Importance of Stakeholders

Importance of Stakeholders Project management is the discipline of supervising all the different resources and aspects of the project in such a way so that the resources will deliver all the output that is required to complete the project within the defined scope, time, and cost constraints (Lewis A. , 2010). It is the application of skill, knowledge, tools and techniques to project activities to achieve project requirements. It can be accomplished through the application of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing (Lewis, 2007). This is mainly done in order to meet the exceeding needs and expectations of the stakeholders (Introduction to Project Management Principles, 2003). The call for project management was determined by the various businesses that realised the benefits of organising, communicating and co-ordinating work across the various departments and professions. This helps in coordinating the various resources of a project durning the project initiation stage so that by the time the project has begun its work all stakeholders and team members will have a clear cut understanding and acceptance of the process, methodology and expected outcomes of the project. (Lewis A. , 2010) Stakeholders refers to those individuals or a group who has vested interest in the outcome or the results of the body of a work in an organisation. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008) defined stakeholders as the people or small groups who depend on the organisation to fulfill their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organisation depends. They may be actively involved in the project and may have an interest on the total performance or completion of the project. They have the power to exert positive or negative influence over the project, its deliverables and its team members.(Bourne, 2009). Hence stakeholders can be called as the key people involved in a project. They have an interest in the execution of the project, getting the approvals and resources, and they also have a stake in the project outcome. Although they may not have an official role on the project, these are the people who will ultimately estimate the success or failure of a project (Koning, 2009). IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS All projects, in spite of its size, needs to have a clear cut idea and agreement about: who will decide the requirements of the project, the budget, resources, standards and in case of any change in the project, who will do the authorization of the changes and so on. Although a project manager could independently decide all these factors, unless and until the key stakeholders agree to the decision made, the project will not be able to progress and will have no scope for success (Koning, 2009). STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The term stakeholder engagement is budding as a means of describing a broader, more inclusive, and continuous process. It takes place between the company and the potentially impacted stakeholders that encompasses a range of activities, approaches and, the entire span of a project. The change that is likely to occur reflects the broader change in the business and financial worlds. It increasingly recognizes the business and reputational risks that may occur as a result of poor stakeholder relations. It also places a growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility, transparency and reporting (Corporation, 2007) . Stakeholder engagement can therefore be defined as the process of effectively eliciting the stakeholders views on their relationship with the organization (Friedman Miles, 2006). Stakeholder engagement is increasingly becoming a part of mainstream business and is being used to improve communications, obtain wider community support or buy-in for projects, gather useful data and ideas, enhance public sector or corporate reputation and encourages more sustainable decision making (Gray, 2002). Without proper engagement of the stakeholders, it is impossible to have a common abiding agreement, ownership and support for a particular project. Any company or an organisation is likely to benefit if it takes care of the environment in which it is operating and aiming to meet the needs of its stakeholders (Gray, 2002). Stakeholder engagement gives the impression of corporate responsibility. It appears evident that if an organisation shows commitment, through policy and practice, to stakeholder involvement it is acting responsibly towards these stakeholders: the more an organisation engages with its stakeholders, the more accountable and responsible that organisation is t owards these stakeholders (Greenwood, 2007). It is traditionally seen as a corporate responsibility in action. The impetus behind the use of the term engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the need to emphasize that, for firms merely to interact with stakeholders is no longer sufficient and the interaction with stakeholders is a logically necessary activity of business (Noland Phillips, 2010). WHY ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS IS NECESSARY? Effective stakeholder engagement relies on a commitment to engage and communicate openly and honestly with stakeholders. The benefits an organization gets from stakeholder engagement activities are cooperation on operations/activities and at times on policy development as well. It enhances the community confidence and creates a more user-friendly, community/industry targeted service. Future costs can be reduced: for example, times spend in managing the crises with regard to the confidence level of the stakeholders can be avoided. It also helps in improving the access to emerging issues and communities, and helps in gaining the capacity to handle them before they develop a negative vibe in the community. This will include avoiding negative press releases. In the case of changes and benefits that can take place inside the organisation are as follows: It increases the organisational effectiveness which will result in more effective and efficient practice and high quality policy input within the organisation It enhances the two-way communication skills and better understanding on both sides and thereby bridges the cultural gaps. It develops a culture of innovation and learning, for example by building the knowledge into our decisions and practices. Simplifies the conflict resolution through building trust, and a clearer articulation of what cannot be resolved. STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT PLANNING Often the importance of stakeholder engagement is overlooked. It allows you to identify strengths and weaknesses and ultimately develop strategies to engage effectively. The stakeholder engagement is a critical element to the success of the project and it may be useful to develop a stakeholder engagement plan. For this, various sources, conventional and unconventional is used such as the media, online, literature or even word of mouth. As a part of the analysis, it is important to examine existing, current and past relationships, available resources and constraints and the desirable outcomes it looks forward to. For this purpose, the different desired outcomes of the stakeholders as well as the stakeholders engagement processes is analysed and studied. DESIRED OUTCOMES Desired outcomes are nothing but the overall aims of the engagement process. The desired outcomes for undertaking stakeholder engagement process would be Improved personal or working relationships Changed attitudes Improved communication channels Promotion of expansive circle of responsibility for actions and decisions Identification of key issues, conflicts and benefits Creation of new ideas Establishment of new orderly partnerships Improved services for society Change in policy Cost savings to long term Betterment of individual and organisational learning Local support and hostility supported for a new initiative Increased community union and strengthened shared identity (Gray, 2002) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES Stakeholder is an umbrella term which incorporates range of activities and interactions over the project life cycle. These activities can be divided into following components (Corporation, 2007): Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Information Disclosure Stakeholder Consultation Negotiation and Partnerships Stakeholder Involvement in Project Monitoring Reporting to Stakeholders (Appendix 2) STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS When it comes to identifying the key stakeholders, the project sponsor works along with the project manager to identify the stakeholders. Stakeholders may comprise of a wide range of people that come from different areas of business. It may be people from senior management, human resources, finance, marketing and IT departments. They typically have a particular business stream and their interest in the project is focused on the needs of their particular area. Some stakeholders will have more interest and involvement than the others. (Koning, 2009) When identifying stakeholders, it may be helpful to first determine the most relevant dimensions: organisational unit, process, function, job role, geographic area and so on. It is more important to consider the external stakeholders including partners, suppliers, customers, customers cutomers, consumers and those who would wish they were not stakeholders, such as victims of crimes etc (Bradley, 2006). It is quite important to note that stakeholders are selected with a verification process. It is necessary to ensure that all relevant parties are represented and those participants indicate the interests of those they claim to speak on behalf of (Friedman Miles, 2006). Once the identificationis completed, the group of stakeholders are analysised. It is important to understand the interests and opinions of every stakeholder as they may affect the project work. All the stakeholders may not share the same opinion and may have a unified opinion or priorities. Hence conducting a stakeholder analysis has become so important because of its increased interconnected nature of the world (Ketti, 2002). Hence, finding out what the problemis and what is the right solutions might be taken as a way to overcome this problem. This will also help in identifying the stakeholders who are a part of this crucial aspect of problem solving (Bardach, 1998). Stakeholder Analyses mainly helps in better organisational performance and fulfilling its mission. Fulfilling the mission should arise from producing fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the organisation is, what it does and why it does it (Bryson, 1995). Hence it is quite important to study and f ind out the key players amongst the stakeholders itself for the successful completion of the project. Again as said above, the success of the project, not only depends on being able to deliver customers demand but also in being able to met all the stakeholder expectations as well.. The selected stakeholders play a primary task in making the important decisions during the time of initiation, planning and execution of the project. The five primary project stakeholders that are present in most of the projects are: the project manager, the project team, the functional management, the sponsor, and the customer.ÂÂ   In a larger sense, anyone who participates in the project or is impacted by its results is a stakeholder. Each stakeholder has an essential contribution to make and they need to meet their expectations. Contribution made by different people to the project is the principal criteria for identifying stakeholders (Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution, 2006) (Appendix 1) COMMUNICATION IN STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The core of all relationships is communication and stakeholder engagement is essentially a complex relationship. Negotiation occurs when two or more people are prepared to bargain to achieve a mutually acceptable solution. It is important to acknowledge the effects it might have on the relationship with the organization. Communication also involves being open and honest about the objectives and planned activities. The stakeholders should be communicated in the loop as much as possible, whether it is through email trails, phone calls or face to face engagement. The latter is often the most effective form of stakeholder engagement as it gives the relationship a more human element. A well-informed stakeholder can prevent a project from continuing on a path that will fail to deliver the required benefits, by highlighting issues and concerns as soon as they arise. (Koning, 2009) STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT MONITORING Stakeholders involvement in any project improves the progression of the project and as project monitoring consists of collection of the data and reporting information according to the project plans, budget and requirements, stakeholder involvement and interaction is needed (Tammer, 2009). The assessment and reporting technique should depend on the size and complicatedness of the project and stakeholder position. If the stakeholders are lacking the required skills in monitoring, then adequate training need to be provided to them for fostering the participatory monitoring. The participation of the project affected stakeholders in monitoring the social and environmental affects is a good practice. External monitoring can lead to the development of trust between the project and the primary stakeholders. CONCLUSION The stakeholder engagement always provides opportunities to further align business practices with community needs and expectations aiding to drive long term sustainability and shareholder value. Stakeholder engagement must take place if the organisation truly needs the inputs from the people involved in the business for decision making. The stakeholder engagement planning should be done in such a manner that it remains beneficial to the organisation. Stakeholder engagement assists any organisation to compete with its rivals in a complex and changing business climates. Works Cited Bardach, E. (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Bourne, L. (2009, September 22). Who is a Stakeholder? Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Management Institute: http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2009/09/who-is-a-stakeholder.html Bradley, G. (2006). Benefit Realisation Management. A Practical Guide to Achieving Benefits through change . Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Corporation, I. F. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets. Washington: International Finance corporation. Friedman, A. L., Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Gray, R. (2002). The Social Accounting Project and Accounting Organizations and Society (Vol. 27). Accounting Organizations and Society. Greenwood, M. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: Beyond the Myth of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics , 74, 315-327. Introduction to Project Management Principles. (2003). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/hip/lld/olt/resources/toolkit/project_management/project_management_intro.shtml Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases. Peason Education. Ketti, D. (2002). TheTransformation of Governance: Public Adminitration Twenty-First Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Koning, L. (2009, May 1). Project Stakeholders. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Insightful Writers: http://www.suite101.com/content/project-stakeholders-a114023 Lewis, A. (2010). Introduction to Project Management. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Smart: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-project-management.html Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM, American Management Assciation. Noland, J., Phillips, R. (2010). Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management. International Journal of Management Reviews , 39-49. Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution. (2006). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business e-coaching: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/project_stakeholders.html Stakeholders Engagement. (2010, October 25). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Continuous Developer: http://continuousdevelopment.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/stakeholder-engagement/ Tammer, M. D. (2009). Early stakeholder involvement in projects. PM World Today , 9 (4). Bibliography Bardach, E. (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Bourne, L. (2009, September 22). Who is a Stakeholder? Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Management Institute: http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2009/09/who-is-a-stakeholder.html Bradley, G. (2006). Benefit Realisation Management. A Practical Guide to Achieving Benefits through change . Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Carroll, A. B., Buccholtz, A. K. (2008). Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder. Management. Mason: Cengage Learning. Condrey, S. E. (2005). Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Corporation, I. F. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets. Washington: International Finance corporation. Friedman, A. L., Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Gray, R. (2002). The Social Accounting Project and Accounting Organizations and Society (Vol. 27). Accounting Organizations and Society. Greenwood, M. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: Beyond the Myth of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics , 74, 315-327. Introduction to Project Management Principles. (2003). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/hip/lld/olt/resources/toolkit/project_management/project_management_intro.shtml Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases. Peason Education. Ketti, D. (2002). TheTransformation of Governance: Public Adminitration Twenty-First Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Koning, L. (2009, May 1). Project Stakeholders. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Insightful Writers: http://www.suite101.com/content/project-stakeholders-a114023 Lewis, A. (2010). Introduction to Project Management. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Smart: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-project-management.html Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM, American Management Assciation. Noland, J., Phillips, R. (2010). Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management. International Journal of Management Reviews , 39-49. Phillips, R. (1997). Stakeholder Theory and a Principle of Fairness. Business Ethics Quarterly , 7, 51-66. Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution. (2006). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business e-coaching: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/project_stakeholders.html Stakeholders Engagement. (2010, October 25). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Continuous Developer: http://continuousdevelopment.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/stakeholder-engagement/ Tammer, M. D. (2009). Early stakeholder involvement in projects. PM World Today , 9 (4). APPENDIX APPENDIX 1 KEY STAKEHOLDER IN A PROJECT Internal Stakeholder External Stakeholders Project sponsor Customers Functional Department Government Corporate Leadership Competitors Other Project Teams Joint Venture Partners Employees Vendors Unions Investors/ Shareholders

John Donnes Use of Wit Language and Metaphor in Poetry Essay -- essays

John Donnes Use of Wit Language and Metaphor in Poetry As discussed on a previous short essay question, John Donne is considered to be one of the greatest metaphysical poets of our time, even though he published only a small number of poems in his lifetime. The poems he did write were metaphorical and often humorus poems telling the tale of religious love and sex. Being a metaphysical poet he exhibited many characteristics of the metaphysical poets. He wrote with metaphysical wit, metaphysical conceit, metaphors, symbols and paradoxes. If these were some of the things that defined a metaphysical poet, then John Donne is a good example of one. I will use three of his poems, "Holy Sonnet 14", "The Flea", and "Song" to show how Donne uses these aspects in his writing. Metaphysical conceit is a comparison between two things that is so far out in left field and so abstract that no one would ever think of using it. But John Donne isn't no one, and he used metaphysical conceit in many of his poems. In "Holy Sonnet 14" Donne is talking to god and asking for forgiveness for... John Donnes Use of Wit Language and Metaphor in Poetry Essay -- essays John Donnes Use of Wit Language and Metaphor in Poetry As discussed on a previous short essay question, John Donne is considered to be one of the greatest metaphysical poets of our time, even though he published only a small number of poems in his lifetime. The poems he did write were metaphorical and often humorus poems telling the tale of religious love and sex. Being a metaphysical poet he exhibited many characteristics of the metaphysical poets. He wrote with metaphysical wit, metaphysical conceit, metaphors, symbols and paradoxes. If these were some of the things that defined a metaphysical poet, then John Donne is a good example of one. I will use three of his poems, "Holy Sonnet 14", "The Flea", and "Song" to show how Donne uses these aspects in his writing. Metaphysical conceit is a comparison between two things that is so far out in left field and so abstract that no one would ever think of using it. But John Donne isn't no one, and he used metaphysical conceit in many of his poems. In "Holy Sonnet 14" Donne is talking to god and asking for forgiveness for...

Comparison of the Presentation of the Characters Jay Gatsby and Dick Di

Comparison of the Presentation of the Characters Jay Gatsby and Dick Diver from The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  F. Scott Fitzgerald is known as a writer who chronicled his times. This work has been critically acclaimed for portraying the sentiments of the American people during the 1920s and 1930s. ‘The Great Gatsby’ was written in 1924, whilst the Fitzgeralds were staying on the French Riviera, and ‘Tender is the Night’ was written nearly ten years later, is set on, among other places, the Riviera. There are very interesting aspects of these works, such as the way Fitzgerald treats his so-called heroes, and to what extent we can call them heroic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatsby and Diver are both presented as wealthy men leading privileged lives. ‘The Great Gatsby’ was written before the Depression, and the optimism and faith in the power of money within the novel demonstrates this belief that people had. Notably, it is the characters’ faith in riches, and not Fitzgerald’s own. Gatsby is a self-made millionaire, making his money through bootlegging. He has acquired vast amounts of money, and believes that this money will help persuade Daisy to love him and leave Tom. This is illustrated in Chapter five when Daisy is shown around Gatsby’s mansion at his request. He shows her every detail, through from the gardens to his shirts and ‘he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes’. Gatsby sees his money and possessions as wonderful things, but they are also more than that, they are a means to an end, the end being Daisy. He bough the house because of where it was in relation to Daisy (across the bay), and he held the most amazing parties in the hope that Daisy, or someone that knew Daisy would come. Gatsby, in effect, devoted his whole life to the search for Daisy, and his money is a tool to help him find his love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diver’s attitude to money is very much a contrast to this. Money to him does not represent freedom and choice, but a bind that ties him and constricts him. Diver is conscious through the whole novel that he himself is not the financially dominant member of his marriage, but Nicole, with her seemingly endless riches. ‘Tender is the Night’ is written after the Wall Street Crash and during the Depression, but Fitzgerald has moved his characters away from the Depression of the United States to the French Riviera... ... ideal. Again and again, Fitzgerald underlines the importance of faith and hope, without which America and the American Dream mean nothing, and it is impossible to survive without. Diver and Gatsby can both be seen as the failure of the American Dream, and thus that the America that was supposed to be a place where everything is possible, where freedom and liberty come above all else, is failing herself. In Jay Gatsby and Dick Diver F. Scott Fitzgerald has presented us with tow men who should not fail, who, if there is any justice in the world, should succeed in what they do. However, they do not. Granted, they are not perfect, but they are more heroic and noble that the other characters they are surrounded with. The reason they do not survive is because they are old-fashioned men, with old fashioned, romantic ideals, and they are destroyed by the cruelty and superficiality of modern America. Fitzgerald does not paint a very reassuring picture of his home country, and these two novels display his personal fears about American society. ‘Tender is the Night’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ are two novels grasping the mood of the moment, and Gatsby and Diver are two men who cannot keep up. Comparison of the Presentation of the Characters Jay Gatsby and Dick Di Comparison of the Presentation of the Characters Jay Gatsby and Dick Diver from The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  F. Scott Fitzgerald is known as a writer who chronicled his times. This work has been critically acclaimed for portraying the sentiments of the American people during the 1920s and 1930s. ‘The Great Gatsby’ was written in 1924, whilst the Fitzgeralds were staying on the French Riviera, and ‘Tender is the Night’ was written nearly ten years later, is set on, among other places, the Riviera. There are very interesting aspects of these works, such as the way Fitzgerald treats his so-called heroes, and to what extent we can call them heroic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatsby and Diver are both presented as wealthy men leading privileged lives. ‘The Great Gatsby’ was written before the Depression, and the optimism and faith in the power of money within the novel demonstrates this belief that people had. Notably, it is the characters’ faith in riches, and not Fitzgerald’s own. Gatsby is a self-made millionaire, making his money through bootlegging. He has acquired vast amounts of money, and believes that this money will help persuade Daisy to love him and leave Tom. This is illustrated in Chapter five when Daisy is shown around Gatsby’s mansion at his request. He shows her every detail, through from the gardens to his shirts and ‘he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes’. Gatsby sees his money and possessions as wonderful things, but they are also more than that, they are a means to an end, the end being Daisy. He bough the house because of where it was in relation to Daisy (across the bay), and he held the most amazing parties in the hope that Daisy, or someone that knew Daisy would come. Gatsby, in effect, devoted his whole life to the search for Daisy, and his money is a tool to help him find his love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diver’s attitude to money is very much a contrast to this. Money to him does not represent freedom and choice, but a bind that ties him and constricts him. Diver is conscious through the whole novel that he himself is not the financially dominant member of his marriage, but Nicole, with her seemingly endless riches. ‘Tender is the Night’ is written after the Wall Street Crash and during the Depression, but Fitzgerald has moved his characters away from the Depression of the United States to the French Riviera... ... ideal. Again and again, Fitzgerald underlines the importance of faith and hope, without which America and the American Dream mean nothing, and it is impossible to survive without. Diver and Gatsby can both be seen as the failure of the American Dream, and thus that the America that was supposed to be a place where everything is possible, where freedom and liberty come above all else, is failing herself. In Jay Gatsby and Dick Diver F. Scott Fitzgerald has presented us with tow men who should not fail, who, if there is any justice in the world, should succeed in what they do. However, they do not. Granted, they are not perfect, but they are more heroic and noble that the other characters they are surrounded with. The reason they do not survive is because they are old-fashioned men, with old fashioned, romantic ideals, and they are destroyed by the cruelty and superficiality of modern America. Fitzgerald does not paint a very reassuring picture of his home country, and these two novels display his personal fears about American society. ‘Tender is the Night’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ are two novels grasping the mood of the moment, and Gatsby and Diver are two men who cannot keep up.

Instant Messaging: Friend or Foe of Student Writing? Essay -- Essays P

Instant Messaging: Friend or Foe of Student Writing? Introduction With the commercial advent of the Internet and cell phones in the late 1990’s, technologies such as instant messaging (IM) and text messaging (TM) have achieved increasing prevalence in our society. These types of messaging technologies are widely used among adolescents today. To cite just one personal example of this widespread usage, my friend’s daughter, who is now 11 and lives in Ireland, got a cell phone last year, and, according to my friend, â€Å"was the last person in her class to get one.† This is quite an amazing change, given that ten years ago, instant messaging and text messaging were in their infancy, and cell phones were only readily available as tools for roadside assistance. Given the newness of these types of technologies, it is only in the last few years that educators have started to notice them and explore their effects on student behavior and performance. While there is supporting evidence to suggest that these technologies have a large influence on the social development of adolescents, an even more pertinent issue for classroom teachers is what effects these technologies have on the academic development of young people. In this article, I examine how students’ use of text messaging technology, specifically IM, affects their writing skills. How does IM use affect students’ interest in traditional writing (as learned in school)? In what ways does IM usage affect students’ writing ability? How does â€Å"IM-speak† change students’ views of what is considered â€Å"proper† language? How can classroom teachers build on student use of this increasingly popular technology? In this paper I provide a discussion of the current issues and current teacher pra... ...lts. If students understand where and when it is appropriate to use certain types of language, then allowing them to use IM-speak can be beneficial in building student-teacher relationships, in enhancing students’ comfort level in school settings, and in improving academic performance. IM lingo is evidence of the evolution of language, and as Brown-Owens, Eason, and Lader (2003) point out, teachers need to realize that – for better or for worse – IM is widely used among many adolescents and is consequently a strong influence on student academic performance. For who knows? Given its roots in other languages, sometime soon we may even be teaching IM-speak as a legitimate form of language. Works Cited: Connor, Amanda. "Instant Messaging: Friend or Foe of Student Writing?" From http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/literacy/oconnor.htm. Access Date: April, 2005

Critical Analysis of Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay -- To Kil

Critical Analysis of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird I will present a critical analysis on the film 'To kill a Mockingbird' which is based on the award winning novel by Harper Lee. To kill a Mockingbird is a film where a courageous, warm hearted and distinguished lawyer takes a case on board to defend a black mans human rights. His compassionate defence against the civil liberties of an exceedingly marginalised black man, Tom Robinson and their human rights and individual liberties in general, cost's him friendships and the town's respect. On the other hand, he earns the love and admiration of his two children; they in particular need that awe as they have lost a mother. Even though the case had such a foregone conclusion, Academy award winning actor Gregory Peck stepped forward to defend Tom Robinson because of his passion towards the human rights and marginalising of coloured citizens. The film was set in a deprived southern town during the great depression, where so many innocent, underprivileged coloured men were wrongly accused and lynched to sinister deaths. There were many things that would have influenced Harper Lee to write the book 'To kill a mockingbird', however; there are a couple of essential factors that I think would have influenced him greatly. Firstly, the book was written during the period of the great depression, where paranoia swept the land and marginalisation was a common site. Many people like Harper lee would have mourned at the frequent sites of discrimination of the poor, religion, blacks and even the rich. However, the constant marginalisation of blacks would have driven some people crazy. T... ...oesn't get along with some of the characters in the film and loves to show her immense movements by fighting, which she does in several cases. I think the film was excellent. It was played by realistic characters and had a very sad, but truthful plot, which went together perfectly. It was a naturalistic plot with naturalistic acting styles and the actors played their parts with clarity. They made the whole film more believable and I enjoyed it. It also sent out lots of messages to the audience. For instance, we shouldn't repress and marginalise people because of appearances. We shouldn't judge anybody or anything by appearances; it's what inside what really counts. In conclusion, I think the acting styles went along with the naturalistic performance excellently and they deserve credit for it, I applaud their efforts.

Advantages and disadvantages of E-books over books Essay

E-books have been around for a few years and even though printed books are still very popular E-books are becoming more popular as well. To be able to read E-books people need to have a special device called the E-reader or a tablet. Printed books do not seem relevant anymore, but there are still a lot of people who hold on to or prefer the traditional books. Some people expected the arrival of the e-book to replace the use of printed books. It can be noted that this is not true. Although the E-book seems to have a lot of advantages, there are also disadvantages when it comes to E-books. One of the main disadvantage according to Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013), Tian Xiang Yu (2008) and Scott (2013) is that the reader needs an electronic device, like an E-reader or tablet. As with all technology it can break. Readers need to be far more careful with their E-readers than with books. One fall can break the screen of an E-reader, making it hard to read whereas a book can still be read. Scott (2013) also states that a second problem with needing an E-reader is that not every E-book can be downloaded on every E-reader. E- readers may not support every E-book format, this causes readers to be limited in the books they are able to read. A last problem with using an electronic device according to Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013), Tian Xiang Yu (2008) and J. Perrine (2010) is, when working with an electronic device readers have to keep in mind that it needs to be charged. When the battery dies, readers cannot read until they charge the device. According to blogger, J. Perrine (2010), not only the fragile state or the incompatibility issues of E-readers is a problem, it also costs a lot of money to purchase an E-reader. The cost of an E-reader varies from proximally 50 to over 200 Euros. Even though E-books can be read on a laptop or tablet, it still is a very expensive purchase. Another disadvantage according to Scott (2013) and Tian Xiang Yu (2008) is staring at a screen all day. This can cause the readers to hurt their eyes, which leads to tiredness, headaches and blurred vision. A screen also does not have the same resolution as print on paper. Finally, reading an E-book also causes the experience of reading a book to change say Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013) and Jill Harness (n.d. ). Readers cannot flip through E-books easily, which makes it hard to go back and look something up. Not only that takes away from the experience but also the smell and feel of holding a printed book. The work that goes into book covers cannot be portrayed the same on a screen and opening a brand new book, cracking the spine is an experience an E-book can never give. On the other hand there are also advantages. The most obvious one is that E-readers are easy to take with you. Readers do not have to carry around a whole stack of books when they go on holiday. Readers only need to take one device that can carry hundreds of books and a charger to their destination. No more heavy bags and back pains (Tara Entwistle-Clark, 2013, Linda McMaken, 2012 and Jill Harness, n. d. ). In addition not only on the go this saves space according to Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013) and Jill Harness (n. d), but also in the reader’s home. Readers do not need large bookcases full of books anymore, this is especially a great advantage when one does not have a lot of space in their home. It makes a small home look more organized and with only one device readers have their whole library of books with them. Next, E-books themselves cost less than printed books and especially many English E-books can be found for free online. According to J. Perrine (2010), Linda McMaken (2012) and Michael Pastore (2008) this great availability and easy accessibility of E-books online can be a good motivation for people, especially children, to read more. The younger generation spends a lot of time behind a screen already and might be more likely to read a book on screen than a printed one. Reading books becomes easier, when the reader does not have to go out of the house to go buy a book or wait until their order arrives at home. They are one click away from getting a book and can start reading almost immediately. Michael Pastore (2008) and Jill Harness (n. d. ) write that another advantage is the fact that readers can customize front size, front color, front style and page size. This makes reading easier for people who have sight disabilities. For example, they can choose for a larger front size, which makes it easier for them to read. Some E-reader screens can be lit, which makes reading in the dark possible. E-books also give the opportunity to use multimedia, like adding sounds, moving images and links to internet pages. This way reading becomes a more interactive activity, making it again more appealing for a younger audience. Finally, the environment will benefit from the use of E-books as there is no use of paper and since readers can download E-books right from their home there is also no need to transport books to a store. This results in saving transportation costs and lowers the air contamination that comes with shipping books across the world. In addition it also saves space, as there is no need any more for depots or stores to store books. E-books are stored on the internet after all. (Michael Pastore, 2008 and Jill Harness, n. d.) In conclusion E-readers break easily and readers need to be more careful as not to break them. Readers need to keep in mind that not every E-book is compatible with every E-reader and that E-readers are expensive. Readers might get negative side effects from staring at a screen all day. Finally reading E-books does not give readers the same experience as reading a printed book. In contrast E-books are good for the environment, no transportation or paper needed. Readers can easily take many books with them, only needing an E-reader and it saves space in the reader’s home. Another great advantages is that E-books are cheaper than printed books and easier accessibly. Front sizes of E-books can be customized to the readers liking and they give the opportunity to use multimedia. This way E-books can reach a bigger audience. Finally we can say that E-books have a lot of advantages and disadvantages over books and it is up to the reader which they prefer. Bibliography Entwistle-Clark, T. (2013). Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Readers. Examiner. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://www. examiner. com/article/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-e-readers. Harness, J. (n. d. ). The Advantages of eBooks Versus Traditional Books. Online-bookstores-review. toptenreviews. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://online-bookstores-review. toptenreviews. com/the-advantages-of-ebooks-versus-traditional-books. html McMaken, L. (2012). E-Books Vs. Print Books. Investopedia. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://www. investopedia. com/financial-edge/0812/e-books-vs. -print-books. aspx Pastore, M. (2008). 30 Benefits of Ebooks. Epublishersweekly. blogspot. nl. Retrieved January 17, 2014 from: http://epublishersweekly. blogspot. nl/2008/02/30-benefits-of-ebooks. html Perrine, J. (2010). E-books and reading devices: advantages and disadvantages. E-booksandreaders. blogspot. nl. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://e-booksandreaders. blogspot. nl/p/advantages-and-disadvantages. html Scott. (2013). Disadvantages of E-books. Sunflowerbookfest. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://www. sunflowerbookfest. com/disadvantages-of-e-books Yu, T. X. (2008). Disadvantages of E-books. Ezinearticles. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://ezinearticles. com/? Disadvantages-of-E-books&id=1324883

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Methods in Education Research

All educational (and other) research falls into two broad methodological categories: qualitative and quantitative (Lincoln & Denzin, 1994; Charles, 1998; Merriam, 1998; Holliday, 2001). â€Å"Research that relies on verbal data is called qualitative research, while research that relies on numerical data is called quantitative research [emphasis original]† (Charles, p. 30). Various opinions exist, depending on one†s viewpoint, experience, or preference, about which of the two major approaches to education research, qualitative or quantitative, is better. In my own opinion, neither quantitative research in education nor qualitative research in education is inherently â€Å"better† or â€Å"worse†; one†s research method must spring from the design and content of the project itself. To decide on one research method or another, based on other reasons, seems to me both artificial and possibly harmful to the project. I believe that both of these methods are inherently, equally useful depending on how and why they are used, and on what is expected from the project by the researcher and others. According to Charles (1998), the original impetus for any educational research project, either qualitative or quantitative, springs from an initial recognition of a particular problem or concern, perhaps previously unidentified or insufficiently researched: A concern is identified for which there is no ready answer. The concern may have arisen because of a need, an interest, or a requirement, or a commissioned work, and may have been present for a long time or may have arisen unexpectedly. For example . . . ducators have identified a disturbing pattern of academic achievement in . . . schools-students from certain ethnic groups seem to progress more rapidly than others, despite the educators† efforts to provide equal educational opportunities for all. (p. 10). We would use qualitative research . . . to investigate and describe the after-school activities of . . . high school students newly arrived from El Salvador. We would try to document carefully who did what, and the data thus obtained would be mostly verbal, acquired through observation, otation, and recording. On the other hand, if we wished to assess the language and mathematics abilities of those same students, we would use quantitative research. . . . administer tests that yield numerical scores we could analyze statistically. (Charles) Qualitative research in education involves using research methods that might include observation; interviewing, or shadowing of research subjects, and/or interpretation of data, from an individual, non-empirical perspective. Quantitative research, on the other hand, uses methods like statistical surveys; questionnaires with results are broken down by percentages, and interpreted on that basis, and other empirical (rather than interpretative) methods. It is also possible, within some education research projects, to combine qualitative and quantitative research into one project, for example, by doing both statistical surveys of minority high school students on their feelings about access to college-preparatory and advanced placement courses, and personal observations of minority students within their high schools. I see considerable merit within both educational research methods, and have read a number of both qualitative and quantitative studies that I have found worthwhile and helpful. Therefore, I believe that it depends on one†s project design, and one†s goals for the project, whether one should select either a quantitative or a qualitative research method, or perhaps a combination of both methods, to best achieve one†s goals for an educational research project.