Studying abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Studying abroad - Essay Example Problems encountered by international students should be given attention and solutions to help foreigners cope with their new environment and perform well in their studies. This paper will discuss some of these problems such as homesickness and the multi-cultural experiences of international students. Perhaps the most common complaint among foreign students is homesickness. Studies show that â€Å"students in America experience homesickness due to culture shock† (Harrison and Brower). The culture in America is definitely different from most foreign students especially those coming from eastern countries. It is not just the language that is different but the divergences in food, clothing, customs and practices are also quite astonishing to foreign students. This makes them long for familiar environments and people they have been used to. From the studies of Harrison and Brower, this separation anxiety has a strong correlation to psychological hardiness- â€Å"a personality variable that seemingly impact students’ adjustment to their often challenging and bewildering host cultures† (Harrison and Bower). The research of the shows that those who are able to adjust and actively involve themselves in whatever challenges individuals are faced with, experience less h omesickness. In addition, those who are able to act strong and able in their new environment are less stressed and therefore are able to cope with the demands of their host culture. Those who are resilient to changes are also found to be stronger in times of emotional and psychological troubles among foreign students. In contrast to the negative effect of foreign studies, there is also a great advantage especially with those who have strong psychological hardiness and are open to challenging experiences. According to Christine Lee, David Therriault and Tracy Linderholm, â€Å"multicultural experiences such as studying abroad are quantitatively and qualitatively

Critical analyse the functions and management issues in global Essay

Critical analyse the functions and management issues in global business to identify ways to reduce risk and improve organisational effectiveness using appropriate examples where necessary - Essay Example Such a brand is Apple, which has been successful in building a brand name across the world. Leadership is another critical factor that can drive any drowning organization to the shore. All across the world, there are countless examples of leaders as being the drivers of change and ultimately success in organizations, in countries, in politics and in normal day lives. Therefore, leadership also plays an important role in the effectiveness and success of an organization. This paper will first highlight the important areas of management that are critical to the success and effectiveness of an organization operating in a global world. The organization that has been used as an example is Apple Inc. Apple has seen phenomenal growth in the past few years for its record breaking products such as the iPhone and the iPod and now the iPad. They have revolutionized the lifestyles of millions and this is their philosophy. To follow such a critically different path, it is important to keep in all areas of the business working in cohesion to that a synergy creates, giving extra value to the organization. While working in such a diverse and huge geographical environment, Apple also needs to set up risk management procedures and practices throughout its organization; these will also be discussed. The latter part of the paper will discuss the magnetic personality of the CEO of Apple, Mr. Steve Jobs, who has been leading the corporation from the front to success. Th e role of leadership in such an environment and the success that the company has seen will also be measured (Donald, 2006). The international environment makes decision making more complicated, as more controllable and uncontrollable factors enter the overall environment of the organization. In such a time, managing the loyalty of the staff as well as the customers is an equally daunting

The North Wind and the Sun Essay Example for Free

The North Wind and the Sun Essay The North Wind and the Sun is about two different personalities and how they operate to get things done. The North Wind is very arrogant and has a personality that is very strong. He is also very impatient, he wants things done immediately and he wants it done his way.   He is the type who intimidates people and could very well be the type to instil fear in his subordinates.   This type of â€Å"shotgun-in-your-face† approach will work against some people until you come across individuals who have a mind of their own.    Some people make it a point to resist very strong individuals and this could pose a problem especially when North Winds are leaders.   When that happens, it is the personality of the Sun which can win them over.   Personalities like the Sun do not impose their wants and needs.   Personalities like the Sun do not make demands nor put pressure on people.   They have realized that a better approach to getting what they want is to be subtle.   They have mastered the art of manipulating individuals into doing what they (the Sun) wants by making them (the individuals) think that they decide and act for themselves.   It is this subtlety that makes people like the Sun more effective leaders. The human in this story, like in most stories of Greek and Roman mythology, is the plaything of the Sun and the North Wind.   He is at the mercy of their whims.   So when these two entities decide to test their strength through a competition, this hapless man becomes their focus.   They were quite smart because in order to settle their dispute, they did not ask for the man’s opinion.   They did not come down from the heavens to ask â€Å"who is stronger?†Ã‚   Instead they decided to settle their quarrel by watching the human’s reaction to the force they exerted.   He, in essence, acted as a fair and impartial judge in a contest he did not know he was mediating.

The Problem of Grade Inflation

The Problem of Grade Inflation Grade Inflation: Is A the new C? Quinn, my 9-year-old stepson played on a little league baseball team. He attended most of the practices and played in all the games. I asked one day who won the game today? He looked to his father for the answer. I asked, doesnt he know if his team won? It seems that this little league bent the rules of baseball. Well, they didnt just bend the rules they made up their own rules making sure all the players played, no one struck out, five runs and the other team was up you get my drift. Then to top it off they held a party at the end of the season where everyone received a trophy. I was frankly appalled. Being rewarded just for participation. The prevalence of grade inflation is effecting students, professors and institutions. Students are receiving higher grades than earned. A has become the new C. If our educational system is failing to grade appropriately for attainment of knowledge that students supposedly are there to gain, then what does it all mean? It would seem suitable to compare it to giving every person on a sport team a trophy just for participating. It is a deceptive practice and ethically wrong to give a grade when it truly is not achieved no matter what the reason. The purpose of this argument on grade inflation is to convince students, professors, parents and institutions that the practice of grade inflation must stop. Everyone is affected by the strength or weakness and by the fairness or unjust attributes of our educational system. Grade Inflation has many repercussions. Students receiving higher grades make it difficult to discern the average student from the above average student from the exceptional student. Problem Analysis In my research, I have found educators agreeing that grade inflation is a problem. Over the past decades claims of grade inflation in American higher education have been ubiquitous, with ample evidence documenting its prevalence and severity (Arnold 2004; Summary Weber 2012; Carter Lara, 2016, p. 346). As stated by Rojstaczer 2003, The data indicate that not only is C an endangered species but that B, once the most popular grade at universities and colleges, has been supplanted by the former symbol of perfection, the A (p. A21) It is important to note the causes of grade inflation in the first place. As stated by Rojstaczer and Healy (2010), Faculty attitudes about teaching and grading underwent a profound shift that coincided with the Vietnam War (see graph below). Many professors, certainly not all or even a majority, became convinced that grades were not a useful tool for motivation, were not a valid means of evaluation and created a harmful authoritarian environment for learning. Added to this shift was a real-life exigency. In the 1960s, full-time male college students were exempt from the military draft. If a male college student flunked out, chances were that he would end up as a soldier in the Vietnam War, a highly unpopular conflict on a deadly battlefield. Partly in response to changing attitudes about the nature of teaching and partly to ensure that male students maintained their full-time status, grades rose rapidly. Then there seemed to be a lull in grade inflation until the 1980s when grades b egan to rise again. A new ethos had developed among college leaders. Students were no longer thought of as acolytes searching for knowledge. Instead they were customers (Rojstaczer Healy, 2010). Â   Note. Reprinted from Grade Inflation at American Colleges Universities, by Rojstaczer, S. Two of the more frequently cited sources of grade inflation are faculty status and faculty evaluations Hall (2011 p.146). Professors at some institutions are dependent on good evaluations from students. If the evaluations are not favorable and grades are low, then the teacher becomes suspect. Simply stated, the higher the course grade, the happier the student, and the higher the ratings on the faculty evaluations completed by those students Hall (2011). Motivating the student becomes an issue when the common grade is A. I found support that it becomes extremely difficult for professors to grade honestly because it can be viewed as a sign of poor quality education by the professor, his ratings go down and consequently enrollment in the institutions in future years will suffer. In an article by Stroebe (2016), he discusses grading leniency encouraged by universities. Evidence is presented that the positive association between student grades and their evaluation of teaching reflects a bias rather than teaching effectiveness (p. 800). This cyclic process has only resulted in more problems. Poor student performance in subsequent courses tend to become apparent. Stroebe, a professor in the department of social and organizational psychology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands deliberates the notion that grading leniency or grade inflation is likely to demotivate students. He presents that students overestimate the amount they learn based on the grade they receive. Institutions are at fault here as well and may be the one of the biggest proponents to perpetuating the vicious circle. As Hall (2012) explains in her article, institutional interests also tend to have a significant impact on the prevalence of grade inflation in higher education. With more and more cuts to educational funding, many colleges and universities find themselves struggling to balance their budgets. Students who are happy with their grades are students who are much more likely to remain enrolled thereby filling classroom seats and paying tuition fees (p. 147). An issue that has revealed itself in my research is academic entitlement. The attitude of many of the students today is that they have the right since they are the procurers. (Hall, 2012 p.148). Thought provoking questions are asked by researchers as to the reasons of academic entitlement. As Greenberger, Lessard, Chen Farruggia (2008) ask, What are the circumstances that foster the behavior and attitudes of academic self-entitlement: i.e., expectations of high rewards for modest effort, expectations of special consideration and accommodation by teachers when it comes to grades, and impatience and anger when their expectations and perceived needs are not met? (p. 1194). Rebuttal against grade inflation Then there are those with opposing viewpoints that grade inflation is nonexistent. As Kohn (2002) states, Even where grades are higher now as compared with then, that does not constitute proof that they are inflated. The burden rests with critics to demonstrate that those higher grades are undeserved, and one can cite any number of alternative explanations. Maybe students are turning in better assignments. Maybe instructors used to be too stingy with their marks and have become more reasonable. Maybe the concept of assessment itself has evolved, so that today it is more a means for allowing students to demonstrate what they know rather than for sorting them or catching them out (p. B8) My rebuttal is that over the years attitudes have changed not only of the students, the professors and the institutions. Institutions are not just interested in being the best in providing education, they are not interested in the education business, they are interested in the business of education. Simply put how to make the most money. Professors are interested in keeping their jobs by keeping institutions happy with them. If they give poor grades institutions will think that their teaching ability is poor and students, since they are paying for their education, feel entitled to get good grades or they may give their instructor an unfavorable evaluation. My interview was with a young physician who went to undergraduate school in 2001 then on to medical school, a residency program and an internship. She is currently a practicing physician in a large group practice. One of my reasons for the choice of interviewee is that in the line graph illustrated previously she falls in the time when A is the most popular grade given nationwide. I formulated my line of questions only to be side railed by the very first question; When you were in college, were you aware of grade inflation practices? Her answer was no. Well, I continued, there are quite a few articles written about grade inflation and how prevalent it has become. It has been steadily increasing over the last twenty years. Have you notice that your grades were inflated? She indignantly said, absolutely not! I worked my butt off for every grade I got! the conversation continued as I strove to gain some glimmer of grade inflation recognition. Have you noticed any fellow students getting As that did not put in an A effort? The answer was no all the students I was with were hard working and deserved the grades they received. After the unexpected denial or unawareness of grade inflation could my interviewee fit into the category of entitlement? I decided that it was a case of a hard-working student with drive, motivation and determination to receive the grades that she deserved. She grew up in a time of entitlement, and yes, she does exhibit some of those qualities but she works hard to this day. She may have grown up in the age of entitlement but she is a child of achievement. I would know since she is my daughter. Solution Hall (2012), Argues that in the fight against grade inflation what is lacking are the basic principles of instructional design. There is no framework in place in institutions for measures to prevent grade inflating propensities and actions. Anyone who investigates the sources of grade inflation will ultimately find themselves pointed in the direction of the students themselves. The attitude of many of the students today is that they have the right since they are the procurers. (Hall, 2012 p.148) My experience with attending Chamberlain College for Nursing is that the courses are set up to allow the professors to grade honestly. The grading rubric is beneficial to the student who now knows exactly what is expected of him or her. It makes it a more objective approach to grading. As Kelly (2017) describes, Here are three reasons why I find rubrics truly effective. First, rubrics save time because I can simply look at your rubric and mark off points. Second, rubrics keep me honest, even when Ive had a horrible day . I feel much more objective as I sit before my mountain of papers. More important than these two reasons, however, is that when I have created a rubric beforehand and shown it to my students I get better quality work. They know what I want. They can also see right away where they lost points (p. 1) Benefits I agree with Hall in her analysis of grade inflation. I can see that there are many facets that are all contributing to the problem. Solving one issue will not resolve the problem. Grade Inflating practices are fundamentally wrong. It involves a faculty member to award a grade that is higher than earned. Although it is recognized as being an issue, the inappropriate conduct continues. Hall not only describes the various causes and the rationale why grade inflation continues, but she offers a framework that consists of a different approach to combating the problem with specific objectives, instruction and assessment. It sounds very much like the grading rubric. According to Stevens and Levi (2005), At its most basic, a rubric is a scoring tool that lays out the specific expectations for an assignment. Rubrics divide an assignment into its component parts and provide a detailed description of what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable levels of performance for each of those parts (p.3 ) Conclusion In conclusion, with instructors lowering their grading standards, A has become the most ordinary grade on college campuses. Its like buying a dozen eggs with medium, large, extra-large and jumbo all mixed in one carton. With no true evaluation of students performance, you dont know what youre getting. Students have a sense of entitlement that parents and the environment we live in have fostered over time. Students expect an A with minimal effort. This can be demotivating and discouraging for students who truly give it their all. When there are no guidelines or enforced regulation of grades, the grades given in higher education will have less and less meaning. Its time to stop giving trophies just for participation. References Ad Hoc Committee on Grade Inflation. Final Report of the Ad Hoc Committee Task Force on Grade Inflation. American University, Washington, DC. (October, 10th, 2016).http://www.american.edu/facultysenate/upload/Senate-report-on-Grade-Inflation-Final-10-20-16.pdf. Arnold, R. A. (2004). Way That Grades are Set is a Mark Against Professors. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Carter, M. J., Lara, P. Y. (2016). Grade Inflation in Higher Education: Is the End in Sight? Academic Questions, 29(3), 346-353. Doi:10.1007/s12129-016-9569-5 Caruth, D., Caruth, G. (2013, January). Grade Inflation: an issue for higher education. Turkish Journal of Distance Education. v.14, n. 1, p. 102-110. ISSN: ISSN-1302-6488. Fauer, J., Lopez, L. (2009, October). Grade Inflation: too much talk too little action. American Journal of Business Education. v.2, n.7. Greenberger, E., Lessard, J., Chen, C., Farruggia, S. (2008). Self-Entitled college students: contributions of personality, parenting, and motivational factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. (April 4th, 2008), 37:1193-1204. DOI 10.1007/s10964-008-9284-9. Hall, R. A. (2012). A neglected reply to grade inflation in higher education. Global Education Journal, 2012(3), 144-165. Kelly, M. (2017). Creating and Using Rubrics: Make Your Life Easier with Rubrics. About Education. (Updated February 03, 2017). http://712educators.about.com/cs/rubrics/a/rubrics.htm Kohn, A. (2002). The dangerous myth of grade inflation. The Chronicle of Higher Education. November 8th, 2002. 49(11). Rojstaczer S., Healy C. (2016). Where A is ordinary: The evolution of American college and university grading. 1940-2009. Teachers College Record, ID Number: 15928. http://www.tcrecord.org Rojstaczer, S. (2016). Grade Inflation at American Colleges and Universities. www.GradeInflation.com. (March 29, 2016). Rojstaczer, S. (2003). Where all Grades are Above Average. The Washington Post. January 28, 2003. A21. Stevens, D., Levi, A. (2005). Introduction to Rubrics: An Assessment Tool to Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback and Promote Student Learning. Stylus Publishing, LLC. Sterling, Virginia. Stroebe, W. (2016). Why Good Teaching Evaluations May Reward Bad Teaching. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(6), p. 800-816. DOI:10.1177/1745691616650284 Summary, R., Weber, W. (2012). Grade Inflation or Productivity Growth? An Analysis of Changing Grade Distributions at a Regional University. Journal of Productivity Analysis 38.95-107.

History of the Internet :: Expository Essays Research Papers

History of the Internet The internet has been a fast progressing technology. It is not quite known who exactly invented it because many people helped invent it. The development of the Internet began to progress very quickly after the invention of the satellite. The Russians put sputnik, the first satellite, into space and the US got scared. The cold war helped facilitate the internet because the US had to compete with other technologies being developed by Russia. Versions of the internet were around at the time (like in Britain), but the government wanted the Internet to be explored more because the US saw benefits of it for the military. In order to make a more effective way for military to communicate the US brought in some of the most brilliant people to improve and invent the Internet. Some intentions of researching the networking of computers was potential nuclear war. The government wanted a way that people could communicate and store information without it being destroyed by nuclear war. The scientis ts could not figure out a way for a medium of communication to not be harmed by nuclear explosion but the developers thought that the if the information was not centralized that it would not be able to be destroyed completely. The theory was if the information could be traveling at all times to different nodes and then in turn could not be destroyed by completely. The internet was created through out the 60s by the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA). This team of inventors worked relentlessly to make a backbone of the internet that we have today. The internet started out very small but now it is huge. It first only networked a few nodes but now it can has been networked to several nodes including personal computers.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Scientists take advantage of this free system of sharing information because a scientist can access a powerful computer million miles away with little or no cost. Educators can bring the Internet into the classroom to research information that was inaccessible a decade ago. Mostly the internet is used to email and look at news.

Columbus?s Arrival :: Christopher Columbus Essays

Columbus’s Arrival A lot of people would agree that Christopher Columbus was the founder of and first to discover America. On the other hand, people have come to the conclusion that Christopher Columbus was the worst thing that could have ever happened to America. This is the question were trying to find, would it have been better if he never even discovered this unexplored continent? Through all of my research and interviews I’ve come to this conclusion. There are to many good and bad arguments dealing with Columbus, too many to even make my own decision but here are a few things that other people in my generation have to say. Before Christopher Columbus came, life in this unexplored territory was vast and extremely empty except for the native Americans that inhabited a few separated acres of this continent. They were here before anybody they had discovered Cuba, the west coast and even the Pacific Coast of California. Life was plain and simple for the Natives, they had adequate amounts of food and water they had treatments for almost all diseases they were just fine and dandy except for the occasional tribal war over land. Soon that life was about to change and all credit is given by most to Christopher Columbus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"First of all he never even reached America, he landed in Cuba. Second he, not personally, was the reason for thousands of Native Americans deaths†. Indigo Rodriguez. â€Å"He brought over so many diseases that there really was no chance for the natives to survive.† Cort Zimmerman. His arrival brought so many horrific things but the one that really caught my attention from what people said was that of the forcing of the Christian religion on the natives. The Spanish (Columbus), came over with a mentality of, our religion is the only one that will lead you to heaven so either you convert or we’ll kill you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m sorry to say this but if things didn’t happen the way they did, society and religion wouldn’t be as prosperous as it is today. We could still be learning how electricity works if it weren’t for him†¦ This county might not even of turned out Democratic, the Russians could of got here first and actually of prospered with a communist society.† Dimitri Boyd. I asked people of what they thought of science and evolution and the response from a majority was that of â€Å"I’m all for it, I wouldn’t have such a cool car if it wasn’t for science. Columbus?s Arrival :: Christopher Columbus Essays Columbus’s Arrival A lot of people would agree that Christopher Columbus was the founder of and first to discover America. On the other hand, people have come to the conclusion that Christopher Columbus was the worst thing that could have ever happened to America. This is the question were trying to find, would it have been better if he never even discovered this unexplored continent? Through all of my research and interviews I’ve come to this conclusion. There are to many good and bad arguments dealing with Columbus, too many to even make my own decision but here are a few things that other people in my generation have to say. Before Christopher Columbus came, life in this unexplored territory was vast and extremely empty except for the native Americans that inhabited a few separated acres of this continent. They were here before anybody they had discovered Cuba, the west coast and even the Pacific Coast of California. Life was plain and simple for the Natives, they had adequate amounts of food and water they had treatments for almost all diseases they were just fine and dandy except for the occasional tribal war over land. Soon that life was about to change and all credit is given by most to Christopher Columbus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"First of all he never even reached America, he landed in Cuba. Second he, not personally, was the reason for thousands of Native Americans deaths†. Indigo Rodriguez. â€Å"He brought over so many diseases that there really was no chance for the natives to survive.† Cort Zimmerman. His arrival brought so many horrific things but the one that really caught my attention from what people said was that of the forcing of the Christian religion on the natives. The Spanish (Columbus), came over with a mentality of, our religion is the only one that will lead you to heaven so either you convert or we’ll kill you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m sorry to say this but if things didn’t happen the way they did, society and religion wouldn’t be as prosperous as it is today. We could still be learning how electricity works if it weren’t for him†¦ This county might not even of turned out Democratic, the Russians could of got here first and actually of prospered with a communist society.† Dimitri Boyd. I asked people of what they thought of science and evolution and the response from a majority was that of â€Å"I’m all for it, I wouldn’t have such a cool car if it wasn’t for science.

History of Rev War

The cry of soda enquired into: Educational analysis in seventeenth-century New England. History of Education Quarterly, 13(1), 3-22. Lang, Harry G. Genesis of a Community: The American Deaf Experience in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. In J. Van Clever (Deed. ). The Deaf History Reader. Washington, DC: Gladdest university Press, 2007. 1 . The American Indian view of the colonial missionaries' influence on the â€Å"education† of the Indian is how the colonial missionaries changed their norm behaviors where they had to change their beliefs to the â€Å"European culture† (ColonialMissionaries and Their schools, 2004, p. 1 5). Also, they correlated the Indian dally life of cleanliness, lack of discipline for the children (Colonial Missionaries and Their Schools, 2004, p. 1 5). I feel that the quote that said by H. G. Wells was relevant to the Indian communities at that time period since the colonial missionaries changed and controlled the Indian lifestyle by Glen n them better education and lifestyle.The article, Colonial Missionaries and Their Schools, explained that most of the Indian children who were taught by the missionaries were separated from their parents nice the Indian parents did not understand the influence that the missionaries had for the Indian children (p. 16). One point was mentioned In the article about how confused the Indians were when they were the victims of the missionaries and â€Å"Christians† cheated and sexually abused them since they were preached about the missionaries' practice and cheated and sexually abused were not allowed (Colonial Missionaries and Their Schools, 2004, p. 6). The situation where the Indian were cheated and sexually abused by the missionaries and â€Å"Christians† led catastrophe in hat they were taught by the missionaries. 2. The religion played a special role in the Puritan efforts to establish formal schooling in America by set up a high educational standard where their chil dren are successful as their parents are. Puritans did not accept any failures. (The cry of Soda enquired into: Educational analysis in seventeenth-century New England,1973, p. ) We are experience the same thing today without much of religious involvements. The parents today want to see their children to succeed In their education and have bright futures. Also, parents Ely on teachers and school to help their children In academic where the teachers are constantly encouraging the children to go for their dreams by dream big. Teachers of the deaf can learn from the Puritan educational efforts about literacy by continuing to encourage the deaf students to read and write where they can eventually Improve their English. 3.People with disabilities during the asses and early asses were treated badly where they were chained to the wall since the people did not know how to take care of them. People with disabilities were treated like an here doctors who had better knowledge knew how to take care of them where they were also being observed based on their behaviors. From reading about Isaac Kilojoules, Matthew and Sarah Pratt, Andrew Brown and Jonathan Lambert, I learned that all of them became part of a religious and the Puritans accepted disabilities for who they are without any Judgments.Also, the church did allow deaf marriages without any restriction. 4. Sign language in the American colonies before the Revolutionary War show that it was only used in the level of abstraction and used tit the people who were already here in America after the generation that founding of Plymouth colony. Before Revolutionary War was the time period where sign language as American Sign Language, history of deaf literacy before the education for the deaf was established.Sign language gave the deaf American colonies the ability to communicate with each other. Sign language gave the deaf the abilities to have education and be able to understand what being learned. 5. The efforts that the d eaf children where educated in the American colonies were that they were sending o school like Broadsword Academy or private education. The deaf children were known as deaf and dumb during that time period, but each one had the abilities and skills in different academic areas.For example, John Boiling was good at Geography and Arithmetic Globe and the father of Charles Green reported after Charles two years at Broadsword Academy has â€Å"improvement in the construction of language, and in writing; he has made a good beginning in arithmetic. † Children who were private education like William Mercer was able to succeed in his life since he had the skill for minting which was found through the years located.