Nash Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nash - Case Study Example In this proposed direct mail campaign, Kaminsky is not even sure which group of clients he would send it. Having enumerated these factors against the direct mail campaign, this campaign is likely to fail just like its predecessor even with the catchy phrases that Kaminsky has to consider as they do not relate to the business and are corny to say the least. Advertising in the industry’s national journal of human resource management in Canada through the Canadian HR Reporter is more appropriate in Kaminsky’s second promotional attempt. True, Kaminsky have already advertised in magazines before but it was not focused on his target clientele which are HR professionals so it had a lower chance of success. In advertising to a human resource journal, Kaminky’s chance of success is higher in advertising in Canadian HR Reporter considering that 72% of its subscribers are decision makers of his target market. It is also an efficient use of marketing budget considering that he will be hitting directly the group of people that avails of their service. Compared to the direct mail which Kaminsky is not even sure which group of prospective customers he should the eyeglasses. Kaminsky therefore should push for advertising in the Canadian HR Reporter for a full page for a month. He could reduce the exposure as well as the expenditure in the succeeding campaign by reducing it to a half page as a follow through to his initial advertisement of one full page. Malkam is a Cross Cultural Training Company founded by Laraine Kaminsky in 1989 as a home based business that provided English as a second language (ESL) training. The company eventually grow that by 1999, Malkam employed 10 full time staff with a database of approximately 65 consultants. Competition however is also growing strong and Malkam had to exert promotional marketing efforts to expand its clientele base and continue the growth of the

Argue one side of free will from a philosophical view Essay

Argue one side of free will from a philosophical view - Essay Example The concept of determinism has three main positions; Indeterminism, Determinism and lastly soft determinism. In the modern world, determinism can be seen in an event such as the powering off of a personal computer automatically due to power outage or an electrical fault. Looking at hard determinism, it can be explained by the belief that each and every event taking place must have its own sufficient natural cause for that. That being said, an action or thought cannot be viewed as free if it has a cause behind it. On the other hand, Indeterminists have the view that the term universal is not applicable to our mental life in the same way as in the outside natural and physical world. Lastly, free will and determinism are deemed to be compatible in both the natural physical world and the mental state. On the issue of freewill, we can look at a scenario like transporting ourselves to very many feet below the ocean or sea. This begs the question, does anyone have the freedom to move themselves physically from their own home to an area deep under the sea? The most obvious answer to this question is that it is possible if one can be able to get himself to a submarine and go down to the ocean floor aboard it. Looking at this answer it means that the concept of our freedom and freewill is to the most part limited by the laws of nature and the prevailing physical reality. We need third party solutions in order to exercise our own ‘Free Will’ e.g. usage of lights at lights, driving vehicles to work or talking to a relative on the phone who is hundreds of miles away. The important thing to note is that even though we may claim to have free will it is limited in its actuality in most cases. The same can be seen in terms of determinism, we as humans can estimate some form of th e future in certain instances. We are capable of determining the future behavior of the sun, earth and the climate

Factors Determining Self-Categorization Essay Example for Free

Factors Determining Self-Categorization Essay This current outline is well organized and to the point, however, it may be so to the point, as to leave the research questions only partially answered. An introduction of the questions that are to be answered, along with information that can be gleaned from the readings may be helpful. Adding a literature review section or, at the very least, a bibliography would help to show an audience where the information was gathered and show more credibility. The five categories already in place in the outline, (definition, factors determining self categorization, creation of discrimination and intergroup conflicts, case study, and measures to reduce discrimination) are perfectly ordered to flow in a presentation and need no changes, except minor grammatical alterations. â€Å"Definition† should be changed to â€Å"Definitions† and â€Å"Case Study† should be changed to â€Å"Case Studies†, since there are several in each of the two categories. There are other minor changes that need to be made, as well, to be grammatically correct throughout. In addition, â€Å"Definitions† and â€Å"Case Studies† both need expansion in their sub-categories, as the case studies only give an idea of the group being studied but no further information. In the â€Å"Factors determining self-categorization† category, the three factors are very vague and need more concrete information and/or examples. Since the presentation requires an in-depth analysis of self-categorization factors, this section should be more comprehensive. It would be helpful to look at a textbook chapter and see how each chapter is summarized for study, the outline should be this inclusive and be easily understood by an audience member that may have no knowledge of the subject matter. The second most important area of this presentation is whether an identity leads to discriminatory behavior and intergroup conflicts. Looking at both the individual level and the social level is a wise idea and helps to educate the audience that this is a socio-psychological issue. However, an introduction that states that these processes of identity and conflict are both psychological and sociological would help this section flow more easily and confusion over complex theories could be avoided. Also, in both the â€Å"Creation of discrimination and intergroup conflicts† and â€Å"Measures to reduce discrimination† categories, new terms and theories are introduced. These terms should all either be better explained, added as part of the definitions section, or put into the introduction that is absent from this outline. The introduction could simply give a statement of purpose, showing the audience that the two major questions will be answered (those being what factors determine self-categorization and whether an identity leads to discriminatory behavior and intergroup conflicts). The theories and terms that will be used to answer the questions should be stated initially to avoid the abrupt and incomplete definitions that exist. It is also good to look at these questions as research questions with secondary data analysis used to come to conclusions. This is why a literature review or bibliography (with citations throughout the outline) would be very beneficial. The articles below in this reference section are wonderful to use and direct citations from their analyses would help to show that the research questions can and have been answered in different ways. The presentation requires an in depth analysis and correct staging of the compiled information. The outline, therefore, not only helps the audience understand the presentation’s purpose, but also helps the presenters to easily and readily disseminate all their hard work and information. References Brown, Rupert. â€Å"Intergroup Relations† Reynolds, K. J. Turner, J. C. (2001). â€Å"Prejudice as a Group Process: The Role of Social Identity† in M. Augustinos K. J. Reynolds (eds). Understanding Prejudice, Racism, and Social Conflict. London: Sage. pp 159-178.

Impact Of Dei Verbum In Roman Catholic Church Religion Essay

Impact Of Dei Verbum In Roman Catholic Church Religion Essay Throughout the history of Christianity, the church has convened a number of councils in order to clarify teachings, address problems, or enact reforms. In many instances, these councils have resulted in momentous turning point in the course of Christian church history. These councils also attempt to respond to the urgent needs of the emerging generation during this modern era. The general councils began in Nicaea in 325, convened at intervals throughout the first millennium and the medieval period, struggled with the age of reformations to the modern world, with a total of 21 councils convened in the span of more than 1600 years. Unlike other councils before the modern era, the opening of Vatican councils seemed to create new perspectives for the Roman Catholics especially in more specific areas on their beliefs and practices. Vatican II was reopened in 1962 by John XXIII which it stunned many by his actions. Shortly after ordination as the pope in 1949, John XXIII believed the church ought to look at the state of the world in order to meet the impending needs of the people. With that, preparation lasted for almost four years and the entire council stretched across four autumns until the 16 documents were completed. In the process, there are two majors camp of people, one who were called the conservatives disputing the fact that the church needed no change at all and the convening of Vatican II was not necessary. The church is self-sufficient and to avoid that happened during the Enlightenment period, the ideal way is to insulate itself behind a powerful structure that would claim to have all the answers. While others were keen to see a new millennium coming forth through Vatican II and Christians from other denominations such as the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Quake rs were cordially invited. This was a revolutionary move by the Pope John XXII. Although, John XXII did not manage to see through the council, his post-decessor Pope Paul VI continued this council and brought it to completion.  [2]   Among all the various key documents of Vatican II, Dei Verbum (DV) (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) could be considered one of most well received and a foundational component on Catholics thinking on revelation, exegesis and the use of the bible in the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, to what extent does the DV theological idea applied in the 21st century context? Therefore, it would be attempted to present the impact of DV in the current and local context.  [3]   Looking at the rear mirror of church history, there were tremendous issues surrounding the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) especially during the medieval period. Probably the first threat to the divine revelation came from Marcions denial of the Scripture and the nature of God appeared in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Shortly after this, the Gnostics came into the scene whereby they typically claimed to have secret revelations from Jesus, incorporated new systems of beliefs which are inconsistent with the Church. Consequently, the Catholics became more restrictive in the availability of the scripture to the people. RCC believed that God revealed Himself to the people through Jesus Christ. On the other hand, RCC viewed these divine revelations as being originally transmitted primarily by oral means (Sacred Tradition) and later by written means (Sacred Scripture). These Scared Tradition Scared Scripture were additional to the bible. With this emphasis, the bible is not con sidered to be the exhaustive, comprehensive teaching of the Christian Faith. Rather, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture together are considered the integral source of divine revelation, as explained in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church: Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out of the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing and move towards the same goal. Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own always, to the close of the age.  [4]   With this notion, RCC tend to weigh more heavily on the catechisms as compared to the bible. For this reason, translation and transmission of the bible was not placed on emphasis. Besides this reason, extensive manpower and efforts required to recopy the text. RCC was fearful that the bible could be stolen and abused by individuals. Hence, the reproduction of this decreased during the middle ages and people generally do not have access to the bible.  [5]  The bible basically played a subordinate role in the lives of the believers. Ecclesiastical authorities restricted people to access scriptures and normally reserved for certain level of bishops.  [6]   With the introduction in DV through Vatican II, Scared Tradition was stated as not being static and unchanging but constantly developing through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to a fuller and deeper understanding of the truth. This ongoing of development does not mean the truth but rather the grasping of the truth by the believers.  [7]  Thus, DV call the RCC to return to the main source which is the bible. Like most of the sixteen documents, Dei Verbum was carefully, even passionately considered, but in many ways the subject of Revelation was exceptional, being fundamental to Vatican II in several respects.  [8]  Joseph Ratzinger mentioned that it is important to note that only Scripture is defined in terms of what it is: it is stated that Scripture it the word of God consigned to writing. Tradition, however, is described only functionally, in terms of what it does: it hands on the word of God, but it is not the word of God  [9]   As such a new movement brought forth many renewed faith within the Catholics and their access to proper understanding of the Scriptures.  [10]  The Council then laid down new direction which promoted the reading and studying of biblical texts in a new way. The manner through which Catholics gained new access to the Scriptures was at least the five following ways. Firstly, the Catholics are able to hear the preaching of the word in the communitys vernacular. Before Vatican II, the priest celebrated Mass in Latin with his back facing the people, making the action of the Mass seem far away. It was easy for the faithful to fall into the role of spectators. Now the assembly is more actively engaged, helping us to experience all of us celebrating the Eucharist with the priest. Vatican II liturgy mentioned that the members should be full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations (#14).  [11]  This phenomenon occurred during the 4th century when St Jerome was com missioned by Pope Damasus I to translate to the Latin language and by 13th century, it became the commonly used translation in the Roman Empire.  [12]  With that, most of the masses were conducted in Latin where the indigenous languages were ignored in this situation. Consequently, the nominal people would have minimum understanding of the passage. By and large, the language Latin was not well received in most part of the community and shortly after, the language seemed to be lost. Also, since this is not their native language, the believers would find it difficult to understand and make sense of it. With DVs proposal of using indigenous languages, the believers were able to understand the message preached. According to the Catholic leader, he mentioned similar phenomenon in the RCC in Singapore and how this new dimension added life within the Church and more people are eager to hear the message.  [13]  It appeared that in the past, most people attended the mass because of a form of obligation and doze off during the proceeding. The many reasons given were that they do not understand the meaning of the message. With this new initiative, the preaching became more relevant at least the native language to the local context. Secondly, there was a change in the form of sermons from just a regurgitation of the bible to homiletical preaching: From a liturgical format to a homiletically manner. DV recognized that biblical exegetical plays an essential and positive role in the understanding of the bible. Moreover, it would add substance to the delivery of the message and allow the revelation to fill human hearts more and more  [14]  The efficacy of the word of God depends on the careful preparation and delivery of the message on the pulpit; this requires good training. Efforts were placed in making the sermon digestible and applicable. Therefore, the use of preaching has been increasing to bring a biblical message into the hearts of believers, but sadly, it is not yet universal. In the local context, there seemed to be more of such homiletical preaching occurring among the RCC.  [15]   Next is the liberty for personal bible study by the individual Catholic. This is something uncommon before the Vatican II as the bible is known as the authoritative and scared text, where only the bishops, the academics or scholars were able to read and make interpretations of it. The effects of releasing the Holy Scripture to all were seen from the Protestants movement whereby numerous interpretations arise within the short span of time.  [16]  Besides, it might appear that the bible is not scared enough that only the bishop has the access to it. Thus, the availability of the bible to Catholics became restricted due to the theological, social and also various heretical religious movements. Looking in retrospection, Vatican II created some impact in this area whereby Catholics are able to access to the bible in their native language allowing the Logos and Rehma word of God to be spoken during their devotional time. From a unidirectional reception to a bidirectional, believers are able to directly communion with God through the bible. The Church today encourages its members to make use of new methods of Scripture study and to cherish the Scriptures. Catholics are growing in their understanding of the Bible through the benefits of historical research, literary analysis and archaeological findings. Church documents wisely steer Catholics away from literal-minded approaches and from reading the Bible as if it were a science or history textbook. Since Vatican II, there is fairly widespread of the RCC participation in bible study groups, often advance by Ecclesial movements such as the Neo-catechumenate and the monastic tradition of  Lectio divina. It is sometimes ecumenical in nature whereby the study with Protestants or the Jews and they almost always find both enlightening and enriching. This action was illustrated in the DV 6 (no. 22) if these translations are produced in cooperation with the separated brethren as well, all Christians will be able to use them  [17]  that encouraged the RCC to make peace with the Protestant Bible Societies and work with them. Although there have been a longstanding hostility, full collaboration between the Catholic Biblical Federation and the United Bible Societies was soon established, bringing a notable increase in production of vernacular versions all over the world.  [18]   Similar collaboration has developed with publishers of daily bible reading aids such as the Bible Reading Fellowship, though in this country, at least, nothing seems to check a lamentable decline in general knowledge of the Bible.  [19]   As such, bible study became a central activity of the reformer groups which sprang up especially among the poor. More often than not, it was their daily reading of the bible that brought light into their own situation which was the main cradle of liberation theology.  [20]  In the local context, similar trends were observed in Singapore as well where such practices mushroomed. Many RCCs instituted bible study within the congregations on a regular basis where the believers examine the scripture. Such phenomenon was not evident before Vatican II. With this, Catholics became more familiar with the bible and equipped to defend their faith.  [21]   Finally, the last trajectory, posed a more complex issue to be addressed. It is the formal and scholarly pursuit of biblical study in the academy. Although the goal of academic study is to enable the deepening understanding of the Scripture, the methodologies employed might be deliberately bracketed faith. Since, most Catholic biblical scholar adopted certain methodologies from the Protestants colleagues, they might realized some incompatibility of the certain traditions practiced in the Catholic Church to deviate from the original intention of the Scripture. However, such rigorous academic study facilitated the understanding of the bible from a more holistic manner (theological, cultural, social and context). Consequently, some Catholics started to realize that certain doctrines seemed to be inconsistent with the Holy Scripture and some abandoned certain practices in the Catholic faith. Conversely, some others turned away from the Catholic faith and embraced the Protestant beliefs.à ‚  [22]  Also, many lay leaders are able to learn the bible from a theological angle, able to defend their faith. In Singapore, there are many such theological training evolving within the different Roman Catholic Churches and programme were developed to educate and trained lay ministers.  [23]  Growing numbers of lay women and men are attending theology schools, leading and/or joining Bible study groups and reading an array of solid articles or books on the subject. Priests and religious are no longer the only Scripture experts. Therefore, it is evident in RCC that such changes are happening now and hopefully will be ongoing. Since Vatican II, many speculations about the impact were raised, and it seemed there is an effect of change in the RCC circle as being more biblical, and personal faith; returning back to the original intent of God. Although, many of us were too young to think of Vatican II except as history, this phenomenon caused an effect in the universal church especially in the Catholic circle. According to the RCC in Singapore, many of the believers started getting more involved and serious in studying the bible. In this sense, it also means that wave from Vatican II remain active in both the academic and among the people of the RCC. Although some changes were seen in the RCC, it is heartbreaking to see the overwhelming cases of sex abuse scandals within the RCC, which caused a stir among congregations. Questions were raised regarding the credibility of these priests and the role of the scripture in their lives and casted doubts on the transformation in the RCC due to Vatican II. In conclusion , with the inception of Vatican II, there has been a vast enrichment of the lectionary for Mass and the readings for daily prayer of the Church and made a tremendous impact in the RCC. Hopefully this will continue to fulfill its original intention by Pope Paul XXIII when he convened the pastoral council.

Economic Impact of Population and Technology on the Environment :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

Economic Impact of Population and Technology on the Environment Ask any economist what two things have changed in the past three or so million years since humans first began appearing in demographically significant numbers and he will tell you with unwavering confidence: population and technology. And that economist would be right. These two factors are the root cause of every change in the standard of living we have experienced since the dawn of humanity. Any anthro-ecologist posed with the same question and will offer up little more than a puzzled look. Only two? The point, here, is that economists have a certain tendency to apply Razor's Axiom to every situation imaginable. Looking at the effect humans have on the environment is most commonly a qualitative exercise. While it may be possible to count sheer number of deer hunted or square miles of forest burned as the result of human involvement in nature, such calculations are more commonly done with anecdotes and broad estimates. Ask an economist to measure the damage done to the environme nt by humans and you will hear about equivalent and compentating differentials two quantitative methods of valuing a qualitative loss. Both neccesitate understanding humans' preferences and values, and take an understandably anthropocentric view of the Earth. Regardless, in absolute, per capita, and relative terms, both of those differentials have increased consistently over the course of human history. The first step in evaluating human impact on the environment is to elucidate what we consider human-caused ecological damage. There are, not surprisingly, a great many approaches possibly in defining such a broad concept, but there are a few basic principles which are nearly universal bads. The damages in this illumination are defined with a Darwinian perspective. One such bad is the loss of diversity among non-human population. This loss of diversity can take the form of extinction of plants or animals, a loss of genetic diversity among one species, or a forced-relocation of an existing population. Another bad is the transformation of terra, whether intentional or unintentional, as the result of human activity. Examples are common think 1930 s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and are often caused by agricultural activities. The next step in evaluating the extent human-caused environmental damages lies in the measurement of such damages. Since no dollar value can be placed on the extinct ion of a species, we must estimate the value that species contributes to the Earth s consumption (evaluating changes in consumption is the only way we can say that one situation is better than another).

Das Projekt einer globalen Ethik und die afrikanische Philosophie :: German Essays

Das Projekt einer globalen Ethik und die afrikanische Philosophie ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Frage nach einer globalen Ethik stellt sich heute verschà ¤rft unfgrund der neuen Qualità ¤t gegenseitiger Abhà ¤ngigkeit der einzelnen Staaten und Regionen beruhend auf einer eng verknà ¼pften Weltwirtschaft und dem weltumspannenden Netz modernen Kommunikationssysteme. Diese Verknà ¼pfung zeigt sich am deutlichsten in der Vernetzung transnationaler Konzerne, deren Produktionsstà ¤tten nicht mehr an nationale Territorien gebunden sind. Die Entstehung einer globalen Interdependenz hà ¤ngt jedoch nicht nur mit à ¶konomischen Entwicklungen oder der neuen Effizienz der Kommunikationstechniken zusammen, sondern auch mit der in diesem Jahrhundert entstandenen Mà ¶glichkeit einer à ¶kologischen oder milità ¤rischen Selbstzerstà ¶rung der Erde durch den Menschen. I. Einleitung Die Frage nach einer globalen Ethik stellt sich heute verschà ¤rft aufgrund der neuen Qualità ¤t gegenseitiger Abhà ¤ngigkeit der einzelnen Staaten und Regionen beruhend auf einer eng verknà ¼pften Weltwirtschaft und dem weltumspannenden Netz moderner Kommunikationssysteme. Diese Verknà ¼pfung zeigt sich am deutlichsten in der Vernetzung transnationaler Konzerne, deren Produktionsstà ¤tten nicht mehr an nationale Territorien gebunden sind. Die Entstehung einer globalen Interdependenz hà ¤ngt jedoch nicht nur mit à ¶konomischen Entwicklungen oder der neuen Effizienz der Kommunikationstechniken zusammen, sondern auch mit der in diesem Jahrhundert entstandenen Mà ¶glichkeit einer à ¶kologischen oder milità ¤rischen Selbstzerstà ¶rung der Erde durch den Menschen. Oder wie der deutsche Philosoph Karl-Otto Apel es ausdrà ¼ckt: „... das Bedà ¼rfnis nach einer universalen, d.h. fà ¼r die menschliche Gesellschaft insgesamt verbindlichen Ethik [war] noch nie so dringend, wie in unserem Zeitalter einer durch die technologischen Konsequenzen der Wissenschaft hergestellten planetaren Einheitszivilisation."(1) Aus der Notwendigkeit einer solchen Ethik kann aber noch nicht auf deren Mà ¶glichkeit geschlossen werden. Deshalb scheint mir die Frage nach der Mà ¶glichkeit einer globalen Ethik zu den wichtigsten unserer Zeit zu gehà ¶ren. Verschiedene Ethikprojekte, wie die Diskursethik in Deutschland oder die Befreiungsethik in Lateinamerika, haben nun den Versuch unternommen, eine Ethik mit Anspruch auf universale Gà ¼ltigkeit zu begrà ¼nden, die kulturelle, religià ¶se, politische etc. Unterschiede transzendiert. Solche Projekte mà ¼ssen einer grà ¼ndlichen Prà ¼fung unterzogen werden, wozu vor allem auch eine intersubjektive ÃÅ"berprà ¼fung von Vertretern unterschiedlicher kultureller Kontexte gehà ¶rt. Meine These ist, daß eine Ethik solange keinen Anspruch auf universale Gà ¼ltigkeit erheben kann, solange sie nicht einer interkulturellen Prà ¼fung unterzogen wurde, oder wie der à ¶sterreichische Philosoph Franz Wimmer es formuliert:„... halte keine philosophische These fà ¼r gut begrà ¼ndet, an deren Zustandekommen nur Menschen einer einzigen kulturellen Tradition beteiligt waren."(2) Dieser „kategorische Imperativ" der interkulturellen Philosophie ist natà ¼rlich kein ausreichendes Kriterium zur Bestimmung des Wahrheitscharakters einer Theorie, aber wohl ein unverzichtbares. In einer solchen „interkulturellen Prà ¼fung" sollen Theorien auf ihre Relevanz fà ¼r verschiedene Kontexte und Orientierungssysteme hin geprà ¼ft und mit anderen Theorien aus anderen Kontexten konfrontiert werden.

How My Personal Values Influence My Way of Teaching

Relating philosophy to pedagogy – how my personal values influence my way of teaching Within any early childhood education (ECE) setting the pedagogy of the educators will have great impact on the programmes and philosophies which the children within that setting will be influenced by. Teachers have a responsibility to build and maintain authentic, open, reciprocal relationships with children, families and the community (Gailer, 2010).This is not only an integral part of the early childhood curriculum Te Whariki which has relationships as one of its four foundation principles (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996) but also part of the teaching standards and ethics. As a teacher I relish in the chance to build relationships with many different children, all unique in their culture, strengths, ideas and way of being. The importance I place on relationships sits well with both Vygotsky’s and Bronfenbrenner’s sociocultural theories. Vygotsky emphasised the importance of the people surrounding a child, seeing them crucial for supporting and enhancing the child’s development.Bronfenbrenner extended this into a model of contextual factors, using ideas about five kinds of contexts surrounding the individual child including their micro- and meso-systems where the interactions of their day-to-day realities occur (Drewery & Bird, 2004). These theories have been vital in the development of New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, and so my understandings of these and with my personal philosophy I hope to have the skills to be able to build respectful reciprocal relationships with all learners. Building these relationships however is not as easy as people outside of the profession often assume.Appendix 2 shows Suzie Gailer’s (2010) article on being professional, the article discusses how professional integrity of practice is reliant on teachers having a particular set of values, respect, authenticity, empowerment and trans parency. The image of the child is culturally constructed and linked to our time and place in history, the image I have as a teacher today of children is very different to that of which I was viewed as a child. My image of the child has altered as I have gained both practical and theoretical teaching experience.In my first practicums I did not necessarily know what to expect about building initial relationships with children but as I have gained knowledge I now know that children can be trusted to build these relationships in timeframes which are right for them. Te Whariki (MoE, 1996) presents the image of children as competent learners and communicators and I now uphold this image in my teaching practice and as a parent (Appendices 3, 4 & 5), along with the values of respect which I have articulated through the following of Magda Gerber’s work.From my own relatively limited practical experience and theoretical knowledge I can relate to the notion of Edwards & Nuttall (2005) where â€Å"the pedagogy, or ‘the act of teaching’, is not only mediated by educators’ understandings about the children, learning, and the curriculum; their understandings about the social settings in which they work, their personal experiences beyond the workplace and their engagement with the centre’s wider community all have a role in determining the educator’s actions† (p. 36).My own underlying beliefs, values and philosophies all impact on my teaching style and, although often unconsciously, on the way I relate to individuals. Commitment to reflective practice, the personal philosophy I have articulated and the desire for professional development will aid me in holding true to a pedagogy which is responsive in time as well as to individuals. This pedagogy with its identified aspects of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation is influenced by my values and experiences and I attempt to explain and reflect upon these in this es say.The main assessment process I use is ‘Learning Stories’, an approach developed by Dr. Margaret Carr. Learning stories show a snapshot of a learning experience which has been shared with the child or children involved and are a record of the interests and strengths of the child. Research shows that learning is more effective when it is derived from interests, encouraging motivation and the sense of confidence that comes from working within one’s own strengths.The learning story framework is based on the belief that developing good learning dispositions is the most important skill in early childhood and this fits well with my values of respect and having the Te Whariki image of the child, a confident, competent learner and communicator. The foundations of learning stories are the dispositions found in Te Whariki and in my own learning stories these are highlighted, showing fellow educators, parents and whanau how I work to support children’s learning in all aspects of the programme and curriculum (Appendices 4, 6 & 7).Upholding this image of children in practice is however met with challenges. Woodrow (1999) describes how there are resulting constructions of childhood based on how individuals experienced childhood, on cultural artefacts and on professional knowledge, Ellen Pifer (2000) also describes these conflicting images in her book Demon or Doll (Appendix 8) which has truly opened my mind to ways of seeing individuals. Other teaching professionals may hold different images of children such as the child as innocent or as an embryo adult and this will impact on the way they act around and towards children.Having a commitment towards reflective practice and regularly evaluating my personal pedagogy will allow me to deal with these challenges, giving me the skills to explain my viewpoint and understand that of others so that the best possible outcome is achieved. To undertake such assessment it is important to build a relationship with the children and these reciprocal relationships are another key part of my philosophy.This value has changed with my experience and theoretical knowledge, in my initial practicum I was unsure about how to go about building relationships that are both respectful and reciprocal (Appendices 9 & 10) but my confidence in this has, and will continue, to grow (Appendix 11). I believe that building a reciprocal relationship means sharing aspects of my life with children and not expecting them to reveal themselves without the favour being returned. I have a huge passion towards animals and I have shared this with the children on my last two practicums by taking along my guinea pigs (Appendix 12).The children feel aspects of empowerment and trust as I allow them to be intimately involved with a very important part of my personal life. Building such relationships prior to undertaking assessment highlights the spiral nature of teaching and the aspects of pedagogies. Taking the guinea pigs to the centre required planning and careful implementation, including discussion with staff and families to ensure cultural needs were met. Some cultures do not agree with the keeping of animals as pets and in order to uphold the respectful image of the child and relationships with the family and community I needed to accept and respect this belief.The centre policies and legislation also play a role in planning and implementation, health and hygiene regulations needed to be considered for this activity and for others many different policies will come into play. For further assessment and planning the involvement of colleagues and whanau in the learning stories and other documentation would play a vital role in the continuation of the interest but unfortunately the short nature of the practicum did not allow for this.Cultural needs and matches weight heavily in the planning and implementation stages of my pedagogy. This is linked to all the values in my philosophy; relationships, r espect and equity. These values mean that I believe in focussing on skills and talents rather than on deficiencies to create learning environments, for example respecting that crying is a valid attempt at communication and can be a qualified learning experience (Appendix 11). Nyland (2004) describes how the participation rights and contexts of infants’ knowledge can be overlooked in childcare settings.On-line discussions with fellow students regarding this reading give support to the idea that disrespectful environments adversely affect the identity and participation of children. What happens in an environment when an identity is missing altogether and children are faced with images of white middle class able bodied members of society? What message is that giving to these children and their families? You don’t belong? You are not a real member of our society? We don’t value you? The environments we plan for the children speak volumes about how we view society an d the people we respect and value (Ellis, R. , Fuamatu, P. Perry Smith, A. M. Moodle; September 2011). During planning I therefore need to think ahead about resources which reflect the cultures within the setting and the community. This can be achieved through communication with other educators in the setting, parents, and other members of the community such as kaumatua or the local priest. Planning for social occasions is also important to me as I feel they link the ECE setting with the wider community and social values. This includes events such as Mother’s and Father’s day (Appendix 13) as well as cultural occasions such as the Lantern Festival, Diwali and Pasifika events.Although during such planning I am mindful of the goals and learning outcomes which Te Whariki and the teaching standards present I also constantly remind myself of the holistic nature in which the learning will occur. Lawrence (2004) describes the shift in thinking and programme planning in ECE se ttings over the past two decades, from keeping children busy to planning cycles and then Te Whariki. Lawrence clarifies that although the word planning is still used; it is not in the traditional sense of the word but rather can be seen as â€Å"reflectively responding to children’s thinking (p. 16). † An example in her rticle shows how the learning experience of children can be very different to that pre-planned or expected by the teacher (Appendix 14). A challenge presents itself where teachers have been trained and had experience in times where different planning programmes were utilised, disagreeing views and beliefs can lead to conflict within teaching teams and a dedication to reflective practice is required by all parties if favourable outcomes are to be reached. This reflective practice is a vital part of the evaluation process of my pedagogy. What worked? What didn’t work? Where do I go from here?Schon (2002) described how the entire process of reflecti on-in-action, where our knowing is in our action, is central to the skill practitioners have in dealing with situations of uncertainty, instability and uniqueness as well as valuing conflict. Holding true to a value where children are respected as individuals and valued for their own unique set of skills, uncertain and unique situations are inevitable in the day-to-day practice of an ECE setting. With the set of reflective skills I now possess I hope to be able to turn these situations of uncertainty into ones of learning, for both myself and children involved.With continuing professional development and an ever increasing amount of practical experience I feel I am in good stead to continue my career as an early childhood educator and support the children within my influence to grow up in line with the aspirations of Te Whariki, â€Å"competent and confident learners and communicators †¦ a valued contribution to society† (MoE, 1996, p. 9). References Drewery, W. & Bird, L. (2004). Human Development in Aotearoa: A journey through life. (2nd ed. ). Sydney, Australia: McGraw-Hill. Edwards, S. & Nuttall, J. (2005).Getting beyond the ‘what’ and the ‘how’; Problematising pedagogy in early childhood education. Early Childhood Folio, 9, 34-38. Gailer, S. (2010). Being professional: First, do no harm! The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 12(2), 19-24. Lawrence, R. (2004). Making sense of planning – A teacher’s story. Early Education, 36, 15-19. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: Early Childhood Curriculum / He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. Nyland, B. (2004).Infants, context and participation rights: An Australian image. The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 6(1), 19-22. Pifer, E. (2000). Demon or doll: Images of the child in contemporary writing and cultur e. Virginia, USA: University of Virginia Press. Schon, D. (2002). Reflection-in-action. In A. Pollard (Ed. ). Readings in reflective teaching (pp. 5-7). London, England: Continuum. Woodrow, C. (1999). Revisiting images of the child in early childhood education: Reflections and considerations. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 24(4), 7-12.