Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and beyond the technical staff.

? This paper is due Week 2 ? Day 7 submit using the Assignment Link on eCampus.

? Please make sure to follow APA format and use at least two different references from the reading and/or the online library.

Resources: Articles located through the University Phoenix Library, the Internet, magazines, or other sources



Prepare a 900- to 1,200-word paper on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and beyond the technical staff.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Write a paper based on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Your paper should also address issues such as personalities and how they affect relationships within and without technical staff.

APA FORMAT WITH SUBHEADINGS

Personnel in Technology Paper

Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and beyond the technical staff.
Format your paper according to APA standards.


Content
All key elements of the assignment are covered in a substantive way.
? Paper is 1,050 to 1,400 words in length.
? Paper is based on articles located by writer on what it takes to build an effective technology support team.
? Paper addresses such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and without the technical staff.

The content is comprehensive, accurate, and persuasive.
Major points are stated clearly and are supported by specific details, examples, or analysis.


Organization / Development

The paper develops a central theme or idea, directed toward the appropriate audience.
The introduction provides sufficient background on the topic and previews major points.
The conclusion is logical, flows from the body of the paper, and reviews the major points.
Transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections aid in maintaining the flow of thought.
The tone is appropriate to the content and assignment.

Mechanics

The paper follows APA guidelines for format.

Citations follow APA guidelines.
The paper is laid out with effective use of headings, font styles, and white space.
Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.
Sentences are complete, clear, concise, and varied.
Spelling is correct.

Prepare a paper on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and beyond the technical staff.
There are faxes for this order.

5. Personnel in Technology Paper

Based on articles you locate using the Library, the Internet, magazine, etc., prepare a 1,100 -word paper on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and without the technical staff.

The paper must be typed in APA format.



6 pages Also include a Reference page



Must include a minimum of five references from three different sources (later than 2004).


Type your paper in Microsoft Word

TOPIC: Implimenting Technology: The Role of the Adminstrator

IDEA: Knowledge and effective school leaders are extremely important in determining whether technology use will improve learning in our students. Many school administrators maybe aprehensive providing leadership in these areas. They may also be uncertain when it comes to implementing effective technology leadership strategies in ways that will improve learning, and/or their own prior knowledge may be limited due to how much they use it themselves. An administrator must be able to choose peices of technology thier schools needs,how to implement it into their teachers classrooms, and possibly what instructional training his/her teachers need to use the equipment effectively.

what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and without the technical staff

3.Personnel in Technology Paper
Based on articles you locate using the Internet, magazine, etc., write about on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and without the technical staff.

I am requesting writer jowriter63

Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper on what it takes to build an effective technology support team. Address such issues as personalities and how they can affect relationships within and beyond the technical staff.

Thoughts and ideas:

Introduction
Technology Specialists

Essential teaching tools... UBD, Star Legacy etc
How does using Understanding By Design, Star Legacy and other instructional tools provide for deep understanding?

How do we conclude that these instructional techniques are effective for developing and deepening student understanding of Essential questions, Big ideas etc?

Conclusions from research and case studies on effective technology integration.
Metacognition
Testing and Evaluating

Standards and Applications
What are the NY State Technology Standards?
Why are standards necessary?
How do we as technology specialists apply them?

The term project for this class is a comprehensive written Strategic Plan for a technologically driven organization (TCO A). The intent of the plan is to provide you with the opportunity to integrate skills developed in this course.

The company I have chosen for this topic is APPLE Computer Inc.

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IF YOU CANNOT FIND A WRITER FOR THIS PROJECT I MUST BE NOTIFIED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY MORNING!!!!. NOT SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. I HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SERVICE AND I'M ONLY USING IT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE...SO PLEASE GIVE ME THIS COURTESY.
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You have a choice to use either an existing company or a fictitious company. In either case, the Project is to complete a written plan that will suggest a practical Strategic Direction for the company.

The Plan will have 6 sections. The 6 sections will reflect each of the 6 TCOs. Each section will be 1 - 2 pages in standard business proposal format.

The sections are:

1. Strategy (TCO A) -Given an organizational and industry context, identify and suggest a strategy to facilitate the success of a technologically driven organization.

2. Core Competencies (TCO B)- Given an organizational and industry context, identify the core technological competencies of the organization.

3. Key external and internal forces (TCO C)- Given a company situation be able to describe the key external and internal forces that influence an effective technology strategy.

4. Technology Sourcing and Internal Innovation (TCO D) - Given an organizational context, develop a plan to increase the innovative capabilities of the organization both through technological sourcing and internal innovation.

5. Product Development Strategy (TCO E) - Given information about a company?s industry and organization, evaluate its new product development strategy and make recommendations for improvement.

6. Strategy to stimulate strategic renewal (TCO F)- Given an organizational and industry context, identify and suggest a strategy to stimulate strategic renewal.

Skills for Online Learning

An online masters program often requires students to adapt their previously "tried and true" strategies for planning, time management, studying, and technology use to strategies more in line with the realities of an environment in which learning activities take place around the clock.

This Discussion will give you an opportunity to assess your own strategies for effective online learning and to develop and share new ideas with your colleagues. Through your Discussion, look for ideas, strategies, and suggestions that will enhance your online experience and your ability to succeed in the online environment.

To prepare for this Discussion, review relevant course media content and the Walden e-Guide.

Post by Day 4 a response to the following:

Describe at least one new strategy for each of the following areas, explaining why you think each will contribute to your success as an online learner:

? Planning
? Time management
? Studying
? Effective technology use

Share one strategy from the above list that you have used in the past and that has empowered you to be more successful. Describe the strategy and explain how it has been helpful.

You are to write a 1-page summary of the article below. *Do Not Use Outside Sources.*

Adult Literacy: Eunice Askov
The National Education Goals Panel 1994 stated that, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights responsibilities of citizenship. Although this goal was to be achieved in the United States by the year 2000, it has, unfortunately, become only political rhetoric and not reality. While many explanations for the situation could be explored, the purpose of this chapter is to focus specifically on two major issues related to adult literacy namely: assessment and evaluation of literacy, and recruitment and retention of adult learners in programs. These issues are particularly problematic given the trends toward greater accountability using quantitative measures in the conceptualization of literacy as workforce development. Exploration of these two issues may also assist in understanding why this national education goal was not reached. It is the authors view as well as the constructivists approach to adult literacy education would help to address the central issues in literacy practice.
The Problem of Definition
First, however, the definition of literacy should be explored as a basis for discussion of the two issues. The National Literacy Act of 1991 defines literacy as: an individuals ability to read, write, and speaking in English, and compute and also solve problems at the levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve ones goal, in developed once knowledge and potential. This definition was based on an earlier, similar definition formulated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress 1986 panel of experts that led to a nationwide evaluation of the literacy abilities of young adults. This definition should be viewed, however, within historical context of an evolving concept of literacy that over time has moved from a school base model driven by the assumption that literacy for adults can be equated with that for children to a functional set of skills, or competencies to be mastered, to the more recent social and cultural notion of multiple literacies (see Merrifield, 1998, and the discussion that follows on the constructivist and social and cultural views of learning).
Nonetheless, consensus about what it means to be literate has never been entirely reached. The statement of Merriam and Cunningham, 1989 that the criteria for being literate remains elusive is as true today as a decade ago. According to Mikulecky 1987, cited in Taylors chapter on adult literacy 1989 It is unlikely that anyone will arrive at an acceptable level or criterion allowing one to accurately and usually state the number of illiterates. Some for example, Taylor and Dorsey-Gaines 1988 argue that any attempt to define literacy in this way is a political actthat literacy is not an entity, such as a predetermined set of skills or knowledge, that one either has or does not have. Similarly, Lankshear and OConnor 1999 argued that literacy is not a commodity but that literacy is practice the practice(s) people engage within routines of daily life. The author of this chapter shares this view as will become evident.
The efforts on the part of education establishment to define literacy overtime has shown a consistent propensity to take a positivists approach toward the issue. In other words, they demonstrate an underlying assumption that there are identifiable minimum skills that everyone needs to function in our society, which the skills can be measured by objective, mostly paper and pencil test, and that their acquisition equates with such objectives as, for example, the ability to compete in a global economy. There is an even more alarming tendency in the literacy feel today, however, that is created by the funding process for program development the monolithic purpose for adult literacy program seems to be job acquisition. Others stated objectives such as achieving ones goal and developing ones knowledge and potential are largely been ignored. Another way to view this issue, to which these authors subscribes, is based on a constructivists worldview that defines literacy as those skills, knowledge, and practices that are needed to function successfully in the society of couture in which the individual is situated or desires ( and has potential) to be situated. This definition implies significant variations among individuals and forces on providing adults the skills, knowledge, and practices that they find most useful for their lives. It also questions stereotypical views on what a person of a particular race, gender, class can do. This position implies taking a critical stance toward the status quo in the field of literacy today and may run counter to the current expectations of funding agencies.
Assessment and Evaluation of Literacy
How literacy is assessed (and illiterates counted) actually indicates how it is being defined. Traditionally, adult education followed a school base model of literacy in which literacy achievement was assessed and reported in terms of grade levels even though these are clearly inappropriate for adults. In fact, standardized test yielding grade level scores have been adult versions of commonly used standardized achievement test for children. Although there is disagreements in the field as to the extent or degree of the difference between children and adults as learners, clearly the more considerable amount and variation of experience that adults have acquired differentiate them sufficiently to make upgraded version of standardized achievement test for children inappropriate.
Student Assessment Models
Building on some early assessment models, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress 1986, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) defined literacy as using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve ones goals and to develop ones knowledge and potential ( Kirsch, Jungerblut, Jenkins, and Kolstad, 1993). Accordingly, the national assessment of adult literacy survey assessed literacy by analyzing the task and skills that compromise literacy behavior in the prose, qualitative, and document domains. The assumption is that skills and competencies that are assessed and mastered in one context are transferable to other context. (The rest of the commonly taught literacy skills, such as writing and speaking, were ignored possibly because they did not get their definition of literacy and/or because they could not be easily measured.) Then national assessment of the three domains were created to measure mastery of those skills on five levels with Level 3 being considered necessary to function in todays society and workplace. The national assessment of adult literacy set a trend in the assessment of literacy skills not only in United States but also internationally. The international adult literacy survey (IALS) (Organization for economic Co-operation and development {OECD}), and statistics Canada, 1995, which is the international version of national assessment of adult literacy survey, was administered in six countries (in addition to the US data from the national assessment of adult literacy survey) to provide comparative data on the mastery of literacy skills. An updated version from the same source 1997 adds a data from five additional OECD countries. Furthermore, the national assessment of adult literacy survey data have also been statistically manipulated with the U.S. Census data to provide synthetic estimates of the number of adults at each level (national Institute for literacy, 1998) in a leadership attempt to raise consciousness about literacy problems in local areas. While the national assessment of adult literacy survey definition of literacy is not yet universal, the fact that the GED testing services raised the passing score on the GED to correspond to the Level 3 of the national assessment of adult literacy survey may lead to its becoming eve more prevalent as a measure of literacy. Another national assessment of adult literacy survey administration in the United States is planned for early in this century to assess progress toward universal literacy as defined by the national assessment of adult literacy survey, which may further confirm its de facto definition of literacy. On the other hand, instead of analyzing the functional skills and task comprising literacy activities, as the national of adult literacy survey did, the national Institute of literacy (NIFL) launched a model called equipped for the future: a customer driven vision for adult literacy and lifelong learning(EFF) Stein 1995, that relied on participants perceptions of the skills needed to be a literate person. The model is based upon the responses of 1500 adult learners who responded in writing to the national education goals panel directive for adult literacy by stating what it meant to them. From the ethnographic analysis of these essays, for purposes of literacy in short options war identify, including use of literacy to gain information (access), to express oneself (voice), to take independent action, and to enable one to enter further education, training, and so on (bridge to the future). The analysis also identified three major roles for adults, as workers, family member, and citizen. EFF has forced on identifying the competencies for success in each world through role maps. Generative skills that cut across these roles -- communication, interpersonal, decision-making, and lifelong skills -- have also been identified in the process of development. This model is claimed to provide aid programmatic structure for comprehensive programs that no longer embrace a reproductive of the K-12 model of adult education with grade levels being the reporting framework for achievement. Attempts are being made through grants competitions from NIFL to involve the diversity of adult learners and providers in the process of consensus building. Assessment of literacy in this model is not definitive at this time although some type of competency assessment seems likely. Perhaps EFF, with its three identified rules for adults, will fare well in the environment of the new legislation that emphasizes literacy for work, family, and citizenship. The crucial issue is how progress and competency in each of these roles will be measured. Will the standards of commercial testing be applied, as suggested in the legislation, or will other means of demonstrating learning? Currently, no single assessment for measure seem to ride adequate information for all stakeholders (Askov, Van Horn, and Carman, 1997).
Program Evaluation
One of the major difficulties in adult literacy program is demonstrating student progress. What is the best measure of progress and impact? The adult education and family literacy act 1998 in the United States include the following as indicators of performance: (1) demonstrated improvements in literacy skills in reading, writing, and speaking the English language, numeracy, problem-solving, English language acquisition, and other literacy skills; (2) placement in, retention in, or completion of postsecondary education, training, unsubsidized employment or career advancement; (3) receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equipment. The difficulties still remain in how to access these indicators, especially the first one. Politicians, assuming that adult education programs are supposed to prepare students for work, demand to know how many students have found productive employment. Students and instructors, on the other hand, want to know if students have met their own goals (regardless of whether these goals relate to work.) Students also want to see their own accomplishments through portfolios that demonstrate learning through students careful selected work samples from class (Hayes, 1997). However, program managers, who may be mandated by their funding agencies, often requires standardized testing as a seemingly objective measure of progress although the test scores usually do not indicate program impact and outcomes for students lives (Askov, 1993). In some states, such as California, were up adult education programs serve almost solely English as a second language (ESL) learner, there is a special need to address the issue that standardized tests are inappropriate for ESL learners (Guth & Wrigley, 1992). Unfortunately, it is difficult to find persuasive evidence of broad impact on adult learners and growth of skills and knowledge. According to both a recent program evaluation (Development Associates, 1994) and a study by the General accounting office 1995, evaluating the performance and quality of adult education program is highly problematic because of recurrent problems in collecting and analyzing information about program activities and because of high student dropout rates. The diversity of both Lerner and program goals is a major challenge to the program accountability. At the same time, several recent, large-scale, evaluation studies have failed to find significant overall impact of adult education or assessed literacy abilities, in either the educational component of welfare to work program in California (Martinson & Friedlander, 1994) or in adult literacy gains in the evaluation of the national Even Start Program that provides literacy instruction to children and their parents (St. Pierre, and Associates, 1993). Although further analysis of the national education of adult education programs (Fitzgerald and Young, 1997) identify some marginally significant gains in literacy test scores, the very high rate of attrition of participants and that longitudinal study, coupled with other data problems, makes be resulting slight increase tenuous at best (for example, they determined that persistence and adult education programs contributed significantly to reading achievement only in English as a second language ESL programs; negative persistence effects were are observed for adult basic education classrooms and labs.) Stitch and Armstrong's 1994 review of adult literacy learning gains also generally did not find convincing evidence of more than very modest effects of program participation of adult literacy development. Beder 1999 analyzed 23 of 89 identify impact studies, considering only the most valid and reliable studies and performing a case study of each. Then he performed a qualitative meta-analysis of these case studies, giving sure were studies more weight in the analysis of impact. The most common limitation of all studies was the large attrition of the learners between pre-and post testing. Another limitation was the variable length of time for instruction between pre-and post testing. The most serious problem, according to Beder, may have been the lack of testing validity since the test did not seem to measure what was being taught. These factors have made it increasingly difficult for the field to justify the importance of providing adult education services at public expense.
Student Recruitment and Retention
Students lack of motivation to attend and stay in adult education programs has been identified as a major research agenda item at the federally funded national center for the study of adult learning and literacy at Harvard University. The high attrition rate in programs can be attributed to various factors. In spite of all that has been written about making programs relevant to the needs of adult learners, many programs still offer canned instruction in the form of workbooks and/or computer programs that are not geared to individual needs. While adults may site childcare or transportation problems with a dropout -- and most do not hold multiple jobs with extensive demands upon their time -- many adults may leave because they do not receive what they came to the program to learn. Many adults also stop out, coming into and going from programs as their needs change. However, more subtle reasons may also exist. Cyphert 1998, and analyzing the discourse of blue-collar workers at a protection site, concluded tha they are part of an oral culture that many have simply rejected the social, epistemological, and communicative presumptions of a literate rhetorical community. Furthermore, Cyphert nodes that individual pursuits of academic achievement may disrupt personal relationships and mutual dependencies that have become functional and comfortable over the years. Adults may find fulfillment of their social responsibilities to their families and workplace more satisfying than individual achievement and empowerment. Literacy educators, in turn, may become first-rate it went student dropout just when they began to achieve success. Teachers may not understand the cohesiveness and security of the oral culture that they are not likely to comprehend or value. Furthermore, literacy educators are probably not aware of the on equal power distribution in the teachers to the relationship. Sometimes in the political rhetoric the student is betrayed as a victim of poverty, racial termination, or inadequate schooling, with the adult educator (or volunteers tutor) seen as a savior (Quigley, 1997). Students may reject this tactic and on equal power relationship. They may, furthermore, not feel comfortable the ethnic, racial, economic, and cultural differences between the teacher or tutor (often a white female) and student (often a member of a minority group). School, even an adult education setting, may also bring back memories of frustration and failure associated with K-12 education. All these factors contribute to high student attrition. On the other hand, instructional programs that truly value students cultures, and create situations in which equality between teacher and student is achieved through exchanging talents and skills, are more successful (Fingeret, 1983).
Impact of Program Purposes on Recruitment and Retention
in the United States, title II also called the adult education and family literacy act -- of the workforce investment partnership act of 1998 defines the purpose of the act, and therefore the purpose of adult education programs that can be offered with public funding, to: (1) assist adults to become literate and obtained the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency; (2) a Cisco adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children; and (3) assess adults in the completion of a secondary school education. Since the mid-1961 adult literacy programs were first legislated and funded, a tension has existed among the stakeholders about the purpose of adult education programs. The political rationale and the company rhetoric have been that the programs enables low-literate people become productive members of society. To justify funding, the numbers of people who do not hold a high school certificate is usually cited based on the assumption that a high school certificate is a basic requirement for employability and productivity in the workplace. More recently, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy Survey findings (Kirsch, Jungerblut, Jenkins, and Kolstad, 1993) have been sided with its alarming statistics with approximately half the adult population functions in at a plea for the modern high-performance workplace. Once funding has been secured, however, attention is usually turned to the concern for recruiting and retaining students. The program may be marketed to the consumer (that is, adult students) as meeting their needs rather than using the political rhetoric described above. However, many programs seem to have a revolving door in which students enter for a few sessions and then leave. Some for example, Askov 1991 have chewed it this problem with retention to inched option that has been designed on the K-12 model of six grade level expectations carried over to adult education without consideration of individual needs. In this paradigm, adult education is construed to be part of the formal education system instead of the non-formal education been you that emphasizes meeting the needs up individual participants. An alternative through the K-12 formal education model is the non-formal educational approach that makes education reveling to the immediate needs of the adult students. The role of the teacher is the model is to find out what adult need and deliver that in customized instruction. The assumption is that teachers are well-trained and capable of doing this. However, Wagner and Venezky 1999 point out that ... there exist remarkably few practical diagnostics instruments for use in adult literacy program, leaving instructors without sufficient information for tailoring instruction. Furthermore, the 1998 US law states that one condition of the program funding is whether the activities provide learning in real-life contexts to ensure that an individual has the skills needed to compete in the workplace and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Despite the reference to real-life contexts and the skills required for citizenship, the spirit of the law seems to be on changing individuals to fit the needs of society, especially the need of the economic system for reproductive workers. Rapid technological advances and global competition have only served to increase the national obsession with productivity. The assumption is that what is good for business and industry is good for society and for individuals. This issue can be examined within the broad framework of the sociology of knowledge. Rubensen 1989 discussed to approaches relevant to adult education: the conflict paradigm and the consensus paradigm. The conflict paradigm, Jarvis 1985 calls the sociology of social action, aims to redress social inequalities and make society more egalitarian. Historically, before federal funding became so Dominick, adult literacy programs were developed mostly as social action programs with the goal of improving the lives of individuals through increased literacy skills and resulting empowerment. Even today, the adult education literature is replete with stories illustrating the quest for self-actualization of students (Demetrion, 1998), as a core value of adult literacy programs. Alternatively, the consensus paradigm favors an education system that differentiates the preparation of leaders from that of workers, which it argues supports a stable and prosperous economic and social status quo. Such are seen as agencies of socialization whose role is the allocation of manpower to of appropriate positions (Rubensen 1989). Publicly funded adult literacy programs that fall the letter and spirit of the law tend to operate within the consensus paradigm, especially in the context of the welfare reform act 1996. Funds are drying up in the United States for general community education and literacy programs as well as for popular education (Freire, 1973) or liberatory literacy (Quigley, 1997) and are flowing instead into the arena of work force preparation by delivering welfare to work programs. As this happened, the voluntary nature of adult literacy program changes as participants must attend the job training and literacy program in order to maintain welfare benefits. The function of adult education in this paradigm is to provide only the knowledge and skills required for employability -- to perform one's role for the good of society according to Rubenson 1989. Job placement is carried out as rapidly as possible -- regardless of whether or not the individual has sufficient literacy skills to maintain an advance in the job -- for the vast majority of literacy students this means for minimum wage, entry-level jobs. The sole value of a high school certificate now seems to be as the minimum credential required to make the person employable. The current system of literacy ensure option the United States is based on a deficit model. Rather than viewing adult learners as competent in other aspects of their lives, as urged by Fingeret 1983, they are usually viewed by policymakers as deficient. Adult literacy programs are being directed by federal funding to try o fix those who are perceived to be a drag on society those who'll par unemployable, under employed, or incarcerated -- supposedly due to their low basic skills. It is not surprising that the adult learners themselves are not eager to enter programs that perceive them in this way (Beder and Valentine, 1990).
Constructivist and Social and Cultural Views of Learning
The evolution of models of literacy training has been paralleled by an evolution in learning theories. Bredo 1997 discusses evolution, identifying two major schools of thought that have dominated learning theory in this country for most of the century: behaviorism and cognitivism. These two periods aligned with the double thrust of the consensus paradigm mentioned earlier, towards an education for workers (behaviorist) and one for leaders (cognitive), the former being taught to behave without thinking, the latter to think without any resulting Praxis or action. Learning theory has also historically had a strong individualistic bias, being under the purview of the discipline of psychology. A third approach has emerged more recently, combining behavioral and comets of learning theories with theories from sociology and anthropology and cultural studies. The synthesis yields a view of that learning is socially constructed as situated in specific context. One of the tenets of what has become known as situated learning theory is transactionalism or transactional contextualism, a view of that learning occurs in collaboration with others in the particular social world in which they find themselves (Bruner, 1990). Bounous 1996 has shown that non-formal education programs in which both teachers and students learn cooperatively can be built on the assumption that knowledge is socially constructed. Literacy contents of skills cannot be taught in isolation from the learners knowledge and experiences and from applications and action. Learners construct new knowledge and skills through interacting with others and the environment and by reflecting upon these experiences. Learners that closely resembled the real world of the participants occur as a social process involving others. Learners, with teachers, can co-create the curriculum and construct their own knowledge. In this model thinking and learning are fundamentally dependent for their proper functioning on the immediate situation of action (Bounous 1996). Also called the practice engagement theory (Reder, 1994), participants learn through social situations in which literacy is encountered and practice. They learn literacy practices through real-world knowledge and experiences, or simulations thereof, in which the skills must be applied, including interactions with others. From these activities learners construct meaning socially, not as isolated individuals, as a value laden process (Street, 1995). Teachers encouraged learners to become active readers by identifying and using their own background knowledge and experience and by negotiating and creating meaning before, during, and after reading. Constructivist learning, including the concept of situated learning, thus has great relevance to adult literacy programs, and the author's view. Teachers, with learners, can design instruction to meet the learners needs, interests, background knowledge, and skills. In fact, literacy activities become meaningful to the extent that they are needed in interactions with others and with the content to be learned. Common knowledge and experience of the participants are the basis for the literacy curriculum. In a family literacy classroom, for example, the common content could be the family concerns related to parenting decisions; in a workplace literacy setting it could be around be issues applicable in the workplace or needed for the job. Teachers can also encourage critical reflection (Shor, 1987) through questioning and discussion, a process that can lead to transfer from the classrooms with the learners daily lives. Teachers efforts, furthermore, can encourage transform of learning by explicitly teaching for transfer and offering practice in simulated or real world situation with others. For example, Taylor's 1998 comprehensive manual on the transfer of learning and workplace education programs in Canada describe strategies and provides case studies of transfer of learning. In other concept is also relevant to adult learning -- that of metacognition, learning how to learn or thinking about thinking (Baker and Brown, 1984). Metacognitive process provides the learning strategies that provide guidance when an immediate solution is not apparent. It includes both the knowledge about and the control of thinking behaviors and processes. For example, experience readers know and use strategies, such as using text structure, to better understand and remember information and complex reading materials (Paris, Wasik, and Turner, 1991). Metacognition also enables learners to monitor their own comprehension and self correct as necessary.
Recruitment and Retention from a Constructivist Perspective
One could expect a situated literacy learning model to have a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of students. As students become codesigner of instruction with the teacher, they become more engaged in the learning. The instructional implication for teachers is that they are no longer the authority figure but the facilitator and codesigner of learning experiences. The difficulty lies in assessment of it is be carried out by standardized tests that do not measure this type of learning. On the other hand, qualitative measures, such as student before meals, interviews, and observations, are appropriate for assessment and program evaluation in this learning environment. The challenge, then, is to implement the situated and constructivist instructional approach that foster maximum learning within the political agenda associated with the workforce investment partnership act of 19 that will determine how funding will be allocated to programs. What will be the instructor's reactions to the demands for greater accountability? Will they allocate the time required for the constructivist learning model, or will the temptation be to teach to the test in an attempt to produce gains that will assure the continued flow of funding? If they do the latter, will retention continue to be problematic? Will students really learn the content in such a way that they can use it in the everyday lives? Furthermore, the constructivist learning model may also conflict or complement, depending on implementations, with the national movement to towards skill standards for the workplace (National Skill Standard Act of 1994). If injection is designed around skill standards that relate to the learners knowledge and experiences, and if learners are encouraged work together in active learning and critical reflection to achieve the skill standard requirements, been learning can become relevant through the definitions provided in skill standards (Askov, 1996). On the other hand, if the skill standards are perceived as rigid standards of attainment that are taught with canned materials that do not engage the learners, then the constructivist learning environment will thrive, and learners may dropout programs.
Other Factors Affecting Recruitment and Retention
Technology is becoming increasingly important for the use with adult students as well as with instructors. The use of technology promises to enhance recruitment efforts and encourage retention in adult literacy program since learners often perceived the use of computers to be the modern way to learn. The fact that technology is driving the mole toward economic globalization and other societal changes (Bollier, 1998) makes the use of computers and other technologies even more important in adult literacy programs. Not only does it have enormous implications for literacy instruction but also for assessment (Wagner and Venezky, 1999). One result of the pervasiveness of technological innovations in society is the increasing availability of computers n the classroom. In fact, adult learners as well as their employers often view computer literacy as one of the basic skills needed to function in society. Technology use, however, does not guarantee effectiveness or student motivation. It constructivist learning model, however, can make technology very effective. Technology should be used in problem posing through simulation and microworlds that challenge adults with real-world problems that demand their application of basic skills (Askov, Bixler, 1998). Situational television programs, such as Crossroad Caf and TV 411, likewise provide real world context for learning literacy skills. Computer word-processing programs can also be effective as students improve their writing and reading skills to communications with others. A more sophisticated application of this same process is through the mail and interactive use of the Internet. In spite of extensive efforts to train staff, professional development remains a difficult in applying technology to instruction, however. Inch doctors are sometimes hesitant to relinquish control of instruction and let learners create their own learning environment (Askov and Bixler, 1998). Furthermore, the software is sometimes difficult to locate. Family literacy may also provide motivation for adult students to participate in adult literacy program. Now made officially part of the adult education act, and the retitling of the act as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 1988, family literacy is considered integral to adult education. The goal of the program is to improve parents literacy so they can help improve their children's literacy. The underlining assumption is that the intergenerational transfer of cognitive abilities in strong and that by improving parents literacy the children also benefits educationally (Stitch, McDonald, and Beeler, 1992). While several models for family literacy programs exist, many programs follow the model established by the national Center for family literacy. That model offers separate instructional program for adults and children, as well as time for parents and children to interact together -- time in which parents implement what they have been learning about parenting. Some researchers expressed concern that the program can lead to the imposition of middle-class values those of the teachers on to participants (Auerbach, 1989). Care should be taken that literacy activities that the parents are to implement with their children are consistent with, and enhance, the culture of the participants. Finally, recruitment and retention issues cannot be successfully address without that are trained inch doctors. Professional development is also being re-conceptualized in a constructivist view of learning (Floden, Goertz, and ODay, 1995). In this model, not only are students considered to be active learners, but so are their teachers who are also active adult learners, not passive recipients of knowledge that is doled out by an expert. As active learners they must make the new learning their own in order to incorporate that knowledge into practice. Bingman and Bells resource book for participatory staff development 1995, for example, follows this view. Furthermore, educators are not considered to be isolated individuals but as part of various networks that they can move in an alcove, depending on their changing levels of knowledge, interest, and needs. Building the capacity of these networks becomes important as they support the programs and individuals who work in various roles in the program. Instructors are also benefiting from participation in e-mail listservers on a variety of topics such as family literacy, workplace literacy, literacy and health, ES adult literacy, and adult literacy policy, all of which are supported by NIFL. With the field is becoming more professionalized through these efforts, the new legislation's emphasis on program quality will mandate greater accountability and professionalization then has been typical in the past. Service providers will either have to train their staff to meet these expectations or loose funding sources that were previously held.

Vision for the Future
The voices of all stakeholders and adult literacy programs need to be heard. Presently, the least heard a voice is that of the direct consumer, the adult learner, although some recent efforts are underway with focus groups of adult learners. If programs do not serve the needs, retention could continue to be a major problem. The new reader groups, Fortune, have been developing concurrently with the customer driven model for literacy and structure (EFF) promoted by the NIFL. Program alumni have been active in testifying before Congress as well as locally before funding agencies. They have assisted in recruitment efforts and attempted to make programs more responsive to adult learners. The small grass-roots movements have been supported largely by two national volunteer literacy organizations (Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America) as well as the NIFL. While a doubt education should be viewed as a right, not as a stigmatized second chance program for those who have filled or dropped out from our school system, at the present time lifelong learning is only being given the service. Even those with high school certificates and college degrees and need additional education in the pursuit of lifelong learning in response to change society workplace (McCain and Pantazis, 1997). Some adults may not be able to assess their future education without basic skills instruction. Policymakers should broaden the concept of adult literacy programs to serve adults in all their basic educational needs infrastructure this learning environments. Many questions still need to be answered by research. Most of the funding for research has been centralized and the federal government of the United States and Canada (for example, in the US, most of the current research funding resides with NCSALL). View in symptoms for research in this feel are present to involved universities and researchers that are not part of the centralized federal funding. While a national agenda for research and development in the US has been derived from researchers and practitioners involvement (national clearinghouse for ESL literacy education, 1998; national Institute for literacy, 1998), many researchable questions remain and little support exists for answering them. Finally adult education program should not have to justify their existence solely in terms of preparing people for the workplace. Literacy program should be responsible for demonstrating gains in learning, but not in showing workplace employment impact. Literacy skills for community involvement as well as individual and family development should be considered just as important as insurance and progression in the workplace. Practitioners and researchers, as well as learners, who share similar views, must become politically active to make their voices heard. However, the workforce investment partnership act of 1998 has set the stage for the next decade and the US. It is now up to researchers to study the impact of legislation in an attempt to influence policy, and it is up to educators to provide as high a quality of basic education services as possible for adult learners in need within that framework.

TECHNOLOGY PROPOSAL

A vendor upgrade: from Ex Libris Voyager to Ex Libris Alma
for an Academic Library

A written technology proposal for the adoption of a specific library system, technology, or technology enhancement. The technology should be targeted to a specific library system, either a real system such as the students employer, or a well-defined but hypothetical library system. If the library system exists, please include a complete citation to the librarys website.

The proposal should include as minimum elements:
1) A detailed explanation of the different users of the library system, including different departments, different collections, different user groups and demographics;
2) A complete explanation of the technology upgrade under question (including citations to the technology vendor as appropriate, peer reviews of the technology in all available published literature online and in print, and comparisons to other live instances of the application if possible), and
3) A clear analysis of the benefits and costs of the technological change for the specific users or this library system.

Write from the position of a lower-level library administrator, clearly explaining to the decision-makers: the Board, the Trustees, the Partners, the University, etc., why this particular technology is important to the specific needs of this library system and its users. Do NOT merely give a vendors perspective but rather critically address both the benefits and costs.

Examples of technologies possible could include: a different ILS vendor or a vendor upgrade; a shift to open-source, virtual reference services, wireless or mobile technologies; adaptation of social media or other emerging technologies including linked data or cloud computing; adoption of a new cataloging standard such as FRBR, etc. The possibilities are wide.

Technology provides opportunities for nursing students to engage in learning situations that previously required direct patient contact. Often students are not ready to make the critical decisions that are necessary once they are in the clinical setting because they have not had the experiences and practice prior to that time. Simulations and multimedia can provide opportunities for students to practice. As a nursing faculty member, you need to understand how to develop effective simulations and multimedia presentations that engage learners in interactive learning.

In this task, you will design two different technology-based interactive learning experiences in nursing. The first will be a simulation. This can be a virtual simulation or a case simulation that would be used with a simulation mannequin, such as Sim Man, which will include a case scenario and directions for how the technology expert should set up the mannequin. The second learning experience you will design is an interactive multimedia presentation.

Task:

A. Design a plan for an electronic simulation that will help teach nursing students a skill they will use in the clinical setting by doing the following:
1. Explain the topic or concept for the simulation (suggested length of 1/2 page).
2. Develop at least three learning outcomes that you will measure when the student engages in the simulation.
3. Develop a storyboard that shows how the simulation should appear when it is developed by a technology expert (suggested length of 10 frames).
4. Describe what the student will do in the simulation (suggested length of 1??"2 pages).

B. Design a plan for a multimedia presentation to teach a topic in nursing by doing the following:
1. Explain the topic or concept to be taught through the presentation (suggested length of 1/2 page).
2. Develop at least three learning objectives that will be represented in the presentation.
3. Develop a storyboard for the multimedia presentation (suggested length of 5 frames).
4. Describe how you will make the presentation interactive (suggested length of 1??"2 pages).

C. If you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.

Note: Please save word-processing documents as *.rtf (Rich Text Format) or *.pdf (Portable Document Format) files.

Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the attached Rubric Terms.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in a paper or project, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the paper or project.

Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the General Instructions section.
Customer is requesting that (rbwpenn) completes this order.

Technology and Management Functions Paper

Based on experience in the workplace, give examples of how management at a company expects technology to improve business. Discuss how a companys current technology is meeting or not meeting business needs.

Resource: Regan, Elizabeth A. & O'Connor, Bridget N. (2002). End-suer information systems: Implementing individual and work group technologies. (2nd ed.) New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANTS

Technology Consultants is a company started by a computer science professor. Five years ago, the professor hired three graduate students and began offering computer and technology services to local companies. The company grew rapidly and currently employs 30 consulting specialists. The typical specialist recently graduated from college with a degree in information management or computer science. Each specialist is assigned to work as part of a team that focuses on servicing the needs of specific customers. To date, Technology Consultants has not felt a need to formalize personnel practices. The professor spends most of his time hiring and training new consulting specialists. He also has a part-time administrative assistant who helps with personnel activities such as payroll.

Some customers complain about the high turnover of consulting specialists. It seems that most consultants leave within a year after being hired. From the customers perspective, specialists leave just when they are beginning to understand how to provide quality service. The professor knows this is a problem, and she worries that such turnover may eventually lead customers to cancel their contracts for service. In the past, she and a few key employees were able to form long-term relationships with most clients, but this is becoming increasingly difficult as the company grows.

Technology Consultants recruits at two local universities. This practice seems to be effective, as most graduates from the programs have the technological skills needed to serve clients. The hiring process consists of a series of interviews. The professor and two other employees conducts informational interviews and then offer jobs to individuals they feel will be successful. They dont worry much about personality traits or past achievements; they simply focus on assessing technical skills. The performance of each consulting specialist is measured against the performance of peers, and only a few to employees receive the highest ratings. Since most employees are expected to possess the technological skills they need when they are hired, Technology Consultants does not offer opportunities for training and development.
Compensation has been a difficult issue for the companys founder. She wants to encourage teamwork, so she has chosen to structure pay so that most employees receive similar wages. She doesnt want to have some employees earning a lot more than others. New hires are paid approximately the same as other consulting specialists. So far, the company has found it difficult to offer employee benefits. The professor feels that the cost of the benefits is too high.

Using the about case, answer the following 3 questions.

1. Which human resource practices would you recommend that Technology Consultants change? Why?
2. How well do the companys human resources practices align with one another?
3. How would you approach human resource management if you were starting a company like Technology Consultants

Technology can provide an advantage to government and private agencies in their plans and capabilities to cope with the effects of a manmade or natural disaster. Technology also may help a terrorist inflict damage on an intended target. Compare and contrast the effects of technology on government and private agency ability to prevent and react to current manmade and natural disasters. Provide your analysis in a research paper of 1800 to 2500 words. Include at least 3 peer reviewed journals articles located through outside research.

Technology and Organizational Behavior in the Future Paper

Write a 1,400- to 2,100-word paper assessing technology?s future effect on the workplace.

Select an industry with which you are familiar.

Predict how future technology will inform, support, and potentially hinder productivity, culture, and work satisfaction within an organization in the industry (i.e., choose one specific company).
? The focus should be on the impacts the future technology will have on the employees in the organization.

Use current organizational behavior and leadership models with which you are familiar to support your predictions. Do not review the leadership models. Use the models to show how technology will impact the organization using these models as frameworks (or ?lenses?) to aid in the interpretation.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines

Technology Research Paper-write a 3 page paper addressing the issues surrounding the use of technology in the classroom.

* Above I have written my instructions. Please write this paper surrounding issues os technology in the elementary classroom. Thanks!

Effective strategies for intergrating use of technology into a K-2(Elementary)curriculum

Should include these sections:
a.Review current models of integrating technology into K-2 curricula
b.Specific examples of exemplary models of K-2 technology integration
c.Overview of ethical technology use (examples, definitions, etc.)
d.Describe and create a "best practices" model that best fits a first grade classroom
e.Justification and/or support for the "best practices" model

Effective Communication

Research Project Instructions

Each student will individually write a research paper of 7 full pages on a management topic approved by the professor. The topic should be unique to the topics we cover in class and have a management focus.

The Project is due by midnight (EST) on Wednesday of Week 7.

Paper Requirements:
The paper must be written using APA format and include a title page and an abstract. (See APA sample paper.)
o Title page is not numbered. All other pages are numbered using Arabic numbering.
A minimum of SEVEN full pages, double-spaced, on 8 x 11 paper. A maximum of EIGHT full pages.
Must be submitted as a Word document (.doc).
o Headers must include short title and pagination (Use Word header function to insert header. Use Insert/Page numbers to suppress pagination on title page). No other header is required.
1" margins (right, left, top, bottom)
Do not use bullets or listing anywhere in the paper.
Must be written in 3rd person.
12 font size
New Times Roman or Times Roman are the only acceptable fonts
The body of the paper is left justified only
Paragraphs indented 5 spaces
Any charts, pictures, ect. must be put in an appendix, and do not count toward the minimum number of pages
Show block quotations of more than 40 words:
o Single-spaced with double space separating quotes.
o Indented 5 spaces from left-hand margin
o No quotation marks
References
Reference Section
o Double space between references

These 2 instruction are very important:

A minimum of 5 different references must be used. Three of these references must be from peer-reviewed professional journals or books and must be from the past THREE years. (Example LexisNexis/Ebsot) The remaining references must be obtained from professional journals. Textbooks cannot be utilized as a reference.
o As a research paper, students must utilize and properly cite references within the text of the paper; without such references the paper is merely an opinion.

Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management

In this assignment, you will be writing a 1,000-1,250-word essay describing the differing approaches of nursing leaders and managers to issues in practice. To complete this assignment, do the following:

1) Select an issue from among those listed below: Selected as below per the instructor:

a) Nursing shortage and nurse turn-over

2) Compare and contrast how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings.

3) Identify the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing and explain why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style.

4) Use at least two references other than your text and those provided in the course.

5) Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

6) This assignment uses a grading rubric that can be viewed at the assignment's drop box. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.
The grading rubric is provided as below:

Criteria Achievement Level
Unsatisfactory
(0-71%) Less than Satisfactory
(72-75%) Satisfactory
(76-83%) Good
(84-94%) Excellent
(95-100%)
Compare and contrast how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue. Support your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills, and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings. 4.26 points
The comparison and contrast of how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue is not provided. 4.5 points
The comparison and contrast of how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue is provided; however, relevant information is missing, such as not providing support for your rationale by using the theories, principles, skills and roles of the leader versus manager described in your readings, or not providing at least two references beyond your text. 4.98 points
The comparison and contrast of how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue is provided and meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated by the assignment instructions. 5.64 points
The comparison and contrast of how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue meets all criteria for the assignment, and is provided in detail. 6 points
The comparison and contrast of how you would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach your selected issue meets all criteria for the assignment, is provided in detail. Higher level thinking is demonstrated by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.
Identify the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing and explain why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style. 4.26 points
The identification of the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing is not provided. 4.5 points
The identification of the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing is provided; however, relevant information is missing, such as an explanation to why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style. 4.98 points
The identification of the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing is provided and meets the basic criteria for the assignment. 5.64 points
The identification of the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing, along with an explanation to why the approach is suited to your personal leadership style, is provided in detail. 6 points
The identification of the approach that best fits your personal and professional philosophy of nursing meets all criteria for the assignment, and is provided in detail. Higher level thinking is demonstrated by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought.
Thesis Development and Purpose


0.53 points
Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.

0.56 points
Thesis and/or main claim are insufficiently developed and/or vague; purpose is not clear. 0.62 points
Thesis and/or main claim are apparent and appropriate to purpose. 0.71 points
Thesis and/or main claim are clear and forecast the development of the pap. It is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose. 0.75 points
Thesis and/or main claim are comprehensive; contained within the thesis is the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.
Paragraph Development and Transitions

0.53 points
Paragraphs and transitions consistently lack unity and coherence. No apparent connections between paragraphs are established. Transitions are inappropriate to purpose and scope. Organization is disjointed. . 0.56 points
Some paragraphs and transitions may lack logical progression of ideas, unity, coherence, and/or cohesiveness. Some degree of organization is evident. 0.62 points
Paragraphs are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization and/or in their relationships to each other. 0.71 points
A logical progression of ideas between paragraphs is apparent. Paragraphs exhibit a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Topic sentences and concluding remarks are appropriate to purpose. 0.75 points
There is a sophisticated construction of paragraphs and transitions. Ideas progress and relate to each other. Paragraph and transition construction guide the reader. Paragraph structure is seamless.

Mechanics of Writing
(includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

0.53 points
Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice and/or sentence construction are used. 0.56 points
Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register); sentence structure, and/or word choice are present. 0.62 points
Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used. 0.71 points
Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used. 0.75 points
Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.


Paper Format
(1- inch margins;
12-point-font;
double-spaced;
Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier)
0.21 points
Template is not used appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly. 0.23 points
Template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken; lack of control with formatting is apparent.

0.25 points
Template is used, and formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present. 0.28 points
Template is fully used; There are virtually no errors in formatting style. 0.3 points
All format elements are correct.


Research Citations
(In-text citations for paraphrasing and direct quotes, and reference page listing and formatting, as appropriate to assignment)
0.32 points
No reference page is included. No citations are used. 0.34 points
Reference page is present. Citations are inconsistently used. 0.37 points
Reference page is included and lists sources used in the paper. Sources are appropriately documented, although some errors may be present. 0.42 points
Reference page is present and fully inclusive of all cited sources. Documentation is appropriate and GCU style is usually correct. 0.45 points
In-text citations and a reference page are complete. The documentation of cited sources is free of error.


The readings for #2 as stated in the instructions above, is provided as below:

READINGS:
Read chapters 8, 9, 11, and 17 in the text book.

Read "Communication Strategies for Getting the Results You Want" by Haeuser and Preston, from the Healthcare Executive (2005), located in the GCU eLibrary at http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=15458261&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Read "Improve Your Environment Through Communication and Change" by Lefton, from Nursing Management (2007), located in the GCU eLibrary at http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2009384739&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Read "Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts" by Obuchowski, from the Harvard Management Communication Letter (2005), located in the GCU eLibrary at http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=17515580&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Wertheim, E. (n.d.). Guide for Written Communication. Northeastern University, College of Business Administration. Retrieved August 25, 2007, from http://web.archive.org/web/20080211140854/http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/skills/writovv.htm

Read "Verbal Communication Model: An Idea", located on the Vtaide Web site at http://www.vtaide.com/lifeskills/verbalC.htm

Read the Module 2 Lecture.:

INTRODUCTION


Every organization needs both managers and leaders. Although these roles may be in conflict with each other in certain circumstances, the health care environment demands the contribution of both managers and leaders. The focus for this week will be on the roles and responsibilities of managers and leaders in health care organizations, their differences, their similarities, and how they may be integrated.




Roles and Responsibilities of the Manager

The role and responsibilities of the manager are to ensure that organizational resources are used effectively and efficiently. A manager's responsibility is to make sure staff has the tools required to accomplish the work. A manager is often perceived as being task-oriented.

According to Donnelly (2003), the skills of a manager can be divided into these categories: leadership skills, people skills, budgeting and finance, quality of care skills, and information technology skills. Leadership skills, although often differentiated from management skills, are absolutely essential for nursing managers. People skills include interviewing new employees, conducting staff meetings, and communicating effectively with the members of the team. Financial skills may be most often associated with managers and are important in every organization. For the nurse manager, finances are particularly important, as we need to be able to support the work of patient care with the resources necessary to provide that care. Quality of care skills include understanding how to gather, analyze, and interpret quality data and how to use that data to drive performance improvement. Information technology skills are increasingly important as healthcare becomes more automated and nurses become more dependent on computers as tools at the bedside.

According to Kotter, the result of an effective manager is "predictability and order which consistently produces key results for various stakeholders" (1990, p. 2). Managers make life easier for employees through concrete actions. Managers set the expectations and the rules to be followed, motivate the individual members of the team, and assist each staff member to develop their full potential.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Leader

"?let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head (not, how can I always do this right thing myself, but) how can I provide for this right thing to always be done?" (Florence Nightingale, Notes on Nursing)

Leaders are often seen as individuals who encourage the growth and progress of the organization. The word itself implies movement, and an effective leader will not let a person remain where they are in terms of rank or skill level. An effective leader promotes forward movement.

Leadership remains a vague concept, but ideas about what makes a great leader abound. According to The Teal Trust (n.d.), Warren Bennis defines leadership as a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential. Leaders inspire, enable, encourage, and act as role models. A true leader will not let personal goals or conflicts affect the goals of the organization.

Leaders have four main responsibilities. The first is to establish direction, vision, and the strategy to reach that vision for the future. The second is to align people around the vision through communication. This step is critical for leadership because it is where buy-in of the vision occurs. The leader must establish support for the vision in order to make it a reality in the present. The third responsibility of leadership is to motivate and inspire. These two topics are most popular when discussing leadership. And finally, leaders must overcome political, bureaucratic, and resource barriers to make change happen.

Kowalski (2003) describes the Five C's of Leadership as character, commitment, connectedness, compassion, and confidence. Individuals should evaluate their personal leadership skills by evaluating their behavior in private situations. Is keeping one's word and valuing other people a common behavior?

Integrating the Roles of Manager and Leader

Not all leaders are managers, and not all managers are leaders. All managers have formal authority through title and position in the organization, but some leaders have no formal authority or title; these are informal leaders. Although the term manager and leader are often used interchangeably, distinct differences between the roles do exist, as well as overlap in the function of the two roles. For example, a leader may be able to articulate a compelling vision of a highly functioning unit in which patient care is exemplary and the staff is performing to their highest level. However, if the leader who articulates this vision is unable to ensure that day-to-day operations are carried out effectively, staff will not be inspired to work toward the goal(s) that have been set. Managers who find that they are weak on leadership must strive to develop their leadership skills. (Donnelly, 2003)

Nursing managers and leaders must understand their role in the importance of communication both within and outside of the organization. Each word, action, or statement may be taken out of context. Therefore, words must be weighed carefully. As discussed in Lecture 7, communication is imperative to conflict resolution. The focus for this week will be on the styles of communication and role of the leader in communicating a shared vision.

Non-verbal communication

According to Select, Assess and Train (2007), studies show that during interpersonal communication, 7% of the message is verbally communicated and 93% is nonverbally transmitted. Of the 93% that is nonverbal, 38% is through vocal tone and 55% is through facial expressions.

Body language might be the oldest language, and it can be the determining factor of whether leaders are successful. Good posture indicates that a leader is confident, and making eye contact tells the receiver that the speaker is interested in them, although it can be tricky due to varying cultural norms. Hand movements can reveal what the mind is thinking. Hands with little movement signify calmness. Hands that are active may indicate nervousness or tense situations. A person who is defensive and is rejecting a message will most likely fold their arms, cross their legs, or turn their body away from the speaker.

Listening is a key element in nonverbal communication. Gabor (1994) gives these tips for T-A-C-T-F-U-L conversations:

T = Think before you speak

A = Apologize quickly when you blunder

C = Converse, don't compete

T = Time your comments

F = Focus on behavior?not on personality

U = Uncover hidden feelings

L = Listen for feedback

In other words, what is said is not nearly as important as how it is said.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is the most common type of communication and perhaps the most dangerous. Leaders and managers must possess skills and knowledge to discern whether the information presented are the facts or whether the information is out of context. Adeptness in acquiring information and questioning will save the leader from communicating decisions with grave consequences.

Mistrust results when information is withheld, resources are allocated inconsistently, and employees have no support from management. It doesn't matter if these things have actually happened or not. As long as the perception exists that these situations are real, the climate of mistrust will escalate and employee alienation will grow (Fitzpatrick, 2003, p. 129).

Making presentations to groups or key individuals is a regular part of the leader's role. Delivering a comprehensible message that is required to gain support requires practice, review, and a willingness to overcome the greatest fear in communication?public speaking. In public speaking or when giving any presentation, it is imperative to know the subject. A speaker should be prepared for a situation in which the audience questions the content and its validity.

Technology can be a great aide to communication, except when it does not work. Having a backup plan is essential. In the early part of the presentation, the speaker should gain trust with the audience and intrigue them so that they want more information. The core of the presentation should be kept concise, and feedback should be asked for in the end so that the speaker will know how to improve for the next time. In a small group, feedback and questions can be asked for periodically.

Speaking one-on-one with an individual is quite different from a presentation, but it still has the potential to be intimidating, depending on the subject matter and situation. Techniques to overcome this uneasy feeling include the use of open-ended questions that encourage expression and open dialogue. A speaker may ask, "Would you mind telling me more about that?" He or she can also use eye contact and lean forward. Being natural and relaxed also helps. Paraphrasing the message in fewer words can confirm whether the message was received accurately. Throughout the conversation, the speaker should be conscious of his or her tone. Tone sets the stage for open or closed conversation. To conclude the conversation, the main points can be summarized to check that the receiver is in agreement with what has been said.

Written Communication

Many people are intimidated by writing because when something is in written form, it cannot be taken back and is open to scrutiny indefinitely. Thankfully, today's technology takes grammar, spelling, and punctuation to a new level of error prevention. Some basic tips when writing include the following:

1) Avoid the use of slang words or conjunctions.

2) Do not fall prey to repetitive words or phrases?when in doubt, consult a thesaurus.

3) Spell out all acronyms when first referring to an entity? once identified, you may then use the abbreviation.

4) Steer clear of the use of symbols.

5) Keep sentences short, but not choppy.

6) Check the spelling of names of people or companies.

Letter writing should start with an overall summary in the first paragraph. This tells the reader why this information is important to read. The body of the letter should explain the reason for the letter and the background information. The closing is the final impression a writer leaves and should emphasize the importance of an action item such as a follow-up. The writer should proofread the letter thoroughly for punctuation, content, conciseness, and flow. It is important to ensure that the message is clear. Finally, contact information should always be included.

In these modern times, most written communication in business is conducted via e-mail. Although one may feel tempted to treat e-mail more casually than a business letter, remember that this is still business communication. Perceptions of people are determined, in large part, by the tone set in e-mail and other forms of communication. When in doubt, err on the side of formality, rather than informality in e-mail. No one should write anything in an e-mail that they would not want others besides the sender to see. There is no way of knowing to whom the e-mail may be forwarded. Never use ALL CAPS in e-mail as this can be perceived as shouting at the reader. Finally, keep e-mails short. If the reader has to scroll down to read the end of the message, there is a good chance it will not be read.

Career Planning and Resume Development

Frank Lloyd Wright once said, "I know the price of success; dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen." This requires, of course, that one knows what one wants in life and in a career. The first step then, in career planning, is self-reflection in order to discover what one's true desires are. Without spending time examining the wishes of the heart and mind, it is impossible to create a plan for success in one's career. Once a career plan has been defined, career goals can be set that will enable the end point to be reached.

After this work has been done, one must create a resume that will enable the individual to gain employment in the organizations that will best facilitate one's career goals. In nursing, many positions at the front line do not require a resume but only an application. However, it is important to note that while the application may give the employer the information that they desire, the resume gives the applicant an opportunity to call attention to those values, skills, and interests which the nurse believes are of importance to the role in question. The resume should point out to the prospective employer the applicants strengths and passions, both professionally and personally.

Rather than beginning a resume with an objective, an innovative approach is to include a profile, written in an active voice. Whereas an objective tells the employer what the applicant is seeking, a profile highlights for the employer what the applicant brings to the role.

Guidelines for successful resume preparation from Marquis and Huston (2006) include:

1) Type the resume in a format/font that is easy to read.

2) Emphasize your strong points and minimize your weaknesses.

3) The resume should be free of grammatical or syntactical errors.

4) The resume should be written in a direct manner using active voice whenever possible.

Communicating a Shared Vision

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." ? Japanese proverb.

This statement illustrates well the importance of vision, and a vision is only as good as the extent to which it is communicated effectively to those who must make it come alive. Vision gives purpose to an organization and its employees and meaning to daily tasks. Leaders establish integrity when communicating vision, walking the walk, and talking the talk. Some of the core behaviors that leaders use to communicate vision include showing empathy, demonstrating ethical decision-making, and focusing on planning and the intricacies of impact when action is taken. It is critical to involve others and communicate vision through many different methods and with a variety of strategies. This tactic gives people the opportunity to adjust, adapt, and embrace the change that is inherent in moving towards the future. An open communication model is imperative to the success of the leader and the organization.

CONCLUSION


Although managers and leaders have distinct roles within an organization, the most effective people will blend the functions and roles in their work. Management keeps the wheels turning, making sure the lights are on, that people get paid, and that everyone is meeting their targets. Leadership involves taking risks, changing things that require change for the growth of the organization, sharing one's ideas and opinions, and exposing oneself to criticism. It takes both managers and leaders to keep an organization running and to move the organization into the future. If one person is both a manager and a leader, the organization benefits through efficiency and effectiveness.

A successful leader must be:

1) Known to those he or she hopes to lead?must be visible and approachable.

2) Expert in the development, execution, and evaluation of public relations plans.

3) Articulate with one-on-one conversation, small groups, or large audiences.

4) Capable of convincing all stakeholders of the possibilities inherent in the future.

5) A great listener, both inside and outside of the organization.





Leaders need to be keenly aware of their verbal and nonverbal communication styles. Having emotional intelligence in these areas can prevent chaos and support a flourishing organization.



REFERENCES


Donnelly, G. F. (2003). How leadership works: Myths and theories. Five keys to successful nursing management. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.

Fitzpatrick, M.A. (2003). Getting your team together. Five keys to successful nursing management. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.

Gabor, D. (1994). Speaking your mind in 101 difficult situations. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Kotter, J. (1990). A force for change: How leadership differs from management. New York: Free Press.

Kowalski, K., & Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2003). Five C's of leadership. Nurse Leader, 1(5), 26-31.

Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2009). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.

Select, Assess & Train. (2007). Non-verbal communication.

The Teal Trust. (n.d.). Our definition of leadership.

Ross, A., Wenzel, F. J., & Mitlyng, J. W. (2002). Leadership for the future: Core competencies in healthcare. Chicago: Health Administration Press.
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Lucy Amenyo.

Effective communication skills are essential in the workplace. Some businesses invest in training their employees on how to effectively communicate, because effective communication skills go beyond conversations. Employees must know how to express business issues effectively when writing reports and emails. Understanding the benefits of effective communication helps businesses to develop a workforce that is able to communicate effectively with coworkers, customers, and suppliers and increase productivity.
Write a one to two (1-2) page paper in which you:
1. Describe a time when you experienced effective communication in a business environment.
2. Discuss at least three (3) reasons why you perceived the communication to be effective, and explain the resulting impact to the business.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
? Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
? Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the students name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
? Explain the elements that foster effective communication in business.
? Use technology and information resources to research issues in business.
? Write clearly and concisely about business issues using proper writing mechanics.