Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

Reflection - Essay Example The development of the sporting activity was promoted by the technological advancement after the world war two, it was further supported by the car industry involvement in the sporting activity like Ford. From the video, it is relatively clear that the sporting activity was promoted by the increased interest of the teenagers in Southern California from the year 1937. These were further promoted by the development of the southern California timing association that was involved in organizing events. Young people in schools were crazy with the sporting activities with each student wanting to own a car. Those who had cars spent most of their time in the garage to ensure that they had working cars that can be used for car racing. The parents and the authorities could not be able to stop the behaviour that was getting rampant among youths in South California. It can be said, with relative conviction that the current view of the sporting activity is different from what people thought of it in the past. The drag racing had gained a bad reputation among parents, police and media. This was due to the fact there were a number of accidents that were involved at that time. The fatal one was when Bruce, Nick and Dennis lost their lives while racing in Los Angeles. Further the activity was not a sport, hence did not get that attention of a sporting activity. The racing activity attracted people who were there just there for fun. For instance, at this time, there was no timing of the events, there were no prices given to the winners and entrance fee. People participated just to win and have fun. Thus, I think that that was the reason as to why there was a poor reputation of the sporting adding to the fact that there were a number of road accidents associated with it. The period post-World War II, gave rise to more sophisticated cars that were developed from the then technological advancement. Most vehicle producing companies had invested in

Leader Traits, Power, and Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leader Traits, Power, and Corruption - Essay Example What happened at Enron as well as at WorldCom not only questioned the role of corporate governance and ethics within organizations but it also put on test the very qualities of the leadership because in all those episodes of corporate failures, leadership was the main culprit. Leaders in those organizations wielded powers entrusted to them in ways which may not be considered as ethical in any sense. Leadership is a very complex process and requires different approaches to deal with different situations as they arise. One of the basic characteristics of leadership is the fact that it succeed in wielding power which others may find hard to exercise. The sources and means of various powers entrusted to leadership are various however what is critical is the facts that by exercising such powers leaders aim to achieve something which others cannot achieve. The gradual shift from bureaucracy to more flexible and so called radix organizations, the role of leadership has further become complicated and somewhat more fluid and demanding in nature. (Schneider, 2002). Since leadership is often defined as the use of "noncoercive influence" in order to accomplish different tasks (Jago, 1982) therefore in fluid organizations with much emphasis on delegation, exercising powers is considered as a delicate art. This paper will present an analysis of the different powers leaders within organizations use as well as exploring how these powers can be exercised to avoid operational, administrative as well as ethical problems faced by the organizations. Leadership Sources of Power There are different sources of powers which a leader can exercise within an organization to achieve the desired objectives and strategic aims. Since, leadership is a process where non-coercive influence is used therefore it is often assumed that while exercising such powers, leaders always do it in the best interest of the organization. Following are the different sources of power for leaders: Expert Power The source of this power is the expertise of the leader. If leader is expert in his or her field of business than the wielding of this power allow a leader to exercise certain degree of influence. This power is therefore based on an individual leader's competence and expertise in certain areas of work i.e. Bill Gates being the CEO as well as Chief Software Architect of Microsoft. Legitimate Power The source of this power is individual's position within an organization. By having a certain position, status, leaders derive this power to achieve leader-follower behavior because others follow them due to their legitimate power within an organization. Reward Power The source of this power is the leader's ability to reward any behavior. Due to this, most of the employees within an organization tend to follow their leaders and obey them because leaders exercise the power of rewarding them. This power is also one of the most important in the sense that it may allow collusion of employees/managers with the leaders to engage into unethical business practices. Coercive Power Since leaders due to their position within the organization control both rewards as well as punishments therefore the source of coercive power is when the leader control the punishment i.e. he or she has the power and ability to fire, fine, punish etc any employee. Coercive power

Cannabis Use in Young People

Cannabis Use in Young People INTRODUCTION Cannabis, also known as Marijuana or weed is a commonly used illegal substance in the United Kingdom (UK) today even among persons under the age of 18 research shows (Rcpsych.ac.uk, 2017) Presently, young people in the UK are likely to smoke cannabis as cigarettes which impacts negatively on their mental health and the community at large. Peer pressure to use drugs especially cannabis is high among young persons and its continuous use increases the risk or probability of them experiencing mental health symptoms and disorders. (Dearden, 2017). Hence the need to educate young persons about the detrimental impact cannabis and other illicit drugs can have on their health. The target audience for the leaflet designed as part of this assignment is adolescents (young persons aged 12 18). RATIONALE Young persons use of cannabis or weed is on the ascendancy even though it is a harmful illegal substance. This group of people have no true knowledge of what it contains as they buy them from drug dealers and those addicted to it risk getting physical health and emotional wellbeing issues such as poor concentration, slow reaction times, panic attacks, mood swings and isolating themselves from friends and family (JOHNS, 2001). There is the need to create awareness about the dangers of cannabis to adolescents in the UK and how it affects their mental health to reduce the risks it may pose to their health and wellbeing and to deter them from using it.   About 60,000 people suffer from mental health problems which are caused by weed in the UK (The Sun, 2016). This causes more admissions to mental health facilities, causes more distress and has negative cost implications on health services (The Sun, 2016) thus making it a significant public health issues that needs to be addressed. The more people especially adolescents who use cannabis realize the need for them to quit, the better it will be for the society as a whole; there will be a reduction in drug related crime and accidents, poor human relations associated with its use will be reduced, and a healthier and happier life for all. PREVALENCE OF CANNABIS USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS Adolescents in the UK are more likely to have tried cannabis or are regular users of cannabis. Almost 40% of adolescents revealed they had tried cannabis and other illicit substances, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) revealed. (EPHA, 2017) Another survey, by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, revealed that among15 year olds in the UK, two in five have used cannabis. These statistics could mean that parents or adults in the UK are setting a bad example for their children in relation to cannabis use because young persons are likely to emulate the behavior of the adults they live with. It could also mean that some adolescents do not have the willpower to say no to cannabis and other illicit substances or try it out of curiosity and end up becoming addicted in the end. The use of cannabis occasionally leads to an increase in social adjustment and skills in young persons. However, regular or heavy use of cannabis at an early age is associated with numerous negative outcomes such as poor physical and mental health, having unprotected sex, and dropping out of school. 20,032 adolescents were treated for drug (including cannabis 68%) related health problems during 2012 2013. This proves that cannabis is the most frequently used illegal substance, with 15.8% having used it in the last year (around 975,000 young persons). (DrugWise, 2017) Despite these health problems posed by cannabis use, herbal cannabis seems to pose less harm as compared to other illicit substances but long term use of strong cannabis (skunk) could lead to later developing mental health problems like schizophrenia. GOVERNMENT POLICIES TO DISCOURAGE THE USE OF CANNABIS AND OTHER DRUGS 2010   policy: drug misuse and dependency This paper comes up with strategies for helping young persons from becoming drug misusers. It places importance on encouraging adolescents to live healthy lives and making them know the dangers of drugs misuse of which cannabis is included. It goes on to suggest drug services to adolescents early enough if they do encounter drug problems. The strategies are as follows: supporting children in the early years of their life so that we reduce the risk of them engaging in risky behaviour (like misusing cannabis) later in life. providing accurate information on drugs and alcohol through drug education. making it easier for school authorities to take action against pupils who are found dealing drugs in school. through the Business Rates Retention Scheme (which includes what was the Early Intervention Grant), giving  £2 billion to local councils, between 2014 and 2015, which they can use to create programmes to help prevent young people misusing drugs in the first place. helping young persons who have problems with drugs by giving them treatment and support, including supporting them in other areas of their life (for example with housing or mental health problems), so that they dont return to drug use as a way of coping with these problems. The 2016 drug strategy gives us an opportunity to finally address the deficits in access to mental health services, jobs and homes, which have undermined the recovery aspirations of the 2010 strategy. The strategy successfully reframed the treatment system around recovery as an organising principle. The balance between ambition and evidence established a new consensus about best practice, steering clinicians to use opiate substitution therapy (OST) to provide a gateway to recovery for everyone who could take advantage of this opportunity. It also gave a secure place to build motivation and capacity to change for those not yet able to take the next step. This enabled the treatment system to promote recovery at the same time as continuing to deliver crime reduction and public health benefits. THE TARGET GROUP The target group for this resource is: Adolescents (young people aged between 12 and 18). Male and female Living in the UK Attending school and living at home with parents or guardian. Users of cannabis or those thinking of experimenting cannabis. This group of people living in the UK are very vulnerable in our society. They lack a sense of direction from parents (who may be cannabis users themselves) (Hidden Harm, 2003), guardians in care settings who have limited powers to prevent the young people in their care from being introduced to cannabis use or addiction and are also at high risk of exposure to cannabis use because they want to make friends or feel accepted amongst their peers who may be habitual users. It is often very difficult for them to say no or reject the use of cannabis because they have no basic knowledge about cannabis or are not informed of the short and long term effects it may have on their mental health and body. Also, those already addicted to cannabis are at greater risk due to their possible increase in preference of stronger versions of cannabis which could trigger psychosis. The leaflet therefore provides an easy to read, handy information and facts about cannabis to young persons and provides reaso ns why they must avoid/stop its usage, the side effects of cannabis and the benefits of quitting the habit of smoking cannabis. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS In designing the leaflet, careful consideration was taken to make it attractive and readable by adolescents or young persons aged around 11 years. (http://www.literacytrust.org.uk) The words QUIT SMOKING WEED is written in bold to catch the attention of the reader who sets eyes on it. Also, there is a smaller writing in red asking if cannabis users know that quitting is good for their health? There is also a cannabis leaf with a stop symbol on it printed on the front page. Different shades of green were used to design the leaflet mainly because cannabis is herbal based and it is green in its leafy form. Weed is also written in the colour representing the dry form of cannabis that is usually smoked.   The other bright colours used are colours known to attract the attention of young persons and this is aimed at catching the attention of that age group who prefer to scan through leaflets and it is hoped that they may go on to read the entire information provided. (Ecolourprint.co.uk, 2017) Cartoon images are also attractive to young persons hence the images on the inside page of the leaflet which depicts a young person, with other little images which symbolize the changes the body goes through when one smokes cannabis or the possible physical and mental health state of a cannabis user. REFLECTION/CRITIQUE Some positives about the design of the leaflet are: Cheap and easy to produce It does consist of relevant information about cannabis for adolescents and the health benefits of quitting its use. Does not take much time to read Knowledge or message it contains can be easily shared with family and friends. It reinforces information out there regarding the laws governing cannabis use and its potential effects on ones mental health. The design of the leaflet also has some drawbacks: Unless the picks it up to read, it could remain unused. It can easily be misplaced or lost. It may do more harm than good when the target audience decide to experiment rather than the message deterring them from cannabis use. It could have been produced in other formats for those who are visually impaired etc. CONCLUSION Messages about drug usage and its harmful side effects on its user, the society, the environment and the world at large sent to adolescents and the general public must be clear and consistent. (www.official-documents.gov.uk) Adolescents, their parents and guardians, must take the necessary steps to refrain from cannabis use and tackle problems related to cannabis use. Help, advice and support must be made available and accessible in ways that are sensitive to an individuals age and circumstances, and attempts must be made to reach and help vulnerable people who have a high risk of developing severe mental health related and public health problems. Prevention should start early, with broad life-skills approaches at primary school, and built on over time with appropriate programs for young people as they grow older through youth work, peer approaches, training and wider community support. The aim is for approaches to be better integrated nationally and locally. (DrugWise, 2017). More Rehab clinics and therapy centers should be opened in local communities with high usage of cannabis and other illicit drugs to make it easier for drug abusers to seek professional help to quit.

Graduation Speech: Become People With Passion -- Graduation Speech, Co

Christmas Eve in Princeton, N.J, usually fulfills the picture-postcard promise of Christmas. And it was so, on that one particular Christmas Eve long ago. A light snowfall kissed the quaint Princeton houses, and door-to-door carol singers made their way to one particular door. The violinist's home. "O little town of Bethlehem," the boys sang, "how still we see thee lie..." In moments the door opened, and the gentle violinist stood in the doorway to greet the carolers. "Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by..." The musician turned away, turned back into the house. Shortly he returned with his violin! The great man, the gentle old musician, accompanied the midnight carolers on his beloved instrument through each verse of the age-old hymn. Then, without a word, the young people turned away silently, and the old man slowly closed the door. And if this true story, if it is made more wonderful, it is not because a seasoned violin was brought out of retirement for one l ast spontaneous recital, but because the violinist himself has the best reason of all not to celebrate that snowy Christmas scene. The great genius was a Jew, and so revered was he that the very presidency of Israel once could have been his. But here is the rest of the story. Musicians will tell you, every great genius has his idol. This violinist's idol was Mozart. Once, a friend asked the violinist to comment on modern times. When the musician was a boy, wars were fought with rifles and cannons. Now the entire world might be devastated. What did that mean to the old man? The violinist hesitated, sat back thoughtfully in his chair. "It would mean," he said at last, "that people would no longer hear Mozart." For him, this most deeply conveyed the end o... ...lace for an answer. But, fellow graduates, you are here now, and I want to tell you that you do not have to live with the hopeless view that comes from this story. The one thing that Einstein was lacking was a relationship with the God I serve, who is Jesus Christ my Savior. If this genius would have allowed Him to answer his deepest question, he would have experienced a hope that would know no ends. Graduates, classmates, friends, the same hope that Einstein lacked is open for you to have. It is a choice you must make, to receive it or not, but I would be a selfish, inconsiderate person if I didn't share with you the hope that I have at the last opportunity that I will ever have to speak to each and every one of you. Class of 2012, I pray that you will become people with passion - passion for pursuing your dreams, and passion for the One who can give you hope.

Employability Skills and Swot Analysis Essay

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) define employability skills as ‘the skills almost everyone needs to do almost at any job’. The employability skills term as UKCES defined in 2008 is most often related with the ‘job readiness’ through demonstration of some elements of the personal characteristics such as (time keeping, responsibility, basic social interaction etc.) but less related with creative thinking and problem solving skills. The term ‘employability skills’ is also connected with other backgrounds, especially with Higher Education. The employability skills that identify me and my future career can be categorized in nine major groups of skills. The first groups of skills are the communication skills. The communication skills are the set of skills that allow an individual to transport information so that it is received and understood (Schroeder, A, 2010). The second groups of skills are the team work skills, which can be defined as the process of interacting and working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal (Felder, R. M., & Silverman, L. K., 1988). In addition another group of skills are the organization and planning skills. Those types of skills can be defined as the way of working in a methodical approach, prioritizing and using time management, in order to carry out tasks effectively, for either yourself or your team (Felder, R. M. and Soloman, B. A., 2003). Besides the organization and planning skills, another group of skills that characterizes me, are the problem solving skills. We can define those skills as the process by which an individual or a team works through details of a problem, utilizing their creativity, available information and resources, reasoning and past experiences, in order to reach a solution (Gardner, H., 1983). Another important group of skills are the flexibility and adaptability skills which can be defined as the ability to be adaptable and responsive, to change in any given situation or work environment, or in response to the needs, wishes or demands of others (Honey, P. and Mumford, A., 1986). Additionally another important group of skills are the action planning skills. The action planning skills can be defined as the process which will help you to emphasize your ideas, and to decide what steps you need to take or activities that must be performed, to achieve particular goals (Honey, P., 1992). Moreover another important group of employability skills are the self-awareness skills which can be defined as the ability to know and understand yourself, including strengths, weaknesses, achievements, feelings and behaviors, and what you want out of life (Kolb, 1984). Furthermore another group of employability skills are the initiative skills. That group of skills can be defined as the ability to act and make decisions without the help or advice of other people (Honey, P., 1992). The last groups of employability skills are the personal impact and confidence skills. This group of skills can be defined as an approach which allows us to have a positive and realistic perception of ourselves and our abilities (Perry, 1968). SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. A SWOT analysis can be carried out for a product, a place or a person. I t involves identifying the objective of the business project or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are positive and negative to achieving that objective. The technique is official due to Albert Humphrey, who led a convention at the Stanford Research Institute in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies. In my case I am going to perform swot analysis for each of the nine groups of employability skills that I mentioned above. I am going to highlight the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities and the threats for all the groups of skills that I have mentioned before. Communication skills SWOT analysis Strengths: The first of my strengths as far as the communication skills is the process of presenting information in various formats. A strength that I obtained by being a member of my high schools argument team. Another of my strength is the process of motivating and encouraging others, a strength that I gained as a member and a captain in A.S. Aris water polo for seven years. Furthermore by being a secretary at my father’s clinic for the last two years, I gained the strength of questioning, listening, giving and accepting criticism. At last another of my strengths is the process of persuading and negotiating. A strength that I obtained as I was my class president for the last two years of high school. Weaknesses: As for my weaknesses as far as the communication skills are concerned I have to point out that the most of them exist due to the lack of my experience in the workplace. Construct coherent arguments and articulate ideas clearly to a range of audiences is a weakness to my communication skills but I will try to improve it in the future through knowledge and experience inherited by a variety of seminars connected to the subject that I am going to take. Another of my weaknesses is the fact that I cannot easily choose forms of delivery, structure and language appropriate to audience. A weakness that I tend to improve through studying about the subject. At last some other weaknesses of me are, understanding the others body language and my lack to articulate. Opportunities: I can get help from others or from people via the Internet.I can establish a network of strategic contacts that can help, or offer me good advices. If the customers or vendors of my future workplace complain i can create an opportunity by offering them a solution. Threats: I have poor marketing skills. There is a lot of competition in my field. A lot of communication may lead to negative results. Team Work skills SWOT analysis Strengths: The first of my strengths as far as the team work skills is that I can easily work and cooperate with other people from different cultural backgrounds, as I was a reservation manager for three summers (summer 2009-2011) at Spitaki bar-club. Some other of my strengths are the element of leadership, the process of taking a share of responsibility, the process of accepting and learning from constructive criticism, and the process of understanding role in a team . I obtained those skills as a member and a captain of A.S. Aris water polo team for seven years. At last I gained the process of the analysis of problem or task, and the strength of respecting others, as I worked as a bartender to Goldfish Bar for three years (2009- 2011). Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the team work skills are, that I am not so good at mediating between people, I have weak develop and maintain networks skill, that I am not working with confidence and that I am not being assertive. I will try to improve those weaknesses in the future by finding a role model and read the biographies of people that i admire. Opportunities: With my teamwork skills and through cooperation my job becomes easier. New innovative ideas are coming to the ‘’table’’ easier after brainstorming. By treating my team with respect any set of targets are achieved efficiently with accuracy. Threats: Differences in the character of the members of the team may lead to arguments and misconducts. My inability of maintaining networks will have a negative result in a team work project. My lack of confidence may lead in a negative result in a team work project. Organization and Planning Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: To begin with, my strengths as far as the organization and planning skills are the ability of good record keeping, the process of assigning priorities and the ability of undertaking good research. Those skills where obtained by attending several university classes. Some other of my strengths are that I am very good at documentation and attention to detail and at the process of setting clear goals that are achievable and measurable. Those were obtained by me as I worked as a secretary at my father’s clinic for the last two years. Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the organization and planning skills are, that I am not so good at the process of scheduling resources, managing time effectively and developing processes and procedures. Also I need to improve the processes of reviewing progress, and working to deadlines. Opportunities: Knowledge of new technology can help in my future work. I keep my knowledge up to date by reading regularly the ‘’Economist’’ magazine. Attention to detail will provide me with better employment opportunities. Threats: My lack of experience may lead to mistakes and miscalculations. Since I am not good at time managing i may not achieve my goals on time. Organization may lead to misconducts and arguments. Problem Solving Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: My strengths as far as the problem solving skills are, my ability of setting goals, the process of using initiative and logical reasoning and the element of evaluating information. Strengths that I obtained as I worked as a secretary at my father’s clinic for the last two years. Furthermore some of my other strength are, the processes of the decision making, planning, implementing, delegating tasks and responsibilities and the ability to identify and analyze situations. . I obtained those skills as a member and a captain of A.S. Aris water polo team for seven years. Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the problem solving skills are that I am not good at experimenting with new methods, negotiations and the process of resolving conflicts. In addition I do not possess the ability to deal with and implement change. I will try to improve those weaknesses in the future by earning experience from future works. Opportunities: My elements of setting goals and evaluating information will help me be more accurate and efficient at my workplace. I am responsible and mature, elements that will help me to be successful at my field. Threats: My lack of experience may lead to mistakes and miscalculations. The fact that there is a lot of competition in my field. Flexibility and Adaptability Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: My strengths as far as the flexibility and adaptability skills are the processes of managing multiple assignments and tasks at the same time and working either independently or as part of a team. I obtained those skills as a member and a captain of A.S. Aris water polo team for seven years and as I worked as a bartender to Goldfish Bar for three years (2009- 2011). Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the flexibility and adaptability skills are, that I cannot easily adapt to changing conditions and work assignments and I find it hard to set parameters. Opportunities: I have a flexible and adaptable character which is a basic element for a work in field. I gained the ability of working either independently or as part of a team, an element which creates a big advantage for my future carrier. I love to travel so a job that includes traveling seems ideal. Threats: Changing work conditions and work assignments can confuse me. Action Planning Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: My strengths as far as the action planning skills are, the ability of identifying objectives, using lists, setting clearly defined steps and prioritizing tasks effectively. The above were obtained by me as I worked as a secretary at my father’s clinic for the last two years. Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the action planning skills are, I find hard to work to deadlines, to develop a contingency plan and to develop a timetable or work schedule. I intend to improve those weaknesses by earning experience as I will continue to work as a secretary at my father’s clinic. Opportunities: The job am willing to follow is in a high growing industry. I am watching networking events, educational classes, or conferences so that I will be ready when the time for an interview comes. I am trying to accomplish a new role or project that forces you to learn new skills, like public speaking or international relations. Threats: I find hard to work to deadlines, to develop a contingency plan and to develop a timetable or work schedule, element that create threats for my future work. Self-Awareness Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: My strengths as far as the self-awareness skills are the ability of receiving and using feedback, the ability to reflect on what I have learnt and the ability of understanding my strengths. The above were obtained by me as I worked as a reservation manager for three summers (summer 2009-2011) at Spitaki bar-club. Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the self-awareness skills are, that I find hard to understand where the gaps in my knowledge and experience are, how to recognize my motives and how to identify my own training needs. Skills that I tend to improve in the near future through university classes. Opportunities: I can get help from others or from people via the Internet which creates an advantage for my place at the current market. I have the specific skills (like a second language) that could help my future company or workplace for an expansion or acquisition. I will take advantage of my competitors failing to do something important in order to climb up the hierarchy. Threats: I find hard to understand where the gaps in my knowledge and experience are and how to recognize my motives, elements that could risk my potential carrier. My lack of experience may lead to mistakes and miscalculations. Initiative Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: My strengths as far as the initiative skills are, that I have the ability of giving assistance to others, of finding a solution to a problem quickly and effectively, of taking responsibility and of introducing improvements. I obtained these strengths as I worked as a bartender to Goldfish Bar for three years (2009- 2011). Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the initiative skills are, that I find hard to generate ideas, to challenge perceptions and to be creative. . I will try to improve those weaknesses in the future by earning experience from future works. Opportunities: I will try to identify the needs of my workplace that no one is filling. If a colleague is going on an extended leave. I could take on some of this person’s projects to gain experience. Threats: My lack of experience may lead to mistakes and miscalculations. There is a lot of competition in my field. Personal Impact and Confidence Skills SWOT analysis Strengths: My strengths as far as the personal impact and confidence skills are, that I own the ability to display a sense of control, to show positive attitude to work, to take responsibility for own learning and reflective practice, and to act as a role model. Strengths that I gained as a member and a captain in A.S. Aris water polo for seven years. Weaknesses: My weaknesses as far as the personal impact and confidence skills are, that I find hard to seek advice and support, I am not able to establish boundaries and I do not have awareness of growth, progress and achievements Opportunities: I have sense of control, an element that will help me to be a vital employ of my company or industry. I am confident as a person, an element that is very important in order to achieve my goals. Threats: My lack of experience may lead to mistakes and miscalculations. The fact that there is a lot of competition in my field. My inability of maintaining networks will have a negative result in a team work project. References Schroeder, A., (2010), The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of using social software in higher and further education teaching and learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26: 159–174. Felder, R. M., & Silverman, L. K. (1988). Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education. Eng. Education, 78(7), 674–681. Felder, R. M. and Soloman, B. A. (2003). Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire Available online at http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Gardner, H. (1983) â€Å"Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.† New York: http://ebooksfreedownload.org/tag/gardner-frames-of-mind-pdf Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1986). Using your learning styles. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Honey, P. (1992). The manual of learning styles: Revised version. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Kolb (1984), Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall (available at: http://academic.regis.edu/ed205/Kolb.pdf ) Perry (1968) Patterns of development in thought and values of students in a liberal arts college. UKCES. (2008). UK Commission for Employment and Skills – Employability Skills Project, Review of Evidence on Best Practice in Teaching and Assessing Employability Skills, ( available at: http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/employability-skills-project.pdf)

Buddhist Ethnography

The Buddhist Experience Buddhism is a religion that focuses more on the individual and the actions of that individual, which was prevalent to me when I made my way into Portland and set foot in a Buddhist temple. The man I met within the walls of this temple was far from my stereotypical thoughts of Buddhist monks. The man I met looked like your plain old, average Joe, American man. Before I delve into the depths of my visit to this inspiring place, I need to sum up the Buddhist religion and why I chose to study this particular group of people.First, Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion based off of the idea that there is a path that one can take to achieve enlightenment, instead of believing in a god or multiple gods. Buddhism began with a man named Siddhartha. Siddhartha, the son of a king and heir to the throne, was forbidden to leave the castle walls within which he was confined. His Father, the king, made him stay within the walls at all time so as not to see the suffering that was happening in the outside world. His father even hid all aging and sickness from his son.One day, Siddhartha told his personal bodyguard that he wanted to venture beyond the walls of the castle. The servant had no choice but to obey what Siddhartha had told him. The two set out and on their journey, they came across an old man in the street who was very close to dying. Siddhartha asked the bodyguard what was wrong with the man and the bodyguard had no choice but to tell Siddhartha the truth. They repeated this feat of leaving the castle walls on 3 more occasions, seeing a sickly woman on the side of the road one day, a dead body on the side of the road the next, and a renunciator on the fourth and final day.Each time the bodyguard was asked what was wrong with the person they saw, and each time, he was forced to tell Siddhartha the truth. These four people became known as the four sights, and eventually lead to Buddhism’s main teachings: life is suffering but there is a way ou t of the suffering. The way out of the suffering of life is through the Noble Eight Fold Path. The Noble Eight Fold Path teaches the way to act within the living world and what you can do to further your way along the path of Enlightenment.The Eight folds are: Right understanding, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right concentration. This is the way that everyone should live if they want to achieve enlightenment along the Buddhist path. This is not the only thing that Siddhartha taught though. Like every single religion since the beginning of time, there is a list of rules. Christianity has the 10 Commandments, Islam has the Five Pillars of Islam, and Buddhism has the Religious Reformations of Buddha. Unlike most religions, Buddhism strays from the focus on an all mighty deity or deities.Buddhism preaches five different logics that deviate from the norm when it comes to religious ideals: first, Strive after enlightenme nt with due diligence. This means you must put a lot of effort into the job of enlightenment if you wish to achieve it. Second, there will be no metaphysical theorizing. This is the one that seems to throw a wrench into the ideals of every religion before it, there is no God and if you even think that there is a God, you are disgracing the Buddhist way of life. Buddhism is a way of life, it is not a religion with a holy God. Third, there is no tradition, no ritual.The teachings themselves are supposed to lead you, but if you do not know yourself, there is no way that you can know Buddhism and have the ability to follow the Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment, once you find yourself and know yourself, then you can accept or reject the teachings of the Buddha. Fourth, is that you will find salvation through your efforts. If you are a diligent Buddhist and you work at the Eightfold Path to achieve enlightenment, you will be rewarded; you just need to have patience. Finally, there are no supernatural miracles, no water into wine, no parting of the Red Sea, just what goes on down here on plain old earth.In fact, at one point, the Buddha says â€Å"Those who attempt to work miracles are not my disciples†. This tells you just how serious the Buddha is about his focus on the natural and this-worldly things. Now that the basics have been laid out, time for why I chose to study Buddhism. Buddhism has been in my life for as long as I can remember, if only minimally. My father subscribed to a Buddhism magazine called Tricycle, more of an Americanized look at Buddhism. Moreover, the teachings of Buddhism and its focus on the here and now, how you treat people around you, and how you act towards people, have always been appealing to me.This opportunity fell into my lap and I was more than happy to take the chance to learn about something I had always known too little about. When I approached the temple, I immediately got a feel for an organized group of people simp ly by the way they approached the trimming of the trees and plants. Everything seemed to have a purpose and seemed to play off each other. The trees, with circles of branches only, seemed to perfectly accent the red, almost poinsettia looking flowers behind them leading up the staircase into a very plain, unexpressive building.Once I gained entrance into the temple itself, it was a different site than I expected. Beyond a Plexiglas barrier, was a very church-like worship area with decorations on a slightly elevated plateau. Gold smattered in with vivid colors greeted my eyes as I stepped through the door into the temple’s worship area. There was a statue of the Buddha in the middle, made out of gold, with a halo surrounding his head. On the left, slightly behind the level of the Buddha, was a cloth with the picture of 7 men that our Reverend Gregory G Gibbs would refer to as the authors of the Chinese Buddhist Cannon which is about 100,000 pages long.There was two thirds of a copy of the Cannon itself on the far sides of the raised area. In front was a large circular bowl with a top on it that we were informed was used for incense which is one of the three offerings that people were allowed to leave for Buddha. Incense is one of the ancient ways, and would be burned while the reverend would teach to the disciples. The other two gifts were flowers, which were meant to signify impermanence, and candles, meant to signify wisdom.The man we were lead by was a middle aged looking white male, far from the short, bald, Asian monk dressed in flowing orange robes I had expected to meet. He taught us all about the temple and how it had been around for more than 105 years. He was a very cordial man who loved to hear the sound of his own voice, unfortunately. The man lead us through the basement, seeing holy murals that had been created for the centennial celebration a few years prior. He was very obviously a pious man who had sought to follow the path of the Buddha into enlightenment.