Teacher immediacy Essay Example

Teacher immediacy Paper Immediacy can be described as psychological and physical closeness to another human (Gorham, 1988). Traditionally, immediacy has two components, non verbal and verbal. Non-verbal immediacy behaviors have been categorized into items such at smiles, eye contact, communicating at short distances, body positions that are forward leaning and/or relaxed, positive gestures, touch, and variety in vocalizations (Christophel, 1990; Kearney, Plax, Smith, Sorenson, 1988). Verbal immediacy would include self-disclosure, use of we, calling on students by name, and humor (Gorham, 1988; Kearney et al. , 1988). It is clear that teacher immediacy impacts teacher effectiveness, student motivation, and student learning (Gorham, 1988; Rodriguez, Plax, Kearney, 1996). What is unclear is the link between teacher immediacy, perceived teacher gender, and student willingness to participate. For this study, the variable of instructor nonverbal and verbal immediacy behaviors will be student reported on a 34-item measure (Christophel, 1990). Perceived Gender of the Instructor Because the students will report on the gender traits of the instructor, this variable is labeled as perceived gender. Sex and gender are not terms that are interchangeable today in communication research (Campbell, Gillaspy, Thompson, 1997). The term sex usually refers to biological differences between women and men while gender often refers to the social, psychological, and cultural beliefs humans have about themselves as being male or female (Pearson Davilla, 2001). We will write a custom essay sample on Teacher immediacy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Teacher immediacy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Teacher immediacy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For this study, gender is defined as the sex type of a person based on the degree to which that person has internalized the traits the society has deemed as masculine and feminine, and these masculine and feminine traits are delineated by the BSRI based on a judgment as to whether American society viewed those characteristics as more desirable in men and women, respectively (Bem, 1974). As educational communication researchers, we are interested in the extent to which our students have internalized societys standards for being masculine or feminine and how this internalization impacts how students conceptualize and categorize teacher gender traits. One way to measure perception of sex roles is to use the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) created by Sandra Bem (1974). The BSRI treated masculinity and femininity as two separate dimensions and asked respondents to self-rate from a list of personality traits (Auster Ohm, 2000). Each respondent would be classified into one of four groups: androgynous (high masculine/high feminine), masculine (high masculine/low feminine), feminine (low masculine/high feminine), and undifferentiated (low masculine/low feminine) (Pearson Davilla, 2001; Wheeless, Dierks-Stewart, 1981). In the original study, Menzel and Carrel (1999) found no significant relationship between the biological sex of instructors and student willingness to participate. What is unclear is both the relationship between perceived teacher gender and student willingness to participate and the relationship between perceived teacher gender and teacher immediacy behaviors. For this study, the variable of perceived gender of the instructor will be student reported on a 20-item BSRI. Willingness to Talk Student willingness to talk is an important component of the classroom environment, but unfortunately it is rare for the majority of students participate in whole class discussion (Green, 2000) Oral student participation is linked to active learning (Steinert, Snell, 1999), and instructors use class discussions to develop critical thinking skills (Garside, 1996) and to improve student communication competence (Zorn, 1991). Furthermore, student in-class speech is often a way that teachers gauge their pedagogical effectiveness, and instructors also use student speech to evaluate student learning (Cooper, 1995). Despite the importance of student speech in student learning, in a discussion setting that incorporates thirty-five students or less, 15 percent of the students will be responsible for 75 percent of all student speech (Green, 2000). Because of this disparity in student participation, it is important to study variables that could influence student willingness to speak. Menzel and Carrel (1999) found the level of student willingness to talk to be positively correlated with student learning; they also argued that classroom dialogue is important to study because it is a reflection of effective instruction. When measuring willingness to talk in class, it seems reasonable to accept Menzel and Carrels (1999) incorporation of the variables of student interest and state motivation, type of participation environment, seating arrangement, and level of discord with ideas discussed, especially since the researchers statistically evaluated their instrument for internal validity and found these variables valuable in studying student willingness to talk. For this study the variable of student willingness to talk in class is self-reported on a 19-item measure incorporating the aforementioned variables (Menzel Carrel, 1999). Purposes and Objectives This study seeks to replicate portions of the original study done by Menzel and Carrell (1999), with biological sex being replaced by gender of instructor, which is defined as psychological gender traits and student reported on the shortened BSRI. As previously discussed, research has positively correlated teacher immediacy behaviors with student willingness to talk (Menzel Carrell, 1999). Previous research has not investigated two potential relationships: between student willingness to talk and perceived instructor gender traits, and between instructor immediacy behaviors and perceived instructor gender traits. Hypothesis and Research Questions: H1: A students willingness to talk in class will positively vary based on instructor immediacy behavior (verbal and nonverbal combined in one variable). RQ1: Will a students willingness to talk in class vary as a function of the student reported perceived gender of the instructor? RQ2: Is there a relationship between instructor immediacy behavior (verbal and nonverbal combined in one variable) and student reported perceived gender of the instructor? With regard to our data set, we surveyed community college students while Menzel and Carrell (1999) surveyed university students. Given the differences between the educational plans of some community college students and the educational plans of university students, we wondered if length of planned education could impact how students reported on the three variables of our study. With this in mind, we posed a final research question.

How to Organize Your Essay on Europe Essay Topics

How to Organize Your Essay on Europe Essay TopicsWhether you are writing a paper for a college, or something else entirely, knowing what to write about and why can help you write a much better essay. Europe essay topics can be pretty diverse, and it is easy to start off with topics that are not properly researched or well thought out. It can also be hard to make it through all of the material on the first day, so it is important to organize and be organized. Below are some tips to help you organize your essay and be more successful.Write a European story. Your Europe essay should tell a good story. It should give insight into the countries, and show how they relate to one another. Be sure to consider your audience when you are writing your European essay. If you are writing it for a student in college, be sure to keep the details of your story realistic. Do not write about a trip to Paris as a way to relate to an audience of high school students, and make sure that you respect that l evel of detail.Consider a time line. Your Europe essay should start at the beginning and take you through a story that shows you how things changed and how they continue to change. It is okay to outline your story, but it is much better to make it concrete and include some pictures and examples to illustrate how things have changed. Make sure that you use the time line to help you to better connect the dots, and to highlight changes that are important.Encourage discussion, rather than telling someone what a real problem is. Many people who attend college or graduate school spend most of their time studying the history of Europe, and while that is a good thing, it is also important to get them thinking about things that are going on in the world today. Instead of just telling them that there is a problem, include examples of how things are changing in the world and make them think about what they can do to help.You do not have to make everything about Europe, though. Make it about a way that you have learned about the culture or place that you are studying. For example, if you are studying contemporary Canada, you can talk about the issues in that country, and why you think it is being presented in the wrong way.Divide your essay into two or three separate topic areas. This way, you can focus on each topic individually and use that information to create a unique and interesting point. You may want to take notes on each topic, but you can read through the whole essay together to take in your main points together. It can be a helpful process to share the points, but do not have the focus of the essay take away from the quality of the points.Document your essay. If you are taking notes about a particular country, it is easy to forget to make notes on certain things. This will become even more of a problem if you are writing an essay about more than one country. Make sure that you document the different countries you have written about to help yourself remember the se details and can refer back to them later.As you can see, organizing Europe essay topics can be quite difficult, but if you are organized, it can help you make more focused points. Keep your writing simple, and avoid over-generalizing, and be sure to organize it well to make it more effective. Europe essay topics can be quite diverse, but they can be made easier to write by making them focused and organized.

Motivational Quotes for Teens

Motivational Quotes for Teens Great thinkers throughout history have imparted insights that can provide inspiration for teens. From the value of hard work and optimism to the importance of time, itself, these quotes can help motivate any teenager. Hard Work Theres no substitute for hard work. -  Thomas Edison It took Edison more than 1,000 unsuccessful attempts over the course of a year before he produced the worlds first commercially viable light bulb. So, the next time your teen wants to give up, tell her about the persistence and work ethic of one of our greatest inventors. There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs. -   Author unknown Like Edison, this unknown author is talking about the importance of perseverance and putting in the effort to succeed. Thats an important motivational thought for any teen. Optimism There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist. -  Mark TwainThose who wish to sing, always find a song. -  Swedish Proverb A teen can find plenty of inspiration from Twains eternally optimistic characters, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. And, there are plenty of references to singing in Twains The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- an optimistic trait the Swedish proverb alludes to.   Time Time is free, but its priceless. You cant own it, but you can use it. You cant keep it, but you can send it. Once youve lost it, you can never get it back. -  Harvey MackayTime ripens all things, no man is born wise. -  Miguel de Cervantes The importance of using your time wisely can be a great motivational thought for teens. MacKay  wrote such well-known business books as Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,  which explained how to use your time to outsell- and outperform- others, while Cervantes, Spains greatest author, wrote about the ever-optimistic Don Quixote, a character who used his time to try to save the world. Character, Change, and Discovery To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue... gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness. -  ConfuciusThere is nothing permanent except change. -  HeraclitusThere are two  great days  in a persons  life- the day we are born and the day we discover why. -  William BarclayThere are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live. -  John Adams Confucious, Chinas greatest philosopher; Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher; Barclay, a Scottish theologian, and Adams, our second president, who also helped sustain the Revolution with his brilliant negotiating skills, all talked about how life is an adventure- ever-changing, yet always providing an opportunity to learn, discover and strive to be your best self. That is certainly an important and serious thought to light a fire under any teen looking for motivation.

Air Bud Essay

Air Bud Essay Air Bud is not like any other kids movie. With a touching story line and clever effects, Air bud is a movie anyone can enjoy regardless of age and gender. Symbols play a surprisingly interesting role in the movie, Air Bud. One case of symbolism is the church courts representation of Josh. When Josh primarily discovered the church court shortly after moving into the area, the church court was chaotic and disordered, similarly to Joshs feelings. After transforming the church court, Josh thrust down the fence and broke through his own barriers. Josh rediscovered something hidden under layers of leaves-himself. Within himself, or rather, the church court, Josh also found his father and Buddy. Joshs father was always watching over Josh even though the body wasnt there physically, and Buddy filled gap left by the father in Joshs life. In the church court that symbolizes Josh, Josh found not only himself but his dad and Buddy. The first identification of the dog that Josh found in the church court, the piece of cloth, became a symbol of Buddy. The cloth was dirty and torn when Josh found it in a bush. However, by the time Joshs mom found it, the cloth was clean. This corresponds to how Buddy was dirty and unwanted when Josh first found him, but under the care of Josh, Buddy became clean and loved. The love is evident when Joshs mom put the clean cloth beside the picture of Josh with his dad. Buddy was a part of their family. Similarly to Joshs dad, Buddy was also forced to leave for a period of time. Josh mended the cloth which symbolizes Buddy, a member of Joshs family. One aspect of Buddy that Josh could not completely heal was Buddys fear, shown through newspapers. Buddys deep fear and distrust in humans resulted from being abused with newspapers in the past. In an attempt to hide his fear, Buddy buried the newspaper each morning. Fear, however, returns regardless of how well you hide it. The source of fear-Norm Snively-appeared after Joshs mom found the buried newspapers. Therefore, instead of continuing to avoid fear, Buddy surpassed his fear at the end of the movie when he tore apart Norms newspaper. The newspaper symbolizes the fear Buddy learns he cant avoid. The church court, the piece of cloth, and the newspaper are some symbolism effects from the movie, Air Bud. The director produced the movie with impressively decisive and insightful details. Watching Air Bud once is not enough to understand the full depth of the movie.

History and Politics in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History and Politics in America - Essay Example This disorder in Vietnam is brought about by the conflicting political parties in the government implementing communism and democracy. Thus, America's involvement in the political dispute in Vietnam leads to one of their historical failure causing them loss of significant casualties. One of the most prominent commentarian to the involvement and failure of America in Vietnam is George Herring who is a well-known historian. According to his analysis which he presented in his symposium, America's failure in Vietnam is directly related to two factors which are the lack of direct and immediate threat to the American society and the lack of concrete reason for being involve (1985). It appears then that the involvement of America in Vietnam is only because of its threat to the democracy that they are propagating during the Cold War. Thus, the probable threat of the chaos in Vietnam was not actually felt by the American society but only the political faction thus nationalistic concern was not actually present during the event. Another factor is the mean that the America used in mediating in the instability in Vietnam. According to Charles de Gaulle, "He saw no military solution. He saw a risk in seeking a military solution of the "tremendous risk of a generalized conflict" (1964). Thus, the militaristic approach of America failed because that method is indeed inappropriate in the event. In addition, America idealism to very unfitting to the event thus it only leads to further aggravation to the already chaotic situation. Senator Wayne Morse noted that, "How can a policy that was unsound to begin with ever be made to work Are Americans so confident of the miracles to be wrought with nuclear bombs and billion-dollar aid programs that we think they will make a success of anything, no matter how badly conceived" The idealism behind the war it also not clearly comprehended by the America's government thus their approaches and involvement are based from erroneous assumptions. General Matthew Ridgeway commented that, "that people in the United States did not have a clear understanding of why we were fighting in Vietnam. General Ridgway indicated that America was in Vietnam because of a treaty commitment dating from 1954: The Southeast Asia Treaty". Thus, America's government felt only pure obligation in their involvement in Vietnam because they are bounded to honor the said treaty. Considering all the said arguments, it appears that the main reason why America's involvement in the political dispute in Vietnam is its lack of substantiality reason for doing so. There was not actually an imposed threat to the American society and no support was solicited by the Vietnam government. America only felt that it was their obligation to be involved because they have a treaty with Vietnam and their democratic idealism urges them to do so thus it lack one complete nationalism and patriotic involvement leading to its failure. Part B: Contemporary American Politics America's historical archives are known to be full of successful accomplishment. Their history is built from continuous battle against their possible enemies posing threats to their national pride and unity. Because of this reason, for their every battle their society's spirit is united by their

Six sigma theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Six sigma theory - Essay Example and then compare them to the statistics of their performance after which a measure is undertaken to help determine the suitability of current study strategies. Remarkably, a student who employs the six-sigma theory is observed to not only forgo their previous strategies, but also measure previous success based on these strategies, which facilitate the identification of where the problem is in case of deteriorating academic results. An eminent observation also in real life application of six-sigma theory in academics is the fundamental aim of the theory, which involves the implementation of improved measurement-based strategies (Rojas 104). These strategies focus on the improvement of the existing measures that help a student design and implement changes to the unsuccessful study process. The students is also matches his/her performance to develop the requirements needed for implementing the new study process. Additionally, a student is able constitute and implement new control that prevent the problem of failing in certain course/subjects and uphold the results achieved from the achievements. Another observation in the application of the theory in academics is that students are able to reflect on their improved strategies to safeguard long-lasting success. Rojas, Alejandro J. Sustaining Student Achievement: Six Sigma Strategies And Successful Urban School District Superintendents. 1st ed. Los Angeles, California: University of Southern California, 2008.

Adderall: Is Medication the Answer? Essay -- Essays Papers

Adderall: Is Medication the Answer? When growing up, nothing is more frustrating then giving your best effort in your school work and continuously being unsuccessful. The effect it can have on a child is very damaging. Students may feel inadequate and non-intelligent in the classroom setting growing up, not to mention, being confused all at the same time about why school is such an ongoing battle for them. Why are these children trying so hard and never having any success? It is more and more common today; more than ever we see children having these problems inside and outside of classrooms all over the world. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can become very problematic in a child’s life, especially when it is unknown that they have the disorder. In fact, â€Å"ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood† (Power, et al). It can affect a child’s ability to learn immensely. In fact, these children may be perceived as someone they w ish not to be by others: the class clown, or one who just does not care about school when this is the farthest thing from the truth. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, common symptoms of ADD are inability to sustain attention and concentration, and to be easily distracted and impulsive. All of these effects are seen also with ADHD in addition to high levels of activity and inability to control these inappropriate levels of activity. When a child is struggling with symptoms of either ADD or ADHD it would be easy to understand the problems the child faces in the classroom. Luckily there are prescription stimulant medications out there that can help aid these problems, calm the symptoms, and allow the easily-distracted chil... ...niable. Those who are biased against the use of medication need to re-evaluate the facts. There is no solid proof that danger exists with these medications that are so commonly used in millions of young people’s lives. It easy to see why parents would be skeptical when considering the medication for their child; however, when there is proof that this medication is actually causing harm then there might be some reason to believe that it should not be used. Medications such as Adderall are essential in the lives of those affected by attention disorders. For the millions diagnosed with ADD/ADHD there are possibilities of much success once stabilized on medication. School should be something that is enjoyable not an endless, frustrating battle. With the help of medication those affected by ADD/ADHD now have possibilities of success that would never have existed before.