Gathering and Evaluating Week 2 Essays

Gathering and Evaluating Week 2 Essays Gathering and Evaluating Week 2 Essay Gathering and Evaluating Week 2 Essay Essay Topic: Maus Gathering and Evaluating Information Caitlyn Matthews COM 220 July 29, 2011 PATSY DOBBS Gathering and Evaluating Information Appendix D Strategies for Gathering Information Source(Formatted using APA style guidelines)| What makes the source credible or noncredible? | What information can you gather from this source? | Williams J. Krouse (February 3, 2011). Gun Control Legislation. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? id=625de9cb-4578-470b-983a-f46f391be6cb%40sessionmgr10vid=3hid=1| This article would be considered credible, because this article was written by a person who not only speaks/ shows facts about gun control; but is a specialist in Domestic Security and Crime Policy through Congress Research Projects. | This article talks and explains, the laws about guns in the U. S, how many people were killed, how many guns are in the U. S and some past events such as Tucson, AZ 2011. Don. B. Kates Gary Mauser (March 1. 2007). Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide? A review of International and Some Domestic Evidence. Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p649-694, 46p. Retrieved on July 29, 2011, from http://ehis. ebscohost. com| I would say this is a creditable source as both authors have a background and/or a degree in some type of criminology. And because they show facts. This article discusses the fact that just because there are more guns in the world doesn’t mean that’s the reason more deaths are happening. They show proof of murder rates. And discuses why or why not making guns illegal would help reduce murder. | KWON, Ik-Whan G. Baack, Daniel w. (April 2005). The Effectiveness of Legislation Controlling Gun Usage: A Holistic Measure of Gun Control Legislation. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Vol. 64 Issue 2, 533p-47. Retrieved on July 29, 2011 from,

The Ultimate SAT Literature Subject Test Study Guide

The Ultimate SAT Literature Subject Test Study Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT Subject Test in Literature, formerly known as the SAT II Literature Exam, is one of the most popular Subject Tests. This might be because you don't necessarily need specialized knowledge, such as foreign language fluency, to do well on it. However, it also has a reputation for being a fairly difficult test. Luckily, I- 800-scoring sorceress of the SAT Literature Subject Test- am here to take you through all the particulars of the exam. We'll go through whether the exam is right for you, its format and content, its question styles, study hacks, practice resources, and test-day tips. Let's get the magic started! Here is a quick guide for those who'd prefer to skip around: Should You Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? SAT Literature Subject Test Format Passage Content Question Formats SAT Literature Test: Question Content and Skills Tested SAT Literature Test: 4 Essential Strategies for Preparation Where to Find SAT Literature Practice Tests and Resources How to Ace the Literature Subject Test: 6 Test-Taking Tips Wrap-Up: What to Know About SAT Literature Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. Should You Take the SAT Literature Subject Test? There are, in general, a few reasons why you might take one or more Subject Tests. You might take them because a school you are applying to requires or recommends them, or you might take them because you want to show mastery in a subject that you are particularly gifted in. Beyond that, should you choose the SAT Literature Subject Test in particular? Ask yourself the following three questions to help you decide: Burning questions. #1: Do You Like (or at Least Not Hate) English? Most people don't love all subjects equally. You might feel as though you should take Literature if your other SAT Subject Tests are all math and science so that you can show a diverse set of skills- even if, in reality, English bores you to tears. But trust me- it's going to be much less painful for you, and better for your college applications, if you take SAT Subject Tests in things you are really interested in. This will give a truer picture of who you are as a student anyways. #2: Will You Do Well on It? Obviously, you aren't an oracle and can't know for sure whether the SAT Subject Test in Literature will be a home run for you. But before you register, you should think about whether or not you are positioned to do well on the exam. The College Board recommends three to four years of literary study "at the college prep level." I took the test in the fall of my junior year and was fine, but I wouldn't advise taking it earlier than that. If you've done well in your high school English classes, you can reasonably expect to do well on the Literature exam with the help of some preparation. That being said, you might still want to take a practice test before you register to get a ballpark idea of how much work you have to put in. Don't expect to get an 800 right off the bat! However, if you do really poorly on a practice test, consider going with a different Subject Test or postponing the Literature exam so you have more time to prepare for it. #3: When Are You Applying to College? When you'll be applying to college can help determine how soon you should take the Literature Subject Test. If you take the exam too early in your high school career, you won't necessarily have the skills base you need to do well. Take it too late, though, and you might not have time to retake it if you didn't score as well as you wanted to. I'd advise doing your first go-around sometime in your junior year. (You can take it later in the school year or over the summer if you think you need more time to prepare- see our guide to SAT Subject Test dates.) If you decide to take the Literature exam, you'll want to get familiar with the test format. Read on to learn more, noble scholars of literature! So noble. Very scholarly. Wow. SAT Literature Subject Test Format Like the other Subject Tests, the SAT Literature Subject Test is one hour long. You'll answer about 60 multiple-choice questions, although the number varies slightly among administrations of the test. Each question has five answer choices. Every correct answer is worth 1 point, and incorrect answers are worth -1/4 points as a way to discourage random guessing. Unanswered questions are worth 0 points. On the test, your task will be to answer questions on six to eight passages of English literature. Passages will generally not include authors or titles, but you will be able to find the original date of publication (or estimated date of composition) at the end of each excerpt. Every fifth line will be marked so you can quickly find your way around the passage when answering questions. Each passage has its own set of questions; it's like six to eight little mini-tests ranging from four to 12 questions per passage. The first and last questions for each excerpt will generally be about the passage as a whole, while the ones in the middle will usually ask questions about specific parts of the passage. Unsurprisingly, the questions on this exam will ask you to analyze elements of literary passages. This could be anything from identifying the overall theme, to dissecting the meaning of a phrase in context, to analyzing the use of figurative language. I'll go over more specifics later on, but that's the basic idea. On the exam you could see prose, poetry, drama, etc., from as early as the Renaissance period to as recent as the 20th century. Expect to see literature from the US, England, and occasionally other English-speaking countries. Works have to be originally written in English to be included in the exam, so no excerpts from Les Miserables or One Hundred Years of Solitude. Note that topics and genres are not randomly distributed. In the next section, we'll go into what percentages of different sorts of material you can expect to see on the Literature test. You might see an excerpt from one of these on the exam! SAT Literature Passage Content Passages will generally not come from highly recognizable works, but they will be chosen because they have some literary merit in the eyes of the College Board. In general, the College Board takes pains to select passages that are pretty uncontroversial in their theme and content, avoiding anything that requires a deep level of specialized cultural or religious knowledge to interpret (so no drawn-out allegories about Christianity or anything like that). The six to eight passages you'll need to examine for the SAT Literature Test can be divided along three categorical lines: Author's nationality (American, English, or other) Genre Time period It breaks down like this: #1: Author's Nationality On the Literature Subject Test, 40-50% of passages will be written by an American author, 40-50% by a British author, and 0-10% by another author writing in English. So you can expect about half and half British and American authors, with maybe one passage written by an author from another country. As you might have noticed, this is very much a Western-lit centric test. #2: Genre In terms of genre, 40-50% of passages will be prose; these are mostly short excerpts from fiction or essays. Another 40-50% will be poetry; these are typically full-length poems, though sometimes the College Board will take a shorter section from a long work of verse. Finally, about 0-10% will be drama or another genre, such as a folktale, myth, etc. Once again, you can expect about half and half between poetry and prose, with maybe one passage using a different form of writing. #3: Time Period This breakdown is a little different than the two above. You can expect 30% of passages to come from the Renaissance (late 15th century) through the 1600s. This equals about two passages. Another 30% will come from the 1700s-1800s, so expect another two passages or so there. The remaining 40%- around three passages- will come from the 20th century. As you can see, the test is a little more heavily weighted toward the modern era, but you should be prepared for literature anywhere from the late 1400s to the 1900s. Don't worry- you won't need to read Middle English or Old English for earlier works. Passages will be comprehensible. The language won't be any older than Shakespearean English! You might see stuff by this guy. Extra Advice: Want to get into the best college you can? Read our famous guide on how to get into Harvard, the Ivy League, and your top choice college. In this guide, you'll learn: What colleges are looking for in your application How to impress your top choice colleges Why you're probably wasting your time on activities that don't matter Even if you're not actually interested in Ivy League schools, you'll still learn something fundamental about how to apply to college. Read our top college admissions guide today. SAT Literature Question Formats All questions on the Literature Subject Test are multiple choice with five answer choices each. Within that framework, there are four kinds of questions you can expect to see. I've included an example of each type (though I haven't included the passage). I will use most of the same questions with the passage later on in the article, so if you'd like to see the passage, scroll down (or Google "Aedh Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" by W.B. Yeats). Note: I wrote all the questions in this article, but they are closely based on real SAT Literature questions written by the College Board. #1: Standard Multiple-Choice Questions About the Entire Passage These are questions that apply to the whole passage; they often ask about things such as theme or tone, or other concepts that can be generalized to the entire excerpt. EXAMPLE The best description of the tone of the poem is: joyful and fanciful despairing and grim serious and triumphant earnest and supplicating witty and lighthearted #2: Standard Multiple-Choice Questions Referring to a Specific Line or Moment in the Passage You will be pointed to a specific part of the passage and asked a question about only that part. Usually, these questions will have a line reference included, but sometimes you are just given the specific phrase, and you'll need to find it in the passage yourself to answer the question. EXAMPLE In the context of the poem, the adverb "enwrought" (line 2) most nearly means: decorated rewarded purchased compensated destroyed #3: NOT or EXCEPT Questions For these SAT Lit questions, you'll need to select the answer choice that does not apply to the passage. "NOT" or "EXCEPT" will helpfully be capitalized, so you should be able to spot these fairly easily. Just remember to read carefully! EXAMPLE The following words all describe the cloths of heaven EXCEPT: embroidered blue dim dark poor #4: Roman Numeral Questions For these questions, you will first be asked a question, and then given a series of statements identified with Roman numerals that are potential answers to that question. Your five lettered choices (A-E) will present different combinations of the Roman numerals. This essentially allows the College Board to ask multiple-multiple choice questions, in which more than one Roman numeral statement correctly answers the question. EXAMPLE Which of the following statements can be inferred about the speaker from the poem? The speaker thinks the person he is addressing is very beautiful. The speaker is not wealthy. The speaker's dreams are very precious to him. I only I and II only III only I, II, and III II and III only You will not be taking the test on a typewriter. SAT Literature Test: Question Content and Skills Tested The SAT Literature Test won't ask you any questions about literary history, though a basic working knowledge of literary movements probably wouldn't hurt- it might even help you orient yourself on the passages. Instead, your main task on the test will be to analyze the passages. In order to be able to answer these analytical questions, the College Board says that you'll need to know "basic literary terminology" and "literary concepts." This might seem a little intimidating, but the truth is that you've likely heard of many of these concepts before- ideas such as tone, theme, stanza, hyperbole, alliteration, etc. And even if you haven't, they're pretty easy to learn. (See the "4 Essential Strategies for Preparation" section below.) All of this might sound daunting, but it's not so bad. SAT Lit questions generally fall into eight easily digestible sub-categories. These categories apply to both prose and poetry, although you will see some kinds of questions appear more often with prose passages (e.g., character analysis), while others appear more often with poetry (e.g., figurative language). In the interest of readability, examples will be grouped together in the middle of this section and at the end so that questions can appear with the relevant passages. Category 1: Reading Comprehension "But Ellen," you might be wondering, "Aren't all these questions more or less about reading comprehension?" Yes, yes they are. But some questions- instead of asking you to do deeper analysis- will ask more basic questions about things such as who is speaking, who's being addressed at a given point in the text, or what events are being described. I will also include in this category the very rare (maybe one per test) grammar question. That's right- very occasionally, the SAT Literature Test will ask you a functional grammatical question on something like subject-verb agreement or identifying the main verb. The purpose of this question is generally to clarify a complex sentence for you so the passage is easier to analyze. Category 2: Meaning of Words and Phrases in Context This is a super-popular category; you can expect about one of this question type per passage. You'll be given a word and asked what it means in the specific context of the passage; this could be either the denotation (literal meaning) or connotation (implied meaning). Sometimes you'll be asked one of these questions because the word is being used in a strange way. Sometimes you'll be asked because the word itself is unusual. You can almost always figure these questions out from context clues, even if you aren't immediately familiar with the usage. Category 3: Questions on General, Sweeping Elements of the Passage A couple of questions per passage will ask you to make a sweeping analysis of the excerpt. These questions might ask about the following elements: Tone of the passage Theme Mood Overall descriptions of the language used Overarching purpose or argument You might also occasionally be asked a question about the structure or the genre of the piece (e.g., Is this prose passage a work of satire, a personal narrative, etc.). Category 4: Literary and Rhetorical Devices This is where knowledge of basic literary terminology will come in handy. These questions ask you to identify and/or analyze the use of literary and rhetorical devices. You might be given a phrase and asked what device is being used (e.g., is it hyperbole, alliteration, personification, etc.). You might also be asked to note where in the text a specific device is being deployed. You will need a little specialized knowledge for this type of question, and it's an important area to do some targeted studying in before you take the exam. Ah, the stars. Perennial subject of poetic imagery. Examples 1-4 Examples 1-4 are based on the following passage: Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, (5) I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. (1899) Example 1: Reading Comprehension The following words all describe the cloths of heaven EXCEPT embroidered blue dim dark poor This is a reading comprehension question because it relies on your ability to understand what words are describing the "cloths of heaven" at various points in the poem and what words are not. "Poor" describes the speaker; everything else describes the cloths: the "embroidered cloths," the "blue" cloths, the "dim" cloths, and the "dark" cloths. The correct answer, therefore, is E. This question tests your ability to reach a fairly basic understanding of what is being said in the poem as opposed to any sort of deeper literary analysis. Example 2: Meaning of Words/Phrases in Context In the context of the poem, the adverb "enwrought" (line 2) most nearly means: decorated rewarded purchased compensated destroyed Any time you have a line reference and are asked what a word or phrase means, what it connotes, or what it is best understood to mean, it's probably a vocab/phrase in context question (unless you're being asked what a metaphor or simile means). "Enwrought" is sort of a weird old word- exactly the kind of word the College Board likes to target for this kind of question. The correct answer is A: decorated because it's the only answer choice that makes sense in the context of the poem- even if you have no idea what "enwrought" means when you first look at it. Example 3: Questions on the Overall Passage The best description of the tone of the poem is: joyful and fanciful despairing and grim serious and triumphant earnest and supplicating witty and lighthearted This question asks you to identify the tone of the entire poem, so it's an overall passage question. Since the poem is so short, you could go back and quickly reread it to answer this question. You might notice that the tone is rather serious in nature; this poem is not meant to be funny or cute but is a deep expression of devotion. By the same token, the tone is not particularly happy or sad but expectant: the speaker is making a request ("tread softly ... on my dreams") and does not yet know whether his request will be honored. A glance through the answers shows that the only answer choice that really makes sense is D. Example 4: Literary Devices Which of the following devices does the poem use most frequently? repetition personification alliteration apostrophe hyperbole This is a pretty typical question you might see in the literary devices category. You're given a list of literary terms, and then you have to pick the one that is most appropriate to the poem. Even if you don't know all the terms here, it's pretty clear that the answer is A. The poem involves the repeated invocation of "cloths," "light," "feet," and "dreams." It'd be hard to top that level of repetition with pretty much any other device. With the first four examples covered, let's move on to the last four question categories on the SAT Literature Subject Test. Tread softly on these dreams. Category 5: Metaphor and Simile- Identification and Interpretation Yes, metaphor and simile are technically literary devices, but I've given them their own subcategory because questions about them are so prevalent on the SAT Literature Test. In general, these questions fall into two categories: identification and definition. For identification questions, you will simply need to identify the metaphor or simile among the choices given; you might also need to identify what is not a metaphor or a simile for NOT/EXCEPT questions. For definition questions, you'll need to choose the answer that best describes what a particular metaphor or simile means or conveys in the text. Category 6: Analyzing the Narrator (Prose) or Speaker (Poetry) The "narrator" and the "speaker" are two different names for the same term; the narrator is the voice that relates a prose passage and the speaker is the voice that relates a poem. This is not the same as the author. The narrator/speaker is a construct created by the author to relate the passage. In a sense, the narrator/speaker functions as a lens through which the passage is conveyed to you, the reader. You might be asked questions about the narrator or speaker's tone, motives, position within the text, point of view, attitude, voice, etc. Essentially, who is the person relating the passage, how are they saying it, why are they saying it, and who are they speaking to? Category 7: Analyzing Character You will be asked to analyze character more often in prose than poetry, but poems do sometimes have characters, so this category applies to both kinds of passages. You will almost certainly be asked to analyze character in dramatic excerpts. You might be asked to identify characteristics of a character as conveyed by the author (characterization), a character's motives, and so on. Category 8: Analyzing Dialogue This is similar to character analysis as character is often conveyed through dialogue, but you might also be asked to identify the tone of a piece of dialogue, its meaning, or its specific function within the piece. This is another category you can expect to see a lot of for drama, and some for prose- but only a little for poetry, if at all. I bet this dialogue would be interesting to analyze. Examples 5-8 Examples 5-8 are based on the following passage: "Nelly, do you never dream queer dreams?" she said, suddenly, after some minutes' reflection. "Yes, now and then," I answered. "And so do I. I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and (5) changed my ideas: they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one: I'm going to tell it- but take care not to smile at any part of it." "Oh! don't, Miss Catherine!" I cried. "We're dismal enough without conjuring up ghosts and visions to perplex us. Come, come, be merry and like yourself! Look (10) at little Hareton! He's dreaming nothing dreary. How sweetly he smiles in his sleep!" "Yes; and how sweetly his father curses in his solitude! You remember him, I daresay, when he was just such another as that chubby thing: nearly as young and innocent. However, Nelly, I shall oblige you to listen: it's not long; and I've no power to be merry to-night." (15) "I won't hear it, I won't hear it!" I repeated, hastily. I was superstitious about dreams then, and am still; and Catherine had an unusual gloom in her aspect, that made me dread something from which I might shape a prophecy, and foresee a fearful catastrophe. She was vexed, but she did not proceed. Apparently taking up another subject, she recommenced in a short time. (20) "If I were in heaven, Nelly, I should be extremely miserable." "Because you are not fit to go there," I answered. "All sinners would be miserable in heaven." (1847) Example 5: Figurative Language The simile "like wine through water" (line 5) reveals that Catherine's dreams ... make her intoxicated reveal the future affect her powerfully. frighten her are very strange SAT Literature will frequently ask you to either identify metaphors/similes or analyze what they mean. It's important in questions like this one to consider only what the specific figurative language means and not whether the other answers are true based on the rest of the passage. Her dreams might be strange (she calls them "queer"), but that is not what the simile means. She says that they are like wine through water in that they "change the colour of her mind." This suggests that the simile means the dreams influence her, in much the same way that adding wine to water would change the water. The correct answer is C. Example 6: Narrator/Speaker Analysis Which of the following statements can be inferred about the narrator from the passage? The narrator is uncomfortable with the supernatural. The narrator believes Catherine is a good and moral person. The narrator dislikes children. I only I and II only III only I, II, and III II and III only. Narrator analysis questions will frequently ask you to identify the viewpoints or opinions of the narrator based on the passage. It's important in these questions to rely only on what is in the text and not make any unsupported inferences. It's pretty clear, for example, that the narrator here is "uncomfortable with the supernatural" since she describes herself as "superstitious of dreams" and fears they might be prophetic. It's also clear that the narrator does not believe Catherine to be good and moral because she says Catherine is a sinner who does not belong in heaven. It doesn't seem that she dislikes children, though; she describes Hareton as "smiling sweetly." The only Roman numeral statement that there is enough evidence in the passage to agree with is I, so the answer is A. Example 7: Character Analysis We can understand from Nelly's admonishment, "be merry and like yourself" (line 9), that Catherine's current mood is ... a portent of things to come unusual given her typical disposition normal for her dangerous to the baby Hareton evidence of her moral perversity This is a character question as we are being asked to analyze Catherine's character based on a specific moment in the passage (Nelly's admonishment). In a question like this which points to a particular line or place in the text, it's important to examine what the particular line means and not make any inferences about the character based on the rest of the text. In this case, it might well be that Catherine's mood is portentous or evidence of her perversity, but this is not suggested by the phrase "be merry and like yourself." It tells us that she is (1) not merry and that this is (2) unusual. So, the correct answer is B. Example 8: Dialogue Analysis The tone of "Because you are not fit to go there," (line 21) can be best described as apprehensive sharp patronizing reverent whimsical This is a dialogue question because you are being asked to analyze the dialogue (specifically its tone) in a way that is not related to a given character. It can be hard to identify the tone of a piece of dialogue when there aren't many cues surrounding the dialogue, as in this passage. It might be easiest to simply imagine the dialogue being said in each tone and pick which makes the most sense and/or is the most consistent with the rest of the passage. It should be pretty clear that, if you do this, the answer is B: sharp. Don't worry- the passages will not be rendered in the authors' original handwriting. Those are the eight question types you can expect to see on the SAT Literature Subject Test. But how should you prepare for them? I'll cover four essential prep strategies next. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Tired of wasting time prepping in ways that don't work? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. It's the best prep program available right now. Best of all, we guarantee your money back if you don't improve your score by 160 points or more. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Improve Your SAT Score by 160+ Points, Guaranteed SAT Literature Test: 4 Essential Strategies for Preparation Although you'll learn a decent amount of the knowledge necessary to do well on the SAT Literature exam just from your high school English class, there are still some things you can (and should) do if you really want to hit it out of the park. Here are four essential steps you can take to prepare: Strategy 1: Read Old Stuff The College Board recommends "close, critical reading of English and American literature from a variety of historical periods and genres." It's not likely you'll read anything that will end up on the exam, but reading a wide range of poetry and prose originally composed in English from relevant time periods (i.e., Shakespearean era through the 20th century) will help you feel familiar with English-language literary writing from all the time periods covered on the exam. Also, if you look up any words you don't know when you encounter them in a text, you'll have a leg up on meaning in context questions. So I'd try to read classic literature and poetry from many time periods for a few hours a week. Strategy 2: Learn Literary Terms and Concepts Even if you think you know them all, you should review basic literary terms and make sure you know how various devices are deployed. Some good resources for learning literary terms are as follows: PrepScholar's list of the 31 most important literary devices to know, with definitions, explanations, and examples for each Literary-devices.com (an actual site all about literary devices!) offers an extremely comprehensive list, with examples This list from a high school teacher's AP course also has a pretty good array of major literary terms Strategy 3: Learn and Practice Literary Analysis (Especially Poetry) You've hopefully learned literary analysis techniques in your high school classes, but it doesn't hurt to brush up on these skills. A primary skill needed for the SAT Lit test is the ability to close-read texts- that is, to identify what the author is doing and why he or she is doing it. Most close-reading you do in school is going to involve building your own argument about a text as opposed to answering analytical questions, but the skills are similar. Here are some helpful resources you can use to practice close reading: The writing center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a helpful guide to close reading The Purdue OWL gives good advice on how to close-read poetry specifically The Harvard College Writing Center also has a useful close-reading guide Furthermore, many students, even those who are good at English, are not particularly comfortable with poetry. Never fear! There are resources available to help you get more comfortable with poetry. First things first, reading more poetry will make you more comfortable with it (shocking, I know). Here are some excellent resources you can use in your studies: The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin has a guide to reading poetry Poets.org has their own guide to reading poetry, along with two close readings of poems Strategy 4: Take Practice Tests If you want to prepare well for the SAT Literature Subject Test, take practice tests! Familiarity with the exam format and the way the questions are worded will keep you from being tripped up on exam day. For more tips on where to find practice tests, read on! Practice, practice, practice! Where to Find SAT Literature Practice Tests and Resources The best resources for SAT Literature practice tests come straight from the source- the College Board. Since they create and administer the SAT Literature Subject Test, it makes sense that they would have the best study resources. The College Board offers a set of 23 practice questions on their online prep interface. You can get the same practice questions in PDF form by downloading their booklet on preparing for the Subject Tests. If you want a complete and official SAT Literature practice test, you will need to purchase The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests, 2nd Edition (about $19 on Amazon). This book offers sample questions with explanations and a complete practice test for every Subject Test. Other than this, official resources are limited. Practice questions in the Kaplan guide bear very little resemblance to actual questions, so I don't advise going there. While The Princeton Review guide questions are much better, they're still not official. How to Ace the Literature Subject Test: 6 Test-Taking Tips All of your general test-taking tips apply here: get a lot of sleep, bring a snack to the testing center, arrive early, and so on. There are also some best practices more specific to the SAT Subject Test in Literature, though. Read on for our top six tips. #1: Read the Passage Carefully This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many students get tripped up on the SAT Lit test just because they didn't read the passage closely. You might find it helpful to mark the text by making notes or circling or underlining parts that stand out to you. Interacting with the text this way will help you to process it better. Some people like to read the questions before they read the passage so that they know what they are looking for. If you find this helpful, go ahead and do it! I personally find that it wastes time and distracts me from fully absorbing the passage, but your mileage might vary. Just remember that the time to experiment with your approach is not test day but while you're taking practice tests. Also, there's no law that you have to address all the passages in order. If you come upon one that just seems hard to process, it's fine to skip it and come back to it later. However, if you do this, be sure to line up your answers on the answer sheet correctly. You don't want to have to erase half a scantron because you didn't count right when you skipped a passage! #2: Think of the Answer Before Looking At the Choices When you read the question, you might find it helpful to think of what you think the answer should be before you look at the answers listed. At the very least, doing this should help you eliminate answers that are clearly wrong. #3: Read All the Answer Choices Carefully This tip probably sounds obvious, too, but, when you're pressed for time, it's tempting to just circle the first answer that looks like it could be right. Don't do this! Read all the answer choices before you choose the best one. #4: Look Back at the Passage When a question refers to a specific place in the passage, go back and look at it in context. Do not rely on your memory alone! Context is everything on this exam. #5: Don't Infer Don't make inferences that aren't supported by the text. It can be tempting to choose answers that the text doesn't explicitly disallow, but you need to choose the answer choice that is the most supported by what's actually written in the passage. #6: Don't Waste Time Since there is some time pressure on this exam, don't waste too much time on any one question. If you find yourself stumped, just skip the question and come back to it later. Odds are that it will be much clearer to you on a second pass. Time is of the essence! Wrap-Up: What to Know About SAT Literature This is all there is to the SAT Subject Test in Literature: you get one hour to answer 60 analytical questions on six to eight passages. Be prepared for a wide range of time periods and make sure you can confront prose, poetry, and the occasional dramatic work. Be certain that you're also ready to answer questions in any of the eight question categories: Reading comprehension Words/phrases in context Questions on the passage overall Literary devices Figurative language Narrator/speaker analysis Character analysis Dialogue analysis What can you do to prepare for the SAT Literature Subject Test? Read works from a variety of time periods, learn major literary terms, get comfortable analyzing prose and poetry, and take as many high-quality practice tests as possible! On test day, remember to read the passages carefully, skip any questions that stump you (and return to them later), and don't make any inferences beyond what's written in the text. With all this in mind, you'll be ready to ace SAT Literature in no time! Get inspired by this magical cat! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Raise Your SAT Score by 160 Points(Free Download) What's Next? Once you decide to take the SAT Literature test, you'll need to choose a test date. Read this guide to learn how to find the best test date for you. Taking the SAT Biology Subject Test, too? Check out our ultimate SAT Subject Test guide for SAT Biology to learn what kinds of content you'll need to know to ace the exam. Trying to figure out what's a good SAT Subject Test score? Let us break it down for you. Once you need to send your scores, see out step-by-step guide to sending SAT Subject Test scores. Taking the regular SAT or the ACT? See our expert guide to the best SAT/ACT prep methods. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Augmentation of our natural abilities using technology Case Study

Augmentation of our natural abilities using technology - Case Study Example Jumping stilts were invented and patented by a German aerospace engineer known as Alexander Boeck, who came up with the invention after studying the movement and structure of the kangaroo. The question that we seek to answer is whether jumping stilts are the ideal bionics that will enhance the historical wish of man to lift him from the ground, to some it can be said to be a craze but the possibilities that this bionic holds, is deemed to be phenomenon . It should be noted that stilts have been in existence in various human societies for a couple of centuries including African, Aboriginal and Chinese societies. The good thing is that using technology current generation can use jumping stilts in a way their ancestors never deemed possible. The feats that can be achieved using jumping stilts are taunted to be unimaginable in various aspects of human life. The device uses the concept of enhancing mans Achilles tendons by reducing friction at the knee joint and promoting balance on the f eet. Jumping stilts open possibilities of what augmented human beings can be able to do including jumping and running. The many uses at the moment of jumping stilts are not limited to the following artistic expression, form of exercise which tones the whole body unlike conventional exercise routines and also is a sport to enthusiasts. The fields that will greatly benefit from stilts are athletics and exercise; this is because it takes training of performers to the next level. It is deemed to be the next big thing in the fitness industry because it provides full body workout once, something not possible with traditional exercise regimes. Robotics which is a craze in the science community will benefit from this device because they can enhance human legs to make them look like robotic animals. The phenomenal recognition of this wearable human enhancement has lead to increased recognition in the international arena such that it was used during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Ol ympic in China. Man is essentially using the feat which can be achieved by the fastest animals on the planet such as ostriches and kangaroos. The main obstacle facing its distribution is perception and also coming up with a common name. This laboratory report will work on the above considerations to prove the hypothesis and assumptions which are stated below. The adrenalin of putting the stilts on, and running or jumping with them is reported by users to be like no other, which enhances locomotion greatly. The hypothesis and assumptions will rely on the observations and experiment to persuade the scientific community that they are true. 1) Hypothesis. This is the main wearable enhancement that enables people to jump very high and run very fast, compared to when they do that on foot. Theses should however not be confused with the prosthetics worn by disabled people who participate in the Paralympics. The questions which we seek to answer is whether these bionic enhancement can enable man to get off the ground and be the fastest mammal on the earth and whether this would open possibilities for man in various fields which otherwise not be possible if we only used our natural limbs without augmentation. Already such possibilities are being tested to be used by the military, an aspect who knows which could change warfare. The ultimate aim is for this argument to be proved to be a theory by other experimenters. This

The Role of Mentors in Evaluating the Quality of Students Nursing Essay

The Role of Mentors in Evaluating the Quality of Students Nursing Practice - Essay Example In talking about the role played by mentors in pre-registration of nurses, Pellat maintains that the practice experience is a most important aspect of preparing nursing students for registration. The current programmes are aimed at enhancing this practice with careful support and supervision. Mentors play a very crucial role in supporting nursing students in practice. The quality of mentorship is highly valuable during this time, and raises an attention because it is the mentors who assess students’ competence for practice at the time of registration. Prince also says that Mentoring offers students an opportunity to instruct, a characteristic of their own professional development and a stepping stone towards career paths. Mentors act as role models. As a mentor, one is required to provide the student with support and guidance in the area of practice. He/she should enable the student to make the practice realistic through applying the theories learnt, assessing and giving effec tive feedback and enhancing revision of the practice, performances and lessons learnt (Pellatt, 2006,336 – 340) and (Prince ,2004) The Royal college of Nursing toolkit provides basics of mentorship in that Mentors must ensure students are fit for purpose which means the ability to perform effectively in practice, for practice-fulfill registration requirements and award; have the qualification of being awarded a diploma or a degree. As role models, mentors should assist students develop skills and confidence, enhance professionalism and lay an appropriate level of inspection. It is the mentors’ responsibility to be prepared to undertake the role, to share their knowledge with the mentee, to be conversant with the students’ curriculum and practice assessment documentation and identify areas of specialization and learning opportunities. Morton and Palmer add that Mentoring goes beyond the individual relationship between the mentor and the student. It is within this framework of accountability and responsibility for professional standards that is implicit within the individual’s practice and that of the employer. This makes the mentors feel secure in their role of supporting that is implemented at local level (Royal College of Nursing Toolkit 2007, 5-10 and Morton and Palmer, 2000). Outcomes of Mentoring Spouse asserts that the stages of mentoring portray acyclic process or a continuum based on the individual’s development stages as he/she matures into the career or professionalism. Mentoring is part of being a leader, the same way as developing ones leadership abilities. In mentoring, first the mentor and mentee needs to establish an open relationship with each other. Each stage of mentorship is an experience in life that brings new crises and challenges. Having experienced this, one knows what to expect and it is this knowledge that helps others go through the career challenges. The benefits of mentee, mentor and the organizati on are: quicker learning curves, increased communication of corporate values, increased loyalty, improved employee productivity and improved one on one communication (Spouse, 1996 32-35). People who have

Not as Easy as 1,2,3 Essay Example for Free

Not as Easy as 1,2,3 Essay People, Work Organizations- MGMT20124 Assessment 1- Report Case Study Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3 Contents Contents2 Executive Summary4 1- Introduction5 1. 1 Background to the report5 1. 2 Scope5 1. 3 Aims 6 2- Discussion7 2. 1 Organizational Justice7 2. 2 Perception errors 8 2. 3 Stress8 2. 4 Exit-Voice- loyalty ­-Neglect model8 2. 5 Team work 9 2. 6 Motivation9 3- Literature review10 3. 1 Organizational Justice10 3. 2 Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory12 3. 3 Expectancy theory14 4- Solutions and suggestions18 4. 1 Organisational Justice 18 4. 2 Stress 19 4. 3 Improving feedback process21 5- Conclusion22 References24 Executive Summary There are three purposes for this report. It attempts to indentify the problems in the case study Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3. Accordingly, it discusses about six main problems in ABC consulting firm that have negative impact on the organization effectiveness and the productivity of the objectives. These problems are; ABC consulting organization failed in implemented the organizational justice. Next one is the perception errors of Janet, the client manager and human resource director. The third problem is George was forced in the stress situation and George’s dissatisfaction about job and work behaviors which caused to the exit-voice-loyalty-neglect actions is the problem number four. The fifth is teamwork environment, processes and the last problem is ABC consulting failed to implement the motivation procedures in motivating its staffs. In addition, it also mentions about the theories which related to each problem. The second aim of this report is to explain the literature review of some theories that are related to the case study’s problems and solutions. Particularly, the organization motivation justice theory, Maslow’s hierarchy needs theory and the expectancy theory. Lastly, this report intends to discuss about the solutions and suggestions in relation to the case’s problems such as, develop consistent organizational justice system, the methods to relief stress, and implement probably feedback processes system. 1- Introduction 1. 1 Background to the report In recent years, organizational behaviors are very significant in every company which can have positive or negative impact on individuals, groups and structures within an organization for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organizations effectiveness. It is because there are many issues need to be considered if an organization wants to be successful in managing people, and maximize their ability and capacity. Hence, each organization needs to create a consistent system that can motivate its staffs and also try to satisfy their needs in order to improve the productivity of the objectives. One of the motivate systems is organizational justice system which provides the fairness or distributive, procedural and interactional justice in the firm. Furthermore, there are many theories discuss about the methods that can be satisfied the employees’ needs such as; Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory and expectancy motivation theory etc. For example, Khin (2010) states that many Malaysian companies’ perspectives about the affect of organizational justice on employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intention. They implemented the questionnaires around 300 employees about the distributive and procedural justice in a small to medium firms and the result showed that individuals were satisfy with their jobs, had more committed to the organizations and the organizational justice also provided appropriate working environment that can potentially heaps benefits like cost associated to employees retentions, influencing positive behaviors among employees, and thus achieve effectiveness and high productivity in the organization. 1. 2 Scope The case study Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3 focuses on several problems in ABC consulting firm. George was a new consultant staff in ABC firm who was employed by ABC because he impressed ABC’s human resource director and Janet, the client manger in the interview time. They said George was exactly sort of people they are looking for and promise him will get onto bonus system after three months probation. George was assigned in a project team with Daniel, the project manager and Janet, his duty is writing the report. However, nobody guided him how to write the report or told him about the role expectations; hence he could not complete his ideas in the report probably at the first meeting between him, Daniel and Janet. George’s manager disappointed about his report, they said â€Å"we thought you were a little more extroverted†. George was stress and tried to work more hours and put more efforts but had not satisfied his manager when he emailed his report two nights before it was due. Yet, Janet ripped his report to shreds, and told him she needs something more useful. It caused George felt down and lost his motivation, he came to work late, left early and took longer break than usual. He wanted to stay in ABC because of the bonus which his manger and human resource director promise him that everyone can get it after three months. Nevertheless, at the review meeting Janet and human resource director told him that he could not get onto the bonus system because he has not performed at they expected. Consequently, George sent out job applications in that night. 1. 3 Aims The purpose of this report are threefold, these include: Identify the issues in ABC consulting firm which have negative affect to organizational behaviors. Particularly, the six main problems are; ABC consulting organization failed in implemented the organizational justice. Next one is the perception errors of Janet, the client manager and human resource director. The third problem is George was forced in the stress situation. Another issue is George’s dissatisfaction about job and work behaviors which caused to the exit-voice-loyalty-neglect actions. The fifth is teamwork environment, processes and the last problem is ABC consulting failed to implement the motivation procedures in motivating its staffs. The literature review, explain the theories which are related to the case study’s problems in order to the motivation and satisfy employees’ needs. There are three important theories include; organizational motivation justice, Maslow’s hierarchy needs theory, and expectancy theory. Finally, the author provides some solutions and suggestions for the problems in ABC consulting firm such as, develop consistent organizational justice system, the methods to relief stress, and implement probably feedback processes system. 2- Discussion The case study NOT AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3 is facing with some significant problems in the organizational behavior that could have negative affect to employees’ performances, motivation, counterproductive behavior, and organizational citizenship etc. Yet, there are several issues in this case study but the author is focusing on six particular problems in ABC Consulting organization described as follows: 2. 1 Organizational Justice The first issue in ABC consulting company is the organizational justice. Organizational justice is the study of the concerns about fairness in the workplace which includes the distribution of resources has to do with distributive justice, and the fairness of decision-making procedures has to do with procedural justice (Greenberg 1990). Furthermore, Perceptions of distributive justice is one of the reasons employees want to withdraw from the organization (Cohen-Charash ; Spector 2001). In fact, ABC consulting had failed to maintain the fairness in the workplace which included: the procedural justice, George is the new staff in ABC consulting but he did not get any instruction or support to do the first client report. Besides, the distributive justice, the human resource director said that George will be eligible to get onto the bonus system as same as everyone in the company after three months’ probation but at the end of the probation period George could not get onto this bonus system. Consequences, the failure of fairness in workplace resulted George wanted to leave ABC consulting company, he was sending out the job applications. 2. 2 Perception errors The next problem in ABC consulting company is the perception errors of human resource director and Janet who is George area manager and this error can be explained in the Halo Effect theory. The â€Å"Halo Effect† is a type of perceptual error where people perception of one personality trait influences how they view a persons entire personality (Pollock 2012). The case study pointed out clearly that the human resource director and George’s area manager Janet said he was the exactly sort of person they are looking for because of the impression of George in the interview time, but they seemed to disappointed about George after the first meeting as Janet told him â€Å"We thought you were a little more extroverted†. The perception error of Janet and human resource director has leaded to unproductive of task and George’s dissatisfaction about his job. 2. 3 Stress Another problem is George was forced in a stress situation. Stress is something or situations that are perceived as challenging or threatening to the wellbeing of an individual. These conditions may lead to poor work performance, less work productivity (Colligan et al. 2006). George definitely is facing with the stress due to Janet’s commented on him â€Å"George sensed from Janet’s commented that she was disappointed†. Hence, he had to work from 7. 00 Am to 7. 00 Pm in the office and often do extra work at home. Yet, there were not useful points of his report even in the second time, Janet said she hope George has something useful to present on Monday after she read his report. 2. 4 Exit-Voice- loyalty ­-Neglect model The fourth issue is George’s dissatisfaction about job and work behaviours which caused to the exit-voice-loyalty-neglect actions and this type of actions can be identified in exit-voice-loyalty-neglect (EVLN) model. EVLN is a template that identifies ways that employees respond to dissatisfaction job (Hirschman 1970). Obviously, George was not satisfied with his job. Firstly, George had emailed the report again to his manger but she had been ripped to shreds. Thus, he felt anger, resentment and was not willing to do anything more on the project unless instructed to. Additionally, he had some reflected actions to his job dissatisfaction, Such as; he wanted exit from ABC consulting firm, â€Å"he was sending out job applications† after the company rejected him to get onto the bonus system. This action showed that George had a low loyalty in ABC consulting organisation â€Å"low loyalty produced exit with job dissatisfaction†. He also engaged in counterproductive behaviours (voice), George said he would only do absolute minimum, nothing more and he did not want to continue in dazzling anyone in the organisation. In last, he had reduced work effort, paid less attention to quality and increased absenteeism and lateness (neglect). It can be illustrated that he came to work late, left earlier, and took longer break than usual. 2. 5 Team work The fifth problem, ABC consulting firm had problem in organising a teamwork environment and processes. Teamwork is the cooperative and coordinated effort on the part of two or more people who work together as a team or in the interest of a common cause, which is normally the tasks set by the company (Salas et al. 2008). Probably, Daniel the project manager and Janet the client manager know that George is new staff in the organisation but they were not helping George as a team member. They did not give instructions or even ask if George has got any problem with the report and only expected on George will finish the report more than what he has done. 2. 6 Motivation Finally, ABC consulting failed to implement the motivation procedures in motivating its staffs. Motivation is the forces within a person that impact on an individual’s direction, intensity and persistence of voluntary behaviour (McShane et al. 2013). Particularly, ABC consulting firm was not successful in motivating George. First of all, they failed to identify the ability of George and the ability can make a difference in task performance and behaviour. They thought George was a bit more extroverted, that is why George could not complete the report well as they expected. The second is competencies of George; it includes knowledge, skills, personality, and self-concept, values etc. that results in superior performance. People can realise that ABC consulting firm did not implement well in matching George’s competencies with job’s task requirements and even though they did not provide any training for George, it caused an unproductive of George performance and organisational effectiveness. Moreover, the failure of ABC consulting firm in identifying the role perception to George that means they did not help George understand the job duties assigned to or expected of him. Thus, George could not finish his report as his manager wanted. 3- Literature review The problems in the case study Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3 related with few particular theories in the organisational behaviour which includes the organisational justice theories, motivational theories and expectancy theory of motivation. 3. 1 Organizational Justice The organisational justice contains the different theories that are distributive justice, procedural justice and interactional justice, and they all relate to the fairness in organisations. For example, fair payment, equal opportunities for promotion between employees, and personnel selection procedures etc†¦ Distributive justice is conceptualized as the fairness associated with decision outcomes and distribution of resources. An individuals react to actions and decisions of fairness made by organizations every day, and the distributing of outcomes or resources can be tangible (e. g. , pay) or intangible (e. g. , praise). Perceptions of distributive justice can motivate staffs when outcomes are considered to be equally applied (Adams 1965). On the other hand, procedural justice is defined as the fairness of the processes that lead to outcomes. When individuals feel the process involves characteristics such as consistency, accuracy, ethicality, and lack of bias then procedural justice is enhanced or they can have a voice in the process (Leventhal 1980). Additionally, interactional justice refers to the treatment that an individual receives the explanations or news with respect as decisions are made (Bies Moag 1986). Colquitt (2001) also declares that interactional justice is divided into two components: interpersonal and informational justice. Interpersonal justice that means the respect and propriety in people behaviours, besides informational justice related to the fairness of the explanations given in terms of their timeliness, specificity, and truthfulness. Therefore, the fairness is very significant in every organisation because people attitudes and behaviours are affected by the fairness of the managers’ decisions that can impact job attitudes and work performances and behaviours. Furthermore, Perceptions of justice can also impact many key organizational outcomes such as motivation (Latham Pinder 2005) and job satisfaction (Al-Zu’bi 2010). There are some common outcomes affected by organizational justice include trust, performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behaviours, counterproductive work behaviours, and absenteeism and so on. Firstly, trust can be built from the employee’s belief that since current organizational decisions are fair, future organizational decisions will be fair. In addition, a positive relationship between an employees and supervisors can lead to trust in the company (Karriker Williams 2009). According to (Hubbell Chory-Assad, 2005; Cohen-Charash Spector, 2001) procedural justice is the strongest related to trust in organisations. Secondly, work performance is also affected by organisational justice. Procedural justice affects performances as a result of its impact on employee attitudes. Distributive justice affects performances when efficiency and productivity are involved (Cohen-Charash Spector 2001). Thus, organisations need to improve the organisational justice in order to increase the productivities and performances. Karriker Williams (2009) also states that improving justice perceptions can improve productivity and performance. Thirdly, Job satisfaction and organizational commitment, (Al-Zu’bi 2010) declared that the greater of employee’s perceptions of justice result in higher levels of job satisfaction and greater injustice perception will result in lower levels of job satisfaction. Moreover, DeConick 2010; Cohen-Charash Spector (2001) argues that if employees feel the fairness in procedural justice within the organisation, it will result more commitment to the firm and vice versa. Fourthly, the organizational actions and decisions are perceived as more just, employees are more likely to engage in organisational citizenship behaviours (Karriker Williams 2009). Fifthly, the Counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs), there are many reasons that explain why organizational justice can affect CWBs. For example, increased judgments of procedural injustice can lead to employees’ unwillingness to comply with an organization’s rules because the relationship between perceived procedural injustice and CWBs could be mediated by perceived normative conflict, the extent to which individuals feel conflict between the norms of their workgroup and the policy of the organization (Cohen-Charash Spector 2001),. Finally, the Absenteeism and withdrawal of employees due to the perception of organisational justice, such as someone could not get onto a bonus or promotion is an example of a situation in which feelings of injustice may lead to absenteeism from work without reason. Furthermore, distributive justice perceptions are most strongly related to withdrawal in the company (Cohen-Charash Spector 2001). In addition, there are several motivational theories in the organization which relates to many different aspects. Yet, the author is only focuses on the Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory and Expectancy theory of motivation because these theories have involved in the problems in ABC consulting firm. 3. 2 Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory is a motivation theory of needs arranged in hierarchy, it use to motivate people of fulfil their needs from lower to higher. Maslow used the terms Physiological, Safety, Belongingness (Love), Esteem and Self-Actualization needs to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through (McShane et al. 2013). Physiological needs Physiological needs are the physical requirements for people survival in the workplace, if they are not satisfy with these needs, their body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological needs of individuals are thought to be the most important; they should be met first in order to implement their tasks and function well in the organisations. For example, food, air, water, shelter, etc. Safety needs Every organisation needs to ensure that their employees are safe at work, with their physical needs relatively satisfied, the individuals safety needs take precedence and dominate behaviours. The safety and security needs comprise personal security, financial security, health and wellbeing security and Safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse impacts such as; working violence, natural disaster, job security, economic crisis, resources, morality, health etc. (Maslow 1954). Love and belongingness The company has fulfilled employees’ physiological and safety needs, they need to motivate their staffs with third level of human needs which is interpersonal and involves feelings of belongingness. According to Maslow (1943), people need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups including small groups (intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, and confidants), and large groups (sport teams, professional organisations, clubs). Belongingness and loved are very important because there are many people become susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety, and clinical depression in the absence of this love or belonging element, Hence organisations should satisfy this type of need in order to motivate its employees. Esteem Every individual needs to feel respected; it contains the need to have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem presents the typical people want to be accepted and valued by others. People are likely engaged in a profession or hobby to gain recognition and these activities give the individual a sense of contribution or value. Most people in the companies have a need for stable self-respect and self-esteem and these needs can be described in two versions. Maslow (1954) points out two versions of esteem needs: a lower version and a higher version. The need of respect from others people is lower version of esteem, such as a status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The need for self-respect is higher version, for example, the person may have a need for strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence and freedom. Self-actualization This is the highest level of needs in order to motivate staffs of Maslow’s hierarchy needs theory. Maslow (1954) contends this level as the desire to accomplish everything that employees can, to become the most that people can be. Individuals may perceive or focus on this need very specifically. For example the self-actualization needs are morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving etc. Maslow also states that to understand this level of need, individuals must not only gain the previous needs, but they have to master them. In general, the lower-order of needs (physiological, safety, and love) and the higher-order (self-esteem and self-actualization) of needs are classified in Maslows hierarchy of needs is not universal and may different due to the cultures, individual differences and availability of resources in the region or geopolitical entity and country. On the other hand, Maslows hierarchy of needs fails to demonstrate and expand upon the differences between the intellectual and social needs of those raised in individualistic societies and collectivist societies. 3. 3 Expectancy theory Expectancy theory is a motivation theory based on the idea that people believe there are relationships between the efforts they put forth at work, the performances they achieve from those efforts, and the rewards they receive from their efforts and performances. In other words, people will be motivated if they believe that more effort will result to good performance and good performance will get the desired rewards (Fred 2011). According to Vroom (1964), (Chen ; Miller 1994) the expectancy theory contains three components as follows: Expectancy: Expectancy could be explained as the belief that strong or more effort will lead to better performances. This can be described by the thinking of if individuals work harder, they will make the outcomes better. However, in order to get better results individuals also need to have the correct resources available, the skills that are match with the job at hand, and having the necessary support to accomplish the job correctly. Instrumentality: Instrumentality can be described as the thought that if people perform well, then those people will get the value outcomes. Nevertheless, trust and respect for managers who make decisions on individuals deserve to receive what rewards, and see the transparency in the processes of who gets what rewards is something that help instrumentality is having a clear understanding of the relationship between performances and the outcomes. Valence: Valence means value and refers to beliefs about desired outcomes. There are individuals differences in the level of value associated with any specific outcomes. For instance, the bonus may not motivate employees if some one is motivated by increased status, promotion. Valence can be thought of as the pressure or significance that a individual puts on an expected outcomes. Vroom (1964) alleges that the force of motivation in an employee can be calculated using the formula: Motivation = Valence*Expectancy*Instrumentality Application of Expectancy Theory in the Workplace Organizational Applications: Expectancy Leaders need to have an ability to understand expectancy as related to the E-P linkage because it is very useful in the organisations. There are five different components for a manager to keep in mind concerning this linkage. First, a leader needs to design some challenging tasks for employees because unchallenging tasks can make employees feel boredom, frustration and marginal performance. Challenging objectives allow for self-confidence, education, ability development, training, skills and experience, among other things (Isaac et al. 2001). The next component is a leader must consider their staffs’ competencies because individuals differ on experience, knowledge, training, skill, and educational level etc. objectives need to be assigned based on the individuals level of abilities, if people feel they are not capable to finish the works assigned, the E-P linkage will be weak. A good leader needs to provide the necessary skills to the followers in order for them to be successful (Vroom 1964). Third, managers have to recognize that its employees differ greatly regarding their levels of self-esteem in regards to completing a task. Fourth, leaders need to determine and specify which are possible or impossible outcomes constitute acceptable performances. The leaders and its staffs both need to communicate and reach a mutual agreement on the behaviour that represents a successful outcome for each of them. Fifth, leaders need to recognize that expenditure of effort for many followers leads to satisfaction on the job (Brown Peterson 1994). Most of employees want to feel useful, competent, involved and productive. The workplace provides a vehicle to fulfil these needs. A manager that is aware of these different aspects of people perceptions, as they relate to expectancy, can effectively understand and facilitate the E-P linkage for each of their employees (Isaac et al. 2001). Managing these elements effectively can help a leader to strengthen the expectancy of each of their followers. The strengths and Weaknesses of Expectancy Theory Strengths Expectations are influenced by incentives and rewards, with clearly goals set, this will trigger a motivational process that can improve performances. According to Vroom (1964) an individual’s motivational force can be equated to the level of expectancy multiplied by the instrumentality multiplied by the valance. If any one of these factors is scored as a zero, then the motivational score will also be zero (Penn State World Campus 2011). This can easily be seen in situations where a people believe the amount of effort put on tasks will not result in the expected rewards, in situations where the level of performances will not yield the desired outcomes or that the rewards will not have the desired value as expected, the individual’s motivational level will be zero (Penn State World Campus 2011). On the other hand, when all the components of the equation are high, the motivational force will also be high (Penn State World Campus 2011). In general, by utilizing expectancy theory, companies must understand the importance of demonstrating appreciation for their employees works, and as a result, their employees will perform stronger, and show more loyalty towards the organizations. Weaknesses The weaknesses of between-subject design can be seen in the distinct of each person places on the effort, performance and value of rewards, because this design is quantitative, the comparisons between people are hard to measure. In addition, the applications of the theory in the organisations, in some companies’ the rewards some employees receive might not be seen as attractive as many people change their idea of desired rewards. What may have been a good incentive at one point in time may no longer hold its value to that individual anymore (Penn State World Campus 2011). Expectancy theory is only focusing on the extrinsic motivational factors and the conscious decisions employees make about their performances. Many managers and staffs are not motivated solely by extrinsic factors, such as a pay check, bonus, or public recognition. Consequences, the concept of instrumentality is found to be ambiguous and difficult to operationalise (Wabba ; House 1974). Therefore, it is hard for leaders in an organization to really understand what motivates their employees before attempting to utilize the expectancy theory model. 4- Solutions and suggestions 4. 1 Organisational Justice The case study Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3 has shown that ABC consulting firm has the problem with the fairness in the organisation. Hence, in order to improve and protect the fairness in ABC firm, the organisation should design procedures so they can be consistently, clearly applied to all employees and work groups. For example, have a structured performance review process so all workers are reviewed using consistent criteria. Furthermore, they must develop a policy about organisational justice system which includes procedural justice, distributive justice and interactional justice; like ABC firm needs to provide training and give instruction about the tasks for all new staffs, or provide tests of applicants’ knowledge, skills and experiences. Moreover, on the procedural fairness of recruitment processes, the manager and human director should not promise anything till the new staffs have finished their tasks. The state of Queensland (2012) also alleges that appoints or promotes workers based on performance, using valid and reliable selection and recruitment methods. Because if they promise something to the new employees and they could not receive it later, they will feel disappointed. It causes employees want to leave the organisation and it costs company more to do other recruitments; like George who had sent out job applications after he was refused to get onto the bonus system as his manager and human resource director promised him in the interview. Additionally, in order to maintain the relational fairness the manager needs to treat workers with respect, dignity and politeness at all times. George manager, Janet who should comment and response on his work more polite and respectful, Janet said â€Å"we thought you were a little more extroverted† and â€Å"the report had been ripped to shreds†. Besides, managers have to ensure that management structures across the organisation and reporting lines within work team are clear. This will help workers know who they are accountable to and where they can go for help with work problems, and Ensure workers have an up to date role or position description, which includes the role purpose, reporting relationships and the key duties expected of them. 4. 2 Stress George was so stressed and he could not concentrate on anything, there was simply too much to do, and he had not much time left to implement his report. Particularly, George was stress due to the way his manager Janet treated him, unclear expectations, urgent deadlines etc. Hence, In order to develop an effective stress management program in ABC consulting firm, first way is individual intervention. This starts off by monitoring the stressors in the individual, observes what are the reasons of the stress, next is attacking that stressor and try to develop the methods to alleviate them in any way. Developing social support is vital in individual intervention, being with others to help individual cope has proven to be a very effective way to avoid stress (BMJ group 2013). In addition, according to Lehrer et al. (2007) there are several ways the organization can change that employers and managers can make in order to reduce workplace stress, presented below. Develop work, health and safety program Provide training, ensuring all employees are understand Show that every employee are valued and useful Provide chances for career development Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment Clearly identify individual employees’ roles and duties Consult staffs about scheduling and work rules Make management actions consistent with organ

Antidepressants and Peritoneal Dyalisis Essay examples -- Health, Trea

Antidepressants and PD Medically based treatments are commonly used in treating depression in PD patients. It is suggested that when choosing the correct antidepressant medication, the major symptom should be of focus. For example, if an anxious patient presents with sleep difficulties, a sedative antidepressant should be prescribed. However, it is noted that with the progression of PD, antidepressant should be monitored as some have negative effects with the course of PD (ex. psychomotor retardation in the case of the sedative antidepressant) (Reichmann et al., 2009). Tricyclic antidepressants are commonly used with patients presenting exclusively with major depression, but little research has been done with PD patients and should be used with caution (Reichmann et al., 2009). A Cochrane review conducted in 2003 found only three randomized control trials of 106 depressed patients diagnosed with PD and the researchers concluded that there was limited data to support the effectiveness of antidepress ants (Ghazi-Noori, Chung, Deane, Rickards & Clarke, 2003). Further research is warranted on the effects of medications used to treat anti-parkinsonism symptoms in tandem with drugs used to treat depression. The most common antidepressant used with PD is selective serontonic re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI), and interestingly, very little research has been conducted on its use and long term treatment (Reichmann et al., 2009). Treatment of depression for PD patients There is a lack of research literature on psychotherapy treatment of depression with PD patients (Veazey, Cook, Stanley, Lai & Kunik, 2009); this may be due to feasibility of long term research with this population as well as sample being unable to come to treatment... ...omplex as that found within the literature on depression and anxiety in PD. Research has linked cortical Lewy bodies and has shown cholinergic deficiency linked to cognitive impairments (Kandiah et al., 2009). Early diagnosis of dementia in a PD patient is important as effect treatments are available (Dujardin, Dubois, Tison, Durif, Bourdeix, Pere et al., 2010). Successful treatment using cholinesterase inhibitors rivastigmine and less successful with dopamine therapy have been found (Davie, 2008; Leroi, Collins & Marsh, 2006). Dementia with Lewy bodies differs from PD with dementia in that the latter has greater cell loss found in the substantia nigra and the former has greater cortical beta-amyloid deposition. Dementia with Lewy body patients is less responsive to dopamine treatment and it can intensify cognitive confusion and hallucinations (Davie, 2008).

Why did wall street crash in 1929?

In 1929, there was a complete lack of confidence in the U.S. economy, leading to many, many investors selling their shares. This is known as the wall street crash. This was caused by a number of short and long causes, of which I will elaborate on later. Firstly, we must consider the old policy of tariffs in Europe. This is very important because of the fact that Europeans could not afford u.s. goods, as the tariffs for the buying of u.s. goods was too much for Europeans to pay. Another reason the Europeans could not afford to buy u.s. goods is because most European countries had hefty war loans they had to pay back to America, which they were struggling to pay back as it was. There was widespread poverty in the u.s.a. in the 1920's. almost 50% of American households had an average income of under $2000 p.a. this purchased only the bare essentials in life. The worst hit were the black people and new immigrants, who were highly discriminated against. Many black people lived in poverty in rural cities in america. New immigrants to america were given the lowest paid jobs, as Americans were highly prejudice against Europeans, plus they would work for anything just to live in america. With the collapse of trade unionism, there was little leeway for workers to bargain for better wages. The two reasons previously mentioned, let to overproduction of goods in the u.s.a. as american citizens could not afford to buy any u.s. goods as they were in dreadful poverty. People overseas could not buy u.s. goods as it would be too expensive for Europeans as the u.s.a. had imposed tariffs which taxed the import/export of u.s. goods. The small amount of people that could afford the products had already bought exactly what they had wanted. There were too many goods, and not enough people to buy them. In the early 1920's, the american stock market was doing fantastically because of the boom in business created by the u.s. internal market. But, however in the mid-20's the speculation of stocks began to increase. This is to say that people were investing in a company merely in the hope of share prices rising. As more and more people invested this way share prices rose out of all proportion to their real value. Since the u.s.a. had set up its internal market it had been easy for americans to borrow money on credit. Small investors used this borrowed money to buy stocks(â€Å"on the margin†) small investors knew that if they lost this money they would not be able to pay this back. If the banks had not been paid back by the creditors, they would not have the money to loan to people trying to buy â€Å"on the margin†, and so many banks close. In the autumn the experts of stock market began selling their stock as they could see that share prices were over valued. This panicked small investors, and they began selling madly. This lead to banks losing money from the loss of shares. This in turn lead to the collapse of the stock market. This is the wall street crash

Information Technology and Modalisation of Organizational Behavior Essay

Information technology can alter an organizations capacity to act effectively and achieve its performance goals. The article analyses the shaping of organizational behavior and effectiveness around the use of information technology. There are various forms of competences and constraints presented in organizational behavior and the functions of informational technology systems. This article proposes a new framework for carrying out a qualitative analysis of information technology based organizational functioning in terms of social dimensions of behavior (Corea, 2006). The framework, in particular, aims to treat certain aspects of the constitution of organizational capacity or effectiveness such as: the way organizational performance in the use of information technology is shaped by conflicts or contradictions that arise in the course of action (Corea, 2006). The purpose of the author’s research is to expand the theorizing of information technology based practice and to work on a perspective that semiotic theory is not merely restricted to a study of communication, but encompasses the more global phenomena of social behavior or cultural practices (Corea, 2006). In order to enlighten individuals concerning behavior in information technology based practices Corea utilized work from Greimas, Orlikowski and Robey. Greimas, a French semiotician, wrote on the structural organization of human behavior. Greimas’ work encompassed more of a global phenomenon of social behavior or cultural practices. Greimas extended his interpretive paradigm to include the structure of social action, creating a general semiotic approach to all of culture (Corea, 2006).† Orlikowski and Robey originally brought to light the shaping of information technology based organizational activities from a behavioral standpoint, in relation to the significance or meaning that organizational actors ascribe to information technology systems and their features of use (Corea, 2006). Corea reviews theoretical understanding on the shaping of information technology based organizational effectiveness and the requirements for further development. The new framework Corea presents is then introduced and illustrated utilizing tables based on organizational modalisation and modalities of information technology capacity. The modalities of information technology captures the significant behavioral outcomes associated with the use of information technology systems. The framework Corea presented provided analytical tools that information system studies could adopt, to incorporate a more inclusive account of social dynamics, and highlight the inconsistencies or conflicts that pertain to the use of information technology and the shaping of organizational effectiveness in specific contexts. The research process in Coria’s article tends to be more qualitative. Corea explores analyzing the shaping of organizational behaviors and its effectiveness around the use of technology. His structure is more flexible as his analysis persists. The organization I work for would find these studies relevant. I am faculty in a cosmetology department but, we are a part of the technology division of campus. Being in the technology division organizational behavior and the effective use of information technology is an ongoing concern. The impact of technology on the department as a team is evaluated regularly to make the classroom more efficient as well as the department. For example, the instructors as a whole are learning a new system which will allow the dismissal of paper timecards to keep record of each student operations. This system will be amazing, but, half an hour out of class will be spent not interacting with student because of needing to input student operations each day. Organizational behavior and the effective use of information technology is still a work in progress, weighing the positive and negative repercussions.

Essay on Latin American Politics

Essay on Latin American Politics Essay on Latin American Politics Has the argument against immigration reform changed? It seems that immigration has always been a big issue since the United States of America was founded. In Peter Schrag’s book, Not Fit For Our Society Immigration and Nativism in America, he describes how the arguments against immigration reform have not changed. One of the more recent immigration reform that caught national headlines for being unjust, is that of which Arizona’s Maricopa County, Sheriff Joe Arpaio enforced. â€Å"Early in 2009, Arpaio’s deputies marched some 220 immigrant detainees, shackled and in striped prison uniforms, none convicted of any crime, through the streets of Phoenix on their way to the sheriff’s tent-city detention center.† (NY Times, 81) That is just one example of the many ways Sheriff Joe Arpaio is notorious for enforcing Arizona’s immigration reforms. Among other things, he and his deputies under his command are accused of racial profiling. Demanding ver ification of residency and turning them over right away if they fail to provide proper documentation. In 2003 local governments started training local cops to work with immigration, this program is now known as ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And in 2006 ICE agents started performing sweeps of local businesses. In one of those sweeps, â€Å"ICE agents arrested both executives and some 1,100 illegal workers at eight IFCO Systems plants that made crates and pallets for produce shipping in a half-dozen states. In another instance, called Operation Wagon Train- ICE raided six Swift meat packing plants in the West, Southwest, and Midwest and detained nearly 1,300 illegal aliens† (188) Many of these illegal immigrants had obtained stolen identification to work in the United States. Which lead their case to not only be an immigration issue but also a felony for the stolen identity, making ICE’s case more important to Americans. People went as far as comparing ICE to a modern day Salem Witch Hunt, where ICE, would go on there â€Å"sweeps† of different businesses and location where they believed harbored illegal immigrants. Proposition 209 in California is another example of how immigration reform has not changed. Proposition 209 prohibits the use of race in any public schools, employment, and contracting. â€Å"Proposition 209 almost certainly also reflected public reaction against the extension of affirmative action preference to Latinos. African Americans, who had been affirmative action’s original beneficiaries, were indisputable victims of three centuries of slavery and Jim Crow. Latinos, on the other hand, had come here voluntarily, were often recent arrivals, and this had far more dubious claims to the amelioration of the lingering effects of historic discrimination.† (174) soon followed the removal of most bilingual education classes in public school where Proposition 209 had been passed. After the horrors of World War II many Europeans found themselves in refugee camps from their homes and villages being destroyed form when Hitler and his Nazi dominated Europe. Eight million Europ eans were crowded into in few refugee camps. Having won the war of the worlds, President Harry S. Truman passed the Displaced Person Act of 1948, allowing two hundred thousand Europeans over two years to settle in to the United States. However, â€Å"the law also drew such tight limits that Truman only signed it, he said, â€Å"with great reluctance.† The legislation, Truman charged, â€Å"discriminates in callous fashion against person of the Jewish faith. This brutal fact cannot be obscured by the maze of technicalities in the bill by the protestations of some of its sponsors.† (151) we won the war we restored peace. But, with eight million Europeans displaced, President Truman only reluctantly opened the doors to those few less than half displaced Europeans. Not only did they suffer genocide, but

How to Write a Devotional The Ultimate Guide

How to Write a Devotional The Ultimate Guide How to Write a Devotional: The Definitive Guide Do you enjoy writing? Are you passionate about helping others grow in their spiritual lives? If you answered yes and yes, then you’ll enjoy learning the art of writing thought-provoking devotionals. There are many, many ways to write a devotional. But the principles that tie them together? Mostly the same. And in this guide, I’ll lay out some of the most popular and effective methods- as well as show you some strategies for coming up with great devotional ideas. Ready? Let’s start with the basics: Need help fine-tuning your devotional?Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. Devotional books are released thematically for: Teens Men Women Grandparents College students Veterans Teachers Athletes And just about any other people group you can think of Devotionals are used by a wide variety of media, including large-circulation daily devotional guides, such as The Quiet Hour, The Upper Room, The Secret Place, The Word in Season, Devozine,Pathways to God, and Wesleyan Church(These links will take youto their submission guidelines.) More than 25 devotional quarterlies each publish 365 new entries each year. Naturally, these need fresh material annually. Publishers of vacation Bible school and Sunday school materials often include devotionals for teachers and students. Many independent and denominational magazines (such as The War Cry and The Baptist Bulletin) run devotionals in each of their issues. Some publishing houses produce not only devotional books, but also devotional desk calendars and greeting cards. Again, this market must be replenished annually. Publications can’t just recycle devotionals they ran the previous year. They depend on freelance writers to provide hundreds upon hundreds of fresh, insightful new ones. What You Should Bring to the Table Writers of devotionals should have a pure heart (James 3:8-11). With humility, graciousness, and spiritual sensitivity, you can create somethingthat can alter a reader’s thinking and behavior. You also need a focused mind (Ps. 1:1-3; 73:28). A succinct and powerful message must be distilled to 150-175 words. This demands clarity. And you must have a burning desire (Jeremiah 20:9). Ask for God’s guidance to say the right words to someone who may be reading a devotional published a year after you write it. God is the Alpha, but He is also the Omega. He knows what hurts and needs people will have in the future, and He can use you to prepare materials today to help people during hard times tomorrow. You won’t get rich writing devotionals. In fact, you may have to write a half dozen to see more than $100. That’s why it’s important to write them in batches to make it worth your while- not that you’re doing it solely for the money. You can revise and resell your print devotionals as radio devotionals for about the same rate of pay. And you can collect your devotionals and publish them as a book, receiving an advance and royalties. But beyond payment, you may also enjoy the deep gratification of readers telling you your words changed a mind about an abortion, a suicide, or a divorce. Meeting Readers Where They Are People turn to devotionals to meet deep needs. Some have lost friendships, been divorced, suffered from criticism, betrayal, or the death of a loved one. They need the balm of God’s comfort. Others seek intimacy with God. Their prayer lives are lax, their testimonies weak, and their church attendance sporadic. They need to find their way back to Jesus. Some just want to grow spiritually or to discover a better way to share their faith. Your devotional may be their only connection to the Bible all day. A harried mom may read one just before bed. A busy teacher may read one during lunch. An executive may read oneduring breakfast. The Writing Method When you settle on a passage of Scripture as your anchor text, read it in different translations. Pray and meditate over it until you’re certain you thoroughly understand the verse in context. Stay current by offering an illustration today’s reader can relate to. Link modern challenges and questions to longstanding solutions from God’s Word- and make the connections obvious and logical. Need help fine-tuning your devotional?Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. The Makings of a Good Devotional Your reader is giving you a few minutes, and in exchange you must provide an engaging piece of writing that offers new insights. Be genuine and honest, not grandiose or admonishing. Good devotional writing says, â€Å"Walk with me a few minutes. Examine something with me.† Keep your style appropriate to your audience. Writing devotionals for teens is not the same as writing for seniors. Although your anecdotes and illustrations should be drawn from your life, the lesson should always be drawn from Scripture. Present God’s wisdom in a package your reader can relate to. Stick with tangible images, things readers can see, touch, smell, hear, and taste. Be specific, yet precise. Make each word count. Use visual nouns, punchy verbs, short sentences, and the active voice. Five Basic Patterns Learn these and you can begin using them immediately: 1. The Self-examination Draw on personal experiences and use anecdotes to teach valuable lessons. Often such devotionals begin with: â€Å"When I was in high school †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"When I was fishing alone one morning †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"During my first year at camp †¦ .† The recollection always has a moral or application that ties in with the selected Scripture. 2. An Outside Observer Reports Here you’re telling what happened to someone else. Real names may be used with permission, or changed, as long as the story is true. Often these devotionals begin with a phrase such as: â€Å"When my great-grandmother first came to America †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"My best friend had just gotten his driver’s license †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Most people are unaware that George Washington †¦ .† 3. You Interact with Other People Report on something you learned from a friend, coworker, or family member. Begin with a phrase such as: â€Å"My son taught me a lesson one day when I was walking him to school †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"My friend could always make me laugh †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"One day my college history professor was explaining †¦ .† 4. The Object Lesson Use a tangible object to parallel an event or circumstance. Jesus often used this format, employing such things as a mustard seed, a Roman coin, a lamp and a bushel, or a tower as metaphors. Object lesson devotionals quickly make readers see the parallel between the object and the lesson. â€Å"Trees killed by saltwater brought in by a tsunami will still stand upright and take up space, but they will bear no fruit. People who come to church each Sunday and occupy a pew but do nothing all week to share their faith are like these trees.† 5. The Double Meaning Phrase Take a well-known line from advertising, history, a song, or a poem and convert it to a Christian message, as in â€Å"A day without Sonshine is a gloomy day.† One devotional writer compared the rigid discipline of being a United States Marine to the discipline Christians should adhere to, calling the devotional, â€Å"Corps Values vs. Core Values.† Developing a Devotional Journal Because much of what we observe and say has potential to become material for a devotional, keep a journal for ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Begin today by answering: Did God use a specific verse of Scripture to change your life? Hows did it affect your outlook? Has God brought a person into your life to alter your direction? Like Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch, how did someone suddenly enter your life as a teacher, friend, mentor, or accountability partner? When did God make Himself known to you in a dramatic way? Did you receive an answer to prayer regarding a health issue, financial need, or spiritual awakening that proved He was working in your life? Record the details. Had God ever reprimanded and brought you back in line when you were spiritually wayward? Explain how you felt God’s chastening and corrective hand. Did God use a deep hurt in your life to make you sensitive to others or to show you new ways to be effective to those you serve? In answering these questions, you’ll discover your life is a source of great lessons you can pass along. Brainstorming More Devotional Topics As you make entries in your devotional journal each day, try to recall: A sad or funny experience you’ve had in the past year Things you’ve learned while traveling Challenging relationships with people at work, home, or school Something you are an expert on An item in a newspaper or magazine that fascinated you An editorial or column you strongly disagreed with An unusual experience or new challenge you’ve recently faced An opinion based on years of experience Something startling or insightful you recently learned from TV or a book A new perspective you gained from a sermon Societal trends that concern you An event that restored your faith in mankind Something related to science, nature, weather, or time that stunned you A trip to a museum that awakened a new appreciation for nature A new job assignment that has stretched you A family picnic or class reunion that gave you a special perspective Letters or diaries you recently discovered A poem or song that keeps coming to mind Volunteer work that helped you see the suffering of others A friend’s sickness or accident that alarmed you Avoiding Blind Spots Although certain publications use devotionals targeted to teens, working women, or seniors, most devotionals you will write will be read by a broad spectrum. So keep in mind: People live in many different financial and social conditions. The distinctive beliefs of many denominations and theological traditions are precious to people and must be respected. Some readers have limited education. So keep things simple but not condescending. People in other countries may not understand your slang and pop culture references. It is usually better not to write devotionals that stir controversy. So avoid topics such as infant baptism, female ordination, or speaking in tongues. The Basic Format Before submitting a devotional, obtain a publication’s writers guidelines and copies of the publication itself. Follow the guidelines exactly. Your name, address, and phone number should appear on each page. But some publications also ask for your email address. The basic format calls for a suggested passage of Scripture (usually 5 to 12 verses), a title, one printed-out specific verse from the suggested reading, and an anecdote or story that shows how that biblical lesson applies today. The writer’s byline usually appears at the end. Some publications ask that you begin or end with a prayer or thought for the day. Length varies, from as short as 75 words to as long as 225. The guidelines will state the preferred method of submission. Some editors like printouts mailed to the publication’s office. Some like email submissions. Some accept either. Most publications buy first rights, important because you can then re-use your devotionals in books. Summary Writing devotionals is a good way to enter nonfiction writing, earn money, and make a positive impact on thousands of readers. Your experiences and those of others are rich sources for ideas. How to Get Started 1) List 20 emotional hurts people are dealing with (loneliness, depression, guilt, shame, abandonment, grief, prejudice, etc.). Then list what aspects of spiritual growth could come out of each such experience (learning to pray more effectively, learning to bring the Good News to others, cultivating humility, etc.). 2) Start a devotional journal. 3) Try writing a one-page devotional and submit it to one of the devotional markets listed in The Christian Writer’s Market Guide. You’re on your way! In the comments section, answer this: What will your next devotional be about? Need help fine-tuning your devotional?Click here to download my free self-editing checklist.