Relations Between Public Relations Professionals And Media...

Introduction The perceived ‘cantankerous’ relationship that characterises the exchanges between public relations professionals and media practitioners has been rife since the birth of public relations. The pair are, in its simplest term ‘frenemies’, they do work together, albeit covertly, and are usually hesitant to admit (on the media side) their cooperation. However, there is no absolute trust held between the two for there is a shifting power of control and influence that continually changes, which Fletcher (as cited in Hobsbawn, 2010, p. 64) believes is due to the market value of the particular product that public relations is representing. Media practitioners are often called the ‘watchdogs’ of society, their history of holding the rulers of society accountable and maintaining democracy is a view that is still maintained today. They are, however, in the eyes of public relations practitioners the ‘gate-keeper’, whereby they decide what is ac cessible to the public, conversely this power has somewhat diminished due to the rise of the internet. Comparatively, public relations practitioners are viewed by the media as â€Å"spin doctors† who threaten legitimate news content and act as â€Å"...the servants of vested interests who deny the people their right to know...†(Greenslade, 2005, as cited in White Hobsbawm, 2007, p.284). In discussing the symbiotic relationship that is held between the two with the essay being written from the perspective of a public relations student, it isShow MoreRelatedHow The Public Relations Has Changed Over The Past Decade? Essay1612 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Over the past decade, social media use has been increasing at an expeditious rate. According to Pew Research Center, 86% of Americans are active internet users, and the number of active social media users is increasing daily. As of 2016, Facebook has 1.6 billion users, Instagram has 430 million users, LinkedIn has 429 million users, and Twitter has 325 million users. With those numbers in mind, why wouldn t the public relations agency utilize these free platforms as a way to gain publicityRead MorePublic Relations the Impact of New Media1352 Words   |  6 PagesPublic Relations amp; The Impact of New Media Public Relations is a pivotal part of any business because it is the most direct communication between the business and the public. For a business to enjoy long term success it has to have the ability to evolve and adapt with the ever changing trends of the public in order to understand the needs and concerns of the general public. Author and entrepreneur Deirdre K. Breakenridge (2008) states in her book PR 2.0 New Media, New Tools, New AudiencesRead MoreThe Gate Keeper Interview Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The perceived ‘cantankerous’ relationship that characterises the exchanges between public relations professionals and media practitioner’s has been rife since the birth of public relations. The pair is, in its simplest term ‘frenemies’, they do work together, albeit covertly, and are usually hesitant to admit (on the media side) their cooperation. However, there is no absolute trust held between the two since there is a shifting power of control and influence that continually changesRead MorePublic Relations Is The Practice Of Managing The Spread Of Information Between An Individual1321 Words   |  6 Pages Public Relations is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. The aim of Public Relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a certain view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. It focuses on the image of a company, and is responsible for initiating and maintaining good relationshipsRead MoreAn Definition Of Public Relations1322 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Public relations today is a complex profession practiced by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Some public relations professionals are employed by a single organization. Others work for public relations firms that have many organizations as clients. Public relations people work for businesses, government agencies, professional and trade associations, nonprofit charities, schools and universities, hospitals, hotels, and many more types of industries. Unlike the practiceRead MoreJournalists And Public Relations Practitioners1327 Words   |  6 PagesJournalists and Public Relations (PR) practitioners interact with each other every day as part of the process of news production. Journalists communicate towards public relations practitioners with requests for information or material to help produce the stories they are writing. While public relations practitioners advise stories and deliver journalists with information they have created themselves in hope to be published in the newspaper. The relationship between journalists and public relations practitionersRead MoreWhat Does A Public Relations Agency Do?1375 Words   |  6 Pagesprint) Identification (Title, publication, date, author(s), hyperlink if available): My first source, published in 2013 on Forbes.com, is an article written by Robert Wynne entitled â€Å"What Does a Public Relations Agency Do?† http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwynne/2013/04/10/what-does-a-public-relations-agency-do/ What was learned: To explicitly define what PR agencies do, Wynne compared the responsibilities of advertising agencies to PR agencies. Wynne began his article stating examples of jobsRead MorePublic Relations Institute Of Australia1158 Words   |  5 Pages1.1 The Career The Public Relations Institute of Australia defines the occupation of Public Relations as The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation (or individual) and its (or their) publics. Job Outlook explains, â€Å"Public Relation Professionals plan, develop, implement and evaluate information and communication strategies that create an understanding and a favourable view of organisations, their goods and services, and theirRead MoreSocial Media Of Public Relations1325 Words   |  6 Pages In general worlds, public relations is a management function, which manage the spread of information between organization and its publics, it is process of information exchange, also maintain the relationship between audience, social media, companies†¦etc. Generally, the public relation practitioners use forms such as printed text, images, speaking words or even combined functions for communication. â€Å"Social media are a technically enhanced-think Internet and mobile-based-way of discussing ideasRead MoreMedia, Television, And Media1404 Words   |  6 Pagesonly since the public relations began to be used, but the past fifteen years there has been a huge change and increase with the use of technology and media. Media is defined as â€Å"the means of communication as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely† (Media, n.d.). Not only is media used in public relations, but it is used in the daily lives of a majority of the world’s population. There are two types of media , traditional media and new media. Traditional

Analysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem, Mother And Son

The Splintered Staircase Life sometimes hits below the belt, life is not always easy. As Langston Hughes states in â€Å"mother and son life is not a crystal stair. With his brilliant writing, Hughes conveys to the reader to never giving up just because something is not easy (Langston2). In the poem â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes. It seems that Langston Hughes wants the readers to understand that yeah life may be hard, but you have to get through it. One cannot give up just because things are not going their way. The mother explains how she has also endured difficult times, but she pushed through it and came out the other side a stronger and better person. She also lets her son know that sometimes a person has to go into the darkness to find the light within them self. The mother tells her son â€Å"So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps, Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.†(Langston 14-16). She gives a very important life lesson which is he sh ould not let the cruelness of this wicked world slow him down. If a person wants something in life they should go after it no if, ands or buts about it. It appears that Langston Hughes message in the poem is to be optimistic when dealing with hard times and how the struggles of everyday life should not prevent you from accomplishing more in life. The line Life for me ain t been no crystal stair. (Langston 2) was stated in the start and the conclusion of the poem. It makes it clear to the reader that the mother hasShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Mother To Son By Langston Hughes768 Words   |  4 PagesLanguage Arts ï ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Ã¯ ¿ ½Grade:ï ¿ ½ Six    Standard:ï ¿ ½ #3:ï ¿ ½ Literary Response and Analysis    Key Concept:ï ¿ ½ Students respond to tone and meaning that are conveyed in poetry through word choice, figurative language, line length, punctuation, rhythm, alliteration, and rhyme.    Generalization:ï ¿ ½ Students respond to poetic language in Mother to Son by Langston Hughes.    Background:ï ¿ ½ Students have been working on a poetry unit and have been studying how the elements of poetryRead MorePoem Analysis : Langston Hughes Poem1258 Words   |  6 Pages Research Paper and Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Mother To Son† is a twenty line poem that seems to be from the perspective of a prudent mother that is giving her son, and possibly the readers, some helpful and supportive advice, telling them that, no matter how many adversities they may face, they can not give up. I believe that this is the main theme of the poem, perseverance. â€Å"So, boy, don’t you turn back./ Don’t you set down on the steps./ ‘Cause youRead MoreJames Langston Hughes And Countee Cullen934 Words   |  4 Pages James Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen were prominent poets. These poets were at the time of the Harlem Renaissance during the 20th century. Hughes and Cullen wrote for others to understand the stories of African-Americans living in the United State. These men had differences in their writing, but one mutual objective. James Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. Hughes began writing poetry when he lived in Lincoln, Illinois. The Weary Blues was his first book of poetryRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings And Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1517 Words   |  7 PagesPoems of Color The poems â€Å" I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are both poems that speak on the issues of the mistreatment of African Americans, and how these challenges were created simply by the color of one’s skin and overcome. While the poems â€Å"Mother To Son† and â€Å" Dreams† by Langston Hughes refer to the hopes of African Americans for a better standard of living, and the consequences of departing from these dreams of bettering themselves. This comparison ofRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Gwendolyn Brooks s The Bean Eaters 1907 Words   |  8 Pagesincreasingly polemical declarations of black pride and African cultural nationalism. Biographical Information Born in Topeka, Kansas, Brooks was raised in the poor South Side section of Chicago with her parents; her mother abandoned teaching for marriage and motherhood, and her father, the son of a runaway slave who fought in the Civil War, gave up his ambition to attend medical school to work as a janitor. Out of the loving security of her home, Brooks experienced racial prejudice early in grade schoolRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagesand John Locke: Late 1600s 8 3. Beginning of Children’s Literature: Late 1700s 10 4. Fairy and Folk Tales 12 The Golden Age of Children’s Literature: Late 1800s 12 5. Victorian Childrens Literature 16 6. Contemporary Childrens Literature 18 6. Analysis of Harry Potters’ series 21 7. Conclusion 30 8. Summary 31 Children’s Literature Definitions 31 The Ancient World [ancient Rome; 50 BCE to 500 CE] 31 The Middle Ages [500 to 1500 CE] 31 The European Renaissance [1500-1650 CE] 32 The 17th CenturyRead MoreTEFL Assignment Answers23344 Words   |  94 Pagesbackground. My degrees are in Rhetoric Intercultural Communication---and Speech Communication. Human Communication and Rhetorical Studies are my specialty; so to speak. Module 1.5 describes CLT as a method that â€Å"emphasizes the language learner s ability to communicate functions, such as making requests, accepting offers, describing, and expressing preferences. This approach stresses learning language through task assignment and problem solving and is less concerned with accuracy than with fluency†

Accounting Project-Clubs free essay sample

The club also gets money if they win a tournament. What are the club’s main items of expenditure? ?As the club enters tournaments it has to pay Affiliation fees. The club has to pay these fees to compete against other teams in the area. This fee is paid to the organising body. ?The club also has to pay Honorarium. This is paid to people who have delivered a service to the club. E. g. secretary or treasurer. ?The club also spends money on refreshments. Soccer balls. ?Water and electricity. ?Medical equipment such as first aid kits. ?Travelling expenses when the team plays somewhere. ?Maintenance of the building ( paint, varnish etc ). What recording systems does the club use to record incomes and expenses? Usually a simple system of bookkeeping is followed. First we; ?Distinguish clearly between receipts and income. Receipt are all monies that are received which include all cash transactions, irrespective of the related period or the nature thereof. We will write a custom essay sample on Accounting Project-Clubs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Income refers to the amounts received or receivable i. e. arned while conducting our business. Examples are membership fees, donations, sale of refreshments or discount received. Income is a gain for the club and will therefore increase the surplus. When we sell an asset it is not regarded as an income. Income accounts are entered on the Credit side of the Nominal section of the General Ledger. Next we; ?Distinguish between payments and expenditure. Payments are all monies paid in cash, cheque, postal order or direct transfer. Expenditure refers to the amounts paid or payable e. g. wages, rent expenses, interest expenses, stationery etc. These expenses are incurred while running the club and are necessary in order to generate income. They are either used up quickly or have no lasting income e. g. electricity. Expenses are a loss to the club and therefore decrease the surplus. ?In this club an Income and Expenditure statement and a Balance Sheet is made. Ledger accounts are also opened. A Cash Receipts journal, a Cash Payments journal and a General Journal is used. Daily and monthly, receipts are issued and recorded in journals then in the general ledger then in the trial balance. At the end of the financial year adjustments are made, a post adjustments trail balance is drawn up, closing entries are made, an Income and Expenditure account is drawn up, a post closing trail balance is drawn up and finally an Income and Expenditure Statement Balance Sheet is drawn up. ? Unlike in a business, a surplus or deficit is made not a profit or a loss. What control measures are in place in the keeping of the ledgers? ?There must be accurate bookkeeping entries of all receipts and payments. ?There must be proper control over all cash receipts and payments. There must be proper documentation of all transactions. ?Periodically, as a rule annually, financial statements must be presented to the members. What is the club’s policy regarding membership fees? Membership fees are collected at the beginning of the financial year. Any membership fees that are not received are recorded as an accrued income. Sometimes members pay membership fees for the next year and this is rec orded as income received in advance. ? If you have accrued income from the previous year it must be subtracted from the opening balance of the new year. If you have income received in advance from last year it must be added to the opening balance of the new year. ? If you have accrued income for the current year it must be added to your membership fees. ?If you have income received in advance from the current year it must be subtracted from your membership fees. ?When you write members off it must be added to your membership fees because their accrued income that you subtracted must now be cancelled. This is all recorded in the ledger. What is the stock holding policy and how is the selling price determined? When stock is bought the amount is recorded. Every time we sell or buy stock it is recorded. Stock is seen as an expense. At the end of the year a physical stock take is taken. Then whatever is on hand is subtracted from the stock(sales) thus decreasing the expense. If you have stock on hand at the beginning of the year from the beginning of the year it can be seen as your opening balance on the Debit side of the ledger. Whenever you sell stock it is entered on the Debit side by decreasing the expense and whenever you buy stock it is entered in the Credit side and increases the expense. The selling price is determined by how much money is needed to cover expenses. If the membership fees and entrances fees do not cover all the club’s expenses, the mark-up (selling price-cost price) is determined by finding out what is required to cover the remaining expenses. What control measures are used in the shop? The shop assistant will be there to assist shoppers as well as keep an eye on customers. The cashier will deal with the sales and record all the sales for the day. A different person will cash the money and check that the amounts recorded match up with physical amount of money. Then a different person will cash the money. The accountant will then do the books each month and the treasurer will check that everything is balanced and accurate. The reason for different people doing everything is so that no one can crook the books. What control measures are used in the tuck-shop and coffee bar? The sales are recorded just like in the shop except we require more people to serve the customers and stock take cannot be done as regularly. Expenses cannot be recorded as accurately because we cant measure the exact amount of coffee granules used everyday because not every cup of coffee made contains the exact same amount of coffee granules. The refreshments sold and bought are recorded when the transactions happen but stock takes are not done every month because there are too many items to count. What staff does the club have and what control measures are put into place in this respect? The club has employees who work in the shop, tuck-shop as well as the coffee bar. The club also has a secretary and a treasurer. There are also people who work on maintaining the fields and the building. There are also coaches. All these people are paid an Honorarium in respect of the service they do for the club. Introduction In this project I will be answering a series of questions that will help the auditor find out where the misappropriation of funds could be . These questions are about where our incomes come from and expenses come from. They also deal with what we are doing in the club to control our books and employees. Conclusion While answering the questions I have discovered that while our control measures when it comes to bookkeeping are good we need to have better control measures when it comes to the stock as well as staff who work for us. Contents ?Introduction What is the club’s main source of income? ?What are the club’s main items of expenditure? ?What recording system does the club use to record incomes and expenditure? ?What control measures are in place in the keeping of ledgers? ?What is club’ policy regarding membership fees? ?What is the stock holding policy and how is the selling price determined? ?What control measures are used in the shop? ?What co ntrol measures are used in the tuck-shop and coffee bar? ?What staff does the club have and what control measures are used in this respect? ?Conclusion?

Strategies to Support Balanced Literacy

Introduction Balanced literacy is a cluster of instructional literacy procedures, which include techniques for teaching individuals, small groups, and the entire class depending on interest and need. For this paper, we shall define balanced literacy as follows.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategies to Support Balanced Literacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"Balanced Literacy stresses the essential dimensions of reading through explicit teaching of phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency and expressiveness, vocabulary, and comprehension. Daily read-aloud, writing and reading workshops and systematic word study instruction are key aspects of the approach. Teachers express the practices and strategies of effectual reading and writing through different structures† (New York City Department of Education, 2011, n.p.). This definition includes the use of instruction in learning words as well as reading and writing. Both the writer and the reader use words. Therefore, an efficient balanced literacy program should include understanding of phonetics, morphology and semantics. Besides, the definition recognizes the teacher’s role in transmitting knowledge and skills to the learners so they can be independent. The history of balanced literacy traces back to the days of picture writing. Prior to the invention of letters, picture writing was rampant (Cheesman, McGuire, Shankweiler, Coyne, 2009). Picture writing involved the use of symbols to represent words. After the invention of the alphabets, reading became less difficult. Beginners had to learn just 26 letters and their sounds unlike in the past where they had to learn many symbols in picture writing. Later, in 1950’s, educators decided to introduce a new method called look-say. Look-say method involved guessing words by their shapes, first letters and context. The method ignored the use of 26 methods and their sounds (Cheesman et al., 2009). Besides, look-say method failed to recognize that learners had limited memory capacity and that they could only maintain a few amount of words in their memory. Apparently, several children discovered how to read out words individually while others did not.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the 1980’s, look-say evolved into another method called language experience. Language experience then evolved to psycholinguistics and later to whole language. From whole language, the method evolved to balanced literacy. Balanced literacy is the modern day practice that uses instruction in learning words, reading and writing with the intention of helping learners to understand phonetics, morphology and semantics (Brown Fisher, 2006). Listening The first recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better listeners is reading aloud. All balanced li teracy programs have a room for listening to literature (Cheesman et al., 2009). Through listening, the learner can tell when a sound does not sound correct. Besides, listening to literature increases a learner’s vocabulary. During reading, learners display listening comprehension. Learners can also make conclusions about characters and plots as they read. Reading aloud exposes the student to different aspects of literature. In addition, the student gets to hear the teacher and other good readers as they read fluently. Through this, the learner can figure out the model of fluent reading. The second recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better listeners is modeled reading. Modeled reading is whereby the teacher reads text in a fluent way. The teacher can model learners in small groups, large groups, or on individual basis (Willows, 2005). The aim of modeling is to develop effective reading behaviour in learners. The explicit preparation of definite read ing outcomes for modeling involves looking for common phrases and words and guiding learners to create predictions concerning the story. In the course of modeled reading, the teacher takes full control of the process. The role of students is just to listen and watch. The teacher should therefore make learners aware of the thinking process that he goes through when reading the text through thinking aloud.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategies to Support Balanced Literacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third strategy is shared reading. Shared reading is whereby learners read an enlarged document such as a chart, a big book, or an overhead transparency together with the instructor (Willows, 2005). Shared reading may take place in small groups, large groups, or one-on-one basis. First, the teacher reads the text for several times for the learners to hear. Learners then join in when they feel most comforta ble and they read aloud all that they can. Next, the teacher leaves learners to read on their own as the text becomes more familiar to them. After the learners finish reading the story, the teacher should ask them to narrate their feelings and thoughts about the experience. Learners listen attentively throughout so that they can answer questions at the end of the lesson. Speaking One recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better speakers is book clubs/ literature study. Learners select books from several texts that the teacher recommends (Bitter Gubbins, 2009). Such texts must be meaningful and written clearly. For instance, series books are not appropriate for use because they do not have topics that can sustain a meaningful discussion. The teacher then assigns a small portion of the text to learners and instructs them to discuss and make notes so that they can recall key points. As the students carry out discussion, the teacher only listens and offers guidan ce when necessary. In other words, the teacher intervenes minimally. Although learners may require active assistance from the teacher as the process starts, the ultimate goal of book clubs and literature study is to develop an independent student-governed conversation. Material for discussion in book clubs includes short stories, novels, magazines and pictures. In the fifth grade, material selected should match the content of instruction. For instance, fiction novels talking about the earth would be very appropriate for learners to discuss and engage as they learn geography curriculum. Such discussions are valuable to students as they help them to develop their speaking skills. Another recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better speakers is choral reading. Choral reading involves students reading a text all together. Learners are able to memorize words and develop fluency through choral reading.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This form of reading has many tongue twisters, which enable learners to develop word solving skills and command of language. Besides, learners memorize vocabulary to use in speaking during choral reading. As learners read, they are able to listen to themselves and their colleagues and that is how they strengthen their language. Reading Aloud is also a recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better speakers (Frey, Lee, Tollefson, Pass Massengill, 2005). Apart from enhancing listening, reading aloud also helps learners to develop speaking skills. As the teacher reads aloud, learners are able to master the tone and volume of different words and phrases. Besides, listening to literature increases a learner’s vocabulary that he can use in speaking. Reading One recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better readers is shared reading. This method of instruction involves the teacher reading content that is accessible to all learners (Press ley, Mohan, Raphael, Fingeret, 2007). Learners may access the text read by a teacher through book copies or a digital projector. Shared reading gives learners a chance to reflect and discuss about topics that surpass their actual independent reading capacities. For instance, a teacher may use shared reading in subjects like Mathematics and Sciences since they are usually written at a level of complexity beyond the aptitude of the reader. Pressley et al. (2007) suggests that learners who are still growing reading, as a skill, should go through stimulating grade level content material. The instructor models the right mode of reading using the chosen text. He thinks aloud, identifies significant elements in the text, and maintains fluency as he reads. Another recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better readers is independent reading (Pressley et al. 2007). Independent reading occurs when learners gain the maturity to read on their own. Moreover, independent re ading occurs when the process of reading seems to increase the ability and skills of readers. This is usually evident when the teacher offers short and explicit instruction before the independent reading classes. For instance, an instructor may start a reading workshop with a semi-lesson on character analysis. The instructor then tells learners to reflect on characters during independent reading and to write down what they think about them. Next, the instructor discusses with individual learners about their perceptions on character. Through this process, the instructor assists the learner to develop comprehension capacity for use in independent reading. During independent reading, the learner uses a notebook or a journal. The writer should record titles of works read and dates that he completed reading the work. The teacher may also follow habits of students reading and guide them where necessary. The response journal should also have a letter of response from the reader. The learne r writes down all details of instructions that the instructor gives during daily semi-lessons. The learner organizes his thinking and all learning that he obtains in the course of a week into an inclusive letter. The instructor then studies the letter and responds. The aim of an instructor’s response is to guide the thinking of the learner and build an independent context for reading. A further recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better readers is guided reading. Guided reading is an instructional strategy whereby the instructor offers brief guides to learners (Frey et al., 2005). In this strategy, learners need to be in groups of no more than five. The groups comprise of homogenous learners, depending on their reading capacities and other individual needs as established by assessment tests. As skills develop, teachers shift learners to next level groups. The teacher often conducts learner assessments to determine their correct group placement. A gui ded reading lesson has four components including; text introduction, word work, reading and discussion. The instructor first gives an introduction on the reading text as he explains difficult words and tries to connect the task with learners’ prior knowledge. The teacher also scaffolds any comprehension of the task and creates interest among learners. Introducing the task to be read is very significant in the teaching and learning process. Considering that the task matches with learners’ level of knowledge, learners can only succeed in reading if they have received adequate preparation to embrace the content. Next, learners read the text on their own. Most learners prefer to read silently. However, the teacher may decide to monitor an individual reader while asking him queries about his reading. When all the students finish reading, the instructor conducts a discussion. This discussion focuses on details of the text and learners’ experiences in reading. The inst ructor may also decide to introduce a new skill or strategy in the course of the discussion. Lastly, the teacher conducts some brief word work. This entails a recap on word solving actions or morphology. Writing One recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better writers is shared writing. The aim of shared writing is to show learners essential skills and ways of writing. The instructor introduces and models writing as learners give their ideas. Thus, both learners and instructors take part in creating stories and messages. The instructor offers a model of writing while paying special attention to sounds, words and letters. Another recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better writers is interactive writing. In interactive writing, the instructor and learners collaborate in creating joint text, similar to shared writing. The only difference between interactive writing and shared writing is that in interactive writing, learners take part an d interact with the process while in shared writing, this does not occur. In the course of interactive writing, the teacher illustrates elements writing as learners create text. For instance, learners may write the first letter of a familiar word and then the teacher fills other words. Interactive writing aims at offering letter formation practice to learners. In addition, the process aims at giving learners an experience with punctuation and awareness of letters and words. Although time-consuming, interactive writing is very valuable to learners. Students participating in interactive writing use different colored marking pens on a large piece of paper for easy referral. The teacher then uses these writings by learners as assessment tools to find learners’ level of writing. Guided writing is as well a recognized strategy that teachers use to help learners become better writers. The aim of guided writing is to enable learners write independently by developing writing behaviors through shared and modeled learning. Guided writing may focus on one learner or small groups consisting of persons with the same needs. Every learner in a group writes individually with help from the teacher. Learners hold the pen and write on their own. Teachers then conduct semi-lessons whereby they address the particular needs of learners through continuous assessment. Learners are able to create more comprehensive texts through this process than they can on their own. Viewing Learners can become intelligent viewers of internet stimuli, television and media through image descriptions. Here, the instructor describes a picture orally and asks students to draw a picture out of his descriptions. Next, the instructor shows learners his picture and asks them to compare it with their own drawings. Some aspects that learners can compare include; the closeness of their individual pictures to the real picture and the mistakes that they had done in their drawing. The instructor can also in terrogate learners about the picture. Some areas of interrogation may include whether it is a photograph; how and when it was made; what the picture all about; where the picture was taken; and at what time. In this process, the instructor should let learners guide the direction of the discussion. Real Life Pictures Learners can also become intelligent viewers by teaching them using real life images. This strategy involves sharing stories by looking at pictures. For instance, the teacher may show learners his own picture and share his story-life from the picture. This task relates to speaking and listening, which are central aspects involved in viewing the television. Another method that instructors can make learners become intelligent viewers is through television and film pictures. The instructor first gets a suitable film/TV program and uses it to build nouns. He then gives learners a copy of the image and asks them to name all the parts in the picture. After naming the parts, the instructor may add adjectives to the labeled parts. By doing so, the learner will grow fond of viewing images in the television and other media. Visual Presentation Visual presentation approach merges the creation of visuals and mental imaging for use in presentation. Besides, the strategy allows learners to show the core concepts and to simplify knowledge into a summary (Bingham Hall-Kenyon, 2011). Instructors start by demonstrating to learners how to pick the most suitable presentation layout for the information in print. Instructors may have to explain to learners about different presentation layouts. Learners then pick format designs that best suit their presentations. A teacher can also help student become better writers through visual presentations such as charts, picture dictionary and media. First, the instructor introduces charts to learners and asks them to write about what they see. Eventually, learners end up with different stories, which they can share. Second, the in structor forms a picture dictionary for the classroom. The dictionary has pictures and their meaning in words. Besides, the instructor can use PowerPoint to create and integrate words and pictures (Carnahan Israel, 2012). Through these methods, the learner enriches his vocabulary, which he can use for writing. Third, the instructor exposes the learner to different forms of advertisements. The teacher then asks learners to pay special attention to the writings on the advertisement. The teacher also asks learners to check the display of images and texts in the advertisement. Through these tasks, the learners develop writing skills. Application: Expected Challenges in Student Teaching Differentiation Differentiating learners is challenging because the instructional needs may differ greatly. To solve this problem, I would place learners according to their assessment needs and keep them in flexible groups whereby I can shift them depending on their capabilities. Besides, I would use ind ividualized teaching to cater for learners specific needs together with scaffolding. Scaffolding refers to the progressive release of instruction from teacher to learner (Bitter Gubbins, 2009). Another challenge I might face is delivering whole-group instruction while focusing on individual needs of learners. To solve this problem, I will deliver instruction using clear language and a language that most learners can understand. I will also apply the explicit principle in reading and writing activities. The explicit principle involves modeling particular tests. English Language Learners (Ell) Dealing with English Language Learners is another challenge that am likely to face while implementing the balance literacy program. This group consists of learners who are not proficient in the English language. To solve this problem, I will set up my classroom in an inclusive style. This will include arranging ELL learners in small groups from where I can coach them ahead of whole-class instruc tion. The aim of this strategy is will be to reduce anxiety. I will also promote a climate of acceptance among all learners and especially those who are not proficient in the English language so that all learners can take part. I will model and foster a culture whereby all learners must speak, read, write and listen. I will also reward all efforts by learners to meet these goals. Lastly, I feel that some members of balanced literacy implementation team may lack total commitment. To execute balanced literacy program effectively, literacy teams are essential. A literacy team comprises special needs teacher, classroom teacher and other support staff. These members must be ready for change and should have commitment toward executing best teaching methods. To make sure that I work with a dedicate team, I will conduct personal interviews on all potential team members and select only those who show a strong commitment to serve. Summary Balanced literacy is an inclusive program that seeks t o cater for the needs of learners from a group level and at an individual level. I think that this program works for all students as it caters for diverse learners needs. The program caters for needs of learners with difficulties in learning the English language Learners as well as learners who are learning English as a second language through differentiated small group instruction (Lee, 2012). The program then promotes learners to the next level depending on merit. Besides, the program caters for learning of special groups through individualized education. Even in whole group instruction, the program recommends the use of strategies that are suitable for diverse learners. In my teaching, I intend to engage my learners through strategies that fit their needs. This way, I will make sure that my learners do not experience frustrations. One theory that will be central to my practice is Vygotsky’s theory of child development. This theory suggests that teachers should teach learne rs concepts that match their development level. I will introduce reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening skill gradually depending on the learning levels of learners. I will also apply the above-mentioned teaching strategies for use in balanced literacy program. To foster listening in learners, I will practice shared reading, modeled reading and reading aloud. To foster speaking, I will practice choral reading, reading aloud and literature study or book clubs. To foster reading, I will practice guided reading, shared reading and independent reading. To foster writing, I will practice interactive writing, guided writing and shared writing. To foster viewing, I will use image descriptions, real-life pictures and television/film. I will also use visual presentations such as charts and media to make my students become better writers. Through visual presentations, learners can describe and write what they see. Besides, I will use PowerPoint to integrate words and pictures. This will enable learners to understand words and enrich their vocabulary. Although am likely to face several challenges including differentiation, lack of commitment among team members and problems with dealing with learners who are not proficient in English, I have established clear ways in which I will handle these problems. References Bingham, G. Hall-Kenyon, K. (2011). Examining teachers’ beliefs about and implementation of a balanced literacy framework. Journal of Research in Reading, 36 (1), 14-28. Bitter, C. Gubbins, P. (2009). What works to improve student literacy achievement? An examination of instructional practices in a balanced literacy approach. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 14 (1), 17-44. Brown, J. Fisher, P. (2006). Balanced literacy: One middle school’s experience. Principal Leadership, 7 (1), 38–40. Carnahan, C. Israel, M. (2012). Using technology to support balanced literacy for students with significant disabilities. Teac hing Exceptional Children, 45 (1), 20-29. Cheesman, E. A. , McGuire, J. M., Shankweiler, D. Coyne, M. (2009). First-year teacher knowledge of phonemic awareness and its instruction. Teacher Education and Special Education, 32 (3), 270–289. Frey, B. B., Lee, S. W., Tollefson, N., Pass, L. Massengill, D. (2005). Balanced literacy in an urban school district. The Journal of Educational Research, 98 (5), 272–280. Lee, H.C. (2012). The reading response e-journal: An alternative way to engage low achieving EFL students. Language Teaching Research, 17 (1), 111-131. New York City Department of Education. (2011). English language arts. Retrieved from https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/learning/subjects/english-language-arts Pressley, M. , Mohan, L. , Raphael, L. M. Fingeret, L. (2007). How does bennett woods elementary school produce such high reading and writing achievement? Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 221–240. Willows, D. (2005). The balanced literac y diet. School Administrator, 59, 30–33. This essay on Strategies to Support Balanced Literacy was written and submitted by user Charle1gh to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.