Saturday 31 January 2015
Puzzles 1.01
While on a walk the other day I passed an auto body shop whose hours
were 9:15am - 4:30pm. Aside from the oddly specific opening hour, I
noticed that, between the two times, no digits were repeated.
(a) If I assume that I'm using a 12-hour clock, and that I'm never
open at midnight, what are the longest and shortest hours of operation
I can have that still have no repeated digits in my two times?
(b) What if I'm using a 24-hour clock?
[NOTE: assume no leading zeros for the hour, but leading zeros in the
minute in order to always have a two-digit minutes value.]
were 9:15am - 4:30pm. Aside from the oddly specific opening hour, I
noticed that, between the two times, no digits were repeated.
(a) If I assume that I'm using a 12-hour clock, and that I'm never
open at midnight, what are the longest and shortest hours of operation
I can have that still have no repeated digits in my two times?
(b) What if I'm using a 24-hour clock?
[NOTE: assume no leading zeros for the hour, but leading zeros in the
minute in order to always have a two-digit minutes value.]
RC - 001 - 01.02.15
RC - 001 - 01.02.15
The trick to cracking the CAT is to Think of yourself as a TEACHER not
a STUDENT !!
Now read this
1. Monitoring comprehension
Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they
understand what they read and when they do not. They have strategies
to "fix" problems in their understanding as the problems arise.
Research shows that instruction, even in the early grades, can help
students become better at monitoring their comprehension.
Comprehension monitoring instruction teaches students to:
Be aware of what they do understand
Identify what they do not understand
Use appropriate strategies to resolve problems in comprehension
2. Metacognition
Metacognition can be defined as "thinking about thinking." Good
readers use metacognitive strategies to think about and have control
over their reading. Before reading, they might clarify their purpose
for reading and preview the text. During reading, they might monitor
their understanding, adjusting their reading speed to fit the
difficulty of the text and "fixing" any comprehension problems they
have. After reading, they check their understanding of what they read.
Students may use several comprehension monitoring strategies:
Identify where the difficulty occurs
"I don't understand the second paragraph on page 76."
Identify what the difficulty is
"I don't get what the author means when she says, 'Arriving in America
was a milestone in my grandmother's life.'"
Restate the difficult sentence or passage in their own words
"Oh, so the author means that coming to America was a very important
event in her grandmother's life."
Look back through the text
"The author talked about Mr. McBride in Chapter 2, but I don't
remember much about him. Maybe if I reread that chapter, I can figure
out why he's acting this way now."
Look forward in the text for information that might help them to
resolve the difficulty
"The text says, 'The groundwater may form a stream or pond or create a
wetland. People can also bring groundwater to the surface.' Hmm, I
don't understand how people can do that… Oh, the next section is
called 'Wells.' I'll read this section to see if it tells how they do
it."
3. Graphic and semantic organizers
Graphic organizers illustrate concepts and relationships between
concepts in a text or using diagrams. Graphic organizers are known by
different names, such as maps, webs, graphs, charts, frames, or
clusters.
Regardless of the label, graphic organizers can help readers focus on
concepts and how they are related to other concepts. Graphic
organizers help students read and understand textbooks and picture
books.
Graphic organizers can:
Help students focus on text structure "differences between fiction and
nonfiction" as they read
Provide students with tools they can use to examine and show
relationships in a text
Help students write well-organized summaries of a text
Here are some examples of graphic organizers:
Venn-Diagrams (29K PDF)*
Used to compare or contrast information from two sources. For example,
comparing two Dr. Seuss books.
Storyboard/Chain of Events (29K PDF)*
Used to order or sequence events within a text. For example, listing
the steps for brushing your teeth.
Story Map (19K PDF)*
Used to chart the story structure. These can be organized into fiction
and nonfiction text structures. For example, defining characters,
setting, events, problem, resolution in a fiction story; however in a
nonfiction story, main idea and details would be identified.
Cause/Effect (13K PDF)*
Used to illustrate the cause and effects told within a text. For
example, staying in the sun too long may lead to a painful sunburn.
Click here for more free graphic organizers.
4. Answering questions
Questions can be effective because they:
Give students a purpose for reading
Focus students' attention on what they are to learn
Help students to think actively as they read
Encourage students to monitor their comprehension
Help students to review content and relate what they have learned to
what they already know
The Question-Answer Relationship strategy (QAR) encourages students to
learn how to answer questions better. Students are asked to indicate
whether the information they used to answer questions about the text
was textually explicit information (information that was directly
stated in the text), textually implicit information (information that
was implied in the text), or information entirely from the student's
own background knowledge.
There are four different types of questions:
"Right There"
Questions found right in the text that ask students to find the one
right answer located in one place as a word or a sentence in the
passage.
Example: Who is Frog's friend? Answer: Toad
"Think and Search"
Questions based on the recall of facts that can be found directly in
the text. Answers are typically found in more than one place, thus
requiring students to "think" and "search" through the passage to find
the answer.
Example: Why was Frog sad? Answer: His friend was leaving.
"Author and You"
Questions require students to use what they already know, with what
they have learned from reading the text. Student's must understand the
text and relate it to their prior knowledge before answering the
question.
Example: How do think Frog felt when he found Toad? Answer: I think
that Frog felt happy because he had not seen Toad in a long time. I
feel happy when I get to see my friend who lives far away.
"On Your Own"
Questions are answered based on a students prior knowledge and
experiences. Reading the text may not be helpful to them when
answering this type of question.
Example: How would you feel if your best friend moved away? Answer: I
would feel very sad if my best friend moved away because I would miss
her.
5. Generating questions
By generating questions, students become aware of whether they can
answer the questions and if they understand what they are reading.
Students learn to ask themselves questions that require them to
combine information from different segments of text. For example,
students can be taught to ask main idea questions that relate to
important information in a text.
6. Recognizing story structure
In story structure instruction, students learn to identify the
categories of content (characters, setting, events, problem,
resolution). Often, students learn to recognize story structure
through the use of story maps. Instruction in story structure improves
students' comprehension.
7. Summarizing
Summarizing requires students to determine what is important in what
they are reading and to put it into their own words. Instruction in
summarizing helps students:
Identify or generate main ideas
Connect the main or central ideas
Eliminate unnecessary information
Remember what they read
*************
A "strategy" is a plan developed by a reader to assist in
comprehending and thinking about texts, when reading the words alone
does not give the reader a sense of the meaning of a text. In recent
years, reading comprehension strategy instruction has come to the fore
in reading instruction at all age and grade levels. By helping
students understand how these flexible tools work, teachers enable
readers to tackle challenging texts with greater independence.
Strategy instruction is rooted in the work of David Pearson and his
colleagues, who studied the processes of proficient readers, and then
sought ways to teach these processes to struggling readers. While
there is debate about the relative importance of different strategies
(or even if some should be deleted from or added to the list), most
researchers and practitioners agree about a core set of seven
strategies:
1. Activating background knowledge to make connections between new and
known information. In many classrooms, this instruction is divided
into three categories of connection as defined by Colleen Buddy --
text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world (Buddy quoted in Keene
and Zimmerman, 2007).
2. Questioning the text. Proficient readers are always asking
questions while they read. Sticky notes (post-its) have become
ubiquitous in classrooms in part because they are such a useful tool
for teaching students to stop, mark text, and note questions as they
read.
3. Drawing inferences. Proficient readers use their prior knowledge
about a topic and the information they have gleaned in the text thus
far to make predictions about what might happen next. When teachers
demonstrate or model their reading processes for students through
think-alouds, they often stop and predict what will happen next to
show how inferring is essential for comprehending text.
4. Determining importance. In the sea of words that is any text,
readers must continually sort through and prioritize information.
Teachers often assist readers in analyzing everything from text
features in nonfiction text like bullets and headings, to verbal cues
in novels like strong verbs. Looking for these clues can help readers
sift through the relative value of different bits of information in
texts.
5. Creating mental images. Readers are constantly creating mind
pictures as they read, visualizing action, characters, or themes.
Teachers are using picture books with students of all ages, not
necessarily because they are easy to read, but because the lush and
sophisticated art in these books can be a great bridge for helping
students see how words and images connect in meaning-making.
6. Repairing understanding when meaning breaks down. Proficient
readers don't just plow ahead through text when it doesn't make sense
-- they stop and use "fix-up" strategies to restore their
understanding. One of the most important fix-up tools is rereading,
with teachers demonstrating to students a variety of ways to reread
text in order to repair meaning.
7. Synthesizing information. Synthesis is the most sophisticated of
the comprehension strategies, combining elements of connecting,
questioning, and inferring. With this strategy, students move from
making meaning of the text, to integrating their new understanding
into their lives and world view.
*****************************
Making Connections
Questioning
Visualizing
Inferring
Determining Importance
Synthesizing
Source -- http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/comprehension_strategies.html
***************
Introduction/Overview
This module explores comprehension strategies and their benefits.
Examine descriptions of each type of comprehension strategy,
instructional implications for teaching comprehension, and sample
lessons.
Although word recognition, decoding, and fluency are building blocks
of effective reading, the ability to comprehend text is the ultimate
goal of reading instruction. Comprehension is a prerequisite for
acquiring content knowledge and expressing ideas and opinions through
discussion and writing.
Comprehension is evident when readers can:
Interpret and evaluate events, dialogue, ideas, and information
Connect information to what they already know
Adjust current knowledge to include new ideas or look at those ideas
in a different way
Determine and remember the most important points in the reading
Read "between the lines" to understand underlying meanings
Comprehension strategies work together like a finely tuned machine.
The reader begins to construct meaning by selecting and previewing the
text. During reading, comprehension builds through predicting,
inferring, synthesizing, and seeking answers to questions that arise.
After reading, deeper meaning is constructed through reviewing,
rereading portions of the text, discussion, and thoughtful reflection.
During each of these phases, the reader relates the text to his own
life experiences.
Comprehension is powerful because the ability to construct meaning
comes from the mind of the reader. Therefore, specific comprehension
instruction—modeling during read-alouds and shared reading, targeted
mini-lessons, and varied opportunities for practice during small-group
and independent reading—is crucial to the development of strategic,
effective readers.
Types of Comprehension Strategies
There are six main types of comprehension strategies (Harvey and Goudvis; 2000):
Make Connections—Readers connect the topic or information to what they
already know about themselves, about other texts, and about the world.
Ask Questions—Readers ask themselves questions about the text, their
reactions to it, and the author's purpose for writing it.
Visualize—Readers make the printed word real and concrete by creating
a "movie" of the text in their minds.
Determine Text Importance—Readers (a) distinguish between what's
essential versus what's interesting, (b) distinguish between fact and
opinion, (c) determine cause-and-effect relationships, (d) compare and
contrast ideas or information, (e) discern themes, opinions, or
perspectives, (f) pinpoint problems and solutions, (g) name steps in a
process, (h) locate information that answers specific questions, or
(i) summarize.
Make Inferences—Readers merge text clues with their prior knowledge
and determine answers to questions that lead to conclusions about
underlying themes or ideas.
Synthesize—Readers combine new information with existing knowledge to
form original ideas, new lines of thinking, or new creations.
Students quickly grasp how to make connections, ask questions, and
visualize. However, they often struggle with the way to identify what
is most important in the text, identify clues and evidence to make
inferences, and combine information into new thoughts. All these
strategies should be modeled in isolation many times so that students
get a firm grasp of what the strategy is and how it helps them
comprehend text.
However, students must understand that good readers use a variety of
these strategies every time they read. Simply knowing the individual
strategies is not enough, nor is it enough to know them in isolation.
Students must know when and how to collectively use these strategies.
Teaching Strategies
Modeling through think-alouds is the best way to teach all
comprehension strategies. By thinking aloud, teachers show students
what good readers do. Think-alouds can be used during read-alouds and
shared reading. They can also be used during small-group reading to
review or reteach a previously modeled strategy.
Wilhelm (2001) describes a think-aloud as a way to:
Create a record of the strategic decision-making process of going through text
Report everything the reader notices, does, sees, feels, asks, and
understands as she reads
Talk about the reading strategies being used within the content being read
There are many ways to conduct think-alouds:
The teacher models the think-aloud while she reads aloud, and the
students listen.
The teacher thinks aloud during shared reading, and the students help out.
Students think aloud during shared reading, and the teacher and other
students monitor and help.
The teacher or students think aloud during shared reading while
writing on an overhead, on self-stick notes, or in a journal.
Students think aloud in small-group reading, and the teacher monitors and helps.
Students individually think aloud during independent reading using
self-stick notes or a journal. Then students compare their thoughts
with others.
(Wilhelm, 2001)
When you introduce a new comprehension strategy, model during
read-aloud and shared reading:
Decide on a strategy to model.
Choose a short text or section of text.
Read the text ahead of time. Mark locations where you will stop and
model the strategy.
State your purpose—name the strategy and explain the focus of your think-alouds.
Read the text aloud to students and think aloud at the designated points.
If you conduct a shared reading experience, have students highlight
words and phrases that show evidence of your thinking by placing
self-stick notes in the book.
Reinforce the think-alouds with follow-up lessons in the same text or
with others.
(Wilhelm, 2001)
Use the following language prompts to model the chosen strategy :
Make Connections
This reminds me of a time when I …
I know about this topic because I …
The setting of this book is just like …
This book is something like …
What's going on in this book is just like what's happening in …
Ask Questions
Before I read this text, I wonder about …
While I'm reading, I try to figure out …
After I read, I ask myself …
I wonder why…
What does this word mean?
Why did ____________ do that?
What is going to happen next?
Why did the author put that part in there?
I have questions about this part because it doesn't make sense. I need
to make sure I read it right. If I reread and fix a mistake, that
might answer my question.
Visualize
The author gives me a picture in my mind when he or she describes …
I can really see what the author talks about when he or she …
I can draw a picture of what the author describes.
Determine Text Importance
I know these parts of the story are important because they match my
purpose for reading, which was …
I believe the author thinks ____________ is important because …
I think the author's opinion about _____ is ______ because …
This text uses the (cause/effect, problem/solution, description,
compare/contrast, sequence/steps in a process) text structure. I can
use a graphic organizer to help me understand it.
I see lots of information right here. I need to identify which parts
are important and which parts are just interesting.
All these ideas are important, but I think some are more important
than others. I need to determine which ideas are the most important.
This (chart, table, graph, time line) helps me understand that …
These (boldfaced words, font changes, bullets, captions) help me
locate what is important.
Let me take the big ideas and summarize the text.
Make Inferences
The author says this, but means …
If I read between the lines, the author tells me that …
The clues to prove my inference are …
Because of what the author said, I know that …
From the clues or information the author gives, I can conclude that …
I think that ____________ will happen next because the author says ____________.
Synthesize
This story or passage is really about… My views on this are…
My opinion of _________ is …
I first thought ________ about the topic. Now I think …
I've read a lot of information. Let me stop and think about this for a minute.
My judgment of this information is …
From this information, I can generalize that …
Additional Tips
Revisit the same text to model more than one strategy. For example, on
Monday, use a text to model what's important versus what's
interesting. On Tuesday, use the text to model how to identify big
ideas. On Wednesday, use the big ideas to summarize and synthesize.
Extend the text as a reader-response activity. For example, on Monday,
use a text as a shared reading lesson to model how cause-and-effect
relationships help determine text importance. On Tuesday, extend
thinking: map the cause-and-effect relationships onto graphic
organizers, synthesize big ideas, and draw conclusions.
Sample Shared Reading Lesson
Strategy: Determine Text Importance (Main Idea/Supporting Details)
Text: greeting card, Benchmark Education Company's Comprehension
Strategy Poster "Safety Signs"
Day 1
Say: Sometimes when we read a piece of text, we have a hard time
choosing the most important parts. This lesson will help us learn to
do that. Here is a card that I received. First I'll think of the main
idea about the card, and then I'll think of some details that help to
prove the main idea. This isn't a playing card or a note card—it's a
greeting card. That is the most important concept. I'll write This is
a greeting card on the graphic organizer where it reads Main Idea.
Read the card aloud to students.
Use the following think-aloud to model how to determine details: Now
I'll think of some details about the card. These details describe the
main idea and let people know that the main idea is true. I'll look
for details that prove that this is a greeting card. First, I see that
the card has a picture on the front. I'll write It has a picture in
the first Supporting Details box. Next, I notice that the card is
signed by the person who sent it. I'll write It has a signature in the
next Supporting Details box. Can you think of another detail about the
greeting card? Let's add that to the graphic organizer.
Day 2
Say: Yesterday we looked at a greeting card and identified the main
idea and supporting details. Today we're going to read a text about
road signs and pay attention to what the words tell us. Please listen
to find out the main idea and supporting details of the text.
After reading aloud the text, draw a main idea and supporting-details
graphic organizer on chart paper. Ask students to help complete it
with information from the text. If they have difficulty, guide them
with the following prompts:
Main Idea: Read the title and the first sentence. Ask: Is the author
telling us the main idea here? Model thinking about the strategy: The
title of the selection is Signs. This is the topic, which gives us a
clue about the main idea. In the first sentence, the author states
that it is easy to read road signs if you look at their colors. That
sounds as though it is an important concept the author wants us to
know about signs. Now I'll keep reading to see what types of signs the
author mentions to support this idea.
Supporting Details: Read the second, third, and fourth sentences. Ask:
Does the author tell us supporting details here? How do you know?
Model your thinking: The author describes three different colors of
signs—red stop sign, a yellow be careful sign, and an orange work
sign. These examples support the main idea that colors help us read
road signs.
Sample Small-Group Reading Lesson
Strategy: Determine Text Importance (Implied Main Idea/Supporting Details)
Text: Benchmark Education Company's text Plants—Level 12 (G)
Part 1
Use a real-life example to model how to infer.
Say: Listen carefully to the following sentence: Even though the
children wore heavy coats, they were shivering as they waited for the
bus. I'm giving you a hint as to what season it might be. I don't tell
you, but you can use the clues in the sentence to infer that it is
winter. Many times, authors do not directly state information in the
text. To be good readers, we have to infer as we read. We use clues
and evidence to figure out what the author hints or implies.
We're going to find an implied main idea for two different parts of a
book. We know that the main idea is the most important information
that the writer wants us to understand. In this case, the topic is
plants. We'll need to think carefully about what the authors tell us
about plants so that we can understand the implied main idea.
Remember, the main idea will not be directly stated.
Create a graphic organizer.
To activate students' prior knowledge about plants, creating a KWL
chart. Record what they already know about plants in the K column and
what they would like to know in the W column. Tell them that they will
complete the L column after they read.
Topic: Plants
K
(What I Know)
W
(What I Want to Know)
L
(What I Learned)
Plants have roots and leaves.What other plant parts are there? Plants
need water and light to grow.
How does a plant get water?
How does a plant get food?
We can eat plants.
What parts of a plant can we eat?
Do we use plants in other ways?
Some animals eat plants. How can we grow a plant?
Preview the book.
Hold up the book. Ask: What do you see in the photograph on the cover?
What do you think the girl is doing? What kind of plant is shown on
the cover?
Look at the title page. Ask: What do you think these children are
doing? How are plants involved? What things are the children using as
they work with the plants?
Preview the photographs in the book, reinforcing the language used in
the text. For example, say: On page 2, I see three kinds of plants.
What are some ways that plants are alike?
Set a purpose for reading.
Say: I want you to see if you can find answers to the questions on our
KWL chart. Monitor students' reading and provide support as necessary.
Discuss the reading and complete the graphic organizer.
Ask students to share answers to any questions from the KWL chart that
they found during the reading. Complete the L column of the chart.
Topic: Plants
K
(What I Know)
W
(What I Want to Know)
L
(What I Learned)
Plants have roots and leaves.What other plant parts are there?Plants
have roots, leaves, stems, and flowers.Plants need water and light to
grow.
How does a plant get water?
How does a plant get food?
Water falls as rain. The ground soaks it up. The roots help get water
from the ground.
The leaves use light from the sun to make food.
We can eat plants.
What parts of a plant can we eat?
Do we use plants in other ways?
We can eat some roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds.Some animals
eat plants. How can we grow a plant?We can put soil and a seed in a
cup, water it, and give it sunlight to grow our own plant.
Sample Small-Group Reading Lesson
Part 2
Model how to determine the implied main idea utilizing a graphic organizer.
Remind students that to infer means to understand clues and evidence
that the author has provided for us in the text. Implications are not
directly stated.
Say: The first part of the book (pages 2–11) gives me many details
about the parts of a plant. One detail is that roots help a plant stay
in the ground. The book also tells me that roots help a plant get
water. I'll write these facts in the first Supporting Details box. Now
I'll look for other details to add to my chart. Leaves make food for
the plant. Stems take water to the leaves and flowers. Flowers make
seeds. New plants grow from seeds. All these details tell me how the
parts of a plant help it grow and stay alive. Even though the author
didn't directly state this as the main idea, the clues and evidence
imply it. I'll write this on the chart where it reads Main Idea #1.
Main Idea/Supporting Details
Topic: Plants
Part 3
Guide students to identify the second implied main idea.
Briefly review pages 12–16. Then ask students to select the most
important details and use those as clues and evidence to find the
implied main idea. If students need additional modeling and
think-alouds, complete the remainder of the graphic organizer
together. If they seem to understand the concept, allow them to
complete the graphic organizer in small groups, pairs, or
individually. Monitor their work and provide guidance as necessary.
Allow time for students to share their recorded information.
Main Idea/Supporting Details
Topic: Plants
- See more at: http://www.benchmarkeducation.com/best-practices-library/comprehension-strategies.html#sthash.Hn8YLojs.dpuf
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Scaffolding: Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension Skills
by Patricia Babbitt
Introduction
Most Effective Strategies
Practical Applications of Reading Strategies
Summary
Resources
INTRODUCTION
Remember the adventures that lived and breathed between the pages of a
really good book when, as a young reader, you slipped away
undiscovered into your own magical world? My favorite works
wereCharlotte's Web, Arabian Nights, Huckleberry Finn, Arthurian
Legends, and, later, the timeless tragedy of William Shakespeare's
Hamlet. It is no surprise that many of us who loved such adventures
grew up to become today's English teachers and writers. The surprise
comes when we discover how many of our own students are struggling
readers.
But surprise need not lead to a permanent state of frustration. By
scaffolding reading instruction with various strategies, you will
improve the reading abilities of most students, and you will begin to
hear struggling readers say things like "I remember every part of that
story!" The key is to apply reading strategies persistently and
imaginatively. Speaking of imagination, let me ask you to indulge for
a moment in a bit of guided imagery. Picture a beautiful, majestic
cathedral soaring upward. Then visualize restoration experts at work
on that architectural wonder, identifying the problems that need
correcting and building a scaffold next to the structure so that they
can interact with it at different heights. In a similar way, English
teachers build a scaffold for struggling readers so that they can
interact safely and securely with the text.
MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES
Theoretically speaking, if the daily reading curriculum uses
research-proven methods, students should develop skills for
comprehending the text. But you may be wondering which strategies are
the most beneficial. That question was answered in 1997 by a 14-member
panel appointed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD). The results of their research, published under
the titleTeaching Children to Read (see resources below), revealed
that the eight most effective strategies are as follows:
Comprehension monitoring
Cooperative learning
Graphic organizers
Story structure
Question answering
Question generating
Summarization
Multiple Strategy
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF READING STRATEGIES
Comprehension monitoring
Reading activities can be divided into three categories, depending on
when they take place: pre-reading, reading, and post-reading.
Pre-reading: Collecting and defining vocabulary terms from the text
will assist students in understanding words that otherwise may
interrupt their reading. It will also help them increase their
vocabulary in a meaningful, relevant way. Students can record the
terms in a notebook or on flash cards. Another strategy involves
having students preview comprehension questions so that they can focus
on answering those questions as they read.
Reading: Teachers can guide students' interaction with the text by
asking questions about literary elements, having students present oral
summaries of the plot, or asking them to collect details or write
observations on post-it notes. If students have previewed
comprehension questions, they can answer these questions as they read.
Post-reading: Summarizing (see below) is an effective strategy that
can take many different forms.
Cooperative learning
Cooperative learning is a strategy that maximizes student engagement,
reduces class tensions, and promotes student learning. Typically,
students work in groups of four. If you plan to use cooperative
learning frequently in classes, consider arranging your classroom to
facilitate learning in small groups.
The following are examples of how students can work cooperatively to
learn more about a narrative work of literature:
Each group uses a plot diagram to locate and summarize a stage of plot
development.
Groups conference briefly with the teacher to ensure their answers are correct.
Students reassemble into new groups comprising one "expert" from each
of the previous groups.
These new groups pool their expertise to fill out every stage of the
plot diagram.
The session concludes with a class discussion of the novel, short
story, play, or narrative poem.
Graphic organizers and story structure
Graphic organizers, which provide a visual map for the reader, can be
placed next to the text as learners read in groups or individually,
aloud or silently. They are particularly useful in helping readers to
understand the structure of a narrative or of an argument. Following
are descriptions of three types of organizers.
Comparison/Contrast: These organizers can help students consider the
similarities and differences between stories, plots, themes, and
characters. An example of such an organizer is a Venn diagram (PDF),
which consists of interlocking circles or ellipses. The area common to
both circles shows similarities between two items, while the areas
unique to each circle show differences between the items.
Hierarchy Diagram: This graphic organizer can assist students who are
reading informational texts of all kinds, whether related to language
arts or to other content areas. The hierarchy diagram (PDF) offers the
opportunity to apply literary terms to the reading, make connections
between the parts of a concept, or analyze the author's craft. For
example, consider placing characterization at the top of the graphic
organizer as the overarching concept. The next level of this graphic
organizer can then be assigned to characters, and the last level can
deal with methods of characterization, including the use of dialogue,
author description, and action.
Matrix Diagram: This organizer is effective in representing
comparisons and contrasts. For example, students can use the matrix
diagram (PDF) to compare and contrast the styles of various authors by
entering key elements of style at the top and then filling in the
lower cells with the similar or different approaches of the authors
they are considering.
Question answering
The typical approach to question answering is to answer comprehension
questions upon completion of the selection, but questions can be a
part of a reading lesson at many points. As mentioned before,
previewing questions can help students focus their reading. In
addition, story stems that prompt students to complete a question can
organize a cooperative learning experience as students read. Partners
can take turns using story stems to quiz one another on the reading.
Following are examples of typical story stems:
Explain why….
Explain how….
How does…affect…?
What is the meaning of…?
Why is …important?
What is the difference between … and…?
Question generating
Students can write questions about the story as a post-reading
exercise. These questions can then be integrated into formal tests or
informal questioning games. You might want to suggest that students
generate questions by adapting sentences from the text. Students can
also generate questions to identify their own uncertainties about the
text. They can then try to answer these questions by consulting you or
other students.
Summarizing
This is an effective strategy for readers who have difficulty
remembering and writing about what they have read. A summary can take
many forms, including travelogues, journals, double-entry journals,
and letters. For example, students can create a travel itinerary that
summarizes the action of a narrative, can write a journal from a
particular character's point of view, can set up a double-entry
journal about the theme of a work, or can summarize events in a letter
that one character writes to another.
Multiple Strategy
This strategy addresses individual learning styles by having students
use different media—such as text, images, or video—to analyze or
comment on a work of literature. For example, readers can follow a
procedure like this one:
Begin analyzing a story by using a worksheet listing the elements to
be identified.
Use word processors and instructional software to create and fill in
graphic organizers with clip art and fields of text.
Refer to worksheets for definitions to be added to electronic graphic
organizers.
If students have access to video cameras and editing software, they
can also create videos that offer commentary on a literary work.
SUMMARY
Scaffolded learning experiences can support and improve the
performance of students before, during, and after reading. Such
experiences help students develop essential skills for understanding
and extracting meaning from text and boost their performance on
reading comprehension assessments. In addition, students who benefit
from scaffolded learning are better able to function as independent
readers and to express ideas in a variety of ways.
****************************
A meteor stream is composed of dust particles that have been ejected
from a pa rent comet at a variety of velocities．These particles follow
the same orbit as the pa rent comet，but due to their differing
velocities they slowly gain on or fall behind the disintegrating comet
until a shroud of dust surrounds the entire cometary orbit．Astronomers
have hypothesized that a meteor stream should broaden with time as the
dust particles‟ individual orbits are perturbed by planetary
gravitational fields．A recent computer—modeling experiment tested this
hypothesis by tracking the influence of planetary gravitation over a
projected 1000··year period on the positions of a group of
hypothetical dust particles．In the model，the particles were randomly
distributed throughout a computer simulation of the orbit of an actual
meteor stream，the Geminid．The researcher found, as expected, that the
computer. model stream broadened with time．Conventional
theories，however, predicted that the distribution of particles would
be increasingly dense toward the center of a meteor
stream．Surprisingly, the computer. model meteor stream gradually came
to resemble a thick walled，hollow pipe． Whenever the Earth passes
through a meteor stream，a meteor shower occurs．Moving at a little over
1500，000 miles per day around its orbit，the Ear七h would take，on
average，just over a day to cross the hollow，computer-model Geminid
stream if the stream were 5，000 years old．Two brief periods of peak
meteor activity during the shower would be observed，one as the Earth
entered the thick-walled＂pipe＂and one as it exited．There is no reason
why the Earl[h should always pass through the stream's exact center,
so the time interval between the two bursts of activity would vary
from one year to the next． Has the predicted twin—peaked activity been
observed for the actual yearly Geminid meteor shower? The Geminid data
between 1970 and 1979 show just such a bifurcation，a secondary burst
of meteor activity being clearly visible at an average of 19
hours(1，200，000 miles)after the first burst．The time intervals between
the bursts suggest the actual Geminid stream is about 1000 years old．
56．The primary focus of the passage is on which of the following?
(A) Comparing two scientific theories and contrasting the predictions
that each would make concerning a natural phenomenon
(B) Describing a new theoretical model and noting that it explains the
nature of observations made of a particular natural phenomenon
(C) Evaluating the results of a particular scientific experiment and
suggesting further areas for research
(D) Explaining how two different natural phenomena are related and
demonstrating a way
to measure them
(E) Analyzing recent data derived from observations of an actual
phenomenon and constructing a model to explain the data
57． According to the passage，which of the following is an accurate
statement concerning meteor streams?
(A) Meteor streams and comets start out with similar orbits，but only
those of meteor streams are perturbed by planetary gravitation．
(B) Meteor streams grow as dust particles are at traced by the
gravitational fields of cornets． (C) Meteor streams are composed of
dust particles derived from comets． (D) Comets may be composed of
several kinds of materials，while meteor streams consist only of large
dust particles． (E) Once formed，meteor streams hasten the further
disintegration of comets．
58． The author states that the research described in the first
paragraph was undertaken in order to
(A) determine the age of an actual meteor stream
(B) identify the various structural features of meteor streams
(C) explore the nature of a particularly interesting meteor stream
(D) test the hypothesis that meteor streams become broader as they age
(E) show that a computer model could help in explaining actual
astronomical data
59． It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following
would most probably be observed during the Earth's passage through a
meteor stream if the conventional theories mentioned were correct?
(A) Meteor activity would gradually increase to a single，intense
peak，and then gradually decline． (B) Meteor activity would be steady
throughout the period of the meteor shower．
(C) Meteor activity would rise to a peak at the beginning and at the
end of the meteor shower．
(D) Random bursts of very high meteor activity would be interspersed
with periods of very little activity. (E) In years in which the Earth
passed through only the outer areas of a meteor stream，meteor activity
would be absent．
60． According to the passage，why do the dust particles in a meteor
stream eventually surround a comet‟s original orbit?
(A) They are ejected by the comet at differing velocities．
(B) Their orbits are uncontrolled by planetary gravitational fields．
(C) They become part of the meteor stream at different times．
(D) Their velocity slows over time．
(E) Their ejection velocity is slower than that of the comet．
61．The passage suggests that which of the following is a prediction
concerning meteor streams that can be derived from both the
conventional theories mentioned i and the new computer-derived theory?
A) Dust particles in a meteor stream will usually be distributed
evenly throughout any cross section of the stream．
(B) The orbits of most meteor streams should cross the orbit of the
Earth at some point and give rise to a meteor shower． (
(C) Over time the distribution of dust in a meteor stream will
usually become denser at the outside edges of the stream than at the
center．
(D) Meteor showers ca used by older meteor streams should be on
average，longer in duration than those caused by very young meteor
streams。
(E) The individual dust particles in older meteor streams should be,
on average, smaller than those that compose younger meteor streams
62．It can be inferred from the last paragraph of the passage that
which of the following must be
true of the Earth as it orbits the Sun?
(A) Most meteor streams it encounters are more than 2，000 years old．
(B) When passing through a meteor stream，it usually passes near to the
stream's center．
(C) It crosses the Geminid meteor stream once every year．
(D) It usually takes over a day to cross the actual Geminid meteor stream．
(E) It accounts for most of the gravitational perturbation affecting
the Geminid meteor stream．
63． Which of the following is an assumption underlying the last
sentence of the passage?
(A) In each of the years between 1970 and 1979，the Earth took exactly
19 hours to cross the Geminid meteor stream．
(B) The comet associated with the Geminid meteor stream has totally
disintegrated．
(C) The Geminid meteor stream should continue to exist for at least 5，000 years．
(D) The Geminid meteor stream has not broadened as rapidly as the
conventional theories would have predicted．
(E) The computer-model Geminid meteor stream provides an accurate
representation of the development of the actual Geminid stream．
The trick to cracking the CAT is to Think of yourself as a TEACHER not
a STUDENT !!
Now read this
1. Monitoring comprehension
Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they
understand what they read and when they do not. They have strategies
to "fix" problems in their understanding as the problems arise.
Research shows that instruction, even in the early grades, can help
students become better at monitoring their comprehension.
Comprehension monitoring instruction teaches students to:
Be aware of what they do understand
Identify what they do not understand
Use appropriate strategies to resolve problems in comprehension
2. Metacognition
Metacognition can be defined as "thinking about thinking." Good
readers use metacognitive strategies to think about and have control
over their reading. Before reading, they might clarify their purpose
for reading and preview the text. During reading, they might monitor
their understanding, adjusting their reading speed to fit the
difficulty of the text and "fixing" any comprehension problems they
have. After reading, they check their understanding of what they read.
Students may use several comprehension monitoring strategies:
Identify where the difficulty occurs
"I don't understand the second paragraph on page 76."
Identify what the difficulty is
"I don't get what the author means when she says, 'Arriving in America
was a milestone in my grandmother's life.'"
Restate the difficult sentence or passage in their own words
"Oh, so the author means that coming to America was a very important
event in her grandmother's life."
Look back through the text
"The author talked about Mr. McBride in Chapter 2, but I don't
remember much about him. Maybe if I reread that chapter, I can figure
out why he's acting this way now."
Look forward in the text for information that might help them to
resolve the difficulty
"The text says, 'The groundwater may form a stream or pond or create a
wetland. People can also bring groundwater to the surface.' Hmm, I
don't understand how people can do that… Oh, the next section is
called 'Wells.' I'll read this section to see if it tells how they do
it."
3. Graphic and semantic organizers
Graphic organizers illustrate concepts and relationships between
concepts in a text or using diagrams. Graphic organizers are known by
different names, such as maps, webs, graphs, charts, frames, or
clusters.
Regardless of the label, graphic organizers can help readers focus on
concepts and how they are related to other concepts. Graphic
organizers help students read and understand textbooks and picture
books.
Graphic organizers can:
Help students focus on text structure "differences between fiction and
nonfiction" as they read
Provide students with tools they can use to examine and show
relationships in a text
Help students write well-organized summaries of a text
Here are some examples of graphic organizers:
Venn-Diagrams (29K PDF)*
Used to compare or contrast information from two sources. For example,
comparing two Dr. Seuss books.
Storyboard/Chain of Events (29K PDF)*
Used to order or sequence events within a text. For example, listing
the steps for brushing your teeth.
Story Map (19K PDF)*
Used to chart the story structure. These can be organized into fiction
and nonfiction text structures. For example, defining characters,
setting, events, problem, resolution in a fiction story; however in a
nonfiction story, main idea and details would be identified.
Cause/Effect (13K PDF)*
Used to illustrate the cause and effects told within a text. For
example, staying in the sun too long may lead to a painful sunburn.
Click here for more free graphic organizers.
4. Answering questions
Questions can be effective because they:
Give students a purpose for reading
Focus students' attention on what they are to learn
Help students to think actively as they read
Encourage students to monitor their comprehension
Help students to review content and relate what they have learned to
what they already know
The Question-Answer Relationship strategy (QAR) encourages students to
learn how to answer questions better. Students are asked to indicate
whether the information they used to answer questions about the text
was textually explicit information (information that was directly
stated in the text), textually implicit information (information that
was implied in the text), or information entirely from the student's
own background knowledge.
There are four different types of questions:
"Right There"
Questions found right in the text that ask students to find the one
right answer located in one place as a word or a sentence in the
passage.
Example: Who is Frog's friend? Answer: Toad
"Think and Search"
Questions based on the recall of facts that can be found directly in
the text. Answers are typically found in more than one place, thus
requiring students to "think" and "search" through the passage to find
the answer.
Example: Why was Frog sad? Answer: His friend was leaving.
"Author and You"
Questions require students to use what they already know, with what
they have learned from reading the text. Student's must understand the
text and relate it to their prior knowledge before answering the
question.
Example: How do think Frog felt when he found Toad? Answer: I think
that Frog felt happy because he had not seen Toad in a long time. I
feel happy when I get to see my friend who lives far away.
"On Your Own"
Questions are answered based on a students prior knowledge and
experiences. Reading the text may not be helpful to them when
answering this type of question.
Example: How would you feel if your best friend moved away? Answer: I
would feel very sad if my best friend moved away because I would miss
her.
5. Generating questions
By generating questions, students become aware of whether they can
answer the questions and if they understand what they are reading.
Students learn to ask themselves questions that require them to
combine information from different segments of text. For example,
students can be taught to ask main idea questions that relate to
important information in a text.
6. Recognizing story structure
In story structure instruction, students learn to identify the
categories of content (characters, setting, events, problem,
resolution). Often, students learn to recognize story structure
through the use of story maps. Instruction in story structure improves
students' comprehension.
7. Summarizing
Summarizing requires students to determine what is important in what
they are reading and to put it into their own words. Instruction in
summarizing helps students:
Identify or generate main ideas
Connect the main or central ideas
Eliminate unnecessary information
Remember what they read
*************
A "strategy" is a plan developed by a reader to assist in
comprehending and thinking about texts, when reading the words alone
does not give the reader a sense of the meaning of a text. In recent
years, reading comprehension strategy instruction has come to the fore
in reading instruction at all age and grade levels. By helping
students understand how these flexible tools work, teachers enable
readers to tackle challenging texts with greater independence.
Strategy instruction is rooted in the work of David Pearson and his
colleagues, who studied the processes of proficient readers, and then
sought ways to teach these processes to struggling readers. While
there is debate about the relative importance of different strategies
(or even if some should be deleted from or added to the list), most
researchers and practitioners agree about a core set of seven
strategies:
1. Activating background knowledge to make connections between new and
known information. In many classrooms, this instruction is divided
into three categories of connection as defined by Colleen Buddy --
text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world (Buddy quoted in Keene
and Zimmerman, 2007).
2. Questioning the text. Proficient readers are always asking
questions while they read. Sticky notes (post-its) have become
ubiquitous in classrooms in part because they are such a useful tool
for teaching students to stop, mark text, and note questions as they
read.
3. Drawing inferences. Proficient readers use their prior knowledge
about a topic and the information they have gleaned in the text thus
far to make predictions about what might happen next. When teachers
demonstrate or model their reading processes for students through
think-alouds, they often stop and predict what will happen next to
show how inferring is essential for comprehending text.
4. Determining importance. In the sea of words that is any text,
readers must continually sort through and prioritize information.
Teachers often assist readers in analyzing everything from text
features in nonfiction text like bullets and headings, to verbal cues
in novels like strong verbs. Looking for these clues can help readers
sift through the relative value of different bits of information in
texts.
5. Creating mental images. Readers are constantly creating mind
pictures as they read, visualizing action, characters, or themes.
Teachers are using picture books with students of all ages, not
necessarily because they are easy to read, but because the lush and
sophisticated art in these books can be a great bridge for helping
students see how words and images connect in meaning-making.
6. Repairing understanding when meaning breaks down. Proficient
readers don't just plow ahead through text when it doesn't make sense
-- they stop and use "fix-up" strategies to restore their
understanding. One of the most important fix-up tools is rereading,
with teachers demonstrating to students a variety of ways to reread
text in order to repair meaning.
7. Synthesizing information. Synthesis is the most sophisticated of
the comprehension strategies, combining elements of connecting,
questioning, and inferring. With this strategy, students move from
making meaning of the text, to integrating their new understanding
into their lives and world view.
*****************************
Making Connections
Questioning
Visualizing
Inferring
Determining Importance
Synthesizing
Source -- http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/comprehension_strategies.html
***************
Introduction/Overview
This module explores comprehension strategies and their benefits.
Examine descriptions of each type of comprehension strategy,
instructional implications for teaching comprehension, and sample
lessons.
Although word recognition, decoding, and fluency are building blocks
of effective reading, the ability to comprehend text is the ultimate
goal of reading instruction. Comprehension is a prerequisite for
acquiring content knowledge and expressing ideas and opinions through
discussion and writing.
Comprehension is evident when readers can:
Interpret and evaluate events, dialogue, ideas, and information
Connect information to what they already know
Adjust current knowledge to include new ideas or look at those ideas
in a different way
Determine and remember the most important points in the reading
Read "between the lines" to understand underlying meanings
Comprehension strategies work together like a finely tuned machine.
The reader begins to construct meaning by selecting and previewing the
text. During reading, comprehension builds through predicting,
inferring, synthesizing, and seeking answers to questions that arise.
After reading, deeper meaning is constructed through reviewing,
rereading portions of the text, discussion, and thoughtful reflection.
During each of these phases, the reader relates the text to his own
life experiences.
Comprehension is powerful because the ability to construct meaning
comes from the mind of the reader. Therefore, specific comprehension
instruction—modeling during read-alouds and shared reading, targeted
mini-lessons, and varied opportunities for practice during small-group
and independent reading—is crucial to the development of strategic,
effective readers.
Types of Comprehension Strategies
There are six main types of comprehension strategies (Harvey and Goudvis; 2000):
Make Connections—Readers connect the topic or information to what they
already know about themselves, about other texts, and about the world.
Ask Questions—Readers ask themselves questions about the text, their
reactions to it, and the author's purpose for writing it.
Visualize—Readers make the printed word real and concrete by creating
a "movie" of the text in their minds.
Determine Text Importance—Readers (a) distinguish between what's
essential versus what's interesting, (b) distinguish between fact and
opinion, (c) determine cause-and-effect relationships, (d) compare and
contrast ideas or information, (e) discern themes, opinions, or
perspectives, (f) pinpoint problems and solutions, (g) name steps in a
process, (h) locate information that answers specific questions, or
(i) summarize.
Make Inferences—Readers merge text clues with their prior knowledge
and determine answers to questions that lead to conclusions about
underlying themes or ideas.
Synthesize—Readers combine new information with existing knowledge to
form original ideas, new lines of thinking, or new creations.
Students quickly grasp how to make connections, ask questions, and
visualize. However, they often struggle with the way to identify what
is most important in the text, identify clues and evidence to make
inferences, and combine information into new thoughts. All these
strategies should be modeled in isolation many times so that students
get a firm grasp of what the strategy is and how it helps them
comprehend text.
However, students must understand that good readers use a variety of
these strategies every time they read. Simply knowing the individual
strategies is not enough, nor is it enough to know them in isolation.
Students must know when and how to collectively use these strategies.
Teaching Strategies
Modeling through think-alouds is the best way to teach all
comprehension strategies. By thinking aloud, teachers show students
what good readers do. Think-alouds can be used during read-alouds and
shared reading. They can also be used during small-group reading to
review or reteach a previously modeled strategy.
Wilhelm (2001) describes a think-aloud as a way to:
Create a record of the strategic decision-making process of going through text
Report everything the reader notices, does, sees, feels, asks, and
understands as she reads
Talk about the reading strategies being used within the content being read
There are many ways to conduct think-alouds:
The teacher models the think-aloud while she reads aloud, and the
students listen.
The teacher thinks aloud during shared reading, and the students help out.
Students think aloud during shared reading, and the teacher and other
students monitor and help.
The teacher or students think aloud during shared reading while
writing on an overhead, on self-stick notes, or in a journal.
Students think aloud in small-group reading, and the teacher monitors and helps.
Students individually think aloud during independent reading using
self-stick notes or a journal. Then students compare their thoughts
with others.
(Wilhelm, 2001)
When you introduce a new comprehension strategy, model during
read-aloud and shared reading:
Decide on a strategy to model.
Choose a short text or section of text.
Read the text ahead of time. Mark locations where you will stop and
model the strategy.
State your purpose—name the strategy and explain the focus of your think-alouds.
Read the text aloud to students and think aloud at the designated points.
If you conduct a shared reading experience, have students highlight
words and phrases that show evidence of your thinking by placing
self-stick notes in the book.
Reinforce the think-alouds with follow-up lessons in the same text or
with others.
(Wilhelm, 2001)
Use the following language prompts to model the chosen strategy :
Make Connections
This reminds me of a time when I …
I know about this topic because I …
The setting of this book is just like …
This book is something like …
What's going on in this book is just like what's happening in …
Ask Questions
Before I read this text, I wonder about …
While I'm reading, I try to figure out …
After I read, I ask myself …
I wonder why…
What does this word mean?
Why did ____________ do that?
What is going to happen next?
Why did the author put that part in there?
I have questions about this part because it doesn't make sense. I need
to make sure I read it right. If I reread and fix a mistake, that
might answer my question.
Visualize
The author gives me a picture in my mind when he or she describes …
I can really see what the author talks about when he or she …
I can draw a picture of what the author describes.
Determine Text Importance
I know these parts of the story are important because they match my
purpose for reading, which was …
I believe the author thinks ____________ is important because …
I think the author's opinion about _____ is ______ because …
This text uses the (cause/effect, problem/solution, description,
compare/contrast, sequence/steps in a process) text structure. I can
use a graphic organizer to help me understand it.
I see lots of information right here. I need to identify which parts
are important and which parts are just interesting.
All these ideas are important, but I think some are more important
than others. I need to determine which ideas are the most important.
This (chart, table, graph, time line) helps me understand that …
These (boldfaced words, font changes, bullets, captions) help me
locate what is important.
Let me take the big ideas and summarize the text.
Make Inferences
The author says this, but means …
If I read between the lines, the author tells me that …
The clues to prove my inference are …
Because of what the author said, I know that …
From the clues or information the author gives, I can conclude that …
I think that ____________ will happen next because the author says ____________.
Synthesize
This story or passage is really about… My views on this are…
My opinion of _________ is …
I first thought ________ about the topic. Now I think …
I've read a lot of information. Let me stop and think about this for a minute.
My judgment of this information is …
From this information, I can generalize that …
Additional Tips
Revisit the same text to model more than one strategy. For example, on
Monday, use a text to model what's important versus what's
interesting. On Tuesday, use the text to model how to identify big
ideas. On Wednesday, use the big ideas to summarize and synthesize.
Extend the text as a reader-response activity. For example, on Monday,
use a text as a shared reading lesson to model how cause-and-effect
relationships help determine text importance. On Tuesday, extend
thinking: map the cause-and-effect relationships onto graphic
organizers, synthesize big ideas, and draw conclusions.
Sample Shared Reading Lesson
Strategy: Determine Text Importance (Main Idea/Supporting Details)
Text: greeting card, Benchmark Education Company's Comprehension
Strategy Poster "Safety Signs"
Day 1
Say: Sometimes when we read a piece of text, we have a hard time
choosing the most important parts. This lesson will help us learn to
do that. Here is a card that I received. First I'll think of the main
idea about the card, and then I'll think of some details that help to
prove the main idea. This isn't a playing card or a note card—it's a
greeting card. That is the most important concept. I'll write This is
a greeting card on the graphic organizer where it reads Main Idea.
Read the card aloud to students.
Use the following think-aloud to model how to determine details: Now
I'll think of some details about the card. These details describe the
main idea and let people know that the main idea is true. I'll look
for details that prove that this is a greeting card. First, I see that
the card has a picture on the front. I'll write It has a picture in
the first Supporting Details box. Next, I notice that the card is
signed by the person who sent it. I'll write It has a signature in the
next Supporting Details box. Can you think of another detail about the
greeting card? Let's add that to the graphic organizer.
Day 2
Say: Yesterday we looked at a greeting card and identified the main
idea and supporting details. Today we're going to read a text about
road signs and pay attention to what the words tell us. Please listen
to find out the main idea and supporting details of the text.
After reading aloud the text, draw a main idea and supporting-details
graphic organizer on chart paper. Ask students to help complete it
with information from the text. If they have difficulty, guide them
with the following prompts:
Main Idea: Read the title and the first sentence. Ask: Is the author
telling us the main idea here? Model thinking about the strategy: The
title of the selection is Signs. This is the topic, which gives us a
clue about the main idea. In the first sentence, the author states
that it is easy to read road signs if you look at their colors. That
sounds as though it is an important concept the author wants us to
know about signs. Now I'll keep reading to see what types of signs the
author mentions to support this idea.
Supporting Details: Read the second, third, and fourth sentences. Ask:
Does the author tell us supporting details here? How do you know?
Model your thinking: The author describes three different colors of
signs—red stop sign, a yellow be careful sign, and an orange work
sign. These examples support the main idea that colors help us read
road signs.
Sample Small-Group Reading Lesson
Strategy: Determine Text Importance (Implied Main Idea/Supporting Details)
Text: Benchmark Education Company's text Plants—Level 12 (G)
Part 1
Use a real-life example to model how to infer.
Say: Listen carefully to the following sentence: Even though the
children wore heavy coats, they were shivering as they waited for the
bus. I'm giving you a hint as to what season it might be. I don't tell
you, but you can use the clues in the sentence to infer that it is
winter. Many times, authors do not directly state information in the
text. To be good readers, we have to infer as we read. We use clues
and evidence to figure out what the author hints or implies.
We're going to find an implied main idea for two different parts of a
book. We know that the main idea is the most important information
that the writer wants us to understand. In this case, the topic is
plants. We'll need to think carefully about what the authors tell us
about plants so that we can understand the implied main idea.
Remember, the main idea will not be directly stated.
Create a graphic organizer.
To activate students' prior knowledge about plants, creating a KWL
chart. Record what they already know about plants in the K column and
what they would like to know in the W column. Tell them that they will
complete the L column after they read.
Topic: Plants
K
(What I Know)
W
(What I Want to Know)
L
(What I Learned)
Plants have roots and leaves.What other plant parts are there? Plants
need water and light to grow.
How does a plant get water?
How does a plant get food?
We can eat plants.
What parts of a plant can we eat?
Do we use plants in other ways?
Some animals eat plants. How can we grow a plant?
Preview the book.
Hold up the book. Ask: What do you see in the photograph on the cover?
What do you think the girl is doing? What kind of plant is shown on
the cover?
Look at the title page. Ask: What do you think these children are
doing? How are plants involved? What things are the children using as
they work with the plants?
Preview the photographs in the book, reinforcing the language used in
the text. For example, say: On page 2, I see three kinds of plants.
What are some ways that plants are alike?
Set a purpose for reading.
Say: I want you to see if you can find answers to the questions on our
KWL chart. Monitor students' reading and provide support as necessary.
Discuss the reading and complete the graphic organizer.
Ask students to share answers to any questions from the KWL chart that
they found during the reading. Complete the L column of the chart.
Topic: Plants
K
(What I Know)
W
(What I Want to Know)
L
(What I Learned)
Plants have roots and leaves.What other plant parts are there?Plants
have roots, leaves, stems, and flowers.Plants need water and light to
grow.
How does a plant get water?
How does a plant get food?
Water falls as rain. The ground soaks it up. The roots help get water
from the ground.
The leaves use light from the sun to make food.
We can eat plants.
What parts of a plant can we eat?
Do we use plants in other ways?
We can eat some roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds.Some animals
eat plants. How can we grow a plant?We can put soil and a seed in a
cup, water it, and give it sunlight to grow our own plant.
Sample Small-Group Reading Lesson
Part 2
Model how to determine the implied main idea utilizing a graphic organizer.
Remind students that to infer means to understand clues and evidence
that the author has provided for us in the text. Implications are not
directly stated.
Say: The first part of the book (pages 2–11) gives me many details
about the parts of a plant. One detail is that roots help a plant stay
in the ground. The book also tells me that roots help a plant get
water. I'll write these facts in the first Supporting Details box. Now
I'll look for other details to add to my chart. Leaves make food for
the plant. Stems take water to the leaves and flowers. Flowers make
seeds. New plants grow from seeds. All these details tell me how the
parts of a plant help it grow and stay alive. Even though the author
didn't directly state this as the main idea, the clues and evidence
imply it. I'll write this on the chart where it reads Main Idea #1.
Main Idea/Supporting Details
Topic: Plants
Part 3
Guide students to identify the second implied main idea.
Briefly review pages 12–16. Then ask students to select the most
important details and use those as clues and evidence to find the
implied main idea. If students need additional modeling and
think-alouds, complete the remainder of the graphic organizer
together. If they seem to understand the concept, allow them to
complete the graphic organizer in small groups, pairs, or
individually. Monitor their work and provide guidance as necessary.
Allow time for students to share their recorded information.
Main Idea/Supporting Details
Topic: Plants
- See more at: http://www.benchmarkeducation.com/best-practices-library/comprehension-strategies.html#sthash.Hn8YLojs.dpuf
*******************
Scaffolding: Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension Skills
by Patricia Babbitt
Introduction
Most Effective Strategies
Practical Applications of Reading Strategies
Summary
Resources
INTRODUCTION
Remember the adventures that lived and breathed between the pages of a
really good book when, as a young reader, you slipped away
undiscovered into your own magical world? My favorite works
wereCharlotte's Web, Arabian Nights, Huckleberry Finn, Arthurian
Legends, and, later, the timeless tragedy of William Shakespeare's
Hamlet. It is no surprise that many of us who loved such adventures
grew up to become today's English teachers and writers. The surprise
comes when we discover how many of our own students are struggling
readers.
But surprise need not lead to a permanent state of frustration. By
scaffolding reading instruction with various strategies, you will
improve the reading abilities of most students, and you will begin to
hear struggling readers say things like "I remember every part of that
story!" The key is to apply reading strategies persistently and
imaginatively. Speaking of imagination, let me ask you to indulge for
a moment in a bit of guided imagery. Picture a beautiful, majestic
cathedral soaring upward. Then visualize restoration experts at work
on that architectural wonder, identifying the problems that need
correcting and building a scaffold next to the structure so that they
can interact with it at different heights. In a similar way, English
teachers build a scaffold for struggling readers so that they can
interact safely and securely with the text.
MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES
Theoretically speaking, if the daily reading curriculum uses
research-proven methods, students should develop skills for
comprehending the text. But you may be wondering which strategies are
the most beneficial. That question was answered in 1997 by a 14-member
panel appointed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD). The results of their research, published under
the titleTeaching Children to Read (see resources below), revealed
that the eight most effective strategies are as follows:
Comprehension monitoring
Cooperative learning
Graphic organizers
Story structure
Question answering
Question generating
Summarization
Multiple Strategy
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF READING STRATEGIES
Comprehension monitoring
Reading activities can be divided into three categories, depending on
when they take place: pre-reading, reading, and post-reading.
Pre-reading: Collecting and defining vocabulary terms from the text
will assist students in understanding words that otherwise may
interrupt their reading. It will also help them increase their
vocabulary in a meaningful, relevant way. Students can record the
terms in a notebook or on flash cards. Another strategy involves
having students preview comprehension questions so that they can focus
on answering those questions as they read.
Reading: Teachers can guide students' interaction with the text by
asking questions about literary elements, having students present oral
summaries of the plot, or asking them to collect details or write
observations on post-it notes. If students have previewed
comprehension questions, they can answer these questions as they read.
Post-reading: Summarizing (see below) is an effective strategy that
can take many different forms.
Cooperative learning
Cooperative learning is a strategy that maximizes student engagement,
reduces class tensions, and promotes student learning. Typically,
students work in groups of four. If you plan to use cooperative
learning frequently in classes, consider arranging your classroom to
facilitate learning in small groups.
The following are examples of how students can work cooperatively to
learn more about a narrative work of literature:
Each group uses a plot diagram to locate and summarize a stage of plot
development.
Groups conference briefly with the teacher to ensure their answers are correct.
Students reassemble into new groups comprising one "expert" from each
of the previous groups.
These new groups pool their expertise to fill out every stage of the
plot diagram.
The session concludes with a class discussion of the novel, short
story, play, or narrative poem.
Graphic organizers and story structure
Graphic organizers, which provide a visual map for the reader, can be
placed next to the text as learners read in groups or individually,
aloud or silently. They are particularly useful in helping readers to
understand the structure of a narrative or of an argument. Following
are descriptions of three types of organizers.
Comparison/Contrast: These organizers can help students consider the
similarities and differences between stories, plots, themes, and
characters. An example of such an organizer is a Venn diagram (PDF),
which consists of interlocking circles or ellipses. The area common to
both circles shows similarities between two items, while the areas
unique to each circle show differences between the items.
Hierarchy Diagram: This graphic organizer can assist students who are
reading informational texts of all kinds, whether related to language
arts or to other content areas. The hierarchy diagram (PDF) offers the
opportunity to apply literary terms to the reading, make connections
between the parts of a concept, or analyze the author's craft. For
example, consider placing characterization at the top of the graphic
organizer as the overarching concept. The next level of this graphic
organizer can then be assigned to characters, and the last level can
deal with methods of characterization, including the use of dialogue,
author description, and action.
Matrix Diagram: This organizer is effective in representing
comparisons and contrasts. For example, students can use the matrix
diagram (PDF) to compare and contrast the styles of various authors by
entering key elements of style at the top and then filling in the
lower cells with the similar or different approaches of the authors
they are considering.
Question answering
The typical approach to question answering is to answer comprehension
questions upon completion of the selection, but questions can be a
part of a reading lesson at many points. As mentioned before,
previewing questions can help students focus their reading. In
addition, story stems that prompt students to complete a question can
organize a cooperative learning experience as students read. Partners
can take turns using story stems to quiz one another on the reading.
Following are examples of typical story stems:
Explain why….
Explain how….
How does…affect…?
What is the meaning of…?
Why is …important?
What is the difference between … and…?
Question generating
Students can write questions about the story as a post-reading
exercise. These questions can then be integrated into formal tests or
informal questioning games. You might want to suggest that students
generate questions by adapting sentences from the text. Students can
also generate questions to identify their own uncertainties about the
text. They can then try to answer these questions by consulting you or
other students.
Summarizing
This is an effective strategy for readers who have difficulty
remembering and writing about what they have read. A summary can take
many forms, including travelogues, journals, double-entry journals,
and letters. For example, students can create a travel itinerary that
summarizes the action of a narrative, can write a journal from a
particular character's point of view, can set up a double-entry
journal about the theme of a work, or can summarize events in a letter
that one character writes to another.
Multiple Strategy
This strategy addresses individual learning styles by having students
use different media—such as text, images, or video—to analyze or
comment on a work of literature. For example, readers can follow a
procedure like this one:
Begin analyzing a story by using a worksheet listing the elements to
be identified.
Use word processors and instructional software to create and fill in
graphic organizers with clip art and fields of text.
Refer to worksheets for definitions to be added to electronic graphic
organizers.
If students have access to video cameras and editing software, they
can also create videos that offer commentary on a literary work.
SUMMARY
Scaffolded learning experiences can support and improve the
performance of students before, during, and after reading. Such
experiences help students develop essential skills for understanding
and extracting meaning from text and boost their performance on
reading comprehension assessments. In addition, students who benefit
from scaffolded learning are better able to function as independent
readers and to express ideas in a variety of ways.
****************************
A meteor stream is composed of dust particles that have been ejected
from a pa rent comet at a variety of velocities．These particles follow
the same orbit as the pa rent comet，but due to their differing
velocities they slowly gain on or fall behind the disintegrating comet
until a shroud of dust surrounds the entire cometary orbit．Astronomers
have hypothesized that a meteor stream should broaden with time as the
dust particles‟ individual orbits are perturbed by planetary
gravitational fields．A recent computer—modeling experiment tested this
hypothesis by tracking the influence of planetary gravitation over a
projected 1000··year period on the positions of a group of
hypothetical dust particles．In the model，the particles were randomly
distributed throughout a computer simulation of the orbit of an actual
meteor stream，the Geminid．The researcher found, as expected, that the
computer. model stream broadened with time．Conventional
theories，however, predicted that the distribution of particles would
be increasingly dense toward the center of a meteor
stream．Surprisingly, the computer. model meteor stream gradually came
to resemble a thick walled，hollow pipe． Whenever the Earth passes
through a meteor stream，a meteor shower occurs．Moving at a little over
1500，000 miles per day around its orbit，the Ear七h would take，on
average，just over a day to cross the hollow，computer-model Geminid
stream if the stream were 5，000 years old．Two brief periods of peak
meteor activity during the shower would be observed，one as the Earth
entered the thick-walled＂pipe＂and one as it exited．There is no reason
why the Earl[h should always pass through the stream's exact center,
so the time interval between the two bursts of activity would vary
from one year to the next． Has the predicted twin—peaked activity been
observed for the actual yearly Geminid meteor shower? The Geminid data
between 1970 and 1979 show just such a bifurcation，a secondary burst
of meteor activity being clearly visible at an average of 19
hours(1，200，000 miles)after the first burst．The time intervals between
the bursts suggest the actual Geminid stream is about 1000 years old．
56．The primary focus of the passage is on which of the following?
(A) Comparing two scientific theories and contrasting the predictions
that each would make concerning a natural phenomenon
(B) Describing a new theoretical model and noting that it explains the
nature of observations made of a particular natural phenomenon
(C) Evaluating the results of a particular scientific experiment and
suggesting further areas for research
(D) Explaining how two different natural phenomena are related and
demonstrating a way
to measure them
(E) Analyzing recent data derived from observations of an actual
phenomenon and constructing a model to explain the data
57． According to the passage，which of the following is an accurate
statement concerning meteor streams?
(A) Meteor streams and comets start out with similar orbits，but only
those of meteor streams are perturbed by planetary gravitation．
(B) Meteor streams grow as dust particles are at traced by the
gravitational fields of cornets． (C) Meteor streams are composed of
dust particles derived from comets． (D) Comets may be composed of
several kinds of materials，while meteor streams consist only of large
dust particles． (E) Once formed，meteor streams hasten the further
disintegration of comets．
58． The author states that the research described in the first
paragraph was undertaken in order to
(A) determine the age of an actual meteor stream
(B) identify the various structural features of meteor streams
(C) explore the nature of a particularly interesting meteor stream
(D) test the hypothesis that meteor streams become broader as they age
(E) show that a computer model could help in explaining actual
astronomical data
59． It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following
would most probably be observed during the Earth's passage through a
meteor stream if the conventional theories mentioned were correct?
(A) Meteor activity would gradually increase to a single，intense
peak，and then gradually decline． (B) Meteor activity would be steady
throughout the period of the meteor shower．
(C) Meteor activity would rise to a peak at the beginning and at the
end of the meteor shower．
(D) Random bursts of very high meteor activity would be interspersed
with periods of very little activity. (E) In years in which the Earth
passed through only the outer areas of a meteor stream，meteor activity
would be absent．
60． According to the passage，why do the dust particles in a meteor
stream eventually surround a comet‟s original orbit?
(A) They are ejected by the comet at differing velocities．
(B) Their orbits are uncontrolled by planetary gravitational fields．
(C) They become part of the meteor stream at different times．
(D) Their velocity slows over time．
(E) Their ejection velocity is slower than that of the comet．
61．The passage suggests that which of the following is a prediction
concerning meteor streams that can be derived from both the
conventional theories mentioned i and the new computer-derived theory?
A) Dust particles in a meteor stream will usually be distributed
evenly throughout any cross section of the stream．
(B) The orbits of most meteor streams should cross the orbit of the
Earth at some point and give rise to a meteor shower． (
(C) Over time the distribution of dust in a meteor stream will
usually become denser at the outside edges of the stream than at the
center．
(D) Meteor showers ca used by older meteor streams should be on
average，longer in duration than those caused by very young meteor
streams。
(E) The individual dust particles in older meteor streams should be,
on average, smaller than those that compose younger meteor streams
62．It can be inferred from the last paragraph of the passage that
which of the following must be
true of the Earth as it orbits the Sun?
(A) Most meteor streams it encounters are more than 2，000 years old．
(B) When passing through a meteor stream，it usually passes near to the
stream's center．
(C) It crosses the Geminid meteor stream once every year．
(D) It usually takes over a day to cross the actual Geminid meteor stream．
(E) It accounts for most of the gravitational perturbation affecting
the Geminid meteor stream．
63． Which of the following is an assumption underlying the last
sentence of the passage?
(A) In each of the years between 1970 and 1979，the Earth took exactly
19 hours to cross the Geminid meteor stream．
(B) The comet associated with the Geminid meteor stream has totally
disintegrated．
(C) The Geminid meteor stream should continue to exist for at least 5，000 years．
(D) The Geminid meteor stream has not broadened as rapidly as the
conventional theories would have predicted．
(E) The computer-model Geminid meteor stream provides an accurate
representation of the development of the actual Geminid stream．
The Best GMAT Reading Comprehension Strategy
Learn the Approach
On a GMAT Verbal Section, you will typically have four Reading
Comprehension passages, each with associated questions. The danger of
Reading Comprehension is that it becomes a major time-sink, stealing
valuable time away from Sentence Correction and Critical Reasoning.
First of all, I will point out: no one strategy will be perfect for
everyone. You will need to tweak these suggestions to find what works
best for you and your own study plan. This post will give you a clear
starting point for that process of exploration.
Read, Don't Skim
First of all, the point of this question is to read. Some GMAT prep
sources will recommend skimming the passage, or reading only the first
paragraph, then skimming the rest. In my view, this is a mistaken
approach. Read carefully, so that you only have to read once.
What does it mean to read carefully? First of all, it means to take
notes, summarizing each paragraph briefly on scrap paper or on your
notepad (on the real GMAT). Students resist the process of taking
written notes, but if you practice it and become good at it, it will
always be a time-saver. Even if you never again look at your notes,
just the fact that you invested the mental effort in deciding how to
summarize means that you thereby were understanding that part of the
passage.
Reading carefully means summarizing paragraphs and identifying the
main idea of the passage. It DOES NOT mean reading every single
stinking word. For example, if an author makes a point and then
follows it with a detailed example ("for instance"), you can skim that
example.
This careful reading should take about 3.5 minutes for a short passage
and about 4.5 for a long passage. Then, spend about 1 minute per
question, and that will leave you ample time for SC and CR questions.
You should time yourself, to verify to yourself that you can keep this
pace.
Understand, Don't Memorize
Your goal in reading the passage should be to understand. It will
help to feign interest in the material, to generate a genuine sense of
curiosity about what's being discussed. If you are a visual person,
it will help considerably to form a mental picture of what the author
is describing.
Your goal is not to memorize obscure details: dates, complicated
scientific terms, names of theories or processes. It's enough to note
where that detail is in the passage, so if a detail question addresses
it, you can find it quickly.
Remember: GMAT Reading Comprehension is not a speed-reading test. It
is not a memory test. GMAT Reading Comprehension is about developing
your own understanding of a passage in order to identify the correct
answers in the questions that follow.
- See more at: http://www.stacyblackman.com/2012/02/23/the-best-gmat-reading-comprehension-strategy/#sthash.hqixPuvH.dpuf
On a GMAT Verbal Section, you will typically have four Reading
Comprehension passages, each with associated questions. The danger of
Reading Comprehension is that it becomes a major time-sink, stealing
valuable time away from Sentence Correction and Critical Reasoning.
First of all, I will point out: no one strategy will be perfect for
everyone. You will need to tweak these suggestions to find what works
best for you and your own study plan. This post will give you a clear
starting point for that process of exploration.
Read, Don't Skim
First of all, the point of this question is to read. Some GMAT prep
sources will recommend skimming the passage, or reading only the first
paragraph, then skimming the rest. In my view, this is a mistaken
approach. Read carefully, so that you only have to read once.
What does it mean to read carefully? First of all, it means to take
notes, summarizing each paragraph briefly on scrap paper or on your
notepad (on the real GMAT). Students resist the process of taking
written notes, but if you practice it and become good at it, it will
always be a time-saver. Even if you never again look at your notes,
just the fact that you invested the mental effort in deciding how to
summarize means that you thereby were understanding that part of the
passage.
Reading carefully means summarizing paragraphs and identifying the
main idea of the passage. It DOES NOT mean reading every single
stinking word. For example, if an author makes a point and then
follows it with a detailed example ("for instance"), you can skim that
example.
This careful reading should take about 3.5 minutes for a short passage
and about 4.5 for a long passage. Then, spend about 1 minute per
question, and that will leave you ample time for SC and CR questions.
You should time yourself, to verify to yourself that you can keep this
pace.
Understand, Don't Memorize
Your goal in reading the passage should be to understand. It will
help to feign interest in the material, to generate a genuine sense of
curiosity about what's being discussed. If you are a visual person,
it will help considerably to form a mental picture of what the author
is describing.
Your goal is not to memorize obscure details: dates, complicated
scientific terms, names of theories or processes. It's enough to note
where that detail is in the passage, so if a detail question addresses
it, you can find it quickly.
Remember: GMAT Reading Comprehension is not a speed-reading test. It
is not a memory test. GMAT Reading Comprehension is about developing
your own understanding of a passage in order to identify the correct
answers in the questions that follow.
- See more at: http://www.stacyblackman.com/2012/02/23/the-best-gmat-reading-comprehension-strategy/#sthash.hqixPuvH.dpuf
WAT - Tips
Written Ability Test
As per the latest news, new IIMs plan to replace Group Discussion (GD)
with written test (WAT) and they may use the older scores of IIMs for
admissions. The new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) started
since 2010, following some of the older IIM's like IIM-A, B, L, etc.
will replace the group discussion (GD) stage of their admissions with
a written essay test.
They also plan to use the score of WAT taken by older IIM's, i.e. if a
student has already appeared for the written tests of some of the
older IIMs, he or she will not need to take the written test
separately for the new IIMs. Either way, the personal interview will
still be taken by the new IIMs.
Over the years, GD is gradually getting shunned by the IIMs and WAT is
being conducted before PI.
Writing ability and time constrain
Now that essay writing is gaining importance in the admission criteria
of IIMs' the main concern is the time limit. While writing an essay
for admission to a top B-school, the focus should be on the time. IIM
Bangalore gives 30 minutes to write the essay, while IIM Lucknow gives
15 minutes and the time for writing the essay is as little as 10
minutes in IIM Ahmedabad.
Here, the key will be to write as fast as possible in order to finish
the essay. Don't waste much time on thinking and planning the
structure of the essay, else you will not be able to complete it. For
this, you will need sufficient practice.
According to a student of IIM Ahmedabad, the best way to practice is
by picking up one current-affairs topic every day and writing as much
as you can for 10 minutes. Your focus should be on starting the essay
and putting in as many important points as possible. There is no
compulsion to present the matter in impressive or flowery language.
Instead, accuracy and correctness of spelling and grammar take
precedence. The essay's evaluation is based on the number of new ideas
or points you can produce in the given time, the different angles from
which you can analyze the topic and the logic behind each argument.
It is important to develop the ability to think and articulate
quickly. For B-school panelists, essays are tools to see how you
structure your thoughts and produce them in the least amount of time.
Apart from IIMs, other prominent B-schools like XLRI and IIFT also use
Essay Writing to assess candidates.
Read More Written Ability Topics (WAT)
Weightage for GD, PI and WAT
The weightage to the GD, PI and Written Ability Test at IIM Lucknow
will be as follows:
Components
Sec.1 (Quantitative)
Written Ability Test
10
Group Discussion
10
Personal Interview
25
Personal Interview
45
(The minimum requirement for getting a pass in Personal Interview is
7.5 out of 25 marks.)
Weightage for CAT score, Class X and XII, graduation and work experience
The weightages are as follows:
Components
Sec.1 (Quantitative)
Aggregate CAT - 2009
30
Class - X Marks
10
Class - XII Marks
5
Graduation Marks
5
Experience Profile
5
Total
55
Final Merit List
IIM-L's admission policy document states: "The sum of the scores in
all the eight components will be taken as the final score of a
candidate for arriving at the merit list(s) for final selection to the
PGP / PGP-ABM of IIML.
Top 10 Business School Essay Writing Tips
1.Don't Use Company Jargon:
As a prospective business student, you have probably spent the past
few years in a corporate environment with its own in-house
terminology. Remember that you are writing for a reader who hasn't
attended your company's meetings or contributed to its products. You
should certainly describe various aspects of your professional
life--your leadership skills, your career trajectory, your triumph in
the face of obstacles, and so on--but do so in language that is as
accessible to your reader as it is to you. Imagine that you are
composing a document for a customer who must decide whether to buy a
particular product: you. Write clearly and personably.
And if you are a fresher, go for the common language you have been
using in your school days rather than the jargons you came across
while a conversation with your friend who is corporate now or any of
your relative.
2. Don't Bore the Reader. Be Interesting.
Admissions officers have to read hundreds of essays, and they must
often skim. Abstract rumination has no place in an admission process
essay. Admissions officers aren't looking for a new way to view the
world; they're looking for a new way to view you, the prospective
student.
The best way to grip your reader is to begin the essay with a
captivating snapshot. Notice how the blunt, jarring "after" sentence
creates intrigue and keeps the reader's interest.
Before: I am a compilation of many years of experiences gained from
overcoming the relentless struggles of life.
After: I was six years old, the eldest of six children in the Bronx,
when my father was murdered.
3. Do Use Personal Detail. Show, Don't Tell!
Good essays are concrete and grounded in personal detail. They do not
merely assert "I learned my lesson" or that "these lessons are useful
both on and off the field." They show it through personal detail.
"Show, don't tell" means that if you want to relate a personal
quality, do so through your experiences without merely asserting it.
Before: If it were not for a strong support system which instilled
into me strong family values and morals, I would not be where I am
today.
After: Although my grandmother and I didn't have a car or running
water, we still lived far more comfortably than did the other families
I knew. I learned an important lesson: My grandmother made the most of
what little she had, and she was known and respected for her
generosity. Even at that age, I recognized the value she placed on
maximizing her resources and helping those around her.
The first example is vague and could have been written by anybody. But
the second sentence evokes a vivid image of something that actually
happened, placing the reader in the experience of the student.
4.Be Concise. Don't Be Wordy.
Wordiness not only takes up valuable space, but also confuses the
important ideas you're trying to convey. Short sentences are more
forceful because they are direct and to the point. Certain phrases,
such as "the fact that," are usually unnecessary. Notice how the
revised version focuses on active verbs rather than forms of "to be"
and adverbs and adjectives.
Before: My recognition of the fact that the project was finally over
was a deeply satisfying moment that will forever linger in my memory.
After: Completing the project at last gave me an enduring sense of fulfillment.
5.Do Address Your Weaknesses. Don't Dwell on Them.
At some point while writing the essay on personal topic, you will have
an opportunity to explain deficiencies in your record, and you should
take advantage of it. Be sure to explain them adequately: "I partied
too much to do well on tests" will not help your reputation. The best
tactic is to spin the negatives into positives by stressing your
attempts to improve; for example, mention your poor first-quarter
grades briefly, and then describe what you did to bring them up.
Before: My grade point average provides an incomplete evaluation of my
potential and of the person I am today, since it fails to reveal my
passion and determined spirit which make me unique and an asset to the
_______ School of Business.
After: Though my overall grade point average was disappointing, I am
confident that the upward trend in my academic transcript will
continue in business school. Furthermore, my success on the
CAT/XAT/etc and in the corporate world since graduation reinforces my
conviction that I have a keen business sense--one that I hope to
develop at the _______ School of Business.
6.Do Vary Your Sentences and Use Transitions.
The best essays contain a variety of sentence lengths mixed within any
given paragraph. Also, remember that transition is not limited to
words like nevertheless, furthermore or consequently. Good transition
flows from the natural thought progression of your argument.
Before: I started playing piano when I was eight years old. I worked
hard to learn difficult pieces. I began to love music.
After: I started playing the piano at the age of eight. As I learned
to play more difficult pieces, my appreciation for music deepened.
7.Do Use Active Voice Verbs.
Passive-voice expressions are verb phrases in which the subject
receives the action expressed in the verb. Passive voice employs a
form of the word to be, such as was or were. Overuse of the passive
voice makes prose seem flat and uninteresting.
Before: The lessons that have prepared me for my career as an
executive were taught to me by my mother.
After: My mother taught me lessons that will prove invaluable in my
career as an executive.
8.Do Seek Multiple Opinions.
Ask your friends and family to keep these questions in mind:
Does my essay have one central theme?
Does my introduction engage the reader? Does my conclusion provide closure?
Do my introduction and conclusion avoid summary?
Do I use concrete experiences as supporting details?
Have I used active-voice verbs wherever possible?
Is my sentence structure varied, or do I use all long or short sentences?
Are there any clichés, such as "cutting-edge" or "learned my lesson"?
Do I use transitions appropriately?
What about the essay is memorable?
What's the worst part of the essay?
What parts of the essay need elaboration or are unclear?
What parts of the essay do not support my main argument?
Is every single sentence crucial to the essay? This must be the case.
What does the essay reveal about my personality?
9.Don't Wander. Do Stay Focused.
Many students try to turn the personal essay into a complete
autobiography. Not surprisingly, they find it difficult to pack so
much information into such a short essay, and their essays end up
sounding more like a list of experiences than a coherent,
well-organized thought. Make sure that every sentence in your essay
exists solely to support one central theme.
10. Do Revise, Revise And Revise.
The first step in an improving any essay is to cut, cut, and cut some more.
Some important sample essays are as follows, although they are only
indicative and not to be considered as the only way of writing on
those topics. One should exercise his or her own thoughts as well. To
help you understand and co-relate, the ending of some topics are not
what it should be. We hope you can identify and complete them in your
words.
Values Challenged
One has to understand sub-continental culture regarding marriage in
order to understand this particular crisis. Marriages are classified
into two groups: 'settled' marriage and 'love' marriage. In a
'settled' marriage, the groom's family chooses the bride, and if
bride's family accepts the groom, the two families get together and
fix the marriage. The bride and the groom may or may not meet each
other before the marriage.
In a 'love' marriage, two persons fall in love and get married, with
or without the permission of their families. This is considered a
social crime, and the newlyweds are forced to leave their families.
After I came back from the US, I met my sweetheart who was attending
medical school. We courted each other for years, and when she
graduated we figured it was time to marry. I asked my family to select
the woman of my choice so as to marry the woman I love without
upsetting social norms.
When my mother proposed my fiancée's family, her mother wanted to see
me personally. I assumed she would consider me a suitable candidate
for her daughter's husband since I come from a good family and since I
am qualified to maintain a family.
However, rather than looking for qualities in me that might make her
daughter happy, she demanded that I posses an MBA degree before I
marry her daughter. Apparently, all of her relatives' and friends'
daughters got married to either MBAs or Ph.D.'s.
I was dumbfounded. I would have gladly given the moon to her daughter,
but I was not about to earn an MBA to satisfy this woman's irrational
craving. How would an MBA help me to become a better husband? Even
though I intended to pursue an MBA anyway, I could not agree to her
demand. I told her that I would never earn an MBA. As a result, I
couldn't marry the woman of my dreams.
I stayed true to my personal values, and it cost me the woman I love.
Media Influence
CRITICALLY ASSESS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE MEDIA CAN BE SAID TO INFLUENCE
OR HAVE EFFECTS ON SOCIETY.
The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development
has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of
societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological
innovation, rising personal income and standard of life and the
decline of some traditional forms of control and authority.
There is an association between the development of mass media and
social change, although the degree and direction of this association
is still debated upon even after years of study into media influence.
Many of the consequences, either detrimental or beneficial, which have
been attributed to the mass media, are almost undoubtedly due to other
tendencies within society.
Few sociologists would refute the importance of the mass media, and
mass communications as a whole, as being a major factor in the
construction and circulation of social understanding and social
imagery in modern societies. Therefore it is argued that the mass
media is used as "an instrument", both more powerful and more flexible
than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into
certain modes of belief and understanding within society.
The question of media's influence on society and its cultural
framework has often been debated upon from leading theorists to anyone
with any form of media connections, but to contemplate that the
character of Chulbul Pandey from Dabang or student group of Rang De
Basanti can have an influence on an audience members attitude, beliefs
or interpretations of society is a very simplistic and debatable
version of the truth.
The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of
impact. Some theorists suggest that it is even a case of society
influencing the media and not the more widespread and presumed
version.
Presidential Vs. Parliamentary Democracy: A Debate
Two of the most popular types of democracy are the presidential and
parliamentary government systems.
A nation's type of government refers to how that state's executive,
legislative, and judicial organs are organized. All nations need some
sort of government to avoid anarchy. Democratic governments are those
that permit the nation's citizens to manage their government either
directly or through elected representatives. This is opposed to
authoritarian governments that limit or prohibit the direct
participation of its citizens. Two of the most popular types of
democratic governments are the presidential and parliamentary systems.
The office of President characterizes the presidential system. The
President is both the chief executive and the head of state. The
President is unique in that he or she is elected independently of the
legislature. The powers invested in the President are usually balanced
against those vested in the legislature. In the American presidential
system, the legislature must debate and pass various bills. The
President has the power to veto the bill, preventing its adoption.
However, the legislature may override the President's veto if they can
muster enough votes. The American President's broadest powers rest in
foreign affairs. The President has the right to deploy the military in
most situations, but does not have the right to officially declare
war. More recently the American President requested the right to
approve treaties without the consent of the legislature. The American
Congress denied this bill and was able to override the President's
veto.
In parliamentary governments the head of state and the chief executive
are two separate offices. Many times the head of state functions in a
primarily ceremonial role, while the chief executive is the head of
the nation's legislature. The most striking difference between
presidential and parliamentary systems is in the election of the chief
executive. In parliament systems, the chief executive is not chosen by
the people but by the legislature. Typically the majority party in the
parliament chooses the chief executive, known as the Prime Minister.
However, in some parliaments there are so many parties represented
that none hold a majority. Parliament members must decide among
themselves whom to elect as Prime Minister. The fusion of the
legislative and executive branches in the parliamentary system tends
to lead to more discipline among political party members. Party
members in parliaments almost always vote strictly along party lines.
Presidential systems, on the contrary, are less disciplined and
legislators are free to vote their conscious with fewer repercussions
from their party. Debate styles also differ between the two systems.
Presidential system legislators make use of a filibuster, or the right
to prolong speeches to delay legislative action. Parliamentary systems
will call for cloture or an end to debate so voting can begin.
Most European nations follow the parliamentary system of government.
Britain is the most well known parliamentary system. Because Great
Britain was once a pure monarchy, the function of the head of state
was given to the royal family, while the role of chief executive was
established with Parliament. Some parliaments, however, do not have a
history of monarchy. Israel is a parliamentary system with a
president. The president, however, does not hold the same power as a
president in a presidential system, but functions as the head of
state. In both presidential and parliamentary systems, the chief
executive can be removed from office by the legislature. Parliamentary
systems use a "˜vote of no confidence' where a majority of parliament
members vote to remove the Prime Minister from office. A new election
is then called. In presidential systems, a similar process is used
where legislators vote to impeach the President from office.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, democracy has begun to flourish
around the world. As emerging nations struggle to identify themselves,
they are also debating which form of democracy is best for them.
Depending on the nation and its citizens, they may choose the more
classic parliamentary system or the less rigid presidential system.
They could also blend to two popular systems together to create the
hybrid government that works best for them.
Corruption in India
"Corruption is Social Evil - Power tends to corrupt, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely."
In its simplest sense, corruption may be defined as an act of bribery
or misuse of public position or power for the fulfillment of selfish
motives or to gain personal gratifications. It has also been defined
as "Misuse of authority as a result of consideration of personal gain
which need not be monetary".
In recent Centuries India has earned a place among the THREE most
corrupt countries in the world. Corruption in India is a consequence
of the nexus between Bureaucracy, politics and criminals. India is now
no longer considered a soft state. It has now become a consideration
state where everything can be had for a consideration. Today, the
number of ministers with an honest image can be counted on fingers. At
one time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe
is paid for getting right things done at right time.
It is well established that politicians are extremely corrupt the
world over. In fact, people are surprised to find an honest
politician. These corrupt politicians go scot-free, unharmed and
unpunished. Leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri or Sardar Vallabh Bhai
Patel are a rare breed now who had very little bank balance at the
time of death.
The list of scams and scandals in the country is endless. Now recently
before the start of 2010 Common Wealth Games, Corruption played major
role in common wealth games organisation. The Bofors payoff scandal of
1986 involved a total amount of Rs 1750 crore in purchase of guns from
a Swedish firm for the Army. The Cement scandal of 1982 involved the
Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Sugar Scandal of 1994 involved a
Union Minister of State for food, the Urea Scam and of course no one
can forget Hawala Scandal of 1991, the Coffin-gate, fodder scam in
Bihar or the Stamp scandal which shocked not only the political arena
but the entire society.
Is it possible to contain corruption in our society? Corruption is a
cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. Many new leaders when
come into power declare their determination to eradicate corruption
but soon they themselves become corrupt and start amassing huge
wealth.
There are many myths about corruption, which have to be exploded if we
really want to combat it. Some of these myths are: Corruption is a way
of life and nothing can be done about it. Only people from
underdeveloped or developing countries are prone to corruption. We
will have to guard against all these crude fallacies while planning
measures to fight corruption.
It is not possible to kill or remove the corruption by improving the
Social-economic conditions of the country. Because we all know that
the most of the people who are corrupted are not economically or
socially backward, surely they will be having a notable social status.
"Despite a decade of progress in establishing anti-corruption laws and
regulations, these results indicate that much remains to be done
before we see meaningful improvements in the lives of the world's
poorest citizens."
The following steps should be considered to eradicate corruption:
Greedy business people and unscrupulous investors should stop bribing
the political elites. Don't be either at the receiving or at the
bribing end. Political elites should stop putting their private gains
before the welfare of citizens and economic development of their
regions. Government should include a chapter in text books related to
corruption and its desire consequences.
We all need to stop talking about Corruption only and start taking
initiatives and be brave in ourselves. Corruption is going to end only
when people like us stand up and speak out.
If we do not take step forward to remove corruption from root, the
word developing country will always be attached with our country
INDIA. So we, the common man, should find some solution for removing
corruption from our INDIA and hence we will also prove ourselves
helpful in making our country developed.
And it is possible - today's generation is willing to change this
system. And soon corruption will be out from our country. Every person
should consider this as his or her own responsibility to avoid and
defeat corruption
"A strong youth movement in the country only can remove corruption and
each student should take a vow to begin this exercise courageously
within the family" - Former President- Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
How Do You Measure Success In Life?
Reaching the top of the tree in one's chosen occupation or profession
is the usual standard by which success in life is measured, at least
in the Western world. However many Asians would reject this criterion.
The contemplative religions assert that success is only measurable in
terms of religious advancement and of the acquisition of the virtues.
Thus, success would be in inverse ratio to material advancement.
Most of the world accepts the definition of material advancement, its
objectives being affluence and perhaps power over others, both being
the most important means of self-expression. Some are born into
positions which already confer affluence and power, so success to them
might lie merely in the preservation of the family business or estate
and perhaps its enhancement for the benefit of the next generation.
Most people have to work hard to achieve success.
The western concept of success is not always satisfying and some
people, at the height of their affluence and power, reject it in favor
of the simple life. This happens for a variety of reasons. Beyond a
certain point the acquisition of money proves unsatisfactory. The
difference between the lifestyle available to a millionaire and that
available to a billionaire is marginal. Unhappily money making can
become an obsession, and some very wealthy people become very mean.
Money also creates anxiety since it usually has to be put at risk if
more is to be made. Other anxieties may be created when a large number
of people become dependent on a financial empire.
Money confers power which may corrupt. It is often made at the
disadvantage of others, and it may damage a business man's
relationships both with his peers and with his subordinates. These
pressures and anxieties often have a detrimental effect on health and
on family life. One's wife and children are inevitably neglected and
unhappy. The children of successful capitalists or career workaholics
sometimes reject everything the father offers and want to start a life
of their own where they could get and give that love and care they
always missed and which was replaced by materialistic things.
You can complete this essay in your own words…..
Let us now cover some essay topics that have appeared in the past in
B-schools entrances. These topics are very popular and have a high
chance of getting repeated:-
National affairs:
India has the largest pool of talented manpower but very few
innovations and patented products
Allowing Foreign Universities in India is bad for India's education system
India versus Bharat: a divided nation
How should women empower themselves?
More than one billion Indians: A gigantic problem or a sea of opportunities
Political Issues:
Voting should be made compulsory
Banning politicians with criminal records from contesting elections is
against their right
Fight against corruption
Women's Reservation Bill
Union Budget is useless and recession puts it off track
Economy/ Business Issues:
Recession is the mother of innovation
Should Petroleum Subsidy go away?
Discuss the role of Public Private Partnership in India's Economic Growth
Foreign direct investment will revitalize the education system
Businesses should concentrate on making profits and not address social
and environmental Issues
International Issues:
India to become a superpower in near future
China's relations with India vis-a-vis Pakistan
Does India have a role in Afghanistan? Discuss
This list of past Essay Topics above will help you understand what are
the areas to study, the topics asked are and how to go about
preparations. It is recommended that you read newspaper and listen to
news so that you're well tuned with current affairs.
Essay as a precursor to PI:
The essay you wrote in the first half of the personal assessment round
can generate some questions in the interview round. The panel could
ask you questions about the essay and you have to defend it. Questions
on the topic can also be asked, which means you will need to know a
lot about the topic. If you don't know something, simply admit it.
This was a complete module on WAT which is the latest buzz-word in
town for MBA aspirants. MBARendezvous.com has especially made this
module to throw sufficient light on this topic. We are very hopeful
that once you go through all the topics discussed in the module, you
will be well prepared to face the WAT of any institute or college.
As per the latest news, new IIMs plan to replace Group Discussion (GD)
with written test (WAT) and they may use the older scores of IIMs for
admissions. The new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) started
since 2010, following some of the older IIM's like IIM-A, B, L, etc.
will replace the group discussion (GD) stage of their admissions with
a written essay test.
They also plan to use the score of WAT taken by older IIM's, i.e. if a
student has already appeared for the written tests of some of the
older IIMs, he or she will not need to take the written test
separately for the new IIMs. Either way, the personal interview will
still be taken by the new IIMs.
Over the years, GD is gradually getting shunned by the IIMs and WAT is
being conducted before PI.
Writing ability and time constrain
Now that essay writing is gaining importance in the admission criteria
of IIMs' the main concern is the time limit. While writing an essay
for admission to a top B-school, the focus should be on the time. IIM
Bangalore gives 30 minutes to write the essay, while IIM Lucknow gives
15 minutes and the time for writing the essay is as little as 10
minutes in IIM Ahmedabad.
Here, the key will be to write as fast as possible in order to finish
the essay. Don't waste much time on thinking and planning the
structure of the essay, else you will not be able to complete it. For
this, you will need sufficient practice.
According to a student of IIM Ahmedabad, the best way to practice is
by picking up one current-affairs topic every day and writing as much
as you can for 10 minutes. Your focus should be on starting the essay
and putting in as many important points as possible. There is no
compulsion to present the matter in impressive or flowery language.
Instead, accuracy and correctness of spelling and grammar take
precedence. The essay's evaluation is based on the number of new ideas
or points you can produce in the given time, the different angles from
which you can analyze the topic and the logic behind each argument.
It is important to develop the ability to think and articulate
quickly. For B-school panelists, essays are tools to see how you
structure your thoughts and produce them in the least amount of time.
Apart from IIMs, other prominent B-schools like XLRI and IIFT also use
Essay Writing to assess candidates.
Read More Written Ability Topics (WAT)
Weightage for GD, PI and WAT
The weightage to the GD, PI and Written Ability Test at IIM Lucknow
will be as follows:
Components
Sec.1 (Quantitative)
Written Ability Test
10
Group Discussion
10
Personal Interview
25
Personal Interview
45
(The minimum requirement for getting a pass in Personal Interview is
7.5 out of 25 marks.)
Weightage for CAT score, Class X and XII, graduation and work experience
The weightages are as follows:
Components
Sec.1 (Quantitative)
Aggregate CAT - 2009
30
Class - X Marks
10
Class - XII Marks
5
Graduation Marks
5
Experience Profile
5
Total
55
Final Merit List
IIM-L's admission policy document states: "The sum of the scores in
all the eight components will be taken as the final score of a
candidate for arriving at the merit list(s) for final selection to the
PGP / PGP-ABM of IIML.
Top 10 Business School Essay Writing Tips
1.Don't Use Company Jargon:
As a prospective business student, you have probably spent the past
few years in a corporate environment with its own in-house
terminology. Remember that you are writing for a reader who hasn't
attended your company's meetings or contributed to its products. You
should certainly describe various aspects of your professional
life--your leadership skills, your career trajectory, your triumph in
the face of obstacles, and so on--but do so in language that is as
accessible to your reader as it is to you. Imagine that you are
composing a document for a customer who must decide whether to buy a
particular product: you. Write clearly and personably.
And if you are a fresher, go for the common language you have been
using in your school days rather than the jargons you came across
while a conversation with your friend who is corporate now or any of
your relative.
2. Don't Bore the Reader. Be Interesting.
Admissions officers have to read hundreds of essays, and they must
often skim. Abstract rumination has no place in an admission process
essay. Admissions officers aren't looking for a new way to view the
world; they're looking for a new way to view you, the prospective
student.
The best way to grip your reader is to begin the essay with a
captivating snapshot. Notice how the blunt, jarring "after" sentence
creates intrigue and keeps the reader's interest.
Before: I am a compilation of many years of experiences gained from
overcoming the relentless struggles of life.
After: I was six years old, the eldest of six children in the Bronx,
when my father was murdered.
3. Do Use Personal Detail. Show, Don't Tell!
Good essays are concrete and grounded in personal detail. They do not
merely assert "I learned my lesson" or that "these lessons are useful
both on and off the field." They show it through personal detail.
"Show, don't tell" means that if you want to relate a personal
quality, do so through your experiences without merely asserting it.
Before: If it were not for a strong support system which instilled
into me strong family values and morals, I would not be where I am
today.
After: Although my grandmother and I didn't have a car or running
water, we still lived far more comfortably than did the other families
I knew. I learned an important lesson: My grandmother made the most of
what little she had, and she was known and respected for her
generosity. Even at that age, I recognized the value she placed on
maximizing her resources and helping those around her.
The first example is vague and could have been written by anybody. But
the second sentence evokes a vivid image of something that actually
happened, placing the reader in the experience of the student.
4.Be Concise. Don't Be Wordy.
Wordiness not only takes up valuable space, but also confuses the
important ideas you're trying to convey. Short sentences are more
forceful because they are direct and to the point. Certain phrases,
such as "the fact that," are usually unnecessary. Notice how the
revised version focuses on active verbs rather than forms of "to be"
and adverbs and adjectives.
Before: My recognition of the fact that the project was finally over
was a deeply satisfying moment that will forever linger in my memory.
After: Completing the project at last gave me an enduring sense of fulfillment.
5.Do Address Your Weaknesses. Don't Dwell on Them.
At some point while writing the essay on personal topic, you will have
an opportunity to explain deficiencies in your record, and you should
take advantage of it. Be sure to explain them adequately: "I partied
too much to do well on tests" will not help your reputation. The best
tactic is to spin the negatives into positives by stressing your
attempts to improve; for example, mention your poor first-quarter
grades briefly, and then describe what you did to bring them up.
Before: My grade point average provides an incomplete evaluation of my
potential and of the person I am today, since it fails to reveal my
passion and determined spirit which make me unique and an asset to the
_______ School of Business.
After: Though my overall grade point average was disappointing, I am
confident that the upward trend in my academic transcript will
continue in business school. Furthermore, my success on the
CAT/XAT/etc and in the corporate world since graduation reinforces my
conviction that I have a keen business sense--one that I hope to
develop at the _______ School of Business.
6.Do Vary Your Sentences and Use Transitions.
The best essays contain a variety of sentence lengths mixed within any
given paragraph. Also, remember that transition is not limited to
words like nevertheless, furthermore or consequently. Good transition
flows from the natural thought progression of your argument.
Before: I started playing piano when I was eight years old. I worked
hard to learn difficult pieces. I began to love music.
After: I started playing the piano at the age of eight. As I learned
to play more difficult pieces, my appreciation for music deepened.
7.Do Use Active Voice Verbs.
Passive-voice expressions are verb phrases in which the subject
receives the action expressed in the verb. Passive voice employs a
form of the word to be, such as was or were. Overuse of the passive
voice makes prose seem flat and uninteresting.
Before: The lessons that have prepared me for my career as an
executive were taught to me by my mother.
After: My mother taught me lessons that will prove invaluable in my
career as an executive.
8.Do Seek Multiple Opinions.
Ask your friends and family to keep these questions in mind:
Does my essay have one central theme?
Does my introduction engage the reader? Does my conclusion provide closure?
Do my introduction and conclusion avoid summary?
Do I use concrete experiences as supporting details?
Have I used active-voice verbs wherever possible?
Is my sentence structure varied, or do I use all long or short sentences?
Are there any clichés, such as "cutting-edge" or "learned my lesson"?
Do I use transitions appropriately?
What about the essay is memorable?
What's the worst part of the essay?
What parts of the essay need elaboration or are unclear?
What parts of the essay do not support my main argument?
Is every single sentence crucial to the essay? This must be the case.
What does the essay reveal about my personality?
9.Don't Wander. Do Stay Focused.
Many students try to turn the personal essay into a complete
autobiography. Not surprisingly, they find it difficult to pack so
much information into such a short essay, and their essays end up
sounding more like a list of experiences than a coherent,
well-organized thought. Make sure that every sentence in your essay
exists solely to support one central theme.
10. Do Revise, Revise And Revise.
The first step in an improving any essay is to cut, cut, and cut some more.
Some important sample essays are as follows, although they are only
indicative and not to be considered as the only way of writing on
those topics. One should exercise his or her own thoughts as well. To
help you understand and co-relate, the ending of some topics are not
what it should be. We hope you can identify and complete them in your
words.
Values Challenged
One has to understand sub-continental culture regarding marriage in
order to understand this particular crisis. Marriages are classified
into two groups: 'settled' marriage and 'love' marriage. In a
'settled' marriage, the groom's family chooses the bride, and if
bride's family accepts the groom, the two families get together and
fix the marriage. The bride and the groom may or may not meet each
other before the marriage.
In a 'love' marriage, two persons fall in love and get married, with
or without the permission of their families. This is considered a
social crime, and the newlyweds are forced to leave their families.
After I came back from the US, I met my sweetheart who was attending
medical school. We courted each other for years, and when she
graduated we figured it was time to marry. I asked my family to select
the woman of my choice so as to marry the woman I love without
upsetting social norms.
When my mother proposed my fiancée's family, her mother wanted to see
me personally. I assumed she would consider me a suitable candidate
for her daughter's husband since I come from a good family and since I
am qualified to maintain a family.
However, rather than looking for qualities in me that might make her
daughter happy, she demanded that I posses an MBA degree before I
marry her daughter. Apparently, all of her relatives' and friends'
daughters got married to either MBAs or Ph.D.'s.
I was dumbfounded. I would have gladly given the moon to her daughter,
but I was not about to earn an MBA to satisfy this woman's irrational
craving. How would an MBA help me to become a better husband? Even
though I intended to pursue an MBA anyway, I could not agree to her
demand. I told her that I would never earn an MBA. As a result, I
couldn't marry the woman of my dreams.
I stayed true to my personal values, and it cost me the woman I love.
Media Influence
CRITICALLY ASSESS THE WAYS IN WHICH THE MEDIA CAN BE SAID TO INFLUENCE
OR HAVE EFFECTS ON SOCIETY.
The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development
has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of
societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological
innovation, rising personal income and standard of life and the
decline of some traditional forms of control and authority.
There is an association between the development of mass media and
social change, although the degree and direction of this association
is still debated upon even after years of study into media influence.
Many of the consequences, either detrimental or beneficial, which have
been attributed to the mass media, are almost undoubtedly due to other
tendencies within society.
Few sociologists would refute the importance of the mass media, and
mass communications as a whole, as being a major factor in the
construction and circulation of social understanding and social
imagery in modern societies. Therefore it is argued that the mass
media is used as "an instrument", both more powerful and more flexible
than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into
certain modes of belief and understanding within society.
The question of media's influence on society and its cultural
framework has often been debated upon from leading theorists to anyone
with any form of media connections, but to contemplate that the
character of Chulbul Pandey from Dabang or student group of Rang De
Basanti can have an influence on an audience members attitude, beliefs
or interpretations of society is a very simplistic and debatable
version of the truth.
The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of
impact. Some theorists suggest that it is even a case of society
influencing the media and not the more widespread and presumed
version.
Presidential Vs. Parliamentary Democracy: A Debate
Two of the most popular types of democracy are the presidential and
parliamentary government systems.
A nation's type of government refers to how that state's executive,
legislative, and judicial organs are organized. All nations need some
sort of government to avoid anarchy. Democratic governments are those
that permit the nation's citizens to manage their government either
directly or through elected representatives. This is opposed to
authoritarian governments that limit or prohibit the direct
participation of its citizens. Two of the most popular types of
democratic governments are the presidential and parliamentary systems.
The office of President characterizes the presidential system. The
President is both the chief executive and the head of state. The
President is unique in that he or she is elected independently of the
legislature. The powers invested in the President are usually balanced
against those vested in the legislature. In the American presidential
system, the legislature must debate and pass various bills. The
President has the power to veto the bill, preventing its adoption.
However, the legislature may override the President's veto if they can
muster enough votes. The American President's broadest powers rest in
foreign affairs. The President has the right to deploy the military in
most situations, but does not have the right to officially declare
war. More recently the American President requested the right to
approve treaties without the consent of the legislature. The American
Congress denied this bill and was able to override the President's
veto.
In parliamentary governments the head of state and the chief executive
are two separate offices. Many times the head of state functions in a
primarily ceremonial role, while the chief executive is the head of
the nation's legislature. The most striking difference between
presidential and parliamentary systems is in the election of the chief
executive. In parliament systems, the chief executive is not chosen by
the people but by the legislature. Typically the majority party in the
parliament chooses the chief executive, known as the Prime Minister.
However, in some parliaments there are so many parties represented
that none hold a majority. Parliament members must decide among
themselves whom to elect as Prime Minister. The fusion of the
legislative and executive branches in the parliamentary system tends
to lead to more discipline among political party members. Party
members in parliaments almost always vote strictly along party lines.
Presidential systems, on the contrary, are less disciplined and
legislators are free to vote their conscious with fewer repercussions
from their party. Debate styles also differ between the two systems.
Presidential system legislators make use of a filibuster, or the right
to prolong speeches to delay legislative action. Parliamentary systems
will call for cloture or an end to debate so voting can begin.
Most European nations follow the parliamentary system of government.
Britain is the most well known parliamentary system. Because Great
Britain was once a pure monarchy, the function of the head of state
was given to the royal family, while the role of chief executive was
established with Parliament. Some parliaments, however, do not have a
history of monarchy. Israel is a parliamentary system with a
president. The president, however, does not hold the same power as a
president in a presidential system, but functions as the head of
state. In both presidential and parliamentary systems, the chief
executive can be removed from office by the legislature. Parliamentary
systems use a "˜vote of no confidence' where a majority of parliament
members vote to remove the Prime Minister from office. A new election
is then called. In presidential systems, a similar process is used
where legislators vote to impeach the President from office.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, democracy has begun to flourish
around the world. As emerging nations struggle to identify themselves,
they are also debating which form of democracy is best for them.
Depending on the nation and its citizens, they may choose the more
classic parliamentary system or the less rigid presidential system.
They could also blend to two popular systems together to create the
hybrid government that works best for them.
Corruption in India
"Corruption is Social Evil - Power tends to corrupt, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely."
In its simplest sense, corruption may be defined as an act of bribery
or misuse of public position or power for the fulfillment of selfish
motives or to gain personal gratifications. It has also been defined
as "Misuse of authority as a result of consideration of personal gain
which need not be monetary".
In recent Centuries India has earned a place among the THREE most
corrupt countries in the world. Corruption in India is a consequence
of the nexus between Bureaucracy, politics and criminals. India is now
no longer considered a soft state. It has now become a consideration
state where everything can be had for a consideration. Today, the
number of ministers with an honest image can be counted on fingers. At
one time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe
is paid for getting right things done at right time.
It is well established that politicians are extremely corrupt the
world over. In fact, people are surprised to find an honest
politician. These corrupt politicians go scot-free, unharmed and
unpunished. Leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri or Sardar Vallabh Bhai
Patel are a rare breed now who had very little bank balance at the
time of death.
The list of scams and scandals in the country is endless. Now recently
before the start of 2010 Common Wealth Games, Corruption played major
role in common wealth games organisation. The Bofors payoff scandal of
1986 involved a total amount of Rs 1750 crore in purchase of guns from
a Swedish firm for the Army. The Cement scandal of 1982 involved the
Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Sugar Scandal of 1994 involved a
Union Minister of State for food, the Urea Scam and of course no one
can forget Hawala Scandal of 1991, the Coffin-gate, fodder scam in
Bihar or the Stamp scandal which shocked not only the political arena
but the entire society.
Is it possible to contain corruption in our society? Corruption is a
cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. Many new leaders when
come into power declare their determination to eradicate corruption
but soon they themselves become corrupt and start amassing huge
wealth.
There are many myths about corruption, which have to be exploded if we
really want to combat it. Some of these myths are: Corruption is a way
of life and nothing can be done about it. Only people from
underdeveloped or developing countries are prone to corruption. We
will have to guard against all these crude fallacies while planning
measures to fight corruption.
It is not possible to kill or remove the corruption by improving the
Social-economic conditions of the country. Because we all know that
the most of the people who are corrupted are not economically or
socially backward, surely they will be having a notable social status.
"Despite a decade of progress in establishing anti-corruption laws and
regulations, these results indicate that much remains to be done
before we see meaningful improvements in the lives of the world's
poorest citizens."
The following steps should be considered to eradicate corruption:
Greedy business people and unscrupulous investors should stop bribing
the political elites. Don't be either at the receiving or at the
bribing end. Political elites should stop putting their private gains
before the welfare of citizens and economic development of their
regions. Government should include a chapter in text books related to
corruption and its desire consequences.
We all need to stop talking about Corruption only and start taking
initiatives and be brave in ourselves. Corruption is going to end only
when people like us stand up and speak out.
If we do not take step forward to remove corruption from root, the
word developing country will always be attached with our country
INDIA. So we, the common man, should find some solution for removing
corruption from our INDIA and hence we will also prove ourselves
helpful in making our country developed.
And it is possible - today's generation is willing to change this
system. And soon corruption will be out from our country. Every person
should consider this as his or her own responsibility to avoid and
defeat corruption
"A strong youth movement in the country only can remove corruption and
each student should take a vow to begin this exercise courageously
within the family" - Former President- Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
How Do You Measure Success In Life?
Reaching the top of the tree in one's chosen occupation or profession
is the usual standard by which success in life is measured, at least
in the Western world. However many Asians would reject this criterion.
The contemplative religions assert that success is only measurable in
terms of religious advancement and of the acquisition of the virtues.
Thus, success would be in inverse ratio to material advancement.
Most of the world accepts the definition of material advancement, its
objectives being affluence and perhaps power over others, both being
the most important means of self-expression. Some are born into
positions which already confer affluence and power, so success to them
might lie merely in the preservation of the family business or estate
and perhaps its enhancement for the benefit of the next generation.
Most people have to work hard to achieve success.
The western concept of success is not always satisfying and some
people, at the height of their affluence and power, reject it in favor
of the simple life. This happens for a variety of reasons. Beyond a
certain point the acquisition of money proves unsatisfactory. The
difference between the lifestyle available to a millionaire and that
available to a billionaire is marginal. Unhappily money making can
become an obsession, and some very wealthy people become very mean.
Money also creates anxiety since it usually has to be put at risk if
more is to be made. Other anxieties may be created when a large number
of people become dependent on a financial empire.
Money confers power which may corrupt. It is often made at the
disadvantage of others, and it may damage a business man's
relationships both with his peers and with his subordinates. These
pressures and anxieties often have a detrimental effect on health and
on family life. One's wife and children are inevitably neglected and
unhappy. The children of successful capitalists or career workaholics
sometimes reject everything the father offers and want to start a life
of their own where they could get and give that love and care they
always missed and which was replaced by materialistic things.
You can complete this essay in your own words…..
Let us now cover some essay topics that have appeared in the past in
B-schools entrances. These topics are very popular and have a high
chance of getting repeated:-
National affairs:
India has the largest pool of talented manpower but very few
innovations and patented products
Allowing Foreign Universities in India is bad for India's education system
India versus Bharat: a divided nation
How should women empower themselves?
More than one billion Indians: A gigantic problem or a sea of opportunities
Political Issues:
Voting should be made compulsory
Banning politicians with criminal records from contesting elections is
against their right
Fight against corruption
Women's Reservation Bill
Union Budget is useless and recession puts it off track
Economy/ Business Issues:
Recession is the mother of innovation
Should Petroleum Subsidy go away?
Discuss the role of Public Private Partnership in India's Economic Growth
Foreign direct investment will revitalize the education system
Businesses should concentrate on making profits and not address social
and environmental Issues
International Issues:
India to become a superpower in near future
China's relations with India vis-a-vis Pakistan
Does India have a role in Afghanistan? Discuss
This list of past Essay Topics above will help you understand what are
the areas to study, the topics asked are and how to go about
preparations. It is recommended that you read newspaper and listen to
news so that you're well tuned with current affairs.
Essay as a precursor to PI:
The essay you wrote in the first half of the personal assessment round
can generate some questions in the interview round. The panel could
ask you questions about the essay and you have to defend it. Questions
on the topic can also be asked, which means you will need to know a
lot about the topic. If you don't know something, simply admit it.
This was a complete module on WAT which is the latest buzz-word in
town for MBA aspirants. MBARendezvous.com has especially made this
module to throw sufficient light on this topic. We are very hopeful
that once you go through all the topics discussed in the module, you
will be well prepared to face the WAT of any institute or college.
Friday 30 January 2015
Group Exercise - Examples from Symbiosis
'In Group Exercise, we normally check for leadership qualities,
confidence, content and delivery.' – SIBM Pune
Work-ex of 19 monthsThe process began by dividing us in groups of 7-8
people and each group being assigned with a group coordinator. They
were SIBM first year students and were very friendly people. They
helped us in getting our documents checked. Once the documents were
verified, the real thing began. We were shown a wonderful video which
motivated everyone sitting in the hall. After that, we were shown a
video clip for our first GE/PI exercise. It was the first story the
commencement speech given by Steve Job at Stanford. It ended at "Stay
hungry, Stay foolish". We were supposed to discuss on this topic for
seven minutes.
A clip of Narayan Murthy was played for 2 minutes, he explained about
leaders and their abilities.
The clip was common to all the groups.
The group was given 17 minutes to discuss about what he said ? Do you
think something more could be added?
A video clip of about 2 mins featuring Mr. Ratan Tata was shown. The
interviewer asked to Tata that in the present scenario do you thing
Asian economies are ready to take up the challange and lead from the
front? Mr. Tata talked about the credibility crisis and CSR. The video
ended there. A question was thrown to us that do u agree with Mr. Tata
views that corporates should do more for the society? Three minutes
were given to us. Discussion among group was not allowed at this point
of time. All groups were moved to their respective panels after this.
There were 2 moderators…one was a Colonel who was cracking jokes and
another person was a bit serious…Yes 1st the Colonel gave us as
shocker by saying to Discuss on "Financial Status of Turkey". And then
he was laughing ..looking at our faces…then he gave us the Real Case
Study..
The Case study was abt a girl who was working at a small area in a
Retail firm and now she is given the responsibility of a larger area.
She has record of achieving outstanding results in the past but now
her supervisor has complained against her to the head office abt her
inabilities to achieve targets. But when asked her she tells she is
being victimised in a male dominated atmosphere….What would u do if u
r from head office?One dude Prerit was there who acted as leader, he
gave some points,…
CASE STUDY.then we were called for the case study. There were two
panelists. the lady professor told us to be relaxed and told she will
give an easy case study. apparently the group before us had made it a
fish market. The case study was about a driver who runs over a girl.
this has already been described in PG. we were all a bit nervous. but
the good thing was that
we dint make it a fish market ad everyone were allowed to voice their views.
we were given two bricks and made to stand on it. ten people. we
managed to balance for about 3 seconds but we lost it out. the
strategy was good but the execution was bad
don not think if i made my presence felt but did not fumble real bad.
this was followed by some reactions from the panelist who i heard are
a psychologist among others.
I was taken for Group Discussion.Case study was that that a small
restaurant is open in front of a huge one. The small restaurant
attracts youngsters and is going well and taking up the business of
the huge one. What should the owner of the huge hotel do ?
The panel checking us had already said don't make fish market. Be
cool..& don't interrupt anybody if he's making a good point.
Group Task- The same old one that 2 people(volunteers) were handcuffed
with the ropes in a group of 5 each. The 3 rest people were asked to
untangle them with 4 conditions-
1) People who are free are not supposed to touch the volunteers.
2) Ropes could not be broken.
3) We can't slide our hands through ropes.
4) Complete task in 3 mins.We were given 3 min for that. Both
subgroups(5 people) in our group could not do that. We were asked was
it possible to open. All people in other group said NO and thus the
invigilator shouted on them…do u think we are fool to give an
impossible task and blah blah blah…..
Next, my group was asked was it possible…probably from the fear all my
team mates said YES (what the hell..) but I said NO…then same shout
was thrown on me. Thanks to PG, I knew it was all fake to demoralize
us. He asked me were u satisfied with your performance, I said YES and
all others in my group said NO…once again I was invigilators' target
for shooting …"Who do u think u are, your teammates are unsatisfied
and so on…what are your parameters of satisfaction?" I calmly said..
sir I know we could not reach the target , we didn't succeed but we
didn't failed as well coz my parameters are- Efforts, Approach and the
ideas. Probably they were satisfied with the answer coz they stopped
shouting.Before that there was a psychometric test as well, to draw a
figure u like most. Circle, square, triangle, Z. Then, a form with 30
Qs. Were very easy. At the same time there was a student of SIBM
working as the invigilator…that madam was also trying to make
stressful environment. Nice acting madam!!PI- my PI was the last PI
not for my group, my batch but for whole SIBM call getters. So, jab me
andar gya to interviewers said ki ye to sab pooch k aa gya hoga ghot
ke. fir they said to me, wahi q pe pooche ki naye?? wahi q poochenge
to naye answer dene padenge, TIME, CL ka tape mat sunana
***************
A group task is effectively an evaluation of the psychological kinds
and it helps the examiner understand how the candidates behaves,
emotes, and acts in a group, and how their behavior alters in a group.
Groups tasks are an indicator of how a candidate behaves in society
and how he deals with people. There a number of social dimensions and
values that come into the picture when we start to deal with a group
and how individuals deal with them are reflected in a group task. The
leadership qualities of an individual also come to the fore in a group
task.
"Group tasks" are activities where a defined group of individuals need
to perform a defined task and accomplish the goals assigned to them.
At the end of the day, the group needs to perform its task and for
this, group members are expected to pitch in a variety of ways. They
need to identify the nature of the problem, the best ways of dealing
with it, provide specific facts and input that might be helpful in
solving the problem, and ensure that continuous discussion takes place
in a group so that communication channels are always open. Group tasks
provide an opportunity to check the relationship skills of people and
to check the commitment levels of its members. Group members can
perform their tasks in a variety of ways, and can be active
contributors to the group or stay aloof. Their nature and degree of
participation will help establish the kind of role they play in a
group. Overall, the behavior of a group is dictated by the members and
this determines who the group acts. For examples, some groups are
characterized by members who go out of their way to help others
whereas others are dominated by self centered individuals.
Why are Group Tasks conducted?
________________________________
B-Schools/Organisation use Group Tasks/Group Exercises to test team
work, interpersonal communication skills and the planning ability of
the candidates. The panel needs to know if one can mix well with
others; sometimes business simulated exercises are also given to test
candidate's performance in real managerial situations. In such
exercises, a candidate's ability to work in a team is put to test,
while testing his convincing power and reasoning ability. The task is
assigned to the group by the panellists in such a way that all get
equal opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities, express
themselves and give suggestions when asked for. Leadership skills ,
good team working skills , strong reasoning and decision making
skills, negotiating skills, taking initiative , facilitating others to
perform and speak ,showing a positive attitude, staying motivated
(Intensity, Direction and Perseverance) are some of the traits a Team
player must possess in order to successfully accomplish the task and
get selected.
The candidate may be given an indoor practical task, outdoor group
exercise, case studies, presentations, creating a proposal, performing
skits, role plays and so on. Certain B schools (like SIBM-Pune,
Bangalore & SCMHRD) evaluate candidates through such along with other
selection tools. In one such exercise students were asked to organise
an event for the B school. Other activities included forming a railway
platform with a stack of papers provided, analyzing a situation or a
picture, selling a product or preparing an election campaign. The
skills being evaluated are:
Intelligence
Leadership skills
Organizing Ability
Initiative
Cooperation
Liveliness
Determination
Decision Making Ability
Confidence
Attitude
Perseverance
Reasoning Ability
Persuasiveness
Past Group Exercise Experiences
________________________________
A group of 8 students were blindfolded and then given a twisted rope.
They were asked to arrange themselves in such a way as to form an 8
pointed star. Similarly, the group members were asked to arrange
themselves and form a square.
There was a brick lying on the floor and the team members were asked
to stand one above another on it.
The team members were given a card board, chart paper, pencil to
create any structure out of the materials provided, length being
150mm.
Tips for performing Group Activities:
________________________________
Listen attentively or make notes of the task related information provided.
Divide the task into bundle of activities so that the whole team can
work coherently (plan a work breakdown structure).
Stay focussed on the goal and remember team working skills are being
tested here.
Try to create an environment where communicating with team mates,
taking reasonable risks and action is possible.
Creativity, participative leadership, thinking out of the box and
strong reasoning is required to complete the task.
Take initiative but don't underestimate the team mates. True that the
team's success would be your success but be slightly diplomatic since
this a competition after all and you will be evaluated individually.
Remember Synergy is important for achieving goal (1+1 = 3).
Its observed that any group formation has generally these 5
stages(Tuckman's Model):
FORMING: Getting Acquainted and Establishing Ground rules
STORMING: Resisting control by Group Leader and Showing hostility
NORMING: Start working and develop close relationships
PERFORMING: Working towards goal achievement
ADJOURNING: Task complete
Have confidence in what you do and persevere (don't give up till the
last minute).
Perform your role keeping this in mind that you are being observed by the panel.
It is important to know that that the rationale behind group tasks is
to check the candidate's competence on team building skills, the
institute somehow looks for a chemistry between the candidate and his
future employer. The contemporary management practices emphasize more
on Team work now, since managers need to handle live projects. So
these team activities are an attempt to simulate actual managerial
dilemmas, an insight into real corporate complexities.
******************
This is an example of one kind of group exercise that you may
encounter at an assessment centre:
You and your group have found yourselves in a perilous situation as
described in the attached document. There is a long list of items that
you can use to aid your survival, but you can only take a small number
of these items with you (the number will be specified).
Your task is to work out between yourselves which items you will take,
and explain why you have chosen these items.
The assessors will normally watch from the edge of the room, with each
assessor focusing on a specific candidate. They will play no part in
the exercise and you will normally forget they are there.
There will be no definite right or wrong answer to this task; the
assessors are interested more in how you work as a team and the
process through which you come to a group consensus. Group members
will be scored on their individual input, rather than the overall
result for the group, so someone may still do very well in a team that
has failed to reach a conclusion.
The exercise will usually last 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of the
exercise, a member of the group will be asked to write a list of
chosen items on a flip chart.
Group Task - Survival
On your way back from a holiday in South America, your shuttle flight
to the airport is forced
to make an emergency landing in a small clearing in the Brazilian
rainforest. You, the pilot,
and your fellow passengers have only sustained minor injuries but the
plane has broken into
pieces and the communication equipment has been destroyed in the impact.
Before the plane crashed the pilot had reported a problem with one of
the engines, so there is
a good chance that the authorities will start looking for you when you
fail to arrive at your
destination. However, the forest is very dense and it will take days
to reach the edge of it on
foot.
You cannot remain where you are as there is a danger that the
aeroplane fuel will catch fire.
On searching through the wreckage and the remains of your suitcases
you find the following
items:
1. A guide to South American plant species
2. 3 elasticated luggage straps
3. 6 frozen airline meals
4. 4 blankets from the plane
5. A pack of 24 anti-malaria tablets
6. A 3 metre square piece of opaque plastic sheeting
7. Tourist map of Brazil
8. 2 large bottles of factor 12 sunscreen
9. Mobile phone with GPS, fully charged
10. 1 litre bottle of the local alcoholic spirit
11. 3 boxes of chocolate chip cookies
12. 4 current paperback novels
13. First aid box
14. Compass
15. Flare gun with one flare
16. A Swiss Army knife
17. A book of matches from the hotel
You are unable to carry more than 7 items from this list. (items
containing more than one
object still count as one item).
confidence, content and delivery.' – SIBM Pune
Work-ex of 19 monthsThe process began by dividing us in groups of 7-8
people and each group being assigned with a group coordinator. They
were SIBM first year students and were very friendly people. They
helped us in getting our documents checked. Once the documents were
verified, the real thing began. We were shown a wonderful video which
motivated everyone sitting in the hall. After that, we were shown a
video clip for our first GE/PI exercise. It was the first story the
commencement speech given by Steve Job at Stanford. It ended at "Stay
hungry, Stay foolish". We were supposed to discuss on this topic for
seven minutes.
A clip of Narayan Murthy was played for 2 minutes, he explained about
leaders and their abilities.
The clip was common to all the groups.
The group was given 17 minutes to discuss about what he said ? Do you
think something more could be added?
A video clip of about 2 mins featuring Mr. Ratan Tata was shown. The
interviewer asked to Tata that in the present scenario do you thing
Asian economies are ready to take up the challange and lead from the
front? Mr. Tata talked about the credibility crisis and CSR. The video
ended there. A question was thrown to us that do u agree with Mr. Tata
views that corporates should do more for the society? Three minutes
were given to us. Discussion among group was not allowed at this point
of time. All groups were moved to their respective panels after this.
There were 2 moderators…one was a Colonel who was cracking jokes and
another person was a bit serious…Yes 1st the Colonel gave us as
shocker by saying to Discuss on "Financial Status of Turkey". And then
he was laughing ..looking at our faces…then he gave us the Real Case
Study..
The Case study was abt a girl who was working at a small area in a
Retail firm and now she is given the responsibility of a larger area.
She has record of achieving outstanding results in the past but now
her supervisor has complained against her to the head office abt her
inabilities to achieve targets. But when asked her she tells she is
being victimised in a male dominated atmosphere….What would u do if u
r from head office?One dude Prerit was there who acted as leader, he
gave some points,…
CASE STUDY.then we were called for the case study. There were two
panelists. the lady professor told us to be relaxed and told she will
give an easy case study. apparently the group before us had made it a
fish market. The case study was about a driver who runs over a girl.
this has already been described in PG. we were all a bit nervous. but
the good thing was that
we dint make it a fish market ad everyone were allowed to voice their views.
we were given two bricks and made to stand on it. ten people. we
managed to balance for about 3 seconds but we lost it out. the
strategy was good but the execution was bad
don not think if i made my presence felt but did not fumble real bad.
this was followed by some reactions from the panelist who i heard are
a psychologist among others.
I was taken for Group Discussion.Case study was that that a small
restaurant is open in front of a huge one. The small restaurant
attracts youngsters and is going well and taking up the business of
the huge one. What should the owner of the huge hotel do ?
The panel checking us had already said don't make fish market. Be
cool..& don't interrupt anybody if he's making a good point.
Group Task- The same old one that 2 people(volunteers) were handcuffed
with the ropes in a group of 5 each. The 3 rest people were asked to
untangle them with 4 conditions-
1) People who are free are not supposed to touch the volunteers.
2) Ropes could not be broken.
3) We can't slide our hands through ropes.
4) Complete task in 3 mins.We were given 3 min for that. Both
subgroups(5 people) in our group could not do that. We were asked was
it possible to open. All people in other group said NO and thus the
invigilator shouted on them…do u think we are fool to give an
impossible task and blah blah blah…..
Next, my group was asked was it possible…probably from the fear all my
team mates said YES (what the hell..) but I said NO…then same shout
was thrown on me. Thanks to PG, I knew it was all fake to demoralize
us. He asked me were u satisfied with your performance, I said YES and
all others in my group said NO…once again I was invigilators' target
for shooting …"Who do u think u are, your teammates are unsatisfied
and so on…what are your parameters of satisfaction?" I calmly said..
sir I know we could not reach the target , we didn't succeed but we
didn't failed as well coz my parameters are- Efforts, Approach and the
ideas. Probably they were satisfied with the answer coz they stopped
shouting.Before that there was a psychometric test as well, to draw a
figure u like most. Circle, square, triangle, Z. Then, a form with 30
Qs. Were very easy. At the same time there was a student of SIBM
working as the invigilator…that madam was also trying to make
stressful environment. Nice acting madam!!PI- my PI was the last PI
not for my group, my batch but for whole SIBM call getters. So, jab me
andar gya to interviewers said ki ye to sab pooch k aa gya hoga ghot
ke. fir they said to me, wahi q pe pooche ki naye?? wahi q poochenge
to naye answer dene padenge, TIME, CL ka tape mat sunana
***************
A group task is effectively an evaluation of the psychological kinds
and it helps the examiner understand how the candidates behaves,
emotes, and acts in a group, and how their behavior alters in a group.
Groups tasks are an indicator of how a candidate behaves in society
and how he deals with people. There a number of social dimensions and
values that come into the picture when we start to deal with a group
and how individuals deal with them are reflected in a group task. The
leadership qualities of an individual also come to the fore in a group
task.
"Group tasks" are activities where a defined group of individuals need
to perform a defined task and accomplish the goals assigned to them.
At the end of the day, the group needs to perform its task and for
this, group members are expected to pitch in a variety of ways. They
need to identify the nature of the problem, the best ways of dealing
with it, provide specific facts and input that might be helpful in
solving the problem, and ensure that continuous discussion takes place
in a group so that communication channels are always open. Group tasks
provide an opportunity to check the relationship skills of people and
to check the commitment levels of its members. Group members can
perform their tasks in a variety of ways, and can be active
contributors to the group or stay aloof. Their nature and degree of
participation will help establish the kind of role they play in a
group. Overall, the behavior of a group is dictated by the members and
this determines who the group acts. For examples, some groups are
characterized by members who go out of their way to help others
whereas others are dominated by self centered individuals.
Why are Group Tasks conducted?
________________________________
B-Schools/Organisation use Group Tasks/Group Exercises to test team
work, interpersonal communication skills and the planning ability of
the candidates. The panel needs to know if one can mix well with
others; sometimes business simulated exercises are also given to test
candidate's performance in real managerial situations. In such
exercises, a candidate's ability to work in a team is put to test,
while testing his convincing power and reasoning ability. The task is
assigned to the group by the panellists in such a way that all get
equal opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities, express
themselves and give suggestions when asked for. Leadership skills ,
good team working skills , strong reasoning and decision making
skills, negotiating skills, taking initiative , facilitating others to
perform and speak ,showing a positive attitude, staying motivated
(Intensity, Direction and Perseverance) are some of the traits a Team
player must possess in order to successfully accomplish the task and
get selected.
The candidate may be given an indoor practical task, outdoor group
exercise, case studies, presentations, creating a proposal, performing
skits, role plays and so on. Certain B schools (like SIBM-Pune,
Bangalore & SCMHRD) evaluate candidates through such along with other
selection tools. In one such exercise students were asked to organise
an event for the B school. Other activities included forming a railway
platform with a stack of papers provided, analyzing a situation or a
picture, selling a product or preparing an election campaign. The
skills being evaluated are:
Intelligence
Leadership skills
Organizing Ability
Initiative
Cooperation
Liveliness
Determination
Decision Making Ability
Confidence
Attitude
Perseverance
Reasoning Ability
Persuasiveness
Past Group Exercise Experiences
________________________________
A group of 8 students were blindfolded and then given a twisted rope.
They were asked to arrange themselves in such a way as to form an 8
pointed star. Similarly, the group members were asked to arrange
themselves and form a square.
There was a brick lying on the floor and the team members were asked
to stand one above another on it.
The team members were given a card board, chart paper, pencil to
create any structure out of the materials provided, length being
150mm.
Tips for performing Group Activities:
________________________________
Listen attentively or make notes of the task related information provided.
Divide the task into bundle of activities so that the whole team can
work coherently (plan a work breakdown structure).
Stay focussed on the goal and remember team working skills are being
tested here.
Try to create an environment where communicating with team mates,
taking reasonable risks and action is possible.
Creativity, participative leadership, thinking out of the box and
strong reasoning is required to complete the task.
Take initiative but don't underestimate the team mates. True that the
team's success would be your success but be slightly diplomatic since
this a competition after all and you will be evaluated individually.
Remember Synergy is important for achieving goal (1+1 = 3).
Its observed that any group formation has generally these 5
stages(Tuckman's Model):
FORMING: Getting Acquainted and Establishing Ground rules
STORMING: Resisting control by Group Leader and Showing hostility
NORMING: Start working and develop close relationships
PERFORMING: Working towards goal achievement
ADJOURNING: Task complete
Have confidence in what you do and persevere (don't give up till the
last minute).
Perform your role keeping this in mind that you are being observed by the panel.
It is important to know that that the rationale behind group tasks is
to check the candidate's competence on team building skills, the
institute somehow looks for a chemistry between the candidate and his
future employer. The contemporary management practices emphasize more
on Team work now, since managers need to handle live projects. So
these team activities are an attempt to simulate actual managerial
dilemmas, an insight into real corporate complexities.
******************
This is an example of one kind of group exercise that you may
encounter at an assessment centre:
You and your group have found yourselves in a perilous situation as
described in the attached document. There is a long list of items that
you can use to aid your survival, but you can only take a small number
of these items with you (the number will be specified).
Your task is to work out between yourselves which items you will take,
and explain why you have chosen these items.
The assessors will normally watch from the edge of the room, with each
assessor focusing on a specific candidate. They will play no part in
the exercise and you will normally forget they are there.
There will be no definite right or wrong answer to this task; the
assessors are interested more in how you work as a team and the
process through which you come to a group consensus. Group members
will be scored on their individual input, rather than the overall
result for the group, so someone may still do very well in a team that
has failed to reach a conclusion.
The exercise will usually last 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of the
exercise, a member of the group will be asked to write a list of
chosen items on a flip chart.
Group Task - Survival
On your way back from a holiday in South America, your shuttle flight
to the airport is forced
to make an emergency landing in a small clearing in the Brazilian
rainforest. You, the pilot,
and your fellow passengers have only sustained minor injuries but the
plane has broken into
pieces and the communication equipment has been destroyed in the impact.
Before the plane crashed the pilot had reported a problem with one of
the engines, so there is
a good chance that the authorities will start looking for you when you
fail to arrive at your
destination. However, the forest is very dense and it will take days
to reach the edge of it on
foot.
You cannot remain where you are as there is a danger that the
aeroplane fuel will catch fire.
On searching through the wreckage and the remains of your suitcases
you find the following
items:
1. A guide to South American plant species
2. 3 elasticated luggage straps
3. 6 frozen airline meals
4. 4 blankets from the plane
5. A pack of 24 anti-malaria tablets
6. A 3 metre square piece of opaque plastic sheeting
7. Tourist map of Brazil
8. 2 large bottles of factor 12 sunscreen
9. Mobile phone with GPS, fully charged
10. 1 litre bottle of the local alcoholic spirit
11. 3 boxes of chocolate chip cookies
12. 4 current paperback novels
13. First aid box
14. Compass
15. Flare gun with one flare
16. A Swiss Army knife
17. A book of matches from the hotel
You are unable to carry more than 7 items from this list. (items
containing more than one
object still count as one item).
Thursday 29 January 2015
Case Study Inputs
ase Study
What are the various skills under the scanner in a Case Study?
________________________________
A case study, just like a group discussion, is designed to assess
certain group performance skills of the individual. The difference
stems from the fact that a Case Study tests a larger and slightly
different skill set as compared to a normal group discussion. The
following is a list of special traits, which the evaluators look for
while assessing a candidate.
Analytical Skills:
The core competence of an MBA is analysis of the situation: breaking
down data, formulating it into a pattern that makes sense and deriving
a sensible conclusion or recommendation. You should display this skill
through efficient, targeted and accurate piecing together of the data
while wrestling the group towards a solution to the case. After
self-analysis, you should clearly and logically present the findings
and recommendations for the group to discuss further.
Quantitative Skills:
Some case studies involve working with numbers to reach an effective
solution. In that situation, a quick calculation on a rough sheet to
present the relevant figures for the group will make you stand in a
very good light with the evaluator.
Flexibility:
This refers to the ability of the candidate to consider the opposing
point of view in light of the facts/figures presented in the case.
There is no single solution to the case and thus a flexible candidate
should not leave out good options in his analysis even if they were
presented with an opposing point of view.
Leadership Skills:
Leadership is demonstrated by taking charge of the discussion and
trying to achieve a consensus solution.This consensus solution need
not be the best one according to you; instead it should aim to
incorporate all viewpoints.
Presentation/Communication Skills:
Like in group discussion, effective communication forms an integral
part of a case study too. The skills tested are articulation in
presentation, fluency, body language, eye contact and coherence.
Remember: When you're speaking, slow down and smile. It's always
better to take a very small pause rather than babble!
Behavioral/Personality traits:
The personality traits being evaluated are: attitude, controlled
aggression, team membership, patience, amenability and assertiveness.
Goal Orientation:
This parameter is evaluated through the candidate's willingness to
arrive at a solution and intelligent use of other's content.
Confidence:
Last but not the least, the level of confidence, proactiveness and
action orientation form an important part of a candidate's
Suggest an action plan to handle the challenges in a case study.
________________________________
MBA entrance case study
Cases are certain illustrative situations depicting the profile and
context of any problem. To make sure you are able to handle a case
study successfully, it is important to be able to identify and develop
a strategy. Case Studies require a more analytical approach than a
group discussion. Generally, the questions asked at the end of the
case study are a "trap" for the students. The symptoms should not be
mistaken for the root problem.
The following action plan should enable you to sail your way past the
case study with ease.
Situation/Context Analysis :
The first step in a case analysis is to go over the case line-by-line
and jot down the relevant points, facts and figures. The aim of this
exercise is to capture the crux of the case in brief. Both the
internal as well as the external factors relevant to the organization
should be elucidated. This analysis provides a shape for things to
come in further analysis. The factors external to the organization
comprise things like level of competition, market share, raw material
prices, tight labour market conditions, price-cutting, customer
preferences etc. The factors internal to the organization comprise
mainly of its labour policies, dispute-redressal systems, project
approval schemes, marketing strategy, capacity expansions etc.
The 'PACER' format for Case Analysis:
This standard format is applicable to most of the case studies that
you would be required to tackle. Some minor variations might be needed
depending on the specific situation. It might not always be possible
to fit the entire format to a specific case; however, an attempt
should be made to incorporate as much as possible. It usually helps to
write down the format headings on a sheet of paper and then fill in
the details
P- Problem Definition:
The problem should ideally be defined in a crisp, single line
incorporating the most important decision issue to be solved in the
case. It helps to be quantitative at this stage to have a better grasp
of the problem. An important thing to remember is not to mistake the
symptoms for the root problem. For example a falling market share or a
decline in sales is, invariably, a symptom while the real problem may
lie with the nature of the industry or the quality of the product.
A- Alternatives Generation:
The next step is to list down the various alternatives to resolve the
problem and achieve the objectives set out in the case study. At this
stage, all the alternatives that come to mind should be listed even if
an alternative provides only a part solution to the problem at hand.
Sometimes, this part solution can be later combined with some other
alternative to provide a complete solution.
C- Criteria for evaluation of alternatives:
List down the parameters that are important to the solution of the
problem at hand. These parameters can be profitability, growth in
market share, image, sales etc.
E- Evaluate the alternatives:
This stage uses the criteria to evaluate the various alternatives
generated earlier.The positive and negative aspects of each
alternative are to be kept in mind while evaluating the alternatives.
R- Recommendations:
At the end of the analysis, provide recommendations to resolve the
situation. Also look at short-term as well as long-term implications
of the recommendations in solving the problem.
What are the popular "Do's" and "Don'ts" in a case study?
________________________________
Things to do:
Take time to analyze and think through the case.
Weigh the pros and cons and various trade-offs between two or more choices
Break down the complex problem into small, distinct pieces to enable
better articulation
Listen attentively, even to conflicting ideas, as they might provide
part solution to the problem
Summarize the analysis periodically
Be consistent, and not monotonous
Things NOT to do:
Jump to a conclusion at the start
Worry about speaking all the time
Worry about not having specific industry knowledge
Worry if you are not able to completely solve the case. Remember - The
structure of thoughts is as important as the final result.
Source : Bull's Eye
What are the various skills under the scanner in a Case Study?
________________________________
A case study, just like a group discussion, is designed to assess
certain group performance skills of the individual. The difference
stems from the fact that a Case Study tests a larger and slightly
different skill set as compared to a normal group discussion. The
following is a list of special traits, which the evaluators look for
while assessing a candidate.
Analytical Skills:
The core competence of an MBA is analysis of the situation: breaking
down data, formulating it into a pattern that makes sense and deriving
a sensible conclusion or recommendation. You should display this skill
through efficient, targeted and accurate piecing together of the data
while wrestling the group towards a solution to the case. After
self-analysis, you should clearly and logically present the findings
and recommendations for the group to discuss further.
Quantitative Skills:
Some case studies involve working with numbers to reach an effective
solution. In that situation, a quick calculation on a rough sheet to
present the relevant figures for the group will make you stand in a
very good light with the evaluator.
Flexibility:
This refers to the ability of the candidate to consider the opposing
point of view in light of the facts/figures presented in the case.
There is no single solution to the case and thus a flexible candidate
should not leave out good options in his analysis even if they were
presented with an opposing point of view.
Leadership Skills:
Leadership is demonstrated by taking charge of the discussion and
trying to achieve a consensus solution.This consensus solution need
not be the best one according to you; instead it should aim to
incorporate all viewpoints.
Presentation/Communication Skills:
Like in group discussion, effective communication forms an integral
part of a case study too. The skills tested are articulation in
presentation, fluency, body language, eye contact and coherence.
Remember: When you're speaking, slow down and smile. It's always
better to take a very small pause rather than babble!
Behavioral/Personality traits:
The personality traits being evaluated are: attitude, controlled
aggression, team membership, patience, amenability and assertiveness.
Goal Orientation:
This parameter is evaluated through the candidate's willingness to
arrive at a solution and intelligent use of other's content.
Confidence:
Last but not the least, the level of confidence, proactiveness and
action orientation form an important part of a candidate's
Suggest an action plan to handle the challenges in a case study.
________________________________
MBA entrance case study
Cases are certain illustrative situations depicting the profile and
context of any problem. To make sure you are able to handle a case
study successfully, it is important to be able to identify and develop
a strategy. Case Studies require a more analytical approach than a
group discussion. Generally, the questions asked at the end of the
case study are a "trap" for the students. The symptoms should not be
mistaken for the root problem.
The following action plan should enable you to sail your way past the
case study with ease.
Situation/Context Analysis :
The first step in a case analysis is to go over the case line-by-line
and jot down the relevant points, facts and figures. The aim of this
exercise is to capture the crux of the case in brief. Both the
internal as well as the external factors relevant to the organization
should be elucidated. This analysis provides a shape for things to
come in further analysis. The factors external to the organization
comprise things like level of competition, market share, raw material
prices, tight labour market conditions, price-cutting, customer
preferences etc. The factors internal to the organization comprise
mainly of its labour policies, dispute-redressal systems, project
approval schemes, marketing strategy, capacity expansions etc.
The 'PACER' format for Case Analysis:
This standard format is applicable to most of the case studies that
you would be required to tackle. Some minor variations might be needed
depending on the specific situation. It might not always be possible
to fit the entire format to a specific case; however, an attempt
should be made to incorporate as much as possible. It usually helps to
write down the format headings on a sheet of paper and then fill in
the details
P- Problem Definition:
The problem should ideally be defined in a crisp, single line
incorporating the most important decision issue to be solved in the
case. It helps to be quantitative at this stage to have a better grasp
of the problem. An important thing to remember is not to mistake the
symptoms for the root problem. For example a falling market share or a
decline in sales is, invariably, a symptom while the real problem may
lie with the nature of the industry or the quality of the product.
A- Alternatives Generation:
The next step is to list down the various alternatives to resolve the
problem and achieve the objectives set out in the case study. At this
stage, all the alternatives that come to mind should be listed even if
an alternative provides only a part solution to the problem at hand.
Sometimes, this part solution can be later combined with some other
alternative to provide a complete solution.
C- Criteria for evaluation of alternatives:
List down the parameters that are important to the solution of the
problem at hand. These parameters can be profitability, growth in
market share, image, sales etc.
E- Evaluate the alternatives:
This stage uses the criteria to evaluate the various alternatives
generated earlier.The positive and negative aspects of each
alternative are to be kept in mind while evaluating the alternatives.
R- Recommendations:
At the end of the analysis, provide recommendations to resolve the
situation. Also look at short-term as well as long-term implications
of the recommendations in solving the problem.
What are the popular "Do's" and "Don'ts" in a case study?
________________________________
Things to do:
Take time to analyze and think through the case.
Weigh the pros and cons and various trade-offs between two or more choices
Break down the complex problem into small, distinct pieces to enable
better articulation
Listen attentively, even to conflicting ideas, as they might provide
part solution to the problem
Summarize the analysis periodically
Be consistent, and not monotonous
Things NOT to do:
Jump to a conclusion at the start
Worry about speaking all the time
Worry about not having specific industry knowledge
Worry if you are not able to completely solve the case. Remember - The
structure of thoughts is as important as the final result.
Source : Bull's Eye
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