Cooperative Learning Essay -- Education Mathematics Essays

Cooperative Learning What is cooperative learning? In their article Cooperative Learning in Mathematics, Roza Leikin and Orit Zaslavsky propose four conditions that establish a cooperative-learning setting: (1) Students learn in small groups with two to six members in a group; (2) the learning tasks in which students are engaged require that the students mutually and positively depend on one another and on the group’s work as a whole; (3) the learning environment offers all members of the group an equal opportunity to interact with one another regarding the learning tasks and encourages them to communicate their ideas in various ways, for example, verbally; and (4) each member of the group has a responsibility to contribute to the group work and is accountable for the learning process of the group. The third condition is considered to be important because it shows that cooperative learning is more than just having students form groups in a class. The purpose of cooperative learning is not just for students to work with their peers, but to also be able to interact and communicate, which is very helpful in mathematics in particular. For example, â€Å"Cooperative learning includes the following features: face-to-face interaction, positive interdependence, individual accountability, and building social skills† (Rubenstein, Beckmann, and Thompson 11). Through this technique the students will learn and grow at the same time. However, before beginning this process, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration. Before beginning cooperative learning in a classroom the teacher needs to make decisions. Determining the size of each group is the first choice to be made; this depends on the numb... ...h one another, and therefore developing their social skills. They are learning interpersonal and small-group skills by building trust within their groups and using conflict-resolution skills. Overall, â€Å"Cooperative learning is an effective tool for building collaboration within classrooms, a major component of learning communities† (Rubenstein, Beckmann, and Thompson 11). It is a teaching strategy that, in most cases, is beneficial to all. Bibliography Davidson, Neil. Cooperative Learning in Mathematics: A Handbook for Teachers. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley, 1990. Leikin, Roza and Orit Zaslavsky. â€Å"Cooperative Learning in Mathematics.† Mathematics Teacher 92 (March 1999): 240-246. Rubenstein, Rheta N., Charlene E. Beckmann, and Denisse R. Thompson. Teaching and Learning Middle Grades Mathematics. Emeryville, CA: Key College Publishing, 2004.

Overcoming Barriers to Change

The external environment in which businesses operate is continually changing. Businesses must respond to these changes to remain competitive and continue to meet the needs of their customers. They need the commitment and support of key stakeholder groups, such as employees, in order to ensure changes are embedded to shape the organization for the long term. Corus was formed in 1999 when the former British Steel plc merged with the Dutch company, Hoogovens. Corus is now a subsidiary of the Indian-owned Tata Group. Corus has three operating divisions and employs 40,000 people worldwide:Corus Strip Products UK (CSP UK) is based at Port Talbot and Llanwern, Newport in South Wales. CSP UK makes steel in strip form. This is used in markets such as vehicle manufacture, construction, electrical appliances, tubes and packaging. Corus aims to be a leader in the steel industry by providing better products, higher quality customer service and better value for money than its rivals. In 2005 CSP U K introduced a cultural plan for change called ‘The Journey’. The company wanted to address a wide range of business challenges, but the common theme was the fundamental way that people at all levels went about their work.The Journey focused on the values and beliefs of its people. Vitally, this was not limited to employees, but it included contractors, suppliers and other partners. This community of people together re-defined eight core values. These provided the guiding principles by which Corus people would work. By early 2007, all employees had been provided with a booklet outlining the CSP Journey values and the behaviors the company expected them to follow. The new values encourage individuals to be accountable for their actions.For example, previously, there had been tragic accidents on site and other health and safety issues, such as poor driving behaviour. This needed to change. The Journey program has taken a positive approach so that it now steers everything CSP UK does and underpins the culture of the organization. This case study focuses on how Corus Strip Products UK has overcome barriers to change in order to secure a more prosperous future for the business. Reasons for change Organizational change is a planned and ongoing process and follows clearly structured elements:Identify the key drivers for change. These are forces outside and within the organization, for example, the growing strength of competitors (external) or health and safety issues within the organization (internal). Corus employees were encouraged to understand what was happening in the business (the ‘As Is’) and identify any flaws in the existing way of working. Identify the barriers to change. This often involves people’s attitudes. They may want to continue to work as before or cannot see the need for change. Create and implement a plan for change.This focuses on winning the commitment of all employees, identifying specific solutions to problems areas (for example, cutting staff or investing in new systems) and setting out ways of measuring improvement. Employees were encouraged to envision what the ‘To Be’ position for CSP UK looked like and make plans to bring it about. Measure the effectiveness of the change. CSP UK is prepared to make further changes based on the outcomes of the actions. Examples of internal drivers for change (inefficiencies within the business) at CSP UK included: Poor delivery – rather than delivering steel to customers on time there were delays, leading to loss of business. †¢ Competitiveness – steel produced in the UK could be more expensive than from some other countries. †¢ High wastage – failing to make products right first time meant that they had to be reworked or scrapped. †¢ Low staff morale – employees were committed but were not motivated by the environment in which they were carrying out their jobs. External drivers (pressures for c hange outside the business) came from: New competitors – low cost producers in Eastern Europe and the Far East were taking business. This could lead to reduced demand with higher costs. †¢ Changing customer requirements – for example, the fall in demand for steel for the automotive industry meant that Corus needed to find different types of customers or develop different products. †¢ New technology meant customers expected higher specifications. †¢ Perceptions of the steelmaking industry within the community tended to be negative – for example, the industry was seen as having a poor record on environmental issues.Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives had previously been implemented to great effect at CSP UK to improve productivity and improve competitiveness. CSP UK had also previously reduced manpower for the same purpose. However, Corus Strip Products is a business with deeply committed people and a relatively low staff turnover. Total payr oll costs are low compared with its other costs such as energy and raw materials. Labor costs at CSP UK account for around only 13% of total costs. This is considerably less than, for example, an assembly line process where they might be around 40-50% of total costs.It therefore made better sense to enable employees to work more efficiently rather than cut the number of staff. Barriers to change Change may challenge peoples’ abilities, experience, customs and practice. It may even be seen as a threat. This can create resistance or barriers to change. For example, if job roles are changed, employees and managers may feel that they lose status or power. If jobs are cut, remaining employees may feel insecure. This can cause low morale and lead to poor productivity.Although Corus Strip Products as a company supported the principles of change and innovation, not all previous programs had delivered the required results. GLOSSARY Corus is an established business in a traditional ind ustry. This meant that it had set patterns of doing things in some areas of the business. This attitude of ‘this is the way we do things around here’ made it more difficult to make necessary changes. Some Corus employees had a fear of the unknown and saw new initiatives as a possible threat to their existing teams and positions.Job reductions had been a major theme in the steel industry since the 1970s and some of Corus’ previous change initiatives had led to job cuts. Other people did not see a threat to their job because the business had previously survived difficult times. This complacency made change difficult for Corus. Another issue facing Corus was its ageing workforce. There is a considerable degree of expertise in the company and long-term high rewards kept people within the industry. Older employees with high technical skills stayed because these skills were not easily transferable.Fewer young people were attracted to the industry because of reduced job opportunities and reductions in apprenticeship schemes across the UK. The company also had a history of rewarding ‘long service’ rather than ‘distinguished service’. This means that employees who had been with the company a long time (but who had lower productivity) could be gaining greater rewards than newer employees who were producing more. Corus felt that this was an area that needed major change so that those employees with higher output were suitably rewarded. Overcoming barriers We cannot solve our problems by spending; we cannot solve our problems by cutting back. The only way to meet our challenges is to change how we go about things†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (quote from the Managing Director of CSP UK). One of the key techniques Corus has used to overcome resistance to change has been to work closely with employees and get them involved as much as possible in the program. From the start it was important for the company to share with employees what might hap pen to the business if it didn’t change. Corus put emphasis on getting everyone to take ownership of the new values by physically signing up to the program.This helped them ‘buy-into’ the new ways of working. Workers are now more involved in decision making and their contributions and experience are recognized. Through a range of direct and indirect communications, for example, weekly newsletters and workshops, Corus ensures that all employees understand what behaviors it expects of them. As part of implementation, Corus needed to highlight how people were behaving (the ‘As Is’). It created a program with ‘shock tactics’ to show managers and employees the condition of the plant, to identify weaknesses and encourage employees to make changes.For example, 150 senior managers were invited to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. This impressive venue raised expectations. However, they were served cold tea and given a presentation on a ripped p rojector screen. The fact that attendees did not comment on this demonstrated that people did not see they had a ‘right to challenge’. It also highlighted that employees had become accustomed to working with limited resources and were willing to accept low standards. This would be an important aspect to work on during the culture change.Managers were also shown videos of poor working conditions and interviews with local schoolchildren in which they said they would not work at the plant because of their perception of a poor outlook and a poor working environment. Around 150 workshops were held to spread the messages. Fortnightly newspapers clarified these values and repeated the key messages through articles on various activities, such as employees taking part in the redesigning of a control room to improve layout and safety. Billboards, intranet, video programs and most of all, direct one-to-one conversations all reinforced the messages.The Journey also raised important questions about how the company managed key issues, such as alcohol or drug misuse. The new values Due to the high standards of safety associated with Corus processes, all working sites are alcohol-free. Understandably, before the change program, anyone offending in this way was likely to face disciplinary action and this is still the case in most working environments. The new CSP UK values focus on helping employees who are willing to accept assistance to improve their performance, rather than taking disciplinary action against them for poor behaviour.This approach, with support and guidance from the company and counseling services, has resulted in over 50 employees that previously would have lost their jobs being retained in work. Measuring the outcomes of change The Journey change program at Corus Strip Products contributes to sustainability for the business. By facing up to its internal weaknesses, Corus Strip Products has improved efficiency, increased output, lowered costs an d reduced waste in an increasingly competitive steel market.This has enabled the business not just to survive but also to grow – even during the economic recession of 2008 and 2009. Thanks to the Journey program, CSP UK expects to reduce costs for the 2009/10 financial year by around ?250 million. To make sure that actions delivered results, Corus established clear targets and standards. Milestones (intermediate steps) were set so everyone would know how far CSP UK had gone to achieving the targets. This made it easier to review and measure progress and achievements or to set new deadlines.There have been a huge number of ‘quick wins’ which add up to a great gain overall. Key performance indicators have shown significant progress and include: †¢ production capacity has increased by 4. 5% to a run rate of 5 million tones †¢ the plant is on track to achieve a 20% reduction in the cost of producing steel †¢ 5,000 employees have signed up to the values and beliefs of the business †¢ a reduction in absenteeism †¢ measurable improvements in levels of quality and service for customers †¢ tighter targets for Health and Safety – new safety teams contribute towards accident-free production carbon dioxide emissions have reduced by 10%. CSP UK now exceeds government standards †¢ measurable improvements in the company’s impact on the local community. Individuals, teams and departments all support the improvement culture and are more engaged and committed to achieving company values and targets. This culture shift is of critical value as it will enable further improvement. For example, Corus has implemented top-level security with controlled access for the 5000+ vehicles which enter the Corus site each day.This provides a new enhanced ‘entry experience’ for employees, contractors and suppliers and demonstrates that Corus Strip Products is now seen as an organization that is proud of itself. Co nclusion All organisations need to manage change. If they fail to do so they may be left behind by the competition. Change management at Corus Strip Products UK involved bringing the issues out into the open, confronting barriers to change, winning the commitment and support of all employees and delivering an effective plan for change.The Journey has helped CSP UK to ‘weather the storm’. The company is now exploiting the benefits the program has given. The results of the change management program show that Corus Strip Products is a company that is sustainable and can continue to make profits in spite of the recession. Demonstrating ongoing improvement has the additional benefit of winning government grants to support the important economic sector of steel production. Overcoming Barriers to Change The research aims to identify barriers that exist in education on the way to changing students’ learning environments in a positive way. The literature review has revealed that current practices often demonstrate new opportunities willingly embraced by teachers.However, in many cases, teachers are not as susceptible to practices that threaten to have negative effect on their customary routines, in particular exemplified by collaborative teaching. Using teacher survey, the study will determine to what degree such reluctance can stand in the way of the teaching innovation.IntroductionTeaching collaboration is an idea that has gained prominence in contemporary educational establishments. Although at first a really unusual practice, collaboration in teaching has been shown to deliver great benefits.For educators themselves, â€Å"collegiality breaks the isolation of the classroom and brings career rewards and daily satisfactions† (Inger, 1993). It also helps beginners and e xperienced professional learn from each other for improved results and relieves young teachers of the trial-and-error process they are usually immersed in. bringing teachers closer together in a coherent effort, collaborative teaching helps foster cooperation and friendliness between teachers. Collaboration can also go beyond the level of a single school, helping extend new methods to other areas.At the same time, collaboration is not always compatible with school culture and practices and character of an individual teacher; hence come barriers to collaborative teaching. A teacher can be resistant to collaboration in general, being averse to any form of joint efforts in the same classroom. On the other hand, the teacher’s attitude can embrace collaboration between vocational and academic teachers or those coming from other schools. Therefore, the research problem is as follows:What obstacles do teachers most often face on the path of innovation in their school curriculum that involves collaborative teaching?The study will be focused on teacher perceptions and aim to find material so as to substantiate improvements in collaborative practices.Literature ReviewCollaboration can occur at any stage of the educational process. Teaching can engage in joint preparation of materials for the classroom sessions or engage in team teaching, or â€Å"organizational and instructional arrangement in which two or more teachers work in the same classroom† (Price et al, 2000-2001). Thus, in special education teachers can use a variety of models including the resource room, itinerant, and consultation models (Price et al, 2000-2001).In the process of realizing collaboration models, teachers face barriers that have been categorized by Welch and Sheridan (1995) into four main groups: conceptual barriers, pragmatic barriers, attitudinal barriers, and professional barriers. Conceptual barriers are caused by differences in the definition of roles by different educators, their difference in the processing of material, approaches etc.When teachers face challenges in working out the exact schedule or joining resources for joint effort, this is described as a pragmatic barrier. Attitudinal barriers are the result of fear to try a new approach. Professional barriers arise when teachers cannot cooperate on effective methods of problem solving, lacking adequate skills of working together as a team.Teachers can benefit from the administration’s effort to introduce additional measures so as to reduce the possibility of conflict among teachers.For this purpose, it is necessary to introduce concrete rules and procedures that will define the boundaries between their roles and help them establish working relationships. In case of team teaching, â€Å"the problem is getting a balance between enough specificity in prescribing roles so that a bureaucratic rule book is not created† (Price et al, 2000-2001). Most researchers believe that conflict is un avoidable, and therefore strategies for coping with it should be worked out by the administration in advance.A lot depends on the organizational culture as school culture can either stimulate or defy the efforts of teachers to work together. Peterson (2002) identifies two types of culture: cooperative and toxic. Within toxic cultures, individuals are striving to work together for common goals. As a result, teachers can reach effective collaboration more easily than in other organizations. In toxic cultures, on the contrary, individual effort is frustrated because of the lack of common framework.In addition, organizational resources can also be a barrier to innovation that should be represented in teaching communities. Many schools lack adequate programs that can accommodate the participation of two or more teachers. There are even fewer resources available for attracting outside professionals that can participate in collaborative projects. This can serve as a motivator for teachers to desire the continuation of the routines currently present in education.Cooperation between academic and vocational teachers can be prevented by the organizational design of the academic environment in which â€Å"the social and organizational isolation of most vocational teachers is exacerbated by the physical separation and programmatic fragmentation in secondary schools† (Inger, 1993).The difference in their social status further contributes to the rising walls between these two groups of professionals. Since academic teachers generally have a higher status, they tend to marginalize their vocational colleagues, a situation that discourages cooperation.

Google the Best Company Essay

The competition is steep for any company seeking to become one of the Best, and certainly for any company that shows up in the #1 slot. Yet Google chose a great role model to help them create the special culture that has supported their success. While definitely creating and following their own path, leaders at Google also turned to Genentech (#1 on the Best Companies list in 2006) as a source of ideas and wisdom to guide their growth as a company. And they have grown well, with confidence that their unique culture and approach to work life have contributed to the overall suc- cess of the organization. In their Culture Audit (a key component of the Best Com- panies evaluation process) they state, â€Å"There is no hard data that can ever prove that a free lunch and a multicultural, campus-like environment con- tribute to the organization’s success and profit. What can be proven is that Google is growing at an immense pace – retention of employees is high, attrition is low and revenues are strong ($6. 1B in 2005). People are eager to work at Google and applications to our job openings are exceedingly high (approximately 1,300 resumes a day). † Google’s employees confirm what is reported in the Culture Audit, with 95% of the employees who responded to the employee survey part of the Best Companies evaluation process saying, â€Å"Taking everything into account I’d say this is a great place to work. That’s an extraordinary sentiment for a fast paced, stressful yet exhilarating work environment. Even people who leave Google to try something different do so reluctantly (SF Chronicle, 1/7/07). Google’s leaders have figured out the formula that works for them by treating people with respect, supporting their creative endeavors, and working hard to adhere to their motto of â€Å"Don’t be evil†. It’s not magic, or rocket science or paternalism or entitlement. In some ways it is plain common sense. As they explain in their Culture Audit: â€Å"Our employees, who call themselves Googlers, are everything. Google is organized around the ability to attract and leverage the talent of exceptional technolo- gists and business people. We have been lucky to recruit many creative, principled and hard working stars. We hope to recruit many more in the future. As we have from the start, we will reward and treat them well. â€Å"

Comparitive Policing essays

Comparitive Policing essays Singapore is a country located in South-East Asia, it is an island between Malaysia and Indonesia with a population of approximately 3,490,356. There are four official languages used in Singapore, these being Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English. Singapore is a Republic within the Commonwealth and gained its independence from Malaysia on the 9th of August 1965. It is a modern democracy with a unicameral parliament, having a president as the head of state. The government holds both an Executive and Legislative branch. The Executive branch consist of a chief of state: President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993), head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong and Deputy Prime Ministers LEE Hsien Loong and Tony TAN Keng Yam. The President appoints the Cabinet, they are responsible to the Parliament. Elections for president are by popular vote and office is held for a six-year term. Following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed Prime Minister by the President so to are the deputy Prime Ministers. The Legislative branch is a unicameral Parliament for which members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. There are five major political parties in Singapore, however, the Peoples Action Party (PAP) have been in power since Singapores independence. No other parties have yet won an election in Singapore. A number of strategies involving the civil legal processes (bankruptcy and libel) have been used to ensure that the opposition parties have remained ineffective. The Countrys Police force has come a long way since its foundation in 1819. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) can be compared to a State Police service within Australia, the total strength of the SPF is around 7,000 personnel. Policing in Singapore is based on the support and trust of the public as the heart of the SPF is its community Policing role. It relies ...

How to Make Liquid Oxygen or Liquid O2

How to Make Liquid Oxygen or Liquid O2 Liquid oxygen or O2 is an interesting blue liquid that you can prepare quite easily yourself. There are several ways to make liquid oxygen. This one uses liquid nitrogen to cool oxygen from a gas into a liquid. Liquid Oxygen Materials A cylinder of oxygen gas1-liter Dewark of liquid nitrogenTest tube (approximately 200ml)Rubber tubingGlass tubing (to fit inside test tube) Preparation Clamp a 200-ml test tube so that it will sit in a bath of liquid nitrogen.Connect one end of a length of rubber tubing to an oxygen cylinder and the other end to a piece of glass tubing.Place the glass tubing in the test tube.Crack open the valve on the oxygen cylinder and adjust the flow rate of the gas so that there is a slow and gentle flow of gas into the test tube. As long as the flow rate is slow enough, liquid oxygen will begin to condense in the test tube. It takes approximately 5-10 minutes to collect 50 mL of liquid oxygen.When you have collected sufficient liquid oxygen, close the valve on the oxygen gas cylinder. Liquid Oxygen Uses You can use liquid oxygen for many of the same projects you would perform using liquid nitrogen. Its also used to enrich fuel, as a disinfectant (for its oxidizing properties), and as a liquid propellant for rockets. Many modern rockets and spacecraft use liquid oxygen engines. Safety Information Oxygen is an oxidizer. It reacts very readily with combustible materials.  According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS),  materials you may ordinarily consider non-combustible, such as steel, iron, Teflon, and aluminum, may burn with liquid oxygen. Flammable organic materials may react explosively. Its important to work with liquid oxygen away from a flame, spark, or heat source.Liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen are extremely cold. These materials are capable of causing severe frostbite. Avoid skin contact with these liquids. Also, take care to avoid touching any object which has been in contact with the cold fluids, since it may also be very cold.Dewars are easily broken by mechanical shock or exposure to extreme temperature changes. Take care to avoid striking the Dewar. Dont slam a cold Dewar on a warm countertop, for example.Liquid oxygen boils off to form oxygen gas, which enriches the concentration of oxygen in the air. Use care to avoid oxyge n intoxication. Work with liquid oxygen outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms. Disposal If you have leftover liquid oxygen, the safest way to dispose of it is to pour it over a noncombustible surface and allow it to evaporate into the air. Interesting Liquid Oxygen Fact Although Michael Faraday liquefied most gases known at the time (1845), he was unable to liquefy oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, and methane. The first measurable sample of liquid oxygen was produced in 1883 by Polish professors  Zygmunt Wrà ³blewski  and  Karol Olszewski. A couple of weeks later, the pair successfully condensed liquid nitrogen.

Pharmacology Practical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharmacology Practical - Essay Example The experiment provided a uniform temperature (37 degrees) for the enzyme activity, whereas in living systems the temperature usually varies within a given range. According to Yun, crude extracts of orlistat also contain an inactive component, which is a possibility in the in vivo action of orlistat that leads to the disparities between experimental values and theoretical values of IC50 (2010). The suggested dose of Orlistat is one 120 mg capsule immediately before, during or up to one hour after, each main meal. From the statement, In general, at therapeutic doses detection of intact Orlistat in plasma is sporadic and concentrations are extremely low ( Orlistat’s systemic absorption is minimal because most of it is largely maintained in the gastrointestinal tract. This is why extremely low plasma concentrations are observed after the intake of the drug (Bryant et al. 2011). Systemic absorption of Orlistat is not necessary for its activity because it provides its therapeutic action in the stomach lumen and ileum. Orlistat binds irreversibly to the amino acid residues serine present in the active sites of gastric and pancreatic lipases through the formation of covalent bonds. This binding inactivates the enzymes making them unavailable for the hydrolysis of dietary fat (triglycerides) into fatty acids and monoglycerides (Orlistat STADAÂ ® 60mg/120 mg 2011). Consequently, a caloric deficit ensues because of failure of absorption of the undigested triglycerides. The caloric deficit has a helpful outcome on the regulation of

Anthropology - Youth Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Anthropology - Youth Culture - Essay Example triarchy, marriage, educational systems and the like.†1 Because each individual is born as a subject of a particular form of ideology, believing he is acting on his own freely formed or freely recognized ideas, he inadvertently reinforces the practices and rituals of the ISAs.2 This circle of activity is called â€Å"interpellation† and demonstrates how â€Å"ideology is not a static set of ideas imposed upon the subordinate by the dominant classes, but rather a dynamic process constantly reproduced and reconstituted in practice.†3 However, in order to work, interpellation requires the individual to respond to the hail of a particular ideology, thereby becoming its subject and participating in its practices. Bad subjects of the realm who do not recognize, accept or maintain the dominant discourse are subjected to societal ridicule, obsequy or ostracism. When enough individuals are subjected to this type of ridicule, obsequy or ostracism, they begin to group togeth er, forming a subculture with a common voice of some sort. For one adolescent subculture, that voice emerged in the 1990s as a band called Green Day. To understand how Green Day helps to define an entire subculture, it is first necessary to understand what the subculture might be reacting against. From this point, an examination into where the band is different from and similar to other musical genres coupled with an analysis of the band’s message eventually reveals the types of individuals who feel connected through this music. Subcultures are groups that operate in some form of opposition to the greater culture. Louis Althusser suggested all aspects of society, regardless of class or political affiliation influence the various ideologies of a given time. In 1969, he wrote: â€Å"rather than a strict relationship between ideology and the economic base of society, where one class imposes its values on another, ideology is a dynamic set of practices in which all groups and classes participate.†4