Instructional strategies exam essay Essay

Teachers are constantly challenged to ensure that teaching strategies employed in the classroom are appropriate the learning styles and experiences of the learners. As far as possible instructional strategies should be modified to take into consideration the unique characteristics of individual learners and aim to discover the best way forward when dealing with specific learning styles. Cooperative learning strategies are useful in teaching learners who function best in learning sessions that take into concern their individual needs, interests and abilities as well as provide opportunities for interaction and discussion with and among other learners. Constructivists have long established that learning cannot be separated from real-life experiences as both share a symbiotic relationship (Huang, 2002, p. 28). Bringing real-life situations into the learning environment will facilitate and enhance learning while knowledge, skills and attitudes gained in learning provide opportunities for additional life experiences. Cooperative learning strategies have a great amount of flexibility in the classroom and make it possible for the teacher to effectively match learning style to teaching strategy. Cooperative learning strategies are therefore quite attractive for adult learners as there is a multiplicity of activities and tasks that can be brought into any one learning experience to make learning not only effective but meaningful. These strategies are also useful in ensuring that learners have some amount of freedom and independence, as well as participate actively in their own learning. In a learning session using cooperative learning strategies individuals can be assigned to interest groups at the beginning of the session. Interest groups are individuals who may share either the same background or viewpoint. Interest groups are assigned either based on the particular task to be covered in the lesson or based on previously defined characteristics such as favorite type of food, music, TV shows etcetera. This is simply to ensure that all learners feel a sense of belonging by being able to identify with at least one other person in the group and therefore all will be motivated to actively participate in the lesson. Countless authors have pointed to the merits of using small groups as an effective teaching strategy to ensure participation and involvement (see Slavin, 2000). At the beginning of the lesson students are presented with the objectives and given precise guidelines of what they will be required to do throughout the lesson. Each group, that would have been identified previously, is given a particular aspect of the lesson to report or focus on and even within the group each member is assigned a specific responsibility and, of course, made aware how his/her role fits into the group task and the general lesson. In this way students will be accountable, not only for their own learning but also for the learning of the rest of the members who will be dependent upon him/her to correctly complete what is required. Kounin is famous for stressing this concept of accountability in learning. He also argues that it is essential to maintain the involvement of all students in all aspects of the lesson (as cited in Slavin, 2000, p. 373). Direct instruction often cannot be avoided in delivering lesson content depending on the material to be covered and may be essential in some cases. Thus in this setting direct instruction has its place but is supplemented with other strategies to ensure its effectiveness in meeting lesson objectives. To make a topic more meaningful and of immediate interest to the learners suggestions are gathered as to possible topics to explore, that can be aligned well with the overall curricular goals. By using the direct teaching method the teacher delivers the content to the entire class but each group is at that time paying particular attention to the aspect that is most relevant to the task they had been previously assigned. Visual aids and demonstrations, as appropriate, are used to enhance the impact of the lesson. A PowerPoint ® presentation would be particularly attractive to learners incorporating computer graphics, animation and even sound so that learners are able to interact with the lesson on a variety of levels. An alternative to the direct teacher or a supplemental to it would be to invite an outside speaker to deliver the specified topic. This guest speaker could be someone that the class nominates or someone that has expertise as well as being able to gain the interest and attention of the learners. Using either direct teaching, the PowerPoint ® or the guest speaker the group function is still maintained. At the end of these sessions groups meet to collaborate on completing the task assigned. In completing this task learners use problem solving skills to ensure that objectives are met. Working collaboratively group members have to explore alternatives for solving the problem or accomplishing the task that has been assigned. Included in the discussion is a decision on what aspect of the presentation is relevant or irrelevant to the task they have been assigned and the most appropriate way of organizing their work. They will also have to choose the most appropriate form in which to present their information. Each group is required, whether as a part of the session or in a subsequent session, to present their task to the rest of the class. As a part of the task description the teacher allows each group the flexibility of choosing whatever approach they feel will best be suited to presenting their information to the entire class. Role-play, simulation, demonstration, presentation or any other method could be adopted by the learners based on their individual preference. Alternatively all groups could role-play their particular scenario. Role-playing can be used to develop problem solving skills and to assess how much and how well learning has occurred. There is still a considerable amount of flexibility in that the groups use their own styles and ideas to come up with an appropriate situation to depict the problem they were assigned to. All members of the group will be required to roll-play ensuring that group activities are not manipulated by a specific set of learners and so that some learners do not opt out. Feedback of course, in any learning context is essential. Peer evaluation in this situation is useful. A discussion can ensue after each group role-plays or presents. Other classmates give feedback on the same issues and present possible alternatives to the solution that was taken or discuss why the option taken was the most appropriate for the particular issue at hand. Additionally comments relevant to the lesson could also be made. Learners in the small-group and large-group context are therefore able to cooperatively learn from each other by sharing ideas and making suggestions. Evidently learners are given a lot of independence within the specific guidelines and a lot of self-directed learning takes place. All these are essential for learners to make the most out of learning sessions and are preferable to techniques that are teacher-centered rather than learner-centered. In this way learners are actively participating in learning not just being passive listeners and observers. Throughout the lesson the teacher plays the role of facilitator or guide but the learners are the ones actively involved in the learning experiences and thus they would reap much more benefit. References Huang, H. (2002). Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(1), 27-37. Slavin, R. E. (2000). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. (6th ed. ). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Bohol, in the Eyes of a First-Time Beholder Essay

Perched on a very young palm tree, the tarsier fidgeted as I aimed my camera on its direction. It was only a few centimeters away, so easy to touch and yet I reminded myself to avoid the temptation. I read in an article how traumatizing it can be for these velvety creatures to be held, that they would hurt themselves to death after being â€Å"violated† by curious tourists who are never content with taking pictures. So imagine my surprise when it landed very near me to catch the cricket hiding behind the leaves. Without even thinking, I brushed my fingers on its brown fur in what seemed to be a second or two; it didn’t flinch, but the click of the camera (there was no flash since it was daytime) alerted it, and it darted back to its highest hiding place in the palm tree. Like that unlikely encounter with the tarsier, my trip to Bohol was something worthy to remember. Thanks to the invitation of a friend, poet and journalist Michael Ortega Ligalig, my memory of Bohol was not limited to beaches, Chocolate Hills, and yes, tarsiers. But there is no denying that Bohol is teeming with natural and man-made assets. If you are artsy and into culture, Bohol can offer you a lot with its cultural and historical riches. If you are into nature and adventure, there are surprises that the island can offer. Churches and Heritage Houses For somebody like me who is fascinated with old things and history, Bohol is like a gold mine with its old churches and heritage houses. Almost all of the 47 towns have old, massive, stone churches that have survived natural ravages, wars and even climate change. I asked to be brought to some of the most fascinating ones, like the Baclayon and Loboc churches. The Church of the Immaculate Conception or the Baclayon Church is one of the country’s oldest churches. First built in 1595, the Jesuit frailes built the Neoclassic structure piece by piece using adobe and coral that were joined together by adhesive made from egg whites (imagine all the chicken eggs used to build such a magnificent structure!). From the front door, one could see the marble tombstones that were embedded on the walls and pylons, the names of the dead intricately written in Spanish. The retablo or the church altar was also an imposing piece of art, though we were unable to see the church’s pipe organ. It also has a museum similar to that of San Agustin in Intramuros. The fee is not very expensive, but cameras are not allowed. Still, one can take pictures of the saints on the ground floor joining the museum and the church, where they kept a coterie of human-size religious images or statues. St. Peter Parish Church or Loboc Church is the second oldest church in Bohol. Originally built in 1602, a stronger one was built in 1638. Located near the famous Loboc River cruise, it has survived a number of floods. Inside the church, murals depicting religious events can be found on the dome right on top of the main altar. A Spanish coat-of-arms can be found near the entrance of the convent which today houses the Museo de Loboc. This museum houses a few religious images and artifacts, like registry books from the 1800s and choir books. There is also a magnificent bell tower adjacent the church. One can also find a bridge that was never completed; it would have joined the two parts of the town separated by the river, but it would mean demolishing part of the church. It is also the home of the famous Loboc Children’s Choir. There are also plenty of heritage houses all over Bohol, particularly in Baclayon and Dauis. Owned mostly by merchant families and old political clans, its interiors are characterized by wide and thick wooden floor planks and wide stairways with wooden balusters. The interiors often feature wooden sala and table sets, cabinets and dressers and rocking chairs, while the walls often hold portraits of its departed residents. Some of the houses include the ancestral houses of the Clarin, Villamor, Malon, Luza, Sofia and Abueva, and some of them actually accommodate tourists for a bed-and-breakfast experience. Beaches and Diving Bohol is getting its fair share of tourism fame with its pristine white sand beaches, the most famous of which is Panglao Island and Dauis, although there are plenty of other beaches minus the flock of tourists and expensive. The most famous is Alona Beach, an 800-meter stretch of white powdery sand located south of Panglao Island. Many full-service beach and dive resorts reside there. The sea around Pamilacan Island is frequented by whales and dolphins, as it is also a favored breeding and feeding site of tuna, snappers, groupers, mackerel and surgeonfish, making it a perfect spot for those who want to see the teeming natural fish population at work. There are a number of diving spots that offer priceless views of the sea beneath. Balicasag is known for its rare, beautiful seashells and its beds of corals are considered one of the best dive spots in the country. On the other hand, Danajon Bank is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines and is one of only three such sites in the Asia-Pacific region, spread across almost 130 kilometers of seabed and consist of three large reefs. Flora and Fauna Because of its geographical features, Bohol’s endemic flora and fauna makes it a hot spot for nature lovers. The Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella town is a 134-hectare land that has been set aside as a protected area for its most celebrated creature considered the world’s smallest primate. However, there are many mini-â€Å"tarsier zoos† that are maintained by resorts. These resorts or mini-zoos often put these tarsiers in small cages and crowded, considering the wild nature of these animals. While my friend assured me that these resorts have â€Å"adoption certificates† from the local environmental offices, I still find it disturbing to find these magnificent creatures caged like birds. In the town of Albuquerque, there is a mini-zoo that claims to hold the biggest python in captivity ever known. Its name is Prony, approximately almost 30 feet and an estimated weight of about 300 kilograms. They also have a variety of birds species like parakeets, pigeons and other avians. However, a star attraction would be the entertainer which we humorously call â€Å"Kakambal ni Prony.† Clad in shiny gaudy costumes, she would dance near the snake’s spectators. We were also fortunate to visit the Mahogany Man-Made Forest in the town of Bilar, a two-kilometer stretch of densely planted mahogany trees located in the border of Loboc and Bilar. River Cruises The ultimate part of our trip would be the scenic Loboc River Cruise. We took the nighttime cruise as my friend advised because of the lamps that would light up as our boat would pass by. The boat fee includes a buffet meal that included seafood, meat and desserts. As the boat commenced its trip, a man with his electric guitar started to sing, his repertoire including American hits from the seventies. My companions and I found the lineup rather distracting as he started with Don McLean’s Vincent then to assorted songs from Bread and Air Supply. However, as the colored lamp posts began glowing from the sides, we were already transfixed and astonished. We briefly stopped on a floating raft that has a big group of singers belting their original songs. We all got off and started clapping. I interviewed some of the children and the adults who actually make a living from the song and dance number, and it ended with them selling their very own musical CD to the tourists. The visit to Bohol was short and partly fulfilling. I am decided to pursue this island more and look forward to seeing more of its assets very, very soon.

Letter to editor

After reading the article written by Christopher Stevens about educating Yorkshire I felt I should respond because, although Mr. Stevens clearly reflected upon the real life situations of the school, he still managed to draw attention to the negatives and form Ignorant conclusions whilst Including his Inconsiderate views. He sits back and crestless when It can be said that he must have gone to school what 20 years ago and that times have changed, teachers must know what they're doing otherwise they wouldn't have been given the job with such immense responsibility.While he continues to point fingers he ignores how incredible Mr. Burton and Mustards touching Journey has been as well as other uplifting moments in the show. Thrill Community Academy has several different types of characters that attend but in your article you have stereotyped all teenagers. You take some of the scenes from the show and blow them out of proportion and then use that to make assumptions about all teens.Don't you go out on the street and see ‘Ignorant' and ‘swaggered' out kids? Rather than generalizing you should pay close attention to the fact that schools are diverse, that the students and have their own little world, some would even call It their very own bubble. The first thing I'm going to talk about will be base. I think to achieve the perfect base you must go through some important steps prior to applying any makeup to ensure you get a flawless finish.Making sure your skin is clean, exfoliated and moisturizer is key, this will allow the foundation to actually sink in into the skin and make it look like your actual skin. But there's a step before that, and that's applying primer, it'll provide oil free hydration, minimize the appearance of pores and make sure your makeup lasts all day long. When applying foundation, the most Important thing to remember s that less Is more, this'll even out your skin tone and let your natural skin show through, this'll leave you looking luminous and Like your skin has a healthy glow.The next step Is concealed, the purpose Is already In the name and that's to conceal, It'll make dark circles and imperfections virtually disappear, as well as highlighting under the eyes and making you look more radiant and awake. Next go on to apply powder, this will leave you shine free and make sure your makeup doesn't slip and slide throughout the day.Brows I think brows are so important, they frame your face and add structure , there's arioso ways to fill in your brows, pencils, wax, powder and gel, my personal favorite is the had' brows kit, had stands for high definition , you get four powders in the kit, the colors range from light medium and dark, you should gravitate towards buying the kit according to the color of your hair, you get four powders, they are pigmented and creamy, this allows the shadow to glide through your eyebrows Eyes I think out of all makeup, eye makeup must be my most favorite, one because Its such a cre ative part and you can get really artistic In looks you can create. Negative apposed to the positives.

Insomnia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Insomnia - Term Paper Example Insomnia is a state that affects numerous individuals, most of them are not even aware of the condition they are suffering from insomnia or sleeplessness. Sleep deprivation causes rigorous exhaustion, nervousness, hopelessness and poor attentiveness. Insomnia is grave, though not fatal. Scarcity and lack of sleep leads to a lonesome and awful state of mind. If the condition continues a person may tend to develop compromised living condition or disturbed psychological behaviour. The condition is become severe and taking a shape of an epidemic in United States. The data obtained from National Sleep Foundation portrays that around 47 million American adults are at potential risk of physical and emotional disturbance due to lack of sleep. The results are alarming as per the data procured by National Institutes of Health approximated that 50 to 70 million Americans belonging to all ages experience restless sleep (Morin, 2000). Insomnia is characteristically persuaded by practical impairment while wakeful. Under the condition of insomnia a person feels distressed and finds difficult to instigate and continue sleep or non recuperative sleep connected with impairment of daytime performance or manifest anguish for more than a month (Morin, 2000). 1. Transient insomnia: It stays only for a short duration probably for a week. It may be associated with change of place, ill-health, worry, anxiety, depression or a condition of stress. As soon as the circumstances become normal sleep deprivation vanishes (Thomas, 2004). 3. Chronic insomnia: It is sleeplessness lasting for more than a month. It could be due to some other disorders encompassing muscular distress, phantasms, mental stress, and thereby enhanced alertness is displayed (Thomas, 2004). Around 10% of the population suffering from insomnia have chronic insomnia. The percentage of women (40%) is more as compared to men (30%). It is therefore suggested

HOW DOES THE CONCEPT OF ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION IMPACT THE MODERN Essay

HOW DOES THE CONCEPT OF ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION IMPACT THE MODERN DAY TOURISM MANAGER IN TERMS OF ASSISTING COMMERCIAL SUCCESS - Essay Example Even organisations in today’s time appreciate the benefits of holidays on an employee’s mind and body and thus provide them with various travel allowances. Travel Genie is a world recognized travel and tourism management company that operates almost in all places around the world. Travel Genie is a cross border player and drive efficiency across the industry through proficient systems and service standards. Apart from quality service, the key to Travel genie’s success is its team of dedicated, and highly trained members. At Travel Genie to a certain extent the planning and the decision making process is centralised. However every individual in the hierarchy willfully comes up with suggestions to bring about increased productivity. Though every single member of the organization has an important role to play, it is the tourism managers who bear the maximum responsibility for turning the business into a commercial success. One of most important criteria for bringing about success in tourism is communication. Below is a part of the organisational structure that elaborates on the details of the managerial hierarchy at Travel Genie. Effective strategy building can take a business to the higher levels of success and the travel industry is no exception. The managers at Travel Genie have to do a lot of brainstorming and come up with extraordinary commercial marketing strategies and when it comes to marketing, communication plays a very significant role in the travel and tourism industry. The communications manager is the key to transferring information from one party to another. Many a times it happens that information is transferred however the recipient cannot appreciate the information. Thus such transfer of information or data is not communication. It is the responsibility of the communications manager to make sure that all information and data are transferred on the right, to the right person and the

Aspects of Psychology Unit4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aspects of Psychology Unit4 - Essay Example They do not consider physical traits of human beings as part of their intelligence. Sternberg’s Model Robert Sternberg (1988) proposed a theory of intelligence called as ‘triarchic theory’ as according to him, intelligence consists of three aspects interacting with each other (Davidson & Downing, 2000, p.42). The fist aspect is the internal skill of information processing which helps the human being to behave intelligently (Davidson & Downing, 2000, p.42). The second aspect is the ability of human being to create a match between the internal skills and the external environment in the best possible way (Davidson & Downing, 2000, p.42). The third aspect is the ability to take the help of past experiences to tackle the new or unfamiliar information, successfully (Davidson & Downing, 2000, p.42). Sternberg’s theory shows that intelligence is the ability to use different internal and external aspects to achieve success and to realize potential. Spearman’s Model Spearman’s model of intelligence is called as a ‘two-factor model’ of intelligence. ... The results revealed that children who scored well in one test also scored well on other tests (Pyle, 1979, p.7). Spearman noticed that there was a positive correlation between the tests designed to measure different mental abilities like memory, reasoning, creativity etc (Pyle, 1979, p.7). Spearman concluded that even though the tests were aimed at measuring different mental abilities, they had one factor common in them, which was getting measured in all the test results (Pyle, 1979, p.7). He concluded that this common factor was ‘general intelligence’ and named it ‘g’ (Pyle, 1979, p.7). However, he also realized that even though intelligent children scored well in all the tests, their scores were not exactly the same in all the tests (Pyle, 1979, p.7). This is because every test was designed to measure a ‘specific’ ability of a child and hence, it displayed the specific skill set of a child (Pyle, 1979, p.7). Spearman named this factor as â₠¬ËœSs’, indicating that even though ‘general intelligence’ was a common factor in children scoring well in the tests, their specific abilities were different from each other (Pyle, 1979, p.7). As Spearman’s model of intelligence is based on the two factors of ‘general’ and ‘specific’ intelligence, it is called as ‘two-factor model’ (Pyle, 1979, p.7). According to Spearman’s model, ‘intelligence’ is the mental energy or the ‘general ability’ of human being which ‘flows’ and guides him in most of his activities (Pyle, 1979, p.8). Spearman believed that all human beings have ‘g’ to some degree but as there is a difference in the level of their general intelligence, their mental abilities are different (Pyle, 1979, p.7). People differ from each

Economy in relation to environmental protection. Environment and Essay

Economy in relation to environmental protection. Environment and Sustainable Development - Essay Example The need to protect the environment has presented critical global challenges that require immediate responses. The linked environmental, economic, social and political issues all falling under the sustainable development framework require a delicate balancing act between competing interests whilst at the same time taking decisive strides towards protecting scarce resources that are becoming even scarcer by the day. This paper will talk about the main difference between the Stockholm Declaration and the Rio Summit -- mainly that the Rio Summit solidifies the linkage between development and the environment, acknowledging that the two concepts are inextricably intertwined. Environmental considerations have to be incorporated in the development process, and human development should be considered in environmental protection mechanisms. It is illuminating to compare Principle 1 of the Stockholm declaration with Principle 1 of the Rio Declaration. The former reads as follows: â€Å"Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well being, and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations.† In contrast, the Rio Declaration reads as follows: â€Å"Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development†, and that, â€Å"They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.†... A rights-based approach is important because it makes the State duty-bearers, or imposes and obligation on them to ensure that environmental rights of their citizens and other human beings are guaranteed and protected. There are critics, however, who feel that there was a dilution in focus on environmental protection from Stockholm to Rio, and even all the way to Johannesburg. To quote the Center for International Environmental Law, â€Å"Whereas Stockholm brought to light transboundary and global environmental issues, Rio and Johannesburg incorporated a development dimension that required analysis not only of environmental issues but also of economic and social issues. (2012, p.2)† As further observed by CIEL: While integration of these issues is key to effective environment and development outcomes, this change in focus has, to a large extent, over?burdened the agenda resulting from the last two summits, posing significant strains on the ability of international institutions and other governance arrangements to effectively address the broad array of issues involved in the umbrella concept of sustainable development.  Ã‚  At the same time, the international agenda that emerged in relation to sustainable development appears to have prioritized the economic aspects over the social and environmental dimensions.  Ã‚  In this regard, there is a real risk that Rio+20's green economy theme could eclipse thE other dimensions of sustainable development, as well as the need for reforms in institutional governance.   (2012, p. 2) However, this paper argues that talking about the economy in relation to environmental protection is important. The first is because scarcity is a vital concept of sustainable

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Analysis - Case Study Example Some argued that the faucet-mount of PUR will disrupt pitcher product Brita, others believed that the product simply is establishing another market niche and finally other groups are convinced that Brita will simply have to do nothing to foster faucet-mounts (Deighton 1). These are three essential courses of actions that Clorox will have to consider. Clearly, there is another market that faucet-mount is trying to target. For Clorox to be essentially informed more concerning this at the bottom line, prior to the actual necessary decision to protect Brita, market segmentation or customer analysis is necessary. This will not only settle the three varying views as stated earlier, but it will also establish the relevant truth whether faucet-mount has the potential to hurt the established market for Brita. Here is the reason. Market segmentation or customer analysis is a relevant marketing technique that will surely guarantee how to deal with issues concerning the actual management of demand (Lancaster and Massingham 78). This technique puts into consideration the basic elemental mix in marketing like product, price, place, and

Fair Value Reporting And The Financial Crisis Essay

Fair Value Reporting And The Financial Crisis - Essay Example Fair value accounting is the unbiased and rational estimate of the market price of a service, an asset, or a product. The concept of fair value accounting takes into consideration factors such as the demand and supply, the distribution, production, the various costs of the products close substitutes, the utility produced at any given level of development, etc. These are referred to as the objective factors of fair value accounting. There are also some subjective factors of fair value accounting, and these factors include, the utility which is individually perceived, the risk characteristics, the return on, and cost of capital. It is important to understand that accountants use fair value reporting to depict the market value of a product or a liability, which in most cases; it is difficult to determine their market price. The FAS 157 defines fair value accounting as a value in which an asset can either be sold or bought in a current business transaction that involves willing parties. It is important to understand that fair value accounting is used for assets which have a carrying value that is based on the mark-to-market valuations. It is also important to understand that the fair value of an asset that has a historical cost is not always used. It is important to understand that the financial crisis began with the decline of the housing prices, and with an increase in the default rates. There was uncertainty in the financial market because of lack of accurate information from policy formulators.

What Do I Have to Offer This College Family Essay Example for Free

What Do I Have to Offer This College Family Essay Upon choosing this topic I pondered, what next? I sat in front of my PC deliberating what direction I wanted this piece to go in, and what impression I wanted to give my future alma mater’s admissions of myself and then it struck me. The point of this essay is not to paint an illusion of myself to you, but, to show you what I have to offer as a unique individual. Marrianne Williamson in her book, â€Å"Return to Love† and I quote, wrote, â€Å"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? † I first stumbled upon this quote during one of my times of feeling deeply insignificant among my high school population. I decided that constantly feeling as though you are insignificant leads to you becoming insignificant. I am a believer that the mind is a very powerful thing and I plan to use this belief a self confidence to encourage those around me to do nothing but their best because the minute you start believing your worst is your best, it in fact becomes the best you can do. Academically, I am well rounded. I have over the years gained all the necessary basic knowledge to excel in any subject I decide to work at. I study well in groups and have always had a love for tutoring; as such during and after high school I took the responsibility of tutoring my younger sister and her friends at the primary level. Throughout high school I also tutored my friends in order to ensure that leisure time was not affected by poor academics. The passion for helping those in need, has become a part of who I am and I intend to use this to help those around me if I am accepted into the university. I am extremely confident a team player, athletic and energetic young woman and I have dreams of one day helping everyone around me see that they too can be apart of this world holding only a positive outlook for their lives and being calculative about consequences. I am trained as a peer councillor and intend to use my skills for self upliftment as well as the maintaining of the mental well being of those I encounter in my tenure at this prestigious university. It would be unlike me to not mention my rich Jamaican heritage as one of the things I have to offer this university. Cultural diversity is one of the many things that make university life worthwhile and I am no doubt endowed with a mixture of cultures; as the Jamaican culture has evolved to included aspects of cultures of people from all walks of life. I hope I have given you a good enough idea of what I have to offer this institution, but I assure you this is just the tip of the ice berg. I also have no doubt that I will not be a silent student as I intend to be a production member of the university family. As we say in Jamaica â€Å"Wi likkle but wi tallawah†, meaning big things come in small packages.

Ways In Which Consumer Choice Is Influenced Commerce Essay

Ways In Which Consumer Choice Is Influenced Commerce Essay The aim of this essay is to critically evaluate the ways in which consumer choice is influenced by our psychological need to create and maintain both our personal and social self-concept. Two years ago, I looked at my wardrobe and came to the conclusion that I had enough clothes but something was still missing. I had more than enough clothes but I didnt have a perfect bag that suited all my clothes. I came to the conclusion that I had a new mission. Instead of buying a relatively cheap bag I decided to save money to buy the perfect bag I always wanted to have. It took me quite a long time before I had the amount of money of buy the perfect bag. However I wanted the perfect bag so badly that I worked hard to get the money. After a few months I bought the perfect bag that suited my entire wardrobe. However after the purchase I did not feel better with my new and relatively expensive perfect bag. It was not even big enough to fit al my personal belongings. I asked myself the question why I wanted that bag so badly and why the bag did not make me happier. Why didnt I just save my money for something more special? Why did I want such a fashionably item? Overall I asked mys elf the question what kinds of factors have influenced me to buy that special bag. Furthermore I asked myself if this mission was not a perfect illustration of factors that influenced my personal buying behavior. In the essay I will evaluate my purchase experience and analyze why consumers can show a certain consumer behavior. According to Asome (2012) I am perfect example of showing my personality with a certain bag and that I want to be seen as an exclusive shopper. In the end I bought the bag to reward myself, to satisfy my psychological need and to try to make myself feel better. I spend hours in other shops considering and comparing other different bags, not worrying about the price, but in the end anything kept me from buying that one and only bag. This purchase was a perfect example of my self-concept. I wanted define myself with this expensive and exclusive bag, but some factors have influenced my purchase. I did not choose for a cheaper alternative. I wanted to be associated and seen by others as a person who was up to date and following the latest fashion trends. However the bag was not even practical. The outside of my bag was saying more about my identity. My first choice was not based on the form or function of the bag but about the way I wanted to show my identity. People have reflections of their attitudes towards themselves. Whether these attitudes are negative of positive, these attitudes will help to make a decision about products or services. Most attitudes are automatically being influenced due to the past experience and the perception of certain products and services. However these automatically attitudes will not always lead to the same choices as it will be more influences by the social and cultural environment as well. Purchases can be used to boost consumers self-esteem or to reward themselves. This is what I did after saving money to buy the perfect bag. In the end the possessions of people will help to reflect their identities. According to Knor ang tatt (2010) Modern shoppers buy things to reward themselves, to satisfy psychological needs or to make themselves feel good. Consumers are being influenced by their perception, motivation, learning or beliefs and attitudes as well to buy a certain product. These psychological influences have an enormous impact on the consumer buying behaviour. The world is changing as well as the needs and wants of the consumers throughout the world. Trends, technology, innovation and the World Wide Web are influencing the way people are. These factors are affecting the buying behaviour of the consumer throughout the world. The globalization makes the world smaller as well as creating more demand for products and services. Marketers are constantly seeking to understand how consumers behave around the world. They are trying to create gaps in the global market as well as responding to the needs of the customers. Their influence has never been so strong due to the influence of programming, social media and advertising. The process by which people purchase products and services is influenced by their need and wants. According to Solomon (2007) the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, services, ideas or experience to satisfy needs or desires. The process by which consumers decide which products and services they will select can be highly more complex and variable. (Solomon 2007). The consumers needs and wants are constantly changing. Nowadays the individual consumption behaviour is in the middle of attention and it is a meaningful practise of our every day life. My purchase was heavily influenced by the opinions and behaviours of my social group. All my friends did have a perfect bag that suited their entire wardrobe. I was influenced by having conversations about the latest fashion trends with my friends rather than being influenced by the commercials, magazines or advertising made by the marketers. I did not want to buy a bag from maybe even a more practical and more quality brand. I wanted to be approved by my friends that all loved that particular brand. People share cultural values and have beliefs and attitudes about how they think the world should be. Other groups are influencing people as well: their subculture or their social class. Buying a perfect bag does not mean that it signify my social status unless others in the reference groups or social groups share the same ideas and beliefs as I did. In this case my reference group had heavily influenced me. The people who matter to me value the idea that I needed to be style conscious, independent, show your identity with expensive clothes and following the latest fashion trends. My purchase was heavily influenced by the opinions and behaviours of my friends. All my friends did have a perfect bag that suited their entire wardrobe. I was influenced by having conversations about the latest fashion trends with my friends rather than being influenced by the commercials, magazines or advertising made by the marketers. I did not want to buy a bag from maybe even a more practical and more quality brand, as I wanted to be approved by my social group that all loved that particular brand. Marketers have to try to identity reference groups of their target markets. According to Bearden and Etzel (1982) reference groups concepts have been used by advertisers in their efforts to persuade consumers to purchase products and brands. The effect of the reference group is large on customer behaviors because they expose people to new behaviors and lifestyles. Looking at trends and innovation people change their lifestyle constantly to keep going with the rest of the world. Reference groups influences attitudes and the self-concept as well. Reference group usage of a brand provides user image associations and psychologi- cal benefit associations for brands (Muniz OGuinn, 2001). This means that certain brands are being used to create and define a consumers self-concept. Consumers want to link themselves with the things they like and they want to present themselves to others through their brand choices. They are choosing for certain brands due to their self-image, brand image and the choice of the reference group. Reference groups are associated with certain brands. Customers want to be connected with a certain reference groups because they want to be associated with them. Escalas and Bettman (2003)states that brand use by reference groups is a source of brand associations, which become linked to consumers men- tal representation of self as consumers actively construct themselves by selecting brands with associations relevant to an aspect of their current self-concept or possible self. This means that consumers like the same things as the reference groups do. So customers are not only associated with certain brands as their reference group but also due their self-concept. I always had the intention to buy the bag because it suited my image but my reference group really pushed me a little bit more to by the bag in the end. Another aspect is the influence of culture that creates a certain meaning of products in different kind of societies. Every person carries within him or herself patterns of thinking, feeling and acting that were learned throughout their lifetime. (Hofstede 2005) Cultural influences are the basis of customer behavior because it is the way people act, create and learn things in the society. It creates a certain importance of things in life. According to Hofstede (2005) culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguished the members of one group or category of people from others. This means that the subjective culture influence the practices, values and cognitive beliefs of consumers, which in the end influences the attitude and social norms as well. Culture differs from one society to another and therefore there are different consumer behaviour looking at different societies. Customers who strongly feel connected with their environment, care about their own culture and are giving careful thoughts about certain products and services. Markets are identifying other kinds of cultural groups: subculture, social class to understand the needs and wants of consumers as well. An interesting feature is consumers change all the time. The world changes constantly and so do people. Consumers have the capability of being part of one subculture as well as being influenced through other factors therefore they can change. Customer can have many assumptions about clothes, food, services and how people interact with each other. This has the ability to change after encountering different environments. However once something is embedded in peoples culture marketers found it difficult to change their well-established identity. It is something what people learned and found important right from the scratch. Symbols, heroes, rituals and values remain unconscious to those who hold them and most of the time only the practices of a culture can be learned and change throughout people lives. Generally all different kind of groups have the capability of unconscious pressure to influence and to re-enforce people. The consumer choice is also being influence by the symbolical meaning of products and services. The level of involvement plays an important role in the perception and importance of products and services. Most low involvement purchases are most of the time not showing heavily influenced consumer behaviour as these purchases have limited information and a simple decision process. High involvement products are associated with symbolic meaning for the consumers sense of the self. Their emotional processes rather than cognitive evaluation are influencing consumers. Consumers are taking symbolic meanings into account when they are thinking about a purchase and making a consumption choice. According to Elliot (1998) these meanings also serve in the construction, maintenance and communication of social and individual identity. Low self esteem are most of the time associated with dysfunctional and sometimes abdicative consumer behavior as well whereas products with symbolic meanings are embed ded in the areas of the personal self behavior. Furthermore they are intensely integrated in the growth, affection and support of social groups and relationships. Thats because consumer are most of the time giving presents to each other containing a symbolic meaning. According to Wattanasuwan (2005) people employ consumption symbolically not only to create and sustain the self but also to locate us in the society. Again this is being influences by our self as well as being part of peoples own environment. Consumers make purchases when they contain symbolic meanings. I wanted to be buy the perfect bag that symbolized I am an independent and fashionably young women. In the end all consumption has a meaning of symbolism to create and identify the self as well as to be associated and viewed by others. According to Gabriel and Lang (1995) we consume clothes, hairstyles, shoes, cars, computers and other products that contribute to the symbolic means of self-identification, through which we align ourselves emotionally with those sharing our lifestyles. The perfect bag was an example of symbolism because I felt that I belong to the fashion group that I had created by buying the bag. Marketers, reference groups, social groups, and other external factors do not only influence customers. People change and therefore their subconscious and conscious decision behaviour will change during their lifetime. Different life stages are changing the consumer behavior, material goods and their self-completion. A perfect example is celebrating Christmas once a year. Most people see Christmas as a memory of happy times. The transition of life stages makes people perceptions, attitudes and buying behavior different. Children are being more excited than adults. They are more nervous about how many presents they will get from the Santa clause every year. Adults are less excited and they want to celebrate Christmas with their family by having diner and catching up good old memories. This is something that marketers cannot influence as well because people change themselves. The world is rapidly developing and changing as a result values, needs and consumer behaviour are changing constantly as well. Nowadays consumers do not buy products only because of their main function or to satisfy their needs. Customers are choosing for products that have a brand personality that matches their own self-concept. It has become more complex where the todays role of products exceeds its basic role. Innovation, trends and the power of the World Wide Web are making the needs and the wants more complicated. Customers are seeking for products that fulfil and create their perceived value, personal and self- concept. However not only the consumer characteristics and the consumer physiological needs influence the choice of the consumer. People change themselves as well while growing up. The different life-stages have the capability to loose certain product characteristics and psychological needs as well as creating a demand for other products and services. My perfect bag was a perfect example of being influenced by both internal and external factors. Two years ago I wanted the perfect bag and did everything to get the perfect bag. Now being older and having more knowledge and life experience I can conclude that I will never make such a purchase. The then internal, external factors and the transition of my life made me realize that they are more important things than such a materialistic bag. However I change all the time and I will never stop changing. What I value today is already going to be different tomorrow. Marketers, internal and external factors are always influencing my decision buying pr ocess. Maybe I wont fall for the perfect bag anymore but there will be something else that will influence me which will create and maintain both my personal and self-concept again. Words 2523