Critical reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical reading response - Essay Example He offers three possible solutions for these issues. He states that mandatory attendance should be abolished and replaced with policies allowing kids to attend classes only when they want to. He also suggests removing children from schools, declaring them to be prisons where learning is limited. Additionally, he views that abolishing the curriculum is also a possible solution because people merely remember what they believe is interesting and useful to them. In order to assess the veracity or, at least, appropriateness of Holt’s claims, the major points of his article will be analyzed. First, Holt states that learning is inherent in every human, and that babies learn the basics of living and survival from the day they are born. Without any formal instruction, kids learn to communicate and interact with people around them. They learn through discovery, association, application, and mistakes (Holt, â€Å"School is Bad for Children†). This is a very strong point. Yes we sh ould acknowledge that school provides specialized information of some subject matters, but it does not mean that learning the same is impossible outside school. To prove this, one can simply look at the greatest minds in man’s history like Albert Einstein, Blaise Pascal, Pierre Curie, the Wright brothers, Thomas Alva Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell. These great minds did not acquire their knowledge from traditional schools because they were all home-schooled (McKee 16). Therefore, with the undeniable inherent ability of man to learn coupled with proven achievements of those that never went to school, it is easy to agree with Holt on this matter. Another statement made by Holt is that school environment encourages passive learning, thereby decreasing the utilization of man’s inherent ability to learn through active discovery, association, application, and mistakes. It also encourages the thinking that to be wrong is a crime, and to be right is the only acceptable thin g. In school, students are dictated by the experts on what is important, what they need, and what they should do. Technically, everything is spoon-fed (Holt, â€Å"School is Bad for Children†). Holt is not exaggerating when he states school teaches kids to do something only if they are forced, bribed, or deceived, since school rewards excellence and correctness. Despite the idea that teachers encourage children to analyze and ask, at the end of the day, they still follow a pre-set standard of what is correct and incorrect. Knowing the correct and universally accepted answer is the only way to pass, and passing is the only way to move forward. These standards place children in categories --- stupid, average, or brilliant (McKee 21). Moreover, it gives a false idea that learning and living are separate things that cannot merge together. The live outside the school, and learn inside with the experts. It reinforces the belief that children cannot be trusted to learn on their own --- they need experts to tell them what they should know to be considered knowledgeable and learned (Holt, â€Å"School is Bad for Children†). Holt again presents unquestionably strong arguments on this matter. Everyone who experienced school can relate to a great chunk of Holt’s standpoints. Another controversial statement is Holt’s declaration that schools shut kids’ brains and lead them to vices, particularly drugs. Several people may react negatively

Business Management - Work and Private life relating to Motivation and Essay

Business Management - Work and Private life relating to Motivation and Stress in Organization - Essay Example These needs are divided into higher order and lower order needs. Self-actualization and esteem are the higher order needs, while social, safety, and psychological are the lower level needs (Cherry). Higher order needs tend to be more important as workers move up the corporate ladder. Imagine a new worker starting out at corporation. This person does not have any friends among his colleagues. The individual will be motivated to accomplish social bonds with his fellow workers. Another theory that explains motivation in the workplace is Adam’s equity theory. The equity theory states that people will act to eliminate any felt inequity in the rewards received from their work in comparison with others. An example of equity theory in action would be the case of one worker receiving preferential treatment from the boss. The rest of the staff will feel that the actions of the managers are unfair. A third theory of motivation is Vroom’s expectancy theory. Expectancy theory states that motivation is determined by individual beliefs regarding effort/performance relationships and work outcomes (Valuebasedmanagement). Companies that reward their employees for achieving higher levels of performance are aligned with expectancy theory. Due to the pressures of the workplace many employees suffer from stress. Stress can be defined as tension from extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities (Schermerhorn, et al., p.409). Stress is an unwanted occurrence because it reduces the work performance of the workers and it negatively impacts the health of a person. Workers can feel either constructive or destructive stress. An example of constructive stress occurs when a person gets a promotion and is starting out his/ her new duties. The person will feel stress because the individual is not accustomed to the new job and the person is overly excited about the opportunity. Destructive stress has a negative impact on the performance and attitude of the