Technology and Art Essay -- Computers Artists Essays

Technology and Art Many centuries ago, art was rendered inaccessible by the masses and was reserved for the few high society members who had the means of access to appreciate history in the making. Through the use of technology, art has been made hugely accessible by the ability to trade media forms, mainly through the Internet and other technological means. Much like the printing press was for literature with Gutenberg in 1445, technology has heightened art and moreover, the expression of it. Technology has enhanced art through the main use of graphics, both computer and animation, the communication of it, and musically it has enhanced the quality and distribution. It has launched us into the twenty-first century full steam and will continue to come up with new innovations and ideas to keep the momentum going for many years to come. Art has always been an expression guarded for the seemingly elite in classical history and this idea continued to survive throughout most of art history until the late 1800’s when finally, slowly, the barriers broke down and the masses were opened up to the various forms of expression. Although they were exposed to simple art forms, such as local works that were produced by seemingly grass-root artists or possibly the artworks displayed in the Catholic Cathedrals meant to add a meaning of sophistication and reverence to display Christ, this was mostly evident in the Medieval and possibly Gothic periods, while the Renaissance proved to be a cleansing period of the old and a new wind rushing through the stodgy halls of antiquity. But the catch about the Renaissance was that it was mainly present in a seemingly isolated and controlled environment, unlike the false pretense that ... ...seum technologies. Huws, Ursula "Nature, technology and art: the emergence of a new relationship?." Leonardo v. 33.no1 (2000): p. 33-40. Art Abstract. 4 Apr. 2002. Keyword: Art Technology. In this article, the author discusses about the technology and art’s new relationship. The article talks about artist who developed their style along with the development of technology and the opposite. However, little information was used for the write-up of the paper. Kerman, Staci "Building bridges between art and technology: rapid prototyping and manufacturing." Metalsmith v. 20.no3 (2000): p. 36-43. Art Abstract. 4 Apr. 2002. Keyword: Art Technology. In the article, author talks about her own experiment with new technologies for art. She talks about the benefits she gained from the new technology and development of her own ways of using the technology.

Academic Achievement of Homeschooled Children Essay

These days many American children are schooled at home, with the number growing more and more per year; however, t the same time home schooling has received less attention than other recent changes in the educational system. It could be argued that home schooling may have a much larger impact on educational system, both in the short and long run. This research will basically provide the home school population, its growth and its characteristics. Also, with the beginning of a discussion of the data sources used in the analysis, this research examines characteristics of home schooled children and their families such as those characteristics most relevant for gauging trends in home schooling. Lastly, there will be talked about implications of home schooling for regular schools and a brief conclusion. Therefore, based on all these researches, I am going to research whether or not home-based education cause higher academic achievement than the institutional schooling in U. S. A. Proposal Methods The researchers will use quantitative research regarding the influence of the educational background of parents on the performance of their home schooled children. The performance of the home schooled children will be quantified in comparison with the public school children with also varying educational backgrounds. Survey method—using will be used in order to obtain the more generalized results of the study. Participants will be contacted first through phone to have permission or consent of being part of the study. This part will also inform the family, especially the parents about the research study that will be conducted. According to Timothy Johnson of University of Illinois at Chicago, having an informed consent of the participants is part of the ethics of conducting researches. (Johnson) If the participants agree on being part of the study, mailed questionnaires will be distributed. The group that I propose to study is 75 homeschooled eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) graders. The chosen sample size is a significant number in order to study the influence of the educational background of parents on their homeschooled children since 75 is not much of a high number, making it too pricey or having too much effort given on the study, or not too low of a number. Studies were also made regarding the influence of parents on their homeschooled children, but these studies were more focused on the primary education (Grades 1-4, as indicated in the Literature Review), and not on the high school level. This study will further explore if the influence of parent’ educational background will change if the students are at a higher level of schooling. This study will also be limited on eleventh and twelfth graders. The sample size 75 students will be divided into three groups. Group 1 will consist of children that have been schooled at home by parents that have less than a high school education. Group 2 will consist of children that have been homeschooled by parents that have a high school education. Group 3 will consist of 25 children that have been homeschooled by parents. Additionally, 75 public school children also in eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) grade will serve as the control group. Group 4 will consist of children that have been schooled in the public school system and whose parents have less than a high school education. Group 5 will consist of 25 children have been schooled in public school and have parents that have a high school education and Group 6 will consist of 25 children that have been schooled in public school whose parents have a college education. These particular groups were chosen to research two key areas addressed in the research proposal. First the area of whether homeschooled children outperform those that are educated by public school. Second this method will attempt to address if the parents education significantly impacts academic achievement in both groups. Eleventh (11th) and Twelfth (12th) grade students were chosen for this research because they are at the end of their respective high school education and one can better assess their overall education. Obtaining the data necessary to conduct the research will consist identifying the test subjects in home school by contacting a home school association within the target state(s) for a mailing list of parents. A small questionnaire will be sent out to ascertain the educational background of parents with return postage and a request that they mail the questionnaire back. This feedback will be divided into the three groups identified to study. At this point, 25 families will be randomly chosen from each group and contacted by the researcher via telephone. If a family elects not to be part of the study group, another family will be randomly chosen from that category. The researchers will continue to distribute questionnaires on families that fit the criteria, until a response is made. Once a telephone interview with the parents is conducted and they have agreed to participate, a paper assessment will be mailed to the family. A return envelope with postage paid will be sent with the assessment. This assessment will be an ACT/SAT style test addressing the four main academic components: Math, Reading, Science, and English. The child or children will have 24 hours to complete the assessment and return it to either the post office or mailbox so that the return envelope can be stamped for that day. This method will put urgency into the test being completed and sent back and may reduce some forms of cheating. While a computerized test was considered, it may not be possible for all children schooled at home to have computer access so a paper assessment was the most versatile method of data collection. The same process will be conducted for the public school children. Eligible families will be identified by contacting the target state(s) Department of Education. Again, a paper questionnaire will be sent asking for data on the parents’ education and a request to return it. These parents will also be contacted for permission. Once consent is given, the assessment will be sent to the family with the same procedure outlined above. In Groups 1, 2, and 3 we can assess the general academic achievement of children schooled at home. We can also measure, to a degree, how much the parents own education impacts the academic achievements of the child or children. The same is true of Groups 4, 5, and 6. In the case of the latter group, parents’ education may not be relevant however it is necessary for the continuity of the study. In order to obtain accurate results, these assessments should be conducted sometime within the school year after the first quarter of either the eleventh (11th) or (12th) grade. Students should be assessed after being accustomed to their routine learning guidelines in their respective schooling. Respondents will also be assured that they will be guaranteed that their responses will be confidential, as also stated in the Code of Standards of Council of American Survey Research Organizations. (Council of American Survey Research Organizations, 2009) In a working paper written for the U. S. Census Bureau, Kurt Bauman pointed out several characteristics that may determine home school trends (Bauman, 2001). However, the purpose of this study is purely to identify academic achievement within both the home school student group and public school student group. SURVEY QUESTIONS: The survey questions will be divided into three parts: basic information, performance section. These questions will be the same for Groups 1, 2, and 3, and Groups 4, 5, and 6. The first part, as the name says, contains all the basic information about the student and the parents. This part will include the educational background of the parents, the reasons for home schooling, what they know about the regulations regarding home schooling of their state, etc. The questionnaire for those that are homeschooled, in order, will provide this series of questions: name, name of parents, age, grade, educational background of parents, number of years being homeschooled, reason/s of being homeschooled, and organizations that are involved in regarding homeschooling. The questions, on the other hand, of those that are in public schools will be the same of the homeschooled questionnaire, except for the last three questions. The next part on the other hand, will include the academic test that will determine the performance of the student. The students will answer questions on subject matters like Math, Science, Reading and English, in order to at least have a grasp about their overall academic knowledge. ETHICS ON RESEARCH The researchers acknowledge the fact that the study can be a critical matter especially for parents since discrimination, especially on educational backgrounds, might be possible. However, it is also an essential for the researchers to keep in mind the ethics of conducting a research as stated by Thomas Watson. First is that the researchers will give privacy to the respondents, meaning they can willingly say or not say information that they aren’t comfortable with. Second, the researchers will ensure voluntary participation—that is, the researchers will respect if they want to be part of the research or not. Lastly, the researchers will maintain confidentiality and non-attribution. The respondents will remain to be anonymous. (Watson, 1996) References Bauman, Kurt J. , Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics, (2001). Retrieved April 13, 2010 from the U. S. Census Bureau website: http://www. census. gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053/twps0053. html Literature Review Academic Achievement of Homeschooled Children Does home-based education cause higher academic achievement than the institutional schooling in California? Early studies as well as the more recent studies illustrate that this is indeed possible, as they examine the academic performances of homeschooled students in different locations and with various independent variables. For instance, Belfield and Levin (2005) showed that homeschooled students have better SAT verbal scores than the non-homeschooled students. Although homeschooled students have higher SAT math scores as well, the gap seems to be greater in the verbal scores (Belfield & Levin, 2005). After controlling for 21 independent variables, Belfield and Levin showed that the advantage of homeschooled students over private school students was reduced, but the great gap still exists when the comparison is between homeschooled students and public schools students. Moreover, the scores of the homeschooled students and private school students in SAT are at par with each other, with no group outperforming the other (Belfield & Levin, 2005). According to Basham et al. (2007), whether having at least one or no parent as a certified teacher do not significantly matter on the achievement levels of the homeschooled children, although parents who acquired university degree have homeschooled children who outperform significantly those parents who did not earned a degree. However, Bansham illustrate that regardless of these parental backgrounds, homeschooled children all scored between the range of 80 to 90 percent, as opposed to the average score of 63 percent for public school students, who have parents with university degree and average score of 28 percent of public school students who have parents with no degree. Moreover, around 25 percent of homeschooled students have academic performances better than students above their age-level studying either in public or private schools (Bauman, 2002). This can be seen in grade 1 to 4 homeschooled students. All of them perform better compared to the performance of the non-homeschooled students of at least one-grade level higher (McDowell & Ray, 2000). When it comes to 8th grade, the homeschooled students have academic performances better than non-homeschooled students at least four grade levels higher. All these evidences illustrate that being homeschooled leads to better academic performances despite the children’s background, which would have played negative roles when the children were not homeschooled (McDowell & Ray, 2000). Homeschooling reduce or eliminate altogether the negative effects low family income, low parental educational attainment, large family size, race or ethnicity or even gender would have played if the students were not educated in the home setting (Bansham et al. , 2007, Ray, 2000; Ray & Eagleson, 2008). Not having computers or other materials required by formal schools or not having access to public libraries seems not to matter as much for homeschooled students as compared to homeschooled students as well (Bansham et al. , 2007). All these factors do not affect how the children perform academically either. The academic achievements of homeschooled children cannot be generalized. Researchers doubt generalizations because it is difficult to compare homeschooled children and those who are not. However, despite all the doubts of the generalizabilty of the better academic performance of homeschooled children, more and more studies are producing evidence that homeschooled children achieve better performance against their non-homeschooled peers on various types of tests (Basham et al, 2007). The present study will determine if in California, the same findings would emerge. the scores of the homeschooled students and certain Californian private school students in SAT will be examined to test this. Factors such as socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity will also be tested to determine whether each of them will have a significant relationship with the academic achievement of homeschooled students in California. Homeschooling laws depend on the state where the family is residing—whether be it the requirements of the parents, the testing procedure, etc. In a state like Washington, parents are required to have 45 quarter units of college level credit, complete parent qualifying course, an average of an hour a week meeting with a certified teacher, and a qualification to provide home-based teaching instruction by the superintended of the local school district. (Russell, 2008) The case is otherwise different in Michigan since no law requires for parents or teachers to have certain qualifications in order to teach. ( Home School Legal Defense Association, 2009) According to Home School Legal Defense Association, there are already 40 states that adopted the home school regulations. It is also stated in their website that â€Å"Forty-one states do not require home school parents to meet any specific teacher qualifications. The eight states which require only a high school diploma or a GED are: GA, NC, NM, OH, PA, SC, TN, and WV. DC also requires either a high school diploma or GED. (In TN, there is no qualification requirement for grades K-8 if home school is associated with a church-related school). The remaining state has the following qualification requirements: ND requires only a high school diploma or GED, provided that the parent is monitored by a certified teacher for two years. † There are three states who qualify home school teachers to be â€Å"competent† such as CA, KS, and NY. Having less than GED are considered to be competent in those three states. (Home School Legal Defense Association) References Bansham, P. , Merrifield, J. , Hepburn, C. R. (2007). â€Å"Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream. Studies in Education Policy. † The Fraser Institute. Retrieved from http://www. netzwerk-bildungsfreiheit. de/pdf/From_the_extreme_to_the_mainstream. pdf Bauman, K. J. (2002). Home schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10(26). Retrieved from http://epaa. asu. edu/epaa/v10n26. html. Belfield, Clive R. and Henry M. Levin (2005). Privatizing Education Choice: Consequences for Parents, Schools and Public Policy. Boulder, C. O. : Paradigm Publishers. McDowell, Susan A. and Brian D. Ray (2000). â€Å"The Home Education Movement in Context, Practice, and Theory. † Peabody Journal of Education, 75(11), 1-7 Ray, B. D. (2000). Home schooling: The ameliorator of negative influences on learning? Peabody Journal of Education, 75(1 & 2), 71-106. Ray, B. D. , & Eagleson, B. K. (2008, August 14). State regulation of homeschooling and homeschoolers’ SAT scores. Journal of Academic Leadership, 6(3). Retrieved from http://www. academicleadership. org/emprical_research/State_Regulation_of_Homeschooling_and_Homeschoolers_SAT_Scores. shtml Bibliography Home School Legal Defense Association. (2009). Home Schooling in the United States: A Legal Analysis. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from Home School Legal Defense Association: http://www. hslda. org/laws/analysis/Michigan. pdf Council of American Survey Research Organizations. (2009). CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Council of American Survey Research Organizations: http://www. casro. org/codeofstandards. cfm Home School Legal Defense Association. (n. d. ). Summary of Home School Laws in the Fifty States. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Home School Legal Defense Association: http://www. hslda. org/laws/Summary_of_Laws. pdf Johnson, T. (n. d. ). Ethical Issues in the Conduct of Survey Research. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs: http://www. srl. uic. edu/seminars/ethicsint. htm Russell, L. (2008, June 12). Washington Homeschool Law. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Suite 101: http://homeschool-regulations. suite101. com/article. cfm/washington_homeschool_law Watson, T. (1996). Survey and Interview Ethics for Data Gatherers and Respondents. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from Independent Job Analysis: http://www. ijoa. org/imta96/paper64. html

Report Writing of Investigatory Project

WRITING A REPORT An investigatory science project ends with a report. This report also known as technical paper, includes the following patterns: A. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This is the list of people who advise the student in undertaking the investigatory project. B. TITLE The title should be able to catch the attention of the reader. It should be concise, descriptive and self-explanatory. It should indicate clearly what the project is about. The phrase â€Å"A Study to Show† should be avoided, because in research you do not seek to prove something but rather to impartially find an answer.C. ABSTRACT This is a short paragraph of not more than 200 to 290 words which give the essential or principal features of the project or study. This should be descriptive or informative enough to present a comprehensive picture of the study. D. INTRODUCTION This section includes the following: 1. Background of the study This presents the reason that led the investigator to launch the study. A historic al background may be given. Or the background of the study may state some observations and other relevant conditions that prompted the investigator to explore the problem.Some questions to guide you while writing this part of the paper are the following: -Why did I select this research project? -Are there others who have done similar studies? -What have others done or not done that move or spurred me to work on this project? -What are my own observations which are relevant to the study? -Will the results of the study make any contribution in the attainment of a better quality of life? 2. Statement of the Problem and Objectives This must state what you aimed to accomplish. Whether the problem is stated in the form of question or declarative statement, always use brief, precise and accurate statements.The objective should be stated positively and in the declarative form. Define the general objective or main problem and the specific objective(s) or sub-problem(s) you are trying to answ er or resolve. State these such that they are definitely and clearly related to the data obtained. 3. significant of the Project State why the study is worth making and how it can contribute to you as an individual, to your community and to your country. 4. Delimitation/Limitations of the Study/Project Delimitation refers to the scope and extent of your study within the subject or topic area.Limitation includes the extent of your knowledge and experience in the area. Moreover, it includes the practical and ethical considerations that affected the way you designed and executed your research plan. 5. Review of Related Literature This part helps the reader of previous studies make on the project’s topic or problem. The basic features of this part are: a. Studies which are related in purpose, method or findings to your present study. b. Summary statements of the studies being reviewed, The summary should show the transitions from earlier to past studies and relationships of previ ous studies to your present project problem. . Pertinent portions of relevant literature. The last name(s) of the author(s) followed by the year of publication in which the information appeared, should be enclosed in parenthesis and given at the end of the statement. E. MATERIALS AND METHODS 1. Materials and Equipment List down the materials, reagents, chemicals, plants, animals and other experimental units, as well as equipment that were used in performing the experiment. 2. Treatment or General Procedure Describe the procedure in such a way that anyone who is completely unfamiliar with your topic or methods will know exactly what you did.Also, should the reader desire to repeat your research, he can easily do so. It is important to cite the references for the methods or treatment you used and to describe in detail any modification you introduced. You should include the following: the number of trials performed, the variables used, and how you gathered and organized the data. F. OB SERVATIONS/FINDINGS Present clearly and precisely what you observed. The method you used to summarize your data depends on the type of investigation and project you have undertaken. Graphic representations in the forms of diagrams, tables, photographs and slides, etc. re also effective in presenting data. G. ANALYSIS OF DATA Present your analysis of the data. Give the meaning, relationship and significance that the data reveal. H. GENERALIZATION Your interpretation of the data leads you to make some generalizations. You can arrive at these generalizations either by deduction or induction. Present the line of reasoning which led you to these generalizations. I. APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS State the implications and practical applications of your findings. Several applications may be due to some limitations of your experiment or investigation.At this point, you should suggest any further research which would be an outgrowth of your study. J. BIBILIOGRAPHY List all the references use d in your investigation either alphabetically or in the order of citing in the text of the scientific paper. If the reference is a book, state the author, title, place of publication, publisher, date and pages cited. If the references is a magazine article, state the author, title of the article, name of magazine, date and number of issue and page number. If the internet is used, indicate the website. Passion for Truth and Compassion for Humanity Thanks to Philo for providing this copy.

Marijuana, Satins Advocate essays

Marijuana, Satins Advocate essays The dispute of whether or not marijuana should be legal is not a new one. It is a topic that has been discussed and debated about for decades, but has not yet been resolved. The main three points of concern are the effects of the drug on an individual, society, and the medicinal value. I am against the legalization of marijuana for the purpose of recreational and medicinal use. The opposing side, believes that it would be all right for marijuana to be legal for both recreational and medical consumption. Through intense research, it would be safe to say that marijuana use poses detrimental affects to an individuals health through recreational use, masquerades our society with threatening drivers under the influence, and shortens the lives of patients through medicinal use. Hens, marijuana should not be legalized period. First and foremost, marijuana is hazardous to a person's health in numerous ways. Marijuana can drastically affect the immune system. Animal studies have found that THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, can damage the bodys self defense cells and tissues that help protect people from diseases. When the immune system is weakened, the human body is prone to get sick. The consumption of marijuana can have detrimental effects on the lungs and its airways as well. Marijuana smoke in the lungs will kill cilia. Cilia move mucous, dirt and other particles out of the lungs. Also heavy usage will decrease the lungs defense against bacterial and fungal infections. The herb is also known to contain even more cancer-causing chemicals that are found in tobacco smoke. Studies have shown that a person that smokes five joints a day will be consuming the same amount of cancer causing chemicals as someone that smokes a pack of cigarettes a day. Long-term users may then become diagnosed wi th asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, or even lung cancer (marijuanaaddiction.inf...

Writing a Research Paper Using Color-Coded Index Cards

Writing a Research Paper Using Color-Coded Index Cards A research paper is primarily a discussion or argument based on a thesis, which includes evidence from several collected sources. While it may seem like a monumental project to write a research paper, it is really a straightforward process that you can follow, step by step. Before you get started, make sure you have plenty of note paper, several multi-colored highlighters, and a pack of multi-colored index cards. You should also read over the checklist for research ethics  before you begin, so you dont head down the wrong path! Organizing your Research Paper Youll use the following steps to complete your assignment. 1. Select a topic2. Find sources3. Take notes on colored index cards4. Arrange your notes by topic5. Write an outline6. Write a first draft7. Revise and re-write8. Proofread Library Research Become familiar with the services and layout of the library. There will be a card catalog and computers for database searches, but you dont need to tackle those alone. There will be library personnel on hand to show you how to use these resources. Dont be afraid to ask! Select a Research Paper Topic Once you narrow your choices to a specific subject area, find three specific questions to answer about your topic. A common mistake by students is to choose a final topic that is too general. Try to be specific: What is tornado alley? Are certain states really more likely to suffer from tornadoes? Why? One of your questions will turn into a thesis statement, after you do a little preliminary research to find theories to answer to your questions. Remember, a thesis is a statement, not a question. Find Sources Use the card catalog or computer database in the library to locate books. (See Sources to Avoid.) Find several books that seem to be relevant to your topic. There will also be a periodical guide in the library. Periodicals are publications issued on a regular basis, like magazines, journals, and newspapers. Use a search engine to find a list of articles relating to your topic. Make sure to find articles in periodicals that are located in your library. (See How to Find an Article.) Sit at your work table and scan through your sources. Some titles can be misleading, so you’ll have some sources that don’t pan out. You can do a quick read over the materials to determine which ones contain useful information. Taking Notes As you scan your sources, you will begin to zero in on a thesis. Several sub-topics will also begin to emerge. Using our tornado topic as an example, a sub-topic would be the Fujita Tornado Scale. Start taking notes from your sources, using color coding for the sub-topics. For instance, all information referring to the Fujita Scale would go on orange note cards. You may find it necessary to photocopy articles or encyclopedia entries so you can take them home. If you do this, use the highlighters to mark the useful passages in the relevant colors. Every time you take a note, be sure to write down all bibliographical information to include author, book title, article title, page numbers, volume number, publisher name and dates. Write this information on each and every index card and photocopy. This is absolutely critical! Arrange Your Notes by Topics Once you have taken color-coded notes, you will be able to sort your notes more easily. Sort the cards by colors. Then, arrange by relevance. These will become your paragraphs. You may have several paragraphs for each sub-topic. Outline Your Research Paper Write an outline, according to your sorted cards. You may find that some of the cards fit better with different â€Å"colors† or sub-topics, so simply re-arrange your cards. That’s a normal part of the process. Your paper is taking shape and becoming a logical argument or position statement. Write a First Draft Develop a strong thesis statement and introductory paragraph. Follow through with your sub-topics. You may find that you don’t have enough material, and you may need to supplement your paper with additional research. Your paper may not flow very well on the first try. (This is why we have first drafts!) Read it over and re-arrange paragraphs, add paragraphs, and omit information that doesn’t seem to belong. Keep editing and re-writing until you’re happy. Create a bibliography from your note cards. (See citation makers.) Proofread When you think you are happy with your paper, proof read! Make sure it is free of spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. Also, check to make sure you’ve included every source in your bibliography. Finally, check the original instructions from your teacher to make sure you are following all assigned preferences, like title page directions and placement of page numbers.

Priciples of Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Priciples of Managment - Essay Example Introduction We come across teams almost everywhere that we look- from the football field to the office, from the community center to the entertainment club that we belong to. It seems that teams and teamwork are an established part of modern life. If teams and teamwork is so important, it is clear that there should be much attention given to their makeup, strength and functioning so that they continue contributing to the goals of the organization or meet the purposes that they have been set up for. This paper will focus on what is the difference betweeen groups and teams, what makes a team come together, what are the obstacles usually encoutnered in the formation of teams and how can a team be made to contribute most effectively towards group and organizational goals. What are Teams? A team may be defined as a group of people that come together or have been brought together to accomplish some common goal. The essence of a team is a unified effort towards achieving a common purpose, in which each member has a defined role or specific tasks to perform in order that the team objective may be reached. This is where a team differs from a group of people. For example there may be a group of people at the office having lunch together because of proximity or seating next to one another, but if it is decided to make a team consisting of some people from Accounting and Administration to control an excess of office expenses, this can convert people from the same or different groups into a specific team with a now common purpose. A team usually reports to a team leader, and it is expected that the productivity of a team would be greater than the sum of its members due to synergistic benefits. The Difference between Groups and Teams We have seen from the above the difference between groups and teams. A group can be seen as an informal gathering of people in the same organization or community, but when they have a defined common purpose with deadlines and tasks and roles to perform, that is what converts them into a team. Team theory and its development has been a part of 20th century management theory, where it was thought that such a defined and cohesive effort would speed up the achievement of planned objectives. The work of Meredith Belbin in the UK and Bruce Tuckman in the USA has been quite influential in this regard. How to Convert a Group into a Self Managed Team The conversion of a group into a self managed team is a challenging process and puts a lot of responsibility on the team leader. The first step is to develop common goals and a vision. One should also work towards harnessing the value of diversity rather than belittling those with different perspectives. The last step is to foster effective communication. Bringing cohesion among team members is a slow process and is more easily said than done. We have to find out the barriers to change and discover how best to approach the change aspects so that these barriers are crossed or eliminate d. Changing team member attitudes is admittedly one of the most difficult steps in the change management process (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2007) but experts have whittled it down to a series of steps, which if carefully managed can bring about the desired change in the least time possible, with a minimum of fuss. Quite simply, the steps involved in the team building process are (1) clarifying the team goals; (2) identifying the issues that are preventing the team from reaching its goals; and (3) addressing these issues, removing the inhibitors and enabling goal achievement. The team leader may also act as facilitator or mentor to those having difficulties, thereby ensuring that all the resources and support is available to members as needed.

Body Image and the Media Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Body Image and the Media - Article Example The magazine is complex, reaching out to many people of different ages. With that in mind, the publishers have to devise a marketing plan that would cater to the people who read the magazine and these readers have a lot of age difference. Therefore, their ads and their articles must be generic enough to accommodate African-American women of all ages. However, they must also be specific enough to cater to African-American women and enable them to identify themselves with the magazine. The magazine also caters to the fact that people of another color would be wanting to read the specific title. This paper attempts to analyze the contents of the magazine. How it is formatted to fit into the tastes of the readers. The first ten pages of the magazine are more on advertisements. As the magazine is catered for American-American women, the advertisements are geared towards women and are mostly of beauty products. Hair product advertisements are also numerous, as it is known that African-American women value their hair a lot. The advertisements feature black women as well. The black women models project the image of being successful, beautiful and having it all. There is also an ad that features a non-African-American woman, but that is the only advertisement that features a non-colored model. It was an advertisement for Loreal. Skin products are also advertised, such as lotions and baby oils. These products promote skin moisture. The skin of African-Americans is quite prone to dryness, and when the skin gets dry, ash-like substances appear on the skin. Thus, the advertisement is understandable as its major clientele needs the product as part of their grooming. There are at least three skin moisturizing products that are advertised in the first ten pages of the magazine.