believe it is time to end the era of animal testing and start using other methods for scientific advancement. It is their belief that animals should be living in their natural habitats but not in laboratories. As much as there are two sides of a coin, this debate on animal rights has two sides, those who think it is time to end animal testing, and those that believe that animal testing should not come to an end and it is a vital tool in the advancement of society. They feel that the advantages that have emerged from animal testing such as finding a cure for polio and find out the effects of cancer chemotherapy outweighs all the suffering that the animals go through when carrying out these tests (Hayhurst, 9). These people view animals as lesser creatures compared to human beings and they cannot share equal rights. This debate on animal testing is one that ignites strong emotions from both parties.

There is also people who feel that animal testing is right, but some boundaries should not be crossed when carrying out tests. Some parties feel that it is right to carry out animal tests on foods that are for consumption of humans but testing beauty products and cosmetics on animals should not be allowed. Some of the products that should not be tested on animals include hair shampoos and toothpastes. It is recommendable that animals being subjected to testing should be put to sleep in ways that they will not endure more pain. Animal testing can be tolerated if scientists are seeking beneficial results such as cure for polio (Hayhurst,11). When more humane methods are used to test on animals it is arguable that animal testing can be tolerated.

For effective treatment of diseases affecting humans a wide detailed and effective research must be carried out. For medical researchers and doctors to understand how diseases affect the human body and to learn how to cure diseases', researches introduces disease causing viruses and bacteria into the bodies of animals. They later study the changes that occur in the animal and later they introduce different kinds of treatment on the animal to see how the animal will react to them. It is well known that animals suffer from the same diseases that affect humans and the way the animals will react to a certain treatment is the same way humans will react to that treatment (Watson, 8). At other times doctors need tissues from animals in order to come up with a cure for a certain disease, an example is the use of hormones from the pancreas of cows or pigs to make insulin, a drug with the capability of curing diabetes (Watson, 9). Animal testing is important to develop drugs affecting humans but it is still advisable to use other means if producing these cures than hurting animals.

The animals in a laboratory live a life full of isolation from their fellow animals, they experience a lot of misery and are deprived of their right to exist and live in their natural habitat. The United States allows scientists to carry out all types of experiments on animals including burning, shocking, drowning, isolating and starving these animals (Day, 106) No experimentation on these animals is prohibited. The country has continued to carry out animal testing even in researches that have other options. In the process of experimenting on animals, these animals contract disease that they would never contract when living in their natural habitats. Mice’s get tumors that are twice as large as their bodies and kittens are forced to undergo surgeries and experiments that leave them blind. These animals undergo painful surgeries and are latter dumped in their cages without any pain killer to calm the pain (Best, 20). These experiments performed on animals show the cruelty they are subjected to in the process of animal testing.

Animal experimentation lessens the value place on life since many animals after experimentations are killed. Animal testing has its advantages and it is the duty of the society to ensure that these advantages do not outweigh the value of the life of animals. Animal testing enhances the safety of products being released out to consumers, animal testing ensures that no harm comes to humans since they cannot be used as test subjects in an experiment and lastly, animal testing is responsible for most of the medical advancement that have taken place in the society. Animal testing as suitable as it may seem it has its disadvantages. Many of products tested on animals are never approved to be used by humans therefore, if a product in not needed by humans an animal should not be subjected to torture when testing that product. Animal testing many not always offer results that are valid (Ayres, np). It is true that animals do not share the same rights as humans but they should be allowed to live and enjoy their natural habitats.

Conclusion

Animal testing which is the practice of conducting experimentations on animals should come to an end and if not, more controlled measures of experimenting on animals should be put in place. Throughout the history of some countries such as Britain, animals have been used in laboratories to conduct medical researches and to find cure for diseases. Animals in laboratories are subjected to a lot of pain through acts such as burning and scientists who perform countless surgeries on these animals. These animals are deprived the freedom to live in their natural habitats and are isolated from the rest of the animals. Animal testing has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the society should not let the advantages outweigh the value of the life in these animals. Society should try and replace animal testing with other modes of experimentation in order to reduce the cruelty that animals face during these test. No living creature should be deprived of the rights to exist in its natural habitat freely with the rest of the species.

Work cited

Ayres.crystal.14 Pros and Cons of Animal Research. (nd). Retrieved from; https://vittana.org/14-pros-and-cons-of-animal-research

Best, Samuel J, and Benjamin Radcliff. Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion. Greenwood Press, 2005. Print.

Day, Nancy. Animal Experimentation: Cruelty or Science?Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2000. Internet resource.

Hayhurst, Chris. Animal Testing: The Animal Rights Debate. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2000. Print.

Watson, Stephanie. Animal Testing: Issues and Ethics. New York: Rosen Pub, 2009. Print.

Kurt Lewin Change Theory

Introduction

            Kurt Lewin, the person who came up with the change theory, was a German-American psychologist and is known as the father of social psychology (Kavanagh, 2017). He presented the theory in 1947. This theory can be applied in various disciplines. The theory assumes that an individual is exposed to regression unless some other measures are put in place to institutionalize the improved level of performance. He developed one of the nursing models referred as the change model which has three stages, which are unfreezing, change and refreezing.

The meaning of the theory

The model explains the process of carrying out a change in its three stages that are;

Unfreezing

            Before the change is implemented, it must pass through the first stage which is considered as unfreezing. The goal in this stage is to create awareness on the need for change, and this is done through proper explanation, on how the current state of the organization has hindered performance or delivery of service (Kavanagh, 2017). It is done to reduce the incidence of resistance which may occur. Communication is vital in this stage for employees to be informed on the changes, the reasons behind its proposal and its effects on the employee.

Changing

             It is also referred to as the moving or the stage of transition. After the need for change has been created. The change is made to real, and thus this is the stage of implementing the change. In this stage, most of the people affected by the change struggle with the new norm and it is also marked with fear which thus makes it the most challenging step (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016). It is necessary for this stage to provide the necessary information, education, and support where appropriate for the employees to be more familiar with the changes and adapt well to the changes.

Refreezing

             In this stage, the changes that have already been implemented are reinforced. The changes are stabilized and solidified in the organization and are considered as the new norm. This is the necessary stage to ensure that, the old ways of the organization are not reverted and thus the new norms are practiced effectively (Bakari, Hunjra & Niazi, 2017). The changes are cemented as the culture of the organization and therefore considered as the organizational way of thinking or doing things.

Logical adequacy

            The concepts in this model are the driving and restraining forces, and the equilibrium. The factors that cause the change to occur are the driving forces; they create this by pushing the individual towards the intended direction (Bakari, Hunjra & Niazi, 2017). Restraining forces, on the other hand, are those factors that counter the action of the driving forces and causes a shift in equilibrium towards opposing the change (Kavanagh, 2017). Finally, equilibrium is where the driving forces and the restraining forces are equal; thus there is no change. Predictions can be made from the theory, and it is used consistently, and the concepts are applied throughout the theory, and there are no logical fallacies.

Usefulness

             The theory is critical in change management in the organization in that; it gives a stepwise way of implementing a change which promotes understanding through its simple three-stage process. The theory has generated various researches through its application, and it is very useful in the change management in health care, for example, it can be applied in the implementation of bar-coded medication administration (Hussain et al., 2018). The theory has greatly influenced the nursing practice on the implementation of changes to facilitate quality delivery of care. It has also affected the quality improvements in the organization.

Degree of generalization

            The theory can be applied in the provision of explanation on changes that have been carried out or that have already been carried out in an organization. The concepts allow for prediction of the changes intended to be done (Hussain et al., 2018). The theory can be applied in other settings, and its simplicity makes it easily understood and gives an understandable explanation.

Testability

            The concepts of the theory are measurable and observable, and the theory is supported by the empirical data from the researches that have been done since the day it was introduced the Lewin. For successful change implementation, the changes have to be adequately communicated, implemented and restrained; all the processes above imply the change theory.

Conclusion

             I would apply the theory in the change management to facilitate in the implementation of the changes that are likely to bring positive changes to the organization. The change theory is a three-stage theory which is much simpler and can be easily understood. In this theory, prediction can be made earlier before even the change is implemented.

References

Bakari, H., Hunjra, A. I., & Niazi, G. S. K. (2017). How does authentic leadership influence planned organizational change? The role of employees’ perceptions: Integration of Theory of Planned Behavior and Lewin's three step model. Journal of Change Management, 17(2), 155-187.

Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human relations, 69(1), 33-60.

Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-127.

Kavanagh, E. (2017). Three Leadership Models: Kurt Lewin, Hershey and Blanchard, and Edwin Friedman.