Critical thinking

The Dreaded Performance Discussion – Assessment Versus Evaluation

admin — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:35:41 +0000

Everybody hates performance evaluations. Managers hate doing them because it seems they have to assign their employees a grade. Employees hate receiving them because they are rarely helpful and often seemingly arbitrary. The important thing about assessment and evaluation is that you need to do both. Yes, they are different, and they are different in substantial ways and they serve different purposes. This is not just hair-splitting when it comes to terminology. If you only focus on one or the other you miss an opportunity to develop your people and give them the feedback that they need to be successful.

Evaluation

This is what most leaders and managers are doing at the end of the year in terms of performance management. Evaluation is summative. By that I mean it is the result of activities that have gone on during some defined period in the past. For most organizations, this is a one-year period although some forward thinking groups make the evaluation more frequent and covering a lesser stretch of time. Evaluations are also results-oriented. They focus on what has been produced during a period of time.

The findings of evaluations are judgmental. While it sounds like a negative statement, it is simply that evaluations are for the purpose of judging performance and usually determining a score or rating. From a timing standpoint, evaluations are designed as a quality-gate. In other words, they are for the purpose of giving feedback on performance in a segmented manner. For too many, this is once a year. In fact, mid-year evaluations used by many are not as much evaluations as they are corrections. If compensation and other important decisions are made based on the once-per-year function of performance evaluation, then your evaluation cycle is yearly.

Assessment

Actually, mid-year evaluations often fall into the category of assessment rather than evaluation. Assessments are ongoing and process-oriented. They check the status of progress and provide direction or correction. By process-oriented, I mean the question for an assessment discussion is “How is it going?” whereas the question for an evaluation is “How has it gone?” So assessments are formative rather than summative. They happen as performance is being conducted, not after the fact.

Assessments also tend to be more flexible than evaluations. With an assessment, modifications can be made either to the development and performance of the individual, or to the desired outcomes. With evaluations, that horse has already left the barn.

The point of calling out the difference between assessment and evaluation is to realize that both are different but important. Employees and followers need feedback in both areas. From an assessment standpoint, reflection on how things are going and adjustments to the tools available or expectations are important on an ongoing basis. Assessment in this sense is not about grading…it’s about providing an honest and helpful viewpoint on the process being used by the leader or the follower in achieving objectives. Every performance management process should include ongoing assessment, but without defined evaluation periods, followers will have a “sense” of how they are doing, but will have nothing to measure their performance against.

From an evaluation standpoint, it is also important to give honest and real feedback about how effective performance has been to a certain point. For most people, this “score” is an important indication of how well they are meeting expectations. Evaluation is not coaching…it’s judging. One of the benefits of evaluation is that it marks a close to the end of a performance period. If I have been doing great, it acknowledges my performance in a positive way and gives an opportunity for us to refocus on the next evaluation period. If my performance has been poor it provides an opportunity for some pre-defined consequence and then a clean slate for the next evaluation period.

The point to take away from this is to ensure that you provide both. Evaluation without assessment is just a random score that surprises our followers and provides no real direction for improvement. Assessment without evaluation is an ongoing discussion that has no end. There are no points for either rewarding or correcting poor behavior or performance. The leader who wants to give the most powerful feedback defines the opportunities and the value of both for all followers.

How Critical Thinking Supplies Enhance Learning

admin — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 06:25:23 +0000

Each day of our lives we become exposed to things that hinder our ability to think creatively and rationally. Critical thinking supplies are invented so that educators and parents both can help their students and children to think clearly, accurately and fairly. Additionally, critical thinkers are usually better prepared to those who lack this ability. Just because your child is intelligent or has greater knowledge does not mean he is decisive and rational. Critical thinking is about how our children can use their intelligence and knowledge to reach objective and rationale viewpoints. Critical supplies engage children in both life and learning. Its real value lies in the fact that it improves their understanding of the world they live in, while it works to develop personal skills that will help them meet with success throughout their lives.

Children are not born with the power to think critically

Children are not born with the power to think critically nor do they develop this ability naturally beyond survival-level thinking. Critical thinking is a learned ability that must be taught. The first step to let the child become a critical thinker is developing his proper attitude. Such as attitude embodies open mindedness, intellectual and free thinking, high motivation, and healthy skepticism. Your child must have a natural curiosity to further one’s understanding and be motivated to put in the necessary work sufficient to evaluate the multiple sides of issues. This may require your child to ask many questions. A critical thinker cannot be lazy.

At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to recognize, construct, and evaluate arguments. The word argument may be misleading to some. In the context of critical thinking, an argument means the presentation of a reason to support a conclusion.

Children learn from one another as they share ideas

Children often create pictures in their minds about past experiences and the situations they imagine with the critical thinking supplies. These images are a form of creative thinking. They also learn from one another as they share ideas and solve problems together. Listen to what your child says when they are engaged in creative play. If they are talking from the perspective of the role they are playing, and communicating with other children about the make-believe situation, they are playing at a safe level. Knowing these skills gives you a framework for observing children’s play and deciding when and how to improve their knowledge and skills.

The critical thinking supplies aim to inspire a love of thinking while developing important critical thinking skills in your child. These creative supplies will inspire and encourage middle school students to continue practicing higher order thinking in high school, college and beyond.

Solar Backpack Basics

admin — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 17:11:28 +0000

Harnessing solar energy as a renewable power source has long been a feature in green living and solar backpacks is one of the offerings. Even the US military, which has adopted the use of renewable energy in its overseas missions in various ways, has equipped its troops in Afghanistan with solar backpacks. Of course it does make a lot of sense for them because solar backpacks are powered by sunlight.

Well, it’s not only the US defense troops that can benefit from using solar powered backpacks. People, and not just followers of green living, are finding it increasingly convenient to use them. Solar backpacks are made to serve the same function as a regular backpack, with the additional convenience of being a source of power for portable electronic appliances. The backpack is equipped with a solar panel which harnesses the natural resource of sunlight, and converts it into reusable energy. In the high tech gizmo world today, staying connected ALL the time is the one thing most people cannot do without, and a solar powered backpack offers you a way out.

A solar backpack usually contains a solar panel with a battery and can provide users a power source of up to 120 watt-hours a day. This can be used to recharge various gadgets, right from a BlackBerry to a ereader. The backpacks are light weight and easy to carry. In fact, the convenience offered cannot be ignored, and not only backpackers but even families on vacations and college students are opting to use solar backpacks.

Which leads us to the question- which solar backpack is the best? While all solar powered backpacks work the same, they do have different features that may be appeal to different tastes and requirements. The current range covers many varieties- smaller, convenient solar backpacks for school to the larger, more powerful ones for rugged camping trips. The most popular backpacks are the Helius, Goodhope, Eclipse or the Voltaic solar backpack. You may need to consider which one works best for your need, based on:

Style and Size
Almost all solar backpacks have a basic design based on functionality but the Goodhope backpack scores over the others in this area; it looks trendy and is a good value for money. The Helius backpack are more of a standard size and design while Voltaic offers backpacks that are not only larger in size but also carry a bigger battery, which leads us to the next feature of battery capacity.

Battery Capability
A larger capacity battery usually carries a pricier tag like the Voltaic backpacks. Most batteries have enough capacity to recharge a smart phone at least twice, but laptops typically cannot be charged from a solar backpack. Also, longer trips or multiple gadgets require more power so you may want to explore the option of a higher capacity battery offered by Voltaic.

Additional Features
Most backpacks give you the option of charging the batteries using sunlight or a USB port. This is a big plus for your gizmo charging requirements after sundown. There are others which offer features like removable solar panels (example: Voltaic Off-Grid) or even allow you to charge multiple devices at the same time.

Whatever your requirement, there are solar powered backpacks available to suit almost every taste and price range, so make sure of your backpack ‘must haves’ before you shell out money on your green living purchase!!

Do You Need Hypoallergenic Skincare?

admin — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:02:14 +0000

When you are searching for skincare products, there are many for you to choose from. Some of the products that you will find will smell wonderful and feel smooth and silky on your skin, but there are some things that you should know about these products if you are having problems with your skin.

Many of the products on the market that are full of fragrances and chemicals will cause you more damage than they will help. A true hypoallergenic skincare product will not contain the ingredients that are responsible for the problems that you may be facing with your skin. Fragrances are chemicals that will cause those people with sensitive skin to have problems. The skincare product may smell great, but your fragrance should be restricted to the perfumes and colognes that you wear separate from your skincare products.

Paraben is an ingredient that is commonly used in skin care products that is linked to hormonal changes in the body as well as an increased risk of breast cancer. While the evidence is mounting against this ingredient skin care manufacturers are continuing to use it in their products. There are paraben-free skincare products that you can use to eliminate this ingredient from your skincare treatment.

There is no product that is available on the market that can be completely natural in the sense that there is no processing of the ingredients. It is necessary to process some of the natural plant based ingredients so that they can be used in skincare products. However, you should look for products that are as close to the natural ingredients as you can find. Hypoallergenic skincare should be as pure as possible for the best possible results.

Taking care of your skin is one of the most important parts of your health. The skin is an organ and there are many things that should be included in your skincare routine that do not include the products that you use directly on the skin. Eat a healthy diet and make sure that you drink plenty of water every day to keep your skin healthy and clear. This will help you in your quest for clear smooth skin.

It is also important that you do some research on the products that you are planning to use. Find information on skincare and the best ingredients that you should use. There is plenty of information available on the best hypoallergenic skincare products as well as those products that are paraben-free skincare products. When you know what you should be looking for, the job will be much easier.

For those people that have sensitive skin, finding the right products is even more important. When you have to be careful about the skincare treatments that you use, you should take even greater care when doing your research. Dealing with chemical induced rashes and breakouts is never pleasant and you can do a great deal to eliminate these problems from your skin. Look for hypoallergenic skincare products that contain the purest ingredients that are possible. You should also look for paraben-free skincare as well to lower your risk of the dangers that this ingredient might cause.

Assessment Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them – Strategies For Savvy HR Professionals

admin — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 04:33:56 +0000

Assessments can be powerful tools for organizations to help managers and leaders perform at peek capacity. But before you decide to bring a particular tool or vendor into your organization, carefully review these common organizational assessment pitfalls.

Don’t: Let vendors “sell” you a tool if they can’t CLEARLY show that it meets YOUR goals and they have extensive experience in managing and delivering it.

Do: Interview vendors and ask tough questions about usability, reliability, validity, past experience, education/training, client references, etc.

Don’t: Use assessments as a one-shot-deal or only during retreats. You will get a great “WOW” factor but very little ROI. After a while, people will say “Not another assessment tool…”

Do: Incorporate assessments in as many development and training opportunities as possible. By doing so, you will be able to show continued ROI and value.

Don’t: Expect your Executive Team or Board to commit to a tool or process if you can’t clearly share how it will produce ROI or specific benefits.

Do: Involve the Executive Team Members in the assessment selection process and ask vendors for one or two complimentary assessments/debriefs for your Executive Team.

Don’t: Expect participants to embrace the process, be thrilled about taking the assessments, and love getting the results.

Do: Expect participants to need a process and a solid understanding of what the assessments are being used for, how they are launched, who will review the information, and how to apply the information once received.

Don’t: Forget to check-in, follow-up, and champion the assessment process.

Do: Consistently check in to see how participants are using the tools, follow up on initiatives undertaken, and celebrate results.

Small Business Ideas for First Time Online Entrepreneurs

admin — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 02:52:39 +0000

It’s hard to believe that just twenty years ago, for many of us, the Information Super-Highway (as it was known back then) was little more than an odd collection of desk top computers networked together with dial-up modem. If memory serves, most of the people who I talked to about their online experience told me that they spent countless hours on the “Dungeons and Dragons” bulletin boards. Much like watching a youngster grow older, the ‘net has grown up too. Akin to the ‘terrible two’s', the dot-com teething pains of the early 2000′s were tough on everyone. Then the ‘net went through a good-for-nothing phase reminiscent of a rebellious teenager, during which time all we seemed to hear about from the ‘net were illegal and immoral offshore sites.

Then it happened.

Alongside the rise in popularity of Google and Apple, regular people figured out how to make money on-line. It was like the internet finally settled down, got a job and became a productive member of society. In doing so, the ‘net finally began to deliver on its promised potential. With each passing day, entrepreneurs were discovering new and exciting ways to earn a profit from the online world. All anyone needed was a laptop, an internet connection and the willingness to work really hard. For the first time in history, everyday people had the chance to make a living from anywhere on the planet without needing to invest a huge sum of money in their business.

So with the evolution of the internet, which online business strategies are making people money today? Here are a couple of examples:

Article Writing

Search engine optimization has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Understanding what people are searching for and creating content that anticipates a need has resulted in big advertising commission. If you happen to be skilled at either search engine optimisation or have excellent writing skills, the articles you write could be read by thousands of people. Using the average advertising commission of between $16-$18 per thousand views, well, the math will work. If writing is not your strong suit, but you are able to learn about keyword research, and then you can find a great ghostwriter (like iWriter ), and the possibility exists to generate online income.

Writing Reviews

Some corporations use impartial customer reviews to promote their products. For those who have used a particular product (or have a friend who has), it’s possible to write a product critique and get paid. To learn more about this, Google “make money writing product reviews”.

Being Paid to Take Surveys

Businesses are always interested in getting more and more data on its customers so that it can try to predict the next big consumer trend – focus groups and internet surveys help provide corporations with the type of information necessary to make these predictions. If I am correct, the days of the annoying telemarketer calling during dinner to ask ‘just a few questions’ regarding your health insurance coverage are over. More and more, consumer behavior information and market data is coming from web surveys.

Blogging

When you have practical information to share with other like-minded people, your best option is to launch a blog. Blogging not only helps you share ideas and network with others, but also helps you to create revenue streams using ads and online sales. There are several web based advertising platforms that will allow you to make an income based on the site traffic on your blog.

Write an e-book

A few of the people in my MasterMind group have been able to generate decent profits by selling e-books. The key here is that they are seen as experts in their respective fields. In the good old days, authors had to send manuscripts to many publishing houses and hope that one would pick up the rights to their book. For the authors who were fortunate enough to get published, the ‘per book’ royalties were very small. Nowadays, anyone can sell a book on iTunes or Kindle without the infrastructure costs associated with producing, transporting and retailing an actual book. These are truly exciting times.

Selling Photos and Graphics

Along with the rise in people starting their own blogs and writing their own e-books, there exists a parallel growth in the online sales of photos and artwork. Sites such as Shutterstock serve as the middleman linking graphic designers and the buying public.

Mobile Apps

I don’t believe that the ‘iPhone-App-development‘ ship has sailed. Despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of apps have already been created, fresh ideas and concepts are being thought up each day, as are the technologies used to power our SmartPhones. If this is a topic that interests you, pick up a copy of Chad Mureta’s App Empire.

There is always Craigslist

Perhaps you have watched the A&E show ‘Storage Wars’ and are curious as to who, in their right mind, would spend $90,000 to acquire a pile of old Elvis Presley newspapers? In the internet age, there seems to be a buyer for just about everything. I can’t imagine retiring on the proceeds from selling old second hand household items on Craigslist and eBay, but what I do see are entrepreneurs retailing new products (via the online eBay) to a global audience.

Teaching and eMentoring

Lots of people have created classes that they’re able to re-sell over and over again. If you are an expert in your niche and can create an educational course or seminar that provides value to a large number of people, you’ll be able to turn that into a recurring passive income stream.

The point is, ones ability to earn an income online is limited only by ones imagination and creativity. The Information Super-Highway has absolutely leveled the playing field and provides possibilities to anyone with a personal computer, entrepreneurial mindset and the desire to earn a living on the internet.

Internet News

admin — Sat, 27 May 2023 09:00:25 +0000

Internet has become very popular these days and there are so many advantages of internet that have brought significant changes in the lives of people. Currently people can take the advantage of internet in diverse ways starting from some small benefits to larger ones. Internet has become a big source of bringing people together in different ways. People can have all information about the current happenings of the world through online news. As people want to have the latest updates and news quickly so the resolution of this concern is available in the form of online info.

There are so many benefits of online info over television news or newspapers that can motivate others to get latest news quickly. Online information are the best opportunity for those people who want to have a quickest source of information. There are so many places where newspapers or televisions are not able but the facility of internet is available so online info can be the best source of being updated with the current happenings. Individuals can be informed about latest breaking news through online information. There are some interactive tools that are offered by online information and these tools can be very helpful for the users. There are some online information websites that offer the opportunity to the visitors through which they can be updated and get hold of the news. It is also possible to offer the people an opportunity to get the news around a week. These news are sent to the persons through emails and it is very advantageous aspect of online info that saves money as well.

With the help of online information, people can get updates of every minute and they can get information about any part of the world or about any topic according to personal interests. Online information offer freedom to the users because they can choose the varieties of information that is required according to personal interests. There are so many websites of online info that can be helpful for getting online information. Mostly newspapers have their online information sites as well where people can find online news.

The accessibility of online news is the best opportunity for those who cannot access other sources of communication. The quality of information available at online news has no comparison with others sources of information. In short, online news is a manifestation of advanced technologies.

How Does an Open Source Community Support Joomla

admin — Sun, 21 May 2023 23:24:59 +0000

Establishing a website is quite easy if you have the passion, equipment and the time for it. It is like a dream come true and it is also considered as an accomplishment for any person who knows how to make one. However not all individuals are capable of creating a web site. If you are planning to be part of the internet world you must learn about its basic standards.

Creating a website or a blog is another way of transforming your artistic skills into a more productive through the advancement of technology. Since making a web site is the most feasible type of business nowadays, you must be really prepared and competent enough to meet the needs of your readers. You should always remember that the future and the progress of your website will mainly depend on the viewers or readers of your page.

The primary option in making a web site is to find someone who is already considered as an expert on such field. However you should be aware that creating a website nowadays is a serious matter in terms of money. If you are going to hire a web developer you must pay him or her for the creation of your web sites or blogs. You must find the necessary ways that can help you create your own web pages without spending too much of your budget.

Joomla is the quick answer to your questions. This is the software that will allow you to make your own website without paying for an expert web developer. Aside from the money that you will save, joomla can also give you the freedom on how you can create your own web pages. Generally joomla is a type of software that contains guidelines and tutorials on how to use it. Beginners are also recommended to read more about its guidelines in making a web site to prevent future problems. This amazing software is very special because its users are no longer required to pay for its features.

Joomla is also an open source program. This kind of licensing is unique since under its law no one has to pay for it but anybody can help fix and develop it. There is this open source community that helps find problems on such software and fix them. Some members of the open source community are already dedicated in finding and solving problems about this kind of software.

The programmers or creators of the open source community have already advertised joomla so that ordinary people can use it. They have made templates and themes that you can easily install in your rented or bought web sites. You should not also worry about the different methods in posting articles with multimedia files because joomla does this for you in a very easy way. The forms or templates are already available and all you have to do is to fill it up with the information that you want to include in your website and upload it to the internet.

Technology in Healthcare, Are We Making Progress?

admin — Sun, 21 May 2023 20:55:44 +0000

It seems an obvious statement that Technology in Healthcare is a good thing, and there are genuinely some amazing innovations that have made real difference to people’s lives, consider the improved quality of life an artificial pacemaker can offer or the difference that the simple hearing aid has made to millions of lives.

When it comes to innovation in Healthcare Technology it often comes from indirect applications. Take for example the Xbox Kinect, a brilliant piece of technology allowing a game player to interact with a game using body movements, no controller or physical touch is involved. Not long after its launch Microsoft Research and surgical staff at St Thomas Hospital in London began trialing its use in theater as it allowed them to quickly view 3D images without any form of contact, keeping the environment sterile.

Technology for gaming is now being adopted in situations where life and death are quite literally at play. Google’s Glass has also found its way in to the surgical theater and trials are underway to consider its use. Recently a Doctor in Madrid used Google Glass to stream a live surgical procedure to Doctors located at 300 Universities and Hospitals in five continents.

So you would imagine that we are seeing cutting edge technology being rapidly adopted across the healthcare spectrum. Sadly though, we also see areas where Technology appears to be ‘dragging its feet’ so to speak. The ‘TeleMedicine’ approach and mobile monitoring of patient stats has been on the go for many years, and where we should be seeing this as a field of mature technology that has reduced costs, as well as re-admissions, it is really still in its infancy and lacks broader adoption with many projects still in the ‘pilot’ stages.

On a positive note, organisations like Johnson and Johnson are taking a direct approach to Innovation with their aptly named ‘J&J Innovation Centers’. Located in California, Boston, London and Shanghai these centers allow a partnership approach for those with new and exciting ideas to share and be supported by those with a background and experience that can genuinely help drive the idea forward. A key principle behind this initiative is to accelerate the time is takes for an idea to become reality. The centers will focus on innovations in Pharmaceutical, Consumer Products and Medical Devices & Diagnostics. It will be interesting to see what new Innovations we will see hopefully sooner rather than later.

Like a car with no fuel, Innovation on its own is really of no use if it does not have the support and direction to quickly and efficiently become a reality that will ultimately benefit the lives of people.

ITwaffle.com Copyright © 2014 Gareth Baxendale

The Best Culinary Schools of America to Study and Become a Chef

admin — Sun, 21 May 2023 19:12:58 +0000

Finding the best culinary schools in America is a challenge for those who want to become top rated chefs. As the school chosen will have a profound impact your future career as a chef, making the right choice for you is vital.

Below, you will find methods that will help you select the culinary arts school that matches your needs, as well as a listing of some of the more prestigious schools in the USA.

1: Know what type of Chef you want to be

What ranks as the best culinary schools of America is determined by the type of food that school specializes in. Ranging from French, Italian and Oriental cuisines, the methods which chefs work vary greatly. While there are some prestigious schools that span several cuisines, selecting a specializing school can make the difference in whether or not you will succeed or fail at culinary arts.

2: Know how serious of a Chef you are.

The amount of work and effort you are willing to put into becoming a chef should be forefront in your thoughts as you are selecting a school. Some schools are strict, with long schedules and a great deal of work that must be done to make a passing grade. Others are more casual, allowing night courses and slow progression. Knowing how serious you are about becoming a chef will help you select the type of school you attend, as well as determine the pace you learn.

3: Know your budget.

Not all culinary arts schools across America are created equal. Some educational centers can cost a great deal of money. These schools are usually reserved for those who wish to become elite chefs. Determine how much you are willing to spend on your education in advance, as this will narrow your selection of schools.

4: Are you willing to travel?

Many culinary institutes are located in either New England or California. While there are many spread across the USA, these areas are renown for having the highest number of culinary schools. If you are willing to travel, you will have access to many more schools than if you are staying locally. If you happen to live in California or New England, you will not have to travel far to find a good school.

Like all schools, there are some culinary centers that surpass the competition. Some of the best culinary schools include the California Culinary Academy, the California School of Culinary Arts, the Connecticut Culinary Institute, the Culinary Academy of Long Island, The Kitchen Academy of California and Le Cordon Bleu.