Why Mlb Should Have Instant Replay Free Essays

Installing Instant Replay in Major League Baseball Purpose: The purpose of this speech is to persuade my audience and MLB to install instant replay in the game of baseball. I. Introduction *Introduce Self* A. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Mlb Should Have Instant Replay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Attention- First I am going to start off with a video of a prime example of why they should have instant replay in baseball( the replay is of a blown call by Jim Joyce that would have ended the game and preserved the 21st perfect game in baseball which major league baseball was founded in 1869 so it doesn’t happen that often B. Purpose: To persuade my audience to agree that if instant replay was in baseball that baseball would be a better sport. C. Main Points- In my speech I will be talking about what is instant replay, different ways major league baseball can use instant replay and then why Major league baseball needs instant replay. Transition: Some of you maybe asking to yourself what is instant replay and I am about to tell you. II. Body A. What is instant replay? 1. Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event very soon after it has occurred. 2. There are different forms of replay including slow motion, multiple camera angles, freeze frame and frame by frame review. 3. The invention of instant replay is credited to Tony Verna Transition: The one major reason why people are against using instant replay is that they say it will slow down the game of baseball and it is already slow. B. How baseball could have instant replay without slowing the game down sufficiently? 1. Such like college football where they have an official that sits in a booth and looks at every play after it is played that looks for any error that is made by an official well they could have this in MLB . Just like the NFL, where the head coaches get a red challenge flag that is good for one challenge of a play well they could have this in baseball too 3. Both of those ways have worked in football and they wouldn’t take that long so I feel baseball should use it too. Transition: After telling you ways that they could do instant replay in MLB I am going to tell you why MLB should have instant replay. C. Why MLB should have instant replay? 1. I feel like the most important thing in baseball would be to get the call right on each and other play. . I feel like it would make baseball a better sport to watch 3. Finally I feel like baseball is the last sport not to have instant replay so baseball should join the 21st century and have instant replay too. III. Conclusion A. During my speech I told what instant replay is, how they could use instant replay to not slow the game down even more and why MLB should use instant replay in the game of baseball. B. I am going to conclude with a memorable quote â€Å" Hindsight is 20/20†. * Thank Audience* How to cite Why Mlb Should Have Instant Replay, Papers

Proscis ADKAR Change Management Methodology - Free Solution

Question: Discuss a depth review of Prosci's ADKAR change management methodology? Answer: Introduction Change management speaks to a huge and quickly developing discipline that is as a rule progressively conveyed on a worldwide scale by a wide range of associations. It alludes to an organized methodology that encourages the reception of progress by groups and people inside an association (Pugh and Mayle, 2009). The methodology of how associations change draws on numerous orders from psychology and behavioural science to building and frameworks considering. The basic guideline is that change does not happen in detachment. It affects the entire association and every individual connected with it (Greener and Hughes, 2006). This report highlights the ADKAR change model and compares it with other change model to make the reader understand the effectiveness of using ADKAR model in the organization. Overview of Adkar Model In order to manage the change in the organization, an organization should begin with seeing how to oversee change with a solitary individual. Among the instruments accessible to drive individual change, the ADKAR model grew by Prosci, the world pioneer in change administration research and substance creation, is regularly utilized (Hiatt, 2006). The acronym of ADKAR is Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. On a fundamental level, to roll out an improvement effectively an individual needs (Shepherd et al., 2014): Consciousness of the requirement for change Longing to partake and bolster the change Learning on the best way to change Capacity to execute obliged abilities and practices Fortification to manage the change ADKAR depicts fruitful change at the individual level and blueprints the objectives or results of effective change. It is a compelling instrument for arranging change administration exercises, diagnosing holes, creating remedial activity, what's more, supporting administrators and managers (Thorne, 2004). Comparision With Other Models There are various model of change management. However, here only 3 models will be discussed: Models Description Lewis 3 stage According to this change model, the change process involves making the recognition that a change is required, then moving toward the new, wanted level of conduct lastly, hardening that new conduct as the standard. This model involves 3 stages: 1) Unfreeze- this stage is about preparing the association to acknowledge the necessary change 2)Change- where individuals start to determine their instability and search for better approaches to do things 3)Refreeze- This means verifying that the progressions are utilized constantly; and that they are joined into daily business. Kotters 8 step change model This model of change is a more fundamental orderly way to deal with change process. But this change model needs leaders who are viable at "offering". The pioneers must persuade the representatives to "purchase in" to the new changes. The eight stages included in this model incorporate 1) making a feeling of desperation, A feeling that change must happen for the protection of each of the, 2) Creating a coalition. This implies making a gathering or group that is effective and sufficiently successful at driving and urging others to take after, 3) Developing Vision- So, create objectives and the steps expected to attain to the deciding result, the "vision", 4) Communication. This is a solid point in this model as the correspondence needs to guarantee that all workers comprehend the explanation behind the progressions and also the final results, 5) Empowerment. This step additionally obliges the utilization of viable correspondence as the workers need to be engaged, 7) Never surrender and 8) Incorporate change into the culture of the organization (Goncalves, 2007) Action Research model According to this change model, there is a need of testing the method of change along with the attitude and behaviour. Therefore, the change process should first identify the problem, then consult with the expert, gather data, give feedback to the client, OD expert need to diagnose the issue, make a plan, take action, again take feedback and make necessary changes if required (Pryor et al., 2008). Importance Of Adkar Model In Training ADKAR model of change is based on goal-orientation that permits groups of change management to center their exercises on particular business results (Change Management Coach, 2015). The model was at first utilized as an apparatus for figuring out whether activities like training and communication in change management process were having the desired outcome during the organizational change. The ADKAR Change Management Model helps the association to execute change successfully by giving proper and accurate information-sharing objective for every stage (Boca, 2013). Elements of ADKAR Success Factors Awareness for change Helps to understand the present state of mind of a person How the problems encountered perceived by the individual Helps to understand the contestability of the reasons behind change (Hiatt and Creasey, 2003) Desire to participate and support the change This elements helps to understand the change and its impact on the individual The context of change in terms of organization and environment Identify every situation of different person involved in the change process individually Understanding the motivation factors that are specific to the individuals (Gray, 2012) Knowledge of change management The present knowledge of persons needs The ability of the individuals to gain the extra knowledge The availability of the resources for training and education Having access to the existing knowledge base (Gray, 2012) Ability to execute the needed behaviour and skills Intellectual ability Physical Capabilities Psychosomatic blocks Availability of the time for developing skills Availability of the resources for supporting new abilities Reinforcement to continue change The level to which reinforcement is important and particular to the individual affected by change The relationship of the fortification with the genuine showed progress or achievement The deficiency of negative consequences A responsibility framework that makes a progressing system to strengthen the change (Erskine, 2013) This model of change is a holistic approach in training the individuals because it is a simple to-utilize, methodology driven model managers apply to employees and groups to recognize and evacuate boundaries, moderate resistance and furnish individuals with the information and capacities to make the move effectively. The advantage of using this ADKAR model over other models is that it works its path upwards from the level of individual, guaranteeing that every individual prepares for the change finely and makes the move. This model measures the viability of progress at the every level of an individual, permitting the manager of the organization to oversee imperviousness to change in a vastly improved manner contrasted with other models. ADKAR leaves bit to the supervisor to work collaborative with the individual and provide training to the individuals, guiding them, or attempt whatever other mediation while it prompts the desired outcomes. The ADKAR model additionally discovers use as an analytic instrument. It permits separating the change into parts, to distinguish the particular methodologies that separate, and take different solutions. This frequently helps in distinguishing the underlying driver of the issue (Hiatt, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion, the report have effective discussed the ADKAR model and also compared with three different model to understand the importance and effect of ADKAR model. It can be said that ADKAR model is modern and effective to implement changes in the organization. This change model compared to other change management models provides proper checklist to the managers to manage the change. It summarizes the change process steps by step. Thus, this model of change is more of action-oriented and simple to implement. Compared to other models, ADKAR model mainly emphasizes on the effective authoritative change happens just when every individual has the capacity move successfully. The model coordinates different activities of change management. It's centered not on tasks instead on results. The other change models portray what needs to be done - this model portrays the outcomes. The ADKAR model serves to gauge the viability of the change process. This model acts as a tool for the manager to measure the level of individual, identify the gap and construct right actions. References Boca, G. (2013). ADKAR MODEL VS. QUALITY MANAGEMENT CHANGE. Risk in Contemporary Economy, (1), pp.246 - 253. Change Management Coach, (2015). ADKAR Model Of Change. [online] Available at: https://www.change-management-coach.com/adkar.html [Accessed 20 Apr. 2015]. Erskine, P. (2013). ITIL and Organizational Change. Ely: IT Governance Publishing. Goncalves, M. (2007). Change management. New York: ASME Press. Gray, W. (2012). Business Change - The Roles of Change Agents and Subject Matter Experts in Organization Change - And Much More - 101 World Class Expert Facts. Emereo Publishing. Greener, T. and Hughes, M. (2006). Managing change before change management. Strat. Change, 15(4), pp.205-212. Hiatt, J. (2006). ADKAR. Loveland, Colorado: Prosci Learning Center Publications. Hiatt, J. and Creasey, T. (2003). Change management. Loveland, Colo.: Prosci Research. Pryor, M., Taneja, S., Humphreys, J., Anderson, D. and Singleton, L. (2008). CHALLENGES FACING CHANGE MANAGEMENT THEORIES AND RESEARCH. Delhi Business Review, 9(1). Pugh, D. and Mayle, D. (2009). Change management. Los Angeles: SAGE. Shepherd, M., Harris, M., Chung, H. and Himes, E. (2014). Using the Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement Model to build a shared governance culture. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 4(6). Thorne, K. (2004). Coaching for change. London: Kogan Page.

12 Surprising Facts About Starfish

12 Surprising Facts About Starfish Starfish (or sea stars) are beautiful marine animals found in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. All starfish resemble stars, and though the most common have only five arms, some of these animals can grow up to 40 arms. The amazing sea creatures- part of a group of animals known as echinoderms- travel using their tube feet. They can regenerate lost limbs, and they can swallow large prey using their unusual stomachs. Sea Stars Are Not Fish Carlos Agrazal/EyeEm/Getty Images Although sea stars live underwater and are commonly called starfish, they are not true fish. They do not have gills, scales, or fins like fish do. Sea stars also move quite differently from fish. While fish propel themselves with their tails, sea stars have tiny tube feet to help them move along. Because they are not classified as fish, scientists prefer to call starfish sea stars. Sea Stars Are Echinoderms Starfish and purple sea urchin. Kathi Moore/EyeEm/Getty Images Sea stars belong to the phylum Echinodermata. That means they are related to sand dollars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and  sea lilies. Overall, this phylum contains over 6,000 species. Many echinoderms exhibit radial symmetry, meaning their body parts are arranged around a central axis. Many sea stars have five-point radial symmetry because their body has five sections. This means that they do not have an obvious left and right half, only a top side and a bottom side. Echinoderms also usually have spines, which are less pronounced in sea stars than they are in other organisms such as  sea urchins. There Are Thousands of Sea Star Species Colorful sea star in the Galapagos. Ed Robinson/Getty Images There are about 2,000 species of sea stars. Some live in the intertidal zone,  while others live in the  deep water  of the ocean. While many species live in tropical areas, sea stars can also be found in cold areas- even the polar regions. Not All Sea Stars Have Five Arms Sun star with many arms. Joe Dovala/Getty Images While many people are most familiar with the five-armed species of sea stars, not all sea stars have just five arms. Some species have many more, such as the sun star, which can have up to 40 arms.   Sea Stars Can Regenerate Arms Sea star regenerating four arms. Daniela Dirscherl/Getty Images Amazingly, sea stars can regenerate lost arms, which  is useful if the sea star is injured by a predator. It can lose an arm, escape, and grow a new arm later. Sea stars house most of their vital organs in their arms. This means that some species can even regenerate an entirely new sea star from just one arm and a portion of the stars central disc. It wont happen too quickly, though. It takes about a year for an arm to grow back. Sea Stars Are Protected by Armor Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) on Coral Reef, Phi Phi Islands, Thailand. Borut Furlan/WaterFrame/Getty Images Depending on the species, a sea stars skin may feel leathery or slightly prickly. Sea stars have a tough covering on their upper side, which is made up of plates of calcium carbonate with tiny spines on their surface. A sea stars spines are used for protection from predators, which include birds, fish, and sea otters. One very spiny sea star is the aptly named crown-of-thorns starfish. Sea Stars Do Not Have Blood Closeup of the arms of a sea star under a pier, showing its tube feet. pfly/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 Instead of blood, sea stars have a circulatory  system  made up  primarily of sea water. Seawater  is pumped into the animals  water vascular system  through its sieve plate. This is a sort of trap door called a  madreporite, which is often visible as a light-colored spot on the top of the  starfish. From the madreporite, the  sea water moves into the sea stars  tube feet, causing the arm to extend. Muscles within the tube feet are used to retract the limb. Sea Stars Move Using Their Tube Feet Tube Feet of Spiny Starfish. Borut Furlan/Getty Images Sea stars move using hundreds of tube feet, which are located on their underside. The tube feet are filled with sea water, which the sea star brings in through the madreporite on its top side. Sea stars can move quicker than you might expect. If you get a chance, visit a tide pool or aquarium and take a moment to watch a sea star moving around. It is one of the most amazing sights in the ocean. Tube feet also help the sea star hold its prey, including clams and mussels. Sea Stars Eat With Their Stomachs Inside-Out Karen Gowlett-Holmes/Getty Images Sea stars prey on bivalves like mussels and clams, as well as small fish, snails, and barnacles. If youve ever tried to pry the shell of a clam or mussel open, you know how difficult it is. However, sea stars  have a unique way of eating these creatures. A sea stars mouth is on its underside. When it catches its food, the sea star will wrap its arms around the animals shell and pull it open just slightly. Then it does something amazing. The sea star pushes its stomach through its mouth and into the bivalves shell. It then digests the animal and slides its stomach back into its own body. This unique feeding mechanism allows the sea star to eat larger prey than it would otherwise be able to fit into its tiny mouth. Sea Stars Have Eyes Common Sea Star (visible eye spots circled). Paul Kay/Getty Images Many people are surprised to learn that starfish have eyes. Its true. The eyes are there- just not in the place you would expect. Sea stars have an eye spot at the end of each arm. This means that a five-armed sea star has five eyes, while the 40-armed sun star has 40 eyes. Each sea star eye is very simple and looks like a red spot. It doesnt see much detail but it can sense light and dark, which is just enough for the environments the animals live in. All True Starfish Are in the Class Asteroidea Marcos Welsh/Design Pics/Getty Images Starfish belong to the animal class Asteroidea. These echinoderms all have several arms arranged around a central disk. Asteroidea is the classification for true stars. These animals are in a separate class from brittle stars and basket stars, which have a more defined separation between their arms and their central disk. Sea Stars Have Two Ways to Reproduce Doug Steakley/Getty Images Male and female sea stars are hard to tell apart because they look identical. While many animal species reproduce using only one method, sea stars are a little different. Sea stars can reproduce sexually. They do this by releasing sperm and eggs (called  gametes) into the water. The sperm fertilizes the gametes and produces swimming larvae, which eventually settle on the ocean floor, growing into adult sea stars. Sea stars can also reproduce asexually through regeneration, which is what happens when the animals lose an arm.

History Of Bullet Proof Vests

History Of Bullet Proof Vests Humans throughout recorded history have used various types of materials as body armor to protect themselves from injury in combat and other dangerous situations. The first protective clothing and shields were made from animal skins. As civilizations became more advanced, wooden shields and then metal shields came into use. Eventually, metal was also used as body armor, what we now refer to as the suit of armor associated with the knights of the Middle Ages. However, with the invention of firearms around 1500, metal body armor became ineffective. Then only real protection available against firearms were stone walls or natural barriers such as rocks, trees, and ditches. Soft Body Armor One of the first recorded instances of the use of soft body armor was by the medieval Japanese, who used armor manufactured from silk. It was not until the late 19th century that the first use of soft body armor in the United States was recorded. At that time, the military explored the possibility of using soft body armor manufactured from silk. The project even attracted congressional attention after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. While the garments were shown to be effective against low-velocity bullets, those traveling at 400 feet per second or less, they did not offer protection against the new generation of handgun ammunition being introduced at that time. Ammunition that traveled at velocities of more than 600 feet per second. This, along with the prohibitive cost of silk made the concept unacceptable. Silk armor of this type was said to have been worn by Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria when he was killed by a shot to the head, thereby precipitat ing World War I. Early Bullet Proof Vests Patents The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office lists records dating back to 1919 for various designs of bulletproof vests and body armor type garments. One of the first documented instances where such a garment was demonstrated for use by law enforcement officers was detailed in the April 2, 1931, edition of the Washington, D.C., Evening Star, where a bulletproof vest was demonstrated to members of the Metropolitan Police Department. Flak Jacket The next generation of the anti-ballistic bullet proof vest was the World War II flak jacket made from ballistic nylon. The flak jacket provided protection primarily from ammunition fragments and was ineffective against most pistol and rifle threats. Flak jackets were also very cumbersome and bulky. Lightweight Body Armor It would not be until the late 1960s that new fibers were discovered that made todays modern generation of cancelable body armor possible. The National Institute of Justice or NIJ initiated a research program to investigate the development of lightweight body armor that on-duty policemen could wear full time. The investigation readily identified new materials that could be woven into a lightweight fabric with excellent ballistic resistant properties. Performance standards were set that defined ballistic resistant requirements for police body armor. Kevlar In the 1970s, one of the most significant achievements in the development of body armor was the invention of DuPonts Kevlar ballistic fabric. Ironically, the fabric was originally intended to replace steel belting in vehicle tires. The development of kevlar body armor by NIJ was a four-phase effort that took place over several years. The first phase involved testing kevlar fabric to determine whether it could stop a lead bullet. The second phase involved determining the number of layers of material necessary to prevent penetration by bullets of varying speeds and calibers and developing a prototype vest that would protect officers against the most common threats: the 38 Special and the 22 Long Rifle bullets. Researching Kevlar Bullet Proof Vests By 1973, researchers at the Armys Edgewood Arsenal responsible for the bulletproof vest design had developed a garment made of seven layers of Kevlar fabric for use in field trials. It was determined that the penetration resistance of Kevlar was degraded when wet. The bullet resistant properties of the fabric also diminished upon exposure to ultraviolet light, including sunlight. Dry-cleaning agents and bleach also had a negative effect on the antiballistic properties of the fabric, as did repeated washing. To protect against these problems, the vest was designed with waterproofing, as well as with fabric coverings to prevent exposure to sunlight and other degrading agents. Medical Testing of Body Armor The third phase of the initiative involved extensive medical testing,  to determine the performance level of body armor that would be necessary to save police officers lives. It was clear to researchers that even when a bullet was stopped by the flexible fabric, the impact and resulting trauma from the bullet would leave a severe bruise at a minimum and, at worst, could kill by damaging critical organs. Subsequently, army scientists designed tests to determine the effects of blunt trauma, which is injuries suffered from forces created by the bullet impacting the armor. A byproduct of the research on blunt trauma was the improvement of tests that measure blood gasses, which indicate the extent of injuries to the lungs. The final phase involved monitoring the armors wearability and effectiveness. An initial test in three cities determined that the vest was wearable, it did not cause undue stress or pressure on the torso, and it did not prevent the normal body movement necessary for police work. In 1975, an extensive field test of the new Kevlar body armor was conducted, with 15 urban police departments cooperating. Each department served a population larger than 250,000, and each had experienced officer assault rates higher than the national average. The tests involved 5,000 garments, including 800 purchased from commercial sources. Among the factors evaluated were comfort ​when worn for a full working day, its adaptability in extremes of temperature, and its durability through long periods of use. The demonstration project armor issued by NIJ was designed to ensure a 95 percent probability of survival after being hit with a .38 caliber bullet at a velocity of 800 ft/s. Furthermore, the probability of requiring surgery if hit by a projectile was to be 10 percent or less. A final report released in 1976 concluded that the new ballistic material was effective in providing a bullet resistant garment that was light and wearable for full-time use. Private industry was quick to recognize the potential market for the new generation of body armor, and body armor became commercially available in quantity even before the NIJ demonstration program.

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Memo - Essay Example However, you also asked me to consider the opinions of the employees at the plant and what they feel about working overtime. We have completed the report that you asked for and this report presents the cost differentials of the two alternatives to increase the production and manufacturing. Moreover the report analyzes both alternatives in detail and also provides recommendations after considering the cost differential as well as the responses of the employees. Summary I have analyzed that the cost per unit of overtime and if the production of additional 150 units per day is increased through overtime then it would cost $388.54 or $2.59/unit. On the other hand, the cost of production for the second shift with additional 150 units per day would be $421.08 or $2.81/unit. Therefore, it shows that the cost of production with overtime is lower if the production is 150 units and Wilderness Toys would be able to save $0.22 per unit or $32.32 for 150 additional units. However it has been foun d that most of employees are not willing to work in the long term but only for the short term. Therefore because of this reason, I would prefer Wilderness Toys to start a second shift rather than asking employees for overtime. Discussion As the demand of new lighted hiking hat has been increasing, therefore there is a need to increase the demand of the product. In order to increase the production and meet the increasing demand, the management of the company has two different alternatives; to start a new production shift or to require its employees to work overtime. The report presents the cost differentials with the two alternatives in producing the new lighted hiking hat. Table 1 shows per unit cost of production of the two alternatives available. Table 1 also shows the differences between the two alternatives and it can be seen that per unit cost difference initially is in negative as per unit overtime cost is less than per unit second shift production cost. Therefore it reveals t hat if the management plans to produce fewer units then it is preferable that they can encourage employees for overtime rather than starting a second shift. Table 1: Per Unit Cost Units  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   OT unit cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2nd shift unit cost   Differences 75 2.59 3.49 -0.9 150 2.59 2.81 -0.22 225 2.59 2.58 0.01 300 2.59 2.46 0.13 375 2.59 2.46 0.13 450 2.59 2.46 0.13 525 2.59 2.46 0.13 600 2.59 2.46 0.13 Figure 1 graphically shows the cost per unit of the alternatives and it can be seen that the cost per unit of second shift at 75 units is very high in comparison to per unit cost of overtime. However per unit cost of second shift has been decreasing as the production is increasing and it is visible. As the production increase, per unit cost of second shift would decrease whereas the cost per unit of overtime would remain the same irrespective of the production. Figure 1: Cost Per Unit Figure 2 shows the cost differential between the two alternatives and it can be identified from the Figure 2 that the difference is in negative initially thus, showing that per unit cost of overtime is less than the per unit cost of second shift. However, as the production

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

Marketing - Essay Example Additionally, employees have the opportunity to take early retirement, meaning that they can take one day off during the week in exchange of promise to work for one day a week after their retirement. The employees are granted an opportunity to appraise and rate their bosses twice yearly and bosses who consistently exhibit poor performance are squeezed out. SEMCO have policies that ensure openness of the financial statements that enable low level employees such as secretaries, receptionists and factory workers understand the financial performance of the company. The salaries of employees are available to the public unless the concerned employee is willing to maintain his or privacy. SEMCO has allowed all employees to set their own individual production quotas, thus motivating employees to voluntarily work overtime. The company has implemented a profit sharing policy that includes all workers even the factory workers and senior managers are not entitled to large bonuses. The company ha s implemented six types of rewards that include commissions on the gross margin, stipends, bonuses, profit sharing and royalty on sale of profit. A classical organisation with a traditional approach to industrial relationships is Interserve plc of the United Kingdom. ... Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) is the only trade union that caters for only the needs of construction workers in the UK. Its membership spreads across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. Construction industry in the UK has continued to exploit the workers through low wages, dubious employment agencies and poor working conditions (Dunlop, 1993 p. 50). Industrial relations can be defined as the institutions and processes that establish and foster rules and regulations in the workplace. Industrial relations dates back to the industrial revolution era that was characterized by low wages, limited markets and capitalist thoughts of business owners (Batstone, 1988 p. 10). According to human resource management perspective, industrial relations involve employment contracts, government agencies, and conflicts that arise due to interactions in the workplace. According to Bean (2004), industrial relations refer to the nature of relationships among employ er, employees, the trade unions, and management p. 47). Industrial relations established democracy in the organisation and improves the morale of employees. Industrial relations will also foster enactment of sound labour laws, ensure fair employment practices and ensure efficient use of human capital in the organisation (Harcourt and Wood, 2006 p. 100). Industrial related conflicts result from diverse social economic, political and psychological factors. There are different approaches to industrial relations in an organisation. One of the approaches is the psychological approach that asserts that perceptions of workers, management and trade unions contribute to job related conflicts in the organisation (Salamon, 2000 p. 41). For instance, the beliefs and

Literacy As Social Practice To Aid In Teaching Education Essay

Literacy As Social Practice To Aid In Teaching Education Essay The world has changed profoundly over the last two decades, and many of our longstanding notions about literacy need to be challenged. As a result, the definition of literacy is neither a singular or universal one, and it is often defined in contradictory ways. It is recognised that the teaching and learning of literacy is a major responsibility of the schools. While some children have some knowledge of literacy acquired before formal schooling, all will need the opportunities for learning to read and write that school provides. The term literacy has often been associated with the reading and writing stage of learning and it is no surprise that the way the community views how literacy is learned in schools can take vastly different viewpoints. It is important to note that the way in which it is defined will shape the kinds of policies and approaches to teaching and learning that are adopted by the field of education. Olsons definition focuses on literacy as a cognitive model, which is needed for work, education and social interaction. This view prevails that literacy is a simple, learned cognitive skill that one learns to read and write just as one learns to kick a ball, ride a bicycle or make a cake. It is clearly perceived, once the skill has been mastered. Street (1985) refers this view of literacy as the autonomous literacy where those who master this skill can use it to advantage of influence and prestige. In contrast, Street contemplates that literacy should have a more social focus, such as the assumption of it contributing knowledge according to social-cultural contexts. He defines this alternative notion as ideological literacy which refers to the social conceptions and uses of literacy. This viewpoint suggests that literacy is an aspect of defining framework of society. Street (1997) extents this notion by arguing that literacy not only varies with social context and with cultural norms and discourses, but that its uses and meanings are embedded in relations of power. This suggests that literacy is what society achieves, and society is, to some extent, what literacy contributes to it. Furthermore, another view of literacy is that of critical literacy that is informed by the work of Paulo Freire (1972), who conceptualizes literacy not as reading the word but as reading the world. This advocates the emphasis of the empowering role that literacy can and should play in reshaping the way in which one lives and works. Wallace (2001) explains that the empowering potential of literacy is articulated in difference ways to encourage new literates to use literacy as a means for educational change and for the literate person to reflect on what is wrong in their world and use the enabling power of literacy to change that world. Furthermore, Wallace views this potential as a means to reshape approaches to English language teaching, not just for first language learners, but for the majority of users of English who are second language English speakers. She proposes that the variety of labels given to English in its worldwide role be replaced by what she calls literate English, one with which it is not a reduced or simplified model of English which restricts communication to basic patterns of interaction, but a global English that should be elaborated to serve global needs. Luke and Carrington (2002) discuss this further with the notion of literacy as cultural capital by suggesting how to construct a literacy education that addresses new economic and cultural formations providing our students with the ability to think critically and globally in a world that, increasingly, will require a politically and socially active citizen (NOTE, 2007). Models of Literacy In the minds of many in the community, an important function of schooling is that it teaches literacy with the teaching of literacy this is often held to be the most important thing that schooling provides. As a result, literacy remains high on the educational and political agenda at national and international levels and continues to be contested and debated. There appears to be three main models of literary which have implications for policy-making, teaching and learning; autonomous, social and critical literacy. The first is the cognitive or autonomous model, which has dominated educational policy for the last two decades especially in the UK with the introduction of the National Curriculum which then was preceded by the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) in the late 90s. Both of which attempted to transform literacy teaching in the primary and secondary school. Goodwyn and Findlay (2003) are encouraged by the aim of the NLS to demystify subject teaching and to involve all subject specialist in helping pupils become literate within each subject. However, the emphasis on the autonomous literacy model is a failure to acknowledge the ever changing nature of literacy. This skills-based view of a universal or aptitude represents the meaning of literacy in terms of limited mental operations. Therefore, if we view literacy teaching and learning as a matter of mastering certain important, but essentially basic technical skills in control of such things as the spelling and writing system, and perhaps h ow to shape simple written sentences. Literacy becomes a relatively simple and unproblematic matter, learned in the early years and then used and reused in whatever ways appear appropriate. According to Street (1995), such traditional definitions of literacy are based an autonomous model, autonomous because it is extracted from its social, cultural, and historical context. When treated as a technical skill or mental operation independent of social context, literacy is associated with consequences that have no relation to the social situations in which it is embedded. In addition, Street (1995) explains, it gives limited attention to social structures within which the concepts and specific cultures are forms. Therefore, in an autonomous model, literacy is separated from its social context and considered an independent variable making it possible to associate literacy with symbolic elements such as progress, social mobility and economic stability (Gee, 1996). In our society, the benef its for being literate has taken on mythic qualities as Street suggests this literacy myth raises false expectations for those who do become literate in comparison to the illiterate who are branded as too lazy or, even worse unable to learn. This situation enables government to shift focus away from social problems onto individual shortcoming (Street, 1996) The second model of literacy is one that avoids the pitfalls of the literacy myth by capturing the complexity of literacy practices in the social contexts that make them meaningful. Street (1996) calls this an ideological model of literary, which concentrates on the social practices of reading and writing and the ideological and culturally embedded nature of these practices. In addition, the ideological model maintains a wariness of claims for literacy and distinguishes between these claims and the actual significance of literacy for the people involved. Literacy in the ideological model looks beyond a technical definition of literacy to consider literacy practices. Rather than limiting literacy to events that involve reading and writing, Street broadens the scope to literacy practices which take into account the behaviour and the social and cultural conceptualizations that give meaning to the uses of reading and writing. This concept of literacy practices gets us away from the liter acy myth by re-inserting social and cultural context and arguing that whatever benefits come from literacy also come from the contexts in which it is embedded. The third model critical literacy is one that as Wallace (2001) explains is powerful to the extent that it offers a vantage point from which to survey other literacies. Like the ideological model, critical literacy is understood as social action through language use that develops us as agents inside a larger culture. However, it takes us beyond this in providing an active, challenging approach to reading and textual practice by the analysis and critique of the relationship among texts, language, power, social groups and social practice. It shows us ways of looking at written, visual, spoken, multimedia and performance texts to question and challenge the attitudes, values and beliefs that lie beneath the surface. It has been suggested that critical literacy links with our modern lifestyles of a rapidly changing globalised world. Changing societal structures, increasing social and cultural diversity and the marketing of ideas and products through multimedia mean that we need to think a bout literacy for lifelong learning in new ways. The way that information is received today hadnt been invented twenty years ago. The world is becoming increasingly accessible because of instantaneous communications; the corpus of print literature is expanding almost exponentially because of the number of works either being written in English not just by authors from United States or the British Commonwealth but by major authors outside these regions. The consequence is that the technology is not only bringing global English (Wallace, 2004) into daily contact, the nature of digital communication is aiding in the demise of a standard English.   Instant messaging, text messaging, and other technological forms of communication are creating new writing practices that often undermine traditional, standard English for the sake of faster, more effective communication. English is becoming more complex than ever, and our students will need to be flexible and efficient users of a vast array of discourses that isolated, drill-oriented grammar lessons simply will not teach. We need to be able to make meaning from the array of multimedia, complex visual imagery, music and sound, even virtual worlds that confront us each day in addition to written and spoken words. Changes in society are occurring so rapidly that we need to take time to think about whether they will have positive or negative effects upon our ways of living. Conclusion Lonsdale et al (2004) imply that the meaning of literacy has changed over time from an elementary decoding of words to a range of more complex and diverse skills and understandings. There is a need for these changes to be understood, against a background of economic, social, political and cultural. Literacy as a social practice should be considered in context, rather than the convention of literacy as an individual, cognitive skill. The new skills are premised on the idea that much higher order skills such as critical thinking are now needed by all students. Goodwyn et al (2003) suggest that students once needed literacy to be told what to do; now they need it to know what to do without being told. Street (1985) implies that Ideological literacy requires that we view literacy as much more than the ability to decipher or encode messages on paper. We have to view literacy in the dynamic contexts of politics, social change, development, education, religion, philosophy, confrontation, and even war. Practitioners of critical literacy have forcefully made the point that literacy is a mechanism of political control as well as a tool for liberation. These views of literacy are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they represent points on a continuum between action and system. At one extreme, autonomous literacy is viewed as something isolated from everything else, as a personal skill or characteristic. At the other extreme, it is seen almost as a primal element in the construction of reality. (SIL, 1999) The teaching of critical thinking plays a central role in the teaching of critical literacy. As the world becomes more complex, increasingly flattened, and, one might argue, ever more interesting and challenging, our students must be prepared to enter it as competent, thoughtful, and agentive readers and communicators. In order to prepare them effectively, we as literacy educators must make changes to literacy curricula that traditionally view knowledge making and communication as straightforward, text-based, and individualized, a perspective that was only appropriate before the recent explosion in communicative technologies and resulting economic, social, and cultural realities. To prepare students who can be active and effective world citizens able to make thoughtful decisions and solve global problems, we must first help them to be critical, meta-aware thinkers and communicators. (NOTE, 2007) A consequence of these views of literacy has been that specialists in the field have become more aware that literacy, in both theory and practice, is more than a simple technical skill. Literacy, by itself, does not lead to health, wealth, happiness, and national development. Literacy is but one element in the development process. The other elements must be included if developmental aspirations are to be attained. (SIL, 1999) Word count: 2063