Marc Chagall Essay -- History

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall as an artist and as a person cannot be categorized. He was born in Vitebsk, Russia, learned to paint in St. Petersburg and lived in Paris, Berlin, and the United States. His career is influenced by many different factors. His Hasidic Jewish upbringing reflected in the content of his paintings greatly. The lyrical fairy tales of Jewish mysticism, the stories of the Bible, and the Rabbis and scholars who surrounded him in his childhood come out onto his work. When he went to art school in St. Petersburg it was the period when he became exposed to the avant-garde movement in art. With Leon Bakst he saw the reproductions of Fauve canvases, the sketches of Van Gogh and of Cezzanne his ambition to go to Paris was born. At the time that he moves to Paris for the first time (1910- 1914) Fauvism and Cubism were the prevailing modern art movements. It can be seen in Chagall’s composition the application of these movements principles of arbitrary colour and reorganization of the visual field, but he incorporates these principles with a dream like scape to create his own personal style. The term Surrealism applies to Chagall, that is the term that was coined when Appolinaire when visiting his studio in 1913 murmured â€Å"Supernatural!†. This is not to say that Chagall was part of any Surrealist movement on the contrary he is against any style or movement. It used as a term where the artist has drawn upon consciously or unconsciously from the dream experience. It is clear in his works that he does not want any movement to restrict his expression and mobility. He is wholly against empathetic realism, of the Courbet, Impressionist or Cubist sort, yet he still uses Cubist devices and comes close to Impressionism. Chagall depicts a more dreamlike, story like content filled with symbolism (much of it traditional) in his paintings. He admired Manet, and drew great inspiration from Gauguin in his early years. He creates a style that was more universalistic and one that did not have any idealistic underpinnings. Chagall’s painting The Fiddler (1912) is the largest and richest work in the series of figure pictures in which Chagall was bringing to life the typical characters he remembered from his childhood. In this composition the use of arbitrary colour is clearly seen, for example the fiddler's green face, the blue roof top etc. He does not ... ...his pictures as illogical and non-realist. The images were not of this earth therefore different from things or geometrical figures. Also the way he uses colour is like no one else. In the conversations Chagall makes many references to poetry, but that is not surprising for to him his art is poetry. His concern was never with a movement but with the purpose of bringing to people the love and gaiety of his paintings. Chagall is known to use much more than a canvas as a showcase for his work. He is world famous for stained glass and mosaics from Jerusalem to the United Nations. For him a stained glass â€Å"is a transparent partition between my heart and the heart of the world.† In his paintings we see his childhood and homeland and for Marc Chagall his paintings are his memory. Chagall left a lasting impression on the art world. He evoked things in his paintings that were close to him and put them together in a poetic sense. He offered a dreamlike scene and influenced the Neo- Surrealists . Chagall being part of the first two phases of Surrealism (1911-1914) (1914-1918) laid a fundamental base for artist like Salvador Dali who would also rely heavily on their dreams and their images.

Mother in law

Ever since ancient times, the relationship between a married woman and her mother-in-law has often been the butt of many jokes. Mother-in-laws generally view their daughters-in-law with suspicion and are not able to tolerate their mistakes. Is there a psychological explanation for the mother-in-law type of behavior? The mother might have an overwhelming sense of responsibility for her son. She might be a woman with no clear boundaries. She allows her son to be the focal point of her life and does not have a clear understanding of his life. Such a woman will often be an unwelcome intruder into her son’s life. There are other mother-in-laws who have the unnatural fear of losing their relationship with their son. A mother with this fear works hard at being what her son needs her to be. This makes her less honest and fearful. There are other mothers who think it’s their duty to protect their son from other bad people and sometimes, this might even include his father. This gives her a false sense of importance. There are women who never outgrow the idea that their son is a grown up man now. Such women tend to be over possessive mothers in law who continue to baby their son and even smother him with sweetness whether he likes it or not (Sadasivan, 2006). These abnormal traits in a mother in law can lead to conflicts with the daughter in law. It is possible that an aggressive mother-in-law who has difficulty in coping with her son’s wife may be suffering from Sons Detachment Disorder (SDD). The mother finds it difficult to detach herself from her son and allow him to live and independent life. Because of this attachment, she feels the need to control her daughter-in-law and any resistance by her is viewed with hatred and anger. Control, hate, and anger are the three main qualities of this disorder. Every human being desires freedom and in any relationship the threat to freedom is the greatest danger. In the case of mothers-in-law, there is a desire to control and this affects the freedom of the younger ones.   When there is an overwhelming desire to control, mothers are not willing to let go of their sons even when they get married. Mothers try to make decisions for their sons even after their marriages and control them by keeping track of their expenditure patterns, where they are going, what they are wearing and advising them even in matters such as where to buy a house. Many mothers feel more in control when they are able to predict the behavior of others and when others meet their expectations. Hatred and anger are often signs of insecurity. Here, the mothers might have a feeling that their sons are leaving them for another woman and this arouses a lot of hatred and anger towards her son’s wife. This is more compounded when the mother in law also happens to be a widow. Such anger and hatred can cause destruction not only to their sons and wives but also to her. Sometimes, the problem may lie with a daughter-in-law’s perception of her mother in law. When a woman gets married, she needs to cope with a new family with new rules. She often fears her mother in law even before knowing her because of her exposure to the image of a mother in law as evil personified in the media. A mother-in-law is often depicted as a dragon personified in TV serials and novels. Due to this stereotyping of mother-in-laws, the son’s wife enters her new life with a lot of doubt, anxiety and worry. In this case, even a small remark by her mother-in-law will be seen in an enlarged dimension. She might be so wary of her that she does not communicate much with her mother-in-law. This can lead to a huge gap between the two women and lead to mother-in-law based conflicts. In this case it’s easy for the mother in law to judge her incommunicative daughter in law as a careless and destructive person. Another reason contributing to this conflict is that the mother in law might be too dependent on her son for her self-esteem needs. She needs him so that she might get a sense of importance. When she sees her son beginning to rely more on his wife, she feels upset and might start feigning sickness just to get the immediate attention from her son. Apart from the reasons cited above there might also be the case of mothers-in-law hating their daughters-in-law due to their personal reluctance to accept another woman into the household. There are likely to be differences based on status, education, age and culture between a married woman and her mother in law. These differences might make the connection between the two women more difficult. However, no problem is so complex that it cannot be solved. Every relationship needs some time, patience and understanding and trust to develop. Once developed, it’s possible that the two most important women in a man’s life might become the best of friends. Source: Sadasivan, Padma (2006). The Mother-in-Law – Daughter-in-Law Syndrome. http://www.womenexcel.com/relati

Problem Solution: Global Communications Essay

Global communication is an operating in the telecommunication industry which provides communication solutions to customers worldwide but currently it is under tremendous pressure and uncertainty as the company is facing challenges pertaining to the rights of its stakeholders and increasing competition in the industry that has left GC behind other companies. This company is getting adversely affected by the over all situations to this extent that the share value of GC fell from $28 to $11 which is a huge blow to the shareholders of GC. So it is high time that they need to take measures and some changes in the policies in order to counter the existing problems. This paper is going to discuss the aggressive approach that the management of GC plans to implement which the introduction of new services to the local and long distance customers, further more the company has planned out a strategy on developing cost cutting measures for the reduction of costs and improve profitability and growth and then do the marketing on a global scale in order to become a truly global firm. Situation Analysis Issue and Opportunity Identification There are a lot of reasons for Global Communications standing in the market today, some of them are due to the external forces, over which the company had no control that is the strengthening of the cable company, however the company did not analyze the future trends in the market and the possibilities of growth and competition which lead to an extreme pressure on the company while some reasons were internal which they could have avoided through strategic planning and strong organizational policies. Broadly defined some of the major issues that GC faced are as follows which require some immediate action by the management: 1) To much competition in the external environment especially because of the emergence of cable companies which came up with distinct solutions related to television, phones and computers increased the pressure on firms such as Global communications, due to which the market share of GC is decreased in the industry. 2) Global communications operates in an industry which requires flexibility and quick adoption of technology advancements and if you fail to do so then even survival becomes and issue. This is what happened with Global communication it was not being as innovative as the other companies which lead to these problems. 3) The company has to deal with the plunging stock price from $28 to $11. This was as a result of intense competition. Shareholders also got worried due to the 60% reduction in the stock value and investments opportunities decreased for the company. 4) Another issue is the lay off of the employees and salary cuts while relocating, when relocation decision took place then there are several other issues that need to be dealt with it these are the relocation of the workforce or hiring newer ones from the local environment and so on. 5) The internal communication of the company is not very effective which leads to other problems and challenges within the internal environment since they are facing problems in delivering the information to the employees. The communication process of the company has been one way in this major decision of relocating. This means that GC was not able to win the workers confidence and support. The company was divided among the different stakeholders and their interests. 6) The management did not involve the workers union in the decision making of relocation due to which they are threatening to take some legal action against the company. Not only this, this also leads to lack of motivation and dissatisfaction among the workers. 7) Employee morale is low because of the management’s way of working and dealing with their issues of interests and concern. This directly has an impact on the result and outcome of the firm. The company needs to address to all the issues in the best possible ways so that it has a positive impact on the organizational performance. Some of the opportunities that they have in hand are as follows: 1) The introduction of new services as addressed by the management of the company to cater to the consumer needs and small businesses , this is also beneficial from the growth perspective 2) Outsourcing of their call centers in places such as India and Ireland which are currently located in the United States will lead to lowering of costs 3) Growth in the international markets 4) Partnership with the wireless provider company this will provide connectivity and ease of access to the customers. 5) Develop and invest in the research and development Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas The negotiations between Global communication and the technologies Workers Union (TWU) is a proof that the company has learnt from its past experience and has decided to implement new ethical codes of decision making. The company plans on resolving them in the coming future and show that business ethics matter at all times. They need a team leader which they have in the form of Katrina who is the CEO; she will come up with relevant theories which will incline towards employee and the company’s benefit and protection. She is well learned individual who is capable of revamping the organization and make it accountable in front of the senior Board. She has the leadership skills and ability to lead the company and implement an effective appraisal system and establish goals and set standards for the work, further more the decisions made will be made under consideration of the ethics of decision making. The core values of the business will be ingrained in the system which will focus of integrity and honesty. All the stakeholders are going to use the theories of ethics as a basis of guidance and reference. Problem Statement Global communications wants to develop the business further into the global market share and stock value for the benefit of all the stakeholders of the company. Global communication is under similar situation like other telecommunication firms in the industry that is competition and pressure. Therefore they have to formulate adequate yet aggressive policies and plans in order to resolves key issues of the firm else even survival will become an issue for the company. However the management has come up with two broadly defined solutions to the company’s current situation that is relocation of the business and developing new services. Along with this there is a lot that needs to be done within the firm to make it strong and integrated. Until the organizational goals, management and the employees are not focused and unified towards one direction and consistent then the long term value of the company can not be increased. Organizational communication Organizational communication is a key to organizations sustainability and grooming. Communication is the exchange of information and ideas that lead to better understanding and implementation of plan which further leads to outcome, results and organizational performance. It can be in any form such as upward, downward or informal which is more like a casual communication way. The form of communication as organization is using depends on its culture and setup and varies from one place to another. However the idea is that the communication process should be clear, concise, and correct and the next person should understand its meaning and should be able to comprehend the message which can be checked after getting the appropriate feedback. Global communication has to work on its internal communication method because of its weaknesses and in ability to give results. It has to strengthen it immediately, and take corrective measures in order to connect everybody in the organization and all the different stakeholders. The company has to address the problem of grapevine, the barriers to communication, the work place structure and the gap between the employees and the management communication which is leading resentment and dissatisfaction among them. The company at the moment needs satisfied and motivated employees which can help the company together to work towards strengthening its position in the industry. The company can set benchmarks by setting the best practices of communication method whichever suits it but it should be a two way method. Benchmarking Benchmarking is the general principles set by the organization to address to key issues and is extremely valuable for the long term performance of the business. These are the points of orientation to which you can refer after completing a specific job area as it helps in analysis and measurement and also effective usage of resources. They set standards of performance. Global communication also needs to set benchmarks for themselves in each department and system procedure of the company. By adopting this into all areas of business the company can give itself room for improvement and efficiency and it will lead to better understanding; the employees need to be trained with the best practice so that the new system can be in built in the organization’s system. Impact of risks and ethics on decision making Business ethics and conduct is an essential part of decision making. But it depends that how much consideration is given by each firm on its importance. Research and study has shown that risk can have an influence on ethical decision making. The global business environment has got increased laws and regulations which can lead to organizational crisis. Unethical decisions can not damage the reputation of the company but also stop the people from consuming their products, the sales and profits go down. Therefore apart form the laws that govern the businesses to act in the company also have to do their job. The managers at GC have to see that the employees have a high moral ground; they are honest to their work, to the community and to the organization. The manager should be aware of the possible risks and the holistic understanding of the external environment and the company’s social responsibility. The job of the management and the leaders in the company is to see that how this is made part of the value system of the company. In this way the individual employee will be able to control their own decisions and conduct and they will not be dependent on the managers and co- workers. To integrate this into the organizational constant vigilance and training of employees is required. Managers also have a tough time in understanding the risks and business ethics. One way of doing this is to understand all the stakeholders who form the ethical issues and concerns and how is this important to the organizations decisions. Measures for performance evaluation The employees and the management of an organization are like partners, together they need to give their best for results and success. GC will set standards for the entire corporation and along with that an effective monitoring system, in the mean time there should be discussions regularly on the performance. The managers need to plan an alternate plan of action in case of failure of the appraisal. It is not a one time process; it’s an ongoing thing that will go on, on a regular basis. It requires proper planning where the company goals are set and the role of each employee is described in detail to them ad to what is expected from them, the performance metrics are set and the employees are given training based on that. There will be a two way communication in this where the employee and the management will meet on regular basis and discuss the issues related to work and performance. Feedback should be taken from the employees and their issues dealt with their involvement in it. The reason GC should invest so much time and effort in the performance evaluation is because it benefits the employees, the managers and the company as a whole. Employees know their contribution to the work and understand it and get the sense of responsibility since everything is so well explained to them so they know their job. Work is more organized and mangers spend more time in planning and managing rather than taking stress. The over all profitability of the company improves and so does the productivity. Research and development Since it is operating in the telecommunication industry here technology changes occur rapidly. Therefore Global communication need to invest in this extensively and allocate separate budget for this in order to stay ahead of the market and come up with better solutions and improved quality for its customers. End-State Vision Global communication wants to see itself grow in the telecommunication industry and gain back more than what it had in this market previously. In order to achieve this goal the company wants to 1. Set realistic, achievable and timely goals for the organization 2. Produce high quality solutions to the customers and service ands products that is way above their expectations 3. Produce a working environment that gives opportunities for continuous learning and growth. It wants to make Global communication as learning organization where innovations and best practices will be implemented and new methods of efficiency would be used and 4. Maximum utilization of company’s resources 5. Set standards for work and effective use of appraisal system 6. Individual Goals should be aligned with the organizational goals 7. Take ethical issues and conduct in considering while decision making 8. Develop relations with other service providers Alternative Solutions 1. Global communication needs to work on strengthening its internal weaknesses and make them the company’s strengths. The other option that it has is to improve its external relations with other companies and rather than working individually it can work with other firms; GC can merge or collaborate with other company’s in the telecommunication industry. In this way the competition will reduce. It will make the two firms more competitive and strong. Their market share will also increase when they join. When two firms merge they will be able to share the knowledge, expertise and technical facilities and capabilities of one another. This will help them in utilizing their resources in a combined and effective manner. The two firms can set organizational goals and work towards its accomplishment. 2. Another alternate the company has is to outsource the business to some other company in the industry however under global communications name. Analysis of Alternative Solutions The solution to merge with some other company has been given the maximum weight because it seems appropriate under the current scenario, however there are different kind of problems when it comes to merger, such as if the management of the two firms do not agree on common terms and conflict of interest, goals an ideas can lead to organizational crisis. The other option is given less weight relatively because if the outsourced company fails to produce results then the name and image of Global communication will get damaged. The share value can further depreciate of the company therefore there is high risk in both the scenarios and it only depends, it is on GC to se that whether they are merging with the right kind of company. For that proper investigation and study will take place, the company will have to find another company in the telecommunication industry that will be willing to merge with GC. Even while outsourcing the business the company will have to analyze whether they are giving it to reliable people and save hands, which would be able to do to justice to the deal. Optimal Solution The company will have to analyze its structure all over again. Starting from the core activities, organizational structure, the values, traditions and working environment, lines of communication and authority they will have to find the flaws in the system before starting up any new venture and plan. After the flaws are found then planning need to done to overcome them and make Global Communication a better working place. The company will redefine its goals and communicate it to the employees. There will be effective lines of communication, benchmarking with the best in the industry and later the employees in the GC should be trained according to that. The company will adopt an effective evaluation appraisal system and proper research and development department in order to stay innovative and competent. There will be monitoring system and the end results will be compared with the set goals. The corporate culture and decision making will be based on honesty, correctness, ethics and code of conduct. The new policies and strategies of the company will give special consideration to all the interests of all the stakeholders, employee’s welfare and involvement will be one of the priorities. It is very necessary to keep a satisfied workforce as this will be reflected in the performance. Apart from that the company will invest in developing new products and services for the customers. Quality will be of high standards and the business will relocate in a country where all the infrastructure, resources and facilities are available however whatever the decision the company will take the labor union and all the important stakeholders will be involved in order to avoid any legal action or resentment among them. Implementation Plan For the accomplishment of the long term objectives of the company there need to be an effective leadership which they have in the form of the CEO Katrina, she along with her co workers are going to make this plan successful. Katrina is going to lead them and each employee’s responsibility will be explained to them thoroughly. Every one will have to work as a team and view the organization as one unit where everyone should work for the company rather than indulge in fulfilling individual goals. This is going to be gradual procedure because integrating values and ethics and appraisal system and its results will take time. All this will be reflected in the performance of the company and the decisions made by the management. Things would start to work by themselves and the lost place of GC will be regained. Evaluation of Results If the planned solution set is applied affectively into GC then soon there will be evident positive changes in the company. There will be set targets for the sales and costs and those will be compared with the end results, thus the end results measurements for the effectiveness of the plan is going to be quantitative as well as qualitative. The quantitative ones will be to amylase the sales and costs results, the employee turnover rate, and the market share and so on where as the qualitative will be in the form of employee job satisfaction and the company’s image in the externally, the management system and the internal communication efficiency and so on. Conclusion Global communication has been facing challenges in the telecommunication industry due to which its stock value and market share was decreasing this lead the company to rethink its strategies and add something new into the company in order to make it compete with the other firms in the industry. The company has plans to expand in the international markets and relocate in India and Ireland and introduce new products however first it needs to overcome the weaknesses in its internal structure that is the relations and interests within the different groups of stakeholders. This problem solution helped me to analyze the interpersonal relationship of different stakeholders and their impact on the company’s decisions and performance, the importance of ethics in decision making and the different roles played by each individual within an organization. References Abbatangelo-Gray, J. , Cole, G. E. , & Kennedy, M. G. (Sep. 2008). Guidance for Evaluating Mass Communication Health Initiatives (AN 26389567). Evaluation & the Health Professions , 229-253. Breaking Cultural Communication Barriers. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 7, 2009, from www. essortment. com/all/culturalcommuni_raxq. htm Dasgupta, S. (2006). Is Globalization Causing A ‘Race To The Bottom’ In Environmental Standards? (Part 4 of a four part series). PREM Economic Policy Group and Development Economics Group , 2-4. Downsizing With Dignity. (2009). Retrieved May 9, 2009, from http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing. htm Employee Involvement. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 9, 2009, from Employee Empowerment: humanresources. about. com/od/involvementteams/Team_Building_Employee_Empowerment_Employee_Involvement. htm Globalisation and Environment. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 9, 2009, from http://www. blogspot. globalisation. com/14021 Najam, A. , Runnals, D. , & Halle, M. (2006). Environment and Globalization: Five Propositions. International Institute for Sustainable Development , 13-14. Pealy, J. (2001). Fundamentals of Communication. New York: Gale Research Company.

Using Technology To Deliver Career Development Services Article

Using Technology To Deliver Career Development Services Article Using Technology To Deliver Career Development Services – Article Example Using Technology to Deliver Career Development Services Task Career service experts are largely involved in decisions making in issues relating to learning. The advancement of technology has made it possible for the student’s online learning, especially to students who are working. Their learning process is simplified and they are able to do work within given time limits. Over the recent years, technology has changed gradually with time and needs. It has become a requirement in many schools especially in the developed countries like the United States, with some having a requirement that students complete an online course before graduating from high school. Technology can be either asynchronous or synchronous. Asynchronous technology is one that allows individuals to communicate over a different time and different place method for example emails, discussion boards, videos, audio or video recordings and websites whereby people post things on blogs and discussion boards. This has helped in student’s relation. Synchronous technology In turn allows people to communicate in the real time. For example text chats and virtual learning environments. Telephone conversations are also part of this and are applied when an individual cannot reach the physical location. In virtual learning rooms, students are able to communicate online or even listen to lectures online. Universities have developed online career services that help students make decisions at a wider scope and take their time with making of decisions. This is governed by the idea that most of the employers use online services to advertise jobs and communicate with potential students. Some employers have considered the use of internet and social networks to assess students (Venable, 2010). The costs of implementing technology can be great, the implementers can consider limiting the amount of information they display online. The information provided online by students should be confidential and nobody else should access it. Strategic planning should be included in practice in which outsourcing should be part of it. The provision of online services should be properly coordinated so that all the needs of the students are met. Technology helps provide more services in short a period that has been of help in the provision of online career services.ReferenceVenable, M. (2010). â€Å"Using Technology to Deliver Career Development Services: Supporting Todays Students in Higher Education†. The Career Development Quarterly, Volume 59.

How to Take an Independent Study Class in High School

How to Take an Independent Study Class in High School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Is there a particular subject you’d like to study, but your high school doesn’t offer it? You may be able to take an independent study! Independent studies can be a great way to take a class your school doesn’t offer but you’d still like to take, whether to strengthen your college applications, prepare for future jobs, or just out of personal interest. Read on to learn about independent studies, what their benefits are, and how you can take one yourself. What Is an Independent Study? An independent study is a class taken by a student that has much less supervision and direction than a typical class: you are learning independently.Students often take independent studies to learn about a specific subject not taught in their high school.Generally, you choose what you want your independent study to focus on and request for it to be approved by your school. You often have to have a detailed plan of what you will learn and the work you will do. Independent studies can be pre-designed, where the materials and coursework have already been created, or self-designed, where you are responsible for developing the curricula for the course. If approved by your high school, you will receive credit for your independent study, just like any other class you take, though the number of credits you receive may vary. Learning independently doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. You will usually be assigned an adviser (often a teacher or guidance counselor) who will oversee your course and make sure you are putting in enough work to justify getting credit for your independent study.Depending on the class and your school, you may take your independent study during the school day or outside of school. Why Would You Want to Take an Independent Study? Why are some students interested in taking an independent study? There are multiple reasons, the most common of which are listed below. To Take a Class Your School Doesn't Offer This is the most common reason students pursue an independent study. You may want to study a particular subject, such as a less-common foreign language, particular branch of science, or a specific time period in history, but it isn’t taught at your school. You may be interested in studying this subject for your own personal enjoyment or to help prepare you for college classes or future jobs. Pursuing an independent study gives you an opportunity to learn about this topic while still receiving high school credit. If your school doesn’t offer certain AP classes, you may also be able to take an independent study that allows you to prepare for a particular AP exam. Your independent study will most likely not be counted as an AP class, but you can still take the AP exam and possibly receive college credit if you earn a high enough score. To Work In-Depth on a Project You may have a project that you started for another class or on your own and want to be able to devote a significant amount of time to working on it. Potential projects can range from works of art to a research paper and more. Taking an independent study can give you more time to devote to a project you care about than you likely would be able to in a traditional class. To Learn at Your Own Pace Independent studies can also be a good option for students who want to learn at a faster or slower pace. Perhaps you are a strong math student and want to be able to move quickly through lessons, or maybe you want to study a specific subject very in-depth and move at a slower pace to make sure you take in all the information. Because you are learning on your own, independent studies let you set the pace. If You Can't Fit a Class Into Your Schedule In some circumstances, your school may offer a class you are interested in but can’t take during the time it’s offered. If your schedule prevents you from taking a certain class, your school may allow you to take an independent study and learn the subject on your own while having the same homework and exams as the students in the regular class. Special Circumstances, Such as Injury or Illness Sometimes students are unable to come to school regularly or at all due to injury, illness, or for another reason. Some high schools allow students to take independent studies from their home to continue learning until they are able to return to school. If you're ill for a long period of time, you may be able to take an independent study to keep up with your school work. Just what you need to feel better!(WindRanch/Flickr) How to Set up an Independent Study For most high schools, setting up an independent study is fairly straightforward. Follow these steps to organize your own. 1. Decide What You Want to Study The first step to setting up an independent study is to decide what subject you want your course to focus on. This can be anything from Swahili to Asian history to AP psychology and more. In order to choose what to study, make a list of topics that interest you as well as a list of any skills or information you're interested in learning. To help make these lists, think about your favorite classes, what you'd like to study in college, and topics you enjoy learning about in your spare time. Choose your favorites from these lists and research them online or at the library. Are the topics still interesting now that you've looked into them more? Do you think you'd be able to design or find a course that covers one of them in-depth enough to last a semester? Once you have decided on a topic that fits the above requirements and you think will be interesting and informative, double-check your school's course catalog to make sure they don't offer a similar course. 2.Learn Your School’s Policy for Independent Studies After you have decided what you want to study, talk to your guidance counselor to find out what your school’s policy is for independent studies. Questions to ask include if your school allows them, who advises them, and what materials are required in order to receive approval. 3. Develop Your Course Plan The next step is to design the course. The work you do for this step will depend on if your independent study is pre-designed or self-designed. If pre-designed: choose where you want to order your materials from. Many colleges and companies offer independent study courses. Search online to find courses that cover your specific topic. Brigham Young Universityis one of the most popular schools to order course materials from, and their website includes a course catalog so you can see a complete list of the classes they offer. Before ordering, make sure the course covers the information you want it to cover (there should be a syllabus you can view), and that it has enough material to last you asemester. Your school may also provide you with a textbook if they have one that covers the topic you want to study. Also, be aware that the material typically costs at least $100 per course. After you receive your materials, make sure the lesson plans and timeline will fit with your schedule. If not, make some adjustments before submitting the course for approval. If you are designing your own class, then you will have more work to do. You will often need to develop a course description, syllabus, list of reading materials, and list of assignments. If you need help developing these materials, ask your teachers or guidance counselor for advice. You may also be able to find syllabi or reading lists online for similar courses that you can use as a basis to develop your own class. 4. Get Your Class Approved After you have created or found a solid course plan, you will submit it to your school for approval. The people who approve your course varies by school, but it may include teachers, guidance counselors, and deans. They may ask you questions about your course to get more information and make changes to your course plan before approving it. You will likely be assigned an adviser, usually a teacher or counselor, to oversee your independent study. Once you get your independent study approved, you're ready to start learning! 5. Start Learning! After your independent study has been approved, it will be added to your transcript either immediately or at the start of the next semester. If you have not already done so, decide when you will work on your independent study, either during the school day or after. Meet with your adviserand discuss how often you will check in with each other. Things to Consider Before Taking an Independent Study Independent studies can be a great learning opportunity for students, but they aren't for everyone. Ask yourself the following questions before enrolling in an independent study to make sure it's the right choice for you. How Self-Motivated Are You? Taking an independent study can be more difficult than a traditional course because you have to keep yourself on track. While you will have an adviser to supervise the course, you will be the one in charge of making sure you are completing enough work; there will be no teacher to give you assignments every day. Some people find this easier than others, so think honestly about how self-motivated you are before you embark on an independent study. Do You Know What Your Curricula Will Be? Are you prepared to design your own course or search for a course package? For traditional classes, the teacher does this work, and as any of them will tell you, designing a class takes a lot of time and effort. Make sure you have the time and desire to do this. If you are ordering a course package, make sure it is from a reputable school or organization. There are some companies that sell very poor-quality or bare-bones course packages just to make a profit. Ordering from an accredited school is often more reliablethan a for-profit company, but always search for online reviews to see what other customers are saying no matter where you order from. Do You Have Space in Your Schedule? Your independent study may not count towards your graduation requirements, and if it doesn’t, make sure you have enough room in your schedule to complete your required classes as well as your independent study. Not doing so could delay your graduation or cause you to have to take an extra class in the future. Are You OKWith Learning Alone? Not only will you not have a regular teacher in an independent study, you will also not have fellow students in your class. Some people enjoy learning on their own, but others prefer working in groups, hearing other people’s opinions during class, and having classmates to call for homework help. Consider how you will feel not having those things before deciding to take an independent study. Think about whether you'd enjoy learning without any classmates before you enroll in an independent study. What If You Can’t Take an Independent Study? You may not always be able to take an independent study, for a variety of reasons. Your school may not have approved it, you may not have space in your schedule, or you may have had difficulty finding material to fill an entire course. If that’s the case, you still have other options for studying a topic you are interested in. Learn on Your Own While you won’t get school credit for it, if there is a subject you are really interested in, you can always choose to study it outside of school for your own personal benefit. You will still gain knowledge that can be used for future classes and jobs, even if it isn’t included on your transcript, and you may enjoy learning about the subject even more knowing you won’t be tested on it. If you do decide to go this route, it may be possible for you to include your work as an extracurricular on your college applications or write about it as part of your college admissions essay. Take a Community College Class If you can’t take an independent study, taking a class at a community college may be an option if they offer a course on the subject. Your high school may not give you high school credit it for it, but you can always include it on your college applications, and you may get college credit for taking it. Wait Until College Colleges often have a much wider variety of course offerings than high schools. If there is a subject that you’d like to learn about, but you can’t take an independent study or prefer to learn in a traditional classroom environment, you may want to consider waiting until college to take a class on it. Do a Project on the Topic for Another Class While you likely won’t be able to study the topic as in-depth as you would in an independent study, you may be able to learn about your topic of choice in a related class. For example, if you want to study Asian history, you may be able to write a report or do a project on it as part of your regular history class. This allows you keep a normal schedule while also learning about topics that interest you. Summary Taking an independent study can be a great way to study a subject not offered by your high school. You can create your own course or purchase a pre-designed course package. Before taking an independent study, make sure you will be motivated enough to learn on your own and will enjoy taking a class by yourself. To get more information, talk to your guidance counselor to learn your school’s policy on independent studies. If you can’t take an independent study, there are other options, such as taking a community college class or learning on your own. What's Next? Wondering what all the possible classes you can take in high school are? We have a complete list of all high school classes offered to help you give you ideas for potential independent studies. Do you know what classes you should take in high school? Check out our guide to the standard high school curriculum and learn how to plan your class schedule. Electives are some of the most interesting classes you can take in high school. Do you know which ones you should take? Read our guide to help choose which electives are best for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Research Methods Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Methods Exercise - Assignment Example ter a lecture where some teachers purposefully used phrases like â€Å"this concept is difficult† and other teachers taught the lecture without this phrase, students completed a survey indicating their perceived level of difficulty of the content. Directions: Read the scenarios below and identify the following about each research study. One to two words or phrases are fine for answers. This exercise will prepare us for what is to come next week when we evaluate research studies! 1. Researchers wish to examine the behaviors of college students at local bars. They hire young graduate students and train them to go to local college bars every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday night for one month and record their observations of students. To be accurate, the graduate research assistants engage in conversations with the patrons and ask if they are college students. If so, they observe & record the number of drinks consumed and flirtatious behavior over the course of the night. At the end of the month, the graduate students turn in their observations which are synthesized into a descriptive summary of college student behavior at local bars. 2. Research out of the University of Washington examines what happens when students expect to be given alcohol but are actually given a placebo drink (non-alcoholic beverage that looks and tastes like alcohol but has no alcohol in it!). Students are invited to participate in the research study. Researchers then randomly assign students to one of four conditions: 1. expect alcohol/given alcohol; 2. expect alcohol/not given alcohol; 3. not expect alcohol/given alcohol; 4. not expect alcohol/not given alcohol (see the image below for clarification). Students are then instructed to come to the â€Å"Bar Lab† (a laboratory on campus designed to look like a bar; see image below) on their assigned day. Students in the expectation conditions are told that they will be given alcohol that day and then are either given the alcohol in group 1 or given

Online Dating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Online Dating - Essay Example Some people have found themselves involved in online dating, regardless of the seriousness of their involvement. Recent research has shown that more men are involved in online dating than women and various reasons have been found to be the cause. To begin with, men are naturally attracted to the physical appearance of the person who they are involved with. As a result, they may find themselves in a relationship without having thought of the consequences of their actions. This increases the possibility of someone being involved in multiple relationships without any serious inclination to the people involved (Barlow 2009, p. 61). To a woman including me, dating is perceived to be something that is very sensitive and doing it online is perceived to be a sign of desperation. I think that dating online is a show of how desperate someone is, and as a result, ladies keep off the online dating even if they are desperate in reality. This limits the number of women involved in online dating. As compared to other places such as a bar, I find it to be a more convenient way of finding a boyfriend so long as both parties share similar objectives and interests. On the other hand, research carried out by Cornell University has shown that most women believe that those who date online do that only for fun. I personally find online dating impossible and perceive it as a lie and do not believe that anyone can really find true love through the internet. Ladies have difficulty in trusting someone they have never met due to the distance and the fact that most of the information about the person is usually read on a profile. According to the research, it is perceived that meeting someone physically makes it much easier to create a bond and now the person than communicating through a text and email. It is also believed that most of the men met online are extraordinarily evil or immoral and thus may be