Genetic Modification ( Gm ) - 1619 Words

Genetic modification (GM) is the use of modern biotechnology techniques to change the genes of an organism such as plants or animals. No one is permitted to deal with a genetically modified organism (GMO) in Australia unless the Australian Gene Technology Regulator has determined that the GMO is safe to human health and the surrounding environment. As the world’s population continues to increase and is expected to double within the next few years, the world’s demand for food and fibre has increased drastically. GM foods and fibres seem to be the only means for a solution to provide for the high demand in which we now face. (Agric.wa.gov.au, 2014) Many foods in Australia contain GMO’s including Cereals, non-organic dairy products, papayas, bread, rice, potatoes, corn and many more. Genetic modification of foods and fibres includes inserting genes from one organism into another. The purpose of this is to modify the genetic code in animals and plants to make them resistant to pests or farming techniques such as being soaked with chemicals that would normally kill them or even just to make the plants and animals more productive. (Leigh Erin Connealy, 2013) If an organism is genetically modified it can be breed or crossed with another organism whether it’s GM or non-GM. Reproduction techniques such as cloning which is done through asexual reproduction or selective breeding and hybrids can be used to breed the genetic modification from the parents into the offspring eitherShow MoreRelatedGenetic Modification ( Gm )1501 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Genetic modification (GM) is the use of modern biotechnology techniques to change the genes of an organism such as plants or animals. No one is permitted to deal with a genetically modified organism (GMO) in Australia unless the Australian Gene Technology Regulator has determined that the GMO is safe to human health and the surrounding environment. As the world’s population continues to increase and is expected to double within the next few years, the world’s demand for food and fibreRead MoreIndividuals Educated in Biology or Who Are Health Conscious Are Opposed to the Genetic Modification of Foods1324 Words   |  6 PagesGenetically modified foods are food products that have had their genetic make-up altered or changed using various genetic engineering techniques. This includes inserting foreign DNA in to an organism in order to introduce favourable traits or enhancing, altering or removing existing features of organisms. These are techniques that do not occur natur ally in the environment and therefore GM is capable of creating the â€Å"ideal† organism. GM is used for various reasons but is usually advantageous to someone;Read MoreThe Biological And Physiological Mechanisms Of Action, Regulation Of Gene Expression, And Safety Of The Gene1277 Words   |  6 Pages　　Transgenic or Genetically Modified (GM) crops are plants used in agriculture that have been genetically modified using recombinant DNA technology. The aim for GM plants/crops is to express a gene or a trait that is not found in the species of the plant. The scientist that modify the plants insert a foreign gene into the plant’s original DNA. As a result to the modification, the plant receives characteristics within the genetic code. Most, GM plants become resistant to pesticides, however thereRead MoreThe Health Impacts Of Eating Foods1108 Words   |  5 Pagespossessed the tools for crafting a better world. Where love, compassion, altruism and justice have failed, genetic manipulation will not succeed. Gina Maranto, Quest for Perfection. Genetic modification (GM) uses the method of genetic engineering, to manually add new DNA to an organism. With genetic modification one or more new traits are added to the organism that is not present. This modification is either advantageous to the producer or consumer. Food is genetically modified to give or take specificRead MoreThe Effects Of Genetic Modification On The Environment And The Human Race1475 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough many oppose the genetic modification of crops, genetic modification also poses an opportunity to lower the price of crops and increase production, which could help solve world hunger. While it may seem like negative effects would be outweighed by the possibility of solving world hunger, an important issue, the conceivably detrimental effects on the health of the environment and the human race would outweigh the humanitarian goal of stopping world hunger. Genetic modification of crops is not theRead MoreMaize : A Crop From Central America1272 Words   |  6 Pagesinto Asia and Africa, where it remains a staple food for 50% of low income households (IITA 2009). Maize was first genetically modified in Canada in 1997, and was approved for use in Europe in the same year, and growing of GM Maize began in Spain in 1997 (GMO 2016). In 1997, as GM Maize was first produced, the European Union introduced mandatory laws on the labelling of all genetically modified products (Shireen, 2013). As genetically modified crops began to grow, the market experienced losses as concernsRead MoreThe Harm of Genetically Modified Organisms Essay1030 Words   |  5 PagesThe Harm of Genetically Modified Organisms Genetic Modification is when the genetic make-up of a living organism is altered (1). This can be done by changing an existing section of DNA or by inserting a new gene (4). Genetic Modification began in the late 1970’s (6). It can be used between different species for example from a plant to a human or an animal to a human. It is often used to enhance the flavour of foods as well as to improve the size and quantity of foodsRead MoreGenetically Modified Crops Are A Hazard Of Human Health1477 Words   |  6 Pageshealth, while others see the advantages of GM farming. There is a great amount of hesitation when people hear the terms â€Å"antibiotic resistance† and â€Å"contamination† when it involves their food. These terms are taken out of context and without a proper understanding of their role in plant genetics, can create fallacies. Genetically modified crops are in fact a negligible risk when it comes to human health. Biotechnology, transgenic crops, and genetic modification are words and phrases being thrown aroundRead MoreGenetically Modified Food ( Gm Food ) Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pagesone of the major problem faced by the present world. Genetically modified food (GM Food) is the solution offered by our scientific community to cope with this problem.The food produced on a massive scale, by direct or indirect involvement of genetically manipulated organisms is called genetically modified food. Advancement of Biotechnology resulted in a novel method of artificial genetic manipulation called Genetic engineering. It is primarily based on recombinant DNA technology. It is this technologyRead MoreGenetically And Genetically Modified Organisms1447 Words   |  6 Pagesbegun to come under public scrutiny. Out of these issues, none are more controversial than the use of GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms. Since its first use in 1973, genetic modification has been applied to almost every crop imaginable. Countless fields of beans, rice, and corn have become subject to genetic modification as more and more farmers begin to realize the benefits of growing â€Å"super† plants. With so little drawbacks and so many advantages, it is easy to see why GMOs are as widespread

The Effects Of Low High Levels Of Alcohol During Pregnancy

It is recognized that children of mothers who consume high levels of alcohol during pregnancy are at risk of developing disorders, the most common, the fetal alcohol syndrome. The effects of low to moderate alcohol are uncertain, however, they may have similar negative outcomes and cause cognitive deficits and conduct problems, particularly in early childhood. It is imperative to know the possible consequences and the extent of the consequences, especially because some women consume it often before becoming aware they are pregnant. The most critical times in development is when the fetus is in the womb of the mother. The fetus is at risk of harm of the things the mom consumes and is exposed to. Teratogens can especially do harm. They are†¦show more content†¦According to Murray and colleagues (Burgess, Zuccolo, Hickman, Gray, Lewis, 2016), those mothers who did drink the six units had children who were later at risk of developing conduct problems, such as lying, stealing, a nd other aggressive behaviors. This is particularly seen in development of early-onset conduct problems from ages four to thirteen, which isn t true for the children of mothers who did not drink. During pregnancy women completed weekly questionnaires asking about their alcohol consumption, and when their children were older reported any possible conduct problems. A similar study done by Kilburn, T. R., Eriksen, H. F., Underbjerg, M., Thorsen, P., Mortensen, E. L., Landrà ¸, N.I., Kesmodel, U. S. (2015) tested preschoolers’ choice reaction time and information processing time. On a computer they were shown images of animals for a certain amount of seconds and had to press a green key for â€Å"yes†, meaning the animal was previously shown, or a red button for â€Å"no†, it was not shown. Although there was no difference in information processing time between children of mothers who drank and those who did not, the number of correct answers shown from the choice reaction time shows there is a possible correlation with the mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but only with binge drinking. Additionally, I.Q was measured using the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children in eight year old kids. Although the I.Q scores were slightly lower than those ofShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Air Pollution On Reproductive Health1376 Words   |  6 Pagesknown as Teratogens. Teratogens can stop the pregnancy outright, or in cases of full term pregnancies, cause birth defects to the child. Some categories of teratogens are environmental and subjective teratogens. Environmental teratogens relate to environmental factors that cause birth defects or termination of a pregnancy. Subjective teratogens are substances in which the mother consumes that cause defects to the child or also termination of a pregnancy. Substances such as air pollution, pesticidesRead MoreEssay On Maternal Drinking In Aotearoa1097 Words   |  5 Pagesaffected by FASD is in the thousands. McLeod, Pullon, Cookson, Cornford (2002) study, concluded that a quarter of pregnant New Zealand women had consumed alcohol at twenty-four weeks. Further, the 2007/08 New Zealand Alcohol and Drug Use Survey found that one in four pregnant women reported having consumed alcohol at some point throughout pregnancy (Ministry of Health, 2010). However, studies in the United States suggest that the prevalence of FASD to be a conservative 1% in Aotearoa. These resultsRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy1552 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The Council on Recovery, plans to address the issue of alcohol abuse during pregnancy in Harris county, TX with behavioral and cognitive-based education interventions. According to the CDC, pregnant women with the highest prevalence of any alcohol use were those that are 35-44 years of age, college graduates, or not married with lifetime-care costs estimated at over $2 million. The CDC also reports the state of Texas has 45% of any alcohol use among women aged 18-44 and 14.8% of the same age groupRead MoreEssay on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome1598 Words   |  7 Pagespregnant women drinks heavily during her pregnancy? It can lead to permanent, irreversible and incurable effects that will bring a lifetime of pain for both the child and the family. These permanent and unchangeable effects arise from a fetus attaining fetal alcohol syndrome from its mother. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of malformations and disabilities resulting from a pregnant woman drinking heavily during her pregnancy. FAS is unique in that effects on the children are directlyRead More Alcohol And The Fetus Essay1518 Words   |  7 Pages Know When to Say When nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Drinking during pregnancy is often thought of as no big deal. However, drinking during pregnancy is a very big deal. An unborn baby’s life is in the hands of the mother. If she decides to drink, she is risking the unborn’s chances of being as smart and healthy as it can be. Drinking during pregnancy opens the doors to a variety of harmful effects on the mother and her unborn baby, and until this is brought out in the open with honesty, it cannotRead MoreHow Substance Abuse Negatively Affects The Baby While During1328 Words   |  6 PagesHow substance abuse negatively affects the baby while during a woman’s pregnancy. Many women across the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into whyRead MorePrenatal Development And Development Of A Fetus1591 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment, also known as antenatal development, is the process of the development of a human fetus during pregnancy, from fertilization of the egg until the birth of the child. There are many factors that can contribute to the development of the fetus and many threats that can impact it. Most prenatal development occurs in a normal manner, however; there are many things that can go wrong during this vulnerable time and usually are caused by genetic or environmental factors. While the hazards thatRead MorePrenatal Alcohol Exposure And Childhood Behavior At Age 6822 Words   |  4 PagesSood, B. Delaney-Black, V. (2001). Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Childhood Behavior at Age 6 to 7 Years: I. Dose- Response Effect. Research Question. The main research question proposed in this study: 1) does alcohol affect children prenatally. The hypothesis that researchers draw is if there are adverse effects of children who were exposed to a low dosage of alcohol at the age of 6 to 7 years of age. This study wanted to find the amount of alcohol it would take for children to exhibit problemRead MoreNo Teratogens During Pregancy Essay1169 Words   |  5 Pagesthe fetus. At that stage in the pregnancy the egg has already been fertilized and attached to the uterus. This is known as the embryonic stage where if health isn’t a priority complications can occur. At this point the mother and embryo share a common blood supply therefore anything the mother does affects the embryo. This is also the stage in which most miscarriages occur. There are numerous teratogens but two common tasks involving teratogens are drinking alcohol and smoking. The first activityRead MoreThe Truth About What Alcohol Abuse Does to a Fetus1118 Words   |  5 PagesThe Truth About Fetal Alcohol Abuse Would you have ever thought of physically, mentally, and/or emotionally harming an unborn child? In the 1990s people have noted the significant impact alcohol-related birth defects are having on our society then and now. My essay will discuss alcohol consumption among pregnant women and its adverse effects on fetal development. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS is physical and mental health problem that destroys a childs learning development.

Manufactured Crisis Myths, Fraud, and the Attack Free Essays

Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America’s Public Schools is an illustrative work by Berliner, an educational psychologist, and Biddle, a social psychologist, unfolds the the popualr myths about American school education that are prevalent in the American society.   It further explain the background of the creation of these myth and refute the popular beliefs on various grounds.He is of the view thatr since the publication of A Nation at Risk (1983), American society has fabricated various popular myths about their scholl educational system. We will write a custom essay sample on Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack or any similar topic only for you Order Now He further narrates the nature of these beliefs and says that there are several distinct types of popular myths i.e. failure of Aemrican school system in general, declin in the college students’ performance   and the comparative failure to keep up with their fallow students in   advanced European and Asian countries measured against the developed parameters, better performance of private schools as compared with public schools, too much resource allocation for education but net result is not worth that spending and threat to American future due to the failure of these public school system. Berliner and Biddle consider these allegation as mere speculations and fabrication that has no real grounds. The arguments provided innthe books are not subjective and indivduals speculation but Berliner and Biddle’s arguments are developed by close analysis and interpretation of the data and decoding high-sounding polemical pronouncements. The pronouncements of these prominent scholars are based on quite fair assumptions and they closely assess the data to prove their points. The strength of their findings can be illustrated by the continuous advice offered to reader to aassess their findings on parameters they used for other contemporary educational critics who created the above-mentioned myths. At the very start, the book looks into the hidden agendas and motives of some distinguished educational critics and tries to pocate the reasons for that. The authors depict that by manufacturing some myth about the public sector school system, these scolars and intellectiauals serve the vested interests of pro-privatization groups. Berliner and Biddle further assersts in the past the assualt on public schools came from the same pro-privatization groups. They provide comprehensive data and manifest that all these attacks were repleted with fabricated myths faradulent assertions about the disadvantages of American Public School System. Berliner and Biddle illustrates that in reality this manufactured viewpoint is an epitome of organized malevolence that only serves the interests of some vested group in the education sector.And this creationof myth has deluded American nation about the true state of public school system and their triumphs for the last two decades. The fabrication of these myths need lobbying abd subtle penetration into the minds and psychology of the Amerrican people. Berliner and Biddle affirm that this viewpoint has been extensively propogated influential people within the govermental sector and outside, who â€Å"were pursuing a political agenda designed to weaken the nation’s public schools, redistribute support for those schools so that privileged students are favored over needy students, or even abolish those schools altogether† (p. xii). Berliner and Biddle again reinforce the idea that provision of education to a diverse population on the mass scale is only possible through these public schools amd its structure is far more developed than depicted by the authors of manufactured realities. The intial chapters reveals the deceitfuil statements about the accomplishments and aptitudes of American students. They further explores the myths associated with huge spendings on the educations and its results. It further narrates the chrateristics of public school systems that are apprehensible to the critics of public schools. These chapter further illustrates the misapprehension in the mind of general public and root causes of prevalent public dissatisfaction with public education. Berliner and Biddle discloses that these critics intentionally disregard the   accomplishments of these public schools and only portrays the social and educational problems associted with these institutes. In the proceeding chapters, the authors analyze the mtives behind these manufactured criticism and dilemmas attributed to public school system.   Berliner and Biddle display that this criticism is dine in a subtle way but in response they do not put the blame of the critics and their believers but put social forces under allegations.They further appraise the suggestions of these critics for educational reforms of this system as poorply formulated ideas. The next chapter provide a cpmprehensive assessment of the real dilemmas faced by American educational system. Considers authtentic and productive criticism beneficial for public school system in particular and American educational sector in general but they further note that criticism to serve particular interets has also long tradition in the education sector. Berliner and Biddle note that there has been a long tradition of criticizing. They not only identifies the manufactured myths but also proves these myths as fake and fabricated with the help of data collected through various means. They further seek solutions to the real problems faced by the public schools in America. This book also considers the five Bracey reports on public education published annually by Phi Delta Kappan since 1991 and the 1994 PDK/Gallup poll as essential indicators of the realities about American School systems. Berliner and Biddle’s main focus was the manufactured crisis produced by various educational critics to undermine American Public school system and erosion of a sense of loss these manufactured myths has produced in the minds of American citizens about their educational system but thet further eloborated the various authentic criticism and suggested that the recommendation of these studies must be implemented to improve the system. They include their own recommendations in that list and says that the comiited forces together with appropriate educational research and compassion can eliminate this crisis and will mold it into success. For the above-mentioned reasons and others, The Manufactured Crisis is an well0doumented and illustrative work that can capacitate those who committed for the excellance in American school system to work in a more productive and reponsible way. Rerefences Berliner and Biddle.( 1995.) The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America’s Public Schools. Addison Wesley. How to cite Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack, Essay examples

Essential Encouraging a Systematic Thinkingâ€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: How Essential Encouraging A Systematic Thinking? Answer: Introduction Rational of the report In the process of completing our course, we were encouraged to do our evaluations on the progress of our learning, an assignment that required as having a group discussion. The objective of the group discussion was to give us a clear understanding on the impact information literacy practice has on our professional development. We decided on the use of Johari Window Model of understanding the self as the framework of choice. This paper hence demonstrates the need for a reflective practice and the value it added on our learning process within the group. This report is thus identifying a number of benefits the reflective practice had as well as the implications if the discussion to the individual learning process, an aspects that supports active reflection often lead to positive changes in the attitude of the learners as well as their behavior according to Harrison (2010, p.638). The report hence adopts the use of Gibbs Cycle model in evaluation. The importance of the reflection Personal reflection through individual or group discussion is a common learning process for education professionals as pointed out by Dye (2011 p. 222). It is a vital step when it comes to the need of understanding ourselves in all facets of the learning process. In a systematic review, Dye (2011) denotes that every learner in any professional development course is often encouraged to reflect on the impact and process of individual reflection on their professional development. On the other hand, Potter (2015) also denotes that understanding reflection through either personal or group reflection is essential for three primary reasons. It helps in re-defining our professional knowledge and understanding, essential for developing personal knowledge and self-awareness, as well as in evaluating the appropriateness of our actions in the process of learning. In other words, McGinn (2015) having a group discussion to understand our selves is essential in enhancing the quality of our professional actions while increasing our accountability, aspects that were very beneficial for us in developing professional wisdom. In his study, Granby (2016) points out that teachers are often trapped in unexamined interpretations, judgments, expectations, and assumptions when they do not engage in a critical self or group reflection in understanding self and their professional discovery. Potter (2015, p. 238) also denotes that any candidate that applies for a professional accreditation needs to be in a position to evaluate their individual and service performance. The same study denotes that having a group discussion to understand self is a recommended practice for effective professional development as an evaluative and meaningful way of professional gain. The group discussion scenario I had been in a nursing practice session in a middle grade clinic in Western Sydney and as a routine; we are often required to give a report on our experience during the practice. Every student is always expected to present a written report on their experience while maturity to effectively handle patients and ensure effective healthcare would be assessed through a group discussion and presentation before the fellow course mates as well as few chosen nursing tutors from the relevant professional department. In the group, everyone is expected to present a topic, an aspect that aimed not only to test the maturity if handing students but testing self-understanding of we the learners as well. Lucky enough, my group members were always known to be active in our class sessions and all colleagues expected we would have the best presentation. Gibbs Cycle Background information of the model According to Harrison (2010), Gibbs reflective cycle is a popular model often adopted in the professional learning process for both individual and group reflection purposes. The model is essential in encouraging a systematic thinking on the phrases of an activity or experience (Patel 2016, p. 89). The model adopts the use of questions and helps an individual think though all the phases of the activity as each question forms the step that determines the next idea as pointed out by Harrison (2010, p.638). The main aim of adopting Gibbs reflective cycle in understanding self is to help an individual to challenge their assumptions and explore different ideas or new approaches towards thinking or doing things. By identifying weaknesses and strengths and taking actions to address the challenges, Dye (2011) denotes that Gibbs reflective cycle helps in promoting self-improvement. The same study asserts that the model is essential in linking theory and practice as it combines observing or doi ng while thinking or applying knowledge. The model involves six main stages as shown in figure 1 with each stage having individual reflective questions for examination of an activity in the reflection process. These include the description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and the action plan. Figure 1: Gibbs reflective cycle (Adopted from Dye 2010, p. 218) Application of the model in the analysis Description: The description section requires a learner to explain what the process of reflection is all about. Dye (2017) denotes that the description involves the background information that is relevant to the reflection. It hence describes who was involved in the activity and their contribution in the process. After the instructions from our tutor to have group discussions to evaluate one the topic we would present effectively for the assessment, every group member was given a responsibility to do research in preparation of the occasion as the evaluation was allocated 20% of the total grade in practical assessment course. Timid, small in size and fearful as I was, many of my fellow learners often had the mentality that i was too fearful to talk bravely in front of them, as aspect that was even reflected by my group members during the group discussion. As we began our group discussion, I realized there was biasness when it comes to contribution of the discussion. Everyone would be given a chance to share on the concepts and report their research results on areas that we felt were of importance for the discussion in the understanding of self. Realizing the mood of discussion was not favorable and fair for me, I decided to ask our group leader why he would pass me every time it was my turn to participate. I became so nervous that when I was finally given the chance, I could not speak well and clearly put out my ideas. To my group members, it was a confirmation to them that I was not dimmed fit to be among the group. They only had this idea that at least it was a group work so they would do most of the work as well as the presentation in the fear that I would let them down due to poor presentation, an aspect that they only judged out of my calm nature without knowing my potential. Feelings: Here, the reflection examines the feelings and thoughts concerning the experience (Rossiter et al. 2015, p. 814). In this section I will explore the feelings I had towards that incident at the time, still it entails the thoughts that were going through my mind at the time. Well, quite a number of feelings developed in me. To begin with I feared that my worst doubts had been confirmed. I always knew that my group members did not believe in my ability to make contributions in our discussions and presentations. So with the happening of this, I had for sure confirmed it was true. I had a feeling of embarrassment too because I knew that from then on, the perception of my group members towards me would change for the worst. In the midst of all these it was still impossible to stop blaming myself. I had a strong feeling of self-attribution. I blamed myself for the fact that I had allowed myself to succumb to the fear that was within me. According to Schacter et al. (2015), self-attribution is an emotion where one feels like something is their fault and blames themselves for it. I felt like it was my fault and there was nothing I could do to change it. That caused me a lot of emotional pain. I thought to myself that it was important for me to try harder at it. According to Cooley et al. (2017), people in a group have more mind than a group of people. This emphasizes the need for every group member to participate actively by contributing their ideas and thoughts as this is vital in the learning process. At this point I felt like I had made the session turn into the latter- a group of people rather than individuals with independent minds working in a group. Still I felt bad that almost not a single member of the group had believed in me. I thought maybe that would have changed things. Maybe it would have given me the courage to speak up. Evaluation: This section of the cycle seeks to identify two things; what was good about the experience? What was bad about the experience? Well several things emerged from this incident. As an optimist I saw several positives about it. Firstly, an opportunity had just presented itself for me to learn about myself. That was a good thing. It made me become more aware of the fact that I had a serious confidence issue to deal with. Self-efficacy and self-awareness is an important tool for empowerment of individuals. According to Caldwell et al. (2016) when an individual comes to the point where they appreciate self-efficacy and awareness, they are empowered and can also empower those with whom they work (Schacter Juvonen 2015, p. 841). The feeling of self-attribution may have caused some emotional pain but it helped me to come to a point where I appreciated the bigger picture. According to Sharma et al. (2016), of self-attribution is painful but essential in mediating and moderating self-therapy. The incident made me question myself about the few times when I had been able to make some contribution in the task group albeit small. According to Schroeder et al. (2016), individuals tend to credit themselves as having more responsibility than other group members when working together in performing group tasks. This is one feature of group dynamics that is often observed in several task groups as observed by Schroeder, Caruso, and Epley (2016, p. 89). It made me realize that all the while in our group assignments I had been crediting myself for much more than I really was able to do. That was a positive thing to discover about myself. This incident also brought to the fore another vital aspect. I learnt that most trainee teachers felt inadequate in their first class presentations or lessons. So it helped me appreciate the fact that it was okay to be nervous. Gr eene et al. 2006, points out, saying that nine in every ten trainee teachers find their first teaching experience inadequate and unsatisfying. That was a positive thing that gave me a positive feeling. After talking to a colleague about my experience, I learned that most teachers find themselves tongue tied during their first lessons. There were also a number of things that were negative about the incident. None of my colleagues had believed in me. That was daunting for me. According to Sharma et al. (2016), what most students need is someone who offers to meet them at their point of need to help them improve their engagement in class work and maximize learning effects. I knew that given an opportunity, I could do better and demonstrate to my colleagues that I was just as talented as them if not better. Analysis: In this section, the paper seeks to explore this question; what sense can be made from the incident? Here I will also seek to relate the incident to theory. One thing that came out strongly in this incident is the fact that individuals are all different according to Sharma-Patel and Brown (2016). This means that even within the group membership, individuals retain their various personalities and character and it would be irrational to expect everyone to act in a similar way in the face of every circumstance. I would want to understand my group members reaction towards my perceived failure in this light. This is an understanding that should also guide the group members in their deliberations as opposed to causing a hindrance to the task completion as was the case in our group. People including researchers tend to visualize groups as having minds. Far from it Jenkins et al. (2014) posits that one only needs to employ mind-appealing perceivers to be able to study the mind of one individual minus the group members. This would be helpful in improving the level of interaction among group members. What would I have done in order to prevent the incidence from happening in the first place? How did I end up in this situation I think one of the reasons could be the group itself. What if I was not in the right group to begin with? Aggarwal et al. (2008) posits that by merely allocating students to various groups and assigning them tasks and instructing them to have interactive engagements with their colleagues, it is not guaranteed that they will their full potential will be realized. It does not promise to yield optimal learning outcomes. From this maybe we as a group needed to reconsider the group composition to from the onset. This is also a serious issue to be co nsidered by the academic instructors so they consider as they allocate students to task groups. Action Plan: According to Venkatesh (2013), the action plan section is the segment of the reflection cycle where one is supposed to answer the following questions; what can be done in order to prevent occurrence of a similar incident in the future? Which areas can be improved? What are the priority areas that need to be developed? Well for me this takes two approaches; what I can do as an individual to enhance my participatory skills and what we can do as a task group to become better group members. I think in future taking a great deal of time to study relevant information on the topic area will go a long way in boosting my confidence. Information is power, they say. According to Cornelius-White (2007) learning depends on prior knowledge. Knowledge builds upon knowledge. As such I am undertaking to conduct a thorough study of the subject content prior to discussion time so that as I contribute, I would be emboldened by the fact that I am well informed. I realized that this bit was lacking in me before. McGinn et al. (2015) also posits and emphasizes on the importance of having students carry out a thorough reading of the topic before classes. According McDougall et al. (2006) for maximum learning outcome to be realized most college professor prefer to give prior reading assignments to help build the learners capacity to follow through and understand during class time. Moving forward, group members should have a governing policy like this one. This would ensure that as we meet for our group discussions we would all be ready to share our ideas. This would be the way to go for me to become a better group participant. On the part of all of us as group members, it is important that we appreciate that collaborative learning is one of the most effective ways for learners to achieve the optimal learning outcomes especially in task groups. According to Xiaoqing et al. (2017), collaborative learning provides a platform for learners to help each other identify and work towards overcoming their weaknesses while maximizing their strengths. The differences in personality and cultural diversity should converge rather than converge on the area of focus-achieving maximum learning outcomes. This should be the driving force for group members even as we proceed with discussions. Therefore, members of the group should realize that active participation and contribution from every group member is paramount. Alden (2011) submits that in order to achieve successful performance of group tasks, the task group should employ the intellectual resources of the members collectively. Conclusion From the above analysis, it is evident that reflective practice is a common and is increasingly becoming recognized as a primary professional skill mainly for practitioners who need to analyze and evaluate their service as well as individual performance. The discussion was essential in introducing us to effective professional practice through both reflective writing and the application of Gibbs reflective model. As a learner, I came to the understanding that critical group reflection is essential when it comes to learning/understanding self. It is an essential process that should not only be adopted as a learning practice in professionalism but a way of life so that one can critically evaluate his strengths and weaknesses, an aspect that is essential for improvement in certain areas of life. Through the analysis and application of various reflection models, I also understood that both personal and group reflections are essential in evaluating and understanding why some people behave in a certain way, an aspect that is often displayed in their reactions and feelings. The reflection enabled me to evaluate and understand my strengths and weaknesses. I was hence able to justify the need of the discussion as well and have a self-evaluation of what I could do differently to ensure effectiveness in my professional performance. References Aggarwal, P., OBrien, C. 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