ACT On My Own

Should I Hire A Tutor Or Study For The SAT/ACT On My Own SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Your number two pencils are sharpened; you have functioning erasers at the ready and tissues for when you can’t stop the tears. That’s right. You’re gearing up to study for the SAT/ACT. Except†¦how do you actually go about studying for the SAT/ACT? Do you need a tutor, or can you just do it on your own? We cover this topic pretty thoroughly in our free booklets on comparing methods of test prep for the SAT and ACT, so this article will just give you a brief rundown of when it’s worth it to hire a tutor. feature image credit: Lady Mary Fairfax with her Tutor, 1647 by Lisby, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. In general, if you want to succeed on the SAT or ACT, you must have all of the following five components. 1. Motivation and Accountability Finding the motivation to study for the SAT/ACT can be...problematic. I mean, your score doesn’t directly impact your high school education (unless your school uses it for something), and test prep isn’t as interesting as Youtube. If you aren’t motivated, you won’t make progress in your test prep. A vague reason that you just give lip service to, like â€Å"I know I probably need to study so I can get a good enough score get into the school I want,† won’t do you any good. You need reasons to study that will actually motivate you. Because it’s the strength of the motivation that matters, not the loftiness of the reason, â€Å"I want to beat my older sibling’s score on the SAT† is just as valid a motivator for test prep as â€Å"I want to do well on the SAT so I’m guaranteed a scholarship to a state school.† Accountability may play a role in your motivation, if you find that you are most motivated to succeed if you have people counting on you who you don’t want to disappoint. Maybe you’ll care if a friend or a sibling shames you for not doing work like you said you would (not that I speak from experience), or if your parents are disappointed in you for failing to improve your test scores (as long as this is also something YOU care about). Bottom line: you need to find a source (or multiple sources) of motivation that work(s) for YOU. IF you have problems finding the motivation to study on your own, without anyone holding you accountable for studying, THEN a tutor may be helpful for you. 2. Strong Study Plan Students who succeed on the SAT/ACT go into prep with a structured study plan. When you’re just studying on your own, it can be hard to stay organized in your studying. The first step to forming a high-level study plan is to know where you currently stand and where you want to be on test day. Take a timed practice test under realistic conditions to get a sense of how you are scoring now. Next, what is your target score? We have two articles about this, one for the SAT and one for the ACT, but to summarize: List the schools you want to apply to Search online to find their average SAT/ACT scores Take the average of all the averages to get your target test score. Once you know your current score and your target test score, you will have a better idea of what it's going to take to get there. A structured study plan will be able to answer all of the following questions. When am I taking the SAT/ACT? How long do I have to prepare before test day? How many hours will I study each week? What material do I need to cover? What resources will I use? Should I use books or a complete prep program? When do I take practice tests? How will I know how to adjust my plan according to my progress? I'm going to use a fictional student named Aaron to answer these questions. Aaron recently took a practice SAT and scored a 1000 and has six months to reach his target score of 1250. He and his tutor have assessed his weak areas and discovered that Aaron has serious content weaknesses across all of SAT Math and some smaller issues with the Critical Reading and Writing sections. Aaron's study plan looks something like this: Months 1-3: 1 hour every other week with tutor, 3 hours a week otherwise focusing on weaknesses in SAT Math. Practice tests every three weeks. Months 4-5: 1 hour every other week with tutor, 6-7 hours a week outside of tutoring sessions drilling weaknesses in Math, Critical Reading, and Writing and reviewing missed questions, using books and materials hand-selected by the tutor; practice tests every other week. Month 6: 1 hour every other week with tutor, 9-10 hours a week outside of tutoring sessions working on remaining weaknesses that the tutor has identified by drilling with actual practice questions, practicing reading comprehension by finding interesting articles in the New York Times and analyzing them; practice tests every week, increasing in frequency as the test draws nigh. Because Aaron sticks to his study plan, he bumps his Math score from 400 to 630 and his overall SAT score from 1000 to 1260, meeting his target goal. If he had not had this study plan, even if he had gotten focused help on the Math section a month before the test, it's unlikely that he would have been able to improve as much as he did, both in Math and across the board. So IF you have problems structuring your study time, THEN a tutor may be helpful for you. 3. Excellent StudyResources Being motivated with a plan won’t do you any good if you don’t have good resources for your test prep. It is extremely important to use actual SAT/ACT practice tests when you study, not other test prep company’s materials, since only the questions that will test you in the same way the real test does are...questions from an official test. Luckily, there are a bunch of free practice tests available online for the SAT and the ACT. What if there’s a topic you just don’t understand? Let’s make up an example and say I never really understood probability in class, but somehow managed to fake my way through it. Suddenly, I’m faced with the SAT or ACT, which questions you on probability in really weird ways. To address this, I could try going through back through notes or borrowing old textbooks, prep material from other people. But what if I don’t have any good notes or materials to begin with? Not only this, textbooks and class notes aren't the best way to prep for the tests since they're so different. What if I’m not good at teaching material to myself? My best bet would be to find a tutor who has a good reputation for teaching SAT Math, and get focused instruction on improving my knowledge of probability. IFyou don't know what the best resources available to target your weaknesses are, THEN you would definitely benefit from time with the right tutor. 4. Effective Way To Learn From Your Mistakes One of the mistakes many people have when they study for the SAT/ACT is failing to thoroughly review the questions they miss. A thorough review involves more than a halfhearted â€Å"Oh, I see. I got this wrong because I was careless.† In order for going over your errors to actually help you, you need to dig deep into why exactly you missed the question. Where were you careless? Did you make the mistake because you were rushing? If so, why were you low on time? What are concrete ways you can avoid making this mistake in the future? If you’re thinking that you’d love to read an entire article about the best way to review your mistakes, then you are in luck. IF you have trouble going over your mistakes and figuring out what in particular you did wrong (and concrete ways to avoid it in the future), THEN hiring a high quality tutor will be helpful. Bourgai Sadia by sebastien Delcoigne, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. Don’t speed past your mistakes. 5. Ability To Measure Progress In order to successfully prepare for the SAT/ACT, you need a way to measure your progress as you study, and be able to adapt your study plan accordingly. This is the area I have the most trouble in – it’s tempting to keep doing the same things over and over, but after a certain point those things may no longer be helping you boost your score. So how do you measure progress? When beginning your test prep, you should take a timed, full-length practice test and score it; alternatively, if you've already taken the test once recently, you can use that as your starting point. As you proceed through your test prep, continue to take timed practice tests at regular intervals, spaced according to how much time you have to study. For instance, if you're preparing for the SAT over the course of two months, start out by taking a practice test at the end of each week of prep for the first month. Why is taking timed practice tests so important to your test prep? It's the only way, short of taking the actual SAT or ACT, to see how you're doing under realistic conditions. If you don’t know if you’re doing better than before on the test, it's impossible to know if your studying is effective...or if you're just wasting your time. By periodically checking your score on practice tests, you'll be able to see if you are improving, and if you need to be improving more quickly to meet your goals (or if you're doing just fine). Let's extend the example of a student who takes four practice tests in the first month of her studying. He started out with an ACT composite score of 24, and his goal is to improve to a 30; however, after a month of studying a couple of hours a week, his practice test composite is holding steady at 26. If this student wants to meet his goal, he's going to need to adapt his studying method. In this case, a tutor would be helpful because she would be able to identify the ways in which the student should adapt his studying method to reach his target score, whether this is by increasing the amount of time he studies or changing the specifics of how he reviews questions he's messed up on. IF you’re not really sure how to measure your progress, or how you can adapt your test prep as you improve, THEN you might find a tutor helpful. No Sweat, I’ve Got This Without A Tutor If you are confident that you take care of the following on your own: Motivation and Accountability: You have a reason or multiple reasons to study that are actually important to you. Strong Study Plan: You know your target score and the amount of time you have to study and are able to use that to plan out your test prep in a schedule that you can stick to. Good Resources: You have the right material to study, or you have the ability to aquire it. Effective Ways to Learn From Your Mistakes: You are expert at picking apart your mistakes, seeing exactly where you went wrong, and finding solutions to avoid these mistakes in the future. Ability to Measure Progress: You know what your starting point is and that you need to take timed practice tests along the way as yardsticks against which to asses your progress. ...then absolutely go for it - you don't need a tutor to do well, or even get a perfect score, on the SAT or ACT. As I can personally attest, working smart and working hard will get you most places when it comes to test prep. Storytime: When I was a senior in college, I was under the impression that I might want to go to grad school for psychology, and so I knew I had to take the GRE Psychology Subject Test. I didn't have the funds or time for a tutor, and there wasn't really a test prep course out there that I knew of. Instead, I studied with a friend for about an hour a day, every day, for the six weeks leading up to the test. We both scored exceptionally well, and my friend is in the process of earning her doctorate in psychology. So I don't want to suggest that you MUST have a tutor to do well on the SAT/ACT. But if you feel like you need help on one of the above key components, you should consider it. Uh Oh†¦I’m Not So Sure I Can Do This On My Own If you’re worried about even one of those 5 areas, however, you might want to consider getting yourself some assistance to maximize your score. The more areas you struggle with, the more a high quality tutor will help. On the other hand, if you’re not entirely sure that you want to go with a tutor, a test prep program, like PrepScholar’s automated drilling platform, is a good compromise. You get motivation, a pesonalized study plan that focuses on your weaknesses, materials, and a way to measure progress, but pay less and miss out on the one-on-one attention. What’s Next? Wait, what is it that tutors actually do during SAT/ACT tutoring, anyway? I’ve got the answer for you! Sounds good so far, but should I be doing online tutoring? Find out here. How do you find the right tutor for you? Reading this article is a good start (although since I wrote it, I might be a little bit biased). Want to get serious about improving your SAT/ACT score? Our tutoring service is designed to be the most effective in the nation. We hire the best tutors from across the country. This is then paired with our exclusiveonline drillingprogramthat gives your tutor complete insight into your progress to design the most effective sessions. Think about what improving 160 points on your SAT, or 4 points on your ACT, can do for you. Learn more about tutoring now:

SAT Standard Deviation What Does It Mean for You

SAT Standard Deviation What Does It Mean for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've ever glanced through any of the year-end College Board data reports, you may have seen information about the SAT standard deviation. Unfortunately, the reports just list the numbers and then move on, without explaining at all what these numbers mean. So how is info about the SAT mean and standard deviation useful to you? In this article, we’ll explain what the term standard deviation refers to and what it means for you and your SAT score. Feature image credit: Bell Curve by Abhijit Bhaduri/Flickr Bonus: Looking for the very best guides to every SAT section? Check out our top guides for every single section of the SAT. Choose the score level you're aiming for: 800 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring a 600 or above on a section, and you want to get the highest SAT score possible. 600 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring below a 600 on a section, and you want to boost your score to at least a 600 level. These are the very best guides available on boosting your SAT score, section by section. They're written by Harvard grads and perfect SAT scorers. Don't disappoint yourself - read these guides and improve your score today. What Is the SAT Standard Deviation? The standard deviation of a set of numbers measures variability. Standard deviation tells you, on average, how far off most people's scores were from the average (or mean) score. The SAT standard deviation is195 points, which means that most people scored within 195 points of the mean score on either side (either above or below it). SAT standard deviation is calculated so that 68% of students score within one standard deviation of the mean, 95% of students score within two standard deviations of the mean, and 99+% of students score within three standard deviations of the mean. If the standard deviation of a set of scores is low, that means most students get close to the average score (in this case, 1060). This is pretty clearly not the case with the SAT, because otherwise schools that boast 1300+ average SAT scores for admitted students would have no students. By contrast, if the standard deviation is high, then there’s more variability and more students score farther away from the mean. Based on the most recent data released for the SAT, the standard deviation is relatively high, meaning that there is quite a bit of variability in how students score on the SAT. Below, we’ve created a table with the data about the SAT mean and standard deviation for each section of the test, as well as the mean and standard deviation for total SAT scores. SAT Participation and Performance Mean Standard Deviation Total 1060 195 EBRW 533 100 Math 527 107 Note: this table only includes data drawn from the most recent test scores of 2017 high school graduates. Hardeep Singh/Flickr What Does the SAT Bell Curve Look Like? The bell curve for SAT scores is pretty close to an ideal normal curve. Since the average score is higher than the midpoint of the range (1060 instead of 1000), it's a little shifted over to the right, but otherwise the SAT bell curve is a regular bell shape. Because the SAT standard deviation for total SAT scores is 195 and the mean is 1060, we can do a little quick math to figure out the score ranges for the first, second, and third standard deviation. % of SAT scores in range Total Score Range EBRW Range Math Range 68% 865-1255 433-633 420-634 95% 670-1450 333-733 313-741 99+% 475-1600 233-800 206-800 To help you better visualize the distribution of SAT scores, we've graphed out the SAT bell curve (in blue) for composite SAT scores (out of 1600) and added in lines for the mean and each of the standard deviations. The green line in the chart is the average SAT score (1060), while the lines on either side of the mean represent the boundaries of the different standard deviations. The two yellow vertical lines on the chart represent the first standard deviation scores, 865 and 1255. The scores of 68% of all students who took the SAT fall in between those two lines. The two orange lines on the chart represent the second standard deviation scores, 670 and 1450. The scores of 95% of all students who took the SAT fall in between the two orange lines (including the 68% who scored between an 865 and a 1255). The two red lines on the chart represent the third standard deviation scores, 475 and 1645. Technically, because the SAT only goes up to 1600, there are no students who scored above that, which is why the blue curve of all student SAT scores stops abruptly at 1600. The scores of about 99% of all students who took the SAT fall between the two red lines, with the remaining 1% falling below the leftmost red line (scores of 475 and below). Extra Advice: Want to get into the best college you can? Read our famous guide on how to get into Harvard, the Ivy League, and your top choice college. In this guide, you'll learn: What colleges are looking for in your application How to impress your top choice colleges Why you're probably wasting your time on activities that don't matter Even if you're not actually interested in Ivy League schools, you'll still learn something fundamental about how to apply to college. Read our top college admissions guide today. Why Does the SAT Standard Deviation Matter? As a student, the exact details of the SAT bell curve and standard deviation aren't going to be all that relevant. Most of the info you’d get from standard deviations you can just as easily get from the information about your percentile rank that's included on your score report. For instance, knowing you’re in the 98th percentile is probably more useful to you than knowing you’re a little more than two standard deviations above the mean SAT score. Learn How Much Scores Vary The size of the standard deviation can give you information about how widely students' scores varied from the average. A larger standard deviation means there was more variation of scores among people who took the test, while a smaller standard deviation means there was less variance. As we discussed above, the SAT standard deviation is 195, which is relatively high and therefore indicates there's a lot of variation in scores among students who take the SAT. Practically speaking, this means that high-achieving students have to get relatively high scores in order to distinguish themselves. To do better than 98% of students on the SAT with a mean of 1060 and a standard deviation of 195, you must get a 1450 or higher on the test. Discover How Your Score Stacks Up The standard deviation of SAT scores is also useful information because it gives you a good general idea about how well you performed, compared to other students. Based on which standard deviation you fall into, you can even figure out your rough percentile score (if you don't know it). If your SAT score is more than one standard deviation above the average SAT score, then you did better than about 84% of students, which puts you in a strong position for most state schools (including UMass Amherst, University of Cincinnati, and UT San Antonio) and some private schools (like Pace University, Temple University, and Quinnipiac University). Similarly, if your score is more than two standard deviations above the mean SAT score, then you did better than around 97% of students, which is great and makes you a strong candidate for more competitive schools like NYU, UMich (Ann Arbor), and even Ivy-League schools like UPenn and Brown. On the other hand, if your score is more than one standard deviation below the mean, you definitely have your work cut out for you if you want to be a competitive applicant for most schools. You’ll need to put in some serious study time to boost your score up to an 860+ score level. Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. What’s Next? Ready to get more precise information of how your SAT score compares to other students' scores? Check out our article on SAT scores and percentiles to figure out where you fit in. Are you a high-achieving student with high SAT score dreams? Learn what SAT scores you need to get into the Ivy League here. What if you're worried your score might be too low to get you into college at all? Find out what the minimum SAT score for college is here. Need to figure out what SAT score to aim for in the first place? We have a complete guide to setting your target SAT score in this article. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Multi-Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multi-Media - Essay Example ‘Why we crave horror movies’ is a story that uses the genre of realistic fiction to explain the reality behind people and their love for horror movies. It gives reason behind the popularity of horror films in America and explains the nature of the movies. ‘A GPS helps a guy always know where his couch’ uses the art of science fiction and reality genres to explain the role of technology in creating easy movement of people in the modern world as one can visit new places without difficulties with the use of GPS trackers. ‘The fast food factories’ make the use of realistic nonfiction genre to explain the event behind children molestation in the real world. Dave Barry is a famous writer from Chester city in England. He uses his literature skills to emphasize on the importance of technology in solving various circumstances in the modern societies. He points out the importance of GPS in navigation as it promotes ease in movement of people around the world. Barry audience is basically made of people who have an interest in modern technology thus have the desire to know more about the impacts of technology in the current world. In this case, he uses the context of ‘A GPS helps a guy always know where his couch’ to explain one of the impacts of modern technology which is the use of GPS in navigation. King is an American author who draws his inspiration from psychological studies. He uses this notion to explain the circumstance behind American film fanatics and their love for horror movies. His audiences are basically film funs whom he helps to understand the reason behind the love of horror movies especially in America. Amitai Etzioni is another famous writer born in Germany but spent most of his academic life in the United States. One of his best selling literatures is ‘The Fast-Food Factories’ where he target business entrepreneurs as his major audience. His story rotates around child molestation

Develop a leadership plan for addressing the issue identified in the Research Paper

Develop a leadership plan for addressing the issue identified in the case study - Research Paper Example The downtown areas of Monson largely populated by local government and municipal buildings suffered heavy losses of government property owing to the large scale destruction of government buildings and offices. Apart from the large scale destruction of residential and government properties the central and downtown areas of Monson also suffered from potential damage of several commercial properties. Many business offices operating in such regions had to close down or were bound to switch over to other areas by opening up newer branches. It is observed that the downtown region of Monson which was once largely populated with trees now was completely barren after being heavily struck by the tornado. Large scale destruction of residential properties in the downtown region were observed after the tornado strike ruined around 290 houses thereby claiming both properties and lives in a devastating fashion. Thus, it is found that the region of Massachusetts became struck by a tornado of deadly potential. In the light of the above case the paper tends to evaluate the leadership issues in regards to the conduct of emergency operations to save both life and property and thereby in citing an effective plan to help enhance the efficiency of the emergency plans. For Massachusetts the year of 2011 was quite a disaster as the state was struck with one of the largest tornadoes across around 18 community regions that claimed around 550 lives and made a huge chunk of the population homeless (Town of Monson, 2011, p.1; Earth Observatory, 2011). A large number of faults were observed in regards to leadership issues to render effective emergency services to the victims of such tornado devastated regions. Firstly, it was observed that there were huge communication gaps between the government authorities and the agencies that were working to promote emergency related services. There were also communication gaps where the people pertaining to the agency operations

Concrete Stitches In Segmental Prestressed Concrete Bridges

Concrete Stitches In Segmental Prestressed Concrete Bridges The in-situ concrete stitches of a segmental prestressed concrete bridge are locations of potential weakness for the entire bridge deck but relatively little work has been carried out in this area. In the current practice, these in-situ stitches are usually designed to be capable of sustaining considerable sagging moment but only minimal hogging moment. Therefore, failure of these joints is possible under exceptional circumstances when the hogging moment is high, which may potentially trigger a progressive collapse. In the light of this, an extensive experimental study on the structural behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitch under different combinations of parameters has been carried out. Two types of specimens are tested in the study, namely the beam specimens and the shear specimens, which both consist of two precast units joined together by in-situ concrete stitch of variable widths. The beam specimens are internally prestressed and subject to different combinations of bending m oment, shear, and prestressing force; while the shear specimens are either internally or externally prestressed and subject to direct shear only. Shear keys are provided to the stitch of several shear specimens to examine the contribution of the keys to the shear strength. The effects of various parameters on the strength of the stitch and ductility of the specimens are investigated. Detailed coverage on the experimental programme and the results of the experimental analyses are presented in this paper. KEYWORDS Experimental study, joints, prestressed concrete, segmental bridges, in-situ stitches. INTRODUCTION Precast segmental concrete bridges have gained popularity over the past 40 years due to their efficiency in coping with difficult site conditions. One of the most commonly used method of constructing this type of bridges is the balanced cantilever method, which essentially involves sequentially extending precast segments outwards from each pier in a balanced manner. A gap of 100 to 200 mm in width is usually provided around the mid-span location between the last two approaching segments to facilitate erection. In-situ concrete is then cast to stitch the segments together, thus making the bridge deck continuous. Under the current practice, the in-situ concrete stitches are usually designed to be capable of sustaining considerable sagging moment but its hogging moment capacity and shear resistance are only nominal. Failure of these joints can only occur under exceptional scenarios when hogging moment is high. However if it really occurs, this could potentially trigger a progressive collapse mechanism because the concrete stitches are locations of potential weakness. Studies on the joints of segmental bridges have been conducted in the past (Buyukozturk et al., 1990; Hewson, 1992; Zhou et al., 2005; Issa and Abdalla, 2007) but the joints studied are either dry or epoxy joints that exists between precast segments and not the in-situ concrete stitching joint that is of interest. As relatively little research work on this area has been conducted, understanding of the actual behaviour of in-situ stitches is limited. In the light of this, an extensive experimental study has been carried out to investigate the behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitches. The study mainly involves a series of loading test on specimens that are comprised of precast units connected by in-situ concrete stitches. The stitch is subjected to different combinations of internal forces by applying loading at different locations along the specimen. Various parameters of the specimens are varied to examine their effect on the strength of the in-situ stitch and its failure mode. These parameters include the width of the stitch, the grade of concrete, the prestressing force, the provision of shear keys, the type of tendon (bonded or unbonded) and the type of prestressing (external or internal). Although the experimental programme is still ongoing, based on the analysis of the current experimental results, several preliminary conclusions have been drawn and are presented in this paper. The experimental programme is also covered i n detail in this paper. TESTING PROGRAMME The experimental study involves load testing on two types of specimens, namely (i) the beam specimens, and (ii) the shear specimens. The beam specimens are used to study the behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitches subjected to different combinations of bending moment and shear, while the shear specimens are used to study the behaviour of the stitches under direct shear. Both the beam and shear specimens consist of two precast units joined together by the in-situ concrete stitches. Control beam specimens have also been fabricated where the entire beam is continuously cast without any stitch along the beam. Typically, the stitch is cast one week after the casting of the precast units. Loading test on the specimens is performed using a testing frame after 28 days from the day of casting of the stitch. Linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs) are mounted on the specimens at various locations of interest to measure the displacements at these locations. Configuration of the Beam Specimens The length of the beam specimen is 1400 mm with the in-situ concrete stitch at either the mid-span of the beam or offset from the mid-span depending on the internal force that the stitch is subjected to. An actual beam specimen is illustrated in Figure 1. Three cases of internal force at the stitch are examined, namely (i) pure bending moment, (ii) pure shear, and (iii) both moment and shear. The loading test setup to induce the three cases of internal force condition is illustrated in Figure 2. Tendon (a) Case of pure bending moment (b) Case of pure shear (c) Case of moment and shear The section of the beam has an overall depth of 200 mm and a width of 150 mm. A 7-wire steel strand with a nominal area of 100 mm2 is used as the prestressing tendon. The tendon is placed at a depth of 133 mm for Case (i) and Case (ii), and 100 mm for Case (iii). For all beam specimens, Grade 60 concrete is used for both the precast units and the stitch. No shear key is provided to the stitch. Unbonded tendon with an effective prestressing force of 100 kN is applied to all beam specimens. Since the precast units and the in-situ concrete stitch are cast at different time, construction joints exist in the specimen. Prior to casting the in-situ concrete stitch, the laitance at the construction joint area on the surface of the precast unit is removed and the area is roughened by a needle gun until the aggregates are exposed. The construction joint is then wetted for at least 12 hours before casting by laying towels that are completely saturated with water over the joint area. Configuration of the Shear Specimens The shear specimens consist of two L-shaped precast units with the in-situ concrete stitch joining the two units as illustrated in Figure 3. The out-of-plane dimension of the specimen is 200 mm. The specimens are either made of Grade 60 or Grade 45 concrete and both the precast units and the stitch are made of the same grade of concrete. The stitch is subject to a prestress of either 1 MPa or 5 MPa, and stitch widths of 100 mm and 200 mm are examined. The shear specimens are designed in such a way that they are capable of simulating the shear behaviour of box girders of different web configurations. The web of a box girder may or may not be provided with shear keys and some parts of the web may or may not have prestressing tendon running through. Therefore, the specimens are either internally prestressed by bonded tendon or externally prestressed by a clamping device to provide the prestressing force acting on the stitch, while the stitch is either plain or provided with shear keys. For those specimens with shear keys, either one large key with a depth of 50 mm or two smaller keys with a depth of 30 mm are provided. Examples of an externally prestressed specimen with two shear keys and an internally prestressed specimen without shear key are illustrated in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) respectively. For the case where the specimen is internally prestressed, a 7-wire steel strand is used. Prior to casting of the stitch, light roughening is provided at the construction joint area on the precast units to remove the laitance. Similar to the beam specimens, the joint area is wetted for at least 12 hours before casting the stitch. (a) Stitch with shear keys; externally prestressed (b) Stitch without shear key; internally prestressed Figure 4. Examples of setup for shear specimen RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Beam Specimens The load-displacement relationships of the beam specimens tested are plotted in Figures 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) for the case of the in-situ concrete stitch subjected to pure bending moment (Case (i)), pure shear (Case (ii)), and a combination of moment and shear (Case (iii)), respectively. For the specimens of Cases (b) and (c), only the results of the specimens with 50 mm stitch and 100 mm stitch are available to date. Ductile behaviour is observed for the beam specimens of Case (i). Opening of the construction joints occurs at a load of between 70 kN and 80 kN, while the final mode of failure is concrete crushing in the compression zone at mid-span, as illustrated in Figure 6(a). From Figure 5(a), it is evident that the peak strength of the specimens without stitch (i.e. the control specimen) and those with stitch are approximately the same. The difference in the peak strength between the specimen with a 50 mm stitch and that with a 100 mm stitch is marginal. When the stitch is subject to pure shear, the behaviour of the specimen is brittle. As the peak strength is reached, a large diagonal crack suddenly forms across the stitch (Figure 6(b)) and the strength drops abruptly. It can be seen from Figure 5(b) that regardless of the size of the stitch, the peak strengths of the specimens are nearly the same. (a) Case (i) (b) Case (ii) (c) Case (iii) From Figure 5(c), it is evident that the behaviour of the specimens of Case (c) is ductile. Failure of the specimens is localized at the point of loading where there is significant cracking and crushing of concrete; while at the stitch, slight opening of the construction joint is observed and several diagonal cracks are found propagating from the construction joint towards the point of loading. The condition of the beam at failure is illustrated in Figure 6(c). For the specimen with a 50 mm stitch, the peak strength is approximately 100 kN, while that for the specimen with a 100 mm stitch is approximately 110 kN. The peak strengths of the two specimens are relatively close to each other. The results suggest that the width of the stitch has minimal effect on the strength of the stitch within the maximum width of stitch studied. The ductility of the specimens is also not affected by the width of the stitch but rather by how the specimen is loaded. (a) Case (i) (b) Case (ii) (c) Case (iii) Shear Specimens The load-displacement relationships of the five shear specimens tested are plotted in Figure 7. The shear displacement is the relative vertical displacement between the two precast units. All shear specimens are identified as explained below. Using E-K(M)-100-60-2 as an example, the first field represents the type of prestressing used, with E indicating external prestressing; the second field represents whether the stitch is plain or with shear keys, with K(M) indicating stitch with two shear keys, K(S) indicating stitch with single shear keys, and P indicating plain stitch with no shear key; the third field indicates the width of the stitch in mm; the fourth field indicates the grade of concrete in MPa; and the fifth field indicates the prestress applied to the stitch in MPa. Therefore, a specimen identified as E-K(M)-100-60-2 is composed of Grade 60 concrete with external prestress of 2 MPa applied and two shear keys are provided to the stitch that has a width of 100 mm. The specimens with plain stitch are first discussed. From Figure 7, it can be seen that the behaviour is largely the same for both specimens E-P-100-60-1 and E-P-200-60-1. The peak strengths of the two specimens are between 50 to 60 kN, which once again demonstrates that the width of a plain stitch has little effect on its strength. It is evident that as the prestressing level is increased to 5 MPa (E-P-100-60-5), the peak load-carrying capacity is significantly increased to approximately 220 kN. Therefore, the level of prestressing has marked influence on the load-carrying capacity of the stitch. For specimens with plain stitch, the failure mode is characterized by sudden occurrence of sliding along one or more of the construction joints. Upon failure, the strength of the stitch is mainly contributed by friction from sliding between the surfaces of precast unit and in-situ stitch. As observed from the load-displacement curves, a long smooth plateau is evident in the post peak range for specimens E-P-100-60-1 and E-P-200-60-1, which can be modelled as Coulomb friction. For specimen E-P-100-60-5, the post-peak behaviour as shown in Figure 7 is not as smoothed. Since the prestressing force is substantially higher, the resistance against sliding by the aggregates along the construction joint becomes very large. As the applied load is large enough to overcome that resistance, sudden slippage along the construction joint occurs and the load drops. Subsequently the resistance builds up again and sudden slippage occurs again when the resistance is overcome by the applied load. Therefore the post-peak branch of specimen E-P-100-60-5 has a zig-zag shape. This observation also implies that the roughness of the construction joint should have strong effect on the post-peak strength of plain stitches, which will be examined in due course. Since the post-peak strength of the stitch is mainly contributed by frictional forces, ductility can only be maintained if sufficient pre stressing force is provided. Therefore the presence of adequate prestressing force beyond the peak strength of the stitch is crucial in preventing sudden loss of strength in the stitch. Up to this stage, only two shear specimens with shear keys have been tested. However, the results from the test have already given indication that the behaviour of the stitches with shear keys is quite different from the behaviour of those without shear keys. Upon reaching the peak strength, the stitch of specimen E-K(M)-100-60-1 fails suddenly in a brittle manner by cracking diagonally across the stitch as illustrated in Figure 8 and an abrupt drop in load can be seen in Figure 7. This behaviour is much different from that of the specimens with plain stitches in which the post-peak behaviour is characterized by a long plateau in the load-displacement relationship. This type of stitch has little reserve strength upon reaching the peak load-carrying capacity. No brittle failure is observed for the specimen with one large key and a wider stitch, i.e. specimen E-K(S)-200-60-1. In fact, the specimen was not loaded to failure during the experiment but was stopped at a load of approximately 190 kN because at that load, the prestressing force was increased to a level that had almost reached the capacity of the load cell used to measure the prestressing force. However, at a load of 190 kN, continuous crack had already formed along the construction joint and there was sliding between the precast unit and the stitch along the joint but the stitch still remained intact. From Figure 7, it can be seen that the peak load-carrying capacity of specimens E-K(M)-100-60-2 and E-P-100-60-5 are approximately the same. This observation seems to imply same level of load-carrying capacity can be achieved yet less amount of prestressing can be applied by adding shear keys to the stitch. As aforementioned, there is an increase in prestressing force as load is applied to the specimens with shear keys. This behaviour is caused by dilation in the stitch as the shearing load is applied. Dilation is taken as the displacement between the precast units measured along the horizontal centreline of the stitch. The effect of dilation is much more pronounced for specimens with keyed stitches than those with plain stitches. The relationships between shear displacement and dilation of the various specimens are plotted in Figure 9. For the specimens with plain stitch, dilation is relatively insignificant compared to the dilation in the specimens with keyed stitch. The stress in the tendon can be increased due to dilation. The effect of dilation on tendon stress is rather insignificant for a segmental bridge with unbonded tendon because the strain increase due to dilation will be averaged along the entire length of tendon between end anchorages. However, for segmental bridges prestr essed by bonded tendon, dilation may cause substantial increase in strain at the location of the stitch, which can potentially overstress the tendon. Specimens with stitch prestressed by bonded tendon will be tested in the near future and the effect of dilation on tendon stress will be investigated in due course. CONCLUSIONS Extensive experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the behaviour of in-situ concrete stitches subject to a combination of internal forces and subject to direct shear by conducting a series of loading tests on the beam specimens and shear specimens respectively. Detailed coverage on the setup of the specimens and load testing has been included in this paper. Based on the results of the tests conducted so far, several preliminary conclusions can be drawn: The width of plain in-situ concrete stitch does not appear to have significant effect on the peak-load carrying capacity of the stitch regardless of the combination of internal forces that it is subjected to. The strength of the in-situ concrete stitch is strongly influenced by the level of prestressing applied and the strength of the stitch increases as the level of prestressing increases. For plain in-situ concrete stitches, failure occurs along the construction joint. Strength in the stitch is still present beyond the peak strength and it is mainly contributed by the frictional force from the sliding between the surfaces of precast unit and stitch. By providing shear keys to the concrete stitch, the level of prestressing can be reduced to achieve the same strength as those stitches without key. However, this may result in a brittle failure. For keyed concrete stitches, the amount of dilation is significantly higher than that of plain stitches. For segmental bridges prestressed by bonded tendon, this may have marked effect on the stresses of the tendons. With further testing on the specimens being carried out in the near future, it is expected that more definitive conclusions can be drawn on the behaviour of the in-situ concrete stitches. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The study undertaken is supported by Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (RGC Project No. HKU 710207E).

Continuing Personal and Professional Development Essay

In this paper I shall endeavour to critically reflect on my own approach to professional and personal development by commenting and / or exemplifying each of the highlighted criteria below. 1. Complete own individual learning plan including: a) C.V – please see appendix 1 . b) Skills and knowledge audits – please see appendix 2,3,4. c) Analysis of observation report – please see appendix 5. 1. 3.1. Evaluate own approaches, strengths and development needs, including literacy, language and numeracy skills. In order to evaluate ones own strengths and weaknesses in teaching and tutoring one must carry a reasonable understanding of the fundamental requirements. Following a process of study and extensive analysis of appendixes 6,7,8,9, my own development needs are most clearly in the areas of stress management, updating of Literacy and numeracy skills. Review of my reflections ( see appendix 10) demonstrates the need for more effective stress management strategies to be put into place as the notes show clearly defined moments of stress due to the previous lack of organisation and staff rotation, as well as the fact that I am the only teacher in the Child development department and therefore Head of department, position which brings with it extra responsibilities such as budgeting and administrative duties that teachers would not ordinarily have to take responsibility for. Although my Job description does not mention these extra responsibilities I have undertaken the duties and intend to enter into discussions with the Personnel Manager regarding an increment in remuneration and more importantly further training relating to budget management and SLT training as my role requires. My literacy skills have not been updated for three years therefore there is a requirement that this updating should be undertaken; the same applies to mathematics and ICT as shown in the review of standards of adult literacy, mathematics and ICT, according to LLUK (online) â€Å"The three levels of the standards correspond to the levels of demand of qualifications in the national qualifications framework.† For example, the standards at level 1 are equivalent in demand to the key skills at level 1 and broadly equivalent to levels 4 and 5 of the national curriculum for schools. The regular updating of these skills is of paramount importance for the teacher as shortfalls in these functional skills areas will without a doubt adversely affect the students and their relationship with the tutor(due to the students seeing the teacher as a role model); much apart from this being a requirement within the LLUK standards. The opportunity for such study must be prioritized and time made to train; in my areas of specialism (hairdressing and child development), regular training is especially important as the subjects are ever evolving and changing both technically and in terms of legislation; a minimum of thirty hours technical training and thirty hours other CPD are required for hairdressing and nineteen hours in child development; as mentioned in the review by LLUK , â€Å"Teachers and trainers need opportunities to undertake CPD targeted at keeping up to date or increasing the breadth of their experience in subject specialism’s and related fields. Work‑shadowing and subject specialist communities of practice are increasingly important; time to undertake professional formation and gain QTLS or ATLS also important.† 1. 3.2. Use reflection and feedback to develop knowledge, practice and skills including literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills. Continuing Professional Development has existed in many guises for twenty years or more with the aim of providing the professional with a platform on which to think about and plan their own development; in this way it may be considered a process of evidencing reflective practices, a way to improve general and area specific skills for career management. As mentioned above there is a need as well as a legal requirement for my Literacy and numeracy skills to be updated and retested as these have not been revisited for more than three years. Please see reflections in appendix 10. There are extensive guidelines and examples for recording reflections for CPD on the LSIS website that I have used as a basis for my reflective practices and due to the fact that they are to a recognised standard and could be used with ease for registering CPD. 1. 3.3. Plan appropriate opportunities to address identified learning needs. In planning opportunities to address shortfalls in professional practice one must take into consideration several influencing factors: a) Urgency – The need for immediate updating of a certain skill when affecting efficiency of teaching therefore affecting students’ ability to learn. In this case the teacher must update the skills as soon as possible. b) Time availability (not affecting contact time) c) Funding – will the course of training be free (through mentoring, shadowing or observation of a senior teacher); will the workplace fund the course or will this be funded by the teacher in both cases a suitably priced course is to be found. d) Changes in legislation and techniques – The need would be immediate as information passed to students regarding legislation may be erroneous and antiquated techniques will impair the ability of the student obtaining employment. Changes in legislation can occur several times in a short period of time; therefore it is advisable to keep up-to-date with these changes through the media, published government papers, subject specific publications and the internet. These forms of updating knowledge are easy to access and training can be undertaken at leisure. Advancements in techniques however are more difficult to learn and will require a course or demonstration, thus requiring a dedicated amount of time and funding, but usually less than a full review of a certain skill. e) Skills updating to maintain QTS/QTLS – a review of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills is a requirement as is regular updating, all of the above must be taken into consideration. My ILP (see appendix 11) outlines planned opportunities for learning opportunities. 2. 2.1. Analyse and compare relevant theories, principles and models of reflective practice. 2. 2.2. Explain how theories, principles and models of reflective practice can be applied to development of the autonomous learner. Reflecting allows the teacher to mentally process, analyse and utilize an experience to change or replicate an outcome. Using reflection enables the teacher to evolve in their teaching. David Berliner (2001) notes that the teacher develops in stages going from novice to expert. See figure 1.1 below: The first to introduce ideas of reflective practice was Donald Schon in his book –The Reflective Practice (1983) in which he uses John Dewys concepts of learning through experience, in tern loosely based on other theories of learning and development such as those of Jean Piaget, Kurt Lewin, William James ans Carl Jung, D.Schon also Reflection as defined by Donald Schon is the ability of professionals to ‘think what they are doing while they are doing it’. He states that the only way to manage the indeterminate zones of professional practice is through the ability to think† on the run†, and apply past experience to new situations. This is essential and requires the ability reflect-in-action. His words make sense to me, as I strive to be student-centred, compassionate, evidence-based, and cost effective all at the same time! Schon also offers insight into how the reflective professional is ‘produced’. He describes the main concepts as: Reflective Practicum. â€Å"A practicum is a setting designed for the task of learning a practice†. D.Schon (1983). This relates to students learning by doing, with the help of the teacher. He tells us the practicum is ‘reflective’ in two senses: â€Å"it is intended to help students become proficient in a kind of reflection-in-action; and, when it works well, it involves a dialogue of teacher and student that takes the form of reciprocal reflection-in-action.† Argyris and Schon.(1978) Tacit knowledge This comes from the work of Michael Polanyi. He describes the ability we have to pick out a familiar face in a crowd, not requiring any thought, or a systematic analysis of features. We can’t say how this is done; therefore the knowledge is ‘unspoken’ or ‘tacit’. Knowing-in-action This is another of Schà ¶n’s concepts, and it derives from the idea of tacit knowledge. It refers to the kinds of knowledge we can only reveal in the way we carry out tasks and approach problems. â€Å"The knowing is in the action. It is revealed by the skilful execution of the performance – we are characteristically unable to make it verbally explicit.† This tacit knowledge is derived from research, and also from the practitioner’s own reflections and experience. Reflection-in-action This kind of reflection occurs whilst a problem is being addressed, in what Schon calls the ‘action-present’. It is a response to a surprise – where the expected outcome is outside of our control. This reflective process is conscious, but may not be verbalised. Reflection-in-action is about challenging our assumptions (because knowing-in-action is the basis of assumption). It is about thinking again, in a new way, about a problem we have already encountered. Reflection-on-action This is reflection after the event. Consciously undertaken, and documented. Willing suspension of disbelief This phrase was originally used by Samuel Taylor Coleridge to describe the process of entering into an experience, without judgment, in order to learn from it. Schà ¶n uses the term in relation to the idea of learning by doing. â€Å"One cannot will oneself to ‘believe’ until one understands. But understanding often will only arise from experience† D.Schon (1983).Therefore there is a necessity for the experience to happen. Operative attention This relates to the readiness to apply new information. This idea is partly derived from Wittgenstein’s5 contention that the meaning of an operation can only be learned through its performance. It prepares the learner for feedback on that activity, and develops understanding. The ladder of reflection Argyris and Schà ¶n describe a vertical dimension of analysis happening in the dialogue between learner and teacher. In order to climb the ‘ladder’ you must reflect on an activity. In order to move down the ‘ladder’ you move from reflection to experimentation. This being a’ ladder’ you can also reflect on the process of reflection. My view is that this process truly helps with modifying‘stuck’ situations. Moving up or down the ladder is not important as long as it assists Teacher and student to achieve together ‘convergence of meaning’. Kolb Kolbs’ theory and model is based on the concept that the teacher and student learn by experience and then transform information gathered into knowledge. Kolb was influenced by both Dewy and Piaget in the 1970’s as were many other theories. Concrete Experience (doing / having an experience) The ‘Concrete Experience’ is the ‘doing’ component which comes from the content and process of the teaching programme, experienced through reading of teaching materials together with actual experience of teaching in the classroom in addition to other teaching duties and practices. Concrete experience also derives from ones own experience of being a student. Reflective Observation (reviewing / reflecting on the experience) Reflective Observation relates to analysis and judgements of events and the discussion about the learning and teaching between teacher, mentor and colleagues.. Teachers naturally reflect on their experiences of teaching particularly when they are inexperienced and have experienced a lesson that did not progress well. This might be termed ‘common-sense reflection’. However how can this be analysed? – It is necessary to articulate our reflections in some systematic way in order to remember thoughts and build on that experience for further reference. This may be done through self-reflections or evaluations after the event through keeping a log or journal. It may also include student feedback, peer observation of teaching. Reflection in itself is insufficient to promote learning and professional development. Unless acted upon, reflections alone with no action equal no development. Abstract Conceptualisation (concluding / learning from the experience) In order to plan what could be done differently next time, one must be informed by educational theory and advancement e.g. through CPD. Reflection is therefore a middle ground that brings together theories and the analysis of past experiences. It allows a conclusion referring to practice – ‘Abstract Conceptualism’. Active Experimentation (planning / trying out what you have learned) The conclusions formed at the ‘Abstract Conceptualisation’ stage then form the basis for planned changes – ‘Active Experimentation’. ‘Active Experimentation’ then starts the cycle again; in implementing changes in teaching practice one generates further concrete experience which in turn elicits reflection and rev iew to form conclusions referent to the effectiveness of those changes. In scrutinising Kolbs’ theory, model I note that it is largely dependent on ‘try and re-try’ of the whole rather than the ‘step-by step’ approach preferred by Argyris and Schon, the pitfalls are in the detection of small errors that lead to the whole inefficiency that could become overwhelming causing smaller detail may be overlooked. The effect of the above mentioned theories, models and principles amongst others is obvious in the reflective teacher and in my own practice; reflection is a fundamental part of my practice and Schons’ Ladder of reflection is a simple way to quantify and analyse the advances and shortcomings of my practice, allowing for assessment and re-assessment of small parts of teaching to analysed and modified without drastically altering the majority of the content and delivery. 3. 4.1. Identify and engage in appropriate CPPD opportunities to keep up to date and develop teaching in specialist area. Continuous training in my specialist area is imperative as mentioned in 1. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3., also please see ILP appendix 11. 3. 4.2. Evaluate the impact of CPPD activities on professional practice, identifying further learning and development needs. The impact of CPPD on my own practice has been ‘astronomical’; the relevance of staff meetings and discussions has shown itself in every aspect of teaching, from the use of objective boards to clarify expectations for the achievement in the lesson, the benefits of clear behaviour expectations and the presence of a ‘behaviour ladder graph’ in the classroom has improved behaviour incrementally, the understanding of tracking procedures and other administrative tasks has been aided and supported during discussions with mentors and my professional development need for further training in certain asp ects of my skills in Beauty therapy in order to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of techniques has been highlighted. 3. 1.1. Analyse and compare different teaching roles and context in the Lifelong Learning Sector. Thanks to the shift in control of FE colleges from local authority control in 1992 there was a move towards market based education and therefore an increase in roles for teachers in the LLS In thinking about Lifelong teaching the varied roles of the teacher become clear; in this area the teacher workforce is diverse and includes: * Further education (FE) – Teaching in colleges – Lecturers in this setting tend to teach learners over the age of 16: unless teaching travel to learn students. * Adult and community education – teaching in community settings such as teaching ESOL at a community centre. * 6th forms – fundamentally continuing skills based education for learners who studied at GCSE level. * Offender learning – teaching skills to inmates to aid rehabilitation, work-based learning – teaching in house required skills. In comparing all of the above one can note that there seem to be recurrent similarities no matter in which setting the LLS teacher works such as : * Good communicators. * Good organisers. * Varied specialisms and often more than one. * A willingness to continue learning. Much apart from â€Å"just† teaching/lecturing the role of the LLS teacher is extremely varied. A LLS teacher may be an assessor, an instructor, an apprentice supervisor, a prison education officer, learning manager or a community co-ordinator, as well as councillor and confidant; requiring a set of skills that may not be found in other areas of education. Furthermore teachers in LLS demonstrate the unique skills associated with their specialism as they often come to teaching as a second or third career. The diverse experience of the LLS teacher will contribute to efficacy when relating to other disciplines and in meeting the needs of the learners, using all of the communication skills learned in past careers. According to McGraw-Hill (online) â€Å" As a teacher you will work across faculties and disciplines to meet the diverse needs of your learners. In order to do this effectively, communicating effectively is essential; this will include asking questions, seeking advice, and sharing your experiences with other practitioners.† 4.1.2. Evaluate own role and responsibilities with reference to area of specialism and as part of a team. Practices and in my two main areas of specialism differ vastly from each other. The hair and beauty area has assessments based mainly around observation and examination of end product, with little written assignment work. Within this department I work with another teacher in the same classroom with equal responsibility for lesson planning , delivery and assessment; our roles differ in that the other teacher has most of the responsibility for SOW and curriculum design with input form me. Within the Child Development, I have the headship and this carries responsibilities such as curriculum design and implementation as well as coordinating the work carried out by the TAs and the ‘nurture’ department who deal with student with severe SEN (special educational needs), PD (physical disabilities) and BED(behavioural and emotional difficulties)- in our case an unusually high number of students display these barriers to learning – , it is my responsibility to adapt our SOW and resources to enable these students to enjoy the same opportunities as our mainstream students. Also the responsibility for budgeting and allocation of ICT access is also within my remit. The ‘usual’ teaching duties are included such as actual delivery, observation and marking, covering detentions and isolation dealing with further behavioural issues amongst other duties. 4.1.3 Analyse the impact of own beliefs, assumptions and behaviours on learners and others. The impact of my own beliefs is most obvious with my lack of compliance when asked if I could further facilitate the progression of a student, I felt that this would compromise my professional integrity and that basically any further intervention would constitute ‘spoon feeding’ answers to this student, representing a disadvantage to other students that did not receive the same treatment. As for fundamental assumptions and beliefs; I have never liked to stereotype and assume therefore I do not demonstrate any bias and the students are affected very little if at all by these. My behaviour must be exemplary at all times, as a Teacher I represent a role model and as such I must conduct myself in an acceptable manner. Although I do not like confrontation and therefore an quick to notice any issues and aim to resolve them quickly. 4.1.4 Analyse the impact of own professional, personal, interpersonal skills, including literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, on learners and others. I am able to communicate with people at all levels well using appropriate language according to the situation and setting, I tend to portray a positive outlook and this affects both students and colleagues positively. My dyslexia does affect others as I require proof reading when issuing letters, reports and other documents but, there is a strategy in place for this. My students all know that I am dyslexic and are happy to point out any errors although these are very few, in some ways tis problem helps with connecting with some students as I teach in caring areas and students should have the ability to empathise with others as well as the obvious ease of connection with students with the same difficulty. Bibliography / References Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D. (1985) â€Å"Reflection: Turning Experience in to Learning†, London: Kogan Brockbank, A. and McGill,I. (1998) â€Å"Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education†, Buckingham: SHRE/Open University Press Cowan,J. (1998) â€Å"On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher Reflection in Action†, Buckingham SRHE/ Open university Press. Dewy,J.(1993)†How we think. A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process†.(revised edition), Boston:D.C.Heath. Kolb,D.A. (1984) ‘Experiential Learning experience as a source of learning and development’, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Moon,J. (1999) ‘Reflection in Learning and Professional Development Theory and Practice’, London: Kogan Schon,D. (1991) ‘The Reflective Practitioner How Professionals Think in Action’, London: Avebury IfL-Review-of-CPD-. Available: http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/26741/2010-11-IfL-Review-of-CPD-lr_06022012.pdf.. Last accessed 28/12/12. Mc Graw-Hill.- Mc Graw-Hill-Available: http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/openup/chapters/9780335241125.pdf. Last accessed 29/12/12

The Life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Essay - 948 Words

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of The United States. He was more than just the Commander-in Chief to many. For those who admired him the most, he was not just their role model, he was also their hero. But, he was also the only Catholic to hold the highest office of the land. Many groups, especially the Protestants, were opposed to a Catholic president. They feared that the Vatican somehow would become involved in America’s matters, and the Constitution would be changed to make Catholicism the nation’s religion. John F. Kennedy need to show American votes that he could be loyal to both hi faith and the ideals of the Constitution. He worked hard to end religious intolerance and paved the way for future Catholic politicians to†¦show more content†¦Are we going to admit to the world-worse still, are we going to admit to ourselves that one third of the American people is forever barred from the White House,† (qtd in John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum)? JFK dealt with religious issues by gathering together a net work of advisers including speech writers, the dean of the National Cathedral, and several journalists (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum). Kennedy chose to enter the state primaries to prove that he could be elected there. He defeated Senator Hubert Humphrey in the Minnesota Primary by fifty-six percent of the vote, but did not win a majority of the Protestant vote (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum). He entered the West Virginia Primary in which Catholics made up less than four percent of the electorate (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum). In September of 1960, a group of one hundred fifty Protestant ministers sent Kennedy an invitation to address the greater Houston Ministerial Association (Denison). Kennedy gave a speech in which he pleaded for religious tolerance and restated his support for separation of Church and state (John F. Kennedy Presidential Libr ary and Museum). 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Kennedy867 Words   |  3 PagesJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy was born May 29, 1917 in Brookline Massachusetts. He was the second son born to Joseph Patrick and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Despite being born into Boston’s wealthy Irish population, the family was not accepted into the Boston’s Protestant elite. This was due to the opinion of the Boston Brahmins, who perceived the Kennedy’s to still be mere Irish immigrants. Even though earlier relatives Thomas Fitzgerald and Patrick Kennedy emigrated from Ireland to Boston in 1845 and 1848Read MoreBrief Summary of John F. Kennedy ´s Life1017 Words   |  5 Pageshappen to be John Fitzgerald Kennedy of the United States of America. John Fitzgerald Kennedy very prosperous leader was his speeches that he gave to the american people and to the world trying to make the world a much higher quality place to live. 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