Personal Development Plan Essay

1. Introduction The aim of this assessment is to build a Personal Development Plan and evaluate my current skills and knowledge. The primary objective of PDP is to improve my knowledge and plan my educational development according to my background and personal experience so far. 2. What is PDP According to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in UK (QAA 2004) defined PDP as: ‘a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development. The primary objective for PDP is to improve the capacity of individuals to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning.’ 2.1 The benefits of PDP The theoretical benefits of PDP can be summarizes as follow according to Quality Assurance Agency (QAA 2009): ï‚ · plan, integrate and take responsibility for their personal development, identifying learning opportunities ï‚ · recognise, value and evidence their learning and development both inside and outside the curriculum ï‚ · be more effective in monitoring and reviewing their own progress ï‚ · evaluate and recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and identify ways in which perceived weaknesses might be improved and strengths enhanced Page | ii 3. Skill Audit The personal development plan for me is a chance to know myself better. Using the SWOT and SKA analysis in my PDP report will help me realize what I want to achieve, my short term and long term aspirations. I am going to focus on what my strengths and weaknesses are and how to use my strengths to develop my weaknesses to become strengths. After completing my postgraduate degree in Informatics and Communications I started teaching computers in a private institute and a local college. Working in the field of education help me to improve my leadership skills and become more responsible as a person. After almost 5 years of teaching I decided to change my career direction in accounting field and that helps me to improve my skills in other areas. I  become more adaptable and able to work as a team member and improved time management as I have to meet deadlines in my current job. When I become a member of the company I work for, I start thinking that an undergraduate degree alone is not enough in today’s competitive environment with so many graduates competing for the same job. I study the different master courses around in local universities and I decided to make the application for the MA in Management from University of Wolverhampton and got accepted. I believe that the combination gained in undergraduate degree and the valuable business knowledge and management skills I will be able to gain from this postgraduate degree will help me improve my career expectations. With the assistant of SWOT and SKA analysis I will understand better my strengths and weaknesses and based on my knowledge so far I will try to improve the most I can. 3.1 SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is one of the most popular strategic planning tools used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in any situation that needs a decision. According to Cowan (2000), a SWOT analysis may be used by individuals to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and ultimately their opportunities and threats. Based on this, below is a summary of my personal SWOT analysis. 3.2 SKA model The ingredients of SKA came from Vinke’s (2002) definition of the competency as â€Å"the ability of an individual to select and use the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are necessary for effective behaviour in a specific professional, social or learning situation.† 3.2.1 What are skills, knowledge and attitude? ï‚ · According to Winterton (et al., 2005) Knowledge is sometimes viewed as if it was a concrete manifestation of abstract intelligence, but it is actually the result of an interaction between intelligence and situation. Proctor and Dutta (1995) define skills as goal-directed, well-organized behaviour that is acquired through practice and performed with economy of effort. Attitude can be defined as a â€Å"learned tendency to act in a consistent way to a particular object or situation† (Fishbein). Attitudes have affective, cognitive and behavioural intention components. Skills Know how Attitude Know why Knowledge Know what Page | v 3.3 My SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Patient Sense of humour Outgoing and competitive Friendly and approachable Hardworking and committed Responsible High technological skills Leadership skills Good presentation skills WEAKNESSES Sensitivity Perfectionist Poor time management Poor organisational skills in personal life Team work OPPORTUNITIES New challenges Wider career prospects Starting a new business – self employment Show off the skills i have learned throughout the Master course THREATS No management experience Competition – other students graduating with the same degree globally Strengths Working as a teacher help me improve my leadership skills and my ability to encourage and motivate my students to pass their exams and gain good grades. Moreover, I become more responsible and patient as a person because of my work. Also according to my working experience I demonstrated good presentation skills as I had made lots of lectures to small audience. Weaknesses My weaknesses I believe are part of my character. I would call myself  perfectionist, as I spend much time to make everything perfect and I stuck in details so I lose valuable time. As I had many things to do at the same time I lost my time control and is difficult to control and combined my personal and professional life. Before i enrol to this Master’s Degree program i wasn’t sure if i could handle to study and work together, as i am not the most organise person. Starting lessons help me manage my time and realise that if we want something very much we can achieve the best of it. Opportunities After completing my Master Degree I strongly believe I will be able to approach new challenges in my career and in my life. Based on the knowledge I gained from the course I will be able to use my managerial skills, marketing, business and strategic planning to build my own business and be my own boss. Threats Upon completion of my MA degree I will be theoretical capable to use my knowledge and skills I learned from my master degree, hence I won’t be full able to use it in practise as I have no managerial experience yet. Another negative aspect is the competition that grows from the fact that other students graduating with the same degree globally. 4. Setting my goals According to Denis Watley Quotation ‘The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.’ Some goals are short term and others are long term. Some goals are easy and others are difficult. The whole point is our goals to be effective. Effective goals are set in a SMART way. A goal is SMART if it’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time related. 4.2 Short term and Long term goals Master Degree is very demanding course and i have to study very hard to achieve my short term goal, which is to finish my studies and gain high grades in my assignments. I will spend more time on reading articles and make research on field of management. On the issue of time management I am planning to make a daily schedule to make sure I am not behind the time and at the same time I will improve my organizational skills as well. Also my team working skills have improved, because of the group activities and assignments we have in classroom. My long term goal is to cultivate skills that will develop and improve my experience in business and management world so I could fulfil my dream to make my own business in few years. 5. Conclusion In the end of this assignment, I feel that I have identified my strengths so I have to focus on them and develop them even more. My personal SWOT analysis helps me evaluate and recognize my strengths and weaknesses. By knowing my strengths I can focus my efforts on the things I am good at and by understanding my weaknesses I can realize what I have to avoid and what I have to improve. To conclude, by the end of my Master in Management course I hope to be prepared for the difficulties of continuing professional and personal development. References Chapman, A. (2007). SWOT analysis. Retrieved 25 March 2012, from http://www.businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm Cowan, J. (2005) Reflections-Wise and Otherwise- Learning as Much from what went wrong as what went well. Seda Seminar: London. D. Vinke, Industrial design at TU/e: the student as a junior employee, Interim report, retrieved 25 March 2012 from the website: www.industrialdesign.tue.nl/education/downloadableFiles/theStudentAsAJuniorEm ployee.doc Denis Waitley quotes (American motivational Speaker and Author of self-help books. b.1933) http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Denis_Watley, 1 April 2012 Fishbein, M. and Ajzan,I., Belief Attitude Intention and Behavior: and Introduction to Theory and Research, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Ma. Meyer, Paul J (2003). â€Å"What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals†. Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond. Meyer Resource Group, Incorporated, The. ISBN 9780898113044 Proctor, R.W. and Dutta, A. (1995) Skill Acquisition and Human Performance, London: Sage. http://www.uk.ecorys.com/europeaninventory/publications/method/cedefop_typology.pdf Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), 2009, Publications: Personal development planning: guidance for institutional policy and practice in higher education (Second edition) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/PDPguide.pdf, accessed 30 March 2012 Page | x Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), 2011, Publications: A toolkit for enhancing personal development planning strategy, policy and practice in higher education institutions (Second edition) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/PDP%20Toolkit%20revised%202011.pdf, accessed 30 March 2012 The Higher Education Academy at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ Winterton, J., Delamare-Le Deist, F. and Stringfellow, E. (2005) Typology of knowledge, skills and competences: clarification of the concept and prototype (Thessaloniki: CEDEFOP). http://www.uk.ecorys.com/europeaninventory/publications/method/cedefop_typology.pdf

Gay Marriage Speech

Gay Marriage Speech What comes to mind when you hear the word marriage? Is it the big wedding? The white dress? The rings? The kiss? The repeating of vows? Or is it the stress of making It all happen? Marriage Is a special moment in our lives. Fora lot of us marriage is a major milestone, a transformation In Identity to being a married person rather than single. But on top of all this, marriage is an important legal status. Nothing says â€Å"love and commitment† like the word marriage.It is essential to know that there are two kinds of marriage ceremonies: Civil and Religious marriage. A civil marriage is arriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization. Clvll marriage covers inheritance rights, property rights, the right to visit one another in the hospital, the conveying of benefits etc. Then there is Religious marriage; this is interpreted by each religious group differently, but is usually conducted in a church, chapel or temple.Everyone wants t o find love; to be In a serious relationship made up of trust and commitment. whether your sexual orientation be straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual. Though the rights to marry isnt equal for homosexual couples as it is for heterosexual couples. Some of the main and most important reasons people choose to ban homosexual marriage Is because they are homophobic and/or think It Is morally and biologically wrong for the human being and society. People with homophobia have an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people.Opinionated outlooks directed at homosexuals often branch from the perception that homosexual activity Is Immoral. Homophobia makes some people think that they are superior to homosexuals. In fact. studies show that antl- gay bias is far more accepted among large numbers of Americans than is bias gainst other minorities. Majority of the people who think that Gay marriage is â€Å"morally† wrong are religious. They study the words of the bib le, and feel that being gay Is a sin and will prevent you from being able to enter Into heaven.From King James' Version of the Bible, in Leviticus 20:13: â€Å"If a man also lie with a mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon them† Another piece of scripture implying that being gay is a sin Is In the New Testaments, I Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye, not hat the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdoms of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extrotioners, shall inherit In the kingdom of God. Meaning that people who commit sexual Intercourse out of marriage, who worship Idols other than god, who cheat, who have characteristics of a woman or unmanly(gay), who abuse, who are Jealous, who are habitually drunk, who verbally abuse and blackmail/steal will not go to heaven. This scripture basically lists he sin of homosexuality as one of the specific sins that will literally keep you from being able to enter Into heaven when you die and cross over. With marriage comes the hopes and dreams of having children and starting a family.This is where anti- gays feel that accepting gay marriage would be â€Å"biologically† wrong to society. Same ‘OF3 sex Intercourse wlll not nelp wltn tne reproauctlon 0T any Inalvlaual. Its more a way for gay promiscuity to increase. Consequently, if no off springs will be produced, and if gay marriage were to be legalized throughout the world we'll lead to a fail in opulation and to increase in elderly individuals, similar to what is happening in Japan. Yet in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canda, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland and Argentina, gay marriage was granted between the years 2001-2010.In These countries and all over the world there are people who support gay mar riage and there are people who do not. For instance Mike Judge, from the Christian Institute in the United Kingdom, suggests that the value of marriage will decrease if gay marriage is legalized in the United States as it was in the I-JK. In his ideo he expresses his views on how same-sex marriage would affect â€Å"everybodys† marriage, by using an analogy between opposite sex marriage and gay marriage.He does so by using an American 5 dollar bill symbolizing opposite sex marriage, calling it â€Å"real and genuine , but imagine if a counterfeit 5 dollar bill (symbolizing gay marriage) flooded the US economy. The American 5 dollar bill will continue to be real and genuine, but its value in the economy would be seriously damaged. If the special rights of marriage are given to any other relationship then the special values f marriage will diminish and that is what we've seen In the I-JK. I don't want to see that happening in the United States†, said Mike Judge.But littl e did he know that, that same year when Civil Partnership Act was legalized in the I-JK, Massachusetts legalized same sex marriage, being the first in the United States with 5 other sprawling behind (Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and District of Colombia). But is gay marriage really such a bad idea as people might think? Straight and gay are Just the same, they experience the same feelings, emotions and thoughts ust like any other human. So there should clearly be the same rights for people with both kinds of â€Å"sexual preferences†.But should there be? Or should we as people of the world strip these rights from the â€Å"gay' community? Ignoring their rights as a human being? In the United States our forefathers wrote â€Å"that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† and that we should â€Å"hold these truths to be self-evidentâ € . Clearly the six states that granted gay arriage took this well into consideration and finally made it law.And in the Holy Bible , King James' version, I Peter 2:13-14 says â€Å"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake: Whether it be to the king as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. † Meaning that we, the children of God must abide by the rules/ laws set up by higher authority, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. So the question is, isn't same sex marriage ltimately right since it is now law?

CV and personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CV and personal statement - Essay Example After travelling to other countries, I become a witness as to how modernity changes the phase of infrastructure development. Along with the rapid advancement of science, new technologies are introduced together with better materials which gave way to the creation of taller, more astounding, and beautiful buildings. However, I still often look back at the Great Wall as it provides me with the fondest memories and my huge ambitions of becoming an engineer. I often wish I can build something as significant and distinct as a legacy to world of my existence. I have long admitted my incapacity of building my own Great Wall to be remembered for. However, I remain committed to my aim of building my legacy through pursuing every opportunity to further my strengths and competencies which include seeking admission to graduate school. I dream that someday, I will be able to utilize my knowledge and skills through the aid of technological advancements to erect infrastructure which will be mark my contribution to the world. It might not be as grand, popular, and even remarkable as the Great Wall but it will stand as the fulfillment of my aspirations and will serve as witness to the long years I have labored in acquiring knowledge and skills in the field of engineering. The last four years in my life that I spent in the University College of London marks my continued voyage of finding more about the application of technical and scientific knowledge in the design of efficient processes, machines, and systems. These years have introduced me with the basic concepts of engineering but even increased my interest in acquiring the specialized knowledge and skills that I need to gear me with in order to become a civil engineer. However, I also believed that professional knowledge is inadequate but should go hand in hand with application. Inside our classroom, I have painstaking learned about combining science and technical

Classification of Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classification of Accounting - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that the first category of accounting is financial accounting. The main purpose of this type of accounting is to get an insight into financial matters using financial statements. It involves some core activities related to financial information, which are recording, reordering, and summarizing of the events that have occurred within in a given period. The second category of accounting is cost accounting. Cost accounting deals with analysis of different types of business costs using formulas, approaches, and processes. Cost accounting helps managers identify business costs, as well as expenses required to run business processes using current strategy. Some of the main approaches to do cost accounting include lean accounting, throughput accounting, and activity-based costing.This study highlights that the third category of accounting is management accounting. It deals with the management of the results from both other types of accounting. It is mainly concer ned with the use of financial statements and cost analysis in taking business decisions. Some examples of financial information that managers use in management accounting include current ration, net profit, and equipment depreciation. The three types of accounting include financial accounting, cost accounting, and management accounting. Financial accounting deals with the preparation of financial statements. Cost accounting deals with the analysis of business costs using a suitable cost accounting approach. Management accounting is mainly concerned with the use of financial and non-financial information in taking business decisions.

Pimps up, ho's down Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pimps up, ho's down - Essay Example In particular, the goal of the author was not to describe hip hop music or sexism, but to relate hip hop culture with the behavior of black women, especially in their response to the superiority of the black men. The book is a revelation of the worsening case of gender politics. Equally important, the Motivational Education Entertainment (MEE) Productions, Inc., a firm that specializes in research about urban and ethnic groups, also performed a study regarding the views of the Black urban youth on intimacy or sexual activity. The study was titled â€Å"This is My Reality: The Price of Sex: An Inside Look at Black Urban Youth Sexuality and the Role of the Media.† MEE was able to provide a picture of the present day value of sex to the black urban youth, who seems to have become unmindful of the consequences of sex. Apparently, the impact of hip hop culture to the lives of the younger generation has reached the point of affecting their relationship with the self, family, friends , and society. Hip hop is not only a trend, but a culture that is influencing the lifestyle of today’s younger generation. Thus, to a certain extent, because of its profound impact on the lifestyle of the young blacks hip hop culture created sexual abusers. The impact of hip hop culture on the lives of the African American youths is indeed profound to the extent that it is affecting their views about sex and relationships. In particular, the messages that are inflicted in hip hop music are often condemned because of expressing misogyny, or hatred towards women. Hence, the lyrics of hip hop music in it have encouraged the abuse of African American women through words that destroy their image in the society. The abuse of women has continued through the years, and this time not only through words but sexually and emotionally. The world sees movies that show Black women in strip clubs, and the adult entertainment industry obtains profit from this type of dirty business (Sharpley- Whiting 12). More and more men feed their illusion by making women object of sexual abuse. The worsening case of sexual abuse is already being manifested in the things people see in television or hear on the radio. With hip hop music going mainstream, it is no wonder why many adolescent black females are involved in sexual relationships (MEE 23), sexual relationships that bring them to the abuses of men at an early age. Males call their female sexual partners as the shorty while they call their other partner the wifey whom they consider for a long-term relationship (MEE 26). Thus, if one is the shorty better yet expect nothing more than sex. Apparently, hip hop is nowadays more than just a musical genre, for it has become a catalyst of change that influenced the black males to feeling that they are more superior compared to women and that women, at present, are vulnerable and easily deceive by their false promises. In relation to the abuses encountered by young black women in the so ciety, sexual violence, sexism, beat downs, sexual dishonesty and anti-lesbianism are some of the challenges that these women have to deal with in everyday life (Sharpley-Whiting 12). These female difficulties reflect how young black women are being maltreated by some men. However, because of the emergence of hip hop culture, these difficulties were made to appear as if it were a normal part of life (Sharpley-Whiting 12). The â€Å"patriarchal and misogynistic notions of manhood and masculinity combined with racism†

CORRECTNESS TEST ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CORRECTNESS TEST - Essay Example I am fully aware that getting a good job is not a bed of roses and the competition in the market is sky-high. Additionally, current age is an age of economic recession with a scarcity of jobs. I know I have to work really hard to outshine my competitors once it comes to job and therefore, I am working very hard. My goal is to get to the executive post in whichever organization I am hired. Managers need to be extremely selective about their words once they deliver their speech in any form. The practice of writing not only polishes my interpretive skills but also adds tones to my existing vocabulary. In order to progress in professional life, it is imperative that one is equipped with good literary skills and one must be able to pen one’s thoughts down in the most appropriate manner to be a successful manager. Therefore, I write and consider it a practice that is favorable to the realization of my

Thurgood Marshall Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thurgood Marshall - Research Paper Example Indeed, his interests in law forever changed the American history. Mershall is among the leading black figures in the 21st century. It was through Marshall that the American courts eradicated slavery and destroyed racist segregation systems. He promoted affirmative actions for people to live in harmony and equality. Indeed, Thurgood Mershall was an influential figure who laid a strong foundation in changing the American society. Thurgood Mershall was born in middle class family. In his childhood, Mershall’s parents enacted a strong emphasis on their son’s education. His interests in law started when he attended at Howard University to pursue law in 1933. For the first time, Mershall addressed discrimination and segregation in the Maryland University of Law. This was the place that Mershall experienced discrimination as an African-American student and lacked admission to the school. Later in his life, President Johnson Lyndon recognized Marshall Position to defend equali ty and thus, gave him the position to defend the civil right of all Americans. In 1967, the President nominated Marshall to be the associate judge in the Supreme Court. In this era, Marshall became the first African American to join the Supreme Court. ... His actions and decisions helped to fight racial segregation and discrimination against all blacks and African Americans. Most importantly, he did not only fight for equality and justice for his fellow Africans, but ensured that all people including the white received equal treatment. As a judge, he enacted important decisions regarding victims convicted of drug charges and the rights for the Native Americans (Glenn 10). Thurgood Mershall was an influential figure in the American history. He recognized the segregation in the public schools and worked hard to ensure that all children received equal rights and opportunities to pursue their education. In one of his speech in the Supreme Court, Mershall affirmed that the American government should fight for all children’s rights, regardless of their race. He believed that all children should obtain equal opportunities to attain their full potential and abilities as citizens. Mershall insisted that those children who never received their rights in the past deserved better treatment to achieve their dreams and visions in the future. He fought for a nation that would refuse to separate and promote unequal education. He emphasized that a nation could be better if the government could promote the education system for children to learn and live together. He argued that, the notion of children learning together would encourage children to live in harmony with another and understand people from different cultures. However, when children lack the opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, then they would grow up with the aspect that some races are more powerful than others. Mershall interests in ending discrimination and racism traced back in his childhood. As