Monday, September 30, 2019

Aspect Oriented Software Development

The implementation of software applications using GOAD techniques results in a better implementation structure which has an impact on many important software qualities such as enhanced risibility and reduced complexity. In turn, these software qualities lead to an improved software development lifestyle and, hence, to better software. This report introduces to management and software development staff to the concepts of aspect- orientation software development.It presents why aspect-orientation is needed in modern software development and what its contributions are to the improvement of software design and implementation structure. The report also highlight AAA technology details though without probing much in particular, as it present the various concepts of GOAD. After reading this introduction, the reader will understand what GOAD is about, know its key concepts and terminology engaged to elaborate 2. Introduction As software systems becomes more complex developers use new technol ogies to help manage development. The development of large and complex software applications is a challenging task. Apart from the enormous complexity of the software's desired functionality, software engineers are also faced with many other acquirement that are specific to the software development lifestyle. Requirements such as risibility, robustness, performance, believability, etc. Re requirements about the design and the implementation of the software itself, rather than about its functionality. Nevertheless, these non-functional requirements cannot be neglected because they contribute to the overall software quality, which is eventually perceived by the users of the software application. For example, a better believability will ensure that future maintenance tasks to the implementation can be carried out relatively easily and consequently also with fewer errors.Building software applications that adhere to all these functional and non-functional requirements is an ever more co mplex activity that requires appropriate programming languages and development paradigms to adequately address all these requirements throughout the entire software development lifestyle. To cope with this ever-growing complexity of software development, computer science has experienced a continuous evolution of development paradigms and programming languages. In the early days, software was directly implemented in machine-level assembly languages, leading to highly omelet implementations for even simple software applications.The introduction of the procedural and functional programming paradigms provided software engineers with abstraction mechanisms to improve the design and implementation structure of the software and reduce its overall complexity. An essential element of these paradigms is the ability to structure the software in separate but cooperating modules (e. G. Procedures, functions, etc. ). The intention is that each of these modules represents or implements a well-iden tified subpart of the software, which renders the individual modules better reusable and evolvable.Modern software development often takes place in the object-oriented programming paradigm that allows to further enhance the software's design and implementation structure through appropriate object-oriented modeling techniques and language features such as inheritance, delegation, encapsulation and polymorphism. Aspect-oriented programming languages and the entire aspect-orientation paradigm are a next step in this ever continuing evolution of programming languages and development paradigms to enhance software development and hence, improve overall software quality 3. 0Fundamental ideas underlying aspects and aspect-oriented software development The notion behind aspects is to deal with the issue of tangling and scattering. According to Ian Somerville (2009), tangling occurs when a module in a system includes code that implements different system requirements and scattering occurs whe n implementation of a single concern (logical requirement or set of requirements) is scattered across several components in a program. 3. 1 What an Aspect is. Aspect is an abstraction which implements a concern. Aspects are completely specification of where it should be executed.Unlike other abstractions like methods, you cannot tell by examining methods where it will be called from because there is clear separation between the definition and of the abstraction and its use. With Aspects, includes a statement that defines where the aspect will be woven into the program. This statement is known as a pinpoint. Below is an example of a pinpoint (Ian Somerville, 2006) before: call (public void update* (.. )) This implies that before the execution of many method whose starts with update, followed by any other sequence of characters, the code in the aspect after the induct definition should be executed.The wildcat (*) matches any string characters that are allowed in the identifiers. The c ode to be executed is known as the advice and is implementation of the cross-cutting concern. In an example below of an aspect authentication (let's say for every change of attributes in a payroll system requires authentication), the advice gets a password from person requesting the change and checks that it matches the password of currently logged -in user. If not user is logged out and update does not proceed. Aspect authentication before: call (public void update* (.. // this is a pinpoint { // this is the advice that should be executed when woven into // the executing system into tries = O; string swearword = Password. Get ( tries ) ; while (tries Pinpoint: defines specific program events with which advice should be associated (I. E. , woven into a program at appropriate Join points) Events may be method calls/ returns, accessing data, exceptions, etc. Weaving: incorporation of advice code into the program (via source code preprocessing, link-time weaving, or execution time weav ing) 4. 0 Why Separation of Concerns a good guiding principle for Software Development Separation of concerns is a key principle of software design and implementation. Concerns reflect the system requirements and the priorities of the system stakeholders.Some examples of concerns are performance, security, specific categorized in several types. Functional concerns, quality of service concerns, Policy concerns, System concerns and Organizational concerns. Functional: related to specific functionality to be included in a system. Quality of service: related to the nonfunctional behavior of a system (e. G. , performance, reliability, availability). System: related to attributes of the system as a whole (e. G. , maintainability, configurability). Organizational: related to organizational goals and priorities (e. G. , staying within budget, using existing software assets).In other areas concerns has been categorized according to different areas of interest or properties I. E. High level i mplies security and quality of service, Caching and buffering are Low level while Functional includes features, business rules and Non Functional (systematic) implies synchronization, transaction management. By reflecting the separation of concerns in a program, there is clear traceability from requirements to implementation. The principle of separation of concerns states that software should be organized so that each program element does one thing and one thing only.In this case it means each aerogram element should therefore be understandable without reference to other elements. Program abstractions (subroutines, procedures, objects, etc) support the separation of concerns. Core concerns relate to a system's primary purpose and are normally localized within separate procedures, objects, etc. And other concerns tend to scatter and cross multiple elements. These cross-cutting concerns are managed by aspect since they cannot be localized resulting in problems when changes are require d due to tangling and scattering.Separation of concerns provides modular dependency between aspects and components. For instance we would like to maintain a system that manages payroll and personnel functions in our organization, and there is a new requirement to create a log of all changes to an employee's data by management. It would mean that changes will include in payroll, number of deduction, raises, employee's personal data and sass of many other information associated with employee. This implies that there are several codes that will require changes.This process could be tedious and you might end up forgetting changing other codes as well even not understanding each and every code. With aspects you old deal with a particular element only. In this case there won't be redundancy of multiple codes doing the same thing. An update function could be implemented that would be called whenever you would want to implement a particular method. 5. 0 Aspect-oriented Approach 5. 1 Require ment Engineering In requirements engineering there is need to identify requirements for the core system and the requirements for the system extensions.Viewpoints are a way to separate the concerns of different stakeholders that are core and secondary concerns. Each viewpoint represents the requirements of related groups of stakeholder. The requirements are organized according to stakeholder viewpoint then they are analyses to discover related requirements that appear in all or most viewpoints. These represent the core functionality of the system. There could be other viewpoint requirements that are specific to that viewpoint these then can be implemented as extensions to the core functionality.These requirements (secondary functional requirements) often reflect the needs of that viewpoint and may not share there are non-functional requirements that are cross-cutting concerns. These generate requirements of to some or all viewpoint for instance requirements for security, performance and cost. 5. 2 Software Design Aspect Oriented Design is the process of designing a system that makes use of aspects to implement the cross-cutting concerns and extensions that are identified during the requirements engineering process.ADD focuses on the explicit representation of cross-cutting concerns using adequate design languages. ADD languages consist of some way to specify aspects, how aspects are to be composed and a set of well-defined composition semantics to describe the details of how aspects are to be integrated. (Chitchat, Awls Rashes, Pete Sawyer, Alexandra Garcia, Monica Pinto Larson, Jotter Beaker, Bedim Ticonderoga, Skibobs Clarke, Andrew Jackson, 2005) Like in object orientation, several aspect-oriented extensions to ML design language to represent aspect-oriented concepts at the design level.One of these ML extensions is ATOM. ADD in ML requires a means of modeling aspects using ML stereotypes. Is an approach of specifying the Join points where the aspect advice is to be composed with the core system. The high-level statement of requirements provides a basis for identifying some system extensions that may be implemented as aspects. Developing these in more details to identify further extensions and understanding the functionality required is to identify a set of use cases associated with each viewpoint. Each use case represents an aspect.Extension use cases naturally fit the core and extensions architectural model of system. Jacobsen and Eng (2004)) 5. 2. 1 Aspect-oriented Design Process Below is fugue 1 that illustrate the design activities of generic aspect-oriented design process Core system design is where you design the system architecture to support the core functionality of the system. Aspect identification and design Starting with the extensions identified in the system requirements, you should analyses these to see if they are aspects in themselves or if they should be broken down into several aspects.Composition design At this sta ge, you analyses the core system and aspect designs to discover where the aspects should be composed with the core system. Essentially, you are identifying the Joint points in a program at which aspects will be woven Conflict analysis and resolution Conflicts occur when there is a pinpoint clash with different aspects specifying that they should be composed at the same point in the aerogram Name design is the essential to avoid the problem of accidental pinpoints.These occur when, at some program Join point, the name accidentally matches that in a pinpoint pattern. The advice is therefore unintentionally applied at that point. 5. 3 Programming The goal of aspect-oriented programming is to provide an advance modularization scheme to separate the core functionality of software system from system-wide concerns that cut across the implementation of this core functionality. (Kim Mess and Tom Tour ©, 2007) APP must address both what the programmer can say and owe the computer system wil l realize the program in a program system.APP system: mechanisms are conceptually straight forward and have efficient implementations. 5. 3. 1 Joint Point Model A Join point model defines the kinds of Join points available and how they are accessed and used. They are specific to each aspect-oriented programming language for instance Aspects. In Aspects, Joint point are defined by grouping them into pinpoints. 5. 3. 2 Pinpoint A pinpoint is a predicate that matches Join points. A pinpoint is a relationship ‘Join point Boolean', where the domain of the relationship is all possible Join points. 3. 3 Advice 5. 4 Advantages and Disadvantages of APP APP promotes clear design and risibility by enforcing the principles of abstraction and separation of concerns. APP explicitly promotes separation of concerns, unlike earlier development paradigms. This separation of concerns provides cleaner assignment of responsibilities, higher modularization and easier system evolution, and should th us lead to software systems which are easier to maintain. The process is to collect scattered concerns into compact structure units, namely the aspects.On the other hand, APP cannot be elegantly applied to every possible situation. . 0 Validation and verification Validation and Verification is the process of demonstrating that a program meets the real needs of its stakeholders and meets its specification. Validation or testing is used to discover defects in the program or to demonstrate that the program meets its requirements. Statement verification techniques focus on manual or automated analysis of the source code. Like any other systems, aspects-oriented systems can be tested as black-boxes using the specification to derive the tests.However, program source code is problematic. Aspects also introduce additional testing (Ian Somerville (2006)) 6. 1 Testing problems with aspects To inspect a program in a conventional language effectively, you should be able to read it from right to left and top to bottom. Aspects make this as the program is a web rather than a sequential document. One can't tell from the source code where an aspect will be woven and executed. Flattening an aspect-oriented program for reading is practically impossible 6. Challenges with Aspect-oriented Systems One of the limitations of APP is that it is not supported by default on any programming platform. Although it seems to be gaining popularity, its implementation has been undertaken by third parties as extensions to development framework. This has resulted in some level of disparity on the features being implemented as some of the implementations only implement specific features making it difficult to use such frameworks in some situations in addition to creating some confusion over the feature.AAA programs can be â€Å"black-box tested† using requirements to design the tests, but program inspections and â€Å"white-box testing† can be problematic, since you can't always tel l from the source code alone where an aspect will be woven and executed. 7. 0 Recommendations Adopting Aspect Oriented Software development will reduce repetitions of coding or Component maintenance and reuse has a great impact to the company. On the part of cost, the company can determine whether it is easy to maintain its systems or not.Using other development paradigm can be cumbersome hence increasing tangling and scattering. System performance will also be affected in such a way that there could be more codes doing the same thing. GOAD concepts reduce redundancy and increase system performance. All functional and non-functional concerns are dealt with in GOAD. On implementation of security, Design flaws and code errors or bugs old be some of the causes of security flaws in software. Unlike SOD, GOAD approach made Software Development easy with the separation of concerns leading to modularization in reuse.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Reading Art Essay

The four main roles of an artist according to Henry M. Sayre are: Keeping a historical record much of the art that was created in the past and that is considered to be history was created at a time when most of the people in the world were considered to be illiterate, and it was better for the people to get a visual understanding because it was better for them to understand than a worded understanding. Another role is to be able to give form to intangibles when one thinks of the emotions of fear, love, or even adornment these emotions cannot be seen but are felt, an artist’s job is to create works that can make these feelings seen in their work. The next main role of an artist is being able to reveal the hidden, when an artist creates a piece through their own interpretation instead the actual event. Picasso was known for this type of works. The last main role of an artist is showing the world a new way when one is an artist they may see the same exact things as everyone else does, but when it come to them interpreting things the artists inspiration is beyond any other humans. When one is able to see the world through the eyes of any artist, they will be able to see it in a whole new way (Xaxx, 1999-2011). An example of a piece of art that is an explanation of symbolic significance would be Pablo Picasso’s â€Å"Guernica† this piece may not be a picture of the actual events of what happened at the Massacre of Guernica but this is how he portrayed them, or how the artist saw the victims of that massacre. Another example of a piece of art is Sara Atzmon’s â€Å"A Sealed Room at the Center of the World†. Atzmon was a Holocaust survivor who had seen many of her family members murdered during the Holocaust many of her pieces reflect the pain and horror that she saw during these events (Pelaia, 2011). Bibliography Pelaia, A. (2011). Jaduism. Retrieved from  https://www.dotdash.com/

Friday, September 27, 2019

Financial Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Management Principles - Essay Example Net profit margin of the company further reveals that the company is remained with only about 7% of the total sales revenue after meeting cost of sales, operating expenses, interest expense, taxes and dividends etc. The difference between the company’s gross and net profit margin indicate the amount of profit foregone in the course of meeting various expenses. This means that the company has lost about 93% of its revenue in meeting all the various expenses. The return on assets ratio for the company in consideration is 4.88%, which connote that the company has utilized all of its various fixed and current assets to generate a return of 4.88% after meeting all the expenses. Strident Marks Inc.’s return on equity ratio reveals that the company has been able to generate a profit of 8.49% after engaging the total funds invested by its investors and shareholders for the year ended 2005. The current ratio for Strident Marks Inc. reflects that the company has a pretty healthy state of liquidity, i.e., it keeps about $2.57 worth of current assets to pay off $1 worth of current liabilities. The company’s working capital position is highly satisfactory and its current assets are greatly sufficient to meet its current liabilities. However, having such a high current ratio also reveals that some of the company’s fund is lying idle without being invested into the business. The quick ratio for the company shows that after keeping aside inventory from the current assets, the company is left with $2.48 worth of assets per $1 worth of liabilities. It also shows that not much of the company’s cash is tied up into inventory and the company’s short-term position is highly liquid. This ratio reveals that 34.68% of the company’s total assets are financed with borrowed capital, while rest of the assets are financed with equity funds supposedly. Hence the company currently banks on less external debts

SUPPLY AND DEMAND Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

SUPPLY AND DEMAND - Essay Example An increase of firms offering the same product lowers demand since the customers can meet their needs by choosing from various companies. However, a decrease in the number of enterprises providing substitute products would result in an increase in demand. The quality of the product is another significant factor that can cause a change in the demand for the Tropical Smoothie Cafà © products. An increase in quality would increase demand, and a decline  in  quality would lead to a decrease in demand (Arnold, 2008).Essentially, customers will always go for quality products. In this regard, the firm must enhance quality production to promote demand. Some of the factors that would affect change in supply include the price of inputs and the level of production technology used (Abdul, 2002). An increase in the  cost  of inputs results in the decline of supply. Essentially, a rise in the cost of inputs means that the firm has to spend more to maintain the same supply as it was before the price change. In this regard, the firm might not be in a position to meet the addition cost and, therefore, end up ordering for less supplies. On the contrary, a decrease in the price of inputs leads to increased supplies. The level of production technology also affects the change in supply. Use of an advanced and efficient technology would lead to increased supply (Boyes & Melvin, 2014).  . Apparently, efficient technology speeds up the production process, and this increases the total output. On the other hand, the use of outdated and inefficient technology results in reduced supply. Essentially, defective technology is likely to cause delays in productions. The delays in productions lead to reduced output and, therefore, reduced supply. The quantity demanded can be changed by manipulating the price of the product. For instance, all other factors held constant, a decline in rice leads to an increase in

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Palliative care and the needs of cancer and non-cancer patients Essay

Palliative care and the needs of cancer and non-cancer patients - Essay Example Nevertheless, efforts to lengthen life or to comfort are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Many patients who receive palliative care feel better and live longer than expected. The boundary between "cure" and "care" is cultivated by eligibility rules for hospice benefits established by the federal government and private insurers to limit expenditures for palliative care. Confining palliative care to those who are expected to live no longer than six months creates pointless misery for many patients. It also unjustifiably weighs down clinicians who, in several circumstances, cannot precisely and truthfully calculate whether a seriously ill patient will live three months, six months, a year, two years, or even longer. This rigid division between cure and care likewise discourages suffering patients from requesting palliative care. Based on the model definition of the Canadian Palliative Care Association, the term palliative care has been characterised as "a philosophy of care and combination of therapies intended to support persons living with life-threatening illness. Palliative care strives to meet physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs, while remaining sensitive to personal, cultural, and religious values. Palliative care may be needed at any time in the disease trajectory, and bereavement. It may be combined with therapies aimed at reducing or curing the illness or it may be the total focus of care. Care is delivered through the collaborative efforts of an interdisciplinary team including the individual, family, and others involved in the provision of care. Where possible, palliative care should be available in the setting of personal choice" (Ferris and Cummings 1995, p.12). As it is, palliative care does not end with the death of the patient. Although not all families require sophisticated follow-up, a palliative care program must offer bereavement counseling. Physicians and oncology nurses trained to deal with families in distress can help them link up with the palliative care group (McDonald 1998, p. 1710). Early implementations of palliative care for patients with chronic, critical, or multiple illnesses reduce the need for crisis-oriented services. Early palliative care affords a basis for predicting and preparing for the inconvenience intrinsic in the treatment and care of such individuals. In certain situations, especially those children with serious diseases, early palliative care can prepare the patient for life-prolonging treatments such as chemotherapy and make the treatments more acceptable and certainly more bearable. "Quality of Life" As mentioned, a major objective of palliative care is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and their families and this aim is often evaluated by measures of quality of life. However, the concept of quality of life, is complicated and quite tricky to define, being both individual and multidimensional and, although many instruments exist which attempt to quantify it, measurement is difficult. In the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Discuss with examples the sociolinguistic notions of linguistic Essay

Discuss with examples the sociolinguistic notions of linguistic heterogeneity and linguistic homogeneity in the speech community - Essay Example First of all, let us define sociolinguistic notions of a speech community, linguistic heterogeneity and linguistic homogeneity and then proceed to the examples of linguistic heterogeneity and linguistic homogeneity in a speech community within the context of sociolinguistics. It must be noted that the definition of speech community sparks controversy among notable linguists to date. Early definitions of a speech community proceeded from the basis that a speech community is a group of people residing within the area of compact settlement, which is densely inhabited by those who share the same vernacular language and tend to use the same standardized language for communication. According to the notable American linguist, William Labov, who is regarded to be the father of such discipline as variationist sociolinguistics, a speech community is a group of people who share the same language norms that do not depend on social context changes.1 However, it is important to understand that the dependence of a language on social processes can be manifested in a set of different language subsystems (i.e. forms of existence and functioning of a specific language), bilingualism or diglossia, availability or nonexistence of a written language, language policy, etc. These are important but not exclusive manifestations of the connection between a language and conditions of its functioning. Lexicon, grammatical structure and the evolution of linguistic styles exert a substantial influence upon the use of language within a speech community as well. A speech community tends to share a certain set of norms of the language use, which is manifested in the process of communication within the framework of a certain group of people who are bounded by the same lifestyle, profession, interests or represent the same social stratum, which resulted in a long-term delusion, according to which a speech community is always characterized by linguist ic homogeneity. However,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Alliance Design analysis of alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alliance Design analysis of alternatives - Essay Example The industry Alliance Design Concepts is involved in is quite lucrative, and the company seems to be doing well, but it can do better. The challenges faced by the company are not new. In fact, they are common in all companies that conduct any form of purchases and that deal in different currencies as part of their operations. The crux of the matter lies in the strategy used to manage these issues, and not the fact that they exist. From the information provided, it is clear that the company is struggling to stay abreast of fluctuations in exchange rates and avoid the risk created by fluctuations in exchange rates. Looking at the processes and mechanisms the company uses in price quotation, equipment acquisition, and exchange rate management is not as effective as it should be. If they were effective, the company would not be experiencing the challenges it currently faces. It is safe to say that poor management is at the heart of Alliance Design Concept’s struggles. Better financial and management, together with efficient and effective operations management, is sufficient to get the company out of the rut. The company’s profit margins are good enough to give it a clean bill of health financially, but this will not be sustained for long if it keeps losing money through exchange rate fluctuations. In fact, since it has been stated that the company’s profit margins are affected by monies lost to the unpredictability of exchange rates, the profit margins may start reducing gradually until they reach worryingly low levels. Effective management, in any business, involves blocking all avenues through which funds are lost, and reducing expenditure as much as possible. Alliance Design Concepts’ failure to apply this fundamental business principle has significantly contributed towards the dwindling of its fortunes. The best way for Alliance Design Concepts to manage its issues is to streamline its processes and reduce any

Monday, September 23, 2019

John Smith, Roger Williams, and Mary Rowlandson present vastly Personal Statement

John Smith, Roger Williams, and Mary Rowlandson present vastly different views of Native Americans. How do you account for the differences - Personal Statement Example â€Å"Sixty or seventy of them, some black, some red, some white, some partly colored, came in a square order, singing and dancing out of the woods with their Okee†43. While having these positive sides, Smith describe them as being barbaric shows the negative aspect of the natives. This view was due to the torture he received from the natives when they imprisoned him. Robert William on the other hand describe native Indians as being industrious and rich for having the desire to trade with them instead of killing them. The difference in how Robert sees the Native Americans can be accounted for by the fact that he was a Christian minister who saw the natives as being equal to the white settlers. This can be seen through his vision of having peace and harmony between the Europeans and the settlers and the Natives who were fighting over land. Mary Rawlandson describes natives Americans as noble savages. This difference in views is seen by the fact that she did not like their lifestyle especially during the early period of her captivity. However, with time she came to admire this for their ability to survive under harsh environments with very limited amounts of resources. In turn she also came to learn how to survive in the environment. This difference in views is also seen by the fact that the natives showed her nobility through appreciating that she was a religious woman and therefore, giving her permission to respect the Sabbath day. â€Å"When Sabbath came they bade me to work but I told them it was the Sabbath day and desire them to let me rest, and I would do more tomorrow† 237. Despite of this, she still considered them as the enemy for capturing holding her hostage that led to the death of her children. In conclusion, it can be seen that the paper accounts the difference in views where John Smith considers them mainly as

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Rudolf Dreikurss Reasons for Student Misbehavior Require Essay Example for Free

Rudolf Dreikurss Reasons for Student Misbehavior Require Essay Many educators believe that students misbehave to achieve self-serving goals. These usually include: getting attention, seeking power, taking revenge and avoiding failure. When we look carefully at the misbehavior we can usually find that the reason lies in one of these four goals. Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, renowned educator, developed these four behavioral goals in the 1930s. He was a student and colleague of Alfred Adler, who believed that all behavior has a purpose. Dreikurs has written many articles and books on student behavior and much of his work can be purchased on the internet. His theories on behavior have had an enormous impact on the raising of children and classroom management models. A summary of Dreikurs four behavioral goals follow: * Attention Some students strive to be the center of attention. They do almost anything to be noticed from being argumentative to being funny. There is a lack of concern about following accepted procedure to gain recognition. Teachers and classmates find behavior by this student annoying and at times rude and unacceptable. The attention seekers may be disciplined for: disrespect, teasing, disturbing the class, being uncooperative, swearing, talking, being out of his seat, and making fun of others. Dreikurs said most students start misbehaving by seeking attention, and when this fails, they move on to more problematic goal-seeking behaviors, such as power. This is why it is important to find a thoughtful intervention in the first phase of misbehavior: attention seeking. Dreikurs believed that over 90% of all misbehavior is for attention. At the Interventions Central website, you can read some thoughts about how to break out of the attention cycle by using random positive attention with students. * Power Wanting to be in charge or in control provides the motivation for some student misbehavior. Students with this agenda simply want their way. They dont hesitate to take a stand on matters important to them and are often disruptive and confrontational in reaching their goal. The teacher may feel provoked, threatened or challenged by this student. The following reasons may be the basis for a referral to the office for a student who struggles for power: disobeying, disrespect, not cooperating, talking back and disturbing the class. Often power-seeking students dont act out until theyre assured of an audience. And from the teachers perspective, this is probably the worst possible time. * Revenge Lashing out or getting even is how some students compensate for real or imagined hurt feelings. The target of the revenge may be the teacher, other students, or both. Revenge may come in the form of a physical and/or psychological attack. Bullies often use revenge as their excuse for shoving or pushing, teasing, causing embarrassment and excluding others. The Teaching Help website has an interesting discussion of how revenge, defined in terms of escalating student misbehaviors must be dealt with by a systematic approach. * Avoidance of Failure Wanting to avoid repeated failure, some students appear to be discouraged and helpless. They falsely believe that they cant live up to expectations, either their own or those of others. To compensate for this belief, they dont attempt anything that might result in failure. They hope that others will forget about them and not hold them responsible for anything. These students may be disciplined for: not paying attention, not being prepared, being dishonest and wasting time. This phenomenon, decribed as learned helplessness by psychologists, is characteristic of students who fail needlessly because they do not invest their best efforts. Responding to Misbehavior No matter what the reason is for a students misbehavior, we are forced to respond. Some responses produce better results than others. Below is a list of both positive and negative responses by educators. Responses that usually get negative results include: 1. Reacting emotionally by being angry or making hollow threats 2. Handing out a punishment that is out of proportion to the offense 3. Reacting to misbehavior publicly 4. Reacting to a small incidence that often resolves itself 5. Making an accusation without the facts to back it up Responses that tend to get positive results include: 1. Describing the unacceptable behavior to the student 2. Pointing out how his behavior negatively impacts him and others 3. Talking with the students about what could have been a better behavior choice and why 4. Asking the student to write a goal that will help him improve his actions 5. Showing confidence in the student that his behavior goals are achievable 6. Positively reinforcing behavior that relates to student goals Dreikurs believes the best way to correct misbehavior is with logical consequences. For example, if a student doesnt finish his homework, he stays after school to complete it. This helps the student make an association between the misbehavior and the consequences.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Ethnic Group and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Group and Diversity Essay According to information provide by ask. com â€Å"Cultural diversity has affected society many ways. It has affected everything from how we speak to the clothes we wear and the food that we eat. † â€Å"America is widely known as the melting pot of the world. This means with immigrants coming and going so rapidly over history, we have a very diverse nation. † Some of the benefits of such a diverse nation is that we can learn from each other. We are able to learn of the languages, culture, and backgrounds of others. Having such a diverse nation allows us to see that all humans are equal. According to chacha. com â€Å"Cultural diversity best illustrates the want for equality. † This diversity that we have in the United States has allowed for so many learning experiences from each other. In the schools our children are learning from each other. Without diversity children would not learn that there are different people in the world. One of the negative impacts from such diversity is prejudice. There are groups that are still teaching children and adults that not all people are equal and this is a sad and unjust way to teach someone. What will U. S, Population look like in the year 2050? â€Å"The results of the 2010 U. S. Census project that the racial and ethnic makeup of the United States will undergo dramatic changes over the next few decades. In particular, by the year 2050 there will no longer be any clear racial and ethnic majority because the most rapidly growing number of residents in our nation today are of Hispanic and Asian descent. † This according to: The Center for American Progress. Also according to The Center for American Progress: The United States is undergoing a remarkable and profound demographic shift. Today, in eight states across our union, the majority of children are children of color. This by itself is not significant, but what is worth noting is that the very communities that are growing are the ones that are experiencing significant obstacles and disparities. Sadly, this too is unsurprising. For too long we have been watching the racial and ethnic disparities in education, employment, health, and wealth widen. We know the stories well. Communities of color suffer from high dropout rates, economic insecurity, and lack of health care while wealth gaps rise to record highs between whites and communities of color—the largest gap, in fact, since the government began publishing such data. We know so much about these challenges in part because of the comprehensive work by groups that focus on closing these gaps and in part due to the work of demographers who outline the urgency of reducing these disparities before we reach a point in American history when communities of color together make up a numerical majority. But there is a pressing need today to analyze the implications of the demographic change for local and national policy. We need to better understand how local communities are managing these changes in the face of daunting obstacles so that ultimately we can outline a positive vision of what our country could look like in 2050 if we truly work to close the gaps that exist over the next 40 years. Doing so will enable our nation to harness the full talent and drive of all our people. Progress 2050, a project of the Center for American Progress, seeks to do just that by: Working with the Center’s policy teams to create a more informed and inclusive policy agenda Exploring the implications of this demographic change for our economic, political, and cultural landscape Fostering a localized dialogue about the challenges and opportunities of diversity in communities across our country Helping craft a policy framework and narrative squarely focused on the opportunities of diversity for the future prosperity and well- being of our nation. Without open and frank discussion about the opportunities and challenges of diversity, anxieties about where our country is headed combined with the coming demographic change may generate more division and disturbing stories that counter the fundamentals of American democracy. We as a nation have been down this road before many times as wave upon wave of new immigrants, new Americans, arrived on our shores—often to face brutal discrimination and hardship. We triumphed each time, sometimes after many decades of discrimination, enabling the latest generations of Americans to assimilate and thrive, breathing new life into our economy and our democracy. But the stakes are even higher today. Today, discrimination abounds Escalation in voter suppression tactics. Hate crimes. Anti-immigrant sentiment. And a general sense across the country that our federal, state, and local governments and social and economic institutions are failing to provide the leadership needed to move us meaningfully beyond the economic crisis of the Great Recession. Progress 2050 is uniquely positioned to counter these challenges by offering an alternative. Certainly a progressive voice is needed now. We cannot allow the conversation about the future of this country to be dominated by voices on the right who advocate a very narrow definition of the American ideal. The demographic shift is a reality we must accept and embrace. And a clear vision of where we want our country to be in 2050 and how to get there is urgently needed . Working in collaboration with progressive and civil rights organizations, Progress 2050 will help devise that path forward. If there are not changes made in policies for the poorer people and not just ethnic groups, but all poor people I feel that the United States will lose chances to make a better nation. It would be better to figure out how to advance the poorer people so that they would be an investment to our own Country. Including the people that are already citizens here that were born citizens here. I know that immigrants are offered money to begin their own businesses, why not offer that to citizens that are already here as well that can not afford the cost to start their own business. † What Challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? â€Å"For all the platitudes about melting pots, mosaics, and rainbow coalitions, many regard the browning of America as a profoundly disturbing trend. Miscegenation is still regarded as culturally taboo on Main Street. As recently as 20 years ago, some states still had laws in place forbidding interracial marriage. † Scott London also said â€Å"Many people complain that miscegenation waters down their culture. Some Jews, for example, blame the disintegration of Judaism on the growing rate of interfaith marriages in America. Similarly, a number of Indian tribes are concerned that thinning bloodlines will lead to the statistical extermination of their people. A century ago, half of all Indians in the U. S. were considered full-bloods. Today the number is down to about 20 percent. On Indian reservations, there is now a suicide problem among young half-breeds who dont feel sufficiently pure. Also from an article from Scott London: â€Å"As writer Richard Rodriguez has pointed out, â€Å"we have never had an especially rich vocabulary for miscegenation. † While other cultures speak of themselves as mestizos, mulattoes, and creoles, we persist in referring to ourselves using clumsy designations like Asian-American, African-American, Native American, and even Anglo-American. Curiously, the 1990 census form had boxes for white, black and other, but not for multiracial. Bureaucrats in Washington are now preparing a form for the 2000 census. It seems that as much as the United States thinks it is ready for more diversity we as a Country are not. More still must be done to include all races and ethnic backgrounds. From the way things seem one day we may just be all one big mixed race. What are the benefits of such a diverse society? There are many benefits to having such a diverse society. Some of these include learning from each other. Learning thins such as cultural differences and the why of it. We can even learn languages from each other. In a culturally diverse nation we learn that all humans are the same with just different backgrounds. Our children then do not even realize that there ever was a place in American history where others were treated as less than human. In an article by Scott London he says â€Å"As I see it, the mingling and the mixing of race is a sign that we are evolving toward a higher, more integrated state as a culture. One indication of this is the fact that, as the French theologian Teilhard de Chardin put it, union differentiates. â€Å"The smaller the differences are between people, the more they insist on them. † â€Å"Anthropologists have long observed that as people and cultures evolve, they become more and more distinctive. They dont shed the qualities that make them unique, they refine and develop them. Diversity appears to be a function of social evolution. † â€Å"Of course, diversity doesnt mean a thing if it doesnt challenge us to be more open-minded and inclusive. All too often, what passes for diversity are merely brown, black, and white versions of the same political ideology. There will always be those who overemphasize our diversity and fail to appreciate our essential unity, just as there will always be those who overemphasize our unity and fail to recognize the virtues of diversity. Its a delicate balance. Our founding fathers captured this tension in our national motto, E Pluribus Unum — from the many, one. Its the great paradox of America: what we have in common is diversity. When the founders laid out Americas first principles two hundred years ago, they took inspiration from the Iroquois Indian Confederacy. The Indian tribes modeled this principle of unity in diversity by retaining their individuality while at the same time belonging to a common network in the name of progress and mutual protection. † America can benefit from diversity when Americans are taught that all human beings are equal. Education is the key to this perfect diversity. Yes, education of our children, but why not education of their parents as well? Parents prejudice has been passed down to. How can society foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States? According to: MEDIA, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALIZATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Zayani, Mohamed, PHDView Profile. Journal of Cultural Diversity18. 2 (Summer 2011): 48-54. Fostering an environment that is tolerant of and conducive to cultural diversity is necessary for upholding democracy in an age dominated by information and communication technologies. In democratic societies, media have been central to the democratic process, giving an outlet to diverse voices and channeling diversity into a process of democratic integration or public opinion and will formation. A free debate is necessary to reach an integrative unity, and media pluralism goes a long way toward achieving such a goal (Tehranian, 1999). In much the same way freedom of expression is important to assert cultural and individual identities, access to information is important for an active participation in decision making and contribution to democratic processes. Although media plays a vital role in society fostering a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the U. S. it still must begin with education. The Government will have to begin a campaign in the nation’s schools and provide education for parents as well. Parents that have been taught prejudice and to deny acceptance and cultural pluralism. Many of these parents, especially in the South, have been taught that African Americans are a lesser human race, the same for any race or culture except the white race. The prejudice has also been taught to the African American children as well. The thinking that all White people are racist and prejudice has been passed down from generation to generation of African Americans as well as white Americans. Spanish/Mexican Americans are taught the same thing and many prejudice white Americans teach this negativity about any race that is not white. These people have some where gotten the idea that the white race is superior to any other race, this can just not be ignored by the Government. It must start with our children and a campaign for them and their parents as well. Then the media could come in at this point and focus on the greatness of such teaching. In what ways does the media perpetuate stereotyping and prejudice? Provide examples to support your assertion. â€Å"The pace with which media have been changing over the past few decades is phenomenal, to say the least. The increased global connectivity along with the convergence of communication infrastructures, media content and electronic devices have dramatically changed the way we experience media and interact with it (Jenkins, 2006). More than ever before, there has been an exponential multiplication of information and communication technologies and growth in media services and modes of delivery. For Tehranian (1999), the changes in technology, the transformation of media and the globalization of communication have a strong bearing on the ability of individuals and groups to safeguard diversity. Three interrelated types of media can be identified with different implications: Macromedia of communication (which are associated with global satellite and computer networks, trans-border data flows, scientific and professional electronic mailing, and commercial advertising) support the globalization of national markets, societies and cultures, though they privilege the power centers more than the periphery; Mesomedia of communication (such as the press, print media, audio-visual media, the film industry, and news agencies) are usually under the control of national governments or commercial and pressure groups and, as such, function mostly as agents of national integration and social mobilization; and Micromedia of communication (such as the telephone, copying machines, audio and video recorders, tapes, PCs, and the Web) have primarily empowered the centrifugal forces of dissent at the peripheries of power. They provide channels for counter-hegemonic projects of cultural resistance, socio-political participation and autonomous development. The affordability and accessibility of micromedia are not without implication on world peripheries which have increasingly been focusing on modernization, indigenous development, cultural identity, and political communication formation (Tehranian, 1999). † This from MEDIA, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALIZATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIESZayani, Mohamed, PHDView Profile. Journal of Cultural Diversity18. 2 (Summer 2011): 48-54. The effect of media is neither monolithic nor uniform. Media plays a central role in fostering the effect of the culture industry; they shape our relationship with each other. Individuals have developed a taste for what media shows, we as a nation consume what media promotes, and it seems that we as a nation act with the information media reveals, we also interpret things by what the media communicate to us. In what ways does the media help foster appreciation for diversity? Provide examples to support your assertion. Fostering an environment that is tolerant of and conducive to cultural diversity is necessary for upholding democracy in an age dominated by information and communication technologies. In democratic societies, media have been central to the democratic process, giving an outlet to diverse voices and channeling diversity into a process of democratic integration or public opinion and will formation. A free debate is necessary to reach an integrative unity, and media pluralism goes a long way toward achieving such a goal (Tehranian, 1999). In much the same way freedom of expression is important to assert cultural and individual identities, access to information is important for an active participation in decision making and contribution to democratic processes. This from MEDIA, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALIZATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIESZayani, Mohamed, PHDView Profile. Journal of Cultural Diversity18. 2 (Summer 2011): 48-54. The media helps foster an appreciation for diversity when the owners, reporters, journalists, and so forth all have an agenda to do so. We also have to look at what the owners of a station, reporters, and other employees believe themselves. If they appreciate diversity themselves then they are more likely to promote diversity. For example: Take a white reporter and give him the assignment of reporting on diversity. His report is going to be based on what he believes. If he has an appreciation for diversity then he will help to foster that. But if he is prejudice and does not support the coming together of races and cultures as well as immigration, then his report is going to reflect that. The sad thing is if his report is negative he will impact many people just due to the fact that people have their favorite news and other media channels. If he supports diversity he will win over many or at least make many start thinking about their own beliefs and feelings on the matter. How might individuals and the United States work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity? According to Building One Nation: A Study of What is Being Done Today in Schools, Neighborhoods, and the Workplace. â€Å"Race has played a paradoxical role in American society since the founding of the country. While our racial and ethnic diversity has been a source of great strength, it has also been our central moral challenge. Our nation has made great strides in addressing prejudice and discrimination during this century. Laws that denied citizenship to people because of their race or ethnicity have been repealed. Discrimination at the ballot box and in housing, employment, education, and public facilities is illegal. Segregated lunch counters, movie theaters, water fountains, and restrooms are no longer part of the American landscape. Racial tolerance and understanding have increased manyfold. At the same time, research and everyday experience demonstrate that discrimination continues to infest American society, resulting in lost opportunities for too many individuals. † To make changes we as individuals and the United States as a Country must work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity. The first thing we must do is to bring these issues to light by discussion. Without these issues being discussed by individuals and the United States it will never be addressed. We must also increase intergroup contact situations. We must create intergroup panels of mixed racial and ethnic backgrounds. From these discussions the debate must be discussed in detail among the groups. Through this discussion changes must be made in institutions, schools, churches, and other group forums. If we implement these things we must implement them to each individual group at age appropriate levels. â€Å" Educational Approaches And Strategies (K-12) A school is a natural setting in which to forge enduring bonds among children from different backgrounds. Research primarily in integrated educational situations clearly demonstrates that when individuals are permitted to deal with one another across racial and ethnic lines in cooperative, equal-status activities with plenty of room for one-on-one exchanges and with support from authority figures, there is an excellent chance that positive intergroup relations will evolve. In this section we consider numerous strategies for improving the rapport among children in Kindergarten through high school, under the following headings: Curriculum Reform Training and Retraining of Teachers School Desegregation Cooperative Learning Paired Programs Conflict Resolution Youth Leadership Training in Desegregated Settings. Diversity In Higher Education Given the level of segregation in our nations communities as well as in our primary and secondary schools, many students meet across racial lines for the first time when they reach college. Colleges and universities therefore play a pivotal role in conveying an appreciation of American diversity and in breaking the cycle of intolerance. Educational Approaches And Strategies (K-12) A school is a natural setting in which to forge enduring bonds among children from different backgrounds. Research primarily in integrated educational situations clearly demonstrates that when individuals are permitted to deal with one another across racial and ethnic lines in cooperative, equal-status activities with plenty of room for one-on-one exchanges and with support from authority figures, there is an excellent chance that positive intergroup relations will evolve. In this section we consider numerous strategies for improving the rapport among children in Kindergarten through high school, under the following headings: Curriculum Reform Training and Retraining of Teachers School Desegregation Cooperative Learning Paired Programs Conflict Resolution Youth Leadership Training in Desegregated Settings. Diversity in Higher Education Given the level of segregation in our nations communities as well as in our primary and secondary schools, many students meet across racial lines for the first time when they reach college. Colleges and universities therefore play a pivotal role in conveying an appreciation of American diversity and in breaking the cycle of intolerance. † This according to: Building One Nation: A Study of What is Being Done Today in Schools, Neighborhoods, and the Workplace. We must also intergrate neighborhoods and make them more diverse. This is another area where the United States and individuals must come together to discuss and come up with plans to intergrate neighborhoods. How might a person change their own behaviors to be more inclusive and pluralistic? People can change their own attitudes by educating themselves. They can also inter-relate with diverse groups of people, different racial groups and different ethnic groups. People can start by going to their children’s school and meeting all of the classmates. Parents can encourage their children to interact with all students in their class. When parents give their children parties they can make sure that they and their children invite individuals from all races and ethnic groups. Adults can also have intergroup relations in the workplace. If a person wants to make a change the workplace would be a great place to start. Individuals could take the initiative to have conversations with individuals of different races or ethnic backgrounds. They could start inviting those of different racial and ethnic groups to have lunch with them. There are many things that individuals can do to change their own behaviors and include multi-cultural individuals into their own daily lives. The question is Are they willing to make the change? Sources and References: http://www. americanprogress. org/issues/race/report/2011/10/18/10477/progress-2050/b http://www. ask. com http://www. scottlondon. com/articles/newface. html http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/docview/884629314? accountid=35812 MEDIA, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND GLOBALIZATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Zayani, Mohamed, PHDView Profile. Journal of Cultural Diversity18. 2 (Summer 2011): 48-54. http://www. civilrights. org/publications/reports/building_one_nation/.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Baroque Period And Opera

Baroque Period And Opera Early baroque composers favoured homophonic texture over the polyphonic texture typical of Renaissance music. They felt that words could be projected more clearly by using just one main melody with a chordal accompaniment. Homophonic textures only characterise early baroque, by the late baroque period, polyphonic texture returned to favour. To depict extreme emotions, early baroque composers used dissonance with a new freedom. Never before were unstable chords so prominent and emphatic. Contrasts of sound were stressed, one or more solo singers against a chorus, or voices against instruments. A baroque piece usually expresses one basic mood: what begins joyfully will remain joyful throughout. Emotional states like joy, grief, and agitation were represented-at the time, these moods were called affections. Specific rhythms or melodic patters were associated with specific moods. The prime exception to this baroque principle of unity of mood occurs in vocal music. Drastic changes of emotion in a text may inspire corresponding changes in the music. Rhythmic patterns head at the beginning of a piece are repeated throughout it. This rhythmic continuity provides a compelling drive and energy the forward motion is rarely interrupted. Baroque melody also creates a feeling of continuity. An opening melody will be heard again and again in the course of a baroque piece. And even when a melody is presented in varied form, its character tends to remain constant. There is a continuous expanding, unfolding, and unwinding of melody. This sense of directed motion is frequently the result of a melodic sequence, that is, successive repetition of a musical idea at higher or lower pitch levels. Many baroque melodies sound elaborate and ornamental, and they are not easy to sing or remember. A short opening phrase is often followed by a longer phrase with an unbroken flow of rapid notes. Volume tends to stay constant for a stretch of time. When the dynamics do shift, the shift is usually sudden, like physically stepping from one level to another. This alternation between loud and soft is called terraced dynamics. The organ and harpsichord were both well suited for continuity of dynamic level. Imitation between various lines, or voices, of the texture is very common. A melodic idea heard in one voice is likely to make an appearance in the other voices as well. In the baroque period chords became significant. As composers wrote a melodic line, they thought of chords to mesh with it. Indeed, sometimes they composed a melody to fit a specific chord progression. This interest in chords gave new prominence to the bass part. Basso continuo or figured bass is made up of a bass part together with numbers which specify the chords to be played above it. Usually the bass part is played by the left hand of an organist or harpsichordist and a cellist or bassoonist. The right hand, the keyboard player improvises chords or even a melodic line, following the indications of the numbers. Word painting was used. Heaven might be set to a high tone and hell to a low tone. Rising scales represented upward motion; descending scales depicted the reverse. Descending chromatic scales were associated with pain and grief. Composers emphasised words by writing many rapid notes for a single syllable of text. Opera is the fusion of music, acting, poetry, dance, scenery and costumes. Began in Italy around 1600. Voice types: Coloratura soprano very high range; can execute rapid scales and trills lyric soprano rather light voice; sings roles calling for grace and charm dramatic soprano full, powerful voice; is capable of passionate intensity lyric tenor relatively light, bright voice dramatic tenor powerful voice; is capable of heroic expression basso buffo takes comic roles; can sing very rapidly basso profondo very low range, powerful voice; takes roles calling for great dignity Aria A song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment. Its an outpouring of melody that expresses an emotional state. In an aria, I love you, might be sung ten times to accommodate the expansion of the idea. Often the action stops while the characters feelings are revealed through music. An aria usually lasts several minutes. It is a complete piece with a definite beginning, high point, and end. Recitative A vocal line that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech. In a recitative, words are sung quickly and clearly, often on repeated tones. There is usually only one note to each syllable in a recitative. Recitative is used for monologues and dialogues that connect the more melodic sections of the opera. In opera multiple characters can express contrasting feelings at the same time when different melodies are combined. This is only possible in opera and cannot be duplicated in spoken drama. An opera chorus generates atmosphere and makes comments on the action. Their sound creates a kind of tonal background for the soloists. Most operas open with a purely orchestral composition called an overture or a prelude. Since the eighteenth century, the music for an overture has been drawn from material heard later in the opera. The overture is thus a short musical statement that involves the audience in the overall dramatic mood. Orchestral introductions to acts in the opera other than the first are always called preludes. Opera was born in Italy. During the late baroque, operas consisted largely of arias linked by recitatives. These recitatives were usually accompanied only by a basso continuo, in which case they are called secco recitatives. At emotional high points and moments of tension, however, they might be supported by the orchestra, they are then called accompanied recitatives. Late baroque arias followed the structure of ABA called da capa aria. Monteverdis Orfeo is considered to be the first great opera. Orfeo is about Orpheus, the gifted musician of Greek mythology. Orpheus, son of the god Apollo, is ecstatically happy after his marriage to Eurydice. But his joy is shattered when his bride is killed by a poisonous snake. Orpheus goes down to hades hoping to bring her back to life. Because of his musical talent, he is granted this privilege, as long as he does not look back at Eurydice while leading her out of hades. Orpheus looks back in a moment of anxiety and Eurydice vanishes. Apollo pities Orpheus and brings him up to heaven, where he can gaze eternally at Eurydices radiance. Orfeo includes recitatives, arias, duets, choruses, and instrumental interludes. Tu se morta in Act II of Orfeo is an example of a secco recitative. Orpheus sings solo in a recitative style with accompaniment by a basso continuo played by an organ and bass lute. The texture of this piece is homophonic, as was popular in early Baroque music. There is no time signature which gives the performer the freedom to portray emotion in their singing. Word painting is also found in this piece. Words such as stelle (stars) and solo (sun) are sung high in the performers register while abissi (abysses) and morte (death) are sung low. Roman opera was based more on religious subjects than on Greek mythology, and it made more use of the choruses. Distinction between recitative and aria began to emerge. The prototype of comic opera were intermezzi, comic interludes between the acts. The principal characteristics of Venetian opera were: more emphasis on formal arias, the beginning of bel canto style and more attention to vocal elegance than to dramatic expression, less use of chorus and orchestral music, complex and improbable plots, elaborate stage machinery, and short fanfare-like instrumental introductions. As compared to Italian opera, the outstanding traits of French opera were: use of ballet, greater importance of the drama, more use of the orchestra and instrumental music, shorter and simpler dance-like airs, careful attention to accentuation of the text, more expressive and melodic recitative, less emphasis on virtuosity, the French overture. In Baroque music, ritornello was the word for a recurring passage for orchestra in the first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria (also in works for chorus). In ritornello form, the tutti opens with a theme called the ritornello (refrain). This theme, always played by the tutti, returns in different keys throughout the movement. However, it usually returns in incomplete fragments In the Prologue of Orfeo there is a recitation by La Musica, there are five verses, each introduced by a ritornello. The same ritornello appears at the end of Act II and at the beginning of Act V. La serva padrona was originally an intermezzo to Pergolesis opera seria Il prigioniero superbo (The Proud Prisoner). The two were premiered on 5 September 1733, the first performance after an earthquake in Naples had caused all theatres to be closed, and celebrated the birthday of the Empress of Habsburg. Il prigioniero was unsuccessful in its day[1] and is not a recognized title in todayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s operatic repertoire. Eventually the two pieces were separated, and La serva padrona went on to enjoy fame throughout Europe for years after its premiere. The importance of this intermezzo can hardly be overlooked in the history of opera. With a new finale, the French version played a large part in the Querelle des Bouffons. It was appealing because of its presentation of characters that were relatable to any audience, namely the cunning maid and her aging master. La serva padrona is often seen as the quintessential piece that bridges the gap from the Baroque to the Classical period. Owing to its importance, over time it came to be known as more than just an intermezzo and was performed as a stand-alone work. Intermezzo I Dressing room. Uberto, an elderly bachelor, is angry and impatient with his maidservant, Serpina, because she has not brought him his chocolate today. Serpina has become so arrogant that she thinks she is the mistress of the household. Indeed, when Uberto calls for his hat, wig and coat, Serpina forbids him from leaving the house, adding that from then on he will have to obey her orders. Uberto thereupon orders Vespone to find him a woman to marry so that he can rid himself of Serpina. Intermezzo II Same dressing room. Serpina convinces Vespone to trick Uberto into marrying her. She informs Uberto that she is to marry a military man named Tempesta. She will be leaving his home and apologizes for her behavior. Vespone, disguised as Tempesta, arrives and, without saying a word, demands 4,000 crowns for a dowry. Uberto refuses to pay such a sum. Tempesta threatens him to either pay the dowry or marry the girl himself. Uberto agrees to marry Serpina. Serpina and Vespone reveal their trick; but Uberto realizes that he has loved the girl all along. They will marry after all; and Serpina will now be the true mistress of the household. The piece is for bass, soprano, and a mute actor. Opera is the fusion of music, acting, poetry, dance, scenery and costumes. At the end of the sixteenth century a small group of aristocratic intelligentsia, known as the Camerata, met frequently in Florence. The Camerata had the intention of reproducing the combination of words and music which made up Greek theatre. The text was the main focus of this music with all the words being sung naturally, in the same manner as normal speech, and the music must interpret the spirit of the text. This resulted in a new style of music which was mostly homophonic, in contrast to polyphonic music that was popular at the time. The first surviving opera, Peris Euridice in 1600, was a flop, Monteverdis Orfeo seven years later, however, was not. Orfeo managed to fulfil the requirements posed by the Camerata and while also being dramatic and portraying extreme emotion. Over the baroque period opera evolved and developed into different types and varied in different areas. Orfeo was characteristic of a Florentine opera and an opera seria. All forms of opera shared similar musical components such as: solo song, in opera called aria; pieces for two or more solo voices, duet, trio etc; recitative, a singing style that replicated the rhythms and pitch fluctuation of speech; chorus; the orchestra; and the overture, the instrumental introduction to an opera. The various cities of Italy each had variants on the opera. Florentine opera, such as Orfeo, was based off Greek mythology. While Roman opera was based on religious subjects and made more use of choruses. Venetian opera had an emphasis on formal arias, less use of chorus and orchestral music, complex and improbably plots and short fanfare-like introductions. Choruses were nearly non-existent in Neopolitan opera and there was a new style of operatic song, arioso, which was a mix between recitative and aria. Castrati were popular and drew great interest from audiences. Opera spread to France and included the use of ballet, more extreme drama, more use of the orchestra and instrumental music, more expressive and melodic recitative and less emphasis on virtuosity. Towards the end of the Baroque period a new style of opera appeared known as opera buffa. These comic operas originated as intermezzi between the acts of opera serias. Opera buffa differed from opera seria due to its light and humorous subjects, commonplace characters rather than heroic figures, popular tunes replaced the dramatic and formal aria; and characters, subjects and melodies of opera serias were parodied. Pergolesis opera buffa La serva padrona was an intermezzo to Pergolesis opera seria Il prigioniero superbo. Monteverdis Orfeo and Pergolesis La serva padrona show the development and similarities between early baroque and late baroque opera. Whilst the pieces are of differing style and were written over 100 years apart many characteristics of baroque music and opera appear in both. The plots of Orfeo and La serva padrona differ greatly as one is a opera seria and the other an opera buffa. Orfeo tells the tale of Orpheus, the gifted musician of Greek mythology. Orpheus, son of the god Apollo, has just married Eurydice but his joy is soon crushed after she is killed by a poisonous snake. Orpheus goes down to hades hoping to bring her back to life and further drama and tragedy ensues. La serva padrona features the old bachelor Uberto and his maidservant Serpina. Uberto and Serpina are contantly fighting but Serpina manages to trick Uberto into marrying her and becomes the homes mistress. Verspone, a servant of Ubertos, is a mute character but is important to the plot. The opera is light hearted and made up of common people. Over the baroque period the plots of operas changed dramatically in style as can be seen in Orfeo and La serva padrona. All operas were mostly homophonic, this way words could be projected more clearly with only one main melodic line. Both Orfeo and La serva padrona are mostly homophonic. In fact, whilst polyphony came back into fashion as the baroque period progressed, La serva padrona is less adventurous in terms of harmony in comparison to Orfeo. Orfeo makes use of polyphony in choruses, duets and trios. This can be seen in Act I: lo non diro qual sia nel tuo gioir with Euridice, Chorus, Nymph and the Sheperds singing two different melodies in a round-style which eventually join together in a homophonic ending. Excerpt from Orfeo Act I: lo non diro qual sia nel tuo gioir La serva padrona is rather simple, only written for a string quartet and a soprano and bass. The second violins generally double the first violins and the viola generally doubles the bass part one octave higher. The instrumentation of Orfeo is more expansive than that of La serva padrona. Orfeo utilises: 2 clavicembalos, 1 double harp, 2 chitarrones, 2 bass cithers, 3 bass gambas, 2 organs with wood pipes, 1 organ with reed pipes, 2 small violins, 4 violins, 4 violas, 2 violoncellos, 2 contrabass viols, 4 trombones, 2 cornetts, 1 fautino, 1 high trumpet, 3 soft trumpets. Orfeo makes use of this range of instruments through its varying pieces. Orfeo has arias, recitatives, choruses, dances, sinfonias and duets. La serva padrona on the other hand is made up of only arias and recitatives and a duet to end each act. The range of instruments in Orfeo also results in contrast of dynamics between pieces. The use of more and less instruments changes the volume from loud to soft, suddenly, rather than gradually. This is known as terraced dynamics and is characteristic of the baroque period. La serva padrona remains a similar dynamic for most of the opera. Dynamics are altered through the doubling of string parts and the removal of string parts. Two different types of recitative were used in baroque opera. The first being secco recitatives, which were usually accompanied by only a basso continuo. The second being accompanied recitatives which were accompanied by the orchestra. Tu se morta in Act II of Orfeo is an example of a secco recitative. Per altro io penserei in Act II of La serva padrona is an example of an accompanied recitative. This style of recitative is used for an emotional high point in the opera. Arias are also found in both pieces. La serva padrona being a piece of the late baroque period, the arias follow the structure of ABA known as de capa aria. Excerpt from La serva padrona Act II: Per altro io penserei The ascending violin patterns in the excerpt above are an example of the musics use in supporting the text. The fast, ascending, scalic pattern is representative of the excitement and confusion in this piece of the opera. This is a technique known as word painting. Words may be set to higher and lower tones according to the emotion or type of word. This is seen in Te se morta in Act II of Orfeo in which the words stelle (stars) and solo (sun) are sung high in the performers register while abissi (abysses) and morte (death) are sung low. Word painting was used throughout the whole baroque period in opera. Excerpt from Orfeo Act II: Te se morta Beyond the standard soprano, alto, tenor, bass, there were different types of opera voices. These included: coloratura soprano, lyrics soprano, soprano castrato, dramatic soprano, lyric tenor, dramatic tenor, basso buffo, basso profondo. Orfeo makes use of a variety of voice types. Orfeo is performed by a dramatic tenor, due to their powerful voices, while Eurydice and La Musica were performed by soprano castrato. In La serva padrona Uberto is performed by a basso buffo as they could sing very fast and were perfect for comic roles. Serpina is performed by a coloratura soprano which is evident due to her rapid scales and trills and high range. The contrast in voice types in the two operas is due to their different style with one being an opera seria and the other an opera buffa. Reoccurring passages for the orchestra in baroque music are called ritornellos. Ritornellos are found throughout Orfeo. The ritornello is introduced in Act I and it appears at the end of Act II and at the beginning of Act V. Excerpt from Orfeo Act I: Prologo Ritornellos do not appear in La serva padrona as there is only a string quartet and voices. Imitation however does appear. The imitation of various voices of texture was common of the baroque period. Melodic ideas that are shown in one voice appear in other voices as well. Excerpt from La serva padrona Act I: Sempre in contrasti Due to the increased use of homophony in the baroque period chords became much more significant than they were in the past. Basso continuo or figured bass is a bass part that is used together with numbers which specify the chords to be played above it. Usually the bass part is played by the left hand of an organist or harpsichordist and a cellist or bassoonist. In Orfeo the basso continuo is played by many instruments but mainly by organs. In La serva padrona the basso continuo is played by the cello or double bass and is doubled by the viola an octave higher. Basso continuo is a primary characteristic of the baroque period and lasted over all 150 years. Monteverdis Orfeo and Pergolesis La serva padrona both share many characteristics that are common of the baroque period. They also have a few significant differences that are due to the differing style of opera. French and German operas would offer further contrasts to these two Italian operas. On first glance it appears that Orfeo is more evolved and later opera than La serva padroma, this, however, is not true. While Orfeo does offer more instruments and a greater contrast of pieces La serva padroma takes a small part of the first operas and expands on them so that it stands as a genre of opera on its own. The evolution of opera through the baroque period wasnt through the invention of new techniques or massive stylistic changes but rather through refinement of the original techniques and slight tweaks to the musical and lyrics content.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Chosen :: essays research papers

The Chosen By: Chaim Potok The novel The Chosen is a story of two Jewish boys who become friends and go through lots of hard times together. The book starts out at a baseball game, one boy on one team and one boy on the other team. The game quickly turns more into a war rather than a game. Reuven was pitching when Danny came up to bat, Reuven threw the ball and Danny hit the ball straight back at him. The ball hit Reuven in the eye, shattered his glasses, and got a piece of glass in his eye. Reuven was taken to the hospital where doctors fixed his eye and he stayed there for five days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During those five days, Danny came to visit Reuven and told him he was sorry. Reuven accepted his apology and they began to talk about different things. They became friends and kept seeing each other after Reuven got out of the hospital. One day Reuven went over to Danny’s house to meet his father. Danny’s father was a rabbi and raised his son by means of silence. They never talked except when they studied the Torah together. Reuvens’s father was a Zionist and Danny’s father was an anti-Zionist so neither was fond of the other but allowed Danny and Reuven to still be friends. Because Danny’s father was a rabbi, it was Danny’s inherited trait to also one day become a rabbi and take his father’s place. Danny, how ever, wanted to be a psychologist not a rabbi. Reuven did not have to be a rabbi but wanted to be one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One day when they where both in college Reuven’s father went to a rally and made a speech that Danny’s father did not like, and so forbid Danny to talk to Reuven ever again. This time of silence went on for two years until Danny’s father let him talk to Reuven again. Danny by now had made up his mind that he was not going to take his father’s place and knew he would have to tell him soon. A year later, Danny’s father asked Reuven to come over on the first day of the Passover. So Reuven went to Danny’s house thinking they were going to study the Talmud together. Instead, when Reuven got there, Danny’s father closed the book and began to talk to the both of them.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Rape fantasies :: essays research papers

Written in 1977, "Rape Fantasies" appears to be a recap of a conversation among several women during their lunch hour, a few of them playing bridge, one--Chrissy the receptionist--reading aloud from a tabloid. When Chrissy asks the question, "How about it, girls, do you have rape fantasies?" the story unfolds with each woman's response, all retold from the perspective of Estelle, who's doing her best to deflect the entire conversation by concentrating on her bidding. The conversation is tragically ironic, moving from woman to woman, Darlene calling the entire subject "disgusting," Greta describing a Tarzan-like scenario, Chrissy describing hers in a bubble bath, when Estelle, ever the voice of reason, reminds them that what they're describing are sexual fantasies: "Listen . . . those aren't rape fantasies. I mean, you aren't getting raped, it's just some guy you haven't met formally who happens to be more attractive than Derek Cummins . . . and you have a good time. Rape is when they've got a knife or something and you don't want to" (104.) Estelle then describes her rape fantasy where she deflects her attacker by squirting juice from a plastic lemon in his eyes ("You should hear the one about the Easy Off Cleaner"), but also includes the one where "this short, ugly fellow comes up and grabs my arm . . . [and] I say, kind of disgusted, 'Oh for Chrissake,' and he starts to cry," which prompts a wave of sympathy in Estelle (106). And there are more, each with Estelle warding off her attacker through outsmarting him ("I've just found out I have leukemia"), or talking him out of it. As the narrative continues, the reader becomes aware that Estelle is addressing someone in addition to the reader--"I hope you don't mind me holding my nose like this . . ." (107) and that person is probably a man (twice Estelle says, "But I guess it's different for a guy"). As the story ends, we realize that Estelle all along has been in a bar, speaking to a man she has just met, worrying about the possibility she will be raped by him. "Like, how could a fellow do that to a person he's just had a long conversation with, once you let them know you're human, you have a life too, I don't see how they could go ahead with it, right?

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Moroccan Family Values

Moroccan Family Values .  The family is the most significant unit of Moroccan life and plays an important role in all social relations. .  The individual is always subordinate to the family or group. .  Nepotism is viewed positively, since it indicates patronage of one's family. .  The family consists of both the nuclear and the extended family. .  The elderly are revered and respected and often exert a great influence on the rest of the family. Gift Giving Etiquette .  If you are invited to a Moroccan's home bring sweet pastries, nuts, figs, dates or flowers to the hostess.   A small gift for the children is seen as a token of affection. .  Do not bring alcohol unless you know that your host drinks. .  Gifts are not opened when received. Dining Etiquette If you are invited to a Moroccan's house: .  You should remove your shoes. .  Dress smartly. Doing so demonstrates respect towards your hosts. .  Check to see if your spouse is included in the invitation. Con servative Moroccans may not entertain mixed-sex groups. .  Shake everyone's hand individually. Greetings|   | Man greeting Man  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Men shake hands when greeting one another and usually kiss once on each cheek.Handshakes tend to be on the loose side. Woman greeting Woman- Women usually greet each other with kisses on the cheek. This can range from one to five (alternating cheeks) depending on the situation and relationship. Man greeting Woman-   A simple handshake or hand grasp while simultaneously kissing both cheeks is common. It is best to allow the woman to extend her hand or offer her cheek first. If the hand is not extended, than a slight bow or nod is the polite thing for men to do. Note:  It is taboo for religiously observant men to touch women and vice-versa. | | Gender Issues|   | In general, the world of men consists of the whole outside world, while that of women consists of the world inside the home. Cafes are in the male domain and are an intersection between private life and the public life found in the street. * Women are expected to cook and clean and raise the children. In big cities they enjoy much more freedom in dress, behavior and activities; however, it is still not common to find a woman out alone or in sidewalk cafes. * It is unacceptable for a woman to be in bar that serves alcohol, otherwise she is likely to be seen as a prostitute.Because Islam forbids alcohol, most bars have a seedy and unwholesome atmosphere. * As a general rule of thumb, foreigners can get away with drinking and cafe sitting, however, be sure to carefully select the bar or cafe. * Men will often try to pick-up girls along the street. Do not react in any way or they will not leave you alone. In Morocco, it must be the boy who makes the advances, otherwise the girl is seen as easy. The girls is expected to be so lovely and magnetic that the boy comes to her without any prompting. | | |Views Of Time|   | * Punctuality is not usually a virtue in Mo rocco, although some things do function on a strict time table, such as public schools. * Time works differently in Morocco; as long as one does not expect punctuality to be high the list of enviable qualities for a Moroccan and can learn to go with the flow of things, traveling is lots less stressful. * Trains are more or less on time while buses usually have no posted times nor routes, so it is necessary to ask the bus driver or local riders where and when the bus comes. When inviting people over, never expect them to arrive on time. It's best for example to invite people over at 9pm for dinner, fully expecting people to arrive after 10pm. | | Introductions, Greetings and Public Behaviour Moroccans are very hospitable and friendly people. When introductions are made, it is quite customary to ask about your counterpart’s family or friends. The most common way to greet a person in Morocco is to either offer a handshake to a person of the same gender.You may find that the hand shake in Morocco is gentler than in ‘Western’ countries – it is not proper etiquette to firmly grip and enthusiastically shake another person’s hand. Men and women greet in a slightly different way. The woman should always offer her hand first to initiate a handshake. Women who wear a full veil will often refrain from any physical contact, so in these instances it is customary for the man to simply give a slight bow and allow the woman to retain some personal space.If you have become well acquainted with your Moroccan counterparts, the proper greeting etiquette is to initiate a handshake whilst simultaneously kissing both cheeks, kissing the left cheek first. This should only be done with a person of the same gender. In public, you should be aware that it is considered good manners for men and women to leave space in between one another. Handholding is only usually seen as a platonic gesture between the same sexes. Public displays of affection are not real ly tolerated, and certainly homosexuality is still relatively taboo in Morocco.In some instances, it is considered quite uncouth for a woman to be seen alone at a bar or cafe, especially if she is young and unmarried. Although this is not the case with many ‘Western’ women, if female and planning to venture out to such a place, it is best to attempt to go out in a group or be accompanied by a man. Social Events and Dining Etiquette You may find that during your stay in Morocco, you will be invited into the family home for a meal. It is always customary for a Moroccan to offer food whenever you visit, and it would be seen as quite rude to refuse this offer.Likewise, if you are offered a present when invited into the home, you should always graciously accept. You do not have to open your gift in front of your host – equally you shouldn’t expect your host to open your present either. Gifts should be relatively small – sweets, pastries or flowers are al l popular gifts. Bringing a small gift for any children in the home would also be well received. In more conservative households, men and women will dine separately, so if planning on bringing a spouse or partner, you should always find out beforehand if this is the case.In Morocco, it is proper etiquette to dress conservatively, removing your shoes and cleaning your hands before each meal. Because eating is often done with your right hand (although bread can be taken with the left), a small basin will usually be provided before the meal. You will be expected to hold your hands out whilst a jug full of water, often scented, is poured over them. Dry your hands and wait for your host to invite you to begin eating. This ritual is also performed at the end of the meal.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Importance of leading teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives Essay

1. Evaluate the role of leadership in helping teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives What is it that leaders do to help their teams achieve organisational goals and objectives? Every organisation has goals and objectives which are essential for it to succeed in an ever changing environment. Ken Blanchard’s study of leadership identified two broad types of behaviour, directive and supportive, and the extent to which these are combined are demonstrated in Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership model. Among other things this model suggests that a leader needs to be adaptable to a given situation and aware of the social context in which they work. There are evidently numerous ways a leader helps their team to achieve goals and objectives and these are summarised in John Adair’s model of action centred leadership which defines three core management responsibilities: achieving the task, managing the team or group and managing individuals. To help their team achieve goals and objectives a leader must undertake certain functional responsibilities which include: defining objectives, briefing, planning, monitoring and evaluating, with these being continuous as new situations develop and objectives change. At the same time a leader needs to be able to recognise and encourage individual strengths, while being aware of and facilitating improvement in areas of weakness, an awareness of team and individual motivating factors is also crucial. Leaders must also be able to adapt their style of leadership taking into account the varying factors of the task such as time, complexity, resources and individual expertise. Why are these actions  important? The importance of the functional responsibilities are evident, to get the job done! For instance without planning a team has no direction, and no evaluation means that how well the plan is working is unknown and therefore pretty useless. Motivating a team is also a high priority as morale has a significant impact upon long term productivity and hence success. The ability to adapt ones leadership style is significant as situations are open to change, a simple task with little time to complete will require a different approach to one with opposing factors, and the success of each are highly dependent on the approach taken. Individual encouragement and improvement is also necessary as a person’s attitude to the goal or objective is largely influenced by their own feelings towards it and involvement in it. In the areas of task, team and individuals the importance lies in incorporating all three as neglect of one will affect the others. Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Understand the importance of leading teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives M5.46/1 604/1 Assessment Criteria 2. Assess the effectiveness of own organisation in measuring team performance against organisational goals and objectives. How effective is the organisation in measuring team performance – is it â€Å"fit for purpose†? In many areas my own organisations performance measures are â€Å"fit for purpose†, there are some however that could be improved. What part of measuring for performance does the organisation do well? QOF achievement is measured using a data extraction system which automatically monitors our achievement in Vision in real time, and as it forms a large part of the practice income it is essential that we have access to it at any time. This allows us to measure data entry frequency and quality. Prescribing targets. We have an annual prescribing budget for the practice which is monitored on a monthly basis, overspend is highlighted and the GP’s have to work on reducing it. An audit of incoming telephone calls is carried out periodically which gives us a good idea of numbers of calls, waiting times and how many are abandoned which in turn enables us to measure the call handling performance. We aim to process script requests within 48hrs and an audit of this is used to measure the percentage of which are completed in this time. What does it not do so well? Staff appraisals – the current format is woefully lacking. There is a very limited form given to staff members to fill out before and the appraisal itself constitutes a friendly chat with no objectives set. 100% of team members when asked express the opinion that the process is currently a â€Å"waste of time†. This results in individual performance not being measured. There are currently no reception team meetings. These would serve as a measure of on-going performance as objectives and progress can be discussed. Instead there is a predominant reactionary attitude to problems that arise instead of planning to avoid them where possible. What are the implications of your findings? The organisation performs well when staffed with appropriately skilled people  but takes a long time to bring new staff up to the required level of competence. Communication is poor at times which results in low team spirit and this is further impacted by the negative appraisal experience. The current appraisal system also fails to develop individuals as objectives and goals are not set and hence provide little motivation or progression. Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Be able to develop and lead teams M5.46/2 604/2 Assessment Criteria 1. Critically review your own ability to develop and lead teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Understand own ability to fulfil the leadership role M5.06/1 607/1 Assessment Criteria 1. Evaluate your ability to use a range of leadership styles, in different situations and with different types of people, to fulfil the leadership role Give three examples of the different personalities or situations you have in your team. 1. New starter who has been in the team for two weeks. Enthusiastic but lacking skills. 2. Senior team member who has been in the job for nineteen  years. Highly skilled but lacks motivation. 3. Team member been in job three years. Very capable but lacks confidence to work alone. How does this affect the way you manage them? If I class these individuals using Hersey and Blanchard’s development levels their differences influence the approach I try to take when dealing with them. Person 1 needs a high level of both direction and support, whereas persons 2 & 3 need high support but less direction. Think about each of the different styles you have chosen (e.g. Telling, Selling, Consulting & Delegating). For each style†¦ Style 1 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Telling or Autocratic – Roles and goals are extensively clarified, the leader defines objectives and standards with performance being closely monitored. Give an example showing when you have used this style. Centralised computer system failure requiring emergency procedures to be put into place to maintain a safe level of patient care. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ 10 Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? The nature of the problem meant that there was no time for discussion. Operable working practices needed to be adopted instantly with team members being assigned specific tasks. The problem was short term. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? Yes – my natural tendency leans heavily to a directive approach and I easily trust my judgement in situations which need immediate response. Style 2 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Selling or Coaching – The leader provides direction with two-way communication used and support provided, allowing the team to buy into the process. Give an example showing when you have used this style. Explaining a new method of recording instances of pharmacies losing prescriptions and the benefit of having the subsequent data. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? Because retrospectively I wasn’t aware of all the factors which would affect the outcome or best working practice. Other team members were therefore the idea was very hard to sell as its failings were quickly apparent. The situation would have benefited from a more participative approach. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? No – I find it much easier to either tell people what I want to happen, or to open the process with input from everybody. I doubt my sole decision if I there is time to analyse it. Style 3 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Consulting or Participative – Emphasis is on joint decision making, with team members allowed more freedom to take initiative and regular support maintained. Give an example showing when you have used this style. When considering changing the appointment system due to low patient satisfaction a meeting was held with the reception team. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? The reception team were the most knowledgeable about the day to day demands upon the current system and the most significant shortcomings. Their involvement in the decision making created a revised system which best addressed the current failings. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? Yes – despite scoring heavily towards a directive approach on questionnaires, I feel comfortable discussing problems within a group and value the input of others in an area where their expertise is greater than mine. Style 4 (name this style and describe it in twenty words or less) Delegating – The leader remains involved in decisions but passes responsibility for tasks and processes to the individual or group. Give an example showing when you have used this style. When requesting that a senior team member be responsible for producing the annual significant event report. Was it effective? Give yourself a score out of 10†¦ Explain why you gave yourself that score: why was it the right (or the wrong!) thing to do? The report needed updating periodically and completing by the end of the year. The team member in question had the required capability and could be trusted to fulfil the objective in a way that they saw fit. There was no specific format that the report had to take. Does applying this style come easily to you? Why or why not? No – I worry that people will have a negative response to being asked. Thinking about how easy (or difficult) you find it to apply each style†¦ What factors should you take into account before deciding which style to use? There are a number of factors that I would take into account: The ability of individuals or the team as a whole, the time available to complete the objective, the complexity of the issue and who has the most expertise, not always the person in charge! What score would you give yourself, out of ten, for your ability to apply different leadership styles? Explain that score here: 6 – Some styles come easier to me than others, on a situational leadership style scoring sheet my score was highly directive, suggesting that I subconsciously tend towards a more autocratic approach. Feedback from other team members has also shown this to be the case and coupled with my inexperience in a leading role results in me not always making the most appropriate choices. Assessment unit title ILM unit no. AMSPAR unit no Be able to develop and lead teams M5.46/2 604/2 Assessment Criteria 1. [Be able to] implement changes to your leadership style in order to more effectively develop and lead teams Change proposed (Specific, Measurable) How best to implement this (Achievable) Resources Schedule (Timed) Create new staff appraisal system for reception team, which will improve knowledge of individual strengths. Up to 75% of team members to answer on feedback forms that appraisal was of â€Å"some use† to them. Ask practice manager if I can attend upcoming seminar which includes section on appraisals. Practice manager to be consulted about possible budget for training and time available. Training completed by 30/09/13, one month before start of appraisals. Improve self -confidence. Do confidence scoring questionnaires now and in six weeks’ time. Complete daily visualisations from self-help book. Guided visualisation CD and questionnaires. Review with questionnaire six weeks. Create a more balanced leadership approach, currently heavily directive. Complete leadership style questionnaire now and in eight weeks’ time. Ask for anonymous feedback from team. Contact consensus training provider to clarify cost and duration. Set time aside to complete training. Practice manager to be consulted about possible budget for training and time available. Review with questionnaire and feedback in eight weeks. References Cherith Simmons Learning and Development 2013 Leadership, supervision and team building information pack. Mind Tools Ltd (2013) The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. Available at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm. Date accessed 06/06/13 businessballs.com (2013) action centred leadership. Available at: http://businessballs.com/action.htm. Date accessed 06/06/13.