Major 8-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Major 8-1 - Essay Example icated in causing liver cancers, aggressive behavior, gynaecomastia, and testicular atrophy (Josefson, 1996, 702).† Adolescence use performance enhancing drugs due to the pressure to achieve difficult goals, which paves the way for future substance abuse and health problems. Athletic students with goals to play collage or professional sports feel pressured to be the very best. Above all, professional sports roll models are often accused of using performance-enhancing drugs (Garzon et. al., 2006, 159). Professional athletes including baseball players Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa, football player Emmit Smith, and wrestler Hulk Hogan used over the counter performance-enhancing drugs. â€Å"Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa admitted consuming creatine, an energy boosting protein, Mark McGuire also admitted to taking androstendione, a testosterone producer (Josefson, 1996, 702).† Creatine and androstendione are both available over-the-counter. Hulk Hogan used over-the-counter steroids to build muscle mass to gain weight class in his wrestling career. As a result, student athletes turn to performance-enhancing drugs with the idea that their athletic performance will enhance; however, these drugs do not improve athletes’ skill level or make them stronge r. â€Å"High school and even middle school students are using these supplements because they are misled into thinking that supplements will enhance their athletic skills resulting in an improvement in their performance (Garzon et. al., 2006, 159).† Students with high expectations and low self-esteem â€Å"are at the risk of following the shoes of their role models as they seek performance enhancing drugs (Garzon et. al., 2006, 159).† Athletic organizations like â€Å"the International Olympic committee, National College Athletic Association, and National football league, have banned the use of androstenedione [but the ban is difficult to enforce], as the steroid is not tested for in standard drug test (Josefson, 1996, 702).†

Book report on The stranger by Albert Camus Essay

Book report on The stranger by Albert Camus - Essay Example Albert Camus is considered to the French author of the Modernism era, and he is also famous by its philosophical views and journalistic articles. The philosophy of absurd has remained to be his notable contribution in the field of literature of that period (McCarthy, 5-6). This man has an individual and extraordinary world perception that he effuses in his creations. â€Å"The Stranger† has been first published in the year 1942 (McCarthy, 1). Albert Camus has had 29 years old, and that was a period of war and devastation. His father has been killed in the whirlpool of events that happened in the previous war (McCarthy, 3). That is why we may lead to personal and historical references while reading the book. Camus represents his own pattern of live vision that may seem ridiculous and irritating for the society. Still, this pattern may be understood from different perspective that author suggest us to query. The setting of the novel is the French colony of Algiers and the time is introduced the period before World War II. â€Å"The Stranger† represents two parts of the story that are thematically and logically divided. The main character is named Meursault. There are a few secondary characters in the story which help to develop the plot. The slant on the novel is tragic with the philosophical implications. The atmosphere is gloomy and dull with calm and confident inclusions. Novel â€Å"The Stranger† suggests to the audience the story about allegedly ordinary person Meursault who remains to be the recluse man with small needs and paltry subsistence. He is engaged in boring work, and lives in a small and dirty room. Physical necessities form more important value for Meursault than some entire personal feelings and moral dogmas. This man is viewed as a protagonist of the story. We also may regard him as anti-hero of the novel due to some perspective. Camus involves the readers into contradictory

Seven Steps In The Benchmarking Process Business Essay

Seven Steps In The Benchmarking Process Business Essay Benchmarking  is the process of comparing ones business processes and  performance metrics  to industry bests or  best practices from other industries. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost. In the process of benchmarking, management identifies the best firms in their industry, or in another industry where similar processes exist, and compare the results and processes of those studied (the targets) to ones own results and processes. In this way, they learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, the business processes that explain why these firms are successful. Benchmarking is used to measure performance using a specific  indicator  (cost per unit of measure, productivity per unit of measure, cycle time of x per unit of measure or defects per unit of measure) resulting in a metric of performance that is then compared to others. Also referred to as best practice benchmarking or process benchmarking, this process is used in management and particularly strategic management, in which organizations evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to best practice companies processes, usually within a peer group defined for the purposes of comparison. This then allows organizations to develop plans on how to make improvements or adapt specific best practices, usually with the aim of increasing some aspect of performance. Benchmarking may be a one-off event, but is often treated as a continuous process in which organizations continually seek to improve their practices. BASICS OF BENCHMARKING Indian organizations are becoming world class both in terms of size and performance. Therefore, there is a greater need to become superior in performance consistently. Quality is becoming the hallmark for both products and services. Indian and multinational organizations are increasingly becoming quality conscious and try to deliver high quality products and services to customers. Quality delivery which was the property of General Electric, Ford, General motors, Xerox and ATT had become the buzzword in many corporate circles in India as well. From Software major Infosys to Automobile giant Mahindra are adopting best in class technologies, borrows and adopt best ideas, incubate and implement them as part of their corporate strategy. As individuals do swot analysis, companies have to do swot analysis for their competitive advantage and for long term survival. The external competitive pressure on the system had made its absolutely necessary to benchmark with similar organizations or organizations of different breed. However, benchmarking cannot cure all diseases of the company. Why the companies benchmark? Instead of being inward looking companies, large corporations are more outward looking nowadays. Liberalization and globalization had made the industries very competitive. Equally the transfer and adoption of technologies are more easier nowadays. The other advantage of benchmarking is the lowest cost associated with the process. The companies do not invest sizeable investments in research and development and there is no threat of any sunk cost. The process or practice or technology are readily available and easily be plagiarized. A company that decides to undertake a bench-marking initiative should consider the following questions: When? Why? Who? What? and How? WHEN Benchmarking can be used at any time, but is usually performed in response to needs that arise within a company. According to C.J. McNair and Kathleen H.J. Leibfried in their book  Benchmarking: A Tool for Continuous Improvement,  some potential triggers for the benchmarking process include: quality programs cost reduction/budget process operations improvement efforts management change new operations/new ventures rethinking existing strategies competitive assaults/crises WHY This is the most important question in managements decision to begin the benchmarking process. McNair and Leibfried suggest several reasons why companies may embark upon benchmarking: to signal managements willingness to pursue a philosophy that embraces change in a proactive rather than reactive manner; to establish meaningful goals and performance measures that reflect an external/customer focus, foster quantum leap thinking, and focus on high-payoff opportunities; to create early awareness of competitive disadvantage; and to promote teamwork that is based on competitive need and is driven by concrete data analysis, not intuition or gut feeling. WHO Companies may decide to benchmark internally, against competitors, against industry performance, or against the best of the best. Internal benchmarking is the analysis of existing practice within various departments or divisions of the organization, looking for best performance as well as identifying baseline activities and drivers. Competitive benchmarking looks at a companys direct competitors and evaluates how the company is doing in comparison. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the competition is not only important in plotting a successful strategy, but it can also help prioritize areas of improvement as specific customer expectations are identified. Industry benchmarking is more trend-based and has a much broader scope. It can help establish performance baselines. The best-in-class form of benchmarking examines multiple industries in search of new, innovative practices. It not only provides a broad scope, but also it provides the best opportunities over that range. WHAT Benchmarking can focus on roles, processes, or strategic issues. It can be used to establish the function or mission of an organization. It can also be used to examine existing practices while looking at the organization as a whole to identify practices that support major processes or critical objectives. When focusing on specific processes or activities, the depth of the analysis is a key issue. The analysis can take the form of vertical or horizontal benchmarking. Vertical benchmarking is where the focus is placed on specific departments or functions, while horizontal bench-marking is where the focus is placed on a specific process or activity. Concerning strategic issues, the objective is to identify factors that are of greatest importance to competitive advantage, to define measures of excellence that capture these issues, and to isolate companies that appear to be top performers in these areas. HOW Benchmarking uses different sources of information, including published material, trade meetings, and conversations with industry experts, consultants, customers, and marketing representatives. The emergence of Internet technology has facilitated the bench-marking process. The Internet offers access to a number of databases-like Power-MARQ from the nonprofit American Productivity and Quality Center-containing performance indicators for thousands of different companies. The Internet also enables companies to conduct electronic surveys to collect bench-marking data. How a company benchmarks may depend on available resources, deadlines, and the number of alternative sources of information. ADVANTAGES OF BENCHMARKING Lowering Labor Costs One advantage of benchmarking may be lower labor costs. For example, a small manufacturing company may study how a top competitor uses robots for several basic plant functions. These robots may help the competitor save a significant amount of money on labor costs. Company managers may obtain information on these robotics systems through the competitors website or online articles. They may also identify the company that sold the competitor the robots. Subsequently, the company using benchmarking may call the robot manufacturer to help set up its own system. Improving Product Quality Companies may also use benchmarking to improve product quality. Engineers sometimes purchase leading competitors products. They may then take them apart, study them and determine how the competitors products outlast or outperform others in the industry. Chemical engineers may study food or cleaning products in a similar manner. They can then compare various elements contained in competitive products to their own product line. Subsequently, improvements can be made to product quality. Increasing Sales and Profits A company that uses benchmarking to improve its functions, operations, products and services may enjoy increases in sales and profits. Customers are likely to notice these improvements. The benchmarking company may also promote is improvements through company brochures, its sales reps, magazine and television ads. These efforts are likely to increase sales, especially among core customers. Companies that operate more efficiently due to benchmarking can drastically lower their expenses. These savings can be lead to greater profits. Considerations Some organizations use internal benchmarking to improve performance in different departments. Department managers may study and emulate the best practices of one particular department. These changes may spark improvements among all departments. Internal benchmarking has its limitations, however. The companys top department may not be functioning as efficiently as others in the industry. This means the other departments were not truly benchmarking against the best departments out there. PROCESS OF BENCHMARKING When it comes to Competitive Intelligence, there are a few simple tools that can provide for sophisticated comparisons of business functions between organizations that can help firms benchmark the constituent processes of the company with direct or indirect competitors, allowing a company to gain the upper hand in a marketplace. But, what is the process for setting the metrics, methodologies, milestones and comparisons which might be used to measure the success of a CI/benchmarking function, or the success of a Strategic Planning department as a whole? Benchmarking is best used and described as a framework for strategic planning in that, once elements of study are identified, metrics can be applied to the key success factors (KSFs) of the industry or marketplace and these measures or benchmarks are then used to develop future quality and market initiatives for the firm to enhance its overall competitive position. It is generally considered that there are seven steps to this process, as explained below. However, this analysis of intra- and sometimes inter-industry competitors can form the foundation for future competitor analysis when the emphasis is placed upon the goals and financial capabilities of the competitor. Seven Steps in the Benchmarking Process: 1. Determine which functional areas within your operation are to be benchmarked those that will benefit most from the benchmarking process, based upon the cost, importance and potential of changes following the study. 2. Identify the key factors and variables with which to measure those functions usually in the general form of financial resources and product strategy. 3. Select the best-in-class companies for each area to be benchmarked those companies that perform each function at the lowest cost, with the highest degree of customer satisfaction, etc. Best-in-class companies can be your direct competitors (foreign or domestic), or even companies from a different industry (parallel competitors with replacement or substitute products or services; latent competitors which might backwards- or forwards-integrate into your market; or, out-of-industry firms with whom you do not compete, but which have best-in-class areas to be studied such as FedEx or Wal-Mart in logistics). 4. Measure the performance of the best-in-class companies for each benchmark being considered from sources such as the SEC, companies themselves, articles in the press or trade journals, analysts in the market, credit reports, clients and vendors, trade associations, the government or from interviews with other organizations willing to share their prior research or swap it with you. 5. Measure your own performance for each variable and begin comparing the results in an apples-to-apples format to determine the gap between your firm and the best-in-class examples. Always feel free to estimate results, as exact measures are usually disproportionately difficult to obtain and often do not significantly add value to the study. 6. Specify those programs and actions to meet and surpass the competition based on a plan developed to enhance those areas that show potential for compliment. The firm can choose from a few different approaches from simply trying harder, to emulating the best-in-class, changing the rules of the industry or leapfrogging the competition with innovation or technology from outside the industry. 7. Implement these programs by setting specific improvement targets and deadlines, and by developing a monitoring process to review and update the analysis over time. This will also form the basis for monitoring, revision and recalibration of measurements in future benchmarking studies. DIFFERENT MEASURES OF BENCHMARKING One of benchmarkings cardinal questions is that of what to measure. That depends on the nature of the business. The point is that you cannot chase 50 benchmarks at the same time. One macro benchmark is required which then might be broken down into a series of supporting micro measures. Although it is fine to circulate such a measure, the most worthwhile aspect of the benchmarking process can be the opportunity for people in an organisation to see at first hand how other organisations go about their business. It is the process itself which is valuable; the voyage that is more educational than the reaching of the destination. Nevertheless, measurable performance falls into the three broad areas: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ time; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ cost; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ quality. Time measures should incorporate the process from start to finish. For example, from when a customer places an order to the time of receipt of goods and payment, thereby accounting for total lead time, product development time and productive time. Cost measures are the traditional basis of comparison between firms and, because of this, we are often most comfortable with these measures. Two which can be useful in benchmarking are total process cost per unit of output and return on assets. Quality measures should capture the errors, defects and waste attributable to processes. Some measures which should be used in achieving this include process variability, defects, process yields, customer perceived quality, cost of quality and quality improvement efforts. TYPES OF BENCHMARKING There are a number of different types of benchmarking, as summarised below: Type Description Most Appropriate for the Following Purposes Strategic Benchmarking Where businesses need to improve overall performance by examining the long-term strategies and general approaches that have enabled high-performers to succeed. It involves considering high level aspects such as core competencies, developing new products and services and improving capabilities for dealing with changes in the external environment. Changes resulting from this type of benchmarking may be difficult to implement and take a long time to materialise Re-aligning business strategies that have become inappropriate Performance or Competitive Benchmarking Businesses consider their position in relation to performance characteristics of  key products and services. Benchmarking partners are drawn from the same sector. This type of analysis is often undertaken through trade associations or third parties to protect confidentiality. Assessing relative level of performance in key areas or activities in comparison with others in the same sector and finding ways of closing gaps in performance Process Benchmarking Focuses on improving specific  critical processes and operations. Benchmarking partners are sought from best practice organisations that perform similar work or deliver similar services. Process benchmarking invariably involves producing process maps to facilitate comparison and analysis. This type of benchmarking often results in short term benefits. Achieving improvements in key processes to obtain quick benefits Functional Benchmarking Businesses look to benchmark with partners drawn from different business sectors or areas of activity to find ways of improving similar functions or work processes. This sort of benchmarking can lead to innovation and dramatic improvements. Improving activities or services for which counterparts do not exist. Internal Benchmarking Involves benchmarking businesses or operations from within the same organisation (e.g. business units in different countries). The main advantages of internal benchmarking are that access to sensitive data and information is easier; standardised data is often readily available; and, usually less time and resources are needed. There may be fewer barriers to implementation as practices may be relatively easy to transfer across the same organisation. However, real innovation may be lacking and best in class performance is more likely to be found through external benchmarking. Several business units within the same organisation exemplify good practice and management want to spread this expertise quickly, throughout the organisation External Benchmarking Involves analysing outside organisations that are known to be best in class. External benchmarking provides opportunities of learning from those who are at the leading edge. This type of benchmarking can take up significant time and resource to ensure the comparability of data and information, the credibility of the findings and the development of sound recommendations. Where examples of good practices can be found in other organisations and there is a lack of good practices within internal business units International Benchmarking Best practitioners are identified and analysed elsewhere in the world, perhaps because there are too few benchmarking partners within the same country to produce valid results. Globalisation and advances in information technology are increasing opportunities for international projects. However, these can take more time and resources to set up and implement and the results may need careful analysis due to national differences Where the aim is to achieve world class status or simply because there are insufficientnational businesses against which to benchmark. SUCCESSFUL BENCHMARKING There are several keys to successful benchmarking. Management commitment is one that companies frequently name. Since management from top to bottom is responsible for the continued operation and evaluation of the company, it is imperative that management be committed as a team to using and implementing benchmarking strategies. A strong network of personal contacts as well as having an open mind to ideas is other keys. In order to implement benchmarking at all stages, there must be a well-trained team of people in order for the process to work accurately and efficiently. Based on the information gathered by a well-trained team, there must also be an effort toward continuous improvement. Other keys include a benchmarking process that has historical success, sufficient time and staff, and complete understanding of the processes to be benchmarked. In almost any type of program that a company researches or intends to implement, there must be goals and objectives set for that specific program. Benchmarking is no different. Successful companies determine goals and objectives, focus on them, keep them simple, and follow through on them. As in any program, it is always imperative to gather accurate and consistent information. The data should be understood and able to be defined as well as measured. The data must be able to be interpreted in order to make comparisons with other organizations. Lastly, keys to successful benchmarking include a thorough follow-through process and assistance from consultants with experience in designing and establishing such programs.

Researching the Effect of Cultural Diversity on Group Work Outcomes :: Racial Diversity, Ethnic Diversity

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the relationship between cultural diversity and workgroup outcomes (satisfaction with workgroup, and workgroup performance) in multicultural organizations, in the presence of moderating variables of intragroup conflicts (task, relationship and process conflicts). Literature review suggests that cultural diversity negatively affects workgroup outcomes and triggers conflicts. Analysis of empirical data collected from employees of multicultural organizations produces results in line with the literature and suggests that there is negative relationship between cultural diversity and workgroup outcomes, while intragroup conflicts have a strong moderating effect on the relationship between the two. Although the research implies that culturally homogenous groups have better outcomes, it is often impossible to assemble such groups in current corporate scenario. Therefore, targeted cross-cultural training programs may help individuals function well in culturally diverse gr oups by reducing conflicts and generating favorable group outcomes. INTRODUCTION Organizations often rely on culturally diverse groups to coordinate operations across countries, decrease redundant functions, reduce product development time and bring together a diverse pool of expertise. Culturally diverse groups, however, may not live up to these expectations. Individual differences give rise to intra-group conflicts which hinder the group’s performance as well as the group members’ satisfaction with the group. The fact that homogenous groups hardly exist and heterogeneous workgroups are the need of today’s organizations, it is pertinent to analyze the element of conflict among members of a group and its effect on the group’s performance outcomes. Pakistan, with its strategic geographical location and multicultural society, has been an interesting target for various international organizations that invest in this market and set up operations. These multinational organizations are bound to practice multicultural managements for effective operations (Islam, 2004). Local employees in such organizations are expected to work with people belonging to diverse nationalities who bring with them to the workplace, distinct cultures that effect outcomes of their workgroups. Another perspective of multiculturalism in Pakistani organizations is the presence of ethnic, gender based, religious, sectarian and geographical differences that affect relationships among people working in the same organization. It may be explained by the fact that women tend to face differential treatment at workplaces. People from different provinces in Pakistan generally differ in their attitudes and behaviors. Muslims tend to have a biased attitude towards non-Mu slims, and sectarian differences cause major conflicts of interests (Zubair, 2006). The current study tends to focus on such cross-cultural conflicts that affect workgroup outcomes at workplaces. The study is conducted in Pakistani setting upon national and international organizations.

High School and Old Cassette Recorder Essay

My hobbies Almost everybody has some kind of hobby. My hobbies are listening to music , watching television and reading books. I am very fond of music. When I am free, I often listen to my favorite songs from an old cassette recorder. At weekends, I usually go to music shops in the downtown areas to buy good CDs. Of the famous pop singers, I prefer Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Madona and Paul MC Cartney. I also spend an hour after dinner watching news and documentary programmes. I particularly enjoy the program â€Å"The World Here and There† because it broadens my knowledge of nature and human civilizations. My favourite book is ‘’Treachery’’. Its author is Elxan Elatli. I think that my hobbies are very useful. They widen my knowledge, relax my mind, and make me feel better about myself. My favorite hobby is playing drums. I spend a lot of my free time playing drums. I started learning to play drums when I was 9 years old. I played in my school’s band. When I was 12, I got a private drum teacher and started to really enjoy playing. My parents bought me a drum set. An important event in my life There are so many events happened in my life and most of them consist to be an important part of my life. They are precious because I can learn much from them or sometimes they can make me feel better when I am sad. I think the event which influent me most is happened at my senior high school. When I was in my third grade of senior high school, I should choose the university and the major which I want to go on my further study after the college entrance examination. After the score came out, I chose doctoring as my first major. But my parents disagreed that strongly. Because I never said that I wanted to do something in the future relative with the medical career before. Both of them let me thought carefully because to be a doctor was very toilsome. Also, doctors always shift their work and they should go to work at night even. That’s a tired job. In addition, the process of being a doctor was difficult, too. My mother wanted me to be a teacher as her. At that time, I was so confuse that I didn’t know which one was suitable for me to choose. I knew what the advice my parents gave was good for me. I also knew my future was belongs me and I should make the choice by myself, not my parents. Maybe to be a teacher was good, but I didn’t like .After this event, I decided all over the things by myself. i chose the tourism. Like the debates, although sometimes our opinions are different, we communicate our thoughts and make the choice depend on our own. If we hesitate to do one thing and do not make up our mind, we can’t do the thing successfully

Podcasting Package Is A Viable Alternative Tool Discussion Education Essay

This chapter presents the surveies treatment. It provides an chance to explicate the significance of the findings and topographic point the research within a broader context.Major findingsAnalysis of the findings provides grounds that the podcasting bundle is a feasible alternate ‘tool ‘ to utilize when back uping kids ‘s literacy development in twelvemonth 2. However the procedure i.e. the activities designed to scaffold the kids to the point of bring forthing a podcast, was the factor that elicited betterments in the kids ‘s speech production and hearing and non the recording of the podcast itself ( the merchandise ) . However it was of import that the kids saw the concluding podcast as the merchandise ; a mark that the activities would take them towards. Findingss from, and analysis of informations confirmed that the merchandise ( the podcast ) was the incentive for the kids instead than an indispensable portion of their acquisition. It provided the kids with a intent. This concurs with DfES ( 2004 ) findings that more positive motive resulted if engineering was focused around the larning instead than used to back up learning. The kids themselves identified that as a top acting group they had fewer chances to entree engineering than less able kids in their category. Therefore another type of engineering could hold motivated this group to make their end ; it can non be generalised that it was the podcast that offered ‘pull ‘ . Nonetheless, though kids ‘s responses about ‘liking ‘ composing would look to belie it, I personally feel ‘voice ‘ and ‘audien ce ‘ would necessitate to be characteristics of the engineering chosen as a word processor type application entirely would non actuate in the same manner.Meaning and importance of the findingsThis research began two old ages ago following a successful command to the TDA for support. The TDA regularly financess e-learning undertakings for instructor preparation suppliers as they recognise the importance of ICT skilled practicians in the workplace ( TDA 2005 [ online ] ) . Two old ages is a life-time in a digital universe but particularly in relation to instruction engineerings. Though the engineering used in this survey was found to be motivational, it still played a important portion in the procedure as without it the kids would hold lost focal point. Therefore in reply to the research inquiry, â€Å" can a Podcasting procedure support Literacy in a Year 2 schoolroom? â€Å" ; yes as portion of a procedure it can. Two old ages ago, Web 2.0 engineering was a ‘twinkle in person ‘s digital oculus ‘ . Now it is the pillar of many digital applications ( Godwin Jones 2005 ) . Although MP3 participants were ab initio sole to Apple Macintosh, new coevals nomadic phones now combine MP3 and other communicating engineerings in one orderly bundle. Huge advancement in a short infinite of clip. As Bull ( 2005, p.25 ) states, â€Å" MP3 participants such as the Apple iPod have become the mechanism for distribution of music for today ‘s young person merely as the Cadmium and vinyl records filled this function for old coevalss. Educational utilizations of podcasting physique on the foundation of this cultural phenomenon † . This presents both challenge and chance. When podcasts are broadcast to the Internet, through Web 2.0 engineering, the ensuing RSS ( Truly Simple Syndication ) ‘feeds ‘ allow kids to lend to each other ‘s work, wherever in the universe they may be. For case some web sites ask kids to add lines to poems, take portion in quizzes or append chapters to partially written on-line books. As Halsey ( 2007 ) asserts kids can convey the universe into the schoolroom ; and take their larning out into the universe with Web 2.0 engineering. Clearly so the potency for podcasting as an educational tool is phenomenal, but non merely in literacy lessons. Nevertheless the study revealed that current engineerings were characteristics in the sample group ‘s places. Attitudes towards a engineering seem to alter with its age hence attitude towards the currency of the motivational tool should besides be considered. So how might kids ‘s attitudes towards podcasting and speech production and hearing as a whole affect their public presentation in this type of exercising? It seems from past tendencies that podcasting itself will hold a ‘shelf life ‘ as todays digital indigens become tomorrows digital immigrants and todays techno ‘must rich persons ‘ become tomorrows digital ‘dinosaurs ‘ . Positive attitudes and motive for podcasting engineering, as it is now, will be lost. Newer technologies appear to be communicating based as Web 2.0 capablenesss move toward an even greater interactivity. This of class will assist keep a positive ‘attitude ‘ to talking and listening, in a ‘virtual ‘ environment, through a combination of networking sites and digital hardware such as webcams. The usage of Embodiments[ 1 ]is one illustration of such a combination. Communication and storytelling have stood the trial of clip and I would expect this will go on but how we do it in the hereafter will alter every bit will the size and nature of the audience. In his proposal to ‘radically ‘ pass the primary course of study, Alexander et Al. ( Primary Cambridge Review, DCSF 2009 [ online ] ) recognises spoken linguistic communication as cardinal to larning, civilization and life, but acknowledges it is much more outstanding in the course of study of many other states ( p24 ) . Possibly this could be the footing for higher accomplishment in other states instead than the ulterior school get downing age frequently identified. Reading and composing, as with other reappraisals ( DfES 2006a ) once more predominate in this reappraisal with speech production and listening one time once more dawdling behind. The authorities ( DfES 2007, DCSF 2009a ) is proclaiming that speech production and hearing are the foundations for all other larning – so why? Why are we still turn toing reading and composing foremost? Writing is simply a method for entering ideas. Ideas can besides be spoken and/or recorded into a podcast. This would be im probably emancipating for those kids who find it hard to compose things down. Podcasting offers equal chances for all ages and abilities ; an inclusive digital tool. In the late 1980 ‘s the National Oracy Project ( National Curriculum Council ; 1992 ) recommended giving speech production and listening a higher profile and yet more than 20 old ages subsequently we are still doing the same errors. I would wish to see this research will hold significance and add force per unit area to this on-going argument nevertheless unchanging fortunes, yesteryear and nowadays, would propose otherwise.Findingss in relation to other surveiesPrensky ( 2001, 2008, 2009 ) , Buckingham ( 2004, 2007 ) and Marsh et Al. ( 2006 ) high spot ours is a digital universe and yet many schools still fail to recognize the significance or importance of ‘skilling ‘ kids to get by with an progressively digital and altering landscape. Technology is going more sophisticated and is increasingly being aimed at and designed for younger consumers. Palmer ( 2007 p.3 ) suggests that, ‘culture has evolved faster than our biological science ‘ and this is ‘ damaging kids ‘s ability to believe, learn and act ‘ . Prensky ( 2009 ) would differ saying that exposure to engineering is altering kids ‘s encephalon construction and demanding a new manner of larning which relies on wisdom. The little size of the cohort used for this research would symbolize that the findings offer no important support of either Prensky ‘s or Palmer ‘s stance. However the podcasting bundle offered kids a blended acquisition environment comprised of group treatments and engineering usage. This would shrive them from harm to their thought, larning and behaviour that Palmer infers can go on. These three subjects are besides recognized benefits of group working ( Baines et al. 2008 ) .The relevancy of the findingsVygotsky ( 1976 ) wrote that speech production and thought are closely linked. The procedure of speech production helps kids to larn through jointing their ideas and therefore developing the constructs needed to understand the u niverse. Communication and understanding improve with pattern. Therefore, the chance to speak is critical in order to develop apprehension. If nil else, promoting and valuing talk conveys the message that communicating is of import ; both hearing and speech production are the foundations for communicating so raising their profile is a good terminal in itself. However though Vygotsky ‘s theory sing communicating is still pertinent he could non hold comprehended how his theory would still use to our of all time germinating digital universe ; to current patterns and the diverse ways of pass oning that societal networking has brought approximately. If we have come this far since Vygotsky, how far will our kids travel and how will they get by with their journey if practicians do non promote them to develop their accomplishments. Participant observations were undertaken to back up the kids ‘s interactions with the hardware and package needed for this research. Clearly there was a demand to scaffold them at this point ; though as in Lewis ‘s instance the more knowing other did non necessitate to be me. The ZPD is the zone in which acquisition is made easier through support by important others ( Whitehead 2004 ) . These others may or may non be physically present but possibly shack in a digital universe. In other words traditional theory still applies to digital experiences but sometimes the important other may be anon. i.e. through hunt engines or ‘friends ‘ on ‘social ‘ networking sites. Vygotsky ‘s reading of the word societal would surely be limited in today ‘s ‘techno ‘ society.The survey ‘s restrictions( Gautreau 2006 ) notes several grounds why there are barriers to utilizing engineering in schools. Unknowingness of engineering ‘s po ssible, clip needed to larn ( larning to utilize new package or hardware and how to incorporate them into the course of study ) , deficiency of support or resources and a deficiency of engineering competency, appropriate preparation or assurance in one ‘s ability to learn with engineerings are his chief concerns. Past instruction experience has indicated that the deficiency of a concluding ‘product ‘ from a ‘lesson ‘ is frequently deemed to be a failure on the portion of the instructor and of the kid. This belief is supported by the coverage and review procedures ; frequently SATs based ( QCDA 2010 [ online ] ) used to measure a schools position through analysis of the kids ‘s consequences. This has lead to the premise that any larning achieved in such lessons should be touchable. There should be something physical to demo. However as this research has shown speech production and hearing are the foundation of other acquisition and the inquiry has to be asked, â€Å" Can we measure this accurately if we are still inquiring kids to compose responses down? † Again personal experience has shown that understanding is non cultivated entirely through authorship or the creative activity of something. These averments are farther supported by findings from this rese arch, gathered during observations of the kids. Listening to kids ‘s treatments revealed far more about their abilities and thought procedures than any piece of composing perchance could. Therefore appraisals, peculiarly those that are SATs based, bespeaking that larning should be evidenced through production of something physical would belie what current and past experience has shown. Of class in a ‘digital ‘ and ‘virtual ‘ universe, ‘physical ‘ grounds could be presented otherwise. Time became a important restriction of this research. Time with the kids was limited due to funding hence some aspects from the planning phase were non carried out. The most frustrating was stage was at the terminal as there was non adequate clip left for the kids to be able to reflect on and measure their podcasting journey. Reflection is an of import portion of the acquisition procedure. By looking back at what they have done kids can derive a deeper apprehension of both the content and the acquisition procedure itself.The hereafterDonaldson ( 1986 ) was brave plenty to oppugn Piaget ‘s experiments and his attendant appraisals of kids ‘s ages, phases and strategies. She alluded to the impression of kids necessitating a ‘familiar context ‘ to be able to execute optimally and build significance from what they were making. But what is a familiar context for kids today? As grownups, are we back uping kids in a context which is ‘comfortable ‘ for us i nstead than familiar to them? Even more significantly are assessment bureaus besides outside their comfort zone? Should they be inquiring for grounds in different formats? Could Podcasting be one of these? ‘Digital ‘ grounds of accomplishment is more suitable to a ‘hi-tech ‘ universe. Sing the distribution and impact of engineerings in the ‘business ‘ universe ( Phelps, Graham & A ; Kerr, 2004 ) ; force per unit area from authorities organic structures ( DCSF 2007a ) and the duty of schools to educate kids for the hereafter ( DCSF 2008 ) , the deficiency of use of digital grounds to inform appraisals in schools is perplexing. Ellis ( 1997, 2004 ) refers to â€Å" emotional auto-ethnography † which may hold the unintended effect of overshadowing what auto-ethnography can be and of befoging the manner in which it may suit into societal enquiry. I would oppugn the usage of 'emotional ‘ here as it implies ‘blackmail ‘ or in research footings bias. I continue to adopt Donaldson ‘s ( 1986 ) ‘familiar context ‘ , which would of class include a research worker ‘s relationship with the kids involved. For me relationship suggests ‘knowing each other ‘ ; a comfy tantrum which leaves emotions ‘outside ‘ research. Emotions would hold skewed the analysis of observation and interview informations whereas the relationship between the kids and myself strengthened it. There are more practical deductions for anyone reproducing this research, or implementing the podcasting bundle. Podium package is expensive and merely necessary if broadcast medium to the World Wide Web. The sample kids were non concerned by the impression of a ‘wider audience ‘ they merely wanted their households and ‘immediate ‘ equals to hear their narrative. The narrative could hold been shared by Cadmium Rom, brassy thrust or the schools intranet entirely. This would hold been more cost effectual ; would hold saved some of the TDA support and therefore allowed excess clip to work with the kids. Evaluations of the kids ‘s speech production and listening abilities followed observations, during the activities, and attendant written texts of the kids ‘s treatments, were assessed against a recognized model. These findings clearly indicated that the podcasting bundle is feasible in footings of raising speech production and hearing degrees. Prensky ( 2005 ) reminded us that life for today ‘s kids may be a batch of things but it ‘s surely non unengaging ; except in school. Children ‘s place experiences with engineering enable instructors to construct on what kids know and can make provided that those peculiar engineerings are besides available in schools. By making so, non merely are we alining pattern to Donaldson ( 1986 ) but besides reflecting Fisher ‘s ( 2007 ) ‘starting from the kid ‘ rule. However in some respects this is where, we as practicians, travel incorrect. Money is to a great extent invested into the latest engineering to give kids the best ‘opportunities ‘ or environments for larning. Synergistic whiteboards ( IWBs ) and visualizers are two such engineerings. The little study revealed that at place kids are utilizing computing machines, nomadic phones, DS Lites and Wii ‘s. Though clearly there are benefits to holding IWBs and visualizers to project and portion images, it seems that the ‘familiar ‘ engineerings, those used daily at place are non utilized within a school environment. Again a instance of ‘teacher comfort ‘ opposed to ‘children ‘s world ‘ . If we are trusting on kids ‘s personal lifes or digital histories as this ‘starting point ‘ for resourcing and be aftering in scenes, puting in ‘unfamiliar ‘ engineerings would look to belie what we should endeavor to make. What does the instructor have to make? Nothing more than utilize a accomplishment that hopefully they are already good at: hearing. Teachers should listen to the podcasts with the kids, and assist the kids decide on the standards for appraisal. Children may hold more sophisticated cognition of new engineerings than their instructors, coercing a pedagogical displacement in the teacher function from expert to facilitator. Therefore go oning professional development has to be an of import characteristic of instructor patterns in a invariably germinating digital environment. In decision integration and using engineerings into a course of study is a complicated issue. Making known the benefits associated with engineering usage whilst besides turn toing the barriers that exist seems cragged. Traditional signifiers of literacy instruction are frequently non adequate for kids today, they need to be adapted to both entreaty and motivate and be relevant to contemporary scholars ( Buckingham 2003 ) . Thus grownups should be fixing kids for their digital hereafter instead than protecting them against it. Leu and Kinzer ( 2000 p117 ) say â€Å" envisionments take topographic point when instructors, kids, and others imagine new possibilities for literacy and acquisition, transform bing engineerings to build this vision, and so portion their work with others. † Envisionment has resulted from the new attack taken with younger kids and the podcasting bundle ; the subsequent bringing of the bundle to ITE pupils who in bend will circulate it to instructors in sc hools. As a research worker I would happen it interesting to test the bundle with even younger kids or in a scene whose ‘digital ‘ position was low in order to see ( i ) how younger kids react ( two ) if the engineering became a job instead than a scaffold.