Analysis Of Heron Tower, The Junction Of Bishopsgate And...

This quote rings true evermore in the construction of buildings throughout history; the overarching principle being that value for money is achieved in terms of the quality, cost, time and buildability of the project.(1). Further research on the design criteria led me to produce sub criteria which form the basis for my design proposals. These include: accessibility (ease of access), aesthetics, functionality, productivity and sustainability. The cost implications of these criteria, form the platform for my design change proposals. 2. Heron Tower, the design aspects The subject of my report is Heron Tower, located at the junction of Bishopsgate and Camomile Street (110 Bishopsgate, EC2). It is a commercial skyscraper 230 metres in height, which consists of a series of 10 three-story ‘villages’ and one six-story ‘village, an atrium located at the heart of each section.(2) Salesforce Tower has incorporated a design which takes inspiration from designs like the Seagram building built in 1958 as well as some other contemporary modern designs (Century tower in Tokyo) (3) Notable descriptions include: few internal columns, incorporated natural light from both the glazing and the atria ceilings. The building orientation dictates the function and the aesthetics of the faà §ade. For instance to the east and west, the facades are transparent to allow for the best use of the climate, such as the automatic blinds which change according to the position of the sun rays. The south face

The Fundamentals of Cognitive Theories of Motivation Free Essays

In this paper I will be aiming to cover the following areas. Firstly an overview of the fundamentals behind the cognitive theories of motivation, focusing on three main theories – Equity theory, Expectancy theory and Goal setting theory. Within these theory bases I will outline some of the developmental research that has been occurring, particularly those studies which have added empirical evidence to consolidate or expand on the basic theories. We will write a custom essay sample on The Fundamentals of Cognitive Theories of Motivation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Secondly I will show some practical applications of these theories and evidence of how successful they have been or could be within an organisational environment. Finally a short comment on the adaptability of these models to an international context which has become a dominant feature of current literature in this increasing time of globalisation. The Cognitive Theories – An Overview Motivation can be visualised as the energising force that provides the impetus to make people act. More specifically it is â€Å"the individual internal process that energises directs and sustains behavior; the personal force that causes one to behave in a particular way† (Olsen, 1996, p.1). It is a fundamental concept for management to understand in learning to comprehend the way individuals will behave within a work place context. The cognitive theories of motivation aim to develop this understanding by focusing on the action and choices made in the motivation process. The focus is on the processes that occur within a person’s mind, which influence their decision to act. (Wood, Wallace, Zeffane, Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn (1998)) They rely on the assumption that behavior is purposeful and being undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal. This means that analysing the way choices are made between a variety of perceived outcomes can provide valuable insight into understanding why and how individuals choose to act. Equity theory relies on the way people make comparisons of both effort/return and with those around them, arguing that â€Å"when people gauge the fairness of their work outcomes in comparison with others, felt inequity is the motivating state of mind.† (Wood et al p 183) People resolve the felt inequities by working in such a way as to restore a sense of equity. The equity comparison occurs on two levels. The first is an individuals subjective assessment of whether the effort required will be commensurate with the benefits achieved. The second comparison occurs on a social level using those around as a yardstick against which to measure the individuals own sense of equity. Studies (Adams 1963 in Wood et al; Vecchio 1981) have generally supported this theory. A number of recent studies have sought to develop this principle further. By looking at the relationship between Equity theory and Interpersonal Attraction (Griffeth, Vecchio Logan 1989) the authors were seeking to determine whether an attraction (or hostility) between the individual and their referent other had any influence upon the way they perceived and reacted to inequities. Their research, through a cross referencing technique of equity factors and attraction factors, provided results that indicated that attraction was indeed a contributing factor in the way individuals perceived equity balances. Although this does not undermine the essentials of equity theory, it adds the need to consider how and with who referent comparisons are made, as extra considerations when using the model. Meanwhile Barr Conlon (1994) have been looking at the impact of distribution of feedback (both group and individuals) upon individual intentions. In particular for us, this study brings into question the applicability of equity theory assumptions within a group context. It proposes that, in a group setting, where other members would act as referents and rewards are distributed equally based on group performance, individuals would make equity comparisons within the group before deciding whether to persist. This was thought to override the impacts that feedback would otherwise cause. The results supported this contention. It showed that where the impact of individual feedback worked to create a perception of underpayment (due to perceived greater effort than other group members) that individuals were less interested in continuing the behavior that they believe led to the underpayment. Thus the social comparison effect was strong enough to override any of the individual positive feedback received. The study illustrates that social comparison within a group, where felt inequity is present, can have an impact on performance, and equity theory provides a good model for predicting this impact. Once a goal is selected, it allows people to channel their energies toward goal achievement. Four factors are stated as being important in goal setting to stimulate performance (Knowles 1991). These are The theory comes into use within the domain of â€Å"purposefully directed action.† Basically it states that the simplest and most direct motivational explanation of why some people perform better on work tasks than others is because they have different performance goals. (Ryan 1970 in Latham Locke 1990). While much of the research has previously surrounded assigned goals, more emphasis is now being placed explicitly on self regulation. That is, the extent to which individuals will use goal setting, self monitoring and self rewarding/ self punishing behavior to attain a goal. (Latham Locke 1990) This may especially be useful in breaking a larger goal down into more specific stepping stone goals. The implication for managers from the study is that the addition of skills in self regulation, acquired through experience, training or effort will lead to a greater likelihood of goals being achieved. Victor Vroom (1964, cited in Wood et al, 1998) developed one of the most widely used models for the understanding of the motivation process. It aims to predict the effort that will be expended by a person in completing a task. It argues that goals are chosen according to the relative attractiveness of the outcome. Diagrammatically it can be represented as follows The contention is that the motivation to work results from the product of Expectancy, Instrumentality and Valence. (M=E x I x V) These elements are defined as follows: Expectancy is the probability of the extent to which the individual believes that a given level of achieved Work Performance will follow work effort. Instrumentality is the probability assigned that a given level of achieved performance will lead to various work outcomes. Valence is the value attached by the individual to those work outcomes. (Wood et al 1998) The implication of the model is that managers need to take into account the importance of the task being achieved along with the likelihood of the task being achieved and the likelihood that the task achievement will lead to a reward that has value to the individual. An individual requires all these factors to provide the impetus to exert the work effort. The fact that the theory does not attempt to specify the types of rewards that will motivate particular employees gives it a robustness that can be useful in application. Klein (1991) has been looking to clarify the relationship between goal setting and expectancy theories. Traditional theoretical approaches suggested viewing â€Å"expectancies and attractiveness as interacting to influence goal choice, with goals being the more direct determinants of effort† (Klein 1991 p 231). However there is also some competing evidence (Garland 1985) which contradicted this view contending that goal attributes affect expectancy theory constructs rather than resulting from them. Klein’s study hence sought to expand evidence of how the expectancy theory constructs relate to goal choice, goal commitment and performance. His findings replicated those of Garland. The perceived explanation for this for this was that goals form a dual role of being targets to shoot for as well as standards for evaluating one performance. The research into combining the two theories is continuing, with much discussion currently surrounding â€Å"issues of causal ordering, measurement and the meanings of those measurements†. (Klein 1991 p 230) It appears that we have to wait on the world of academia to conduct more research before a widely accepted combination of the two models evolves. Practical Applications of the Cognitive Theories I now wish to bring in a number of specific examples of how and where these theories can and have been applied. Using Goal Setting to improve Safety Behavior. An application area of particular interest has been the use of goal setting techniques in improving safety performance On an anecdotal level I have seen this prove successful at my own work site at a steelworks at Western Port. I have seen much evidence of the positive use of goal setting techniques in an attempt to address the behavioral component of safe working practices. The focus upon systematic monitoring of safety related behavior and the provision of extensive feedback in conjunction with widely accepted goals on injury performance at a crew and organisational level has seen safety performance improve by over 50% in under two years (BHP Western Port Lost Time Injury Statistics). However it is difficult to read too much into the improvement given that a number of other initiatives are also being concurrently undertaken. A study into the UK construction industry (Marsh, Robertson, Phillips, Duff 1995) provides some empirical support for the premise that hard, specific goals with wide feedback of the results of ones behavior can lead to positive changes in safety behavior. This study found that by using quantitative measures of awareness and review sessions, that the intervention was having positive impacts, supporting my own anecdotal evidence. It supports the notion that clearly identified and well publicised safety targets can perform a crucial role in influencing safety behavior. How to cite The Fundamentals of Cognitive Theories of Motivation, Essay examples

Key Features of HR Practices-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Questions: 1.What course of action would you recommend to the CEO in the first hospital as a way to Improve the Operation of HRM at the Hospital? 2.What are the key features of building a Sustainable HR Capability? Answers: Introduction Human Resource Management practices in an organisation is based on an official system that assists the company to look after in managing their workforce, recruitment of employees, staffing and maintaining a methodical and formal work design within an entity. Productive outcome of company is dependent largely on effective HR planning and practices. This business report aims on focusing lack of supervision in HRM practices that can cause disruption in internal environmental condition of organisation that can affect sustainability of company in market. Examples of two health care organizations in Australia are considered where contrasting HRM is implemented and a comparative study on HRM within the organizations is demonstrated. The learner has conducted a secondary methodology analysis here to gather information from secondary sources to provide insight into the HRM functions and their sustainability in the organisations. Thesis statement of this report shades light on the significant factors of prolonging sustainable HR practices within an organisation and probable recommendations in improvement of HRM operations in a healthcare organisation. 1.Recommendations for improving HRM operations The two hospitals that are considered in studying effective HRM prolongs contrasting practices of human resource within the organisation and subsequent consequences are faced by them. The first hospital lacks a specific HR department and consequently face challenges in market sustainability due to large number of employee turnover. On the contrary, the second hospital possess an HR department in the organisation that consists of a dedicated HR team that looks after employee that looks after organisation designing, employee recruitment and resourcing, their performance as well as rewards and recognitions. Ehnert, Harry Zink, (2014) mentioned that successful employment flexibility always allows an organisation to maintain an integrated HRM within the organisation. In the first hospital, lack of HR department has resulted in nil flexibility among employees and as a result huge internal disruption has taken place due to non involvement of key HR practices. CEO of the first hospital along with the finance manager have taken the responsibility of HR department and a consultant is appointed, who visits the hospital once in a week to look after the HR policies. Bogdanovic, Durian, Cingula, (2016) mentioned that it is not possible to acknowledge the factors and develop policies of human resources by a finance manager who has no relevant knowledge about the particular field. Figure 1: Three components of Karon Legge model (Source: Nazeer, Zahid Azeem, 2014) As per Karen Legge Model, HR practitioner within an organisation can involve three types of innovative approaches that can help in operations on HR departments (Lakshmi Kennedy, 2017). The primary recommendation that is required to be provided to the CEO of the first hospital is to develop a specific Human Resource Department within the organisation following the Conformist Innovator approach of Karen Legg model. Conformist Innovator approach of Karen Legg model will help the company to identify objectives of the organisation, strategies of conflict reduction, cost reduction and increase organizational productivity (Psychogios et al. 2016). HR team of the second hospital has framed a strategic HR capability, dealing with the visions of the organisation, thus enhancing their profit and productivity. Figure 2: Components of Six Sigma lean approach (Source: Veloso, Tzafrir Enosh, 2015) The second hospital has maintained an effective monitoring of different HR practices, policies and processes of their organisation. As per Kemayou, (2014), quality and performance measurement of an organisation is done by six sigma model, which can be utilized by HR departments. The second hospital has identified and measured the internal and external market factors that are followed by undertaking the six sigma lean approaches in monitoring organizational HRM. CEO of the first hospital is strongly recommended to conduct a methodical monitoring of the HR practices with the help of Six Sigma model that would assist to frame an organizational chart, designation of each employee, their performance and scope of improvements. Specific training and development requirement, key performance indicators along with rewards and recognitions of the employees can be identified from this model. Benn Rusinko (2013) stated that in HRM, key performance indicators portray the metric of performance eva luation of several HR activities. 2.Key features in building sustainable HR capability The second hospital has taken successful measures in developing the vision of organisation, identifying key performance indicators, monitoring effects of organizational HRM, motivating their employees and employee retention. Longoni, Golini Cagliano, (2014) opined that a sustainable HR capability is developed within an organisation on individual considerations of HR activities and specific analysis of those activities for future improvement. Figure 3: Key performance Indicators (Source: Story et al. 2014) Key performance indicators identified by second hospitals are: Training and development Absenteeism Workforce cost Employee retention Employee motivation Employee turnover Workplace health and safety Determination of each of the key performance indicators has allowed the second hospital to improve their job designing in HR practices. As per Smith Synowka (2015), a company can develop a proficient strategy in executing HR practices, which would help them to prolong a smooth workflow and also increase competence to survive tough market competition. Capability of HR department of the second hospital is judged by their sustainable position in the market and this has been possible because a smooth relation is maintained between the HR departments as well other departments of organisation. On the contrary, the first hospital has not established a specific HR department, thus their sustainability in HR capability is questionable. They have only appointed a consultant in reviewing their HR policies, processes and practices. As per Akhtar et al. (2014) appointing only a consultant to supervise HR policies is not sufficient in evaluating the HR capability of the organisation and its conse quent sustainability in market. Healthcare organisation Key performance Indicators Monitoring HR processes Employee retention Sustainable HR capabilities First hospital No No No No Second hospital Yes Yes Yes Yes Table 1: HR practices in two organisations (Source: Created by learner) HR department of the second hospital has considered the motivation of their employees as a crucial factor and had introduced several reward and recognition processes to increase the encouragement and loyalty of employees. This has helped the company in retaining their employees, reducing staff turnovers and overall production quality of the company has increased. Lack of all these systems in the first hospital has resulted in huge employee turnovers, staff grievances, absenteeism, and reduction in overall company productivity. Varma (2013) has stated that effectual production is indirect in the HR department, utilization of staffs is being initiated from this department itself. Hence, it is obvious that the first hospital will face reduced productivity as their employees are not enough encouraged and motivated. CEO of the first hospital is content with the supervision of an HR consultant in their organisation to look after HR policies set by CEO and financial manager. As mentioned by Lussier Hendon (2014), an HR consultant can oversee and supervise the prevalent HJR policies but cannot undertake measures in introducing new strategies as well as look after employee benefits that are essential for company benefits. Options Characteristics Creating HR functions Staff engagement Organisational commitment Quality of patient care HR manager Planning Job analysis Recruitment Selection Table 2: HR practices in second organisation (Source: Created by learner) The second hospital has effective HR department that deals with all the HR activities of the organisation and essential measures of improvement are recommended. This is another key factor in maintaining sustainability regarding capability of HR and consequently assists in profit enhancement of the organisation. (Refer to Appendix 1) Conclusion Findings and analysis in the above report shows that there is an effective relationship of HR department of an organisation with the enhancement of companys profit since the primary lookout of this department is towards the wellbeing of staff, who are the actual human resources of an organisation. Requirement of a specific department within an organisation deals with overall increase in productivity of an organisation and lack of presence of this department does not allow sustainability of the organisation in market. It is thus required to establish an effectual HR department within an organisation to look after the internal work culture of the organisation along with the sustainability of the company to survive tough competition in the external market environment. Reference List Akhtar, N., Azeem, S. M., Mustafa Mir, G. (2014). Impact of hrm practices on perceived organizational performance.International Journal of Academic Research,6(5).632-745. Benn, S., Rusinko, C. A. (2013). Boundary objects, HRM tools and change for sustainability.The Necessary Transition. The Journey towards the Sustainable Enterprise Economy. 2(4), 102-410. Bogdanovic, M., Durian, J., Cingula, D. (2016). Hrm choices for business strategy support: how to resolve the most important hrm strategic dilemmas?.Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings, 52(11) 429-745. Ehnert, I., Harry, W., Zink, K. J. (2014). Sustainability and HRM. InSustainability and Human Resource Management, 45(7), 78-214. Kemayou, Y. (2014). Organization and Assessment.International Human Resource Management, 74(22), 1020-2145. Lakshmi, V. R., Kennedy, H. (2017). The Role of Business Sustainability in Human Resource Management: A Study on Indian Manufacturing Companies.The South East Asian Journal of Management,11(1), 70-330. Longoni, A., Golini, R., Cagliano, R. (2014). The role of New Forms of Work Organization in developing sustainability strategies in operations.International Journal of Production Economics,147(6), 147-160. Lussier, R. N., Hendon, J. R. (2014).Human resource management: Functions, applications, and skill development. London: SAGE Publications. Machado, C., Davim, J. P. (2014).Human Resource Management and Technological Challenge,Berlin: Springer. Nazeer, S., Zahid, M. M., Azeem, M. F. (2014). Internal service quality and job performance: does job satisfaction mediate.Journal of Human Resources,2(1), 41-65. Psychogios, A., Szamosi, L. T., Prouska, R., Brewster, C. (2016). A three-fold framework for understanding HRM practices in South-Eastern European SMEs.Employee Relations,38(3), 310-331. Smith, A. D., Synowka, D. P. (2014). Lean operations and SCM practices in manufacturing firms: multi-firm case studies in HRM and visual-based metrics.International Journal of Procurement Management,7(2), 183-200. Story, J. S., Barbuto, J. E., Luthans, F., Bovaird, J. A. (2014). Meeting the challenges of effective international HRM: Analysis of the antecedents of global mindset.Human Resource Management,53(1), 131-155. Varma, A. (2013).Managing human resources in Asia-Pacific, Abingdon: Routledge Veloso, A., Tzafrir, S., Enosh, G. (2015). How employees perceive HRM practices: Differences between public and private organizations.Human resource management challenges and changes, 77(23), 19-36

Project Outline A Contingency Theory of Organizational Change

Question: Discuss about theProject Outline for a Contingency Theory of Organizational Change. Answer: Introduction Organization Profile Etihad Airways is based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is one of the leading airliners in the United Arab Emirates. It is a passenger airliner and travels to major international destinations. The brand also operates Etihad Holidays and Etihad Cargo, which has assisted the business entity to build a reputed name in the International market. Organization Structure Etihad Airways is governed through a board of directors, and operates according to the legislation and the guidelines as well as the article of association in the company (Riwo-Abudho et al. 2012). These two committees are the executive committee and the audit committee possessing own distinct rules and regulations. Change Drivers The decision process is wholly centralized to the management or the core leadership in the organization. According to Benn, et al. (2014), the management of the business organization takes the key business decisions and this has an effect on the entire operations of a business entity. It is the primary responsibility of the middle- ranked management of the business enterprise to carry out the operational policies of the business enterprise as per the rules and guidelines established by the company set at the outset. The middle ranked management of the company has also an additional responsibility in allocating the jobs to different teams. Cameron and Green (2015) mentioned that the essential change drivers in the organization are organizational needs and the market demand, government laws and regulations. Besides, this enhancing each business processes in the organization can be one of the reasons for implementing changes in Etihad Airways. Vakola et al. (2013) stated that the needs of the business organization are the most important criteria when implementing changes in the business entity. Thus, the internal factors that can lead to changes in the organization are the cost of operations and the annual revenue of the business organization. The external factors of the organization are the nature of the market competition as well as the rising prices of fuel in the market (Battilana and Casciaro 2012). Besides this, the market demand of the consumers is also an important factor that can be attributed to the changes in the policies of the business enterprise. Key Stakeholders The changes shall mostly affect the internal level in the business organization. The operational department of the organization would be mostly affected by the changes in the business organization. This would have also had a pertinent impact on the financing decisions made by the stakeholders. Battilana and Casciaro (2012) mentioned that the key stakeholders also include the investors of the business organization. There shall be mixed reactions from the stakeholders. Initially, there would be resistance to the changes in the business organization. This shall be doubts about the alterations that would be implemented in the business organization. It is expected that this would have a considerable impact on the operations of a business entity. As per the Week 2 Desert News Case, this would have a serious impact on all the pertinent aspects of the business organization. Thus, the operational, financial and the marketing aspects of the organization would be influenced by the changes implemented in the business organization. According to Vakola et al. (2013), the changes adopted in the business organization shall have a potential impact on key business decisions taken by the business enterprise. It is important that the brand assess the existing operational policies of the business enterprise and reacts accordingly. In addition, the presence of the substitute brands in the market has also been instrumental to the presence of the change in the market (Battilana and Casciaro 2012). Therefore, it can be said that the change drivers have been essential to the change implemented in the business organization. The change would have a mixed reaction to the changes implemented in the business organization. (Cameron and Green 2015). The primary unanswered questions relates to the implications of the changes implemented in the business organization. This would directly relate to the business sustainability of Etihad Airways in the coming years. Besides this, there would be resistance from within the business organization. Change Initiative The primary aim of the change initiative is enhancing the business operational policies of the business enterprise. This would result in decreasing the operational costs of Etihad Airways . As per Nisam and Sushi (2011), the change initiative has to consider the following factor in establishing the changes in the organization - the needs of the enterprise. Therefore, Etihad Airways needs to consider the financial as well as the non-financial resource of the business enterprise in re-innovating the changes in the business enterprise. The success and the failure of these services can be measured through the year ended business performance. The change implemented in the business organization shall reduce the cost of operations of the company, thereby, strengthening the financial resources of the firm (Battilana and Casciaro 2012). The performance assessment can be done quarterly or half-yearly to identify the discrepancies in the production process of the firm. This would assist the business entity to execute business performances at a consistent rate. The following are the ethical considerations that need to be taken care of, in executing changes in the organization. Transparency- Any change implemented in the organization must conform to the ethical rules and guideline established for the organization at the outset. It is necessary that transparent policies and strategies are established to enable the business enterprise retain the existing goodwill and reputation. Employees - It is necessary that the organization does not exploit the rights of the employees. As such, it becomes necessary that the employees be not presented with an unfair deal. Financial strategies The financial strategies presented in the business organization. There should not be any financial irregularities or undue advantage taken by the organization, in the pursuit of implementing the changes in the organization. Environmental sustainability - Environmental protection and sustainability should be the primary concern of the business organization. Thus, it is necessary that the brand adhere to different environmental laws and regulations in implementing the operational strategies of the business enterprise. References Battilana, J. and Casciaro, T., 2012. Change agents, networks, and institutions: A contingency theory of organizational change. Academy of Management Journal, 55(2), pp.381-398. Benn, S., Dunphy, D. and Griffiths, A., 2014. Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge. Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015. Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Nasim, S. Sushil (2011) Revisiting organizational change: exploring the paradox of managing continuity and change,Journal of Change Management, 11 (2), pp.185-206. Riwo-Abudho, M., Njanja, L. and Ochieng, I. (2012) The role of strategic leadership during change, Kenya Journal of Business Management, 4 (1), pp.48-61. Vakola, M., Armenakis, A. and Oreg, S., 2013. Reactions to organizational change from an individual differences perspective: A review of empirical research. The Psychology of Organizational Change: Viewing Change from the Employee's Perspective, pp.95-122.

College Application Essay Sample

College Application Essay SampleChoosing a college application essay sample is the first step to getting your college essay posted on the campus. When applying to college, you are writing an essay on why you want to go to college. There are many kinds of college essay samples available. You can use any one that appeals to you, as long as it serves its purpose.You will have many applications to consider, and college application essays are no exception. Whether you are applying to a four-year university or a community college, the essay should be your first choice. You should choose a college application essay sample that fits your personality and how you write.When writing a college application essay, you should make a list of questions, that will help you organize your thoughts. Write down all the things that you expect to find when you go to college, such as whether you plan to change majors, or what you plan to do when you graduate. For a student who is highly motivated and wants t o excel, you will have a lot of options to choose from.Choosing a college application essay sample, can be intimidating. As you browse through the internet, you may find many samples, and they do look nice. However, there are other ways that you can select one that will fit your personal style. You will have more freedom to create your own college essay with a college application essay sample that will be custom to you.To create a college application essay, it is important to have clear thoughts about the place that you want to attend. When writing your college essay, it is vital to consider how this will influence your future plans. Even if you do not plan to go to college for now, you can provide you own experience to say about your future plans. With a college application essay sample, you can also tell how a specific community college will feel about your choices. You can even include things that you like about your dream school.College application essays are part of the admissi on process for every college. The writer must speak well and write well. Writing a good college application essay is difficult and challenging. Even if you are good at writing, you must put yourself in the shoes of the admissions committee. They will give you many guidelines on how to write an essay that will get them to decide on whether or not you will be admitted. When choosing a college application essay sample, you can make a list of the points that you expect to find in each essay.Make sure that you understand the college application essay sample that you choose, and use it as a guide to tell you what kind of essay you need to write. You will need to think about how you will use the essay to explain your personal reasons, and how it will relate to your future plans. For those who are applying to multiple colleges, it is important to choose a college application essay sample that is unique to you. They will give you guidance on what you need to write.Use A College Application E ssay Sample To Write Your Own

3 Great Options for Online Homeschooling Support

3 Great Options for Online Homeschooling Support SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The magic of the internet has dramatically increased the resources available to the average homeschooler. Through online homeschooling resources, homeschools can supplement their existing coursework, parents can get curriculum support, and students with irregular schedules can stay enrolled in high school! In this complete guide to online homeschool, we’ll introduce online homeschooling, discuss the pros and cons to online homeschool, and go over the types of online homeschool and the benefits and drawbacks to each type. We’ll also provide examples of each type of program! An Introductionto Online Homeschool Online homeschooling refers to a homeschooling program (so, no going to a brick-and-mortar building!) where some or all of the learning is done through the aid of an online program. Other than that, it’s a pretty broad term. Online homeschooling could mean you are doing a complete, comprehensive program at an online high school. It could also mean one or both of your parents are your primary teachers, but you are supplementing their teaching with one or two online homeschool classes. It could even mean your parents are getting their homeschool curriculum from an online source, which they are then teaching to you. Thus, â€Å"online homeschool† can refer to pretty much any internet-based homeschooling coursework resources. Should You Use Online Classes in Your Homeschooling Program? There are both pros and cons to making use of online material and courses in your homeschooling program. Benefits of Online Homeschooling There are several benefits to online homeschooling: It's Flexible Online homeschool allows for increased flexibility in schedule. This is really important for students who may be engaged in lots of travel for athletic competitions or who have other constraints that cause them to have irregular schedules. Being able to work on the road and at unusual times is a must for students who are pursuing activities that aren’t compatible with a typical Monday-Friday 8 am-3 pm school schedule. It Doesn’t Rely Solely on Parent Expertise Even if your parents are amazing homeschool teachers, there may be areas where they don’t have enough knowledge to effectively teach you, especially when you get older and start taking advanced and AP classes. In this case, online homeschool classes can fill in the gaps and make sure you get the instruction you need for advanced coursework. Can Have Engaging, Interactive Teaching Methods Some online homeschool programs will mostly involve you reading an online textbook and doing standard exercises. However, there are some programs that strive to present material in an engaging and interactive way using the online/computer-based medium. This can help keep you from getting bored. Validated Grades A benefit to online homeschool programs that give grades is that it helps validate your grades beyond just a parent transcript. If an online, independently run and graded course gives you high marks, that’s going to serve as evidence to colleges that you really know the material and help validate your homeschool grades and achievements. If you're a competitive ice-skater, you might need online homeschool so you can skate and graduate! Drawbacks of Online Homeschooling Here are some of the drawbacks: Self-Motivation Is Required The less structured and monitored a program is, the more self-motivated you’ll need to be. So if you’re doing a very self-guided program without too many deadlines or checkpoints along the way, you will really need to keep yourself on track. A parent can help with this, of course, but it will ultimately be up to you to make sure all the work gets done. Quality Control The landscape of online education is very uneven, so you need to really make sure that whatever online homeschooling program(s) you use are high-quality. Ideally, they would be accredited in some way and have good reviews from other students. Other things to look for include instructor availability, quality and comprehensiveness of content, and workload. Less Curriculum Flexibility Online homeschooling, particularly complete online high school programs, offer less curriculum flexibility than traditional homeschooling, where parents can create the entire curriculum tailored to student interest. For example, parents can arrange every subject in short units around single topics or make all of your math work relate to cooking and baking to keep students interested. With online programs, it’s less individualized and more outside of parental (and student) control. Cost In general, most online homeschooling resources cost money, and they can be quite expensive! At some providers, an individual course can cost a thousand dollars, and enrolling in a complete online high school can cost several thousand dollars a year! Unfortunately, it takes more than a simple stamp to guarantee quality. The 3 Types of Online Homeschool: Pros and Cons There are three overall categories of online homeschool: single classes, complete online schools or programs, and online curriculum support for homeschooling parents. Single Classes As a homeschooler, you can take single classes in specific subjects from a variety of online course providers to supplement your home learning without having to enroll in a complete online high school. Pros: By taking single online courses, you can pick and choose from a variety of sources. This allows you not only to try out different providers and formats but dramatically expands your potential course catalogue! If you can find an online provider that offers a course, you can take it! Taking single courses is also, in general, going to be more cost-effective than enrolling in a complete online high school. You can select only those courses that you absolutely need an online provider for and save money on the ones where you don’t. Cons: The more different providers you take courses from, the more logistically complicated it will be! Not only will you have to make sure that none of your courses clash in terms of scheduling, deadlines, and so on, you will need to request transcripts from all of your coursework providers when it’s time to apply to college! Examples: Here are several examples of providers that offer single classes for online homeschool. Note that many online high schools also offer the option of taking single classes. PA Homeschoolers - This homeschool-student only provider offers robust online AP courses for high-schoolers. Reviews of the site praise the individualized attention that students get from instructors and the overall quality of the curriculum and learning experience. Florida Virtual School - This public online course provider has both single course and complete curriculum options; with FLVS Flex, homeschoolers can supplement their coursework with select online courses. UC Scout - The University of California system offers this online course provider specifically so that students can satisfy California universities’ A-G requirements online (the A-G requirements are fairly standard high school college prep course expectations). But anyone can enroll in their courses! Taking single classes gives you access to a whole buffet of online courses! Complete Online Schools/Programs You can also enroll in a complete online high school program and take all of your courses through the same provider- like a regular high school, but in cyberspace! Pros: This is a great option for students in rural areas or with unusual schedules who still want to be connected to some kind of high school community. Some online high schools really make an effort to connect students, too, through things like extracurriculars. You will get a more consistent, cohesive academic experience from an online school as opposed to if you patch together classes from various online course providers, homeschool, and community college. Some online high schools even have pretty robust institutional resources like guidance counselors to help you apply to college! An online high school gives you the benefit of one simple, complete transcript from the school- which you won’t have if you take classes from multiple sources. This will make it logistically simpler down the line when you start applying to colleges. Cons: You have much less control and flexibility in an online high school versus traditional homeschooling or select online courses. You have to comply with the school’s rules about how many courses you can take, when you can take them, any prerequisites you need, and so on. You’re limited by the school’s course catalogue- if they don’t offer it, you can’t take it. Complete online high schools can be expensive! Many are private schools, in which case you may find yourself paying thousands of dollars annually. However, some states offer free public online high schools to students, so be sure to look into that. Examples: There are hundreds of online high schools out there. These are only a few examples. But if you are going to use an online high school, make sure that it’s accredited! Stanford Online High School - This rigorous, application-only online high school was created by Stanford University and features a lot of interaction with other students as a main selling point. It is fairly expensive, though! Connections Academy - This is a free, accredited online public high school. The Keystone School - An accredited, online private high school based in Pennsylvania but available to students everywhere. Also check out our massive list of over a hundred free online high schools! If you need to keep irregular hours to fuel your frog-hunting passion, online homeschool may be just the thing for you! Online Homeschool Curriculum Support If you’re a parent who is looking for predesigned homeschool curriculum to use with your children, there are tons of online homeschooling curriculums available out there. Pros: The major pro, of course, is that this can be an incredible time-saversince you don’t have to design the entire curriculum yourself. If you can find a well-designed, high-quality, positively-reviewed curriculum for a course, you can confidently use it yourself! Pre-designed curricula can also be helpful when you are familiar with the subject, but not an expert. It will give you a little boost in knowledge and effectiveness if the curriculum is high-quality. Cons: Quality control is an issue for any online homeschool curriculum. Since most curricula aren’t offered by accredited institutions, it can be hard to know that what you’re getting is the real deal. Ideally, you’d be able to look over some of the curriculum before purchasing or using it so that you can validate it. You’ll also want to try to find reviews from other users. Examples: Here are a couple of curriculum support options. Note that it may be the hardest to separate the wheat from the chaff with curriculum support sites because anyone can start up a website and upload a curriculum with little possibility of outside validation. Bridgeway Academy - In addition to single courses and an online high school program, they also offer a program for parents to connect with homeschool curriculum that meets their needs. Calvert Education - Calvert Education offers homeschool curriculum to parents with an online management tool and a support line. They also claim President Barack Obama as an alumnus! Imagine a 24-7 curriculum support line for all your 2 am math-instruction questions. Online Homeschool: Key Takeaways Online homeschooling resources are available from many sources. You can take individual courses, enroll in a complete online high school, or get homeschool curriculum online! Here are some of the pros and cons to online homeschool: Pros: It can offer flexibility for students with unusual schedules. It allows you to get taught by trained experts in a variety of subjects. Teaching methods can be interactive and engaging. An online course transcript helps validates other homeschool grades. Cons: You need to be self-motivated to learn in the online format. Quality control for online learning resources can be a problem. Less flexibility than traditional homeschooling. It can be expensive! There are also pros and cons to the different kinds of online homeschool: Single courses allow youtry out multiple providers and have access to more classes and are more cost-effective than a complete online high school. However, the more providers you take classes from, the more logistically complicated it is! A complete online high school keeps you connected to a high school community, gives a cohesive academic experience, and gives you just one simple transcript, but uou are limited by the high school’s regulations and course catalog. Complete online high schools can also be very expensive. Curriculum support is a less extensive option that can still be ahuge time-saver for parents, but quality control is often an issue with these resources. Online homeschool for everyone! Yay! What's Next? Get more guidance on deciding if online high school is right for you, and a list of 100+ free online high schools to consider. And be sure to learn more about getting a high school diploma online! Thinking about a private online school? See our full expert review of Stanford Online High School. Need to register for the ACT orprep for the ACTas a homeschooled student? Or what aboutpreparing for the SAT as a homeschooler? Considering taking AP courses online? See our guide to 12 pros and cons of online AP courses. And see expert reviews of the best and worst online AP courses. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

US Virgin Islands Vital Records

US Virgin Islands Vital Records Heres how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in the Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, including the dates for which Virgin Islands vital records are available and where they are located. St. Croix Birth and Death Records Virgin Islands Department of HealthSt. Croix DistrictOffice of Vital Records and StatisticsCharles Harwood Memorial HospitalSt. Croix, VI 00820Phone:  (340) 773-1311 ext. 3086 Dates: Available from 1840 Cost of Copy: $15 (mail-in), $12 (in person) What You Need to Know:Postal money order should be made payable to the  Virgin Islands Department of Health. Personal checks are not accepted. Call to verify current fees. All requests MUST include the signature and a photocopy of a valid photo ID of the individual requesting the record. Requests sent by postal mail must also be notarized, and include a stamped envelope in the amount of $5.60 for return by certified mail or $18.30 for return by express mail. Application for Certified Copy of a Birth Record Application for Certified Copy of a Death Record St. Croix Marriage and Divorce Records Chief Deputy Clerk,  Family DivisionSuperior Court of the Virgin IslandsP.O. Box 929ChristianstedSt. Croix, VI  00820Phone:  (340) 778-9750 x6626 Website:  visuperiorcourt.org/clerk/Family.aspx​ Cost of Copy:  $2 (marriage), $5 (divorce) What You Need to Know:Certified copies are not available.  Money order for marriage records should be made payable to  Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.  Personal checks are not accepted. St. Thomas and St. John Birth and Death Records Virgin Islands Department of HealthSt. Thomas/St. John DistrictOffice of Vital Records and Statistics1303 Hospital Ground, Suite 10St. Thomas, VI 00802Phone:  Ã‚  (340) 774-9000 ext. 4685 Dates:  Available from 1840 Cost of Copy:  $15 (mail-in), $12 (in person) What You Need to Know:Postal money order should be made payable to the  Virgin Islands Department of Health. Personal checks are not accepted. Call to verify current fees. All requests  MUST  include the signature and a photocopy of a valid photo ID of the individual requesting the record. Requests sent by postal mail must also be notarized, and include a stamped envelope in the amount of $5.60 for return by certified mail or $18.30 for return by express mail. Application for Certified Copy of a Birth Record Application for Certified Copy of a Death Record St. Thomas and St. John Marriage and Divorce Records St. Thomas (in person only)Superior Court of the Virgin IslandsAlexander A. Farrelly Justice Center1st Floor, East Wing, Room E1115400 Veterans DriveSt. Thomas, VI 00802 St. John (in person only)Superior Court of the Virgin IslandsBoulon CenterSt. John, VI 00830 Mailing Address (use for both St. Thomas and St. John):P.O. Box 70St. Thomas, VI 00804 Phone:  (340) 774-6680  ext. 6401 Website:  visuperiorcourt.org/clerk/Family.aspx​ Cost of Copy:  $2 (marriage), $5 (divorce) What You Need to Know:Certified copies are not available.  Money order for marriage records should be made payable to  Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.  Personal checks are not accepted.