What is your reaction to Tiger Woods winning the Masters tournament on April 14, snapping a decade-long championship drought?
In your opinion, what has been the greatest comeback in history — whether in sports, another field or your own life? What made the rebound so great?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to find out more about Woods’s victory.
Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan.
adjective: native to or confined to a certain region
adjective: originating where it is found
adjective: of or relating to a disease (or anything resembling a disease) constantly present to greater or lesser extent in a particular locality
noun: a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location
noun: a plant that is native to a certain limited area
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The word endemic has appeared in 157 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 3 in the Opinion essay “Reckoning With Violence” by Michelle Alexander:
As Ms. Sered explains in her book, drawing on her experience working with hundreds of survivors and perpetrators of violence in Brooklyn and the Bronx, imprisonment isn’t just an inadequate tool; it’s often enormously counterproductive — leaving survivors and their communities worse off.
… Ms. Sered launched Common Justice in an effort to give survivors of violence — like herself — a meaningful pathway to accountability without perpetuating the harms endemic to mass incarceration. As a restorative justice program, it offers a survivor-centered accountability process that “gives those directly impacted by acts of violence the opportunity to shape what repair will look like, and, in the case of the responsible party, to carry out that repair instead of going to prison.” …
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The following course in Self-esteem and human relationships is provided in its entirety by Atlantic International University’s “Open Access Initiative” which strives to make knowledge and education readily available to those seeking advancement regardless of their socio-economic situation, location or other previously limiting factors. The University’s Open Coursesare free and do not require any purchase or registration, they are open to the public.
The course in Self-esteem and human relationships Learning contains the following:
The Administrative Staff may be part of a degree program paying up to three college credits. The lessons of the course can be taken on line Through distance learning. The content and access are open to the public according to the “Open Access” and ” Open Access ” Atlantic International University initiative. Participants who wish to receive credit and / or term certificate , must register as students.
We humans appear to be equipped with a set of predictable responses to situations. We call these the basic emotions: anger, fear, surprise, disgust, joy and sadness, as described in the 1970s. Over time, this list of basic emotions has been added to, subtracted from and reshaped based on the idea that human emotions are universal. This notion suggests that for any given situation, like being hit in the nose, any individual in any culture would experience something like anger. This view of emotions as largely objective is widely accepted, although there is an emerging school of thought that believes emotions to be far more subjective. Rather than six or 11 basic emotions, there is an emotion for every possible human experience. Under almost every explanation of emotions is the premise that they’re a naturally occurring response to a situation. Whether this response is the result of our own evaluation or an automatic one remains to be seen. In the field of psychology, the view of the nature of emotions can be divided into two camps. Emotions are either the result of a judgment of any current situation or a perception of changes taking place within our bodies. In other words, when we experience disgust, it could be the result of a judgment about how we feel when we see vomit. Under the other view, we experience disgust because our body undergoes physiological changes like queasiness and increased skin temperature at the sight of vomit.
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French philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenged the preexisting child depravity theory, a Puritan concept that held that children were born evil, tainted with original sin, and therefore must be harshly disciplined and factually educated. Rousseau’s principal contribution to education was the 1762 novel Emile, and it influenced many later educational pioneers. Have we reverted back to the child depravity theory? It doesn’t seem so, as child-centered progressive education continues to grow. Its slow development may owe something to the reluctance for child-depravity theorists to abolish their belief that children are “bad”. The theory that Rousseau primarily attached in his philosophy of education was that of child depravity. This theory stated that children are born with a tendency to evil, and are naturally, therefore, inclined to misbehave. The only way to combat this is to instill authoritarian teachers that rule their classroom with an iron fist. Rousseau was certainly not the first to attach this theory, but he was one of the greatest champions of anti-child depravity. Child depravity was a Puritan concept, and play was looked upon as idleness and their talk as nonsensical. This theory shaped education in the northern states of the U.S., over a hundred years before Rousseau wrote Emile, and it remained powerful in the northern U.S. for almost two centuries afterward.
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Lesson 3: ORIGIN OF SELF-ESTEEM
The term self-concept is a set of personal beliefs a person has about who they are as an individual. These include salient personal characteristics as well as ethnic or professional awareness and any other desires or future goals that resonate strongly within the individual. In order to have a healthy and balanced self-concept, one needs to have positive self-esteem. Self-esteem does not only include one’s characteristics, strengths and flaws, but it makes a judgment on each of those by putting value on them. It is an evaluation one makes of oneself. People with high self-esteem have not only a clear sense of their personal qualities, but also value them in a positive manner and use self-enhancing strategies. They think well of themselves, set appropriate goals about the future and feel confident about coping with different and difficult situations. Low self-esteem may contribute to having unrealistic goals or shying away from potential opportunities due to a negative image of the self.
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Lesson 4: HUMAN RELATIONS
Harry Stack Sullivan was trained in psychoanalysis in the United States, but soon drifted from the specific psychoanalytic beliefs while retaining much of the core concepts of Freud. Interestingly, Sullivan placed a lot of focus on both the social aspects of personality and cognitive representations. This moved him away from Freud’s psychosexual development and toward a more eclectic approach. Freud believed that anxiety was an important aspect in his theory because it represented internal conflict between the id and the superego. Sullivan, however, saw anxiety as existing only as a result of social interactions. He described techniques, much like defense mechanisms, that provide tools for people to use in order to reduce social anxiety. Selective Inattention is one such mechanism. According to Sullivan, mothers show their anxiety about child rearing to their children through various means. The child, having no way to deal with this, feels the anxiety himself. Selective inattention is soon learned, and the child begins to ignore or reject the anxiety or any interaction that could produce these uncomfortable feelings. As adults, we use this technique to focus our minds away from stressful situations.
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Lesson 5: THE CONCEPT OF POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM
Self-confidence comes with the feeling that you are in control, that you are above the fray and that no one can hurt you physically or emotionally. It’s a state of mind that some people enjoy on an almost constant basis while, for others, it may only be felt on very rare occasions. The lack of self-confidence can be debilitating to the point of ruining a person’s life. In the worst-case scenarios, professional help is needed but in most cases self-improvement techniques are enough to solve the problem. The first thing that a person in search of more self-confidence should understand is that a lack of confidence is not some innate trait. We were all born with a clean slate. At birth, self-confidence was not an issue. Self-confidence is a construct that is formed through living experiences, something that starts in our earlier years and evolves one way or another ever since.
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Lesson 6: THE SELF-ESTEEM GAP
A basic need of all people is that of believing that they are lovable and knowing that they are loved. When people have low self-esteem, however, they are anxiously unsure of themselves and likely even question if they are lovable. One of the main ways people try to find an answer to this question is to look to others, hyper vigilantly watching others’ behaviors, listening to their words and tone of voice, mentally recording the ways that person acts toward them, even keeping score of what they think works and doesn’t work. Of course, all too often what they conclude is not accurate.
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Lesson 7: EMOTIONAL DEPENDENTY
Most of the time, the body processes the chemical changes associated with emotions satisfactorily, enabling us to “let go” of any psychological or physical effects of the emotion. Sometimes, however, emotional response patterns can unconsciously become “stuck” in the body, especially if you are overwhelmed by the incident or experiencing a physical deficiency at the time. In such a case, we are unable to process that particular feeling and become stuck with an emotional response that is doomed to repeat itself. This stuck emotion creates a mind-body loop, in which an undesirable feeling, belief or situation triggers an emotion that in turn creates stress and perhaps physical ramifications, as well. This is our human conditioned response often called unresolved feelings/emotions. Unresolved feelings are generally negative and that’s why they need resolving. They are feelings that you either ignore and repress or have not had a chance to express.
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Lesson 8: CONSEQUENCES OF AN IMPOVERISHED SELF-ESTEEM
False self-esteem comes from people who build up their little egos based on their surface self. They only see themselves as their physical appearance, their personal story, bank account and even their past conquests. They never allow themselves to get close to anyone and make up an excuse when things heat up in a relationship. Inflated self-worth gives them a false impression of both their worth and abilities. It is thought that it can help to present a false picture of use to the world and the people around them. Whether this is by choice or not the repercussions can be the same, though the resolution may well be different.
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Lesson 9: SELF-ESTEEM AND ADHD
The symptoms of ADHD usually appear in early childhood, but symptoms are often confused with other disorders or mistaken for normal childhood behaviors. In order for a child to receive appropriate intervention and treatment, it is important that a diagnosis is made by a well-qualified mental health professional. ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsiveness tend to appear before inattentiveness. In many cases, symptoms only become apparent in specific situations. For example, a parent might not notice inattentive behavior because it does not cause major problems at home. However, inattentiveness will become more apparent when the child enters school and experiences academic difficulties due to inattentive behavior.
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Lesson 10: PANEL AND GROUP INTERVIEWS
A healthy sense of self can make a profound difference in how we feel and function. Self-esteem is our basic sense of worth or value. It is the degree to which we find we respect and like ourselves. Good self-esteem means self-respect, a sense of self-worth, a feeling of basic goodness about oneself. Low self-esteem can mean constant self-doubt and self-criticism, social anxiety and isolation, suppressed anger, loneliness, and even shame. Our self-esteem develops during childhood, and certain experiences may interfere with its development, for example: being subject to criticism or abuse from parents and caretakers; having early conflicts with peers; being stigmatized for unusual appearance or behaviors, or for one’s race, class, or social identity; missing out on experiences that would foster a sense of confidence and purpose, or not receiving positive reinforcement for our accomplishments; a learning disability or physical impairment. Low self-esteem is a problem that affects many people, particularly adolescents and young adults, and it can have a seriously deleterious effect on one’s day-to-day life. An individual with low self-esteem is prone to criticize himself heavily, fear mistakes, feel guilty for no reason, and be overly defensive without cause. While it is very difficult to overcome these problems, there are a variety of ways that one can learn to feel better about oneself through self-help techniques. Self-help for low self-esteem primarily involves developing a greater awareness of behaviors that contribute to low self-esteem in order to avoid them and to try to change them. Furthermore, self-help for low self-esteem can, in some cases, simply involve focusing on living a healthy and active lifestyle.
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We understand how busy adults do not have time to go back to school. Now, it’s possible to earn your degree in the comfort of your own home and still have time for yourself and your family. The Admissions office is here to help you, for additional information or to see if you qualify for admissions please contact us. If you are ready to apply please submit your Online Application and paste your resume and any additional comments/questions in the area provided. (Online Application) (Request Info)
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Este curso de Derecho Procesal Administrativo y otros cursos abiertos son brindados en su totalidad por la universidad Atlantic International University (AIU) como parte de la “Iniciativa de Acceso Abierto”. Esta iniciativa es consistente con la Misión y Visión de la universidad.
A través de esta iniciativa, la universidad Atlantic International University (AIU) busca eliminar las barreras que existen actualmente en el acceso a la educación, información y trabajos de investigación. La universidad AIU le da mucho valor e importancia al conocimiento y aprendizaje de los individuos y espera que este curso pueda tener una gran repercusión en las vidas de nuestros estudiantes y la humanidad en general alrededor del mundo, quienes tienen la inclinación natural hacia la búsqueda de nuevo conocimiento. Esperamos que este curso en Derecho Procesal Administrativo y otros cursos gratis, disponibles por parte de esta iniciativa de acceso abierto, permitan el avance y actualización a quienes lo deseen.
El curso de Derecho Procesal Administrativo contiene lo siguiente:
El curso de Derecho Procesal Administrativo puede formar parte de un programa de titilación abonando hasta tres créditos universitarios. Las lecciones del curso se pueden llevar en línea através de estudio a distancia. Los contenidos y el acceso están abiertos al publico en función de la iniciativa “Open Access” o “Acceso Abierto” de Atlantic International University. Participantes que desean recibir crédito y/o certificado de termino, deben registrarse como alumnos (Conocer mas de AIU Acceso Abrierto).
El derecho administrativo requiere para su aplicación y observancia en casos de existencia de conflicto al caso particular y concreto la preexistencia de normas procesales que regulen el procedimiento que se seguirá para dirimir y resolver el caso particular y concreto por parte del órgano jurisdiccional que conozca de él. El derecho procesal administrativo es una rama del derecho procesal en general, poseyendo sustancialmente la misma naturaleza que este último con peculiaridades propias del derecho administrativo sustancial. El derecho procesal administrativo está conformado por un conjunto de normas jurídicas, que a diferencia de otros derechos procesales, no están colocadas en un mismo cuerpo de leyes, ya sea en un código o en una ley; sino por el contrario, el derecho procesal administrativo está diseminado en un varios ordenamientos jurídicos normativos, como por ejemplo: el código fiscal de la federación; la ley federal del procedimiento contencioso administrativo; el código aduanero, entre otros. Así también hay que comentar que en materia de recursos procesales sucede lo mismo, ya que no hay uniformidad en este rubro, pues aparecen en diversas legislaciones administrativas, por ejemplo: el recurso de revocación en el Código Fiscal de la Federación y en la Ley Federal del Procedimiento Contencioso Administrativo se coloca el procedimiento de conformidad reconsideración.
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El procedimiento administrativo está contenido en las diversas leyes administrativas de naturaleza procesal, como por ejemplo: la Ley del Procedimiento Contencioso Administrativo del Distrito Federal. Las disposiciones de ese ordenamiento procesal son de orden e interés públicos y tienen por objeto regular los actos y procedimientos de la Administración Pública del Distrito Federal. En el caso de la Administración Pública Paraestatal, sólo será aplicable la referida ley, cuando se trate de actos de autoridad provenientes de organismos descentralizados que afecten la esfera jurídica de los particulares. Quedan excluidos de la aplicación de esa ley, los actos y procedimientos administrativos relacionados con las materias de carácter financiero, fiscal, en lo relativo a la actuación del Ministerio Público en ejercicio de sus funciones constitucionales y legales, seguridad pública, electoral, participación ciudadana, del notariado, así como de justicia cívica en el Distrito Federal; las actuaciones de la Contraloría General, en lo relativo a la determinación de responsabilidades de los servidores públicos; y de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito Federal, en cuanto a las quejas de que conozca y recomendaciones que formule. En relación a los créditos fiscales, no se excluyen de la aplicación de esa ley que regula el procedimientos administrativo, lo relativo a las multas administrativas, derivadas de las infracciones por violaciones a las disposiciones de orden administrativo local
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Este recurso está contenido en la Ley del Seguro Social. Cuando los patrones y demás sujetos obligados, así como los asegurados o sus beneficiarios consideren impugnable algún acto definitivo del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, podrán recurrir en inconformidad, en la forma y términos que establezca el reglamento, o bien proceder en los términos del artículo siguiente. Las resoluciones, acuerdos o liquidaciones de ese instituto de seguridad social que no hubiesen sido impugnados en la forma y términos que señale el reglamento correspondiente, se entenderán consentidos.1 Las controversias entre los asegurados o sus beneficiarios y el Instituto sobre las prestaciones que la Ley del Seguro Social otorga, deberán tramitarse ante la Junta Federal de Conciliación y Arbitraje, en tanto que las que se presenten entre el Instituto y los patrones y demás sujetos obligados, se tramitarán ante el Tribunal Federal de Justicia Fiscal y Administrativa. 2 Otro recurso que coexiste con el de inconformidad es el de queja. Los derechohabientes podrán interponer ante ese Instituto queja administrativa, la cual tendrá la finalidad de conocer las insatisfacciones de los usuarios por actos u omisiones del personal institucional vinculados con la prestación de los servicios médicos, siempre que los mismos no constituyan un acto definitivo impugnable a través del recurso de inconformidad
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De este recurso ya se comentaron varias cosas en la primera unidad, en este tema se agregarán temas complementarios enfocados específicamente a la naturaleza del recurso de revisión. El recurso de revisión se interpone debido a una inconformidad que el recurrente haga valer ante una resolución dictada por la Sala Regional correspondiente, esto quiere decir, que se cuestionan los principios de legalidad del acto reclamado y, ante esta circunstancia estamos ante un recurso, según lo que hemos estado analizando. Así las cosas, podemos percatarnos que el recurso y el juicio son diferentes en su connotación, entonces ante tales conclusiones, cabe hacer la siguiente pregunta, ¿porqué el recurso de revisión se desahoga o tramita como un juicio y no como lo que es, un recurso? Esta afirmación se puede concluir claramente cuando vemos la tramitación que dice: “interponiendo el recurso de revisión ante el Tribunal Colegiado de Circuito competente en la Sala Regional respectiva”.
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Por requerimiento en materia de derecho procesal en general se entiende lo siguiente: Es aquel acto ordenado por el titular de un órgano jurisdiccional con la finalidad de imponer a una persona el deber de realizar una determinada declaración de voluntad o cualquier otra conducta del mismo. Es así como habrá un sinnúmero de clases de requerimientos, para el caso de el procedimiento administrativo de ejecución el requerimiento fundamental y primario será el requerimiento de pago, ya sea de la multa, del impuesto, del derecho o de cualquier otro crédito fiscal que exista a favor del Estado y a cargo de destinatario de la norma fiscal o administrativa. Las autoridades fiscales exigirán el pago de los créditos fiscales que no hubieren sido cubiertos o garantizados dentro de los plazos señalados por la Ley, mediante procedimiento administrativo de ejecución.
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Entendemos que los adultos que trabajan no tienen tiempo de regresar a la escuela. Ahora es posible obtener un título desde la comodidad de su hogar y todavía tener tiempo para usted y su familia. La oficina de admisiones está para ayudarlo, para obtener información adicional o para saber si es candidato para incorporarse a nuestros programas, por favor contáctenos. Si ya está listo para inscribirse, por favor mande su solicitud en línea y adjunte su currículum vitae y cualquier duda o comentario que tenga (Aplicación en Línea) (Solicitar Informes).
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Can you find Slovenia on a map? What else do you know about this Central European nation with 2.1 million people.
In “These High School Murals Depict an Ugly History. Should They Go?” Carol Pogash writes:
In one of the murals, George Washington points westward over the dead body of a Native American. Another depicts Washington’s slaves, hunched over, working in the fields of Mount Vernon. These images aren’t in a museum exhibition but on the walls of a public high school.
In this famously left-of-center city, liberals are battling liberals over these Depression-era frescoes that have offended some groups.
In the debate over the 13 murals that make up “The Life of Washington,” at George Washington High School, one side, which includes art historians and school alumni, sees an immersive history lesson; the other, which includes many African-Americans and Native Americans, sees a hostile environment.
Sometime this spring, the school board will make a decision about the future of the massive frescoes that extend from the school’s entryway through its lobby, confronting students as they climb the stairs to their classrooms.
The works were created in the mid-1930s by Victor Arnautoff, a social realist, for the Works Progress Administration, an agency created under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal that provided public works jobs for the unemployed during the Great Depression.
Arnautoff, who was born in Russia and taught at Stanford, was a Communist who embedded messages critical of the founding father in his murals. He depicted Washington, accurately, at a time when that was rarely acknowledged, as a slave owner and the leader of the nation that annihilated Native Americans. There are no cherry trees.
But to Amy Anderson, a member of the Ahkaamaymowin band of Métis who has been a catalyst in the campaign to remove the murals, they represent “American history from the colonizers’ perspective.”
Around the country in recent years, people have been questioning historical representations in public art. Confederate statues and monuments have been dismantled. And in September, San Francisco city workers removed a statue symbolizing the Catholic Church’s mission-era subjugation of Native Americans. But the Washington High frescoes present a different issue. What they symbolize is open to interpretation. Some see a subversive message about Washington’s failings; others see his glorification.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
— What do you recommend that the school do about the murals? Should they be removed? Explain your reasoning.
— The article mentions that Victor Arnautoff, the social realist painter who created the murals, intended for his work to be critical of Washington by including then-rarely-acknowledged details like Washington being a slave owner. Does this affect what you think about the murals? What about their being a product of the Works Progress Administration which employed artists during the Great Depression?
— The writer contends that the murals are different from the Confederate statues and monuments that have been dismantled in recent years because what the murals symbolize is open to interpretation. To what extent, if at all, do you agree? Does your answer affect what you think the school should do about the murals?
— How much does it matter that these murals are in a high school, where students from different backgrounds come to get an education? Would you feel differently about them if they were in a government office building, hospital or courthouse?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Before reading the article:
Do you know how to write in cursive? If so, who taught you this skill? When you write with a pen or pencil, do you print, write in cursive or alternate between the two? Do you have a signature that you use when you sign forms or other documents?
If you don’t write in cursive, is this a skill you wish you had? Why or why not?
Now, read the article, “Cursive Seemed to Go the Way of Quills and Parchment. Now It’s Coming Back,” and answer the following questions:
1. What role do the Common Core standards seem to have had in the demise in students’ learning to write in cursive? How many states have reintroduced the practice in the recent years?
2. The writer says that these efforts have reignited “a debate about American values and identity” and have exposed “intergenerational fault lines.” How are these ideas developed in the article?
3. What are some of the reasons offered for why some people believe American students should learn cursive?
4. How was writing in cursive once pitched as an act of patriotism?
5. What does research suggest may be the psychological and neurological benefits of handwriting? What do detractors say about those findings? Why?
Finally, tell us more about what you think:
The article says, “Some teachers say policymakers are out of touch with the realities of the modern classroom.” It then goes on to quote teachers who say the time it takes students to learn how to write in cursive interferes with more urgent demands. “Add typing skills, anti-racist pedagogy, add activism skills, add digital literacy” said Noelle Mapes, a third-grade teacher at a public school in Manhattan. “There are so many other things.”
How important do you think it is that students be taught to write in cursive? What priority, if any, should it take? What do you think of the skills Ms. Mapes suggested? Are they important? Place those skills — as well as any others you want to see added to elementary school curriculums — in order of importance. Add cursive writing where you think it belongs, if you would add it at all.
1. an insufficient quantity or number
2. an acute insufficiency
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The word dearth has appeared in 134 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 18 in “Scarecrow Video Has Survived This Long. Can It Hang On?” by Laura M. Holson:
Sure, most people no longer want to trudge to the video store on a Friday night, as they once did in droves. Streaming movies are available through on-demand cable, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and many other sources. But the emphasis tends to be on current titles, or TV series. Netflix, which pioneered renting DVDs by mail and streaming, has been moving steadily into original programming, for example.
Ms. Barr worries that a dearth of vintage movies means voices from earlier generations won’t be heard. She points to hard-to-find documentaries and little-known gems by black or gay writers and directors. “Who is making decisions about what titles get seen?” she asked. “I think it is important to not lose sight of the importance of movies. They reflect culture. They are cinematic history. It is important to keep these documents.”
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Earlier this week, Udacity laid off 75 employees with a view to reaching profitability, reports TechCrunch.
This is the third round of layoffs at Udacity in one year. In September 2018, they laid off 25 employees, primarily from their Germany office. And in November, they cut an additional 125, primarily from their Brazil office. Udacity now has about 300 full-time employees. In less than a year, they have laid off over 40% of their workforce.
Yesterday was my last day at @udacity. It has been an amazing 3+ years and I already miss my colleagues and friends. But! Starting today I’m getting back to something I love to do, create content. I’ll be teaching all the data science & machine learning things, so stay tuned!
— Mat Leonard (@MatDrinksTea) April 5, 2019
The layoffs are part of a broader restructuring plan engineered by Sebastian Thrun and Lalit Singh, respectively interim CEO and COO of Udacity. Thrun replaced Vishal Makhijani at the helm of the company in October 2018, and Singh joined in February 2019.
These changes of leadership and strategy were likely prompted by Udacity’s lackluster growth last year. In 2017, the company’s revenue grew by $40 million. But in 2018, it only grew by $20 million, which for a company valued at $1 billion may have fallen short of expectations.
(To learn more about Udacity’s 2018, head to Class Central’s in-depth year in review.)
Besides layoffs, the restructuring plan involves:
And this last measure seems to be paying dividends; four months into 2019, Udacity has already released four Nanodegrees:
(For a fuller picture of Udacity’s offering, check Class Central’s Nanodegree pricing chart.)
Through this restructuring plan, Thrun hopes Udacity will “break-even or [become a] profitable company by next quarter.” In an email sent to his employees, he explains: “By bringing our costs in line with our revenue and refocusing our product strategy, we believe we can continue to grow […] while also achieving a break-even position.”
Jackie Bavaro, Product Lead at Asana, describes product management as “the best job you’ve never heard of.” While that may be the case, the popularity of product management has grown in recent years. Larger technology companies recognize that the best product managers may just be the people who have not yet heard of the role, but have the ability to wear many hats—and wear them well.
In this article, we’ll discuss the role of the PM throughout the entire product development process.
Product managers foster interdisciplinary thinking by collaborating with engineering, design, and strategy teams to ideate and eventually launch a great product. Their work is generally in alignment with company goals, but they also prioritize the best interests of the teams they manage and the users they create products for.
The job of a product manager involves maintaining a high-level focus, working with stakeholders, and prioritizing product success throughout the product development life cycle. That means coming up with an idea, iterating on that idea, and finally measuring its success.
Product managers are responsible for overseeing the full product life cycle—from ideation to launch. Their success is largely dependent on not only the success of the product, but also how well the product fits into the larger goals of the company. They keep a high-level focus on turning ideas into reality, gauging competition factors, and guiding the overall direction of a product.
Before turning an idea into reality, PMs need to assess where the product currently stands:
Product managers examine the current landscape before making decisions on officially bringing an idea to life. They also assess the resources available within their company to see whether or not the idea is feasible. Resources could be monetary, employee-based, or governed by timelines. Once the green light is given, PMs are able to move the idea forward.
In addition to improving a product, PMs also think about how they can distinguish their product from competitors who may have similar products.
In particular, they focus on how they can make the product not only viable to their existing audience, but also engaging to a larger user base. PMs may need to either conduct research in this area themselves, or ask user research and experience teams for help.
Product managers keep the overall direction of the product in mind at all times. During iteration phases, PMs might make predictions on how successful a product will be in terms of engagement, revenue, and retention. They then evaluate these decisions with data teams and encourage their engineering team to make adjustments accordingly as the product is being built, and even after it has launched.
In addition to collecting metrics and examining them, PMs also think about how the product may benefit from market feedback or client partnerships. They also take into consideration issues that may arise relating to the economy, privacy, or legal compliance.
While PMs are responsible for all aspects of the product, they do not work alone to build it. The majority of their work is spent communicating with other people in the company and rallying them together to help create the product. Product managers typically work with company executives, customers and clients, and the cross-functional team they supervise that is tasked with building the actual product.
Product managers speak to top company executives to translate their desires and concerns for the company into a product focus. Executives may push back on a PM’s point of view, giving them more clarity into the company’s future goals, or encourage prioritizing of another area instead.
PMs should be well-prepared to communicate with executives, providing them with evidence on why a new feature added to a product may succeed or how the team they have can accomplish a launch that satisfies the company’s timeline.
Product managers also solicit feedback and conduct reviews of product performance with their current user base. Since products are designed for a company’s customers and clients, PMs need to be aware of their user’s behaviors and how they engage with the product.
Audience analysis teams can help PMs better understand these behaviors and what they should focus on to make smarter decisions about the product.
Product managers not only manage the product, but they also manage teams. Teams can be comprised of people from multiple disciplines.
At a tech company, teams are usually comprised of engineers, designers, and strategists. User research and data science teams may act as support to the team if PMs require more information on the product’s user base and metrics.
PMs are responsible for delegating tasks to a team. They think about the team’s constraints—in terms of skill set and timeline—while doing so.
The end goal that a PM has is for the launched product to be successful. In order to ensure product success, product managers first release a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and then proceed to measure its performance while continuing to hone the product.
An MVP is the initial release of a product or a feature associated with a product. It includes only the essential features needed to make a product “work” and ignores additional features that may make the product look nicer.
Releasing only the bare bones of a product rather than a fully thought-out version allows PMs to see whether or not the product will actually be successful. This also minimizes the team’s time commitment and the allocation of company resources.
Product managers first measure the success of the MVP. While doing so, they take into consideration a number of metrics. These might include the number of users, screen time, engagement, or customer feedback.
Success is measured both quantitatively and qualitatively. If the PM and their respective team members believe that the MVP was successful according to the aforementioned metrics, they may choose to release another iteration that addresses more user needs.
After a product is released—especially if it’s successful—PMs and their teams work to keep iterating on the product, which can follow a waterfall, agile, or another method of development.
This may involve maintaining the product as is or figuring out new features to add to the product that would serve the user community. The job of a PM will continually involve refinement as the growing needs of users change and the market around the product develops.
Product managers are vital to many companies, but they’re especially necessary in technology companies that work to maintain products used by billions of users. The need for PMs, especially those from varied backgrounds, is indeed growing, with companies such as Google, Uber, and Twitter offering Associate Product Manager programs.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in product management at a tech company, it’s helpful to learn to speak the language of team members you might be working with. Codecademy’s Code Foundations path broadly covers the fundamentals of programming, web development, and data science, and it’s a great starting point for people with little to no technical background.
If you already well-versed in the basics and looking to refine your knowledge of the concepts product managers use every day, check out the Data Science and Web Development paths.
