Friday, November 29, 2019

Assumption of Mary Essays

Assumption of Mary Essays Assumption of Mary Essay Assumption of Mary Essay Giving Voice to Our Values the thought experiment Fundamental premise of many Eastern philosophies and martial arts is to move with ones momentum and energy, rather than fight against them. The approach to voicing and acting on our values described in these pages a attempts to build on that same principle. Rather than taking a preaching stance wherein we might try to count- term temptations with all the moral reasons why we should behave ethically, or taking a persuasive stance wherein we might counter those same temptations with all the Para- tactical arguments for ethical behavior, the approach here is to take an enabling stance. We try to identify both the times when we already want to act in accordance with our highest moral values and also the reasons why we feel that way, and then we focus on building the iconic- dance and skills and the scripts that enable us to do so effectively and with the least amount of angst. Rather than pushing or pulling ourselves into values-based AC- Zion, we try to grease the skids that might carry us there. One way that we try to work with personal omen- Tums, rather than fight against it, is by framing our disc- 1 Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values cushion here as a thought experiment. We are invited to consider how we might voice and act on our values if we were going to do so. In this way, we sidestep all the pre- emotive arguments and rationalizations that pop up naturally, about how difficult or even impossible it may be to do so. We create a safe and enabling space, if you will, for experimentation and creative thinking. In the service of creating that safe space, we try to be explicit about as many of the working assumptions that underlie this approach to enabling values-based AC- Zion as possible. These assumptions are intended as the foundation for an exploratory rather than coercive stance. This explicit naming of our assumptions allows for a kind of informed consent at best, or at least for a Provo- signal consent as we embark upon this experiment. Even if we are not entirely certain that we accept all of the as- assumptions, this provisional consent provides room for us to act as if we did, and to see where they might take us, thereby freeing us up to create scripts and implemental- Zion plans for values-driven actions that we might never otherwise develop. Then when we are faced with the AC- tall excision to act on our values, we will at least have a well-developed strategy to consider. In this way, the De- fault of non-action, or of Just going along with the course of least resistance, will have a worthy counter position. So in the service of this informed or provisional consent, lets consider the starting assumptions for Give- inning Voice to Values. These are twelve assumptions, or give- Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 3 ens, that form the story line behind this approach to values-driven action. Assumption One: I want to voice and act upon my values. As discussed in the Introduction, the fundamental as- assumption is that most of us want to find ways to voice and act on our values in the workplace, and to do so fee- get stuck on the idea that even if we want to act ethically, we assume that many others do not. Therefore we conclude that our efforts will be for naught and, whats more, that we will likely pay a price for trying. But why do we always focus on the folks who do not want to behave ethically? If we start instead from the premise that most of us would like to behave in accordance with our values, then it becomes less important whether everyone does so. Instead we only need Just enough folks to share this position; it becomes simply a matter of critical mass. It is a glass-half- empty or half-full kind of issue. By starting from the assumption that most folks do want to voice and act on their best values, we begin to create that very possibility, because we eliminate one of the conclusions that prevent us from Joining this group. (We are putting aside for a moment the question of Copyrighted Material 4 Giving Voice to Our Values which values we, or others, want to voice and act upon. That question is addressed in Chapter 2. Another objection to this first assumption may be the protestation: But I might not want to act on my highest values in all situations! However, Just because an idea may not always be true does not mean it is never true. For the purpose of this thought experiment, we suppose that there are many times when we would in- deed like to voice and act on our values, and by enabling that choice and learning to do so effectively, we are likely to expand the frequency of this choice. It becomes a gene- nine and even a realistic option for us. Assumption Two: I have voiced my values , at some points in my past. Even though research and our own experiences reveal many individual and organizational inhibitors, most Poe- pile have in fact chosen to voice and act on their values on some occasions. In conversations and interviews with managers at all levels of organizations and in the class- rooms where this approach has been discussed, we have yet to find anyone who cannot think of times both when they have and when they have not done so. Typically this realization leads to a conclusion that no one is truly teeth- cal. What if, as part of our thought experiment, we turned this around and concluded that no one is truly unethical? This conclusion can then be the foundation for building Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 5 the muscle for more frequent and more effective values- driven actions. Assumption Three: I can voice my values more often and more effectively. We have the potential to expand our capacity, our effect- tipsiness, and our likelihood to voice and act on our vale- uses by acknowledging that we have such a choice, and by practicing what we would say and do if we made that choice. The working metaphor for the Giving Voice to Vale- uses approach to values conflicts is that of an individual learning a new hysterical skill or sport. Not being an tat- Leticia type myself, I did once take a class in self-defense a number of years ago. The course was called Model Mug- king, and the idea was that instead of simply learning the basic self-defense moves (fist to bridge of nose, heel to instep, knee to groin, and so on), we would also have the opportunity to experience the feel of a full-on blow did- erected at an instructor who was dressed in an entirely padded suit, like the Michelin Man. In this way, the stub- dents could practice delivering the various self-defensive moves full force, rather than simply alkali about what action was called for or miming the moves in the air without the in a support- Eve environment, we would have a chance to practice AP- Copyrighted Material 6 Giving Voice to Our Values plying them during a simulated full-speed attack as well, with the same padded instructor. The thinking and research behind this several-stage approach was that muscle memory is linked to both the experience of full-force contact as well as the heightened emotional state of the simulated engagement, and there- fore, even if our brains are frozen or reacting slowly, our bodies would remember how to respond if e encounter- tired that same emotional state again in an actual real- time situation. There are several interesting aspects to this AP- approach. Before engaging in the simulated attack, we first had to master the actual physical movements by breaking them down into their components and practicing them repeatedly, with full-force impact and with encourage- meet and feedback on our form. This is similar to the way a student of tennis or golf or any other sport might learn and practice the different strokes and positions and build the requisite muscle groups, as preparation or put- ting them together in actual play, or the way a musician practices playing or singing scales before attempting a complex musical composition. Switch,thepremiseisthatvalues-transcripts and actions are a competency that can be learned, and that it is learned by both breaking it down into its com- opponent parts and by practicing the application of those componentsscripts and action plansin cooperative and lower-stress situations. Both the cognitive aspects of the processanalyzing the arguments and creating fee- Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 7 active scriptsas well as the experiential aspectsactually saying the words in concert with peers who stand in as prop- sees for eventual workplace colleaguesare essential. In this way, we build the muscle and the muscle memory so that the approach will come more naturally and skillfully when we encounter actual values conflicts in real time. Some might argue that this is simply an example of traditional role playing in the service of learning. On the contrary, although there is a value in the use of role playing, if we are immediately placed in a situation where we must ice our values in the face of an adversary who is primed to argue vehemently against our position, we may find ourselves unintentionally reinforcing those same anxieties and that same pessimism about our chances at success that we are trying to counter. For example, too often participants in a role play of a values conflict will demonstrate their political astuteness, their savvy, and their experience with the so- called real world of business by assuming a skeptical, if not cynical, stance, pointing out all the reasons why a defense of ethical values is not realistic or practical. Such ole plays tend to send the signal that values-based actions are naive, at best. However, if instead of adversarial role plays, we Cree- ate opportunities to practice our arguments in front of peers who assume the role of coaches, we can work co- operatively and constructively to simultaneously rein- force the best of our arguments, to revise the weakest of our arguments, and to experience the physical and memo- action act of voicing these arguments in public. Copyrighted Material 8 Giving Voice to Our Values unintended negative rein- forewomen of our own best intentions, they would be used only after we have first taken the time to craft and actually practice speaking our positions in a collaborator- dive context. Assumption Four: It is easier for me to voice my values in some contexts than others. Developing the muscle for voicing our values does not diminish the importance of selecting and developing or- generational cultures and policies and incentives that en- courage such choices. In fact, our effort to promote the development of such cultures, policies, and incentives is, in itself, an instance of voicing values. And the more such organizational enablers are in place, he more likely it is that individuals will choose to voice their values. It is a kind of virtuous circle. This is an important part of the puzzle, for there is much research that examines the impact for good or ill of organizational contexts that enable or disable dissent and that focus on narrowly defined versus broadly De- fined performance goals. We will discuss examples of this in subsequent chapters, but the important point here is to recognize that although the emphasis of the GO AP- approach is on the individual and his or her abilities and choices, the organization and its impact are not over- Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 9 looked. Although GO is an individual strategy, individual- LULAS operate within organizations that can limit or en- hence the options available to address values conflicts. Focusing on organizational pressures and norms is, again, not a reason to avoid voicing our values but rather another opportunity to airframe our choices and act on our values, this time by actually addressing the organize- action context itself. As we will see, sometimes individual- alas can more effectively address values conflicts in the workplace by talking about what discourages ethical AC- Zion and engaging leagues in addressing those factors than by tackling the issue head-on. This becomes a kind of Jujitsu move, where colleagues are engaged in fixing the organization in such a fashion that, by the way, ad- dresses the values conflict itself. An example of this is when individuals focus on changing financial incentives and reporting systems that may not only enable, but also encourage, distortions in an organizations internal AU- dining. Looking for ways to fix the system in the service of more accurate planning and forecasting, along the way, addresses the distortions in reporting integrity. Assumption Five: I am more likely to voice my values if I have practiced how to respond to frequently encountered conflicts. There are certain frequently heard reasons and rational- actions for not voicing and acting on our values. But Copyrighted Material 10 Giving Voice to Our Values there are also possible responses or reframing that we can use to counter these reasons and rationalizations. If we familiarize ourselves with these responses in advance, we are more likely to be able to access them when needed and potentially shift a conversation or change a mind. This is especially true when we begin to see hat the types of reasons that we hearand even offer ourselvesfor not voicing our values tend to fall into a set of recognize- able and limited categories, and therefore the levers for responding to them, or entirely recasting them, are Simi- Larry recognizable and consequently learnable. Prior reflection on responses to values given decision situation. That is, if we be- come fluent in ways to address the defenses of less than ethical behaviors, we will find ourselves more easily and more automatically doing so. Rather than experiencing that deer-in-headlights feeling hen we confront values conflicts, our muscle memory can kick in and the memo- seasonality of the moment is reduced. I learned this lesson firsthand a number of years ago. While teaching at the Harvard Business School, I launched a research and course development project on Managing Diversity in the mid-sass. There was no other course on the subject at the school then, but I had both an intellectual as well as a personal interest in purr- suing this work. For a variety of reasons having to do with my own experiences and those of people I knew, I had always experienced significant discomfort when I Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 11 witnessed unfairness or undeserved bias toward school or professional colleagues. Rather than anger toward the offender, however, I would tend to feel guilty and angry at myself for not being confident enough or skillful enough to counter the situation. At some level, I believe I felt that the experience of researching, constructing, and teaching a course on diversity might enable me to learn how to handle such situations myself, even as I was try- inning to teach others. Although teaching the course was a very positive experience for me, at the end of the two years I felt that, sadly, I as no closer to that elusive sense of bulletproof confidence and skill that I believed I needed to be able to speak up when I witnessed unfairness in my professional life. I moved on to other projects. Less than a year later, however, while working as a consultant, I was led to areas- sees the impact of the diversity research and teaching I had done. Two situations in particular caught me up short. In the first instance, my team was presenting a new piece of work to a potential client. The representative from the clients firm was making small talk at the start of our meeting, and he engaged to make several Joking but disparaging comments based on ethnic and class stereotypes. Although the comments were not specific- calla directed at me or any of my team memberswho were racially diverse and included my boss as well as seven- real more Junior managersI was concerned about the tone that we set for our ongoing working relationship. I Copyrighted Material 12 Giving Voice to Our Values didnt really think about it but I Just heard myself sue- getting, with calm but pointed good humor, that perhaps we should turn to topics about which we all were more informed. There was a palpable sense of relief among my colleagues, especially the more Junior ones, and the CLC- .NET, unfounded, good-naturally turned to a more AP- appropriate topic. I was relieved, both because I did not want to lose the client but also because I did not want to bond with him on the basis of discriminatory humor. In the second instance, I recognized that the senior member of my consulting team had made some incorrect and negative assumptions about the writing ability of the sole African-American Junior member of our group. I dont believe this manager was intentionally biased, but his unconscious conclusion was barring the Junior cool- league from a plum assignment. I found myself in a car with this senior manager, and when the subject came up, I simply explained how impressed I was with the result, the Junior consultant received an attractive writing project, and I had the opportunity to work closely with him and benefit personally and profess- signally from the association. I mention these two examples neither because I be- live I handled them flawlessly nor to argue that I always counter bias when I see it. I still struggle tit my desire to avoid conflict and with a certain natural reticence. However, I did manage to shift the behaviors and IM- pacts on my peers in these two situations (not that I have Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 13 any illusions that I actually changed the attitudes of the client in the first example). And I did so with a mini- mum of stress and hand-wringing on my own part. In fact, in both instances, I heard myself making comments that I would never have made prior to my diversity course. In fact, in the past, I would have felt horrible about both situations but would have likely remained tongue-tied. I have concluded that the experience of researching and talking about the many ways that discrimination and bias can occur in professional contexts, and especially the identification of the many arguments against this type of bias and the many ways of responding to these situations, had had a profound impact on me. Not only had I seen how common such situations are, but I had also Para- diced, unwittingly, all the ways that one might respond. I was not shaken or put off my game when the circus- stances arose. I was able to react calmly, thereby without signaling to my audiences that this was a difficult situ- action or that they were somehow bad people. The re- sponges were fact-based, good-natured, and appropriate to the context. Had I been taken off guard or less pre- pared, I would likely have telegraphed more stress, memo- Zion, and blame. But the funny part was, I had not known that I was so prepared until I was in these situations! So I revisited my assessment of the value of my research and discussions of diversity. I believe it was more effect- dive than I had recognized. It was, in fact, a kind of pre- scripting. Copyrighted Material 14 Giving Voice to Our Values Assumption Six: My example is powerful. Just as we ourselves would like to be able to voice and act on our values, we can assume that many of our colleagues would as well. If we can demonstrate credible responses to frequently heard reasons for not voicing and acting on our values, we may encourage and empower others to Join us. An undergraduate business student I interviewed was working in a plum internship doing research for a consulting firm. When her boss told her to lie about who she was to gain intelligence from a competitor, she ex- planned that she didnt want to do so but that she would work to gather comparable information in other ways. Her boss, unconvinced by her ethical arguments, never- toeless indulged her alternative plan, and through hard work, the intern was able to generate a credible report without misrepresenting herself. It might be argued that she had had a very limited impact on the firm; after all, her boss was not likely to change his behavior going for- ward. However, the intern reported that later she was surprised and pleased to see that other interns began coming to her, asking how she managed to complete her task without deception because they, too, wanted to take that road. Whether the organization was changed example. Additionally, rather than walking away from this internship with only a sense of distill- sentiment at what she had learned about how this rep- Copyrighted Giving Voice to Our Values 15 table firm did business, she gained a sense of efficacy and greater confidence in her own options. In fact, she was offered an ongoing position with the firm. Assumption Seven: Although mastering and delivering responses to frequently heard rationalizations can empower others who share my views to act, I cannot assume I know who those folks will be. The responses we develop and practice to frequently eared reasons and rationalizations for unethical behave- IRS are intended to strengthen our own confidence in voicing and acting on our values. Additionally, this Para- twice can influence others who share our values conflict but are unable to find a way to explain their reluctance. However, we cannot assume we know who feels the con- flick and who does not simply by observing their behave- ROR because, as we have already acknowledged, we all have chosen to suppress these felt conflicts at some points in our past. Thus, in the example above, the business student intern might eve thought she had failed if her goal had been only to change her bosss behavior. However, Unix- affectedly and without her conscious intention, her be- having was noticed by some of her peers and they were influenced by her. This is important because often we can become discouraged from trying to voice our values 16 Giving Voice to Our Values because we are not certain of our ability to influence our intended audience. The thing is, we will experience more satisfaction from our efforts to voice our values if we re- main open to the possibility of unintended positive IM- pacts. This is not to say hat we do not design our scripts and action plans with a careful eye to having a hoped-for impact on a particular audience; rather it is simply to acknowledge and value the additional or alternative POS- dive impacts we may have. The only real and ultimate control we have is over ourselves, which leads us directly to the importance of the next assumption. Assumption Eight: The better I know myself, the more I can prepare to play to my strengths and, when necessary, protect myself from my weaknesses. The greater our self-knowledge, the more likely we are to be able to anticipate and manage our responses to values conflicts. Prior reflection on our own personalities and behavioral tendencies under pressure enables us to play to our strengths: that is, to frame the challenge we face in such a way that it draws on the skills and arguments with which we feel most adept and confident. Rather than AC- accepting the challenge as it is put before us, we can take an active role in reshaping it. This kind of self-assessment is not your typical values- Giving Voice to Our Values 17 clarification process. It is not about figuring out what is important to us; the Giving Voice to Values approach starts from the moment our values kick in. Instead this self- assessment is based on the observation that people who do act on their values often have found ways to describe the situation that give them power rather than ways as a prepare- Zion and trigger to consciously put mechanisms in place to protect us from our own weaknesses. However, re- search tells us that often these mechanisms need to go beyond mere self-knowledge and become external tools (incentives, deterrents, automatic review processes, transparency requirements, practicalities networks of sounding boards, et cetera). Our own internal awareness of our biases and tendencies is important but not enough to prevent us from falling ere to them: we need to go beyond awareness to active preparation for values- based decision making, a preparation that includes the script- inning and action planning that GO encourages. Assumption Nine: I am not alone. When we encounter values conflicts in the workplace, often we feel isolated and personally at risk. We may assume that our peers will not share our concern, or that to raise the issue will polarize our colleagues or expose us to greater pressure and vulnerability. This may actually be true. How- Copyrighted Material 18 Giving Voice to Our Values ever, interviews with individuals who have voiced their vale- uses in such situations veal that, in most cases, they did find and rely upon some form of external support system. The challenge is to identify whom to speak with and for which purposes. There are many different sources of support, both inside and outside organizations, and there are many ways of gathering support, some more direct than others. We can utilize our personal support networks (family, friends outside the organization) as sounding boards; we can reach out to our colleagues in the firm to build a coalition of allies or to gather sup- porting information; and we can engage in strategic use of the managerial hierarchy. However, we must consider carefully which approach is most appropriate in a par- testicular situation, keeping in mind the implications not only for ourselves and the challenge we face, but also for the individuals we engage. The examples discussed here show different ways that individuals countered the ten- Denny to feel isolated. Assumption Ten: Although I may not always succeed, voicing and acting on my values is worth doing. When pursuing our values, Just as with any other man- serial action, we do not always succeed at what we set out to achieve, et that does not necessarily prevent us and others from taking action. There are no guarantees or Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 19 reckless action plans, around voicing values or anything else, and GO does not claim that there are. Rather than backing off from our values because we cant muster the words or the strategies in the moment, and rather than rashly voicing values in ways that belie the management sophistication and interpersonal insight we would exhibit in a less charged situation, GO is about providing the pop- opportunity to hone and reactive our approach, such that we feel greater confidence and can behave more skillfully. In this way, the goal is to increase the likelihood of success. Additionally, we are more likely to voice our values if we have decided that the costs of not doing so, and the benefits of trying, are important enough to us that we would pursue them even though we cannot be certain of success in advance. In order to get to this place of clarity, we need to spend some serious time thinking about our own identity, our personal and professional purpose, and our definition of success and failure. We will fleet clear-eyed upon the risks associated with voicing our values, so that we can be prepared to handle the possible implications. Assumption Eleven: Voicing my values leads to better decisions. It is often difficult to be certain that a specific course of action is right or wrong, but we are more likely to Copyrighted Material 20 Giving Voice to Our Values come to the best decision if we feel empowered to voice our concerns about values conflicts and discuss them with others. In fact, one of the most common objections to the idea of voicing and acting on our values is the con- CERN that we may be wrong, hat our values might spring from a place of self-righteousness or incomplete under- standing. And of course, this is a valid concern. Unfortunately, too often this concern serves to is- lance us, preventing us from sharing our perspectives be- cause we assume that they are not valid. If, however, we learn to examine our values-based position in depth and from multiple perspectives, as the GO approach out- lines, we not only will become more adept at presenting our values-based position, but we will also be testing it against the views of others and supporting it with the necessary information. Our own position will become richer. In addition, even if in the end we conclude that our going-in position was incorrect, the process of analyzing and sharing our concerns can improve our organize- action decision-making process. In fact, one of the less- sons shared by the individuals interviewed for GO is that decisions are often improved if we do not assume that managerial directives are final and unquestionable, but rather view them as simply opening hypotheses. Take- inning this view can also help us to present our views with the calm confidence that comes room the belief that we are adding value by doing so. Copyrighted Material Giving Voice to Our Values 21 Assumption Twelve: The more I believe its possible to voice and act on my values, the more likely I will be to do so. We are more likely to voice and act on our values when we believe it is possible to do so, and to do so effectively. If we pay attention to positive examples of such voice and action and spend time developing support Mecca- minims and practicing the development and delivery of responses to frequently heard reasons and rationalize- actions for unethical actions, we can expand our sense of whats possibleanother virtuous circle. On the other hand, if we focus most of our time and attention identifying and bemoaning all the ways in which we are discouraged from voicing our values, we will be reinforcing that process. This is not only common sense; increasingly it is a phenomenon supported by re- search in the fields of positive psychology as well as the cognitive neuroscience. L In fact, the GO approach described in these pages is more than a set of insights and tools that we can learn to apply; the very act of reading and reflecting upon all the ways that looks have voiced and can act on their vale- uses can change the way we experience reality. That is, rather than proving that we can act on our values, we are simply making it true. And we do this by reframing the question from whether to voice our values to how can we voice our values? Copyrighted Material 22 Giving Voice to Our Values Having now familiarized ourselves with the work- inning assumptions behind the GO thought experiment, it becomes important to ask: What are our reactions to these informed, or at least a Provo- signal, consent to the GO project, then it becomes IM- orator not only to name and define these underlying assumptions, but also to reflect on both our resonances with them as well as our reservations or objections to them. We might consider: A

Monday, November 25, 2019

Art as Survival in the Holocaust essays

Art as Survival in the Holocaust essays Creation in a world of destruction: Art as survival in the Holocaust The Holocaust in art and the art of the Holocaust are two distinctly different forms of art. The former refers to any art depicting or alluding to the Holocaust. It includes works created both during and after the war, by victims as well as people not directly threatened by the event. Whereas the art of the Holocaust is limited to works created by the victims from 1939 to 1945. What is most important about the art of the Holocaust is its means of reflecting its time both in its subject matter and in what it reveals about the artists themselves and the condition in which they worked. These people who struggled through the most deplorable conditions risked their lives to produce art. Art became their reason to live, and they used their talents to survive. Expressionism was the prevailing artistic force in Germany and Eastern Europe in years preceding Hitlers rise to power. It was a movement born a round the turn of the century, in artistic and social ferment, a rebellion against the formalism and sterility of academic art, which promoted the ideas of the bourgeoisie and the German empire. The Expressionist artist was driven by inner necessity to express his longings and anxieties. As a result the many artists of the Holocaust inherited the traditions of Expressionism and social criticism. When the Nazis came into power they were quick to condemn modern art, which, to them included abstract and Expressionist styles. Such works, along with those produced by Jews and those depicted inferior racial types, were considered evil and degenerate. Three months after Hitler came into power, they were banned from museums and art schools, while Jewish and undesirable political artists were forced to cease working, by 1937, 16,000 works of degene rate art had been confiscated. The Nazis considered art as a tool to use as a service...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

What is Action Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What is Action Research - Essay Example What lies at the core of this research methodology is the use of scientific study and the researcher ensures that the overall intervention is properly backed up by the theoretical considerations. Due to its very nature, action research therefore can have many applications in real life and within organizational set up too. Organizations can easily use action research to find creative and innovative solutions to their most pressing problems and engage various stakeholders to find out solutions which can help organizations to become more efficient and cost effective. Action research can also play significant role in organizational development and employee’s professional life. It can easily be used in various situations by the employees as well as the managers to overcome organizational problems and achieve the required objectives of the organization. Through following a systematic process of action research, individuals as well as organizations can actually solve their real life problems. This paper will discuss as to what action research is, what its various stages are and how it can actually be used in real life by citing different examples. What is Action Research? As mentioned above, action research is also known by different names including participatory research, collaborative research, action learning etc. Most of different names however, are considered as different variations of the same theme. Action research aims to achieve dual objectives of using practical concerns in solving the problems and on the other hand to further the goals of social science also. As such, in action research, researchers not only aim to tackle the system but also collaborate with people related with the system to change in the desired direction. (Mcniff) The critical difference between this type of research and other types of research is the use of scientific study. While conducting action research, researcher has to base assertions on the theoretical consideration and as such most of the time spent by researchers is on perfecting the methodological tools to better suit the situation being investigated. Action research also seems to challenge the social science research which is mostly based upon sampling by adapting a robust process of conducting research. Action research therefore focuses on continuous process of theorizing and collecting data and making inquiry in the midst of new and emerging structures as a result of the steps taken at the various stages of research. (Whitehead and McNiff) Stages of Action Research There are three critical stages of action research which are: Planning This is the stage of preliminary diagnosis and data gathering as research actively engages into gathering of data and planning for finding out what actually the problem is and how to tackle it properly. This is also called the input stages as at this stage it is felt that there is something out of control and organization should share the same with the researchers and consultants to actively participate into the process of finding out what is actually wrong at the given point in time. Feedback by the researcher is also sought at this stage of the action research. Action Stage This stage is also called transformation stage as it is this stage that the actual learning starts to take place. Actions regarding learning processes are undertaken in order to define action steps and do the action planning. This stage is also considered as the changing stage as it is at this stage that the actual change process is initiated. Result Phase This phase is the final phase and is also called the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Communication and social change in developing countries Essay

Communication and social change in developing countries - Essay Example They demanded a continuation of the existing order, according to which, international communication depended on the principle of free flow of information (Graubart, May 1989, p629). This new international information order ultimately saw the light of day, and the third world countries sought for an order that was to be controlled publicly. However, the new information proved to be different from what they had dreamed of. The media of the United States criticized and condemned the new order. As such, most of the US corporations are very powerful in terms of capital and operational capabilities; due to the high concentration of capital and other economic resources in their countries. Furthermore, the United States is the dominant center for worldwide communications. Accordingly, it is very difficult for the third world nations to easily access information and to participate in the creation of messages. The strategies and other initiatives undertaken by the corporate giants of the US have enabled them to retain their powerful and advantageous position in the world. In the areas of production of robotics and automation, there is a growing use of digitalized informa tion, and computers are playing a key role in the information field. Moreover, several new industries have entered the information field, in order to provide processing, storage and dissemination of information, digital imagery and data handling. The present media industry incorporates this new subset and promotes the development of the system. In addition, mergers have become common, thereby creating a new form of corporate economy, in respect of cultural industries (Schiller, 6/8/1985, p696-698). The 1955 meeting in Bandun, Indonesia saw the inception of the nonaligned nations movement. That movement brought together most of the world leaders from the Asian and African

Monday, November 18, 2019

Case Study # 2 Lounge Talk Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

# 2 Lounge Talk - Case Study Example The way each of them handled issues were different and aligned to the leadership styles they used as stated earlier. A classical example presents itself when Dr. Werner helps Delores with planning skills and classroom management unlike Mr. Calbo, who covered the teacher up. For a fact, Dr. Warner is more interested with the professional development of the teachers and the students, which is coupled to the realization of the schools goals and objectives. Essentially, the students and teachers expect a different kind of treatment from the principles. Some of the teachers and students expect to have a loving and caring principal while the others expect the principles to be very decisive and dynamic. The differences in the way the teachers expect the principal to react bring about the difference in reaction to Dr. Werner. The teachers demonstrating excellence in their fields have a problem with the principle for the fact that they do not get the praises and reward as it were before with Mr. Calbo. Instead, the principle spends more time with the students and teachers with a few shortcomings. The approach is important and advantageous for the fact that there is development of the individuals involved. They gain better skills and self-management which works towards achieving the goals of the institution. For instance, the fact that the principle took time with Delores, there has been improved performance and increased productivity. At the same time, the students attending the trip with the teacher are likely to change their character and work towards excelling. This wholesomely works towards the individual level development and achieving of the organizational goals (Yang, 2008 P2 L 26-36). Mr. Calbo used the transactional leadership style while Dr. Werner used transformational leadership style. Mr.Calbo promoted the rewarding of the staff member. The staff members were paid for any activity they were involved in. Moreover, he lacked the vision and

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Role Of Principal Education Essay

The Role Of Principal Education Essay As the key intermediary between the classrooms, the individual school and the education system as a whole, effective school leadership are essential to improve the efficiency and equity of schooling. Within each individual school, leadership can contribute to improve student learning by shaping the conditions and climate in which teaching and learning occur. Beyond the school borders, school leaders can connect and adapt schools to changing external environments. And at the school-systems interface, school leadership provides a bridge between internal school improvements processes and externally initiated reform. But school leadership does not operate in static educational environments. As countries are seeking to adapt their education systems to the needs of contemporary society, the expectations for schools and school leaders have changed profoundly. Many countries have made schools more autonomous in their decision making while centralising standards and accountability requirements and demanding that schools adopt new research-based approaches to teaching and learning. In line with these changes, the roles and responsibilities of school leader have expanded and intensified. Given the increased autonomy and accountability of schools, leadership at the school level is more important than ever. The challenge facing education in the 21st century is to make changes to achieve higher levels of learning for all children (Ramsey, 2002). At the time of the present study, public schools are undergoing scrutiny and criticism of such magnitude; it is difficult to predict the future of public education. An increased emphasis on accountability and school improvement, including the utilization of ICT among teachers to enhance student achievement, is at the forefront of all education debates. Research has shown that appropriate use of ICTs to catalyze a paradigm shift in both content and pedagogy that is the heart of education reform in the 19th century. ICT-supported education to enhance the success of the ongoing knowledge and skills that will give the students continuous learning if properly designed and implimented. Leveraging ICT in an appropriate manner enables new methods of teaching and learning, especially for students in exploring exciting ways of problem solving in the context of education. New ways of teaching and learning is supported by constructivist learning theory and paradgm shift from prinbcipal and teacher-centered pedagogy of memorization and rote-learning to focus on student centered. (Thijs, A., et al. ,2010) Furthermore, the utilization ICT learning procedures and tools in the educational process, obviously leads to revolutionary changes in the roles of both teachers and learners as the emergence of new teaching and learning environment and finally for new virtual training that ultimately aims to facilitate the tools and resources to support communication and interaction as well as disseminate teaching materials via the web will in order to encourage promote enhance collaboration and cooperation among participants in the learning process. On the other hand, many author such as Salinas (2003) agree on the fact that the integration of ICT in education produce a set of transformations which transform all the elements that take part in the educational process such as organizations, students, curriculum, and notably, they affect teachers role, function and behavior . Nevertherless, investments in information and communication technology (ICT) for enhancing formal and non-formal education systems are essential for schools improvement (Tong Trinidad, 2005). According to Betz (2000), information technology will only be successfully implemented in schools if the principal actively supports it, learns as well, provides adequate professional development and supports for his/her staff in the process of change. In fact, school principals have a main responsibility for implementing and integrating ICT in schools (Schiller, 2003). Anderson and Dexter (2005) carried out a study on technology leadership behaviors of school principals and found that although technology infrastructure is important, technology leadership is even more necessary for effective utilization of technology in schools (p.49). Moreover, various other research studies support the literature that leadership is an important key factor in effective use of technology in education (Schiller, 2003; Anderson Dexter, 2005). Therefore, it can be said that technology leadership behaviors are important to successful implementation of educational technology plans (Chang, Chin Hsu, 2008). As such, the principal has consistently been recognized as a significant factor in school effectiveness of change process. The complexity of the job of a school administrator has demanded highly developed skills to carry out the many functions of the school operation. Exceptional leaders have always been rare, but many believe that they can be made as well as born (Abrashoff, 2002). At the same time, there is limited understanding about the ways that school leaders make a difference particularly in new technology integration. Principal leadership, along with the effectiveness of classroom teachers, has a great impact on student progress. The relationship of an administrators leadership style and its affect on teachers and student achievement has become critically important in continued research. Role of Principal Several definition of a principal, the first six do not mention their role as the leader of a school. Though, there are key phrases that most certainly apply to the position; highest in rank, authority, most considerable, and important. The definitions go on to mention that which pertains to a prince or being princely, along with a leader or one who takes the lead. What may be considered ironic is that acts independently is included as well. Because the role of a principal is extremely fluid, being shaped by a diverse set of concerns and values, conceptualizations are problematic (Brown, 2005). Evidence should be visible in a school of what a principal believes as a principal and what the school stands for (NAESP, 2001). The test of good leadership is the achievement of change in a system. Change can be difficult; however, it is necessary to abandon the past to pursue the future (Bell-Hobbs, 2008). Examining the ways in which principals lead their schools through change, and its effe ct on teachers attitude towards technology as well as student achievement and is critical to future educational research. Traditionally, the principal resembled the middle manager suggested in William Whytes 1950s classic The Organization Man as an overseer of buses, boilers and books. Today, in a rapidly changing era of standards-based reform and accountability, a different conception has emerged one closer to the model suggested by Jim Collins (2001) Good to Great, which draws lessons from contemporary corporate life to suggest leadership that focuses with great clarity on what is essential, what needs to be done and how to get it done. This shift brings with it dramatic changes in what public education needs from principals. They can no longer function simply as building managers, tasked with adhering to district rules, carrying out regulations and avoiding mistakes. They have to be (or become) leaders of learning who can develop a team delivering effective instruction. Wallaces work since 2000 suggests that this entails five key responsibilities: Shaping a vision of academic success for all students, one based on high standards Creating a climate hospitable to education in order that safety, a cooperative spirit and other foundations of fruitful interaction prevail. Cultivating leadership in others so that teachers and other adults assume their part in realizing the school vision. Improving instruction to enable teachers to teach at their best and students to learn at their utmost. Managing people, data and processes to foster school improvement. In addition, schools are no different. Principals who get high marks from teachers for creating a strong climate for instruction in their schools also receive higher marks than other principals for spurring leadership in the faculty, according to the research from the University of Minnesota and University of Toronto. (Bradley Portin, Paul Schneider, Michael DeArmond and Lauren Gundlach., 2003) In fact if test scores are any indication, the more willing principals are to spread leadership around, the better for the students. One of the most striking findings of the universities of Minnesota and Toronto report is that effective leadership from all sources such as principals, influential teachers, staff teams and others is associated with better student performance on math and reading tests. The relationship is strong albeit indirect: Good leadership, the study suggests, improves both teacher motivation and work settings. This, in turn, can fortify classroom instruction. Compared with lower-achieving schools, higher-achieving schools provided all stakeholders with greater influence on decisions, the researchers write.( Karen Seashore Louis, Kenneth Leithwood, Kyla L. Wahlstrom, Stephen E. Anderson et al. ,2010) The better results are due to collaboration between two parties. The higher performance of these schools might be explained as a consequence of the greater access they have to collective knowledge and wisdom embedded within their communities, the study concludes.( Karen Seashore Louis, Kenneth Leithwood, Kyla L. Wahlstrom, Stephen E. Anderson et al. ,2010) Principals may be relieved to find out, moreover, that their authority does not wane as others waxes. Clearly, school leadership is not a zero-sum game. Principals and district leaders have the most influence on decisions in all schools; however, they do not lose influence as others gain influence, Karen Seashore Louis, Kenneth Leithwood, Kyla L. Wahlstrom, Stephen E. Anderson et al., 2010). Indeed, although higher-performing schools awarded greater influence to most stakeholders. Little changed in these schools overall hierarchical structure. (Kenneth Leithwood, Karen Seashore Louis, Stephen Anderson, Kyla Wahlstrom,2004) .University of Washington research on leadership in urban school systems emphasizes the need for a leadership team role led by the principal and including assistant principals and teacher leaders and shared responsibility for student progress, a responsibility reflected in a set of agreements as well as unspoken norms among school staff.( Knapp et al., 2003) School leaders are in charge of connecting and adapting schools to their surrounding environments. According to Hargreaves et al. (2008), school leaders will increasingly need to lead out there beyond the school, as well as within it, in order to influence the environment that influences their own work with students. In small towns and rural areas, school leaders have traditionally stood among the most important leaders in their communities. While it may be argued that urbanisation, immigration and school size have weakened school-community ties, these and other pressures on family structures have at the same time contributed to make the community responsibilities of school leaders even more important today. Principal play an important role in strengthening the ties between school personnel and the communities that surround them (Fullan, 2001). Principals of the most successful schools in challenging circumstances are typically highly engaged with and trusted by the schools parents and wider community (Hargreaves et al., 2008). They also try to improve achievement and well-being for children by becoming more involved with other partners such as local businesses, sports clubs, faith-based groups and community organisations and by integrating the work of the school with welfare, law enforcement and other agencies (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2007). Moreover, in rapidly changing societies, the goals and objectives to be achieved by schools and the ways to get there are not always clear and static. In increasingly globalised and knowledge-based economies, schools must lay the foundations for lifelong learning while at the same time dealing with new challenges such as changing demographic patterns, increased immigration, changing labour markets, new technologies and rapidly developing fields of knowledge. Consequently of these devel opments, schools are under enormous pressure to change and it is the role of Principal to deal effectively with the processes of change. The roles and responsibilities of school leadership in each of these scenarios would vary widely. School leaders must master the new forms of pedagogy themselves and they must learn how to monitor and improve their teachers new practice. Moreover, instead of serving as head teacher primus inter pares, they have to become leaders of learning responsible for building communities of professional practice. Methods of evaluation and professional development take more sophisticated application and principals must embed them into the fabric of the work day. While practices vary across countries, it is clear that school leadership is generally expected to play a more active role in instructional leadership: monitoring and evaluating teacher performance, conducting and arranging for mentoring and coaching, planning teacher professional development and orchestrating teamwork and cooperative instruction. Countries also note a shift in emphasis from more administration- and management-type funct ions to leadership functions of providing academic vision, strategic planning, developing deeper layers of leadership and building a culture and community of learning. As a result of the increasing central mandates and programmes, changing student populations and growing knowledge about effective practice, schools are under enormous pressure to change and it is the school leaders role to manage the processes of change. The transformation of policy into results occurs most critically through the adaptation of practice in the school and classroom. This process is complex and must be led intentionally and skilfully. In some cases, resistance to change needs to be overcome with carefully structured support, relevant information, a clear sense of purpose and goals and opportunities to learn requisite skills (Hall and Hord, 2005). While some changes are purely technical and can be readily accomplished, more significant change calls for deeper adjustment of values and beliefs about the work (Heifetz, 1998). Sophisticated skills of adaptive (Heifetz and Linsky, 2002) and transformational leadership (Burns, 1978; Leithwood, 1992; Leithwood and Jantzi, 1990; Leithwood and Jantzi, 2000) are needed here. Brief Understanding of Leadership The term leader has been included in the English language since about 1300 A.D., while the term leadership was introduced about 1800 A .D . (Stogdill, 1974, p . 7) . Historically speaking, the leadership position in past years was occupied by the person exhibiting most prowess, strength or power. Today, the leadership position seems to be dependent on the group that person leads and exerts some authority over. The leader maintains his position as long as group needs and/or goals are met. Yura (1976) indicated that regardless of their purpose, needs or goals, all groups have a basic commonality: they rely on leadership. A review of the literature revealed that earlier studies were directed at defining the ingredients of leadership. Despite those efforts, it appears that much remains unknown. At this point in time, it has been recognized that there is no clear cut agreement on the definitions of leadership styles or behaviour. This lack of consensus has led to much confusion on the topic. Amid all this, most authorities agree leadership styles can be learned and there is no one best style of leadership. Stogdill and Coons concentrated on two aspects of leader behavior : (1) What does an individual do while he operates as a leader, and (2) How does he go about what he does? As a working definition they stated, Leadership, as tentatively defined, is the behavior of an individual when he is directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal (Stogdill and Coons, 1957, pp . 6-7) . In 1977, Hersey and Blanchard defined leadership as the process of influencing the activities of an individual or group in efforts. Toward goal achievement in a given situation (Hersey and Blanchard, 1977, p. 84). From these definitions it follows that the leadership process is a function of the leader, followers and other situational variables. Barnard (1969) agreed that leadership is an involvement of the three variables listed above. In his discussion on The Nature of Leadership, he stated that, Whatever leadership is, I shall now make the much over simplified statement that it depends on three things: (1) the individual, (2) the followers, and (3) the conditions. Behavioral leadership theory focuses on what the leader does. It is different from personal trait theory because behavior can be observed. The observable behavior is not dependent upon either individual characteristics or the situation (Moloney, 1979, p. 23). Barnard (1969) defined leadership .as the quality of the behavior of individuals whereby they guide people or their activities in organized effort(p. 83). Researchers and writers have amassed a large body of literature in defining leadership. The results of the leadership definitional process have been plagued with uncertainties. This phenomenon Halpin (1958) cited in his attempt to define leadership . In his review of the literature, he stated : Leadership has been defined in numerous ways . The definition proposed here derives its value primarily from the relation to the body of theory being developed . In some respects it is more comprehensive than other more usual definitions ; in others it is more restricted . To lead is to engage in an act that initiates a structure-in-interaction or part of the process of solving problems . Halpin (1958) Stogdill (1974) devoted a chapter in his book to the definition of leadership . He, like Halpin, recognized the complexities of defining leadership . He was explicit in stating that : There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept. Nevertheless, there is sufficient similarity between definitions to permit a rough scheme of classification As a result of the research and theory about leadership behavior that was developed after 1945, Gerth and Mills (1953) stated : To understand leadership attention must be paid to : (1) the traits and motives of the leader as a man, (2) images that selected publics hold of him and their motives for following him, (3) the features of the role that he plays as a leader, (4) the institutional context in which he and his followers may be involved . (p . 405) Furthermore, leadership can be described by reference to two core functions. One function is providing direction; the other is exercising influence. Whatever else leaders do, they provide direction and exercise influence. This does not imply oversimplification. Each of these two leadership functions can be carried out in different ways, and the various modes of practice linked to the functions distinguish many models of leadership. In carrying out these two functions, leaders act in environments marked variously by stability and change. These conditions interact in complementary relationships. While stability is often associated with resistance and maintenance of the status quo, it is in fact difficult for leaders and other educators to leap forward from a wobbly foundation. To be more precise, it is stability and improvement that have this symbiotic relationship. Leaping forward from a wobbly foundation may well produce change, but not change of the sort that most of us value falling flat on your face is the image that comes to mind. Wobbly foundations and unwise leaping help to explain why the blizzard of changes adopted by our schools over the past half century have had little effect on the success of our students. School reform efforts have been most successful in those schools that have needed them least Elmore (1995). These have been schools with well-established processes and capacities in place, providing foundations on which to build in contrast to those schools, the ones most often of concern to reformers, short on essential infrastructure. In understanding these concept in a clarification of leadership means leadership is all about organizational improvement; more specifically, it is about establishing agreed-upon and worthwhile directions for the organization in question, and doing whatever it takes to prod and support people to move in those directions. Our general definition of leadership highlights these points: it is about direction and influence. Stability is the goal of what is often called management. Improvement is the goal of leadership. There are as many definitions of leadership as there are theorists. Theorists no longer explain leadership in terms of the individual or the group. They believe that the characteristics of the individual and the demands of the situation interact in such a manner as to permit one, or perhaps a few, persons to rise to leadership status. Principal Leadership Style Various researchers have tried to interpret school leadership in different manner. Peretomode (1991) stated the importance of Leadership in school for accomplishment of school programmes, objectives and attainment of educational goals. Cheng (1994) proposed that leadership in educational institutions compose of five major dimensions, namely: structural leadership, human leadership, political leadership, cultural leadership and educational leadership. These five dimensions describe the role and functions of school leader. However the functions of principal put a variety of demands and challenges for the principal Mestry and Grobler (2004). In an attempt to explain the requirements of a competent principal Cranston (2002) explained the skills and capacities which principals are expected to possess. Principals competencies can be measured from various dimensions; from the perceptions of students, teachers, parents, communities and their employers. For instance, Scotti Jr. and William (1997) agreed that teachers perceptions of their principals leadership is one of the many variables, which affect a schools productivity. Teachers perception of principals leadership style and behaviour is also positively related to teachers morale Hunter-Boykin and Evans (1995). Luo (2004) further contended that perceptions about principals as leaders by their teachers indicate an important dimension to evaluate the leaders capacities. According to him, understanding how teachers perceive their principals leadership capacities has a great significance and providing evidence for improvement of school leadership. Research has also demonstrated that teacher perceptions of their principals capabilities style and their working conditions will determine the organizational climate and culture of the schoo l. Such perceptions will also impact on the performance of the school. Research on leadership in non-school contexts is frequently driven by theory referred to by one of our colleagues as adjectival leadership models.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- A recent review of such theory identified, for example, 21 leadership approaches that have been objects of considerable theoretical and empirical development. (Yammarino, Dionne, Chun, Dansereau, 2005). Seventeen have been especially attractive, and some of them have informed research in school contexts.( Leithwood Duke ,1999). Here are several best example of leadership style: Contingent leadership. Encompassing research on leadership styles, leader problem solving, and reflective leadership, this two-dimensional conception of leadership explains differences in leaderseffectiveness by reference to a task or relationship style and to the situations in which leaders find themselves. To be most effective, according to this model, leaders must match their styles to their settings. Participative leadership. Addressing attention to leadership in groups, shared leadership (Pearce Conger, 2003) and teacher leadership, (York-Barr Duke, 2004). This model is concerned with how leaders involve others in organizational decisions. Research informed by the model has investigated autocratic, consultative, and collaborative sharing styles. Transformational and charismatic leadership. This model focuses on ways in which leaders exercise influence over their colleagues and on the nature of leader-follower relations. Both forms of leadership emphasize communicating a compelling vision, conveying high performance expectations, projecting self confidence, modeling appropriate roles, expressing confidence in followersability to achieve goals, and emphasizing collective purpose. (Leithwood Jantzi, 2006). Nevertheless, leadership research also has been informed by models developed specifically for use in school- and district-level settings. Of these, the instructional leadership model is perhaps the most well known. It bears some resemblance to more general, task-oriented leadership theories. (Dorfman House, 2004). The instructional leadership concept implies a focus on classroom practice. Often, however, specific leadership practices required to establish and maintain that focus are poorly defined. The main underlying assumption is that instruction will improve if leaders provide detailed feedback to teachers, including suggestions for change. It follows that leaders must have the time, the knowledge, and the consultative skills needed to provide teachers in all the relevant grade levels and subject areas with valid, useful advice about their instructional practices. While these assumptions have an attractive ring to them, they rest on shaky ground, at best; the evidence to date suggests that few principals have made the time and demonstrated the ability to provide high quality instructional feedback to teachers. (Nelson Sassi ,2005). Importantly, the few well-developed models of instructional leadership posit a set of responsibilities for principals that go well beyond observing and intervening in classrooms responsibilities touching on vision, organizational culture, and the like. (Andrews Soder (1987), Duke (1987), and Hallinger ,2003). In addition, studies of school and principals leadership are replete with other adjectives purporting to capture something uniquely important about the object of inquiry such as learning leadership,( Reeves (2006). constructivist leadership, (Lambert et al. ,1995). and change leadership.( Wagner et al. 2006). Nonetheless, Boykin and Evans (1995) found that majority of the principals were rated as ineffective by their teachers. This reflects that there is a big discrepancy between what the principals are and how they are perceived by the teachers. And in Hong Kong, the images of the principal in the mind of pre-service primary teachers were found to be negative. Lee, Walker and Bodycott, (2000). A study by Luo and Najjar (2007), investigated Chinese principal leadership capacities as perceived by master teachers. Unlike in many developed countries where studies on principals competencies are available in multitude, such studies are still at its low in Malaysia. Keeping in mind the importance of role of the principal as a leader within the secondary school system, it is imperative to examine the leadership style in facilitaing change such as integrating ICT within school context. This is particularly so because of the fact that schools in this country serve for the large section of national students. Most studies in this country have focused on leadership qualities, rather than leadership style. The study therefore intends to fill this gap by investigating the perception of teachers on the leadership style of their principals in terms of facilitating change in implementing ICT utilization among teachers within school setting. Leadership Change Facilitator Style Previous research on leaders has explored traits, such as height, race, and gender. The work of Fiedler (1978) suggested that leaders style was dependent upon contingencies; meaning that different styles are needed for different styles. Blake and Mouton (1964) wrote that how a leader leads was in two dimensions; one in task and one in relationships. It was thought that the most effective leaders had high levels in both task and people skills. The level of maturity of the followers was thought to be reflective of the leaders success by Hersey and Blanchard (1988). Nearly all of the research on leaders and leadership models was built upon business and industry contexts. Educational organizations, namely schools, have much less to draw upon for research on leaders. What is lacking even more is the examination of leaders within the change processes. Research is rich in the areas of leadership and leaders. Debates are not difficult to find on the topics of effective leadership; what makes it, who has it, and how does one do it. An essential component to effective leadership in todays schools is the facilitation of change. How leaders implement changes can lead to either the success or the failure of any innovation. Change continues as a theme in all educational discussions. In 1992, Fullan and Miles wrote about getting reform right in schools. We can say flatly that reform will not be achieved until these seven orientations have been incorporated into the thinking and reflected in the actions of those involved in change efforts (p. 744). Those seven orientations are listed in Figure 2. One of the objectives of this research, like a few preceding it, is to identify the specific kinds of combinations of behaviors that principals can and should exhibit on a day-to-day basis to bring about increases in student achievement through implenting ICT utilization among teachers. Figure 1. Fullan and Miles orientations of change. If the role of the principal is critical, then it should be possible to identify principals actions that directly relate to increasing the academic performance of students on standardized testing. An understanding that has been developed through the work of Hall, Hord, and Griffin (1980) is the principle that not all principals are the same. Principals view their role and priorities differently and operationally define their roles differently in terms of what they actually do each day (Hall, Ruthoford, Hord, Huling, 1984) All leaders have a style. That has been established in research on industrial organizational leadership, change process, and educational administration. What has not been established is that there is not an operational definition of style. Furthermore, there is not a distinction drawn between leader behavior and leader style. The terms, and more troubling, the concepts have been used interchangeably. In most studies, followers were asked to identify individual behaviors of leaders, not the leaders behaviors in total. In 1978, Thomas conducted a study on 60 schools, looking at the role of school principals in managing diverse educational programs. As a result of this study, she identified three patterns of principal behavior, and identified them as: Director, Administrator, and Facilitator. Director principals maintained an active interest in all aspects of the school from curriculum and teacher to budgeting and scheduling. Administrator principals were said to make decisions in areas affecting the school as a whole, this, leaving teachers with a great deal of autonomy. Facilitator principals thought of themselves as colleagues of the faculty, and perceived th

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Character Analysis Of The Scar :: essays research papers

Most people believe that there exists at least one person in the world who matches their personality exactly. Others believe that for every person there is an exact opposite or an evil twin so to speak. In the case of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, they fall somewhere in between these two definitions. Both were sinners, and yet the people glorified Dimmesdale and cast Hester away, only because they were misinformed. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale are, at first glance totally different, however upon closer inspection, they become increasingly more similar. Lifestyle is a trait everyone shares, however the trait itself can vary from person to person. Hester lived a life of exile and seclusion. The townspeople no longer wanted her. She was representative of sin and for that she had to be â€Å"cleansed† from the great Puritan body that was Boston. Dimmesdale, however, lived the life of a hero. He was, in the opinion of the people, the closest thing anyone of them had to God. He was often showered with praise and loved by the community. They did lead similar lifestyles, in the respect that they were both living a life based on keeping secrets. Hester was keeping secret the fact that Chillingworth was her husband. Chillingworth was trying to learn the identity of Pearl’s father â€Å"under the semblance of a friend and helper, and had availed himself of the opportunities thus afford to tapering with the delicate springs or Mr. Dimmsdale’s nature" (Hawthorne 173). Dimmesdale kept secret the fact that he was Pearl’s father and Hester’s â€Å"accomplice in sin†. Keeping the secret began to degrade Dimmesdale’s health, however even at his weakest, Dimmsdale’s secret was not revealed to the public (Hawthorne 285). All people share character traits, however much like lifestyle, the traits themselves can be as varied as the colors of the rainbow. In Hester’s case, her main character trait was her submission to the punishment of the â€Å"A†, however through this submission, she became strong. After seven years of abuse, she learned to live with the shame. She wore the â€Å"A† even after there was general acceptance of her in the colony. She also became caring. She made clothes for many people and always helped the needy. Dimmesdale begins the story as a hypocritical being, and he remains so until the end of the book. He engaged in the very same sin as Hester, but he makes her the topic of every sermon, and preaches to her about the wrongnesses of evil.