Author: chris

Professional Learning Communities

One component of the 21st Century Professional Development framework encourages sharing knowledge with fellow faculty, using face-to-face, virtual and blended communications. When we think of sharing knowledge, we often think of using professional learning communities. In several of your courses, the concept of a professional learning community (PLC) is presented and elaborated on. A professional learning community consists of individuals with an interest in eduction. The focus of a professional learning community can be taking measures to ensure students learn, creating a culture of collaboration in the school, for school improvement and more (DuFour, 2004). In this discussion, you will deliberate about the use of professional learning communities as they relate to the 21st Century Professional Development framework with an emphasis on technology.

Initial Post: Think about the 21st Century Professional Development framework and technology when working in your mock professional learning community. Next, imagine your state legislatures have asked the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office to advise them regarding the creation of a blended professional learning community across the districts within the state. As an educator who is well versed in employing critical thinking, problem solving and 21st-century skills in the classroom, you have been selected to participate with a group of other teachers to inform and persuade the Analyst’s Office of why the incorporation of technology to work collaboratively with other teachers in the state is important.

Work with your mock PLC group to come up with a supported argument based on personal experiences and scholarly literature in which you:

• Discuss how you could incorporate and implement the use of technology to create a blended professional learning community across districts within your state to share knowledge with fellow faculty on how a deeper understanding of subject matter can actually enhance problem solving, critical thinking, and other 21st-century skills.
• Discuss how creating a professional learning community can increase the ways teachers seize opportunities for integrating 21st-century skills, tools and teaching strategies into their classroom practice — and help them identify what activities they can replace or de-emphasize.

 

Discussion 3

Link Your ePortfolio

In this discussion, you will attach a link to your ePortfolio and reflect on your redesign activity from the Week Four Assignment. Your instructor will not post individual replies to all learners. Instead, the instructor will post a synthesis of the redesign activity on Day 7 (Monday). The instructor will find common themes and challenges associated with the assignment from Week Four to provide feedback to the class as a whole. Although your instructor will not provide individual feedback, you will be graded on whether or not you attached the link to your ePortfolio (Pathbrite), your reflection of the assignment, and your responses to peers.

Initial Post: Attach a link to your electronic portfolio. Next, in one page, reflect on the major result of your study and why the outcome is interesting, describe the relevance of your findings to the field of education and/or beyond, describe other directions this study could lead to, and summarize the changes you would make to the study in retrospect.

APA, No plagiarism, all original answers, will have to run through turnitin and safeassign.

 

1. What recent trends in Information Technology (IT) impact competition and ways to work? Provide an example.

 

2. What are the basic components and types of computer systems? Provide some descriptions with your examples.

 

3.Describe two examples of specific DSSs that are being used to assist in decision making. You may use examples from the textbook or other examples you have read about or heard about.

 

4. Every large organization has large files or databases containing data used in operating the business. Does a data warehouse differ from these operational files or databases? Explain why or why not.

 

5.Describe the difference between project, program, and portfolio management.

 

6. What is a virtual team, and why do IT managers need new approaches for managing such a team?

Instructions

 

• Identify a program in your local community that is addressing healthy living at the individual level. Examples include, but are not limited to YMCA programs, worksite wellness, local hospital or clinic wellness programs, etc.

• Provide a brief description of the program and how it contributes to healthy living on both physical and mental health levels.

• Discuss how this program contributes to the health of the overall community.

• How can they partner with other programs in the community to provide more comprehensive interdisciplinary services?

 

Requirements

 

• The paper should be at least 975 words in length.

• Include a list of references in APA format, including the information used from the modules

During the period of early childhood, mastering fine motor skills is a very important process needed for physical and cognitive development. However, for a number of different reasons, there are some children who do not develop at the same pace as an average child. It is important for parents and physicians to recognize children who are not on track developmentally because the earlier the cause of the delay can be determined, the earlier parents can start working with the child to correct or minimize these deficits. Often, the earlier the children begins to work on their developmental deficits, the greater the advancements they can make.

By the age of three, a child should be able to do the following:

• Use a spoon by themselves
• Draw a vertical and horizontal line
• String large beads
• Snip paper with scissors
• Roll clay or play dough into a “snake”

Conduct an Internet search using the two phrases listed below. Your results will help you better understand the kind of milestones that are used to assess the development of fine motor skills in young children.

• Fine motor skills milestones
• Child development milestones

Using the module readings, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, research observational and motor learning and activities that can be used to help develop motor skills. Then, address the following:

• Explain whether any motor tasks or skills can be accomplished via observational learning. Justify your response.
• Now, consider a situation in which a young child (3–4 years old) is developmentally delayed in fine motor skill development. Create a strategy which would help the child strengthen his or her fine motor skills.
• You can find a number of activities online which purport to help develop these skills. From a theoretical viewpoint, be sure to explain how these activities will aid a child’s fine motor skill development. Make sure that you reference at least one peer-reviewed article in addition to any Web sites you find and describe these activities as part of your development strategy.

1. Imagine that you are Project Manager for Disney.  Based on the information in this case study describe the critical project success METRICS that Disney might use when doing a project to develop a new ride.   (A METRIC is simply something that you can measure to gauge project progress.)  In other words, how would you prioritize the needs for addressing project cost, schedule, quality, and client acceptance?   Cite evidence from the case study to support your answer.
2. Describe Disney’s attention to detail in designing its rides.  How does Disney use the “atmosphere” discussed in the case to maximize the guest experience while minimizing complaints about the length of the wait to get on the ride?

Also complete by 01/13/16 the following

 

(Due Jan 13^th)

Week 2: Are leaders born or made?

1 1 unread reply. 1 1 reply.

Some folks believe that true leaders are born that way. “Either you got it, or you ain’t got it.”  Others believe that leaders can be developed and trained: leadership skills can be acquired even if one is not naturally gifted with such.

Consider this question:  Is leadership an innate trait with which one is born, or is leadership a skill that one can learn?  Answer this question.

Share your thoughts with the class, and back them up with examples, quotes, and/or articles.

 

 

For this assignment, you must compose a brief research paper/essay on the topic of leadership.

Requirements ( Due Jan 13^th)

• Follow the instructions below
• Write a two-page paper that thoroughly addresses the questions below. (Optional title page, two pages of content — 12 point font single spaced, 1-page bibliography citing your sources.)
• Submit your paper to the instructor via Canvas
• Identify a real person (dead or alive, present or past) whom you consider to be a great leader.   This could be a leader from any walk of life – military, political, religious, entertainment/arts, business, cultural change.  They need not be particularly famous or widely-known, as long as you can document their leadership style and influence as required below.
• Spend some time researching the life and work of this great leader.  If possible, please include at least one book in addition to web-based sources and/or periodicals.  Be sure to properly cite all your sources.
• Answer the following questions:

Instructions

1. Describe FIVE specific character traits that make this person a great leader. Explain how each of these traits contributes to this person’s ability to effectively lead others.
2. Describe the scope of this leader’s influence, and describe the impact that this leader’s life and accomplishments have had on others (whether the world, humanity, country, organization, local community, or even family.)
3. Provide TWO quotes from this leader which capture the essence of his/her style of leadership.
4. Of the five characteristics described in question one, identify the ONE character trait displayed by this leader which you admire most and want to emulate.  Describe some specific behaviors and activities you can implement in your own life to do so.

Question 1

Identify the three types of recycled paper, and discuss why not all grades of paper waste are of equal quality.

Your response should be at least 150 words in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

 

Question 2

Discuss the three ways in which textiles can be recycled. Why is it preferable to reuse rather than recycle textiles?

 

Your response should be at least 150 words in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

Joseph Farms, Inc. is a small firm in the agricultural industry. They have asked you to help them complete the limited data they have gathered in an effort to enable effective decision-making. Some work can be done using MS Excel but it must be copied to an MS Word file for the final submission of this assignment. To assist Joseph Farms, Inc., respond to the following:

• Using MS Excel or a table in MS Word, complete Table-1 (Joseph Farms, Inc., Cost and Revenue Data).
  • Assume that the price is $165.
  • Assume the fixed costs are $125, at an output level of 1.
  • Assume that the data represents a firm in pure competition.
  • Show your calculations.
• Explain the MC=MR Rule.  Describe the market structures to which this rule applies.
• Create a chart to illustrate the data in Columns 9 and 10.
• Describe the profit maximizing (or loss minimizing) output for this firm.  Explain why or why not there is an economic profit?
• Explain why a firm in pure competition is considered to be a “price taker.”

 

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree Response

Write a minimum of a 700-word response to the following questions:

Part 1

Discuss the pros and cons of mandatory sentences. Do mandatory sentences remove discretion from the sentencing judge and vest discretion in the prosecutor, who may elect to charge a defendant with a lesser offense to avoid imposition of a mandatory sentence?

Part 2

In a substantial number of criminal appeals, some state appellate courts routinely issue decisions merely stating “Judgment Affirmed.” When an appellate court rejects a defendant’s issues on appeal, should it be required to issue an opinion justifying its decision? In discussing this issue, consider whether such a requirement would require greatly increasing the number of judges and support staff and the additional costs thereof, as well as detract from the court’s ability to direct its efforts to writing opinions on novel questions of law.

Job Design

Designing jobs for employees must be a strategic initiative because optimizing productivity levels without overworking an employee can be difficult to accomplish. Job design refers to organizing tasks, duties, responsibilities, and other components into a productive unit of work. As such, there is a correlation between job design and job performance; job design and job satisfaction; job design and organizational commitment; and job design and physical and mental health. Once the job and tasks are defined, a detailed job description needs to be developed.

A job description will usually indicate the different tasks for which a potential employee will be responsible. Organizations are known to come up with job descriptions that provide a general standard for interested applicants. Organizations are also notorious for including the following sentence at the end of a job description: Employee may be asked to perform other duties as required. This significant sentence legally allows an employer to modify job descriptions at any time and without notice. The Occupational Information Network (or O*NET) is a useful website for learning about different jobs and the tasks associated with each job (www.onetonline.org). The following job description illustrates the tasks for which an Assistant Professor of Marketing is responsible.

Job Description Example

                                                        

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Responsibilities: Teach general Marketing courses and/or concentration courses as appropriate per academic credentials, advise students, and serve on Department and University committees. The preferred candidates will be able to conduct research in their areas of expertise and/or related fields. Participate in the ongoing development of the curriculum. Continue professional development and scholarship in teaching areas, research and academic writing. Positions require teaching excellence and scholarly productivity. Employee may be asked to perform other duties as required.

It can be concluded from the brief job description above that a potential employee is responsible for researching (creative), performing other duties as required (adaptive), and teaching (routine) at the university. Task-based job performance has three general categories: creative, adaptive, and routine. The “CAR” acronym, can be used for recalling the task performance criteria.

 

Task Performance Criteria

 

 

Creative task performance is the degree to which employees develop and implement ideas that are both novel and useful. The reality is that creative task performance is playing a larger role in all jobs. For example, Google engineers can spend up to 20 percent of their time on a project of their choice because creativity is valued and encouraged by the organization. By the same token, the employees of 3M are allowed to use 15 percent of their time to think creatively. Both companies credit these unique programs as the source of their most successful products. In some professions (e.g., marketing or advertising), creative task performance is considered more important than any other task performance. Furthermore, professors are also encouraged to be creative and publish in prestigious academic journals. As a matter of fact, the example above illuminated the importance of a professor being able to publish. The classic saying, “publish or perish” holds true in academia. Imagine one-third of a professor’s job (or more) being dependent upon his or her ability to be creative and publish novel concepts. With globalization and competition, creative task performance will continue to play a major role in all jobs of the future.

Adaptive task performance requires an employee to be able to “adapt and overcome” novel or unusual situations. A case in point is when Chesley B. Sullenberger, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 (January 15, 2009), discovered his plane had lost power and he decided to land in the Hudson River. Captain Sullenberger’s heroic actions saved the lives of 150 passengers and crew. A different example (occurred on January 9, 2011) is when U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Arizona and her aide (Daniel Hernandez Jr., who was only five days into his new job) came to her rescue and performed first-aid. Both examples elucidate adaptive task performances that are novel and unusual. All jobs have a component of adaptive task performance that can be extreme or insignificant.

Routine task performance is associated with being responsible for the same task each day with very minimal variety or change. A classic example of routine task performance would be an employee who works on an automobile assembly line. Each person who works on an automobile assembly line has a very specific job such as screwing on doors or bumpers. This “division of labor” concept is used in many organizations to help enhance productivity levels. For example, contemporary hospitals have been known to request radiologists to specialize and analyze specific digital images (e.g., CT scans, MRI scans, or mammograms) to help productivity, efficiency, accountability, and efficacy levels. In some situations, it makes more sense to divide work amongst a group of employees as opposed to having a group of employees working on the same tasks and doing double-work.

Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 3-5 page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:

• Analyze your current occupation using the task performance criteria (CAR acronym).
• Discuss how your job aligns with the task performance criteria (CAR acronym). Provide specific examples. What percent of your job focuses on creative, adaptive, and routine task performances? Discuss your findings.
• Based upon the task performance criteria (CAR acronym), how can your job be changed to make it more meaningful?
•  Create a new job description for your current job that you could use to attract applicants.