Evaluation of a New Curriculum Initiative Essay - 1

Evaluation of a New Curriculum Initiative - Essay Example Description of Initiative: Be sure to clearly identify each heading’s attribute in that section and briefly define it if necessary (e.g., Behaviorism is the psychological foundation behind X, because†¦) Finally, be sure to connect each section to your initiative and include classroom practice whenever possible.†¨ Or be proficient. According to Ornstein and Hunkins (2008), the philosophical and psychological foundations of this initiative have to do with the fact that those in power know there needs to be education reform, but they don’t know what to do (pp. 56). There is a website summarizing the history of No Child Left Behind. It has already been a dismal failure in terms of trying to raise scores, but that is mainly not the issue.   The main issues I take task with, going into the profession of teaching are: a) having a goal of reaching 100% perfection with everyone meeting standards (just not realistic in my view), even by 2014, and b) teaching to the te st, as that does not necessarily show that students have deep understanding of a concept; it only shows you that they can pass a test, if that makes sense.   Assessment class teaches that we have learned that you can assess students in many ways.   But giving students tests, especially high-stakes testing, is limited in that it can only assess certain types of knowledge.   For example, you cant test students reasoning skills very far with giving them multiple choice items on a standardized test other than to know that they gave you the right answer. That doesn't help you very much.   But with a performance assessment of some type, such as an essay question or other assessment where students must create a product or a report of some type (where instructors don't have to "teach to the test"), a lot can be gained about what we call a students "deep understanding" of the material.

Introduction to Financial Services Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Financial Services - Case Study Example Fifty years ago, financial services has accounted for less than 3 percent of GDP in the US and developed Europe, which at present, is mounted to almost 10 percent (Stephenson 2005). Thus, the financial services industry is one of the many industries that produce rapid growth in the world economy (Stephenson 2005). The modern financial industry witnessed 1986 as the 'big bang' era that opened London up more widely to international competition through electronic trading (Harris 1998). The onset of computer technology and global telecommunications systems has undoubtedly brought rapid changes that likewise brought changes to financial services. A widening of shared ownership and investment opportunities from few to many has been heralded by this development (Harris 1998). This development has bid adieu to the usage of a stockbroker, as it has now been possible for one to buy and sell certain financial investments through a visit to the local bank or using the computer. Before the onset of advanced technology and computerization, there used to be a clear difference between a retail bank and a building society, or an insurance company, which all had a separate business from the retail bank. Today, financial institutions cannot be easily differentiated as the differences between them are disappearing while they continuously compete against each other to sell services that used to be sold by just one portion of the sector (Harris 1998). The past witnessed each firm with a narrow band of services, which it offered to a wide range of consumers and business clients. Even the payment system was controlled by commercial banks that have the authority to clear checks and drafts. Today, payments and money are facilitated electronically in volumes that are not easily handled in the physical form (Johnson 2000). Mortgage finance, which is now traded as securities, is likewise available from a wide range of sources while securities firm offer corporate and gover nment securities as investment avenues (Johnson 2000). Even insurance companies provide products that compete with investments, which can be obtained through securities firms. It may be inferred that the dynamics of the banking industry have been permanently changed by mutual funds, which is an outcome of recent technology advancement (Johnson 2000). The same advancement has blurred traditional roles, causing difficulty to distinguish the product of a commercial bank from that of another financial institution. Banks are now selling insurance, with some having taken over some insurance firms. Virgin Boots offers a range of insurance companies in much the same way as Marks &Spencer sells investment products and pensions (Harris 1998). Likewise, if one needs a mortgage, he can go to a building society, a bank, an insurance company, and even a local supermarket. Financial services also witnessed the rapid growth of telephone call centres and helplines with their increased staffing jobs. A process of significant change in a period of new alignments in domestic markets and increased global competition is currently faced by the financial services industry (Johnson 2000). For several years, bank deposits have served as the basis for the country's payment mechanism, until such time electronic banking occurred, replacing physical