Free Essays on Piaget Theory Applied To Education

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development – Assignment 1 Our thinking changes drastically, though slowly, from our birth to our maturity because we constantly strive to make sense of the world. According to Piaget, four factors interact to influence changes in our thinking over our lives. These factors are biological maturation, activity, social experiences, and equilibrium. Piaget concluded that we inherit two basic tendencies, or invariant functions. Organization is the combining and averaging then recombining and rearranging of thoughts and behaviors into a more coherent system. Adaption is the tendency to adjust thoughts and behaviors to the environment. Piaget described our organized system of thought allowing us to mentally represent objects and events of our world, as schemes. These basic building clocks of thinking can be very small and very specific, like the â€Å"sucking on a straw† scheme or the â€Å"recognize and carnation† scheme. The simple structures are continuously combined and coordinated to become larger and more general like the â€Å"drinking scheme† or a â€Å"categorizing plants† scheme. In addition to the tendency to organize our psychological structures, we also inherit a tendency to adapt to our environment. The basic processes of adaption are assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is a process of trying to comprehend some things new by fitting it into our existing schemes. Using our existing schemes to make sense of our world sometimes distorts the new information; like calling a skunk a kitty the first time a child sees a skunk. Accommodation occurs when information cannot fit into any existing schemes and new scheme structures must be developed. We change our existing schemes to adjust our thinking to fit the new data, instead of adjusting the new data to fit our thinking (assimilation). Two strengths of Piaget’s theory are matching problem solving and knowledge construction. In problem solving... Free Essays on Piaget Theory Applied To Education Free Essays on Piaget Theory Applied To Education Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development – Assignment 1 Our thinking changes drastically, though slowly, from our birth to our maturity because we constantly strive to make sense of the world. According to Piaget, four factors interact to influence changes in our thinking over our lives. These factors are biological maturation, activity, social experiences, and equilibrium. Piaget concluded that we inherit two basic tendencies, or invariant functions. Organization is the combining and averaging then recombining and rearranging of thoughts and behaviors into a more coherent system. Adaption is the tendency to adjust thoughts and behaviors to the environment. Piaget described our organized system of thought allowing us to mentally represent objects and events of our world, as schemes. These basic building clocks of thinking can be very small and very specific, like the â€Å"sucking on a straw† scheme or the â€Å"recognize and carnation† scheme. The simple structures are continuously combined and coordinated to become larger and more general like the â€Å"drinking scheme† or a â€Å"categorizing plants† scheme. In addition to the tendency to organize our psychological structures, we also inherit a tendency to adapt to our environment. The basic processes of adaption are assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is a process of trying to comprehend some things new by fitting it into our existing schemes. Using our existing schemes to make sense of our world sometimes distorts the new information; like calling a skunk a kitty the first time a child sees a skunk. Accommodation occurs when information cannot fit into any existing schemes and new scheme structures must be developed. We change our existing schemes to adjust our thinking to fit the new data, instead of adjusting the new data to fit our thinking (assimilation). Two strengths of Piaget’s theory are matching problem solving and knowledge construction. In problem solving...

Objective Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Objective Presentation - Essay Example These actions are usually guided by a job description to make them efficient and effective. However, the job description reflects on the organizational structure to assist the staff know the job titles, supervisor and subordinate, specific tasks required, department or units, and among others. In addition, staff members are usually under the control of people of higher ranks known as managers. These managers use an organizational structure to assist them determine which human, technical, and financial resources are available, which resources are lacking, and how resources should be allocated to attain organizational objectives and goals. There are three organizational structures and include Hierarchical, matrix and network structure. However, the optimal structure is a matrix or team structure. This is because it encourages interaction and participation among staff members, hence enhancing interpersonal relations. In addition, it also encourages managers to be more of group leaders and facilitators hence increasing accountability among staff members in an organization. When comparing the matrix structure with the rest, it always emerges the best. Managers in a Hierarchical structure always act as the final decision-makers, but those in matrix structure, focus on the accomplishment of shared objects of the team. In addition, staff members involved in a network structure, usually have a lot of differences in their affiliation and may fail to come up with a common goal. In matrix structure, staff members coordinate with one another and with their facilitator whose primary responsibility is to set objectives and evaluate

Environmental Impact of Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental Impact of Products - Essay Example Their examples can be used to show how companies had to change their products and their processes in order to become more environmentally friendly. Environmental degradation has become a very important topic for the world today watchdog groups as well as concerned bodies focus on various ways and means in which they can force giant companies to help the environment rather than harm it (Green, 2005). Government regulation, think tank pressure, as well as the opinions of various consumer groups, can force companies to become friendlier towards the environment (Schulte, 2006). Undoubtedly, human activities including the actions taken by corporations have had a visible impact on the global environment and this has been noted by the scientific community at large. While the government can make laws to regulate a bare minimum to be done by corporations, consumers have to ensure that they do not support those companies which are hurting the environment (VonAncken, 2006). Consumers who have access to vast amounts of information about the companies they make purchases from can demand that the brands or businesses which they support behave ethically and show their responsibility for not hurting the environment. Organisations have to show that they are ethical producers since consumer wish to be ethical themselves and may make the purchase decisions based on knowing if the company is helping the environment rather than hurting it (Ethical Consumer, 2006). By being friendly to the environment, companies such as Apple and Cadbury Schweppes are helping their shareholders and investors (Phillips, 2003). Through the scientific developments in recycling, proper water conservation, and more efficient technologies for generating energy, individuals and companies have made great advances in becoming more environmentally responsible. At the same time, these efforts fall short of what will be needed in the world for sustained long-term prosperity.

Counting rationally to 15 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Counting rationally to 15 - Essay Example Blocks of wood can be labeled 1 - 15. Cups can then be placed on top of these blocks. The rule of the game would be, one cup on top of each block. To evaluate mastery on one to one correspondence, the teacher can post fifteen pictures on the board and indulge the students in yet another game. The teacher will then count the pictures on the board and the student that catches the teacher doing an erroneous counting gets an extra point. One such error by the teacher would be counting the same picture twice. Geary (1999) tells us that although children with MD understand one to one correspondence, they sometimes make mistakes on tasks that assess this concept. Children with mathematical disabilities(MD) almost always detect double counting when it is the last manipulative that is counted twice. When the first manipulative is double counted, the child has to wait until the counting is finished before he can decide whether the counting was erroneous or not. This suggests that children with MD have difficulty keeping information while counting. To solve this problem, have them use their fingers to count (Brown, Ferguson and Witzel, 2 007). This helps them associate counting with their fingers (one finger for '1', two fingers for '2' and they may use sticks as substitutes for numbers '11' through '15'). They can then keep track of the manipulatives as they count them. Stable order. The order of the word tags must be invariant across counted sets.

Evaluation of Training Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Training Essay The evaluation of training identifies the extent to which the program has succeeded in enhancing the knowledge or skill-set of the participants. Kilpatrick’s model of training evaluation identifies four levels of evaluation: trainee reaction, participant’s learning, behavioral change, and impact on business. The major tools of training evaluation include interviews, questionnaires and surveys, observations and secondary data, and pre and post assignments or tests. The emerging trend is empowered evaluation, or making participants responsible for the evaluation. Introduction: Objectives of Training Evaluation The broad objective of evaluating training is to measure the effectiveness of the program in relation to the enhancement of knowledge or skills and the application of such skills and knowledge at work by the participants. The secondary objective of evaluating training is to improve future editions of the program in terms of modules, facilities, and contextual factors. The evaluation of training also helps identify the factors that help and hinder effective training of individuals and provide a guide map for support the participant requires at work The successful evaluation of a training program depends on application of the correct objectives while designing the evaluation exercise and the correct feedback from the participants in relation to the inputs received from the trainer. Kilpatrick’s Model of Training Evaluation Donald L Kilpatrick of the University of Wisconsin proposed four levels of evaluation. The first level of Kilpatrick’s model is seeking trainee reaction, or the participant feelings regarding the training experience. The instruments used to capture such reaction include post-survey questionnaires or feedback forms and verbal reactions of the participants during the conclusion of the training program. Some of the common questions included in such surveys include whether the participants enjoyed the training, whether they considered the training relevant, whether they liked the venue, style, timings and the like, their opinion on the ease and comfort of the experience, and the like. The answers to such questions could be in either an open-ended format or a series of multiple-choice options. This level of evaluation is easy to obtain and analyze and takes place immediately after the training ends. It gives a broad and general indication regarding the success or failure of the training program. The second level of Kilpatrick’s evaluation model focuses on the participants learning, and measures the whether the desired skill and knowledge enhancements have taken place. The measures in this level indicate the extent of advancement or change in the intended direction or area. The common measurement instruments for this factor include pre and post training tests or assignments and interviews. The success of evaluation however depends on the establishment of a reliable and clear scoring measurement scale. The third level of Kilpatrick’s evaluation model focuses on measuring behavior change, or the extent of application of the acquired knowledge or the implementation of acquired skills on the job. The evaluation of this factor depends on any noticeable and measurable change in the activity and performance of the participants when they return to their job roles after the training, and on whether such changes are sustained or temporary. The evaluation also extends to measuring whether the participants could transfer their learning to others and whether they are aware of their change in behavior, knowledge, skill level. The common evaluation tools for such measures include ongoing observation and interview over time. The use of 360-degree feedback is a convenient tool to measure performance on a continuous basis. The measures required at this level are not easy to quantify and arbitrary snapshot assessments and subjective ratings often hamper successful evaluation at this level. The fourth level of evaluation in Kilpatrick’s model is measuring business results, or the effects of the training on the business or environment. The measures would typically be business or organizational key performance indices such as volumes, values, percentages, timescales, return on investment, staff turnover, quality ratings, achievement of standards and accreditations. Most of such measures would already be in place as part of the normal management reporting systems. Organizations traditionally focused on the first two levels of evaluation. In recent years, the third and fourth levels have also become common points of evaluation. The Process of Training Evaluations The process of conducting the training evaluation depends on the objective of evaluation, or the level of evaluation required. The instruments used to measure of participant’s reaction to the program and their acquisition of knowledge and skills need to be devised prior to the program and administered to the participants immediately after the program concludes. The evaluation of the behavioral change or the application of the acquired knowledge and skills to the job and measuring their impact on the business is complicated and a sustained effort. The various tools to evaluate such measures, such as interviews, questionnaires, 360-degree appraisals, feedback from supervisors, secondary data, observations and the like need to be structured and phased over a period of time, and the results compared with the previous data and the intended objectives of the training program. Conclusion The latest concept in training evaluation is empowered evaluation, wherein participants improve their programs themselves through self-evaluation and reflection. The responsibility for evaluation in this model rests with the participants and professional agency or entity conducting the training on a collective basis, and the process of evaluation necessitate cooperation, collaboration, and sharing of resources. References Goodstein, J. Goodstein, L. D. (1991). A Matrix for Evaluating Training in The 1991 Annual: Developing Human Resources (pg: 184). San Deigo: University Associates.

Writing the Academic Essay -- Expository Process Essays

Writing the Academic Essay For many high school students, the academic essay is an unforgiving monster that terrorizes their campus, a nightmarish beast that can rip the heart out of G.P.A.'s and dash all hopes for college admission. Yet, others tame this friend with ease, bending its cruel will to theirs as if it was nothing, as if they possessed a secret weapon. Well, guess what? They do! Successful essayists succeed because they are armed with the exact knowledge of what an essay is and how it is made; they know an essay is an organized group of paragraphs that strongly assert and vividly support a central idea. Further, they know the organization of an academic essay is as easy as one, two, three: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion are its three essential parts. For starters then, let us begin with the introduction. Its job is to move from the general to the specific, to introduce the essay's topic, clarify its central idea, and detail its thesis statement. Yet, before it can do that, it should attempt to "hook" the reader by catching his interest with some appropriate bait. The first way to hook a reader is by centering an original title above the introduction. Please note the word original in that last sentence. Lazy and generic titles like "English Essay" or "Crucible Essay" are not effective because they are neither informative nor interesting. After an original title, a good introduction begins with one or two interesting sentences that serve to focus the essay's general topic. With that done, the writer becomes more specific and introduces the essay's central idea. A central idea is simply a clear statement of the writer's opinion or position on the general topic. In my introduction to this ... ...oes not mean that it is as unstoppable as Godzilla. Indeed, the curse of the essay is quite manageable if one keeps in mind its underlying characteristics. The basic academic essay is five logically related paragraphs that argue and defend a central idea, and the way it is structured is simplicity itself. When the writer keeps in mind the three parts of an essay-the introduction, the body, and the conclusion-then much of the anxiety and confusion associated with essay writing can be vanquished. Like Frankenstein's creature, essays are put together from separate parts, but because they are composed of logically related ideas, they are an invention that can be tamed by organized thinking. Indeed, writers who plan carefully and follow their plan are pleased to find that their brainchild is no fear-inspiring monster, but rather a creation that reveals their true genius.

Distinctively Visual Essay

Composers create distinctively visual images to draw aspects that they are presenting in their texts. This helps the reader to understand and visualise the characters responses to significant aspects of life. The Author Henry Lawson uses these distinctive images in his short stories ‘The Drovers Wife’ and ‘The Loaded Dog’ to help portray the harsh realities of living in the Australian bush. These realities create significant experiences for the individuals in his stories as they are faced with hardships, mateship and love. Similarly, John Misto’s play ’The Shoe-Horn Sonta’ and Ramon Tongs ‘African Beggar’ use distinctively visual language to let the responder engage with the characters and their world. ‘The Loaded Dog’ explores the significant experience of mateship through the characters; Dave Regan, Jim Bently, Andy Page and their young retriever Tommy who is described with great visual imagery as an ‘overgrown pup, a big, foolish, four-footed mate, who was always slobbering round them and lashing their legs with his heavy tail that swung round like a stock-whip’. The story starts off slow introducing the gold mines that the story takes place in, using elaborate instructions to explain the process of mining and cartridge construction through verbs including ‘sewed’, ‘bound’ and ‘pasted’ which gives the reader a distinctively visual image of how life was for the gold miners. The author uses Australian jargon and vernacular language such as ’Don’t foller us!’ and ’no mucking around’ throughout the story to give the reader a more visual image of how the men of the area communicate. The story’s pace exponentially increases along with it’s humour as the storyline develops and as each complication arises. Dialogue and punctuation, such as ‘dashes’, carry us along with the action painting a picture in the readers mind of the events taking place. Dave who is seen as the ‘ideas man’ decides to create a cartridge to blow the local fish out of the water to eat and while he is at away at working on the cartridge, Tommy grabs the cartridge in his play, setting it alight in the fire, which establishes the main issue in the story. Lawson uses a humorous tone throughout this scene to give the reader a more visual image of what is being played out ‘close behind him, was the retriever with the cartridge in his mouth – wedged into his broadest and silliest grin’. Another short story composed by Lawson similar to ’The Loaded Dog’ entitled ‘The Drovers Wife’ creates powerful images through the use of distinctively visual language that enables the reader to feel the hardships of the characters. Lawson begins the story with the distinctively visual image of the harsh landscape ‘The bush consists of stunted, rotting native apple trees. No undergrowth, Nothing to relieve the eye save the darker green of a few she oaks which are sighing above the narrow waterless creek’. This descriptive language allows the responder to visualise the harsh outback scenery. The drovers wife is seen as a protective mother and a hardened battler against the disasters of the Australian bush. The use of alliteration ‘no undergrowth, nothing to relieve the eye†¦ nineteen miles to the nearest civilisation’ accentuates how isolated the Wife is from society. Lawson uses powerful verbs when creating a distinctively visual image in the responders mind in ‘The Drover’s Wife’. When the drover’s wife goes to hit the snake, ‘snatches’ is used to create images of immediacy and courage within the responder’s mind, whilst ‘darts’ is used to create an image of threat, the woman has no hesitation in hitting the snake and she darts to protect her children. Similar to John Lawson’s stories, John Misto’s Australian play ‘The Shoe-Horn Sonta’ uses an array of distinctively visual techniques to highlight the significant aspects of the story. Through dramatic film and editing techniques, and powerful dialogue, Misto explores the story of hundreds and thousands of women imprisoned by the Japanese in South-East Asia. The composer uses juxtaposition as the dialogue consists of both private and public conversations to create an image in the responders mind of the powerful links between the public and private voices between the two main characters, Sheila and Bridie. The opening scene shows Bridie re-enacting the kowtow, a tribute to the emperor of Japan ‘Bridie stands in a spotlight. She bows stiffly from the waist, and remains in this position.’ These stage directions allow the reader to visualise how Misto wants it to be performed, letting the reader share their experiences, and feel engaged with Bridie . Ramon Tong’s ‘African Beggar’ utilises distinctively visual language techniques to create and perceive a relationship with the persona and his  world and therefore understand the challenges he faces. The metaphor ‘a heap of verminous rags and matted hair’ is used to establish an image of a ‘thing’ rather than a human as ‘verminous’ is usually associated with flies and ‘matted hair’ creates images of an unhygienic lifestyles in the responders mind. The tone of the story suddenly changes in the third stanza and enables the reader to re-establish the relationship and perception that was previously created with the beggar. ‘lost in the trackless jungle of his pain’ is an example of symbolism used the show that the beggar feels pain in his whole body. This stanza creates an image of someone struggling for life and gives reason for the reader to feel sympathetic towards the beggar, this is highlighted in the line ‘lying all alone’. In conclusion, these texts all use powerful distinctively visual techniques to the let the reader understand and visualise the personas and their worlds, and the hardships that they face.