Professional Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Professional Development Plan Essay Introduction The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a structured process made by an individual to reflect on their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan their personal, educational and career development. PDP complies a range of procedures, such as planning, doing, recording, and reflection. (The Higher Education Academy 2012) The objective of this PDP is to help improve existing skills or to develop new ones. In order to do so, a self-assessment, SWOT analysis, SMART and Belbin’s self-perception inventory will be completed, to acknowledge strengths and weaknesses. Section 1: Professional Development Plan For this PDP three distinct goals will be developed. * Individual Goal – Time Management and Personal Organisation * Group Working Goal – Searching databases * Academic Goal – Listen, read and take notes To help set the goals, three goals worksheets were completed and the SMART diagnosis was applied (See Appendix 1 and 2). SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. (Scanlon 2011) Time Management and Personal Organisation This goal was chosen as the individual goal because managing time and being organised was always a struggle, and therefore for several times in numerous occasions the effect was unpleasant. By being able to manage time and being more organised, opportunities will rise to have a more effective performance in personal, academic and professional life. This weakness was noted through the self-assessment comprised by a friend, a colleague and myself (See Appendix 3). This skill was not developed sooner out of pure laziness and lack of motivation. To achieve this goal I will do weekly schedules to see what was done during the week and check if certain activities were accomplished (See Appendix 4). This goal is set to be developed until 11th March 2012. Searching Databases This goal was chosen as the group working goal because searching databases was always a difficult task, either it was for personal, academic or work related purposes. Whenever there are group works, this task is always passed on to other members, which made my ability to improve less feasible. This weakness was noted through the Belbin Test (See Appendix 5). This skill was not developed until now because there was lack of knowledge of databases resources. To achieve this goal I will carry on a research about Miss Universe, looking for information in all resources I can find (See appendix 6). As there were no relevant books on the subject, I had to confine the search to the Internet. This goal is set to be developed until 12th March 2012. Listen, Read and Take Notes This goal was chosen as the academic goal because as English is not my first language, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with lectures and at the same time take notes, as well as it is difficult to read, comprehend in just one go, and take notes. By developing this skill, when preparing for exams, being in lectures, workshops and work meetings, listening, reading and taking notes, will become simple, efficient, quick and easy. This weakness was noted while in class, at home and at work, and later on identified in SWOT analysis and also through the self-assessment comprised by a friend, a colleague and myself (See Appendix 3 and 7). The SWOT analysis is a notably useful tool to identify and analyse opportunities for development and related barriers and challenges. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Being Strengths and Weaknesses internal factors and Opportunities and Threats external factors. (Scanlon 2011) To achieve this goal I will take notes from lectures and from a few pages of one of the recommended books for this unit (See Appendix 8). This goal is set to be developed until 12th March 2012. Section 2: Progress Review Time Management and Personal Organisation For this goal I did weekly sheets to see my development. I did the first weekly sheet in 19th December 2011. As I was not working at the moment my only responsibility was University, and seems like the less responsibility one has, the less he/she does. That is exactly what was happening. I was spending most of my days watching television and/or watching series online, or simply just spending days sleeping. I had my mother and a friend over for Christmas and New Year. With their presence here, I felt like doing even less, because all I wanted was to spend time with them or go out and show them Manchester. So basically all the activities I was always planning to do, I ended up not doing them. I knew I had an exam in early January, and yet I did not study until the week before the exam. I managed to pass the exam with a low pass, 44%, but I know I could have done much better if only I dedicated myself to study longer and in advance. So after this happened I realized it was time for me to stop being lazy and change my attitude towards the use of my time. I started watching less television and less series online. I started reading a novel ‘The Lucky One’, I started getting more worried with the planning of my PDP, I joined the gym and I was more focused in finding a job. For a while it was difficult having so many activities after not having basically none. I started going to the gym more often, like twice or three times a week. I started going to Church also; I did not go in a long time. I was more focused in classroom, and I understood more of the topics in study. I was feeling more motivated, less lazy, and I was managing my time very well. I was more organized with my studies, and personal life. I kept a diary so I would know what I did and what I needed to do. So in the end, I think the development of this goal helped me a lot, it improved my attendance in University, and also my productivity at home. Searching Databases For this goal I did a research on Miss Universe. Their history, how it started, who invented it, what is its purpose, previous contestants, the actual Miss Universe Leila Lopes, that is Miss Angola, from my birth country. I have to admit I chose this as my research topic because of how proud I am of her. She is a beautiful woman, and gave her best and deserved to won. As I was doing the research on the subject, I realized I did not choose the best topic to do a research, because I could only find information on the Internet. There are no relevant books on this subject, and even the news I found, were on online newspapers. But as I did not have more time to think of a new topic, and start doing a new research, because I still had my last goal to develop, I had to keep up with lectures of both units, and look for a job, I just kept this topic. I do not think I had great improvements with this goal, and it was mainly because of my topic of research choice. I could not explore others sources, and that confined me to the Internet, which has a wide range of irrelevant information. So this is one goal I will keep on developing because it is really necessary for the years ahead. Listen, Read and Take Notes For this goal I gathered as evidence all the notes I have from lectures I attended, and notes I made from a few pages of one of the recommended books: ‘Organizational Behaviour’ by Buchanan and Huczynski (2010). It was hard in the beginning because I did not know where to begin. I was trying to be more focus in class, by not having my phone close, and not talking with colleagues unnecessarily. As we only have 2 classes per week, it was hard to develop this skill, so I decided that notes from the lectures alone would not be enough. I started to do notes from the book referred above. And after a while I was feeling more confident, my notes were becoming good. I would write more in the lecture notes, instead of just listening and getting home, and not knowing what were the main points of that topic. I will still keep on developing this skill because it is non-stop, I know I am still far from excellent, but it was good to give it a go, and actually see some changes even though they are little. Goal Setting and S.M.A.R.T goals Specific – What (goal), why (reasons), which (constraints) etc.? Clearly stated outcome you wish to achieve. Measurable – Can progress be assessed? A goal that you can evidence, i.e., demonstrate its achievement in way and can show progress. Attainable – Can the goal be accomplished? The goal should not be too high or low. Goals that are set too high or too low become meaningless. It should stretch you a bit, without being too extreme. Realistic – Is the goal worthwhile? Make sure goal can be achieved within the framework of your life before the submission date, not as you would hope or would like it to be. You have to be willing and able to work on the goal. Time-bound – What is your target completion date? Make sure goal that you set for yourself can be achieved within the timeframe and before the submission deadline of 14 March 2012. You must have start and endpoints.

medea :: essays research papers

The tragic play Medea is a struggle between reason and violence. Medea is deliberately portrayed as not a ‘normal woman’, but excessive in her passions. Medea is a torment to herself and to others; that is why Euripides shows her blazing her way through life leaving wreckage behind her. Euripides has presented Medea as a figure previously thought of exclusively as a male- hero. Her balance of character is a combination of the outstanding qualities of Achilles and Odysseus. The problem set at the beginning of the play is that Jason has decided to marry another wife, Glauce. Medea is angered and will not let Jason off without punishment. The loss of Jason is not only a matter of passion; Medea has been completely humiliated by Jason's decision to take a new bride. Her pride shows again when she refuses Jason's aid. Though her situation is difficult, she would rather destroy all than accept help from one who has wronged her so horribly. Living as a barbarian among Greeks has made her more defensive, more full of hurt pride. To punish Jason, Medea had her children deliver poisoned gifts to the new bride, to kill her children, Glauce, and Creon. . Medea is not without feeling, nor is she a sociopath. She comprehends the difference between right and wrong, but chooses to follow the dictates of rage. Medeas character can be portrayed as a combination of the outstanding qualities of Achilles and Odysseus. Medea was a sorceress and held political power, Achilles was the Greek armies’ best warrior and was well respected, and Odysseus was the king of Ithaca and had much respect. However each of these characters possessed weaknesses which eventually lead to their downfalls. Like Achilles and Odysseus, the gods for her betrayal punished Medea. Achilles and Medea were both tough and seemingly invulnerable characters yet both were wounded deeply by the actions of others. Achilles suffered a fatal shot to the back of his heel with an arrow that had been laced with the blood of the hydra while Medea’s heart was broken when Jason left her for another woman. Like Odysseus, Medea was separated from her family and loved ones because of actions she took against both her family and gods. medea :: essays research papers The tragic play Medea is a struggle between reason and violence. Medea is deliberately portrayed as not a ‘normal woman’, but excessive in her passions. Medea is a torment to herself and to others; that is why Euripides shows her blazing her way through life leaving wreckage behind her. Euripides has presented Medea as a figure previously thought of exclusively as a male- hero. Her balance of character is a combination of the outstanding qualities of Achilles and Odysseus. The problem set at the beginning of the play is that Jason has decided to marry another wife, Glauce. Medea is angered and will not let Jason off without punishment. The loss of Jason is not only a matter of passion; Medea has been completely humiliated by Jason's decision to take a new bride. Her pride shows again when she refuses Jason's aid. Though her situation is difficult, she would rather destroy all than accept help from one who has wronged her so horribly. Living as a barbarian among Greeks has made her more defensive, more full of hurt pride. To punish Jason, Medea had her children deliver poisoned gifts to the new bride, to kill her children, Glauce, and Creon. . Medea is not without feeling, nor is she a sociopath. She comprehends the difference between right and wrong, but chooses to follow the dictates of rage. Medeas character can be portrayed as a combination of the outstanding qualities of Achilles and Odysseus. Medea was a sorceress and held political power, Achilles was the Greek armies’ best warrior and was well respected, and Odysseus was the king of Ithaca and had much respect. However each of these characters possessed weaknesses which eventually lead to their downfalls. Like Achilles and Odysseus, the gods for her betrayal punished Medea. Achilles and Medea were both tough and seemingly invulnerable characters yet both were wounded deeply by the actions of others. Achilles suffered a fatal shot to the back of his heel with an arrow that had been laced with the blood of the hydra while Medea’s heart was broken when Jason left her for another woman. Like Odysseus, Medea was separated from her family and loved ones because of actions she took against both her family and gods.

Globalization: Good vs Bad Essay

Globalization is happening all around us everyday whether it is wanted or not. Some may believe that globalization is a bad thing and should be controlled to some degree. Others say that it is a great thing that is happening in the world and that it should be seen as a move in the positive direction. What is globalization, What makes it so important, and why is it only recently being noticed? Globalization is a process of interaction and integration between governments, cultures, and companies. It is important because it has effects on the environment, on culture, on politics, and on economics to name a few. Currently speaking, globalization can be summed up as being a free-market, policy driven, open economy and reasonably open governments. People may think that globalization is new, but it is not. In fact globalization has been around for thousands of years, it just had not been noticed as easily as it is today. Technology. Technology is the main reason of why we are noticing globalization. Without technological developments in transportation and communication our world would be much more different. With the developments in transportation people can travel to places that people in the past have dreamt of. Since traveling had been made easier, faster, safer, and more efficient, trading with other countries became possible. The development of the means of communication linked one side of the planet to the other. With communication being a press of a button away news and information can be received within moments of an event happening. All of this is what made globalization more noticeable. Even with all the new communications opened and new opportunities available globalization still is a highly debated topic that seems to split into a pro and con argument. You have the people that say that globalization will help the whole world to deal with crises like unemployment/poverty, it will help to raise the global economy, gradually there will be a world power that is being created instead of separate governments, different cultures are being adopted by others, and we are becoming more accepting and tolerant of each other. Then you have the people that say that globalization is a leading cause of wars, social degeneration, and the outsourcing of countries that can’t keep up any longer with the fast growing demand for items. The people who would argue for globalization would say that it is creating a bunch of job opportunities for people all over the world and that it is also providing companies with the much needed man power. Another pro would be that globalization has made living and utilizing products from various parts of the world incredibly easy. Globalization also brings in the needed foreign exchange into the developing countries from the developed countries and that this helps in development of the nations. They would also argue that culturally, people are becoming more tolerant towards other people, that it is the first step towards accepting the differences of cultures that are present all over the globe and learning to live in relative peace with them. Another point would be that there is a greater exchange in knowledge and that it is educating the range of knowledge around the globe. Overall, if someone were to just hear the pro side of globalization they would be all for it. However, with every pro there is a con side. A person who would be against globalization would argue that one of the major cons of globalization is that it threatens the jobs of many developed countries. There are nations that are constantly losing their jobs as a lot of the work is now being outsourced to developing countries. A ton of effort is being put into setting up branches or companies in other countries. As a result there is a loss of resources from the country itself. Another one for the cons of globalization is that it can lead to the spread of infectious diseases. Apart from that, there are high chances of globalization leading to social degeneration as well because everyone is adapting to different cultures. Unfortunately the biggest threat is posed by the corporate world because a majority of the power lies in their hands. This may not always be a good thing and may not be the safest situation to be in. Eventually, some people think about the cons of globalization in a way that this process can turn into a form of colonization. Finally we get to the most agued con points, war. People against globalization will bring up that most wars could have been prevented if we weren’t so interconnected. Because the world is all connected by communication conflicts of different cultures and religions are more often and wars break out more frequently than before we were all globalized. The reality is, the question whether globalization is good or bad is not black and white. But it has lead to the process of connecting various economies and spreading technology, ideas, and culture has done more good than harm. Globalization has posed the more obvious economic, social and also political benefits worldwide. But it also comes with a small price compared to the big picture. On the economic side of things, globalization is responsible for all the various consumer products that are stacked on shelves in local supermarkets or large chain ones. It has economic benefits on both sides of the countries in trade. A multinational corporation from the U. S. makes a direct foreign investment by building branches in that country and setting factories for production. The corporation then gets cheap labor which creates a greater profit. Socially, there is the spread of technology, knowledge and culture. And politically (a trickier topic), globalization is responsible for spreading differing political ideals ranging from democracy to communism. And the major role of the media in assisting globalization, can expose corrupt governments to the public and therefore, pressure the removal of oppressive dictators. In honest opinion, globalization is not meant to â€Å"level the playing field† and remove poor nations out of poverty. Globalization is meant more to spread knowledge, technology, cultures, religion in a world that’s ever becoming much smaller to live in. The fact that it may create a larger gap between the poor and rich countries is an effect. This is a topic that can’t have one right side. It’s all part of globalization right? To have an open mind and be able to think about both sides of things. With globalization and were it’s heading all you can do is wait and see what happens. So far it’s kind of in a rocky place with the economy being so messed up, but if it gets re-situated then who is to say that globalization is a bad thing or a good thing? Like mentioned above. It isn’t black and white. It’s a gray topic that can go anywhere at this point.

My Summer At An Indian Call Center - 1588 Words

The trend of immigration brings out the issue of cultural identity. The controversy concerning tradition and cultural expectation is becoming increasingly fierce. Is it necessary to change one’s own cultural identity in order to fit the working environment and blend into the new society? How do people’s intrinsic cultural identities affect their new lives? Should the way of preserving cultural tradition be altered? How individuals’ cultural expectation influence their attitudes of redefining traditions? Will redefining tradition result in the loss of the value of the original culture? Andrew Marantz in his article, â€Å"My Summer at an Indian Call Center,† recounts his experience taking culture training that he was required to attend in order to work at one of the many call centers in India, discussing the reasons and the consequences of altering one’s own cultural identity. Meanwhile, Julia Alvarez uses the example of Quinceanera, a female coming -of-age tradition known among Hispanic communities, talks about the issue of redefining original tradition and cultural identity. In her article, â€Å"Selections from Once Upon a Quinceanera†, she touches on various aspects of Quinceanera, pointing out its pros and cons, extending the meaning of preserving cultures and redefining traditions. Changing cultural habits for certain purposes and redefining cultural traditions bring about the dilemma of cultural identifying. Although cultural assimilation is emerging in the trend of immigrants,Show MoreRelatedHawaii And The Mixing Of Peoples By Steve Olson Essay1108 Words   |  5 Pages Although being part of a multi-cultural society helps understands one’s self and it also helps understand one another cultural view of our world. Many people identity are also created by our belief. My ethnicity isn’t the only thing that defines who I am. 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