The Role Of Ethics In Education

The Role Of Ethics In Education The lifestyle of a human being is closely bound with ethical values unlike other organisms living on this planet. This highlights the importance of embracing ethics on our day today activities. According to the New Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary ethics is defined as the moral principles that control or influence a persons behaviour. In other words as mentioned in an article appeared originally in Issues in ethics IIE V1 N1 (Fall 1987), ethics is two things. First ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness or specific virtues. Secondly, ethics refers to the study and development of ones ethical standards. As a person moulding the younger generation, a teacher has to act as a role model to protect the honour, culture and the discipline of the school while achieving educational goals with success due to sheer dedicated service to the teaching profession. Th erefore it is quite obvious that ethics play a major role in the teaching career. There are several ethical rules to be followed for a good moral conduct. To elaborate more on this topic, I have chosen two standards taken from the teaching of ethics of Graduate School at Penn State. At first, I wish to discuss about fairness or impartiality which is one of the most challenging codes of ethics a teacher can possess. It is extremely important to act neutral while judging the performance of a student because being biased towards some students may hurt and lower the self-esteem of other students. Fairness: Recognizing the inherent subjectivity involved in grading, instructors ought to ensure that their grading practices are as objective as possible by creating and adhering to unambiguous criteria.(From the teaching ethics of Graduate School at Penn State). An outstanding teacher understands that all students require equal love and attention. A teacher trying to be fair among the students will not even bother to look at the name on the top of the paper when awarding a grade for a student. Next, let me discuss about showing respect to the others. Respect can be defined as the consideration of self and of others. Teachers and the whole department of academic and non-academic staff work as a team no matter where they come from. Hence being respectful to each other makes a well-oiled team which in turn strengthens the unity of the school. Further, respecting the views and ideas of the learners may help them build their confidence in learning and sharing knowledge. Respect for Persons: Teachers ought to encourage mutual respect among students. Additionally, instructors ought to show respect and common courtesy for students both during interpersonal interactions and in responding promptly to students need for guidance and feedback. (From the teaching ethics of Graduate School at Penn State). Thus it is clear that following ethical rules is a key factor in achieving excellence not only for ones own self but also in the teaching profession as well.. B) As a potential teacher, I see myself as a valuable person capable of delivering a mammoth service to the humankind. My roles include not only teaching but several other aspects as well. Meeting the needs of the learners through effective teaching strategy is my topmost priority. But on several occasions my roles differ from time to time according to the given situation. Sometimes I will have to be a planner with a suitable teaching plan to make the learners understand the lessons better. Sometimes as an assessor ,monitoring and evaluating the students providing appropriate feedback. Next a facilitator supporting and guiding the students to learn on their own, an information provider, conveying knowledge, a resource developer, managing the available resources and a role model capable of influencing a learners attitudes and behaviours. To compare my roles with two other professionals in my organization, I would like to choose a sports coach and a professional school counsellor in th is regard. A sports coach is a professional who works in the school. He/she is responsible for training athletes while understanding the different skills of each individual separately. These include diet plans, training sessions, physical examinations etc. My role as a teacher shows some similarities with the roles of a sports coach such as being a mentor, adviser, supporter and motivator, dissimilarity being that it is done in a more academical context. Examination of the calorie intake and physical fitness do not necessarily include in my roles as a teacher. A professional school counsellor is someone who counsels the students with a genuine heart to solve the problems of them, be it academic or personal. A teacher also plays a role as a counsellor looking into the affairs of the students when they confide in them, dissimilarity being that the teacher might not have a professional training on counseling whereas a professional counsellor must have had. Hence a teacher relies on logical analysis and personal experience in solving problems during counselling. In some instance they may require help from others too. Its important to note that although different professionals work together in a school, everyone should understand their professional roles and invest their maximum effort in succeeding them. C) Teams comprising individuals working together towards a common goal while holding themselves accountable for the team output is known as teamwork. The most valued advantage of teamwork is its efficiency. In team, the work often gets done faster thus saving a lot of time. This is because large tasks are organized into smaller assignments and divided among the team members equally while sorting out the individuals best suited for the job. While working in a team, each individuals unique skills and ideas gets combined effectively and put to usage to produce the desired outcome. These combined skills lead to an increase in creativity. Hence this helps in strengthening the team unity and the team spirit. The team members will also develop a sense of responsibility since they depend on each other for success. Sharing ideas with one another and relying on others feedback gives a better team output close to perfection. While responsible team members invest sufficient time and effort, the low productivity of some members due to lack of commitment and dedication is a setback to the whole team. In some instances, this may cause resentment and a rift between the teammates. Hence a better output is not expected. Some members delay their portion of work. This will not help in finishing the task on time. Contrasting personal styles and difficulty in accepting ideas which differ from their own can result in clashes between the team members thus reducing the efficiency of teamwork. To understand team work better, Bruce Tuckman first came up with a theory called forming, storming, norming and performing in 1965. Later, he added a fifth stage called adjourning. Working individually is completing the given tasks on your own without the help of the others. When working individually, we get to think independently and incorporate our ideas into the task. Hence it develops our hidden potentials. Since there are no intruders, conflicts may not arise. Hence the speed and clarity could be an added advantage. Even the laziest person is put to work here thus giving an opportunity to shoulder responsibilities. The disadvantages of working individually include possible chances of having errors since the task is not checked by the others, no room for variations and a combination of creative thoughts, occurence of some doubts regarding the accuracy of the task and the possible chance of socialization getting hampered. Its important to understand that some activities in the school like the sports meet, prize giving and shramadana campaigns are best done in teams while maintenance of registers, library book keeping system and lab experiments are best done individually. D) Interpersonal relationships are social associations or connections between two or more people. In an organization such as the school, basically there are three types of interpersonal relationships. They are: student-teacher, teacher-parent and teacher-teacher relationships. It is vital to maintain a healthy interpersonal relationship with the others. The student-teacher relationship is a very special one. The teacher should be able to understand the learners and help them out. This is only possible if there was a healthy relationship among the students and the teacher. The teacher-teacher relationship is also equally important because the teacher might decide on lesson plans and strategies according to the feedback and the advice given by their colleagues. Further, planning on several occasions which are to be held at school could be done if the teacher-teacher relationship is healthy. To advice and talk about the short commings of a student, a healthy teacher-parent relationship is required. These types of positive interpersonal relationships can further develop the roles of a teacher while magnifying its effects several times. Sometimes the above mentioned interpersonal relationships end up in conflicts if there was no understanding between the two parties. Due to the uneasiness prevailing among the two parties, the activities meant to be carried out together may not be completed to perfection thus affecting the school as well. The teachers might also not be able to concentrate on their work and may feel restless. This will have a great impact on their professional role. Hence a teacher should be wise and tactful in handling different types of interpersonal relationships so that it may only bring out a positive improvement in their professional role.

Why Coal Is Not Bad

Coal was mined in this country before it was even a country. The first thirteen states appeared on a United States flag after coal mines appeared on our maps. Coal has helped power America for nearly 300 years and has been an essential part of the U. S economy since the turn of the century. It was the first fossil fuel used extensively by humans, and is still vitally important today, generating 39 percent of the world’s electricity, and 49 percent of U. S. electricity.Coal power, an established electricity source that provides a vast quantity of inexpensive, reliable power has become more important as the world is becoming more advanced. Modern life is unimaginable without electricity. It lights houses, buildings, streets, provides domestic and industrial heat, and powers most equipment used in homes, offices and machinery in factories. As you can tell, coal plays a vital role in electricity generation worldwide. Coal is a quick an easy thing to produce, transport and generate . With coal mines located in almost 70 different countries, it is not a problem for the supply and demand.Also, coal supplies in the United States are far more plentiful than domestic oil or natural gas; they account for 95 percent of the country's fossil fuel reserves and more than 60 percent of the world's fuel reserves. Not only that, but the United States has about 275 billion tons of recoverable coal, which could last us more than 250 years if we continue using coal at the same rate as we use it today. So here is the question. Why would you want to get rid of coal fired power plants that give people jobs, is easy to mine and is plentiful and inexpensive for the alternative which is inconsistent and costly?

Examining Bermuda: Tourism Planning Essay

The beautiful island of Bermuda is a ‘fish hook’ shape island located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 575 miles east of North Carolina. Bermuda is considered by many to be a wonderful tourist destination with turquoise waters and first class accommodations and activities. Perhaps we never knew that Bermuda is actually composed of over 100 islands. We might also not have known that due to the Gulf Stream, Bermuda has the most northerly coral reefs in the world. Bermuda technically is a British colony, but they have been self-governed since 1620. When we examine the island of Bermuda from the viewpoint of the tourism industry, we can learn much from Bermuda’s successes as well as their attempts to revitalize their tourism industry. Hold on to your shorts as we examine tourism policy planning in a pink sand paradise. (www. bermudatourism. com) In looking at Bermuda for the purposes of tourism policy planning we are initially reminded of how many positive realities we can see in the Bermuda tourism picture. Needless to say, tourism is obviously a major part of Bermuda’s economy. Bermuda is an interesting case study in that they were considered the ideal model for a narrowly defined tourist destination, but in the early 1990s fell into less prosperous times. Perhaps one could say that when it came to making money from the tourism market, Bermuda became too ‘fat and happy’ for their own long-term good. Michael V. Conlin sheds more light on this phenomenon when he writes in his case study on Bermuda tourism that â€Å"notwithstanding the long-term success of its tourism industry, Bermuda experienced a significant deterioration of its visitor count beginning in the early 1990s that had a serious impact on the country as a whole. † (Conlin, p. 1). By studying ups and downs of the tourism economy in Bermuda and the unfolding of Bermuda’s tourism committee work, we can hopefully learn some lessons to enable us to practice more successful and responsible tourism in the future. Bermuda is considered a mature international tourist destination that usually is quite successful and economically prosperous. By the middle of 1992, however, â€Å"Bermuda’s tourism leaders had recognized that Bermuda’s tourism industry was not immune to the economic climate or, indeed, to the changes that were taking place in the global tourism marketplace. † (Conlin, p. 13). One of the changes that was taking place in the global tourism marketplace was that technological advances and increases in personal wealth were greatly boosting the tourism industry. In light of the great global growth of the tourism industry, we should obviously see the need for more sophisticated planning and management in the this industry. In this light we can begin to see that tourism planning in many cases needs to be an ongoing, flexible, and continually evolving process. Perhaps this revelation was something that the Bermuda tourism board never sincerely grasped or believed until the 1990s. Once this revelation was understood, the Bermuda tourism authorities were in position to take steps to address the critical issues and problems that were eroding their prosperity and market position. By the time the year 1992 arrived, we could say that the Bermuda tourism board was ready to do some serious tourism planning! When it comes to tourism planning we can say that there are believed to be two sides to the planning process as well as the need for a type of corporate planning model. Indeed, Conlin writes that â€Å"planning within the tourism industry takes place at both the micro level and the macro level. † (Conlin, p. 2) Macro level planning can be defined as dealing with the growth of tourist destinations as geographic, political, and social units. In terms of the island of Bermuda, we can learn that â€Å"many islands are particularly susceptible to the to the consequences of poor planning given their small size and the relatively greater impact that tourism can have on their development. † (Stonich, 1995). Conlin seeks for us to understand that â€Å"increasingly, the failure to plan will not simply be a cosmetic issue but a more fundamental economic, ecological, and social concern. † (Conlin, p. 4). The micro level of tourism planning could be said to involve specific actions that operators undertake once they have honestly evaluated the realities of their business activities. In one sense, this is where a strategic planning and goal planning model are put into place. Conlin writes that ideally this model will be â€Å"based on the goal of matching an organization’s strengths with the market opportunities presented by a changing external environment. † (Conlin, p. 3). In this model we will see such elements as a mission statement, stakeholder analysis, implementation, and strategic control. We might say that macro level planning in the tourism industry is ultimately concerned with the growth and sustainability of a tourism destination. On the whole, we can say that when it comes to successful tourism planning at the micro and macro level there is the need to â€Å"match product, price, location, and management expertise with the market and its expectations in a way that will attract investment. Increasingly, this is done with the needs of the host community as a major focal point. † (Conlin, p. 5). In this case, the host community is, of course, Bermuda, with its turquoise waters, pink sands, and tempting culinary delights. Let’s continue on to see how these concepts were applied specifically to the case of Bermuda in the 1990s. We have already begun to see that â€Å"as Bermuda’s tourism industry moved into the 1990’s, it was characterized by a sense of complacency, a reluctance to innovate, a decreasing level of service quality, and a deteriorating physical plant. † (Conlin, p. ). At this point the tourism planning committee needed to make some changes to move Bermuda from being stagnated and losing market share to a place of revitalization and wisdom for the future. In 1992 they created the Commission on Competitiveness which was to examine the status of tourism and international business on the island. The commission was to explore new areas for economic stimulus. Conlin writes that â€Å"the mandate of the commission reflected a broad concern about national economic well-being in a rapidly changing international marketplace. † (Conlin, p. 15). The Commission on Competitiveness had representatives from the tourism industry, from the public sector, from educational fields, and from international business firms. â€Å"To achieve a high level of community involvement, the Tourism Planning Committee created 16 task forces under the leadership of prominent local stakeholders. At any given time, this structure resulted in approximately 120 persons being actively involved in the process of examination. It was truly a community activity. † (Conlin, p. 16). Some of the important findings of the Tourism Planning Committee include understanding the following conclusions: Bermuda is a model for developing tourism as a basis for a prosperous economy. Its past success should provide confidence that Bermuda tourism can improve in the future. The economy and quality of life in Bermuda are dependent upon tourism. Changes in world tourism, including new products, choices, and competition, will dictate many of the circumstances to which Bermuda will have to adapt. The cruise ship visitor cannot replace the stay over visitor for economic impact on the island. Bermuda’s tourism product is overpriced compared with some of its competitors, and it does not satisfy the price-value expectations of visitors. Bermuda must accept the need for fundamental change. It cannot dictate the terms of world tourism. This will require significant investment of resources and effort. There are no simple, single, or quick fixes for improving the tourism industry in Bermuda. Conlin,1995). When we assess the actions taken by the Commission on Competitiveness we can see that their work was arguably thorough, with many valuable conclusions and recommendations. We should not be surprised that the actual implementation of these recommendations was slow in process. Conlin writes that â€Å"the process of adoption was slow and involved trade-offs between competition interests. † (Conlin, p. 17). In this situation we can see that when it came to revitalizing the economic conditions in Bermuda there existed â€Å"an underlying theme of a call to a greater degree of public participation. (Haywood, 1988,p. 105). In this vein, we can also learn about what has come to be called ‘community inclusive tourism planning’. Involving the community in tourism policy planning often has positive consequences for policies being adopted and eventually successfully implemented. Including the community results in an increase in communication between the policy makers and the public, but this new relationship also carries with it the responsibility to carry on this communication and deal with the outcomes of policies and strategies. With growing concern about the environmental and social impacts of tourism, planning also has become more integrated (Gravel, 1979) and has matured to the point where it must consider the impact of tourism development on a number of fronts, not just site-specific economic sectors. (Conlin, p. 6). In this decade, all of us have become familiar with the going green movements, so it should not surprise us to hear that there is a call for more inclusive policy planning in the tourism industry. As we near the end of our brief look at the unfolding of tourism policy planning in Bermuda, we can also learn about the destination life cycle theory of tourism development. According to Conlin, â€Å"the product life cycle continues to play an important role in marketing management, including applications to the hospitality industry. † (Conlin, p. 5). The idea of adapting one’s approach to changing situations brought on by the stages of the product life cycle, when applied to tourist destinations, is called the destination life cycle theory. (Conlin, p. 5). A. M. Morrison described the life cycle as: The product Life Cycle idea suggests all hospitality and tourism services pass through four predictable stages: (1) introduction, (2) growth, (3) maturity, (4) decline. Marketing approaches need to be modified with each stage. Avoiding a decline is the key to long-term survival. Atlantic City, New Jersey is a great example of a travel destination that went through one life cycle (from a fashionable to a rather seedy seaside resort) and then got a completely new lease on life as an exciting gambling destination. Morrison, 1989). We see that through the efforts of the Tourism Planning Committee the island of Bermuda had the opportunity to revitalize and reposition itself to have its own ‘new lease on life. We learned that even though a tourist destination may be considered to be mature, ideal, beautiful, and economically prosperous, there may and almost certainly will be the need to address declining and/or changing market position and then take wise and strategic steps to rejuvenate itself. We also hopefully learned that tourism planning should be community-based, especially in a place such as Bermuda where the population is considered to be a major part of the tourism product. Mark Twain once wrote of Bermuda â€Å"the deep peace and quiet of the country sink into one’s body and bones and give the conscience a rest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  For anyone going to Bermuda, we wish you all the best in your activities and in your personal encounter with the deep peace and quiet of the island.

Introduction Of An Anonymous Woman - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1024 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/05/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Did you like this example? The Yellow Wallpaper begins with an introduction of an anonymous woman. The reader is introduced to her husband named John. They also are told about a newborn as well as her sister-in-law who have a rented home that they reside in. One can quickly observe that the narrator is battling postpartum depression and the summer home is a tool to assist with her becoming better from her condition. Her doctor prescribed her with the treatment of adequate rest and complete tranquility. He also recommended that she not participate in writing or any activity that could strain the psyche. From the words of the narrator, it seems as if the room is more like an area of captivity than freedom. It does seem to be acting as a method of rehabilitation but more strict isolation. Her husband John expresses that she is sick but it is more temporary than permanent and he does not truly believe that mental disease exists. John chooses to follow the doctors orders and does not let his wife participate in any psychological activities and makes sure that she is not able to spend time with the newborn. On the contrary, the narrator strongly feels that work and exciting events would be helpful to her condition, but her view is basically meaningless. Her passion is to write but as instructed by the doctor, she is not able to carry this exercise out. With no outlet in sight, the woman decides to trace the yellow wallpaper that is coming off of the wall in abundant pieces. Sadly, her husband comes and she must stop before he sees her drawing. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Introduction Of An Anonymous Woman" essay for you Create order As the story moves on, it picks up two weeks after this occurrence. This is when the narrator is given the opportunity to write again. Although she firmly believes that it will assist her with making some of her tension disappears, she obeys her husbands order that she should not write. The narrator expresses that she is extremely unhappy, but again John equates her feelings to only being very nervous. This is made awfully clear to the reader when reads that he pranks at her hatred for the wallpaper, and though she needs him to repaper the chamber, he refuses to give in to her fancies. In another instance, the narrator makes the claim that she can see people walking beside the house, but once again John assures her not to entertain her imagination. He lets her know that if she gets involved with her imagination, she will become overly excited. However, the narrator continues to look at the wallpaper and she starts to think that she sees eyes that are staring at her. Also, when there is sunlight that shines into the room, the narrator can view a creepy figure that is hidden behind the pattern of the wallpaper. The setting of the Yellow Wallpaper is interesting because it takes place in a summer home, which is about three miles from a nearby village. Although the house is large and has some fascinating features, it seems to have recently entered a state of disrepair. In the initial part of the story, the narrator seems to address her concerns with the condition of the house. However, as the story progresses her focus is placed on the nursery room with the yellow wallpaper. Although this room appears to be a location of calmness, it is truly a place of imprisonment. The nursery has bars on the windows, and the bed is merely glued to the floor. The condition and features of the nursey as well as the broken home act as symbols of the narrators mental illness. The symbol that stands out the most by far is the yellow wallpaper. It can be interpreted that the yellow wallpaper is a symbol of the narrators mind. Looking into a deeper meaning of the yellow wallpaper and the narrators mind, the reader can correlate it with the manner in which women were treated in the nineteenth century. The fact that the yellow wallpaper is described as having patterns that are pointless, curves that are not exact and angles that destroy themselves is symbolic of how woman were controlled by men in the nineteenth century. Symbols such as the nursery, the holes in the wall, and the layer that is nailed down are also crucial to the meaning of the story. The nursery can also be a perception of women being children in the nineteenth century. With the nursery being a place for a child, it shows how women were placed in society during the time this story was published. The nursery is also seen in a prison like image, which is symbolic of the emotional and social state that women lived in during the nineteenth century. In addition to the symbolism that is displayed in the story, it is told from a first person narrative due to the fact that it is told from a narrator who is an anonymous woman in the story. The reader is presented with her emotions and experiences. The narrator is clearly dealing with a mental breakdown and it is difficult to understand if her thoughts and views are not official. They may be illusions or events that only take place within her warped sense of reality. Although this can be confusing, it helps the reader delve deep into the mind of the protagonist, which gives the reader more insight on the situation the narrator is dealing with. The Yellow Wallpaper is an interesting piece of literature because it was written in the form of a journal. The style of writing transforms as the writers mood changes and her mental condition worsens. This is clear how the sentences become less lengthy and consistently more syncopated. This is to display how the writers mental state is becoming worse. In instances, there are parts where the tone of the writer changes significantly. It appears that the narrator is never allowed to think for herself and the reader can see the frustration that grows in her thoughts from the fact that she is not able to think for herself or make her own decisions.