Synthesis paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Synthesis - Term Paper Example Taking this course has enabled me to fully appreciate the various facets of leadership and to realize that leadership is an art in itself. The 9100 class required me to participate in a leadership simulation program online. I assumed two main roles: a state representative in economic development to head of funds distribution. Being in the economic development board, I was exposed to the myriad of challenges one faces when he or she has been granted the power and authority to make decisions. Before taking the course, I, like many other people, used to avoid discussing power since each one has a different opinion about it. However by this course, I came to understand that it is the trait which distinguishes leaders from followers and using it the right way is a very challenging task. This course has equipped me with the necessary qualities needed to be a good leader by making me work my way through problem-based experiences. In this paper, I will reflect upon how the leadership simulat ion course has helped me develop leadership traits and how the concepts of leadership apply to my experiences and learning. Being a member of the economic development board in the leadership simulation program allowed me to develop and hone my leadership skills. The program was a platform for me to come across the experiences that senior leaders face in their respective disciplines. By assuming a placement position in the economic department, I was exposed to the brunt of real responsibilities. The various skills that the simulation experience honed included better communication ability, making decisions in the spur of the moment as well as putting them to the test of thoughts and brainstorming, solving conflicts that may arise in the course of activities and performing other responsibilities of a board member. Being a simulated board member also opened the opportunity to interact with my peers and to work as a team. I realized the importance of team work and the importance of each and every member in interprofessional teams. This not only helped me to direct the decisions taken towards the optimal performance of the board but also to develop value-generating strategies which served to improve the efficiency of the processes. In the program, I came to identify my leadership style and to create a leadership plan2. The leadership program helped me to make my way through the problem-based scenarios in an organized and structured way. I was given different situations. In one such situation, being a member of the economic development board, I was required to evaluate the feasibility of a funding proposal. A lump sum of $1 million was proposed to be given to an economic development group, over a course of three years. My job was to investigate and decide whether the investment was worth it and if it contributed towards the betterment of the community as a whole. $1 million is a lot of money and in order to make such a decision, I had to evaluate the aims of the econ omic development group in detail. The situation allowed me to further upon my accounting skills and to weigh the profits against the possible losses. Discussing the situation with other board members allowed to me to diversify my communication and negotiation skills and to use the collective opinion in making a decision which is for the greater good of the community. Moreover, since I had a senior role and the amount of money being invested was large, my responsibility of keeping an

Educational attainment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Educational attainment - Article Example Current paper focuses on the effects of identity - as related with race, gender and social class - on the educational attainment; there is limitation in terms of geographic region or age of people involved - learners of all ages can suffer discrimination because of their race, gender and social class; this discrimination can affect their attainment in school or other educational institute; the specific problem can occur in both the developing and the developed countries as the findings of the studies developed below prove. Identity can refer not only to the personal data, i.e. name and address; it is more related with the person's social and educational background. It can also refer to other issues, like gender, race and financial status. In education, specific parts of identity, especially social class, race and gender are likely to influence educational attainment under the terms explained below. Theorists and researchers around the world have tried to identify the potential effects of social class, gender and race on educational attainment. In accordance with a research made across England it was proved that 'inequality was the highest where the proportions attaining a particular threshold were the highest-upper secondary school or higher in Scotland; country differences in educational policy have not yielded different changes over time in the association between origin and educational attainment' (Paterson et al., 2007, 330). In accordance with the above study, inequalities in education have to be expected - they are unavoidable; however, the standards/ patterns set within a specific educational environment are likely to influence the behaviour of learners towards their classmates. In other words, the issue of inequality appears in environments where the necessary requirements for such phenomena exist. The specific conditions are normally expected to affect the performance of learners that suffer the discriminative behaviour of their classmates because of their racial or social background or their gender. The specific issue is highlighted in other studies that have been developed on the particular problem. The effects of education on the life of individuals can be critical. In accordance with Huurre et al. (2006, 41) 'background Education fundamentally shapes an individual's life chances and social status; duration and level of education are associated with people's incomes, socio-economic status, living standard, lifestyle and the respect and esteem they enjoy'. Through the examination of the practical implications of the above assumption, it was revealed that 'low school achievement and manual class of origin were the strongest predictors of low educational level in adulthood' (Huurre et al., 2006, 41). In other words, low performance in school/ university can adversely affect an individual's l