Musical Instrument Digital Interface Technology In Music Teaching Education Essay

Musical Instrument Digital Interface Technology In Music Teaching Education Essay MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) was created in 1980s as a system to connect different synthesizers and sequencers together. (Ballora, 2003). Today it has widely used into  various  fields, involving videogame, mobile media, film, live performance and etc. Similarly, the improvement of MIDI technology in music education has been significant. It offers numerous opportunities and benefits to teachers and students in the process of teaching and learning. Additionally, there are limitations of MIDI that need to be paid attention to. The purpose of this paper is to examine the integration of MIDI technology in music education. The paper presents a literature review of MIDI technology effect on music education; the benefits of using MIDI in music teaching and learning; the limitations of MIDI technology in education and some recommendations of  how to utilize MIDI to better serve music education. Literature review Music technology has greatly advanced over the last decade, thus opening up new possibilities in music education. The technology of MIDI has infiltrated all levels of education. From classes for the youngest of children to classes for college music majors, MIDI has enabled instructors to develop new curricular for the teaching of music skills. MIDI enables the user to control musical parameters, thus allowing one to experience and create a great variety of music with a simple keyboard and computer. Computers can also test musical skills and provide instant and intuitive feedback. This opens the door for the development of a wealth of software designed for the pedagogy of music skills. Mager (1997) researched the status of MIDI and technology in higher education. A vast majority of teachers responding to his questionnaire indicated that technology was enhancing student learning. Music theory was listed as one of the highest areas using technology, according to the study. The availability of several fine software programs, which can help to develop basic music skills, contributes to this. The respondents also felt that music technology will continue to play an increasing role in higher education. Several studies have shown that computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is an effective tool for gaining music skills. Even as early as 1984, shortly following the invention of MIDI, studies began to determine the effectiveness of CAI in music education. John J. Deals study at the University of Iowa determined that software could significantly help music majors develop skills in error detection (John, 1991). Chang also provided a study showing the increase of CAI in the music classroom (Chang, 2001). Using many surveys to back his hypothesis, he asserts that the use of CAI will increase the students learning curve in music fundamentals. To summarize briefly, most studies only focus on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. it has not identified à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. This research will indicate three advantages of technology and MIDI used for the music courses. Analysis 3.1 Benefits: Incorporating MIDI technology into the music curriculum helps achieve some objectives: students truly learn through experience by the use of synthesizer labs and workstations; they acquire skills and techniques as means of attaining ends which make direct vital appeal: the use of technology to serve art; and they certainly become acquainted with changing world, one in which computers are not confined to the electronic music labs in colleges and universities, but are used to make music for recordings, televisions, films, live performances and etc. MIDI helps educators teach existing courses more effectively. The ability to create music for the class, project it on a screen, and play it back with high fidelity audio are made easier with these technologies (David 1991). In the meantime, student utilizes MIDI to write their own music. During this process, MIDI enables them to revise, edit and highlight every note freely. The series of actions are accomplished by just moving the mouse and pressing the keys on keyboard. In MIDI technology extends the range of music technology applications beyond the record keeping, teacher communication, preparation of paper handouts and teacher presentations that dominate todays uses for computers in music education. Notation, accompaniment, and sequencing software gives students direct control over the elements of music-making melody, rhythm, harmony, tone color, dynamics, and form. It provides the tools to actively create and edit music and then easily hear what new material sounds like and how changes affect it. Synchronization of sight and sound under direct student control provides significant advantages over what might be achieved with paper, pencil, and other types of recordings. The ability to prepare interactive homework assignments stimulates the students interest and increases their excitement about the music learning process. Computers and synthesizer technology make learning and practicing music more fun. Technology and MIDI allow music students to be more actively involved in the learning process, instead of playing the role of passive listener. In a general lab, students can extend one-time or short-term creative activities into a composition process that continues over time. If students are not yet ready to use the symbols of staff notation to represent sounds, they can click icons into place on a piano roll grid or type the letter names of chords. Initial ideas can be generated and then edited and altered through a series of successive drafts into a finished, or composed, form. Using MIDI increases the number of students in a class involved simultaneously in the thinking and decision-making process. Students are challenged to make frequent choices and solve numerous problems regarding their projects or assignments rather than passively observing other students answering teacher questions or merely following the directions of the conductor during a rehearsal. This involves students in actively working with the elements of music, making decisions, and solving musical problems. Technology and MIDI also allow educators to provide the students with skills they will need to meet some of the challenges of music industry in the future. 4.configuring a MIDI setup is straitforward and inexpensive. MIDI and music courses In the following part, this report will present the details of how can MIDI help in music technology courses, composition courses and music history courses. MIDI and music technology courses Sound recording courses, for music students who want to familiar with recording technology, can certainly benefit from the use of MIDI to augment the number of tracks available for recording. This is accomplished by the capability of computers to record musical performances into virtual tracks that are performed by synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers. These virtual tracks are then added to the tape tracks, used to record vocals, guitars, winds, and percussion instruments, making even small studios sound like larger recording facilities. Sound design and synthesis courses can also benefit from the use of computers. The graphics capabilities and the high audio quality of computers and digital audio boards allow teachers to demonstrate concepts such as additive and subtractive synthesis, wave editing, and sampling. MIDI and composition courses Composition courses can benefit in several ways from use of technology and MIDI. Using sequencer software, students can hear their music as they write it. Modern synthesizers, sound modules, and samplers provide immediate access to a great variety of orchestral instruments, thus benefiting orchestration courses. Notation software (one type of music software utilizing MIDI technology) can be used to prepare scores and individual parts for performance. Music student can use algorithmic composition software and digital converters to perform their ideas. MIDI and music history courses There are numerous programs, many of them available on CD-ROM format that allow music history educators to present information about composers, their biographies, and their work. Students can see pictures, read background information, hear the music, or watch the score. The music can be stored in MIDI format, so that the students can hear the whole score, or any of the individual parts, or just a small segment. The student can also print scores, biographical information, or comments or reviews from music historians or musicologists Limitation There are several issues that need to be considered by music educators and institutions about music technology and MIDI. As educators attempt to learn how to use the technology that currently exists in the music industry, and how to integrate these technologies into teaching of music courses. However, the information changes rapidly and is available from many different sources. It becomes very hard for the music educator to keep up-to-date. Regarding MIDI itself, there are also several issues to consider: The cost of acquiring the instruments and facilities (recording studios, workstations) and updating the programs The amount of space required to house the instruments Sound quality that differs greatly from that of acoustic instruments In terms of MIDI sound quality, there are two contrasting views. Some students thought that the sounds created using the synthesizer were not an attempt to imitate a real instrument but, rather, had possibilities to create exciting new sonorities. So whether the sounds were realistic or not seemed to be unimportant to them.  The others asserted that the realism of sounds played an essential role in music composition.  They needed the realistic sounds to inspire them and the realism of timbres for these students equated closely with the quality of their final product. The use of MIDI keyboard is the major issues. Some students considered that MIDI keyboard was not an ideal input device for them, because they lacked keyboard skills and they found it was difficult to use a keyboard to play some instruments, like drums. In terms of MIDI sound quality, there are two contrasting views. Some students thought that the sounds created using the synthesizer were not an attempt to imitate a real instrument but, rather, had possibilities to create exciting new sonorities. So whether the sounds were realistic or not seemed to be unimportant to them.  The others asserted that the realism of sounds played an essential role in music composition.  They needed the realistic sounds to inspire them and the realism of timbres for these students equated closely with the quality of their final product. 4. Recommendation There are many good reasons for the integration of music technology and MIDI into the curricula of traditional music programs as well as in to music technology programs. However, this report will give a few suggestions about the potential of the integration of music technology and MIDI into music programs. The first recommendation is the development and implementation of an introductory course on MIDI designed for music education, composition, performance majors. This course would emphasize practical experience. For example, the students should (1) learn the basic computer skills needed to run MIDI software on a personal computer, how MIDI can help transfer data to and from computer, (2) become familiar with some of the CAI programs available and how these programs exercise required to master some of the basic music concepts, and (3) learn how the basic principles of MIDI sequencing and notation can be used to facilitate the teaching and learning of basic music skills like harmony, counterpoint. Secondly, internet access should be included in the curriculum. MIDIà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Based on research of Mager, he believes that the internet plays an important role in music education, and in the future it will play a much greater role (may be essential one) than it does today (Mager 1997). The explosive growth of World Wide Web and its multimedia interactive capabilities, like exchanging information, transferring files, research data gathering, will make internet an invaluable tool for music education. Once all educational institutions are wired for internet communication, the distribution of music and information about music will change dramatically. Music and information can be stored in computers and made available for downloading instantly and at faster speeds than it is today. 5. Conclusion Music technology and MIDI are there to waiting educators to explore, learn, and take advantage of them, to make lecture better teachers and to make students ready for the challenges that they will face as musicians in the future.

The Stolen Bacillus by H.G. Wells Essay -- Stolen Bacillus Wells Essay

The Stolen Bacillus by H.G. Wells This is a story set in the 19th century people had dress codes which reflected your status in society. The dress code was formal and quite severe it was almost as if the longer your top hat the higher up the rank you are in importance in society. In this story we meet a man who wants to help the society and quality of living whereas the other wants to destroy order as he is what’s known as an anarchist. This is someone who is feels that people should be responsible for there own actions and decisions meaning they govern their own lives. In the 19th century anarchists were seen as political agitators and sometimes violent. As in this story where we will see a man desperate and willing to go to extremes to get his point heard. While the scientist is talking about the bacteria, H.G Wells makes him talk about it as if it is a human and that it is like us. This is shown when he says, â€Å"he would wait ready to be drunk in the horse troughs†. By comparing the bacteria to humans the author is trying to enforce the point that it is smarter than the average bacteria it is as complex and technically as dangerous as a human. The scientist is an idealistic and when the anarchist paid so much interest into what he was doing he started to show off. He spoke about his new cholera which is very harmful to a man he has just met, which is indeed not a clever thing to do is. The scientist is an idealist and is out to do well in the world and improve living conditions of people. The scientist is not a man out to make money, just simply wants to be famous. When the chase is on it was funny to see the ridiculousness of this rabbit hunt round London. Even though this story had some serious... ... them. She wanted the scientist to put on his coat on a hot summers day. When he refused she became frustrated. The cabbies are another group of people in this story which shows the reality that this story is set in with their harsh cockney accents and they just represent the everyday people in this story. The scientist has to rely on people which would be classed as inferior to save the predicament he put himself in. These cabbies bring a lot of humour to the story. In this story H.G Wells is trying to get the point across those politicians and scientists aren’t as clever as they think they are and they also take themselves to seriously and so therefore make mistakes. In the Victorian era they believed they could improve man though industrial advancement this was achieved by individual successes like the scientist and through agreed religious ideas. The Stolen Bacillus by H.G. Wells Essay -- Stolen Bacillus Wells Essay The Stolen Bacillus by H.G. Wells This is a story set in the 19th century people had dress codes which reflected your status in society. The dress code was formal and quite severe it was almost as if the longer your top hat the higher up the rank you are in importance in society. In this story we meet a man who wants to help the society and quality of living whereas the other wants to destroy order as he is what’s known as an anarchist. This is someone who is feels that people should be responsible for there own actions and decisions meaning they govern their own lives. In the 19th century anarchists were seen as political agitators and sometimes violent. As in this story where we will see a man desperate and willing to go to extremes to get his point heard. While the scientist is talking about the bacteria, H.G Wells makes him talk about it as if it is a human and that it is like us. This is shown when he says, â€Å"he would wait ready to be drunk in the horse troughs†. By comparing the bacteria to humans the author is trying to enforce the point that it is smarter than the average bacteria it is as complex and technically as dangerous as a human. The scientist is an idealistic and when the anarchist paid so much interest into what he was doing he started to show off. He spoke about his new cholera which is very harmful to a man he has just met, which is indeed not a clever thing to do is. The scientist is an idealist and is out to do well in the world and improve living conditions of people. The scientist is not a man out to make money, just simply wants to be famous. When the chase is on it was funny to see the ridiculousness of this rabbit hunt round London. Even though this story had some serious... ... them. She wanted the scientist to put on his coat on a hot summers day. When he refused she became frustrated. The cabbies are another group of people in this story which shows the reality that this story is set in with their harsh cockney accents and they just represent the everyday people in this story. The scientist has to rely on people which would be classed as inferior to save the predicament he put himself in. These cabbies bring a lot of humour to the story. In this story H.G Wells is trying to get the point across those politicians and scientists aren’t as clever as they think they are and they also take themselves to seriously and so therefore make mistakes. In the Victorian era they believed they could improve man though industrial advancement this was achieved by individual successes like the scientist and through agreed religious ideas.

‘Jasper Jones’ by Craig Silvey Essay

The Novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey revolves around a young boy named Charlie Bucktin living in the small Australian town of Corrigan in the 1960’s. Charlie is exposed to the confronting issues of racial prejudice, injustice and moral duality. He is challenged to question right from wrong, has to come to the realization that law doesn’t always uphold justice and we as readers are positioned to understand that people are capable of holding two conflicting values and remain in confortable harmony. The ideas are portrayed through Silvey’s use of narrative conventions that are used to either challenge or reinforce our values, attitudes and beliefs on the issues explored. Our morals and ethics is our understanding of what we believe is right or wrong. Reading this novel we come to realize that the people of Corrigan are hypocrites, cable of holding two conflicting values or beliefs. Jasper Jones does not deny that he is a â€Å"thief, a liar, a thug, a truant†, but despite this, he says â€Å"I never stole a thing I dint need†¦ and all my life so far, sh*t’s bin taken off me, so I’m evening the ledger a bit† (page 34). My attitude towards stealing is that its wrong, but Jasper’s character has challenged this belief and suggests that stealing is okay and can be justified in this case because he did it to get the things he needs â€Å"because its never gonna get offered†. When Jasper asked Charlie to help him hide the body of Laura Wishart, he was not only asking him to break the law but was making Charlie go against his morals and he had to reconsider what the â€Å"right thing† to do was. He knew that tampering with her body was illegal but he did it anyway to help Jasper stay out of trouble and find the truth of what had happened. Craig is trying to show us that we all hold conflicting views on things and that sometimes we can think one way and act in another. It has made me realize that I too may contradict my own values and positions me to reconsider what I believe to be right and wrong. Corrigan is a town swamped with lies and injustice. Silvey is expressing this theme through the establishment of characters and plot. His message is that the Law and what seems morally right, doesn’t necessarily uphold justice.  Jasper Jones has a bad reputation in Corrigan and after his discovery of Laura’s body, Charlie argues that they should go to the police but Jasper knows that the rule of law doesn’t apply to him. He is the town’s scapegoat when an incident occurs and says, â€Å"We can’t tell anyone. Especially the Police†¦ they are gonna say it was me.† (page 13). When the disappearance of Laura becomes public, Jasper is locked up and bashed by her father the â€Å"Shire President†. Throughout the novel Pete Wishart is always referred to by this title. He is supposed to be a public figure and role model but instead he’s an abusive drunk that impregnated his daughter and manhandled a child. This misconduct shows how power can be misused and the double standards that exist in society. The myth of ‘Mad Jack Lionel’ burdened the town of Corrigan. Rumours were spread concerning his involvement with the death of Rosie Jones and he was Jaspers first suspicion as to what had happened to Laura. â€Å"The lies and suppositions were just heaped upon the stack† (page 240). He had been wrongfully accused and blamed for things he did not do and his town turned its back on him. The unjust treatment of Jasper and Jack Lionel shows that people are so quick to judge and make assumptions about others without knowing a thing about them. It reinforces by belief that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and should get to know the truth about someone before you pass judgement. Multiculturalism, which is familiar to contemporary Australians, was unheard of in the 1960’s and the concept of people from other countries and cultural backgrounds enriching in Australian life was a foreign concept. This novel explores the racism behind the discrimination towards those from non-European backgrounds such as Jeffery Lu and his family. Silvey’s selection of setting, the context of this novel and the surrounding circumstances such as the Vietnam War provides an understanding of the current attitudes that society may have had towards certain ideas. At the time of this novel, many Australians were resentful for having to go over and fight in the war. Charlie’s best friend Jeffery, who is of Vietnamese background, was subject to discrimination and copped a lot of bullying because of this. A woman whose son had died in the war attacked Jeffery’s mother, Mrs Lu. â€Å"She slapped her cup up, right into her chest†¦ scalding her skin† ( page 128). This scene positioned me to feel sorry for Mrs Lu and  reinforced by belief that everyone, no matter what race, should be treated with equality. Jeffery is often victimized by other kids, like Warwick Trent the teenage bully of the town, because of his race. He’s the boy â€Å"who’s always been two years bigger and broader than anyone his age† (page 57). He and the other boys that Jeffery often encounters at the local oval are intimidated by his intellect and his cricket skills. They try to establish their dominance over Jeffery by using his ethnicity against him and asserting racial comments such as â€Å"F*ck off, c*nt eyes† (page 58) and â€Å"F*ck off Cong† (page 59). The mistreatment of Lu family has shown me the significance of coequality and how damaging racism can be. The message Silvey is trying to convey is that anyone who is perceived to be different or ‘inferior’ is made to feel as outcasts and unwelcome in society. It has made me reconsider how I should treat others and has helped me develop a greater understanding of why everyone should be treated with respect and equality regardless of their race. Jasper Jones deals with many issues that are prevalent in our modern society. The author uses narrative conventions such as plot, setting and characters to challenge or reinforce my attitudes and values. I come to understand that people can hold contradicting values and remain in comfortable harmony. I realize that the law doesn’t always uphold justice and am positioned to see the harm discrimination can cause. These are just a few of the ways that Craig Silvey has used narrative conventions to influence my point of view on the themes expressed in Jasper Jones.

7 Great English Writing Activities to Improve Your Academic Skills

7 Great English Writing Activities to Improve Your Academic Skills 7 Great English Writing Activities to Improve Your Academic Skills If wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng had Ã'•Ð µÃ' rÐ µtÃ'•, then wrÃ'â€"tÐ µrÃ'• Ã'•Ð ¾nÃ'• would all be wrÃ'â€"tÐ µrÃ'•. Lu Xun   Are thÐ µrÐ µ really Ã'•Ð µÃ' rÐ µtÃ'• tÐ ¾ improve wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng skills? Or is dÐ µvÐ µlÐ ¾Ã'€Ã'â€"ng EnglÃ'â€"Ã'•h writing skills juÃ'•t a function Ð ¾f Ð µxÃ'€Ð µrÃ'â€"Ð µnÃ' Ã µ? ThÐ µrÐ µ are Ã'€Ð °rtÃ'â€"Ã' ulÐ °r Ã'•kÃ'â€"llÃ'• and tÐ µÃ' hniquÐ µÃ'• thÐ °t Ã' Ã °n hÐ µlÃ'€ you create a perfect paper, and thÐ µÃ'Æ'rÐ µ nÐ ¾t secret. In fÐ °Ã' t, theyre frÐ µÃ µlÃ'Æ' available frÐ ¾m hÐ µrÐ µ Ð °nd other sites that provide language training. TÐ ¾ become an efficient EnglÃ'â€"Ã'•h writer, there are seven thÃ'â€"ngÃ'• Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u have to dÐ ¾: 1. RÐ µÃ °d a Lot ThÐ µ first wÐ °Ã'Æ' tÐ ¾ Ã'â€"nÃ' rÐ µÃ °Ã'•Ð µ Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur Ð °bÃ'â€"lÃ'â€"tÃ'Æ' in writing Ã'â€"Ã'• to read. It doesn’t matter what you are reading, it may be a fiction book as well as the mate’s paper. Try to follow the style of the written piece, you’ve read. You may even read your own piece several times to evaluate it. Do you still like it? 2. WrÃ'â€"tÐ µ Frequently If you hÐ °vÐ µ a lÐ °Ã'€tÐ ¾Ã'€, kÐ µÃ µÃ'€ Ã'â€"t with Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u all thÐ µ tÃ'â€"mÐ µ.   When Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u hÐ °vÐ µ a fÐ µw mÃ'â€"nutÐ µÃ'•, open Ã'â€"t Ð °nd start writing.   Don’t pay attention to what to write about, just do it.   Also it would be very useful to have a brainstorming Ã'•Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ã'â€"Ð ¾n wÃ'â€"th Ã'Æ'Ð ¾urÃ'•Ð µlf Ð °bÐ ¾ut the issues tÐ ¾ write on.   WrÃ'â€"tÐ µ Ã'•Ð °mÃ'€lÐ µ articles Ð °nd then Ð µdÃ'â€"t thÐ µm.   Improve them untÃ'â€"l thÐ µÃ'Æ' Ð °rÐ µ great! 3. ImÃ'€rÐ ¾vÐ µ Ð ¾n OnÐ µ Area at a TÃ'â€"mÐ µ ThÐ µ mÐ ¾Ã'•t Ã'â€"mÃ'€Ð ¾rtÐ °nt wÐ °Ã'Æ' to Ã'â€"mÃ'€rÐ ¾vÐ µ your writing skills Ã'â€"Ã'• bÃ'Æ' practicing. But still it is really important not to be in a rush. Choose one skill and improve it till the final victory, and only then start improving a new one. DÐ ¾ not gÐ µt depressed. EvÐ µrÃ'Æ'Ð ¾nÐ µ Ã' Ã °n Ã'â€"mÃ'€rÐ ¾vÐ µ these traits, Ã'•Ð ¾ you can do this too. 4. Read Your Own Writing Do nÐ ¾t juÃ'•t Ã'•kÃ'â€"m over Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur Ð °rtÃ'â€"Ã' lÐ µÃ'• bÐ µÃ' Ã °uÃ'•Ð µ of thinking that Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u Ð °lrÐ µÃ °dÃ'Æ' knÐ ¾w whÐ °t Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u have written about.   RÐ µÃ °d them Ð ¾ut loud.   YÐ ¾u wÃ'â€"ll hear Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur mistakes Ð °nd Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u wÃ'â€"ll Ð °utÐ ¾mÐ °tÃ'â€"Ã' Ã °llÃ'Æ' lÐ µÃ °rn to Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ' thÃ'â€"ngÃ'• bÐ µttÐ µr. 5. Be CÐ ¾nvÐ µrÃ'•Ð °tÃ'â€"Ð ¾nÐ °l Of course, yÐ ¾u dÐ ¾nt wÐ °nt tÐ ¾ alienate Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur readers, but oppositely, you want to involve them to your piece. So, wrÃ'â€"tÐ µ Ã'â€"n such a vain to make your Ð °udÃ'â€"Ð µnÃ' Ã µ fÐ µÃ µl like Ã'Æ'Ð ¾urÐ µ Ð °Ã' tuÐ °llÃ'Æ' tÐ °lkÃ'â€"ng tÐ ¾ thÐ µm. 6. DÐ µvÐ µlÐ ¾Ã'€ YÐ ¾ur Own WrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Style SÐ ¾mÐ µtÃ'â€"mÐ µÃ'• thÃ'â€"Ã'• Ã'â€"Ã'• rÐ µfÐ µrrÐ µd tÐ ¾ fÃ'â€"nd Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur own vÐ ¾Ã'â€"Ã' Ã µ of writing. YÐ ¾ur gÐ ¾Ã °l Ã'â€"Ã'• tÐ ¾ become a lÃ'â€"ttlÐ µ dÃ'â€"ffÐ µrÐ µnt thÐ °n other writerÃ'•. Moreover, your wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Ã'•tÃ'Æ'lÐ µ should nÐ ¾t bÐ µ Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µthÃ'â€"ng thÐ °t Ã'â€"Ã'• fÐ ¾rÃ' Ã µd, but rather something that Ã' Ã ¾mÐ µÃ'• natural tÐ ¾ you. 7. Finish EvÐ µrÃ'Æ' PÃ'â€"Ð µÃ' Ã µ of WrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng You start It Ã'â€"Ã'• harder than Ã'â€"t sounds. WrÃ'â€"tÐ µrÃ'• are uÃ'•uÐ °llÃ'Æ' full Ð ¾f ideas that they wÐ °nt to Ð µxÃ'€lÐ ¾rÐ µ. As a result, there Ð °rÐ µ a lÐ ¾t Ð ¾f hÐ °lf-grÐ µÃ °t wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Ã'€Ã'â€"Ð µÃ' Ã µÃ'• thÐ °t will nÐ µvÐ µr Ã'•Ð µÃ µ the lÃ'â€"ght of dÐ °Ã'Æ'. Never do things halfway follow everything you have started through the line. As you can see, there is nothing secret. If Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u bÐ µÃ' Ã ¾mÐ µ a wÃ'â€"dÐ µ reader, Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u will Ã'•Ð µÃ µ furthÐ µr Ð °nd deeper Ã'â€"ntÐ ¾ tÐ ¾Ã'€Ã'â€"Ã' Ã'•. You will get fÐ °mÃ'â€"lÃ'â€"Ð °r wÃ'â€"th a grÐ µÃ °tÐ µr amount Ð ¾f vocabulary, Ð °lÐ ¾ng with specific wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Ã'•tÃ'Æ'lÐ µÃ'• Ð °nd wÐ °Ã'Æ'Ã'• to Ð µxÃ'€rÐ µÃ'•Ã'• your opinions. MÐ ¾Ã'•t Ð ¾f the tÃ'â€"mÐ µ, Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u devote to improvement Ð ¾f thÐ µ trÐ °Ã'â€"tÃ'•, dÐ µvÐ µlÐ ¾Ã'€Ã'â€"ng bÐ ¾th the quality of your thÐ ¾ughtÃ'• and Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur Ð °rtÃ'â€"Ã'•tÃ'â€"Ã'  tÐ µmÃ'€Ð µrÐ °mÐ µnt. WhÐ µn Ã'Æ'Ð ¾u wrÃ'â€"tÐ µ Ð ¾ftÐ µn and do these English writing activities, you train Ã'Æ'Ð ¾ur mÃ'â€"nd. So, to become a great writer is not too difficult. The only thing you need is to have a desire to do this. is always online to provide you with professional English essay writing help on any topic.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative Essays Argumentative Essay Argumentative Essay p. 275. 3. Lafferty, M, (1979) ‘Why it is time for another leap forward’, accountancy, p. 51. 4. Skinner, D. J. (1994), ‘Why firms voluntarily disclose bad news’, journal of accounting research, 32(1), p. 40. 5. 0 References 1. Brown, P, amp; Tarca, A 2001, ‘Politics, Processes and the future of accounting standards’, Abacus, Vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 267-96. 2. Lafferty, M, 1979 ‘Why it is time for another leap forward’, accountancy, p. 51. 3. Skinner, D. J. 1994, ‘Why firms voluntarily disclose bad news’, journal of accounting research, Vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 38-60.

Social Work Practice Essays

Social Work Practice Essays Social Work Practice Essay Social Work Practice Essay Two Perspectives of Engagement with Clients One thing that makes social work stand out from other professions is the relationship that a social worker builds with their client. It is an important factor but can also be very challenging at times. There are several stages to the social work treatment process. Those stages include; engagement, assessment, intervention, and termination (USC VAC, 2013). It is vital that a social worker begin to develop a relationship with their client during their first session and build on that relationship over time.The treatment stage in which a social worker can initiate the development of a relationship with their client is in the engagement stage, which serves as the foundation for the rest of the sessions to come. One thing to consider as a social worker is to be able to identify with your clients. The best way to do that is to be aware of your own cultural values, beliefs and preferences you hold and also how you would want a social worker to interact with you. Being a self-aware social worker is imperative so that you can keep from bringing you own thoughts and ideas into the treatment plan for your client.Understanding and knowing where you stand on certain issues important thing to be conscious of so that you know what to separate yourself from while trying to build rapport with a client. If I Were the Client As a beginning social worker it is important for me to be aware of my own personal values and beliefs and also think about how I would like to be treated as client by a social worker during the engagement phase. Seeking help for emotional issues is always hard to do no matter how accepting you are of the mental health processes.Building a rapport with my social worker and establishing trust are essential to me in the beginning stages phases of my treatment. I want to feel as if my social worker truly cares about why I am there As a black, female client, working with a hypothetical white, male therapist one thing that would be very important for my social worker to be aware of is where I come from and how my environment might influence my treatment process. I need to my social worker to work with me in finding solutions to the problems I am facing.Utilizing the ecological perspective during my treatment would be very beneficial to getting the root of the problem. I would feel that my social worker does not only care about my treatment but is an advocate in helping to achieve that change. According to McKay et al (1996), the ecological perspective consists of four critical elements; (1) clarifying the helping process, which is the social worker introducing themselves to me and explaining the treatment process and making sure I understand exactly what the process is, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). 2) Developing the foundation for a collaborative working environment which would include finding a balance between the information needed to obtain the appropriate intake information and allowing me, the client, to tell my story of why I am there in the first place, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). (3) Focus on immediate, practical concerns; this would mean that my social worker is prepared to respond to crisis situations, negotiate with other systems that may be a barrier of some kind to my treatment and be able to respond to any presenting concerns, (McKa y et al (1996) p. 65). I need to feel as though my social worker is just as active in my treatment as I am and is providing all the resources and help they can give. Lastly, (4) Identify and problem- solve around barriers to help seeking, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). It would be important for my social worker to know if I have been in therapy before what that experience was for me; whether it was negative or not. It would be easier for me to trust my therapist when they are knowledgeable of all of my obstacles; whether they are personal or environmental.For example, one thing that would be vital for my white, male therapist to explore and understand before working with me is the obstacles I may face just by being a black female. It is important for me to feel as though my social worker really values my thoughts, opinions and feelings. One way to do that would the social workers ability to empathize with me. Empathy is the act of perceiving, understanding, experiencing, and respondin g to the emotional state and ideas of another person, (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 41). Even if my social worker does not share the same views as me, being able to see things from my perspective and genuinely understand where I come from is the most important quality my social worker can bring to the table when working with me. According to Gerdes amp; Segal (2011), there are two main components to empathy; emotional empathy and expressed cognitive empathy. Emotional empathy is the ability to be affected by the clients’ emotions, (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 141).Although I do not want my social worker to be as distressed as I am, I need to know that they are not an emotional robot and they can see why I am experiencing the emotions I am experiencing. Expressed cognitive empathy is the translation of such feelings into words, (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 141). By my social worker being able to verbalize with me that they comprehend my emotional state of mind, that would relie ve a lot of anxiety for me just knowing that what I am feeling is not so far-fetched and that it can be understood by a complete stranger.If I Were the Social Worker Let’s envision a Chinese – American female named Kim Le, who lives in San Diego is coming to meet me; her therapist, for the first time. Kim Le is 17 years old, a senior in high school and is the first generation in her family to be born in the United States. While working with Kim Le, it would be essential for me to be culturally competent. Being culturally competent will allow me to provide care that serves her social, cultural and linguistic needs, (Buckley, T. B. , 2012).Understanding Kim Le’s culturally background is essential in developing a treatment plan and establishing trust with her. Being the first generation to be born in the United States is a barrier that she and I would have work through. It is common for a social worker to acknowledge our own barriers to intercultural understanding, (Buckley, T. B. , 2012). Another to consider while working with Kim Le is to acknowledge the cultural influence on her desire to seek therapy. Chinese cultures are more likely to try home remedies to deal with illness which may also include mental health.If her social worker felt that Kim Le needed mood stabilizing medications it would be important to explore natural ways of obtaining the same results or at least understand why Kim Le might object to the medications. Along with being understood culturally, it would be essential for me as Kim Le’s social worker to evaluate her levels of anxiety and self- confidence. It seems logically to assume that she may be feeling such a way for coming into therapy for the first time and also having a multicultural background. One way for me to explore these emotions with Kim Le would be to use sustaining procedures.According to Woods and Hollis (2000), sustainment can be used to reduce feelings on anxiety or lack of self-confidence. The idea of sustainment is for a social worker to openly express their confidence and esteem for the client. (Woods amp; Hollis, 2000, p. 131). Exploring the nature of the clients difficulties, (Woods amp; Hollis, 2000, p. 131) is a dynamic step in developing a rapport with the client. By trying to figure out what is going on with the client and working together on the problem shows the client that they are values as a person and that the social worker cares about them as a person as well as their treatment process.Sustainment can also be beneficial to use when dealing with multicultural client like Kim Le. By understanding her background and sympathizing with the difficulties of being a minority that can help reduce the anxiety she is feeling about being in therapy. It is common knowledge that the Asian cultural has very specific social etiquettes that differ significantly from that of the American culture. By being aware of different cultural groups meanings to certain non-verbal beha viors, (Hepworth et al, 2012, p. 166) it can help eliminate counterproductive communication patterns.The first step a social worker can do to make sure that they are not silently offending their clients is by simply being aware of their non-verbal behaviors. For example, if I were a male therapist, it might be considered disrespectful if I looked Kim Le directly in her eyes during our session. So I would need to be aware of where I was looking so that Kim Le could remain as comfortable as possible. Differences and Similarities One similarity I can see between me and Kim Le as the client is that we are both minorities and have certain barriers to deal with because of our ethnicity.Our therapist must be cultural competent and aware of our ethnic differences to be able to work with us effectively, and to be able to gain our trust. It is important for us to have social worker to be empathetic of our situation when it comes to dealing with the obstacle our ethnicities gives us. One big d ifference is that, even though we are both minorities, she is the first generation of her family to be born in the United States. Our cultures differ tremendously because I am very much American in my culture and spiritual practices while Kim Le probably does not even speak English at home with her family.Although that difference may seem minuet it is significant enough for a social worker to consider when working with individuals with those differences. For Kim Le, she not only has to deal with being Chinese in America, but she also has to deal with being American in a Chinese household. I do not have to deal with that duel cultural identity. For a social worker is important to see those little differences between their clients and be able to understand them and work with them. It shows the client how invested you are in their care and it also makes you a well-rounded social worker.

Virtual Collaboration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Virtual Collaboration - Essay Example tal technologies that enable organizations or individuals to collaborately plan, design, develop, manage, and research products, services, and innovative IT and E-Commerce applications† (Turban, McLean and Wetherbe 144). The current discourse hereby aims to present virtual collaboration through lessons learned from in-class and online events summaries, as perceived to be applicable in a future career. Virtual collaboration through social events was recognized to be the most popular, by far. The most relevant lessons learned from social events include the following: (1) selection of topics which are interesting to prospective participants; (2) using communication medium that would reach the target audience: social networking sites, email, smartphones, among others; (3) use of innovative approaches, like gamification; and (4) assignment of roles, or delegation of tasks by events’ organizers. One learned that there are disparities in techniques in in-class versus online events. For in-class social events, there are opportunities for face-to-face interactions to augment virtual collaboration, when needed. For instance, organizers could require weekly face-to-face group meetings to resolve conflicts, iron out concerns, and monitor the progress of assigned tasks. In contrast, in purely on-line social events where there are no opportunities for face-to-face interactions, the participants rely solely on online or electronic medium to communicate. As such, there should be regular interaction using various social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter) and other electronic medium (Skype, university sites, email). Major lessons learned from in-class activities that enriched one’s understanding of the topic are categorized as follows: (1) enhance opportunities for personal interaction with other members of the class which improved one’s confidence in interpersonal communication; (2) commitment to cultural diversity within the university encouraged one’s respect for