Thursday, August 8, 2019

Reflective account - Personal Development Plan Essay

Reflective account - Personal Development Plan - Essay Example rform effectively in their allocated work, they will achieve professional advancement both hierarchically and importantly at the personal or mental level. When an employee performs and develops optimally more than their fellow employees, he/she will be given leadership position, utilizing which they can develop their leadership capabilities. As when they develop their leadership skills, employee or individual should also need to develop certain qualities or traits, and one among them is time management. Time management with apt incorporation of quality standards is a key trait. Likewise, if the individual need to develop extra skills like new language acquisition, then they have to do that as well as part of optimal development of leadership. So, this paper will analyze, how I developed my leadership skills and as part of that development followed key traits of time management as well as new language acquisition. The known is, from time immemorial, the success or failure of an organization or any other human activity depends on the role, the leader plays. According to me, if the leader follows a set of positive traits and performs effectively, he/ she can ‘sprinkle’ or even ‘pour’ success on many lives, including the workers in his/her organization. Normally, the leadership traits should be visible and should be put to effective use when the leader, as a ‘builder’ builds a group and as a ‘founder’ launches an organization. However, in my case, a situation to develop my leadership skills arose when I got a chance to preside over or manage an on going project in my organization. As the building or recruiting of the ‘group’ of workers as well as the installation of infrastructure, set up, etc needed for the specific project has already taken place, my was only to lead and manage the team. This job of taking an existing set up and managing it is not an easy job because it brings in set of challenges, mainly involving the employees. I did not

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Testing and Assessment in ELT Essay Example for Free

Testing and Assessment in ELT Essay The notion that language tests have a damaging effect upon learning is reflected in much contemporary academic and media based criticism and speculation. This can be seen in relation to the meaning of the language being learned and the social context deemed crucial to understanding and developing language use. This is primarily because unlike many of the other educational disciplines, language is a cornerstone study as it is used in every study and forms the basis for all shared intellectual knowledge. That is to say, that every study uses the convention and medium of language as a basis for its knowledge. Furthermore, it is comparatively ambiguous in nature as it relates to the everyday development of the child and every stage of learning. It includes the very communicative and social reality of the individual and is used in thought itself. Other studies can be subsequently seen as having their own particular forms of language, which break from the socialised identity of the child in some respect. For instance, a studier of biology need not use the terms, words and knowledge they have come to learn in everyday life. Due to this, learning such technical forms of knowledge can be seen as something of a distinct formal language used for education. However, in the study of English language this is not possible as it incorporates the very understanding of language itself along with the identity of the child or learner. It is due to this that concerns have grown regarding the formalised testing of English. And it also due to this that we can agree with Hughes contention that such testing has a harmful effect on teaching and learning and fails to measure accurately whatever it is that they are intended to measure. Essentially, they do not measure the relevant foundational and social knowledge that forms an understanding of language itself. Subsequently, in this assignment we will be looking at some of the relative concerns in English tests and putting forward some of the theoretical and practical alternatives proposed and practised by educational theorists and researchers alike before presenting our conclusion. With this in mind, we shall turn to the role of the class room environment in the teaching of English language. The Role of the Class Room Environment The main concern related to the study and teaching of English language is regarding the concept of input. Input generally refers to the exposure that the learners have had with the authentic language being used and taught. It is input that constitutes the main focus of the English language class and the development of English related knowledge and development. This insight is used primarily as an entry point into the study of language and acts as the catalyst for any of the various topics being covered. Input can come from a range of diverse sources. This includes the teacher. However, this also includes the learners as well as the learning environment itself. As a technical term, input is relative to intake, which refers to the intellectual absorbing and internalising of the input based upon the subsequent topic and discussion. This therefore relates to the process of word and knowledge acquisition. Knowledge and language acquisition theories emphasise the importance of comprehensible and relative input. This is essentially language that is just beyond the competence of the learner and just outside of their field of internalised knowledge. This is generally referred to as being outside of the zone of proximal development; meaning outside of the learner’s own experienced and intellectually internalised structure of conceptual knowledge. However, if the input were too far outside of the zone of proximal development then the learner would not be able to understand. Contrastingly, if it were inside the zone of the proximal development then the learner would find this unnecessary or perhaps conflicting knowledge. However, with it being outside of the zone of proximal development then the learner can relate this new information to their already established structure of knowledge and build upon it to see how the new intellectual stimuli, information or language relates. Ultimately, this provides the ideal conditions for acquisition to occur. Further, this is reflected by the research of Lambert who states that: ‘Learners are encouraged to construct and produce knowledge in meaningful ways through the acknowledgment of prior experiences. Generative learning environments promote deep, engaged learning’ (Lambert 2003). This all means that the classroom environment is crucial to the teaching of English and the information input into this environment must be at an intellectual level at which the individual can begin to build from their own knowledge. However, this is also integral to the group, as in accordance to acquisition theory the group must be able to communicate and exchange their understanding within the classroom. This means that a focus is imperative to the class room environment and that the tasks are hugely important for the social learning dynamic. Essentially, if there is little communication between learners, then the intellectual development and needs of the group will be at odds and many of the children will be left behind as others excel. Although the case can be made for differences in intelligence and intellectual ability, such a difference made by an unequal environment and focus is artificial and would cause a discrepancy in either the focus or the input. Essentially, the difference in intellectual capacity and acquired knowledge would be due to lack of awareness rather than higher abilities of certain individuals. By keeping the class room environment an equally focused group made to share and exchange different knowledge and insights regarding a specific topic, the group can then become a mutually orientated group focused upon a shared goal. This also shows the importance and significance of the children’s identity, as without recognition of an individual’s identity and experiences within the social dynamics of the teaching environment the child may not be able to relate, understand and/or develop.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Education - Africa Essay Example for Free

Education Africa Essay Introduction In this essay I will discuss all the situational factors that formed the basis of the reforms during the era of education reform from 1976-1994 in South Africa. The essay will critically discuss factors in detail regarding pre 1994 education. I will then give a conclusion on all the factors that influenced the educational reforms. The Soweto uprising in 1979 In 1979 there was a huge riot against the education act. The riot was about creating equal learning opportunities for everybody, black and coloured people rioted in the streets of Johannesburg because they were tired of being oppressed. While this was going on teachers lost the will to teach and learners lost the will to learn. Erosion of the culture of learning and teaching (C. O. L. T) Schools were closed, destroyed and sometimes even burnt down because of the inequalities of learning during this era. This made it very hard for students of â€Å"colour† to learn. Thus putting education for people of â€Å"colour† in a deep crisis. Students were upset with three major issues: the standard of education, the quality of teaching and finally the poor state of school buildings and equipment. These three issues made students not want to attend school and was a main cause to the Soweto uprising in 1976. The De Lange commission The De Lange commission was introduced in order to create a better education system, for example creating equal education opportunities for everybody. These were some of their suggestions: education must improve quality of life, must promote economic growth and education should be equal and available to every student regardless of their colour. The De Lange commission was considered by the HSRC and eleven points from the commission were put into place. The 1994 democratic elections In 1994 the first democratic elections took place, this is the first time that everybody was seen as equal, with equal rights and learning opportunities. People were also given the freedom to pick which languages they wanted to learn in, as well as have a choice on subjects they learnt. People were also given freedom of choice in other areas not only education and some of these choices are: freedom to vote, freedom to live where they want, freedom to marry between races and International sanctions, against South Africa, in sport and economics were lifted. Differences in schooling between the four different race groups Along almost any dimension of comparison, there have been, and are glaring inequalities between the four schooling systems in South Africa. This applies to teacher qualifications, teacher-pupil ratios, per capita funding, buildings, equipment, facilities, books, stationery and also to ‘results’ measured in terms of the proportions and levels of certificates awarded. Along these dimensions, â€Å"White’ schools are far better off than any of the others, and ‘Indian’ and ‘Coloured’ schools are better off than those for ‘Africans’. Schooling is compulsory for ‘Whites’, ‘Indians’ and ‘Coloureds’ but not for ‘Africans’. Which created unequal opportunities when it came to job opportunities. Curriculum during the apartheid era Curriculum development in South African education during the period of apartheid was controlled tightly from the centre. While theoretically, at least, each separate department had its own curriculum development and protocols, in reality curriculum formation in South Africa was dominated by committees attached to the white House of Assembly. So prescriptive was this system, controlled on the one hand by a network of inspectors and subject advisors and on the other hand by several generations of poorly qualified teachers, that had authority, controlled learning, and corporal punishment were the rule. These conditions were exacerbated in the impoverished environments of schools for children of colour. Examination criteria and procedures were instrumental in promoting the political perspectives of those in power and allowed teachers very little latitude to determine standards or to interpret the work of their students. The Bantu education act  The Bantu Education Act (No. 47) of 1953 widened the gaps in educational opportunities for different racial groups. The concept of racial purity, in particular, provided a rationalization for keeping black education inferior. Verwoerd, then minister of native affairs, said black Africans should be educated for their opportunities in life, and that there was no place for them above the level of certain forms of labour. The government also tightened its control over religious high schools by eliminating almost all financial aid, forcing many churches to sell their schools to the government or close them entirely. Christian national education(C. N. E) Christian National Education supported the NP program of apartheid by calling on educators to reinforce cultural diversity and to rely on mother-tongue instruction in the first years of primary school. This philosophy also exposed the idea that a persons social responsibilities and political opportunities are defined by that persons ethnic identity. The government also gave strong management control to the school boards, who were elected by the parents in each district. Official attitudes toward African education were paternalistic, based on segregation. Black education was not supposed to drain government resources away from white education. The number of schools for blacks increased during the 1960s, but their curriculum was designed to prepare children for menial jobs. Per-capita government spending on black education slipped to one-tenth of spending on whites in the 1970s. Black schools had inferior facilities, teachers, and textbooks. Conclusion In conclusion to the above essay there were many problems such as; Christian national education(C.N. E), The Bantu education act, Curriculum during the apartheid era, Differences in schooling between the four different race groups, The 1994 democratic elections, The De Lange commission, Erosion of the culture of learning and teaching (C. O. L. T)and The Soweto uprising in 1979. In all these situational factors that formed the basis of the reforms during the era of education reform from 1976-1994 in South Africa, the 1994 democratic elections were put in place so that everyone had equal opportunity at everything; it was the main â€Å"turn around† point after the period of 1976-1994. I have discussed some of them in detail so that you can get a better understanding of the reforms that took place during the period of 1976-1994. Words: 1024 References 1. http://upetd. up. ac. za/thesis/available/etd-05062008-091259/unrestricted/02chapter2a. pdf 2. http://jae. oxfordjournals. org/content/16/5/849. abstract 3. http://newlearningonline. com/new-learning/chapter-5-learning-personalities/apartheid-education/ 4. http://www. nwu. ac. za/sites/default/files/files/p-saeduc/articles/2009articles/Teksversorg_23nov09_ODAV. pdf 5. http://www. mongabay. com/history/south_africa/south_africa-education_under_apartheid. html

Monday, August 5, 2019

Types of Personal Selling

Types of Personal Selling It is used as visualized, when you see a printed or sound based advertisement, you can remember those advertisement for long in your mind. E.g.: Print advertisements, advertisements in Television, Radio, Billboard, Broachers and Catalogues, In-store display, motion pictures, banner ads, web pages, posters are some of the examples of advertising The more you advertise, you can develop the brand Whenever you see the advertisement , you remember the product or service so, the product has long term image Slide 06 Sales promotion Examples: Contests, product samples, Coupons, trade shows and exhibitions. Slide 07 Popular sales promotion Buy one get one free when you buy one product you get the same product as free Customer relationship management incentive such as bonus points or money off coupons. Customer relationship management is from banks to super markets E.g.: Apico provides privilege card to the customers Nolimit provides Arampaima Card to the customers Nexus Card provide more benefit for the customers New Media website and mobile phones that support a sales promotion E.g.: in UK nestle printed individual codes on KIT-KAT packaging, whereby a consumer would enter the code into a dynamic website to see if they had won prize. Consumers could also text codes via mobile phone to the same effect. Free gift Buy one product and get one product free as a gift. Joint promotions buy one product of one brand and you get another brand product as free Free samples Tasting of food and drinks at sampling points in supermarkets E.g. Red Bull was given away to potential consumer at supermarkets, in high streets and at petrol stations (by a promotion team) Vouchers coupons often seen in newspaper and magazine, on pack. Slide 10 Direct marketing Roles Influential tool for building customer relationship- when you communicate with the customer directly, the relationship between both with be build. Enable Company to interact with the customer directly- company can directly move with the customers. Company can get regular feedback from customer Company can get regular feedback from the customers E.g. Nestlà ©s baby food records a database of new parents and post them personalized parcels of gift and give them guidance at key phase in babys life. As they get in touch with more concerned consumer at the best times. Slide 13 Understanding buyer Behavior If you want your business to be successful you have to understand their buying behavior. Especially in todays competitive world. Unless you understand it is very hard to gain them as customers and keep them loyal. Buying behavior is one of the elements you need for a customer profile. Slide 14 Environmental Affects Multiple methods used to find environmental forces exist. One such method is called the PEST analysis because it lists the political, economic, socio cultural and technological factors that can influence the business environment. Examples of such factors that can influence personal selling include legislation on fraud and on content in marketing, the average income of potential customers, local etiquette and the technologies potential customers tend to use. Economic, socio cultural and technological factors are particularly important in personal selling because understanding these factors lets management figure out what products to sell and the best sales methods. For example, a business might choose to use an advertising-driven pull approach rather than the more aggressive push approach in a culture in which approaching strangers is frowned upon. In this example, salespeople would be used more as sources of information to confirm the purchase decisions of customers already pulled in by advertising campaigns. Slide 15 Managerial Affects E.g. management might choose a push approach to selling in which salespeople are expected to seek out potential customers and attempt to sell to them directly rather than relying on advertising to pull them in. In this example, management would plan out the processes needed to support a push selling campaign, hire and train salespeople suited to the aggressive push mindset, direct them in their day-to-day selling and use this experience to improve on their initial plans. Slide 16 Main types of personal selling Delivery people E.g. Milkman, Fisherman and nowadays bakery staffs are brought through three wheels. Salespeople E.g. people who try to sell the company product at supermarkets. Door to door Selling salespeople who visits house by house and sell the product. This is all about the role of personal selling. Hope u guys understood the lectures. Thanks for listening to my lectures. Task 02 2.1 There are difference in the nature of sales tasks and skills in variety of contexts Agree or Disagree I agree this statement because,  the general duties expected of any sales person, the duties and responsibilities hand over to a sales person depend mainly on the nature of business.  The job description is evident in multiple industries including  Pharmaceutical  Sales,  Insurance  Sales, Retail Sales and Internet Sales.  Therefore, the role of a sales person in the  Pharmaceutical  industry may not be the same with a sales person in  the Insurance  Sales or in the Internet Sales. While a sales person in the Retail Sales may be in a store attending to customers, an  Insurance  Sales person  is required to be out in the field and sell the insurance to the customers. Sales Representatives play a major role in the success of their individual companies. They are the reason clients, customers or buyers may either be satisfied or not. And they are required to make the best of this opportunity by offering quality service to customers. They are supposed to know the ins and outs of their companys products and services so they can educate clients on how these products and services can be used to reduce costs or increase revenue. More often than not, a sales person  is required  to spend much time travelling and visiting prospective buyers and current clients to remind them how committed the company  is to satisfying their personal and business needs. 2.2 Sales staff members who are operating in an international environment should play a different role compared with sales staff member from local environment Sales staffs in an international environment and local environment both are similar, both sales persons will be having a good knowledge about the product or service, competitors, buyer behavior and thy directly communicate to the customers and receive the feedback. All these are done by both the salesperson but the different are the sales person in an international environment will be using the language which is understood by the customers and as He/she is in an international environment they knows the customer expectations on the product or service. So, he /she will react according to the customers willingness. 2.3 there is a possibility to explain the purpose of participating for the trade fairs Trade fair is an event dedicated to a particular industry and acts as a platform for bringing together buyers and sellers in different regions, under one roof. The product manufacturers, dealers, resellers, importers and exporters are the main participants in a trade fair. The first consideration for organizing a trade fair is its feasibility. A market analysis needs to be done to get an idea of the response that a trade fair will get, once it starts. The interest shown by the potential visitors and exhibitors decides the success or failure of a trade fair. Just like a well-organized trade fair can benefit the entire industry, similarly fair trading can prove very important for the reputation of companies. Trade fairs are the meeting point of people from different geographical areas. These people can have different motives for attending a trade show. Some might come to the fairs strictly for business purposes; people like businessman and student who are doing the higher education and others might only be interested in grabbing new friends on the same age. Whatever may be the reason for their visit, visitors are always on the lookout for something interesting and worth remembering. Even though a boring trade fair may still do good business, but it will never be able to reach high heights in popularity. By conducting trade fairs the companies get opportunities of getting new customers, new market, new competitors, new distributors, new agents and new partners for the company. Trade fair helps the company in promotion, marketing and publicity all these happens from participating in trade fairs. For example trade fair of Sri Lanka Expo 2012 organized by the Sri Lankan Export Development Board at BMICH. The Exhibition provided an ideal opportunity of Sri Lankan exporters to showcase their quality export products and services, traditional and non-traditional at a single platform with over 300 stalls to an international audience. Edex Expro 2012 trade fair. Task 03 Role and objectives of sales management Sales Management  was in the beginning meant for sales personnel. It had a narrow point of view of directing the sales personnel of an organization. Sales Management has gained a broader perspective, which includes management and implementation of all marketing activities via advertising, personal selling, sales promotions, distribution,  pricing and others. Appropriate recruitment and selection procedures are made by several ways those are Job advertising through newspapers, websites, mass medias and VCT professional magazines Campus recruitment Hayleys, dialog these types of organizations go to universities and do workshops and get people. Employee agencies- they give the JS to the job agencies and get employees Getting data base from the organizations e.g.: NDB bank and Aviva is doing this. There are internal and external methods of recruitment, advantages of internal recruitment are Internal Employees are most familiar to the organization and its culture, The cost of recruiting internal employees is less, Motivates the existing staffs, Strengthens the employee relation, Banks recruiting employees internally. The disadvantages of external recruitment are Wide selection big pool, Infusion of fresh blood people with new ideas and thinks, Element of competition we can competitive and get people from outside, Can get the employer brand advantage, Can spot the best talent from the competitors, Development cost is less. The appropriate selection made is made by interviewing the candidates. There are three methods of interview they are; one- one interviews interview one and make comfort for the candidate. Broad interviews, Stress interviews when recruiting military people it is better, Group interview. The two techniques used to co-ordinate and control sales output are, appraisal and performance and budget and profitability. Appraisal and performance is used to provide an assessment of current performance against which future improvements can be measured and training needs established. We can evaluate the employees and get feedbacks to achieve the target of the organization. Budget and profitability will be used to achieve the sales targets and to increase the sales output. An organizational structure is an internal representation of how persons are positioned in an organization and further can be used to identify the level of power and responsibility given to each person within the organization. It is better to have the matrix structure, where each department has each manager. If there is a problem in one department, that department manager can make the decisions. By motivating and training the employees we can enhance sales performance at the organization. By motivating the employees they work for the organization, by that we can achieve the goals of the organization. Training for the sales staffs are necessary, they should be trained as on the job training. Where they will be supervised by the top management, by workshops and by conducting lectures, where they will explain how to communicate with the customers and the knowledge of product and about the company. All theses will make a sales staff to start the sales. The Roles and objective of a Sales management is to identify a sales staff and motivate him/her then train him/her will the necessary skills and connect him/her to the organization structure and used the appropriate technique to enhance the sales output.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Comparing Japanese and American Diets Essay -- Health Nutrition Diet E

Comparing Japanese and American Diets The typical diet of the average Japanese citizen is much healthier than that of an average American citizen. The Japanese diet is vastly different than the common western diet in terms of ingredients used, portion size, preparation, and relationship between its users and their food. While Americans commonly opt for unhealthy food high in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium, many people of Japan benefit from their healthy choice of rice, fish, vegetables, and soy products. The Japanese style of preparing and serving food is also very intricate and deliberate, which encourages diners to truly appreciate their food, instead of rushing through each meal without much thought, as done in the United States. The typical Japanese diet offers its users increased immunity and can help prevent against some cancers, heart and cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, among other illnessesi. The diet typically followed in the United States is grossly opposite in that many commonly consumed u nhealthy foods have been determined to actually cause the same diseases that the Japanese diet works against, including but not limited to heart disease, some cancer, and diabetes. The combined factors surrounding both the Japanese diet and the typical American diet are reflected in the percentage of overweight people in each country; approximately 65% of people are overweight in the United States, while only 25% of Japan’s population is overweightii. These percentages are compiled from Body Mass Index (BMI) data, which is a scientifically formulated relation between a person’s weight and height that helps to determine a healthy weight range for a person to maintain. A person is classified as overweigh... ...tml xv http://members.tripod.com/~Doc_In_The_Kitchen/japan.html xvi http://www.caloriecountercharts.com/chart1a.htm xvii http://www.statistics.gov./STATBASE/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=7445 xviii http://www.cspinet.org/sodapop/liquid_candy.htm xix http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/reducesodiumdiet.html xx http://www.dietsite.com/dt/diets/HeartHealthy/fatdictionary.asp#SATURATED%20FATS: xxi http://www.mercola.com/2003/feb/5/food_portions.htm xxiihttp://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Food_and_Drink/Restaurants/Fast_Food/ xxiii http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/fastfood.html xxiv http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/healthmedical/a/hhsobesity.htm xxv http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/08/27/2003200438 xxvi http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/portion.cgi xxvii http://www.choicesmagazine.org/2004-3/obesity/2004-3-02.pdf

Saturday, August 3, 2019

School Uniforms Solving the Problem Essay -- essays papers

School Uniforms Solving the Problem Over the past couple of years, school uniform policies have been enforced as the most efficient method for â€Å"solving† problems such as crime and attendance ratings in our public schools. Many schools state that it is quite true that uniforms are lowering such mentioned rates of crime tremendously, but can this really be proven? Currently, there have only been informal studies that try to actually see if uniforms are helping, no long term studies. Technically speaking then, mandating uniforms in our school systems is not the key to fixing problems with the youth. For example, California’s Long Beach school district says that ever since the year of 1994, when uniforms in their schools were put into place, the crime there has dropped by seventy-six percent and attendance ratings have never been higher. This of course sounds lovely and all but the fact is that it just has not been proven that the uniforms themselves have helped make these problems better. Even if it had been proven that the uniforms are helping over anything else, they still have been creating other problems. â€Å"Clothes are a source of expression for children, and as kids gets older, they become increasingly resentful of uniforms,† said Dr. Alan Hilfer who later added that uniform policies take way our children’s individualities. Other education experts see the uniforms as a violation to the rights of the students to their freedom of expression a...

How Can Assistive Technology Benefit Preschool Special Education Studen

How Can Assistive Technology Benefit Preschool Special Education Students? The inclusion of special needs children with typically developing peers has become a key service option in preschool special education classrooms (Odom, 2000). Benefits abound, yet inclusion does not present without challenges. Young children with disabilities find it complicated to interact with objects and peers due to obstacles that their disabilities present. A child unable to speak too often goes unheard. Students with limited movement are frequently unable to participate in activities with peers. How can young children with disabilities achieve some degree of independence so that they may interact in their environments without reliance on others? Assistive technology (AT) can help young children with disabilities fully participate in natural, inclusive learning environments (Sadao & Robinson, 2010). Through the use of AT devices, even the youngest of children are provided opportunities for developmentally appropriate play, movement and communication. In this paper, I will talk about the use of assistive technology to promote young children's participation in preschool learning opportunities. Furthermore, I will discuss a few of the many potential benefits of AT when used within the preschool special education classroom, including: opportunities for play, movement, and communication. IDEA defines assistive technology as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system whether acquired commercially of the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." (Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA) 20, USC, Chapter 33, Section 1401 (25) US). According ... ...stive technology and how is it used in schools? Retrieved March 25, 2012, from www.sc.edu/scatp/cdrom/atused.html Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers. (2006). Assistive technology for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities. Minneapolis, MN: PACER Center University at Buffalo Center for Assistive Technology. (2000). Playing with switches: Birth through two. Retrieved March 23, 2012 from http://letsplay.buffalo.edu/toys/playing-with-switches/playing-with-switches.htmf Wilcox, J., (1999) Assistive technology and early childhood education. Journal of Special Education Technology, 28(3), 63-78 Wilds, M. L. (1989). Effective use of technology with young children. NICHCY News Digest, 13,6-7. Willis, C. (2009). Creating inclusive learning environments for young children: what to do on Monday morning. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.