Basic Skills Instruction in Community Colleges: The Dominance of Remedial Pedagogy. Working Paper, Number 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grubb, W. Norton; Boner, Elizabeth; Frankel, Kate; Parker, Lynette; Patterson, David; Gabriner, Robert; Hope, Laura; Schiorring, Eva; Smith, Bruce; Taylor, Richard; Walton, Ian; Wilson, Smokey

2011-01-01

A previous working paper argued, that, to understand basic skills education, it is necessary to observe classrooms to see what the "instructional triangle" involving the instructor, students, and content is like. This working paper presents the results of observing classes in 13 community colleges. It starts with a conceptualization of…

Community Coauthoring: Whose Voice Remains?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Joanne; Webster, Stephanie; Hopper, Mindy

2011-01-01

This article examines how texts are collaboratively produced in community development work when coauthors come from multiple racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds as well as business and other work experiences. We found that the term "wordsmithing" became a discursive tool that limited resident input and shaped the Plan toward an…

Village Creek: An Architectural and Historical Resources Survey of the Village Creek Project Neighborhoods, City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-11-01

constructed in the 1960s in a community with a strong tradition of working class home owners and remarkable con- tinuity in residency patterns. " -4- V...neighborhoods of Ensley that were included in the survey. This traditional house form was still being constructed in the 1960s in a community with a...strong tradition of working class home owners and remarkable continuity in residency patterns. ’ %A’ ’ Accession For PTIS ~ % IU tl,,nr o in ed j P-. Ii i

Writing Class: How Class-Based Culture Influences Community College Student Experience in College Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Myla

2016-01-01

This study was designed to build on the existing research on teaching and learning in community college contexts and the literature of college writing in two-year schools. The work of Pierre Bourdieu formed the primary theoretical framework and composition theory was used to position this study in the literature of the college writing discipline.…

Adolescent Future Expectations of Work, Education, Family, and Community: Development of a New Measure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWhirter, Ellen Hawley; McWhirter, Benedict T.

2008-01-01

The development and validation of a measure of adolescent future expectations associated with work, education, family, health, and church/community participation is presented. The 25-item measure was administered to a sample of 389 7th- to 12th-grade urban poor and working-class Chilean students. Results of an exploratory principal axis factor…

Old and Young Dogs Teaching Each Other Tricks: The Importance of Developing Agency for Community Partners in Community Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bucher, Jacob

2012-01-01

This article covers the importance of creating and developing agency in community partners when engaging in community-based learning. Often when faculty incorporate service- or community-based learning into their classes, we measure the "learning" part but not the "service" or "community." Focusing more on the latter involves working "with"…

Considering Community Psychology Competencies: A Love Letter to Budding Scholar-Activists Who Wonder if They Have What It Takes.

PubMed

Langhout, Regina Day

2015-06-01

Recently, community psychologists have re-vamped a set of 18 competencies considered important for how we practice community psychology. Three competencies are: (1) ethical, reflexive practice, (2) community inclusion and partnership, and (3) community education, information dissemination, and building public awareness. This paper will outline lessons I-a white working class woman academic-learned about my competency development through my research collaborations, using the lens of affective politics. I describe three lessons, from school-based research sites (elementary schools serving working class students of color and one elite liberal arts school serving wealthy white students). The first lesson, from an elementary school, concerns ethical, reflective practice. I discuss understanding my affect as a barometer of my ability to conduct research from a place of solidarity. The second lesson, which centers community inclusion and partnership, illustrates how I learned about the importance of "before the beginning" conversations concerning social justice and conflict when working in elementary schools. The third lesson concerns community education, information dissemination, and building public awareness. This lesson, from a college, taught me that I could stand up and speak out against classism in the face of my career trajectory being threatened. With these lessons, I flesh out key aspects of community practice competencies.

Teaching Note--Keeping It Real: Program Evaluation Projects for an Undergraduate Research Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

John, Aesha; Bang, Eun-Jun

2017-01-01

This article describes a teaching innovation that focused on the redesign of an undergraduate social work research class. Students enrolled in the redesigned class had an opportunity to conduct program evaluation projects in community agencies. The projects included (a) pretest and posttest evaluation of reminiscence approach in improving the…

Direct Instruction in Language and Speaking: A Study of Mother-Child Discourse in a Working-Class Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Peggy

A naturalistic-observational study of three inner-city, working-class mother-infant pairs was conducted to study early language development and maternal teaching styles. The subjects were three white 2-year-olds and their mothers. Observations were made under everyday conditions as the infants interacted with their mothers and other family members…

Collaborative Learning for Change. NALL Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mojab, Shahrzad; Wall, Naomi Binder; McDonald, Susan

This guide is designed as a community-based resource for women who are interested in developing leadership skills in group facilitation, community building, and community action. It provides an integrated feminist anti-oppression learning framework that links social justice issues and the questions of race, gender, class, and all other forms of…

Math Is in the Eye of the Beholder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Judith

A researcher surveyed 161 students in adult education math classes at four community colleges in Illinois and 13 adult education math teachers. Both groups were asked to complete the survey from the viewpoint of a student. The respondents were asked what should math classes teach; what kind of problems they most enjoy working on in class; whether…

Working-Poor Mothers and Middle-Class Others: Psychosocial Considerations in Home-School Relations and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Stephanie

2007-01-01

This article draws from a three-year ethnographic study of girls and their mothers in a high-poverty, predominantly white community. Informed by critical and feminist theories of social class, I present four cases that highlight psychosocial tensions within the mother-daughter-teacher-researcher triangle and argue that white, middle-class female…

A Community College's Credit Rating: At the Top of Its Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorson, Judy; Malinowski, Joanne

2002-01-01

Describes how Harper Community College in Illinois, partnering with its financial advisor Kane, McKenna Capital, Inc., worked to receive the best bond rating available from Moody's Investors Service, thereby saving taxpayers three million dollars. (EV)

"The law has no feeling for poor folks like us!" Everyday responses to legal compulsion in England's working-class communities, 1871-1904.

PubMed

Auerbach, Sascha

2012-01-01

During the late Victorian period, the role of the state increased dramatically in England's working-class urban communities. New laws on labor, health, and education, enforced by a growing bureaucracy of elected and appointed officials, extended the reach of public authority into daily life on an unprecedented scale. Everyday negotiations between these officials and working-class men and women, I argue, were key moments for determining the practical impact of new social welfare policies. This was particularly true in the contestation over children's compulsory school attendance, as I demonstrate through a close examination of the daily encounters between parents and education officials. Despite the growing size and authority of the Victorian state, working-class parents effectively mitigated the impact of the compulsory education laws on their families. They were able to do so because the categories that governed the level of enforcement—age, household economic status, health, and labor—were themselves determined through daily dialogues between parents and education officials. Parents' familiarity with the law and with the dynamics of the public education bureaucracy were key factors in these negotiations, as were internal fractures within the Victorian state itself. Working-class parents, and mothers in particular, also countered officials' moral policy justifications with their own discourse of right and wrong, which focused on the legitimacy of parental authority, an insistence on just treatment, and the elevation of household needs over the laws' requirements.

The second missing link: Bible nursing in 19th century London.

PubMed

Denny, E

1997-12-01

The London Bible and Domestic Female Mission was founded in 1857 by Ellen Ranyard. A nursing mission was added in 1868. The structure and work of the mission can be used to exemplify three strategies utilized in Victorian philanthropy. First, the use of working class women in the maintenance of social order, secondly the utilization of the middle class household to exemplify relations between the social classes, and thirdly the creation of districts in an attempt to recreate a 'golden age' of rural communities. Ranyard created a women's mission to women. As such it did not display the gender division of labour apparent in much health and caring work, but a hierarchical division of labour based on social class is evident.

Mexican parents' and teachers' literacy perspectives and practices: construction of cultural capital.

PubMed

Reese, Leslie; Arauz, Rebeca Mejía; Bazán, Antonio Ray

2012-01-01

This article examines the relationships among the literacy practices engaged in by first-grade children and parents at home and the ways in which these practices are communicated, shaped, and fostered by teachers and administrators in two different sociocultural environments in urban Mexico. The differences observed between the home literacy experiences of children in a working class and a middle class community included transgenerational communication of assumptions regarding literacy and schooling, as well as attitudes associated with the parents' own school experiences. Class-based expectations on the part of teachers not only shaped interactions with parents, but were also reflected in the way the national curriculum was delivered, with a greater emphasis on rote skills and traditional reading instruction in the working class community. The authors argue that the school plays a role in the co-production of cultural capital in the home through its shaping of some of the literacy practices that children and families undertake.

Mexican parents’ and teachers’ literacy perspectives and practices: construction of cultural capital

PubMed Central

Reese, Leslie; Arauz, Rebeca Mejía; Bazán, Antonio Ray

2011-01-01

This article examines the relationships among the literacy practices engaged in by first-grade children and parents at home and the ways in which these practices are communicated, shaped, and fostered by teachers and administrators in two different sociocultural environments in urban Mexico. The differences observed between the home literacy experiences of children in a working class and a middle class community included transgenerational communication of assumptions regarding literacy and schooling, as well as attitudes associated with the parents’ own school experiences. Class-based expectations on the part of teachers not only shaped interactions with parents, but were also reflected in the way the national curriculum was delivered, with a greater emphasis on rote skills and traditional reading instruction in the working class community. The authors argue that the school plays a role in the co-production of cultural capital in the home through its shaping of some of the literacy practices that children and families undertake. PMID:23288984

Country watch: Chile.

PubMed

Montoya Leiva, M

1996-01-01

Servicio Paz y Justicia (SERPAJ) is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) established in Chile in 1977. It supports fundamental human dignity and rights by fighting discrimination and exclusion based upon individual differences. SERPAJ promotes training, organization, and the political participation of community members as part of the democratic process, working mainly with the at risk women, street children, and youth of Santiago's working-class neighborhoods. Groups participate in workshops and training courses on human rights and development, civic education, and methods of non-violent community action. In 1987, SERPAJ-Sur Oriente began to include the topic of sexuality and AIDS/STDs in courses training working-class women as community human rights agents. The NGO is therefore one of the first mainstream Chilean human rights organizations to incorporate HIV/AIDS issues. A basic facts brochure was developed, followed by a pilot education project developed in one neighborhood which was then systematically replicated in other neighborhoods. The comments of some people who have participated in SERPAJ workshops are presented.

Reviving an Inner City Community: The Drama of Urban Change in East Humboldt Park in Chicago.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marciniak, Ed

In 1974, residents of East Humboldt Park, one of the oldest working class communities in Chicago, Illinois, gathered together in a common effort to reverse the process of urban decay and deterioration in their community. With the help of a hired consultant, the citizens planned the future of their community, a process that was completed in 1976,…

Exploring the Changing Identities of English Language Learners in a Kindergarten Classroom Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnsworth, Megan

2010-01-01

In this dissertation, the participation of 5-year-old Spanish speaking children in a kindergarten classroom community was explored. The school was located in a working and middle-class community in Southern Arizona, where pursuant to state law; the language of instruction was English. Student participants spent four hours every day in an English…

Stress and the Beliefs of Meditation among Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallentiny, Pamela L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess stress levels in community college students and their beliefs of meditation. Community college students tend to report high levels of stress due to demographic factors, such low economic status, need to work at least part time, and need for remedial classes. Many of these demographic factors are particularly…

Between the National and the International: Ethnography of Language Ideologies in a Middle-Class Community in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Hua

2016-01-01

This paper explores a key dilemma of the Chinese middle class as it appears in their apparent adherence to official language policy despite their lack of direct knowledge of that policy. Using fieldwork data from Hangzhou, I show that a group of middle-class parents worked together to build an "Ancient Way Academy" for their children to…

Language Minority Student Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suh, Emily

2016-01-01

Unfortunately, the journey to college can be lengthy for immigrants who must demonstrate English proficiency by completing a series of ESL classes while balancing work, family, and school (Blumenthal, 2002). At Southeast Community College (SCC), in Lincoln, Nebraska, the sequence ranges from classes in Beginning ESL to ESL for Academic Success,…

CNN Newsroom Classroom Guides, March 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cable News Network, Atlanta, GA.

These classroom guides, designed to accompany the daily CNN (Cable News Network) Newsroom broadcasts for the month of March 2001, provide program rundowns, suggestions for class activities and discussion, student handouts, and a list of related news terms. Top stories include: Seattle earthquake and U.S. economy working class communities fear a…

Class, Kinship Density, and Conjugal Role Segregation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Malcolm D.

1988-01-01

Studied conjugal role segregation in 150 married women from intact families in working-class community. Found that, although involvement in dense kinship networks was associated with conjugal role segregation, respondents' attitudes toward marital roles and phase of family cycle when young children were present were more powerful predictors of…

Residential Learning Communities. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

2014-01-01

Residential learning communities in postsecondary education, also known as living-learning programs, aim to improve student learning and success by integrating students' academic and daily living environments. Students participating in these programs live together (usually in a residential dormitory), take certain classes together, and engage in…

Identification of Heterogeneous Cognitive Subgroups in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Latent Class Analysis of the Einstein Aging Study.

PubMed

Zammit, Andrea R; Hall, Charles B; Lipton, Richard B; Katz, Mindy J; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to identify natural subgroups of older adults based on cognitive performance, and to establish each subgroup's characteristics based on demographic factors, physical function, psychosocial well-being, and comorbidity. We applied latent class (LC) modeling to identify subgroups in baseline assessments of 1345 Einstein Aging Study (EAS) participants free of dementia. The EAS is a community-dwelling cohort study of 70+ year-old adults living in the Bronx, NY. We used 10 neurocognitive tests and 3 covariates (age, sex, education) to identify latent subgroups. We used goodness-of-fit statistics to identify the optimal class solution and assess model adequacy. We also validated our model using two-fold split-half cross-validation. The sample had a mean age of 78.0 (SD=5.4) and a mean of 13.6 years of education (SD=3.5). A 9-class solution based on cognitive performance at baseline was the best-fitting model. We characterized the 9 identified classes as (i) disadvantaged, (ii) poor language, (iii) poor episodic memory and fluency, (iv) poor processing speed and executive function, (v) low average, (vi) high average, (vii) average, (viii) poor executive and poor working memory, (ix) elite. The cross validation indicated stable class assignment with the exception of the average and high average classes. LC modeling in a community sample of older adults revealed 9 cognitive subgroups. Assignment of subgroups was reliable and associated with external validators. Future work will test the predictive validity of these groups for outcomes such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and death, as well as markers of biological pathways that contribute to cognitive decline. (JINS, 2018, 24, 511-523).

Same Landscape, Different Lens: Variations in Young People's Socio-Economic Experiences and Perceptions in Their Disadvantaged Working-Class Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brann-Barrett, Mary Tanya

2011-01-01

In this paper, I compare socio-economic experiences and community perceptions expressed by socially and economically disadvantaged young people with those of university students living in the same post-industrial community. I consider markers of distinction among these young people in relation to their family and educational experiences. I also…

Contingent Commitments: Bringing Part-Time Faculty into Focus. A Special Report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2014

2014-01-01

Part-time faculty teach approximately 58% of U.S. community college classes and thus manage learning experiences for more than half (53%) of students enrolled in community colleges (JBL Associates, 2008). Often referred to as "contingent faculty," their work is conditional; the college typically has no obligation to them beyond the…

Mexican immigrant transnational social capital and class transformation: examining the role of peer mediation in insurgent science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson Bruna, Katherine

2010-06-01

In this article, I return to the interactions of Augusto and his teacher in an "English Learner Science" classroom in a demographically-transitioning US Midwest community (Richardson Bruna and Vann in Cult Stud Sci Educ 2:19-59, 2007) and further engage a class-first perspective to achieve two main conceptual objectives. First, I examine Augusto's science education experience as a way of understanding processes Rouse (Towards a transnational perspective on migration: Race, class, ethnicity, and nationalism reconsidered. The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 1992) refers to as "the disciplinary production of class-specific subjects" (p. 31). Coming from a subsistence farming community in rural Mexico to an industrialized meatpacking community in semi-rural Iowa, I describe how Augusto undergoes a change in his class identity (experiences a Class Transformation) that is not just reflected but, in fact, produced in his science class. Second, I examine the work Augusto does to resist these processes of disciplinary production as he reshapes his teacher's instruction (promotes a class transformation) through specific transnational social capital he leverages as peer mediation. My overall goals in the article are to demonstrate the immediate relevance of a socio-historical, situated perspective to science teaching and learning and to outline domains of action for an insurgent, class-cognizant, science education practice informed by transnational social capital, like Augusto's.

Teaching Inquiry with Linked Classes and Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piercey, Victor; Cullen, Roxanne

2017-01-01

In order to improve problem-solving dispositions, a section of an inquiry-based math sequence for first-year business students was linked with a section of our general education English sequence. We describe how the linked classes worked and compare some preliminary results from linked and unlinked sections of the math sequence.

Creative Reasoning and Shifts of Knowledge in the Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershkowitz, Rina; Tabach, Michal; Dreyfus, Tommy

2017-01-01

In the course of the last few years, we have investigated shifts of knowledge among different settings in inquiry-based mathematics classrooms: the individual, the small group and the whole class community. The different theoretical perspectives we used for analysing group work and for analysing whole class discussions, and the empirical data, led…

Caste, Class, and Urbanization: The Shaping of Religious Community in Contemporary India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stroope, Samuel

2012-01-01

Building on the implications of qualitative work from India and urbanism theories, I aim to understand whether religious bonding social capital in contemporary India increases with greater urbanization and whether such increases are moderated by caste or social class position. Results from multinomial logistic regression on 1,417 Hindu respondents…

Expressed Willingness and Competence of Home Economics Teachers to Instruct Occupational Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowden, Shirley

A questionnaire and Super's Work Values Inventory were mailed to all teachers of home economics in junior and senior high schools and community colleges in five central California counties to investigate their expressed willingness and competence to offer occupational classes. It was also desired to determine any relationship between willingness…

Families at a Disadvantage: Class, Culture, and Literacies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tett, Lyn; Crowther, Jim

1998-01-01

Addresses the issue of diverse literacies and the problems of privileging a dominant form of literacy at the expense of those from non-mainstream cultures. Illustrates how the literacy practices of working-class families and communities can be incorporated into learning programs. Stresses the need to legitimate the vernacular literacies of the…

Student Communities and Individualism in American Cinema

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warnick, Bryan R.; Dawson, Heather S.; Smith, D. Spencer; Vosburg-Bluem, Bethany

2010-01-01

Hollywood films partially construct how Americans think about education. Recent work on the representation of schools in American cinema has highlighted the role of class difference in shaping school film genres. It has also advanced the idea that a nuanced understanding of American individualism helps to explain why the different class genres are…

The Working Poor and the Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosow, La Vergne

1994-01-01

Profiles Mike, a middle-aged Comanche who was preliterate when beginning the author's class in English as a Second Language. Although traditional schooling had failed him, Mike learned enough English to become a prolific writer and translator of North American poetry. By raising tuition and standards, California community college system will…

Precollege (Remedial) Education. Washington's Community and Technical Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, 2015

2015-01-01

Washington's community and technical colleges are fundamentally transforming precollege (remedial) education to move students faster into credit-bearing classes. The state's colleges are working with high schools to prevent the need for remediation. They are also shortening the path for college students of all ages who need the extra help. Courses…

Workers' Institutes: Envisioned Community, Living Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernández-Soria, Juan Manuel

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the Workers' Institutes (WI), one of the most important educational initiatives undertaken by the Spanish Republic during the Civil War (1936-1939). After framing their creation within the context of European trends in higher education for the working classes and within the Spanish socio-political context, this article…

The class politics of prejudice: Brexit and the land of no-hope and glory.

PubMed

Mckenzie, Lisa

2017-11-01

The debates relating to social class and whether it is still a useful concept in describing a lived reality of the British population has never been far away from media, political and academic dispute. Thatcher's Britain throughout the 1980s attempted to dilute class meaning with what was called 'a home owning democracy' and thus end class collective politics through easily available credit for the working class while simultaneously attacking trade union organization, recruitment and political action. During the late 1990s and into the noughties a 'New Labour' administration attempted to exacerbate the end of class politics through an agenda of a 'cultural distinction' to class identity. Class struggle, class politics and class identity is embedded deep within the cultural norms practices, and history of British democracy. Consequently it is difficult if not impossible to prise class inequality in the UK away from and out of national, local and personal politics (Savage et al. 2015: 393-8). This paper focuses upon the sense that class politics, and cultural class distinction, within the UK had the biggest influence in determining a working-class 'Leave Vote' in the 2016 referendum within the UK. This paper explores accounts and narratives from working-class 'leave' voters though an ethnographic study of the political and social viewpoints of working-class communities of East London, and of ex-mining towns of Nottinghamshire. Framing into fuller context the anger and apathy of being 'left out', arguing that being 'left out' has been part of working-class political narratives for over 30 years. Going beyond frustration and apathy, a significant part of the narrative of working people was of 'not existing', suggesting certain important linkages with ongoing debates about new ways of conceptualizing class differences and class structures. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

The Social Dynamics of Color, Class, and Gender: Afro-American Work and Community in the Southern West Virginia Coal Fields, 1915-1932.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trotter, Joe W.

This essay focuses on southern West Virginia between 1915 and 1932 to explore the dynamics of Afro-American work and community life in the Appalachian region. More specifically, it analyzes the rise and expansion of the black coal mining proletariat, the role of black men and women in the process, and the impact of the proletarianization on black…

Cultural Narratives about Success and the Material Conditions of Class at the Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Patrick

2005-01-01

Traditional American cultural narratives about hard work, self-improvement, and "success"--moving from "rags to riches"--play a very important role in shaping the thinking of most college students, and most other Americans too, of course, regardless of age, class, ethnicity, or gender. This article presents several narratives that will help shape…

Formation of a Virtual Professional Learning Community in a Combined Local and Distance Doctoral Cohort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Lance; Branch, Gracie; Moore, George

2008-01-01

A phenomenological study was conducted with a group of doctoral students preparing to be technology leaders. Students and faculty participated in weekend-intensive course work in which the faculty and some students attended classes on campus, and another group of students attended classes through distance technologies. Using some of these very…

Designing an Engaged Swarm: Toward a "Techne" for Multi-Class, Interdisciplinary Collaborations with Nonprofit Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Seán

2016-01-01

This essay proposes a model of university-community partnership called "an engaged swarm" that mobilizes networks of students from across classes and disciplines to work with off-campus partners such as nonprofits. Based on theories that translate the distributed, adaptive, and flexible activity of actors in biological systems to…

Struggles to Subvert the Gendered Field: Issues of Masculinity, Rurality and Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keddie, Amanda; Mills, Carmen; Mills, Martin

2008-01-01

This article explores the complex struggles associated with intersections of class, rurality and masculinity, and the ways in which such intersections work to preserve a gendered status quo within and beyond school communities in Australia. Drawing on the stories of Monica and Phoebe, two teachers who understand schooling as a site of…

Social Class in Family Therapy Education: Experiences of Low SES Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDowell, Teresa; Brown, Andrae' L.; Cullen, Nicole; Duyn, April

2013-01-01

In this article, we report the results of a national survey of students in COAMFTE-accredited family therapy programs who self-identify as coming from lower- or working-class backgrounds. Results of the study reveal opportunity and tension relative to family, friends, and community because of social mobility associated with graduate education.…

Is Learning in Developmental Math Associated with Community College Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quarles, Christopher L.; Davis, Mickey

2017-01-01

Objective: Remedial mathematics courses are widely considered a barrier to student success in community college, and there has been a significant amount of work recently to reform them. Yet, there is little research that explicitly examines whether increasing learning in remedial classes improves grades or completion rates. This study examines the…

Basic Skills Education in Community Colleges: Inside and Outside of Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grubb, W. Norton

2013-01-01

Nearly two-thirds of students require some form of remediation before taking college-level classes, and community colleges have become increasingly important in providing this education. Unfortunately, relatively few students complete the developmental courses required to make a transition to college-level work. Based on a three-year study of over…

The Campus Lake Learning Community: Promoting a Multidisciplinary Approach to Environmental Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Maud; Jenkins, Dorothy; Powell, Katrina; Rusch, Kelly

2005-01-01

A multidisciplinary learning community provided environmental management students the opportunity to work with students in different classes and majors to create designs for improving the appearance and environmental quality of a lake on a university campus. The experience increased student appreciation for the contribution of other disciplines in…

Locality Matters: Ethnic Segregation and Community Conflict--The Experience of Protestant Girls in Belfast

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Julie

2006-01-01

Research continues to illustrate the resonance and intensity of feeling that attachment to a locality can generate, within this highlighting the gender-specific impacts created by the intersection of ethnicity and locality. Within the ethnically segregated working class communities of Belfast, the importance of locality takes on added…

A Sense of Community: Collaboration in a Large Anthropology Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancy, David F.; And Others

1994-01-01

A large introductory anthropology course at Utah State University was organized to promote collaboration among and between students and faculty. Students were divided into and worked in "clans" for the entire term. A study of the course suggests that learning and a sense of community resulted directly from this organization. (MSE)

Strategic Tooling: Technology for Constructing a Community of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Penny; Vogler, Jane S.; Xiu, Ying

2017-01-01

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework describes online learning as a collaborative process supported by social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence, which work together to facilitate critical thinking and learning. The technology used in an online class can facilitate a CoI when its features support, rather than constrain,…

Tapped Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González-Rivera, Christian

2014-01-01

New York's community colleges have a key role to play in elevating poor and working poor New Yorkers into the ranks of the middle class. The economy is producing few decent-paying jobs for people with only a high school diploma, and community colleges offer the most accessible path for people to obtain a post-secondary credential. However, tens of…

Pedagogical experimentations about participating science, in a european class, in France.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgio, Marion

2015-04-01

A european class is, in France, a class in which we teach a subject in a foreign language, for example science in English. I led, in my European class, during a seven weeks session, group work activities about different participating science actions. There were groups composed of three or four 16 years old students. Each group chose one type of participating science activity among : - Leading a visioconference with an IODP mission on board the Joides Resolution. - Being part of a "science songs community" with Tom Mc Fadden They divided the work and some of them studied the websites and contacted the actors to present the pedagogical or scientific background of their subject. Others had a concrete production like the organization of a visioconference with the Joides Resolution or the creation of a pedagogical song about geology. I will present some results of their work and explain the students motivation linked to this active learning method.

HIV Prevention Among Women Who Use Substances And Report Sex Work: Risk Groups Identified Among South African Women.

PubMed

Wechsberg, Wendee M; Peasant, Courtney; Kline, Tracy; Zule, William A; Ndirangu, Jacqueline; Browne, Felicia A; Gabel, Colby; van der Horst, Charles

2017-11-01

This cross-sectional study presents baseline data from women (n = 641) in a community-based randomized trial in Pretoria, South Africa. Women were eligible if they reported recent alcohol or other drug (AOD) use and condomless sex. Latent class analyses were conducted separately for those who reported sex work and those who did not. Among those who reported sex work, a Risky Sex class (n = 72, 28%) and Low Sexual Risk class (n = 190, 73%) emerged. Those in the Risky Sex class were more likely to report that their last episode of sexual intercourse was with their boyfriend (vs. a client/other partner) compared with the Low Sexual Risk class (p < 0.001). Among participants who did not report sex work, a Drug-Using, Violence-Exposed, and Impaired Sex class (n = 53; 14%) and Risky Sex and Moderate Drinking class (n = 326; 86%) emerged. The findings suggest that interventions for women who engage in sex work should promote safer sexual behavior and empowerment with main partners. Women who use AODs, experience physical or sexual violence, and have impaired sex may be a key population at risk for HIV and should be considered for tailored behavioral interventions in conjunction with South Africa's plan to disseminate HIV prevention methods to vulnerable women. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01497405.

Class Readings: Story and Discourse among Girls in Working-Poor America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Deborah

2005-01-01

This article describes a four-year ethnographic and pedagogical project set in an urban community with historical ties to rural Appalachia. It begins with a close reading of pedagogical discourse situated in an after-school reading project for preteen girls. It then traces the deep roots of language seeped in class meanings--words such as "nasty"…

Lessons Learned: Research within an Urban, African American District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Kimberly Ann

2012-01-01

For an African American female researcher whose race, class, and gender work as oppressive intersecting units shaping my contextualized experiences, meaning-making, and self-definition, the implications of my work with African American communities are complicated. In this article, I draw on culturally sensitive research practices, critical race…

The Micmac Bachelor of Social Work Program: Policy Direction and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ann F. V.; Pace, Jacqueline M.

1988-01-01

Describes the development of a culturally relevant social work education program for Micmac students at Dalhousie University that involved participative decision making by Micmac community leaders and social agencies, decentralization of classes to off-campus sites, admission of adult nontraditional students, and culturally appropriate teaching…

The School-Community Coordinating Team. Progress Report, September 1960-June 1964.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philadelphia Public Schools, PA.

This report describes a compensatory education program in six elementary schools and one junior high school in a racially mixed area of Philadelphia. Current and additional personnel were used, and existing class size and physical plant were maintained. The program provided a community coordinator in each school to work with parents, a bilingual…

Examining the Intersections between Undergraduates' Engagement in Community Service and Development of Socially Responsible Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soria, Krista; Nobbe, June; Fink, Alex

2013-01-01

This paper examined relationships between students' engagement in community service in different contexts through classes, student organizations, work study, and on their own as well as their development of socially responsible leadership at a large, public, research university in the Upper Midwest. Results from the Multi-Institutional Study of…

Becoming One Community: Reading and Writing with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fay, Kathleen; Whaley, Suzanne

2004-01-01

Written for the general classroom teacher whose class includes English language learners (ELLs), as well as for ELL teachers working in general classrooms, this book portrays ELL students in grades 3-6 who learn essential reading and writing skills and are full members of the classroom community. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the…

Adolescents' Educational Outcomes in a Social Ecology of Parenting, Family, and Community Risks in Northern Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.; Taylor, Laura K.; Merrilees, Christine E.; Cummings, E. Mark; Cairns, Ed; Shirlow, Peter

2013-01-01

This study examines the influence of social ecological risks within the domains of parenting, family environment, and community in the prediction of educational outcomes for 770 adolescents (49% boys, 51% girls, "M"?=?13.6 years, "SD"?=?2.0) living in a setting of protracted political conflict, specifically working class areas…

The community health worker cultural mentoring project: preparing professional students for team work with health workers from urban communities.

PubMed

Sherwen, Laurie N; Schwolsky-Fitch, Elena; Rodriquez, Romelia; Horta, Greg; Lopez, Ivanna

2007-01-01

Community Health Workers or CHWs (also known by a variety of alternative titles) are health workers drawn from communities to provide access to care for members of their communities. CHWs have been documented as effective in delivering a variety of services in a culturally-sensitive manner, and in providing a bridge between health professionals and underserved or minority communities. Yet, CHWs have not been well incorporated into interdisciplinary health care teams. The majority of health professionals are not even aware of the possible role and skills of CHWs. Believing that the best time to educate professionals about this valuable health worker and ensure that CHWs become part of interdisciplinary health care teams is during the student years, the Hunter College Schools of the Health Professions, and the Community Health Worker Network of New York City developed a pilot project, the Community Health Worker Cultural Mentoring Project. Community Health Workers, who were members of the Network, served as "community mentors" for health professions students drawn from the programs of community health education, nursing, and nutrition. CHWs worked with faculty of selected courses in each of the professional programs, and served as panelists in these courses, presenting information about health beliefs and alternative health practices of diverse cultural groups in communities of New York City. Class sessions were first held in the fall of 2004; subsequent sessions were held in following semesters. Approximately 40 students participated in 7 classes, with 6 CHWs serving as mentors - two per class. At the end of the classroom presentations, students wrote reflections relating to their understanding of the CHW role and relevance for their future interdisciplinary practice. The majority of reflections met the goal of increasing professional students' understanding of the CHW role and skills. At this point, quantitative and qualitative data will need to be collected to verify the benefits of CHWs serving as cultural mentors, in order to determine the value of such panels being incorporated into health professions' education programs.

Using the HDI camera with Tohono O’odham Tribal Community College Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garmany, Catharine D.

2017-01-01

Tohono O’odham Community College is a small two-year tribal college, located at the foot of I'oligam Du'ag, also known as Kitt Peak. In recognition and appreciation of Kitt Peak National Observatory’s location on the Tohono O’odham reservation, NOAO has worked with the college to offer an introduction astronomy class when requested. The class has been taught by NOAO scientific staff and post docs, and the lab component of this 4-credit class has been carried out at Kitt Peak. With support from the WIYN0.9-m Consortium, students have been able to observe on the 0.9m telescope. Most recently they have used the HDI camera for an evening, which has been a highlight of the class that students always note in their final evaluation. I will describe challenges and rewards in developing and maintaining this class, including identifying post docs and graduate students who are able to teach it. However, we feel the challenges are worth it: this may be the only formal astronomy class offered at a tribal college.

Sex Workers, Fem Queens, and Cross-Dressers: Differential Marginalizations and HIV Vulnerabilities Among Three Ethnocultural Male-to-Female Transgender Communities in New York City.

PubMed

Hwahng, Sel Julian; Nuttbrock, Larry

2007-12-01

This article describes 3 distinct ethnocultural male-to-female transgender communities in New York City: the low-income African American/Black and Latina(o) House Ball community; low-income, often undocumented immigrant Asian sex workers; and middle-class White cross-dressers. These communities are highly socially isolated from each other and are more connected to their ethnocultural contexts than to an abstract and shared transgender identity. Whereas previous research either has viewed male-to-female transgender people as one monolithic group or has separated them into abstract racial categories unconnected to their communities and lifestyles, this article positions them within specific social networks, cultures, neighborhoods, and lifestyles. With regard to HIV vulnerabilities, violence, and rape, House Ball community members seemed to engage in the riskiest form of survival sex work, whereas Asian sex workers seemed to engage in moderate-risk survival sex work. White cross-dressers seemed to engage in very low-risk recreational sex work.

Unpacking Race, Culture, and Class in Rural Alaska: Native and Non-Native Multidisciplinary Professionals' Perceptions of Child Sexual Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bubar, Roe; Bundy-Fazioli, Kimberly

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to unpack notions of class, culture, and race as they relate to multidisciplinary team (MDT) professionals and their perceptions of prevalence in child sexual abuse cases in Native and non-Native rural Alaska communities. Power and privilege within professional settings is significant for all social work professionals…

Games of Subversion and Sabotage: Issues of Power, Masculinity, Class, Rurality and Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keddie, Amanda

2007-01-01

This paper presents a longitudinal insight into the experiences of "Adam," a young boy who lives with his single-parent father (a farmer and builder) in a rural working-class community on the outskirts of a provincial town in Tasmania, Australia. Adam's story juxtaposes my representations of him as an eight year old in 1999 and as a 12…

In the physics class: university physics students' enactment of class and gender in the context of laboratory work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danielsson, Anna T.

2014-06-01

This article explores how the doing of social class and gender can intersect with the learning of science, through case studies of two male, working-class university students' constitutions of identities as physics students. In doing so, I challenge the taken-for-granted notion that male physics students have an unproblematic relation to their chosen discipline, and nuance the picture of how working-class students relate to higher education by the explicit focus on one disciplinary culture. Working from the perspective of situated learning theory, the interviews with the two male students were analysed for how they negotiated the practice of the physics student laboratory and their own classed and gendered participation in this practice. By drawing on the heterogeneity of the practice of physics the two students were able to use the practical and technological aspects of physics as a gateway into the discipline. However, this is not to say that their participation in physics was completely frictionless. The students were both engaged in a continuous negotiation of how skills they had learned to value in the background may or may not be compatible with the ones they perceived to be valued in the university physicist community.

Teaching about a Sex Work Community in India: Toward a Postcolonial Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghose, Toorjo

2012-01-01

Scholars have questioned the validity of universal social work values and the manner in which international welfare interventions manage basic needs without affecting structural change. This article examines a class on engaging with sex workers in India that was informed by the critiques of normative international welfare engagement. The analysis…

System-Wide Improvement at the Instructional Core: Changing Reading Teaching in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleisch, Brahm

2016-01-01

The article describes the background to, and implementation of, the Gauteng Primary Language and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS) in South Africa from 2010 to 2014--an initiative aimed at system-wide instructional improvement in the Global South. Working in over 1000 underperforming primary schools in poor- and working-class communities, the…

Paternal Work Stress and Latent Profiles of Father-Infant Parenting Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, W. Benjamin; Crouter, Ann C.; Lanza, Stephanie T.; Cox, Martha J.; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2011-01-01

The current study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine the implications of fathers' experiences of work stress for paternal behaviors with infants across multiple dimensions of parenting in a sample of fathers living in nonmetropolitan communities (N = 492). LPA revealed five classes of fathers based on levels of social-affective…

ESL Teacher Training: Worksheets for Teachers of Adult Migrants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickie, J. A.; Lewis, Marilyn

Instructional materials are presented for teachers working with classes of adult migrants at technical institutes, high schools, or community centers in New Zealand. The materials are planned to be used in group training sessions, and the handbook includes suggestions for discussions, group tasks, and individual work. The handbook may be used for…

Teaching Diversified Organic Crop Production Using the Community Supported Agriculture Farming System Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, Constance L.; Pao, Pauline; Cramer, Christopher S.

2005-01-01

An organic garden operated as a community supported agriculture (CSA) venture on the New Mexico State University (NMSU) main campus was begun in January 2002. Students enroll in an organic vegetable production class during spring and fall semesters to help manage and work on the project. The CSA model of farming involves the sale of shares to…

Childhood Geographies and Spatial Justice: Making Sense of Place and Space-Making as Political Acts in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Stephanie; Thiel, Jaye Johnson; Dávila, Denise; Pittard, Elizabeth; Woglom, James F.; Zhou, Xiaodi; Brown, Taryrn; Snow, Marianne

2016-01-01

This post-qualitative research analyzes the spatialized practices of young people within a working-class community and how those guided the opening and facilitating of a local community center. Seeing place-making as a social and political act, the authors were inspired by Heath's classic study and argument that children's education might be…

CosmoAcademy Training and Certification for Scientists and Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noel-Storr, Jacob; Buxner, Sanlyn; Grier, Jennifer A.; Gay, Pamela L.; CosmoQuest Team

2016-10-01

CosmoQuest is a virtual research facility bringing together scientists, citizens, and learners of all ages. CosmoQuest offers classes, training, and learning opportunities online through CosmoAcademy, offering opportunities for all kinds of learners to become more connected to the science of the Universe. In this poster we describe CosmoAcademy opportunities for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), scientists and engineers who are interested in broadening their impact of their work by providing learning opportunities for those outside of the scientific community. CosmoAcademy offers SME programs at a variety of levels and across a variety of topics in formal and informal education and outreach -- ranging from sharing the results of your work on social media, through delivering an online class series, to partnering with teachers and schools. SMEs may combine sequences of training to earn certification at various levels for their participation in the CosmoAcademy programs. SMEs who have been trained may also apply to teach CosmoAcademy classes for the community on subjects of their expertise to build a rich and engaging learning resource for members of society who wish to understand more about the Universe.

Benefits of off-campus education for students in the health sciences: a text-mining analysis.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Kazumasa; Asakawa, Yasuyoshi; Yamada, Keiko; Ushikubo, Mitsuko; Yoshida, Tohru; Yamaguchi, Haruyasu

2012-08-28

In Japan, few community-based approaches have been adopted in health-care professional education, and the appropriate content for such approaches has not been clarified. In establishing community-based education for health-care professionals, clarification of its learning effects is required. A community-based educational program was started in 2009 in the health sciences course at Gunma University, and one of the main elements in this program is conducting classes outside school. The purpose of this study was to investigate using text-analysis methods how the off-campus program affects students. In all, 116 self-assessment worksheets submitted by students after participating in the off-campus classes were decomposed into words. The extracted words were carefully selected from the perspective of contained meaning or content. With the selected terms, the relations to each word were analyzed by means of cluster analysis. Cluster analysis was used to select and divide 32 extracted words into four clusters: cluster 1-"actually/direct," "learn/watch/hear," "how," "experience/participation," "local residents," "atmosphere in community-based clinical care settings," "favorable," "communication/conversation," and "study"; cluster 2-"work of staff member" and "role"; cluster 3-"interaction/communication," "understanding," "feel," "significant/important/necessity," and "think"; and cluster 4-"community," "confusing," "enjoyable," "proactive," "knowledge," "academic knowledge," and "class." The students who participated in the program achieved different types of learning through the off-campus classes. They also had a positive impression of the community-based experience and interaction with the local residents, which is considered a favorable outcome. Off-campus programs could be a useful educational approach for students in health sciences.

Cultural patterns in children's learning through keen observation and participation in their communities.

PubMed

Correa-Chávez, Maricela; Roberts, Amy L D; Pérez, Margarita Martínez

2011-01-01

This chapter examines children's learning through careful attention and participation in the ongoing activities of their community. This form of learning, which has been called learning through Intent Community Participation, seems to be especially common in Mesoamerican Indigenous communities. In these communities, children are integrated into the everyday work and lives of adults and their learning may not be the central focus. We contrast this pattern with that of middle-class European American communities where children are segregated from the primary adult functions of the community. In middle-class communities and schools, children are often encouraged to engage in abstract lessons where their attention is explicitly directed to specific events. In contrast, learning through keen attention and observation may rely on learning through attention to instructions not specifically directed to the learner. Studies demonstrate Mesoamerican Indigenous children's ability to learn through simultaneous and open attention to overheard or observed activities. This form of learning is supported through multiple modalities of communication and interaction. Motivation to learn stems from the learner's inclusion into the major activities and goals of the community. Implications of research and future directions for the study of learning through keen observation are discussed.

Community-Based Science: A Response to UCSD's Ongoing Racism Crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, B.; Barraza, A.; Macgurn, R.

2010-12-01

In February, 2010, the University of California - San Diego's long simmering racism crisis erupted in response to a series of racist provocations, including a fraternity party titled "The Compton Cookout" and a noose discovered in the main library. Student groups led by the Black Student Union organized a series of protests, occupations and discussions highlighting the situation at UCSD (including the low fraction of African American students: 1.3%), and pressuring the university to take action. Extensive interviews (March-May, 2010) with participants in the protests indicate that most felt the UCSD senior administration's response was inadequate and failed to address the underlying causes of the crisis. In an attempt to contribute to a more welcoming university that connects to working class communities of color, we have developed an educational program directed towards students in the environmental- and geo-sciences that seeks to establish genuine, two-way links between students and working people, with a focus on City Heights, a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual diverse immigrant community 20 miles from UCSD. Elements of the program include: --critiquing research universities and their connection to working class communities --learning about and discussing issues affecting City Heights, including community, environmental racism, health and traditional knowledge; --interviewing organizers and activists to find out about the stories and struggles of the community; --working on joint projects affecting environmental quality in City Heights with high school students; --partnering with individual high school students to develop a proposal for a joint science project of mutual interest; --developing a proposal for how UCSD could change to better interface with City Heights. An assessment of the impact of the program on individual community members and UCSD students and on developing enduring links between City Heights and UCSD will be presented followed by a preliminary evaluation of the potential of the program to contribute to changing the environment at UCSD in the long term.

Making a Difference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheney, Tracy Williams; Eden, Connie

1995-01-01

Describes how a class of elementary students organized a community project to reclaim a forgotten city green-space and turn it into an environmental park. The students researched local environmental problems and worked with a nearby developer to lessen environmental impacts. (LZ)

The Progress of Rafael in English and Family Reading: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanteigne, Betty; Schwarzer, David

1997-01-01

Describes four aspects of a Mexican immigrant's life in the United States as he works on learning a new language. Describes Rafael as a hard-working employee, an active community member, an enquiring student, and a caring family man. Describes the Harvest America family reading program, the beginning English class curriculum, and Rafael's progress…

How Do We Get Them to Do the Homework?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennis, Sophie Lampard

2015-01-01

It seems that instructors and professors--from community college to the Ivy League--are concerned by the lack of work completion in their courses, and therefore by student level of preparedness for class, or indeed, college. Work completion is typically a very large portion of course expectations-- often beginning on day one--and it is generally…

Firoz Uncle: A "Reluctant" Educationist in a Mumbai Ghetto

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murali, Sreejith

2017-01-01

This article focuses on the educational efforts of Syed Firoz Ashraf in the East Jogeshwari area of Mumbai and places his work in the context of the increasing communalisation of social life and education in a poor working class suburb in Mumbai city. Muslim community has been ghettoised in the metropolis to specific areas especially since the…

Education of garment workers: prevention of work related musculoskeletal disorders.

PubMed

Pun, Jane Chao; Burgel, Barbara J; Chan, Jackie; Lashuay, Nan

2004-08-01

This educational intervention was designed as part of a garment worker occupational health and safety initiative, with the goal to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in this monolingual Cantonese speaking population. Using risk communication and the Chinese concepts of yin and yang, the class curriculum was designed to be participatory. It focused on linking symptoms to high risk work activities; explaining the nature of musculoskeletal injury; and encouraging compliance with self care measures of ice, stretching, and early symptom reporting. A total of 21 women completed the Healthy Work Classes, with an increase in perceived levels of energy measured after each class. Additionally, contingency contracting for both individual and workplace change was piloted. This curriculum was revised to become a "train the trainer" program, with training of garment worker leaders and the goal to disseminate this prevention based curriculum to garment workers in the Oakland, California community.

Making the Most of Your First Day of Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaffney, Jon D. H.; Whitaker, Jacob T.

2015-03-01

Instructors of physics courses face the demanding challenge of creating a safe, nurturing community in their classroom while maintaining sufficient rigor. First-day activities are especially important, because they need to both motivate their students and prepare them for the course. Experienced instructors happily share their successful first-day activities,1,2 but what works for one instructor or class might not be as successful for another. We postulate that to be successful, an activity will set expectations, attend to the face needs of the students, and build the instructor's credibility. By modeling the course activities and fostering a supportive learning community, well-suited activities can both orient and motivate students.

Sex Workers, Fem Queens, and Cross-Dressers: Differential Marginalizations and HIV Vulnerabilities Among Three Ethnocultural Male-to-Female Transgender Communities in New York City

PubMed Central

Hwahng, Sel Julian; Nuttbrock, Larry

2008-01-01

This article describes 3 distinct ethnocultural male-to-female transgender communities in New York City: the low-income African American/Black1 and Latina(o) House Ball community; low-income, often undocumented immigrant Asian sex workers; and middle-class White cross-dressers. These communities are highly socially isolated from each other and are more connected to their ethnocultural contexts than to an abstract and shared transgender identity. Whereas previous research either has viewed male-to-female transgender people as one monolithic group or has separated them into abstract racial categories unconnected to their communities and lifestyles, this article positions them within specific social networks, cultures, neighborhoods, and lifestyles. With regard to HIV vulnerabilities, violence, and rape, House Ball community members seemed to engage in the riskiest form of survival sex work, whereas Asian sex workers seemed to engage in moderate-risk survival sex work. White cross-dressers seemed to engage in very low-risk recreational sex work.2 PMID:19079558

Developing an Internet-Based Chemistry Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, Mary Jane

2000-05-01

With the increasing popularity of Internet-based classes, more faculty are being asked to develop them (1). In Texas, the Virtual College of Texas (http://www.vct.org) even provides a forum that allows community colleges to advertise their distance-learning classes, and it paves the way for a college to offer a distance-learning class from any other college in the state. The two colleges simply work out a Memorandum of Understanding, mutually deciding how to administer the class, divide fees, set enrollment limits, among other details. While some classes are easily adapted to an Internet format, lab sciences raise a number of issues that must be tackled before a quality course can be developed in this new medium. I will raise some of those issues and offer a few possibilities.

A Tale of Two Campuses: The Part-Time English Teacher at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollington, Mary

A study compared the working conditions of part-time English teachers at Brigham Young University (BYU) and Utah Valley Community College (UVCC). At BYU more than half of the advanced writing classes are taught by part-timers, who make up 27% of the English department, and women part-timers outnumber men four to one. At UVCC there are about as…

The Role of Environmental Narratives and Social Positioning in How Place Gets Constructed for and by Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzou, Carrie; Scalone, Giovanna; Bell, Philip

2010-01-01

A growing set of research projects in science education are working from the assumption that science literacy can be constituted as being centrally focused on issues of social justice for the youth and for communities involved in such work (Calabrese Barton, 2003). Despite well-established links among race, class, and exposure to environmental…

Class and gender in twentieth-century British psychiatry: shell-shock and psychopathic disorder.

PubMed

Busfield, Joan

2004-01-01

This chapter explores the ways in which class and gender permeated psychiatric practice in twentieth-century Britain. It first outlines the historical context and changing character of psychiatric ideas and practice, dividing the century into four main periods - Custodialism under attack, 1890-1929; Integration and Medical Innovation, 1930-1953; Community Care and Public Sector Expansion, 1954-1973; and Privatisation and Commercialisation, 1974 to the Present. The chapter then uses the prism of two psychiatric categories - shell-shock and psychopathic disorder to examine in some detail the ways in which class and gender are embedded in psychiatric work.

The Keys to Successful Co-Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Jane; Jackson, Ina

1996-01-01

Techniques for successful team teaching, drawn from an informal survey of Middlesex Community College (Massachusetts) instructors with team teaching experience, are outlined. Issues addressed include techniques for beginning class, taking attendance, seating, forms of address, passing out material, grading assignments, working together in the…

Interview with Steve Parks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitchcock, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Jennifer Hitchcock interviews community activist and director of Syracuse University's Composition and Cultural Rhetoric doctoral program, Steve Parks. They discuss Parks's working-class background, career path, influences, and activism. Parks also considers the direction of the field of composition and rhetoric and expresses optimism for the…

Stories of relative privilege: power and social change in feminist community psychology.

PubMed

Mulvey, A; Terenzio, M; Hill, J; Bond, M A; Huygens, I; Hamerton, H R; Cahill, S

2000-12-01

Stories about community work in New Zealand and Scotland are presented to describe and reflect on issues central to feminist community psychology. Organizing a lesbian festival, Ingrid Huygens describes feminist processes used to equalize resources across Maori (indigenous) and Pakeha (white) groups. Heather Hamerton presents her experiences as a researcher using collective memory work to reflect on adolescent experiences related to gender, ethnicity, and class. Sharon Cahill chronicles dilemmas and insights from focus groups about anger with women living in public housing in Scotland. Each story chronicles experiences related to oppression and privilege, and describes the author's emotions and reflections. Individually and collectively, the stories illustrate the potential offered by narrative methods and participatory processes for challenging inequalities and encouraging social justice.

Is group singing special? Health, well-being and social bonds in community-based adult education classes

PubMed Central

Pearce, Eiluned; Launay, Jacques; Machin, Anna; Dunbar, Robin I.M.

2016-01-01

Evidence demonstrates that group singing improves health and well-being, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Given that cohesive social networks also positively influence health, we focus on the social aspects of singing, exploring whether improvements in health and well-being are mediated by stronger social bonds, both to the group as a whole (collective-bonding) and to individual classmates (relational-bonding). To do so, seven newly-formed community-based adult education classes (four singing, N=84, and three comparison classes studying creative writing or crafts, N=51) were followed over seven months. Self-report questionnaire data on mental and physical health, well-being, and social bonding were collected at Months 1, 3 and 7. We demonstrate that physical and mental health and satisfaction with life significantly improved over time in both conditions. Path analysis did not show any indirect effects via social bonding of Condition on health and well-being. However, higher collective-bonding at timepoint 3 significantly predicted increased flourishing, reduced anxiety and improved physical health independently of baseline levels. In contrast, relational-bonding showed no such effects, suggesting that it is feeling part of a group that particularly yields health and well-being benefits. Moreover, these results indicate that singing may not improve health and well-being more than other types of activities. Nonetheless, these findings encourage further work to refine our understanding of the social aspects of community-based adult education classes in promoting health, well-being and community cohesion. PMID:27867282

Is group singing special? Health, well-being and social bonds in community-based adult education classes.

PubMed

Pearce, Eiluned; Launay, Jacques; Machin, Anna; Dunbar, Robin I M

Evidence demonstrates that group singing improves health and well-being, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Given that cohesive social networks also positively influence health, we focus on the social aspects of singing, exploring whether improvements in health and well-being are mediated by stronger social bonds, both to the group as a whole (collective-bonding) and to individual classmates (relational-bonding). To do so, seven newly-formed community-based adult education classes (four singing, N =84, and three comparison classes studying creative writing or crafts, N =51) were followed over seven months. Self-report questionnaire data on mental and physical health, well-being, and social bonding were collected at Months 1, 3 and 7. We demonstrate that physical and mental health and satisfaction with life significantly improved over time in both conditions. Path analysis did not show any indirect effects via social bonding of Condition on health and well-being. However, higher collective-bonding at timepoint 3 significantly predicted increased flourishing, reduced anxiety and improved physical health independently of baseline levels. In contrast, relational-bonding showed no such effects, suggesting that it is feeling part of a group that particularly yields health and well-being benefits. Moreover, these results indicate that singing may not improve health and well-being more than other types of activities. Nonetheless, these findings encourage further work to refine our understanding of the social aspects of community-based adult education classes in promoting health, well-being and community cohesion.

Evaluation of a community-based clinical teaching programme by current and former student dental therapists and dental hygienists: a pilot investigation.

PubMed

Lynch, C D; Ash, P J; Chadwick, B L

2011-05-28

There has been considerable expansion in the involvement of community-based clinical teaching programmes (sometimes termed 'outreach teaching') in UK and other international dental schools. While there has been much interest in the role of this educational methodology in the professional and educational development of student dentists, there has been little, if no, consideration of this form of teaching in relation to dental care professional (DCP) students. The aim of this pilot investigation was to report the feedback and evaluation of current and former student dental therapists and dental hygienists on their experience on the St David's community-based clinical teaching programme at Cardiff. In Autumn 2009, a questionnaire was distributed by hand to the current second year student dental therapist and dental hygiene class at Cardiff (n = 18) and by post to the dental therapist and dental hygiene classes of 2004 (n = 16) and 2007 (n = 17). The questionnaire included both 'open' and 'closed' questions. Thirty responses were returned (response rate = 59%; 2004 (n = 5, 31%), 2007 (n = 9, 53%), current class (n = 16, 89%)). Seventy percent of respondents (n = 21) reported that they found the community-based clinical teaching programme to be a pleasant working environment and close to subsequent independent practice. Seventy-seven percent (n = 23) reported that their confidence performing nonsurgical periodontal treatment had increased while at the programme. One respondent commented that the programme was '...an invaluable and insightful introduction to what it would be like working in practice. Without being given the experience, it would have been a big shock to the system when I started working in practice...' This pilot investigation has revealed that current and former dental therapist and dental hygiene students are enthusiastic in their support for the inclusion of community-based clinical teaching programmes in their educational and professional development. Most former and current dental therapist and dental hygiene students noted the positive effects of this form of training on their subsequent clinical careers.

Acculturating Indian immigrant men in New York City: applying the social capital construct to understand their experiences and health.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Gauri

2008-04-01

This study qualitatively explored social capital available to individuals (N = 17) within a community-based purposive sample of adult male immigrants from India in New York City (NYC). Analysis of in-depth interview data identified possible pathways for social capital's influences upon acculturative stress. The study defined social capital in terms of the participants' social relationships among peers, in the workplace, and with their ethnic community. Their relationships were assessed in terms of support, trust, and reciprocity. Among the recent immigrants, hopelessness and frustration about future work prospects were associated with symptoms of depression and substance abuse. The participants identified wealth as a distinct marker of social class and they described social class as a combination of education and occupation. Social class largely determined the particular peer and community networks each participant joined. Participants relied upon ongoing connections with family in India, despite their geographic separation, to relieve acculturative stress. Social support from peers was the participants' most useful and immediate resource for alleviating acculturative stress. For participants of lower socioeconomic status, acculturative stress was compounded by social-relationship expectations and norms from India that persisted within NYCs immigrant community. Namely, lower-SES participants were more likely to experience frustration and setbacks when they sought out intimate social relationships with women.

Size-Class Effect Contributes to Tree Species Assembly through Influencing Dispersal in Tropical Forests

PubMed Central

Hu, Yue-Hua; Kitching, Roger L.; Lan, Guo-Yu; Zhang, Jiao-Lin; Sha, Li-Qing; Cao, Min

2014-01-01

We have investigated the processes of community assembly using size classes of trees. Specifically our work examined (1) whether point process models incorporating an effect of size-class produce more realistic summary outcomes than do models without this effect; (2) which of three selected models incorporating, respectively environmental effects, dispersal and the joint-effect of both of these, is most useful in explaining species-area relationships (SARs) and point dispersion patterns. For this evaluation we used tree species data from the 50-ha forest dynamics plot in Barro Colorado Island, Panama and the comparable 20 ha plot at Bubeng, Southwest China. Our results demonstrated that incorporating an size-class effect dramatically improved the SAR estimation at both the plots when the dispersal only model was used. The joint effect model produced similar improvement but only for the 50-ha plot in Panama. The point patterns results were not improved by incorporation of size-class effects using any of the three models. Our results indicate that dispersal is likely to be a key process determining both SARs and point patterns. The environment-only model and joint-effects model were effective at the species level and the community level, respectively. We conclude that it is critical to use multiple summary characteristics when modelling spatial patterns at the species and community levels if a comprehensive understanding of the ecological processes that shape species’ distributions is sought; without this results may have inherent biases. By influencing dispersal, the effect of size-class contributes to species assembly and enhances our understanding of species coexistence. PMID:25251538

40 CFR 51.369 - Improving repair effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Requirements § 51.369 Improving repair effectiveness. Effective repairs are the key to achieving program goals... the community either through private or public facilities. This may involve working with local... might involve attracting private training providers to offer classes in the area. The training available...

40 CFR 51.369 - Improving repair effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Requirements § 51.369 Improving repair effectiveness. Effective repairs are the key to achieving program goals... the community either through private or public facilities. This may involve working with local... might involve attracting private training providers to offer classes in the area. The training available...

40 CFR 51.369 - Improving repair effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Requirements § 51.369 Improving repair effectiveness. Effective repairs are the key to achieving program goals... the community either through private or public facilities. This may involve working with local... might involve attracting private training providers to offer classes in the area. The training available...

40 CFR 51.369 - Improving repair effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Requirements § 51.369 Improving repair effectiveness. Effective repairs are the key to achieving program goals... the community either through private or public facilities. This may involve working with local... might involve attracting private training providers to offer classes in the area. The training available...

Educating beyond the Borders of Schooling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, Michelle; Weis, Lois; Centrie, Craig; Roberts, Rosemarie

2000-01-01

Discusses the social psychology of spatiality, offering information from interviews with diverse poor and working class young adults and focusing on "free spaces"--those spaces in which hope is nourished despite impoverished material circumstances. Provides examples of ethnographic research in an arts community and a spiritual community…

Chicana Adolescents: Bitches, 'Ho's, and Schoolgirls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dietrich, Lisa C.

"Westhills" is a multiethnic coastal community in San Diego County, California, in which Mexican Americans comprise approximately 22 percent of the population. This book reports ethnographic research on a group of working-class Chicana adolescents in one Westhills barrio and their problems, school experiences, immersion in two…

Multi-class chemical exposure in rural Peru using silicone wristbands

PubMed Central

Bergmann, Alan J; North, Paula E; Vasquez, Luis; Bello, Hernan; del Carmen Gastañaga Ruiz, Maria; Anderson, Kim A

2017-01-01

Exposure monitoring with personal silicone wristband samplers was demonstrated in Peru in four agriculture and urban communities where logistic and practical constraints hinder use of more traditional approaches. Wristbands and associated methods enabled quantitation of 63 pesticides and screening for 1397 chemicals including environmental contaminants and personal care products. Sixty-eight wristbands were worn for approximately one month by volunteers from four communities of Alto Mayo, Peru. We identified 106 chemicals from eight chemical classes among all wristbands. Agricultural communities were characterized by pesticides and PAHs, while the urban communities had more personal care products present. Multiple linear regressions explained up to 40% of variance in wristbands from chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and DDT and its metabolites (DDx) (r2=0.39, 0.30, 0.40, respectively). All three pesticides were significantly different between communities, and cypermethrin and DDx were associated with participant age. The calculated relative age of DDT suggested some communities had more recent exposure than others. This work aids health research in the Alto Mayo and beyond by identifying typical mixtures and potential sources of exposure to organic chemicals in the personal environment. Silicone wristband sampling with chemical screening is a candidate for widespread use in exposure monitoring in remote areas. PMID:28745304

Multi-class chemical exposure in rural Peru using silicone wristbands.

PubMed

Bergmann, Alan J; North, Paula E; Vasquez, Luis; Bello, Hernan; Del Carmen Gastañaga Ruiz, Maria; Anderson, Kim A

2017-11-01

Exposure monitoring with personal silicone wristband samplers was demonstrated in Peru in four agriculture and urban communities where logistic and practical constraints hinder use of more traditional approaches. Wristbands and associated methods enabled quantitation of 63 pesticides and screening for 1397 chemicals including environmental contaminants and personal care products. Sixty-eight wristbands were worn for approximately one month by volunteers from four communities of Alto Mayo, Peru. We identified 106 chemicals from eight chemical classes among all wristbands. Agricultural communities were characterized by pesticides and PAHs, while the urban communities had more personal care products present. Multiple linear regressions explained up to 40% of variance in wristbands from chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and DDT and its metabolites (DDx) (r 2 =0.39, 0.30, 0.40, respectively). All three pesticides were significantly different between communities, and cypermethrin and DDx were associated with participant age. The calculated relative age of DDT suggested some communities had more recent exposure than others. This work aids health research in the Alto Mayo and beyond by identifying typical mixtures and potential sources of exposure to organic chemicals in the personal environment. Silicone wristband sampling with chemical screening is a candidate for widespread use in exposure monitoring in remote areas.

Prospective controlled evaluation of the effect of a community based asthma education centre in a multiracial working class neighbourhood.

PubMed Central

Garrett, J.; Fenwick, J. M.; Taylor, G.; Mitchell, E.; Stewart, J.; Rea, H.

1994-01-01

BACKGROUND--Previous work has indicated a high rate of non-attendance at hospital based clinics among young, multiracial asthmatic patients of lower socioeconomic class. The efficacy of delivering asthma education from a community health centre established in a multiracial working class neighbourhood was evaluated. METHODS--A prospective controlled study was performed in which asthmatic subjects aged between two and 55 years attending a hospital emergency room with acute asthma and living within a defined geographical area of high emergency room users were randomised to the usual follow up or the education centre plus usual follow up. Measurements were taken at entry into the study and again nine months later. RESULTS--At nine months patients randomised to the education centre had more preventive medications, more peak expiratory flow meters and better flow meter technique, more self-management plans, better knowledge of appropriate action to take when confronted with worsening asthma, less nocturnal awakening, and better self-reported asthma control than the control group. There was no difference between the study groups in measurements of compliance, hospital admission, days lost from school or work, or emergency room use. CONCLUSIONS--The main effects of education were on asthma knowledge and self-management skills, whilst improvements in asthma morbidity were small. Potential reasons for this include heterogeneous study population (in terms of baseline self-management skills, asthma severity, ethnicity and age), pragmatic study design, insensitivity of many of the measurements of morbidity, the modest effectiveness of a single time limited education programme, and inability to limit the effects of such a large community based study to the intervention group (there was a 67% reduction in asthma admissions during the study period from the geographical area targeted compared with a 22% reduction for the rest of Auckland). Images PMID:7974314

Ideas for Teaching Job-Search Based ESL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotman, Marianne

1993-01-01

Focuses on the employment-related aspect of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at the intermediate and advanced levels. Activities described include researched pair presentations, company research, working through occupational modules and an exercise to enhance self-image. Networking with colleagues and the community helps in the…

Required Volunteers: Community Volunteerism among Students in College Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beehr, Terry A.; LeGro, Kimberly; Porter, Kimberly; Bowling, Nathan A.; Swader, William M.

2010-01-01

Volunteering implies free choice, but people in some situations can feel compelled to volunteer. Hypotheses about students' volunteer work focused on self-determination and sufficiency of justification for their behavior. We examined required versus nonrequired volunteerism, internal and external motivation for volunteering, and attitudes of…

Street-Smart Second-Graders Navigate the Political Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solovitch-Haynes, Syma

1996-01-01

Describes a class project where New York City second graders worked with the community board of transportation to rename a street for an African American woman. The students succeeded in renaming 134th Street in honor of Mary McLeod Bethune, an African American educator. (MJP)

Theme Binders: One Size Fits All.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baskwill, Steve

1996-01-01

Describes theme binders designed by sixth graders as an independent study component that unites the class as a learning community, showcases student work, and illustrates developmental milestones for parents. Details theme binder components: (1) cover page; (2) introductory page outlining the theme and contents; (3) evaluation sections indicating…

Ready, Set, Succeed! Growth Mindset Instruction in a Community College Success Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brysacz, Lynn M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this action research study was to explore the relationship between growth mindset instruction in a community college success class with student academic effort and achievement, among students enrolled in a developmental reading class. Community college students, especially those testing into developmental classes, face numerous…

The CLASS Act: is it dead or just sleeping?

PubMed

Wiener, Joshua M

2012-01-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a voluntary public insurance program for long-term care: the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. In October 2011, the Obama Administration announced that the program would not be implemented because of the high risk of fiscal insolvency. Under the legislative design, adverse selection was a major risk and premiums would have been very high. This article discusses several CLASS Act design and implementation issues, including the design features that led to the decision not to implement the program: the voluntary enrollment, the weak work requirement, the lifetime and cash benefits, and the premium subsidy for low-income workers and students.

Lead-Testing Service to Elementary and Secondary Schools Using Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goebel, Amanda; Vos, Tracy; Louwagie, Anne; Lundbohm, Laura; Brown, Jay H.

2004-02-01

This article outlines a successful community service project that involved members of our undergraduate chemistry club and area elementary schools. Elementary school students from various science classes throughout the region collected drinking water samples and mailed them to the university for analysis. Chemistry club members analyzed the water samples for possible lead contamination using anodic stripping voltammetry. The results and experimental data were returned to the science teachers for use in a variety of class projects. Chemistry club members presented their work during our annual Environmental Chemistry Conference. All participating science classes were invited to the conference. Over the years, participation in this project has steadily increased to its current enrollment of 28 science classes throughout the region.

Implications of discrimination based on sexuality, gender, and race/ethnicity for psychological distress among working-class sexual minorities: the United for Health Study, 2003-2004.

PubMed

Chae, David H; Krieger, Nancy; Bennett, Gary G; Lindsey, Jane C; Stoddard, Anne M; Barbeau, Elizabeth M

2010-01-01

This study investigated the distribution of demographic characteristics, the prevalence of discrimination based on sexuality, gender, and race, and relationships with psychological distress among 178 working-class sexual minorities (i.e., who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) or had ever engaged in same-sex sexual behaviors) recruited to the United for Health Study (2003-2004). The results indicated considerable heterogeneity in responses to items assessing sexual orientation and sexual behavior, with a majority of sexual minority participants not identifying as LGB (74.2%). The authors found significant demographic differences in LGB identification by gender, race/ethnicity, nativity, and socioeconomic factors. In addition, LGB participants had higher levels of psychological distress than non-LGB-identified sexual minorities. Linear regression analyses revealed that reports of racial/ethnic discrimination and sexuality discrimination were associated with higher levels of psychological distress among sexual minority participants. The results underscore the need to collect multiple measures of sexuality in conducting research on racially diverse working-class communities; to consider demographic factors in collecting sexuality data; and to disaggregate information on sexuality by LGB identification. Findings also highlight the importance of addressing discrimination in ameliorating problematic mental health outcomes among working-class sexual minorities.

Creation of Medicinal Chemistry Learning Communities Through Enhanced Technology and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

PubMed Central

Roche, Victoria

2012-01-01

Objectives. To build an integrated medicinal chemistry learning community of campus and distance pharmacy students though the use of innovative technology and interdisciplinary teaching. Design. Mechanisms were implemented to bring distance students into campus-based medicinal chemistry classrooms in real time, stimulate interaction between instructors and various student cohorts, and promote group work during class. Also, pharmacy clinician colleagues were recruited to contribute to the teaching of the 3 medicinal chemistry courses. Assessment. Student perceptions on the value of technology to build community and advance learning were gleaned from course evaluations, in class feedback, and conversations with class officers and student groups. Responses on a survey of second-year students confirmed the benefits of interdisciplinary content integration on engagement and awareness of the connection between drug chemistry and pharmacy practice. A survey of clinician colleagues who contributed to teaching the 3 medicinal chemistry courses found their views were similar to those of students. Conclusions. The purposeful use of technology united learners, fostered communication, and advanced content comprehension in 3 medicinal chemistry courses taught to campus and distance students. Teaching collaboration with pharmacy clinicians enhanced learner interest in course content and provided insight into the integrated nature of the profession of pharmacy. PMID:23129857

Creation of medicinal chemistry learning communities through enhanced technology and interdisciplinary collaboration.

PubMed

Henriksen, Brian; Roche, Victoria

2012-10-12

Objectives. To build an integrated medicinal chemistry learning community of campus and distance pharmacy students though the use of innovative technology and interdisciplinary teaching.Design. Mechanisms were implemented to bring distance students into campus-based medicinal chemistry classrooms in real time, stimulate interaction between instructors and various student cohorts, and promote group work during class. Also, pharmacy clinician colleagues were recruited to contribute to the teaching of the 3 medicinal chemistry courses.Assessment. Student perceptions on the value of technology to build community and advance learning were gleaned from course evaluations, in class feedback, and conversations with class officers and student groups. Responses on a survey of second-year students confirmed the benefits of interdisciplinary content integration on engagement and awareness of the connection between drug chemistry and pharmacy practice. A survey of clinician colleagues who contributed to teaching the 3 medicinal chemistry courses found their views were similar to those of students.Conclusions. The purposeful use of technology united learners, fostered communication, and advanced content comprehension in 3 medicinal chemistry courses taught to campus and distance students. Teaching collaboration with pharmacy clinicians enhanced learner interest in course content and provided insight into the integrated nature of the profession of pharmacy.

R classes and methods for SNP array data.

PubMed

Scharpf, Robert B; Ruczinski, Ingo

2010-01-01

The Bioconductor project is an "open source and open development software project for the analysis and comprehension of genomic data" (1), primarily based on the R programming language. Infrastructure packages, such as Biobase, are maintained by Bioconductor core developers and serve several key roles to the broader community of Bioconductor software developers and users. In particular, Biobase introduces an S4 class, the eSet, for high-dimensional assay data. Encapsulating the assay data as well as meta-data on the samples, features, and experiment in the eSet class definition ensures propagation of the relevant sample and feature meta-data throughout an analysis. Extending the eSet class promotes code reuse through inheritance as well as interoperability with other R packages and is less error-prone. Recently proposed class definitions for high-throughput SNP arrays extend the eSet class. This chapter highlights the advantages of adopting and extending Biobase class definitions through a working example of one implementation of classes for the analysis of high-throughput SNP arrays.

Domestic Violence and Women's Mental Health in Chile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceballo, Rosario; Ramirez, Cynthia; Castillo, Marcela; Caballero, Gabriela Alejandra; Lozoff, Betsy

2004-01-01

Domestic violence against women is a pervasive, global health problem. This study investigates the correlates and psychological outcomes of domestic abuse among women in a semi-industrial country. The participants included 215 mothers residing in working-class communities located on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile. We utilized structural equation…

Disrupting Racialized Institutional Scripts: Toward Parent-Teacher Transformative Agency for Educational Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishimaru, Ann M.; Takahashi, Sola

2017-01-01

Partnerships between teachers and parents from nondominant communities hold promise for reducing race- and class-based educational disparities, but the ways families and teachers work together often fall short of delivering systemic change. Racialized institutional scripts provide "taken-for-granted" norms, expectations, and assumptions…

Eric's Journey: A Restructured School's Inclusion Program and a Student with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Don H.

1998-01-01

Profiles a Milford, Connecticut, middle school's efforts to help Eric Kowalchick, a developmentally disabled adolescent, develop life skills and friendships, prepare for work, pursue school and community club memberships, and attend high school classes. The school's mainstreaming program is a success, thanks to an institutional mission understood…

Racial Counternarratives and Latina Epistemologies in Relational Organizing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonilla, Christopher Milk

2014-01-01

This paper describes the perceptions and actions of working-class Latina family leaders as they promote their epistemological values during the community organizing of a "huerta" (vegetable garden) in an urban bilingual school. I focus on how their racial counternarratives are embedded in the intersected oppression of their local context…

The Attleboro Workplace Education Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jane; Coughlin, Merle

The Attleboro (Massachusetts) Workplace Education Program, a partnership of four area companies and Bristol Community College, is intended to provide workers with education that will improve the quality of their lives and their work. Housed in a corporate office building in the Attleboro Industrial Park, the program offers classes in English as a…

Pathways of Youth Development in a Rural Trailer Park

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacTavish, Katherine A.; Salamon, Sonya

2006-01-01

Limited empirical documentation exists for the developmental pathways available to "rural" youth growing up in low-resource community settings. Drawing on ethnographic data, this article examines the developmental pathways experienced by youth in a rural trailer park. Findings reveal how various factors, some inherent to working poor class status…

Discussing Active Learning from the Practitioner's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bamba, Priscilla

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of how active learning took place in a class containing specific readings,cooperative and collaborative group work, and a writing assignment for college students at a Northern Virginia Community College campus (NVCC). Requisite knowledge, skills, learner characteristics, brain-based learning, and…

Evolution and the End of a World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, David Edward

2010-01-01

This dissertation examines college student understanding and attitudes toward biological evolution. In ethnographic work, I followed a cohort of 31 students through their required introductory biology class. In interviews, students discuss their life history with the concept--in school, at home, at church, and in their communities. For some…

Working with Different Cultural Patterns & Beliefs: Teachers & Families Learning Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purcell-Gates, Victoria; Lenters, Kimberly; McTavish, Marianne; Anderson, Jim

2014-01-01

Rogoff (2003) argues that "Human development is a cultural process….People develop as participants in cultural communities" (p. 3). Children develop within families, and different cultures reflect differences in how they structure activity for this development. For example, middle class North American families generally would not permit…

An Expert Study of a Descriptive Model of Teacher Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Admiraal, Wilfried; Lockhorst, Ditte; van der Pol, Jakko

2012-01-01

Teachers in secondary education mainly feel responsibility for their own classroom practice, resulting in largely autonomous and isolated work and private learning activities. Most teachers teach separate classes behind closed doors and learn about teaching by teaching, often described as trial and error (Hodkinson and Hodkinson in Stud Continuing…

Improvisation as a Curricular Metaphor: Imagining Education for a Rural Creative Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbett, Michael

2013-01-01

Rural communities contain a largely unacknowledged innovative capacity founded on improvisational traditions. These traditions may be rooted in work practices in agriculture and other rurally-based productive activities but today they have expanded into other lifeworld locations, particularly virtual spaces that accelerate time-space compression.…

Not Just Story Collecting: Towards a Critical Ethnography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Richard E.

The struggle in the composition community regarding the place of personal narrative in academic writing became particularly acute for a class of undergraduate Critical Writing students undertaking ethnographic work. By mid-semester, students had read and produced a series of texts about culture and found themselves reading and writing about…

Assessing Job Applicants for Skills To Keep the Automotive Industry Competitive.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advanced Integrated Manufacturing Center, Dayton, OH.

The Advanced Integrated Manufacturing (AIM) Center is a partnership between Sinclair Community College and the University of Dayton (Ohio) that was established to help local manufacturing companies achieve world-class performance by improving their business practices, selecting/developing a highly skilled work force, and making appropriate use of…

Exploring Mirrors, Recreating Science and History, Becoming a Class Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavicchi, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

A teacher narrates from activities and discussions that arose among undergraduates and herself while doing critical explorations of mirrors. Surprised by light's behaviors, the students responded with curiosity, losing their dependence on answers as the format of school knowledge. Inadequacies in how participants supposed light works emerged in…

The Anthropology of Poverty in Black Communities: A Critique and Systems Alternative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Andrew H.

1988-01-01

Ethnographers have not adequately studied societal determinants of poverty. This article demonstrates the utility of using systems theory to assess interactions between local organizations, national bureaucracies, and corporations. Numerous futile attempts of some the poor and working class Bostonians to halt gentrification show how…

Profiles of Community Violence Exposure Among African American Youth: An Examination of Desensitization to Violence Using Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Gaylord-Harden, Noni K; Dickson, Daniel; Pierre, Cynthia

2016-07-01

The current study employed latent class analysis (LCA) to identify distinct profiles of community violence exposure and their associations to desensitization outcomes in 241 African American early adolescents (M age = 12.86, SD = 1.28) in the sixth through eighth grade from under-resourced urban communities. Participants self-reported on their exposure to community violence, as well as on depressive and anxiety symptoms. The LCA revealed three distinct classes: a class exposed to low levels of violence (low exposure class), a class exposed to moderately high levels of victimization (victimization class), and a class exposed to high levels of all types of violence (high exposure class). Consistent with predictions, the high exposure class showed the lowest levels of depressive symptoms, suggesting a desensitization outcome. Gender and age were also examined in relation to the classes, and age was significantly associated with an increased risk of being a member of the high exposure class relative to the low exposure class. Using person-based analyses to examine desensitization outcomes provides useful information for prevention and intervention efforts, as it helps to identify a specific subgroup of youth that may be more likely to show desensitization outcomes in the context of community violence. © The Author(s) 2015.

Experiential Learning and Sustainable Economic Development in Appalachian Communities: A Teaching Note

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonn, Bruce; Ezzell, Tim; Ogle, Eric

2010-01-01

This paper describes the results of a participative planning class held in economically dis-advantaged communities in east Tennessee. The class follows a structured method, which includes community workshops and project development, in dealing with the communities. Among many observations gained in eight years of running the class are that…

Community College Faculty and Web-Based Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Vernon C.; Rhoades, Gary

2006-01-01

Web-based, e-learning classes, or online classes that use a proprietary course management system such as Blackboard, are an increasingly prominent part of higher education, particularly in community colleges. In fact, more than three-quarters of community colleges now offer the same course in face-to-face and online modes. And community colleges…

Tai Chi: moving for better balance -- development of a community-based falls prevention program.

PubMed

Li, Fuzhong; Harmer, Peter; Mack, Karin A; Sleet, David; Fisher, K John; Kohn, Melvin A; Millet, Lisa M; Xu, Junheng; Yang, Tingzhong; Sutton, Beth; Tompkins, Yvaughn

2008-05-01

This study was designed to develop an evidence- and community based falls prevention program -- Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance. A mixed qualitative and quantitative approach was used to develop a package of materials for program implementation and evaluation. The developmental work was conducted in 2 communities in the Pacific Northwest. Participants included a panel of experts, senior service program managers or activity coordinators, and older adults. Outcome measures involved program feasibility and satisfaction. Through an iterative process, a program package was developed. The package contained an implementation plan and class training materials (ie, instructor's manual, videotape, and user's guidebook). Pilot testing of program materials showed that the content was appropriate for the targeted users (community-living older adults) and providers (local senior service organizations). A feasibility survey indicated interest and support from users and providers for program implementation. A 2-week pilot evaluation showed that the program implementation was feasible and evidenced good class attendance, high participant satisfaction, and interest in continuing Tai Chi. The package of materials developed in this study provides a solid foundation for larger scale implementation and evaluation of the program in community settings.

Symbolic capital and health: the case of women's sex work in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

PubMed

Stoebenau, Kirsten

2009-06-01

Public health research on sex work has been criticized both for representing sex work as a monolithic entity and for focusing only on individual behavioral determinants of health. When broader determinants are acknowledged, they are often described in solely economic terms (ie, comparing health risks of higher class versus lower class sex workers). Drawing from Pierre Bourdieu, I describe women's sex work in Antananarivo, Madagascar as a social 'field' and demonstrate that this field is both highly complex and highly structured. Fourteen months of ethnographic fieldwork (December 2002-December 2003; May-June 2004) in Antananarivo with women sex workers (n approximately 60) and community members (n approximately 85) informed a description of the community's understanding of the sex work field and its contrast to the lived experience of key informant sex workers. Women who sell sex were categorized by their communities into three social positions--ambony (high), antonony (middle) and ambany (low)--which were differentiated by economic capital (earnings per sexual exchange) and symbolic capital (prestige associated with race, ethnicity and moral demeanor). Women who occupied the antonony social position held the greatest volumes of symbolic capital both because they were identified as belonging to the local dominant ethnic group, and because they demonstrated discretion and shame in their sex work practice. Alternatively, women who occupied the ambony and ambany positions openly practiced their sex work and were associated with ethnic or racial minority identities, contributing to their lower volumes of symbolic capital. Symbolic capital influenced unique health vulnerabilities, such as to sexually transmitted disease, by social position through mechanisms operating from the institutional to the interpersonal level. This analysis illustrates the value of examining sex work as a social field, specifically the importance of capturing more than economic capital in order to understand sex workers' unique health vulnerabilities and concerns.

Teaching Environmental Geochemistry as a Service-Learning Course (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, T. C.

2010-12-01

Service-learning courses seek to broaden students’ understanding of class content through activities, which are, at the same time, of service to the community. At Wesleyan University, I have taught an Environmental Geochemistry and Laboratory course three times as a service-learning course. The course meets for two 80-minute lecture periods and one 3-hour lab period each week and class sizes have been 19-27 students. The lectures cover traditional geochemistry topics such as equilibrium thermodynamics, acid-base equilibria, oxidation-reduction reactions, and isotope geochemistry, while the lab periods focus on a semester-long environmental project in collaboration with a community organization. Problem sets and class exercises are chosen to demonstrate how theoretical concepts are applied to topics relevant to the service-learning project. The three service-learning projects and associated community partners were entitled 1) “An Initial Assessment of the North End Middletown Landfill as a Renewable Energy Sources” in collaboration with The Johan Center for Earth and Art, 2) “The Water and Sediment Geochemistry of Beseck Lake, CT: Implications for Cultural Eutrophication” in collaboration with the Beseck Lake Association, and 3) “Geochemistry and Hydrology of Jobs Pond, CT” with the Jobs Pond Water Quality Commission. Initial contact with the community partner was made through Wesleyan’s Center for Community Partnerships or through the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. At the start of each semester, the lead member(s) of the community organization present their environmental problem to the class. This initial meeting allows the students to hear about the problem from the community’s perspective. The faculty member collaborates with the community organization to design 5-8 mini-projects and the students are assigned group projects (2-5 students) through a ranking system. Throughout the semester each group works on their project, but several lab periods involve the entire class when the activity is beneficial to multiple groups or for educational purposes. For example, during lake projects, all students learn how to collect water column samples and piston and freeze sediment cores. The course culminates with a written report for each group and student oral presentations to the public usually held at an off-campus site and covered by the local media. The public presentations can be very successful and especially rewarding for the students, the faculty member, and the community organization. This type of service-learning class requires more faculty preparation time, additional funds or supplies, and a cooperative community organization. The result though, is that approximately one-third of the student evaluations specifically mentioned that the service-learning project was one of the most enjoyable or educational experiences of the course.

Implementation cost analysis of a community-based exercise program for seniors in South Florida.

PubMed

Page, Timothy F; Batra, Anamica; Ghouse, Muddasir M; Palmer, Richard C

2014-07-01

The objective of the study was to measure the costs of implementing the EnhanceFitness program to elderly residents of South Florida. The Health Foundation of South Florida's Healthy Aging Regional Collaborative implemented EnhanceFitness as part of their initiative to make evidence-based healthy aging programs available to South Florida seniors. Cost data were collected from agencies participating in the delivery of EnhanceFitness classes in South Florida. Cost questionnaires were e-mailed to program coordinators from agencies participating in the delivery of EnhanceFitness classes. Program coordinators worked with accounting staff to complete the questionnaires. Questionnaires were returned via e-mail. Costs were presented from the perspective of participating agencies. Total costs were divided by the number of classes being offered by each agency to determine cost per class per month. Average monthly costs per class were $1,713 during the first year of implementation and $873 during the second year of implementation. The cost measurements, combined with information from the literature on cost savings attributable to EnhanceFitness participation, suggest that EnhanceFitness has the potential to generate a net societal cost savings among program participants. The results are useful for community agencies considering implementing EnhanceFitness for their populations. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Community violence, protective factors, and adolescent mental health: a profile analysis.

PubMed

Copeland-Linder, Nikeea; Lambert, Sharon F; Ialongo, Nicholas S

2010-01-01

This study examined interrelationships among community violence exposure, protective factors, and mental health in a sample of urban, predominantly African American adolescents (N = 504). Latent Profile Analysis was conducted to identify profiles of adolescents based on a combination of community violence exposure, self-worth, parental monitoring, and parental involvement and to examine whether these profiles differentially predict adolescents' depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior. Three classes were identified-a vulnerable class, a moderate risk/medium protection class, and a moderate risk/high protection class. The classes differentially predicted depressive symptoms but not aggressive behavior for boys and girls. The class with the highest community violence exposure also had the lowest self-worth.

Association of Socioeconomic Factors and Sedentary Lifestyle in Belgrade’s Suburb, Working Class Community

PubMed Central

KONEVIC, Slavica; MARTINOVIC, Jelena; DJONOVIC, Nela

2015-01-01

Background: Sedentary lifestyle represents a growing health problem and considering that there is already a range of unhealthy habits that are marked as health risk factors and the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyle worldwide, we aimed to investigate association of sedentary way of living in suburb, working class local community with socioeconomic determinants such as educational level, occupation and income status. Methods: In this community-based cross-sectional study, 1126 independently functioning adults were enrolled into the study. The study protocol included a complete clinical and biochemical investigation revealing age, gender, lipid status, height, weight and blood pressure. Trained interviewers (nurses) collected information from patients about current state of chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension) smoking, medication and other socioeconomic data. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square and logistic regression were performed as statistical calculations. Results: Patients with elementary school were seven times more likely to be classified in category with sedentary lifestyle compared to patients with college or faculty degree. Being retired and reporting low income were significantly associated with higher odds of sedentary behavior when compared with students and patients with high-income status, respectively. Conclusions: The significance of this study lies in the fact that our results may help to easier identification of patients who may have a tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle. PMID:26587469

Association of Socioeconomic Factors and Sedentary Lifestyle in Belgrade's Suburb, Working Class Community.

PubMed

Konevic, Slavica; Martinovic, Jelena; Djonovic, Nela

2015-08-01

Sedentary lifestyle represents a growing health problem and considering that there is already a range of unhealthy habits that are marked as health risk factors and the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyle worldwide, we aimed to investigate association of sedentary way of living in suburb, working class local community with socioeconomic determinants such as educational level, occupation and income status. In this community-based cross-sectional study, 1126 independently functioning adults were enrolled into the study. The study protocol included a complete clinical and biochemical investigation revealing age, gender, lipid status, height, weight and blood pressure. Trained interviewers (nurses) collected information from patients about current state of chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension) smoking, medication and other socioeconomic data. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square and logistic regression were performed as statistical calculations. Patients with elementary school were seven times more likely to be classified in category with sedentary lifestyle compared to patients with college or faculty degree. Being retired and reporting low income were significantly associated with higher odds of sedentary behavior when compared with students and patients with high-income status, respectively. The significance of this study lies in the fact that our results may help to easier identification of patients who may have a tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle.

Tailoring community-based wellness initiatives with latent class analysis--Massachusetts Community Transformation Grant projects.

PubMed

Arcaya, Mariana; Reardon, Timothy; Vogel, Joshua; Andrews, Bonnie K; Li, Wenjun; Land, Thomas

2014-02-13

Community-based approaches to preventing chronic diseases are attractive because of their broad reach and low costs, and as such, are integral components of health care reform efforts. Implementing community-based initiatives across Massachusetts' municipalities presents both programmatic and evaluation challenges. For effective delivery and evaluation of the interventions, establishing a community typology that groups similar municipalities provides a balanced and cost-effective approach. Through a series of key informant interviews and exploratory data analysis, we identified 55 municipal-level indicators of 6 domains for the typology analysis. The domains were health behaviors and health outcomes, housing and land use, transportation, retail environment, socioeconomics, and demographic composition. A latent class analysis was used to identify 10 groups of municipalities based on similar patterns of municipal-level indicators across the domains. Our model with 10 latent classes yielded excellent classification certainty (relative entropy = .995, minimum class probability for any class = .871), and differentiated distinct groups of municipalities based on health-relevant needs and resources. The classes differentiated healthy and racially and ethnically diverse urban areas from cities with similar population densities and diversity but worse health outcomes, affluent communities from lower-income rural communities, and mature suburban areas from rapidly suburbanizing communities with different healthy-living challenges. Latent class analysis is a tool that may aid in the planning, communication, and evaluation of community-based wellness initiatives such as Community Transformation Grants projects administrated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Human Activity Recognition from Smart-Phone Sensor Data using a Multi-Class Ensemble Learning in Home Monitoring.

PubMed

Ghose, Soumya; Mitra, Jhimli; Karunanithi, Mohan; Dowling, Jason

2015-01-01

Home monitoring of chronically ill or elderly patient can reduce frequent hospitalisations and hence provide improved quality of care at a reduced cost to the community, therefore reducing the burden on the healthcare system. Activity recognition of such patients is of high importance in such a design. In this work, a system for automatic human physical activity recognition from smart-phone inertial sensors data is proposed. An ensemble of decision trees framework is adopted to train and predict the multi-class human activity system. A comparison of our proposed method with a multi-class traditional support vector machine shows significant improvement in activity recognition accuracies.

Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility through the Collaborative Assessment Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branch, Myra; Grafelman, Brenda; Hurelbrink, Kurt

This report describes a program for increasing student ownership and responsibility to bring about quality work. The students were actively involved in the collaborative assessment process. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in a middle class community in Central Illinois. An increased sense of ownership,…

Integrating Learner-Driven and Organization-Driven Agendas: A Workplace Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lessard, Richard

For the past 4 years, Alpena Community College (ACC) in Michigan has been involved in the Workplace Partnership Project (WPP), a federally funded program which brings basic skills classes into the worksite to help upgrade employees' math, reading, writing, problem-solving, and science knowledge. The college works with partner companies to help…

Gender Play: Girls and Boys in School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorne, Barrie

Daily observations of children in the classroom and on the playground show how children construct and experience gender in school. Observations were made in working class communities and emphasize the experiences of fourth and fifth graders. Most children were White, but a sizable minority were Latino, Chicano, or African American. It is argued…

Equity-Minded Faculty Development: An Intersectional Identity-Conscious Community of Practice Model for Faculty Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costino, Kimberly A.

2018-01-01

Equity-minded institutional transformation requires robust faculty learning. Research has shown that the single most important factor in student success is faculty interaction. Positive, supportive, and empowering faculty interaction is particularly important to the success of female students, poor and working class students, and students of…

Good Fences Make Bad Neighbors--A Community-Oriented Course in Psychology and Criminal Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenwick, David S.

1978-01-01

A multidisciplinary undergraduate course in correctional psychology is described, noteworthy features of which include field work experiences in criminal justice agencies, discussions with criminal justice personnel from a variety of disciplines and professions, and in-class role-playing exercises, as well as more traditional coursework. (Author)

Training Programs for Nontraditional Jobs for Older Adults. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branscum, Shelba Y.

A project proposed to organize and teach a series of training programs on nontraditional jobs for adults over age 55. Nontraditional was defined as any work situation other than full-time, historically-typical jobs in a community. Project staff developed four training classes in small appliance repair, plant care, mother's care, food preparation…

Team Experiences for Science and Social Studies Preservice Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burlbaw, Lynn M.; Borowiec, Jonathan B.; James, Robert K.

2001-01-01

Describes how senior-level, preservice teacher certification candidates in secondary science and social science methods classes work in teams to prepare instructional materials on a community-based issue (such as the effect of the deposition of arsenic in a creek and small city lake). Argues that such projects provide valuable learning experiences…

"More Writing than Welding": Learning in Worker Writer Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodin, Tom

2005-01-01

The Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers was set up in 1976 by a number of independent writing and publishing groups to support and develop the writing of working class and other marginalized people. Focusing on the development of individuals within a collective organization over the previous three decades provides important…

In the Country of Anythink

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oder, Norman

2010-01-01

Beyond the sprawling Denver International Airport, there's little to put Adams County, Colorado, on the map. The region's light rail only stretches south, so Adams County, a mostly working-class zone to the northeast, has come late to growth. There's no central city; the community is dominated by strip malls, big-box stores, and new developments.…

Educating for Participation: Democratic Life and Performative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radaelli, Eleonora

2015-01-01

A democratic life is a form of associated living that requires people to participate in a pluralistic dialogue in different spheres of the civic society: government, community, and work. Higher education classes have a leading role in preparing students for participation in a democratic society; however, more could be done, in particular focusing…

Teacher Research on Funds of Knowledge: Learning from Households. Educational Practice Report: 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Norma; And Others

The conceptualization of working-class Latino students' households as being rich in funds of knowledge has engendered transformative consequences for teachers, parents, students, and researchers. The qualitative study of their own students' households by teachers is a viable method for bridging the gap between school and community. An assumption…

Persuasive Fund Raising: The Psychology of Student Entrepreneurship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meussling, Vonne

A curriculum designed for public relations students in a persuasion class at Indiana State University provided them with the theory of persuasion and then gave them the opportunity to apply the theory by doing volunteer work for a community client. The course has four objectives: (1) to provide students with entrepeneurial experience and practical…

Course in Introduction to Cross-Cultural Communication. Adult Education in the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corvell, Wendy; Gavin, Dorothy; Knight, Melinda; Lorey, Barb

Materials are provided for Introduction to Cross-Cultural Communication, a 75-hour course developed by teachers experienced in working with students in adult literacy and basic education and English as a second language classes. The course is designed to provide adults with the skills and understanding to enable them to communicate…

Class, Race, and Power: Interest Group Politics and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Adriane

2005-01-01

Literature review focuses on what theory and research primarily from political science and sociology of education have to say about families and communities working for change in education. Questions: (1) Do low-income minority families have the power to create positive and lasting change in school and/or district organization and policy? (2) Is…

Psycho-Spatial Disidentification and Class Fractions in a Study of Social Class and Identity in an Urban Post-Primary School Community in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahill, Kevin

2018-01-01

This paper draws on a three-year critical ethnography which interrogated intersections of social class, school and identity in an urban Irish community. The focus here is on the psycho-spatial disidentifications, inscriptions and class fractioning enacted throughout the school and community of Portown by a cohort of succeeding students from this…

Ubiquitousness of link-density and link-pattern communities in real-world networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šubelj, L.; Bajec, M.

2012-01-01

Community structure appears to be an intrinsic property of many complex real-world networks. However, recent work shows that real-world networks reveal even more sophisticated modules than classical cohesive (link-density) communities. In particular, networks can also be naturally partitioned according to similar patterns of connectedness among the nodes, revealing link-pattern communities. We here propose a propagation based algorithm that can extract both link-density and link-pattern communities, without any prior knowledge of the true structure. The algorithm was first validated on different classes of synthetic benchmark networks with community structure, and also on random networks. We have further applied the algorithm to different social, information, technological and biological networks, where it indeed reveals meaningful (composites of) link-density and link-pattern communities. The results thus seem to imply that, similarly as link-density counterparts, link-pattern communities appear ubiquitous in nature and design.

Communities and classes in symmetric fractals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krawczyk, Małgorzata J.

2015-07-01

Two aspects of fractal networks are considered: the community structure and the class structure, where classes of nodes appear as a consequence of a local symmetry of nodes. The analyzed systems are the networks constructed for two selected symmetric fractals: the Sierpinski triangle and the Koch curve. Communities are searched for by means of a set of differential equations. Overlapping nodes which belong to two different communities are identified by adding some noise to the initial connectivity matrix. Then, a node can be characterized by a spectrum of probabilities of belonging to different communities. Our main goal is that the overlapping nodes with the same spectra belong to the same class.

Community College Students and Foreign Languages: Making the Match.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thot, Iris Dolores

A study was conducted to determine the primary reasons that community college students enrolled in foreign language classes. Surveys were distributed to 61 students in 6 German and Spanish language classes at California's Chaffey Community College, requesting information on their motivation for enrolling in the class, level of satisfaction, and…

Vegetation classification and distribution mapping report Mesa Verde National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Kathryn A.; McTeague, Monica L.; Ogden, Lindsay; Floyd, M. Lisa; Schulz, Keith; Friesen, Beverly A.; Fancher, Tammy; Waltermire, Robert G.; Cully, Anne

2009-01-01

The classification and distribution mapping of the vegetation of Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE) and surrounding environment was achieved through a multi-agency effort between 2004 and 2007. The National Park Service’s Southern Colorado Plateau Network facilitated the team that conducted the work, which comprised the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southwest Biological Science Center, Fort Collins Research Center, and Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center; Northern Arizona University; Prescott College; and NatureServe. The project team described 47 plant communities for MEVE, 34 of which were described from quantitative classification based on f eld-relevé data collected in 1993 and 2004. The team derived 13 additional plant communities from field observations during the photointerpretation phase of the project. The National Vegetation Classification Standard served as a framework for classifying these plant communities to the alliance and association level. Eleven of the 47 plant communities were classified as “park specials;” that is, plant communities with insufficient data to describe them as new alliances or associations. The project team also developed a spatial vegetation map database representing MEVE, with three different map-class schemas: base, group, and management map classes. The base map classes represent the fi nest level of spatial detail. Initial polygons were developed using Definiens Professional (at the time of our use, this software was called eCognition), assisted by interpretation of 1:12,000 true-color digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles (DOQQs). These polygons (base map classes) were labeled using manual photo interpretation of the DOQQs and 1:12,000 true-color aerial photography. Field visits verified interpretation concepts. The vegetation map database includes 46 base map classes, which consist of associations, alliances, and park specials classified with quantitative analysis, additional associations and park specials noted during photointerpretation, and non-vegetated land cover, such as infrastructure, land use, and geological land cover. The base map classes consist of 5,007 polygons in the project area. A field-based accuracy assessment of the base map classes showed overall accuracy to be 43.5%. Seven map classes comprise 89.1% of the park vegetated land cover. The group map classes represent aggregations of the base map classes, approximating the group level of the National Vegetation Classification Standard, version 2 (Federal Geographic Data Committee 2007), and reflecting physiognomy and floristics. Terrestrial ecological systems, as described by NatureServe (Comer et al. 2003), were used as the fi rst approximation of the group level. The project team identified 14 group map classes for this project. The overall accuracy of the group map classes was determined using the same accuracy assessment data as for the base map classes. The overall accuracy of the group representation of vegetation was 80.3%. In consultation with park staff , the team developed management map classes, consisting of park-defined groupings of base map classes intended to represent a balance between maintaining required accuracy and providing a focus on vegetation of particular interest or import to park managers. The 23 management map classes had an overall accuracy of 73.3%. While the main products of this project are the vegetation classification and the vegetation map database, a number of ancillary digital geographic information system and database products were also produced that can be used independently or to augment the main products. These products include shapefiles of the locations of field-collected data and relational databases of field-collected data.

Designing and Implementing Service Learning Projects in an Introductory Oceanography Course Using the ``8-Block Model''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laine, E. P.; Field, C.

2010-12-01

The Campus Compact for New Hampshire (Gordon, 2003) introduced a practical model for designing service-learning exercises or components for new or existing courses. They divided the design and implementation process into eight concrete areas, the “8-Block Model”. Their goal was to demystify the design process of service learning courses by breaking it down into interconnected components. These components include: project design, community partner relations, the problem statement, building community in the classroom, building student capacity, project management, assessment of learning, and reflection and connections. The project design component of the “8-Block Model” asks that the service performed be consistent with the learning goals of the course. For science courses students carry out their work as a way of learning science and the process of science, not solely for the sake of service. Their work supports the goals of a community partner and the community partner poses research problems for the class in a letter on their letterhead. Linking student work to important problems in the community effectively engages students and encourages them to work at more sophisticated levels than usually seen in introductory science classes. Using team-building techniques, the classroom becomes a safe, secure learning environment that encourages sharing and experimentation. Targeted lectures, labs, and demonstrations build the capacity of students to do their research. Behind the scenes project management ensures student success. Learning is assessed using a variety of tools, including graded classroom presentations, poster sessions, and presentations and reports to community partners. Finally, students reflect upon their work and make connections between their research and its importance to the well being of the community. Over the past 10 years, we have used this approach to design and continually modify an introductory oceanography course for majors and non-majors. The goal was to provide students with an opportunity to do authentic research on water quality and marine resource issues in local coastal embayments. Student research supported several community organizations, most notably the Friends of Casco Bay, an NGO interested in improving the water quality in Casco Bay. This research helped the students to reach some of the learning goals for the course including an understanding of tides, currents, phytoplankton, water quality parameters, dissolved nutrients, and analysis and presentation of quantitative data. Using this pedagogical model allowed the basic structure of the course to remain the same over the years, while enabling us to flexibly respond to changes in the needs and interests of community partners. Gordon, R, Ed. (2003) Problem Based Service Learning: A Field Guide for Making a Difference in Higher Education, 2nd edition. Campus Compact for New Hampshire, Bedford, NH

Space Science in the Kindergarten Classroom and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonett, D.

2000-12-01

With the advent of probes to our closest planet Mars and the multi-national construction of Earth's first International Space Station, it is not presumptive to introduce 5 year old school children to the space sciences. K. E. Little Elementary School is located in the community of Bacliff, Texas. It is the largest elementary school (950 students) in the Dickinson Independent School District. K. E. Little is a Title 1 school with a multi-ethnic student population. It's close proximity to the Johnson Space Center and the Lunar and Planetary Institute provide ample instructional support and material. Last fall, two kindergarten classes received space science instruction. Both were class sizes of 19 with one class predominantly children of Vietnamese immigrants. Our goal was to create curiosity and awareness through a year-long integrated space science program of instruction. Accurate information of the space sciences was conveyed through sources i.e. books and videos, as well as conventional song, movement, and artistic expression. Videotaping and photographs replaced traditional anecdotal records. Samples of student work were compiled for classroom and school display. This year, two fifth grade classes will receive space science instruction using the Jason Project XII curriculum. Students will engage in a year-long exploration of the Hawaiian Islands. Information will be conveyed via internet and live video presentations as well as traditional sources i.e. books and videos, as well as song, movement, and artistic expression. Comparison of volcanic activity in Hawaii to volcanoes on other planets will be one of several interplanetary correlations. Samples of student work will be compiled for classroom, school, and community display.

Job location decisions of pharmacy graduates in British Columbia.

PubMed

Pearson, Marion L; Andres, Lesley

2010-05-12

To determine the factors influencing pharmacy graduates' selection of their first professional job location. A survey was conducted of the 2007 graduating class of the University of British Columbia, examining hometown location, community and workplace factors, personal relationships, financial factors, and leisure activities. Responses were analyzed to determine whether community size or demographic characteristics affected the degree to which each factor influenced the job location decision. The majority of graduates moved from their hometowns to larger communities, mainly to the largest city in British Columbia. Most of those taking jobs in rural and remote communities grew up in or near those communities, and were more influenced by community size and anticipated working conditions, and less influenced by access to cultural and social activities, than their urban counterparts. The admission of students from rural and remote communities is modestly effective in ensuring a supply of pharmacists for these areas.

Creating a virtual community of practice to investigate legitimate peripheral participation by African American middle school girls in science activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Leslie D.

How do teenage girls develop an interest in science? What kinds of opportunities can science teachers present to female students that support their engagement with learning science? I studied one aspect of this issue by focusing on ways students could use science to enhance or gain identities that they (probably) already valued. To do that I created technology-rich activities and experiences for an after school class in science and technology for middle school girls who lived in a low socio-economic urban neighborhood. These activities and experiences were designed to create a virtual community of practice whose members used science in diverse ways. Student interest was made evident in their responses to the activities. Four conclusions emerged. (1) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of admired African American business women interested students in learning by linking it to their middle-class aspirations and their interest in things that money and status can buy. (2) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of African American women experts in science in a classroom context where students then practiced similar kinds of actual scientific tasks engaged students in relations of legitimate peripheral participation in a virtual and diverse community of practice focused on science which was created in the after-school classes. (3) Opportunities where students used science to show off for family, friends, and supporters of the after-school program, identities they valued, interested them enough that they engaged in long-term science and technology projects that required lots of revisions. (4) In response to the opportunities presented, new and enhanced identities developed around becoming a better student or becoming some kind of scientist.

Taking the Show on the Road in Holding Academic Classes in Community Agencies: Exploratory Study Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Ellen; Serbinski, Sarah; Mishna, Faye

2017-01-01

Social work educators often teach students clinical knowledge within a university classroom, whereas students tend to learn clinical practice through their practicum experiences. This article describes data from a cross-sectional, mixed-method study on one way to effectively bridge the gap between teaching clinical knowledge and practice to…

A Socio-Historical Analysis of the Labor Revolt of 1878 in the Danish West Indies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Clifton E.

1981-01-01

An examination of socioeconomic conditions and political status of the Black community in the Virgin Islands after emancipation supports the contention that the "Fireburn" uprising of 1878 was not a riot but a labor revolt. The revolt resulted in flexible labor contracts, land-buying terms, and unions for working-class Blacks. (ML)

Quiet Times: Ninth Graders Teach Poetry Writing in Nursing Homes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Randi

1999-01-01

Describes a community project (based on Kenneth Koch's book "I Never Told Anybody") in which students in a ninth-grade English class paired up with nursing home residents, making regular visits to encourage them to write poetry. Discusses finding a place, getting ready, working together, and what students learned about writing poetry and about…

Solving the English-as-a-Second Language Writers' Dilemma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nowalk, Thomas

2010-01-01

This brief work stands against a four-year stretch of writing classes at Northern Virginia Community College, with the author teaching English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students how to write academic essays. The courses taught have included high intermediate and advanced writers, many of whom plan to earn a degree at the college or any number of…

Hearing out Children's Narrative Pathways to Adulthood: Young People as Interpreters of Their Own Childhoods in Diverging Working-Class Scottish Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Beth

2009-01-01

Participatory research with children in the main focuses on short-term interactions. As this practice develops, questions about longer-term consequences for participants have arisen, examining the empowering claims for this research approach. This article reports the findings from continued contact with participants of an ethnographic…

Tools that Come from within: Learning to Teach in a Cross-Cultural Adult Literacy Practicum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosley, Melissa; Zoch, Melody

2012-01-01

We report on a study of preservice teachers who tutored adults learning English in a free evening class while simultaneously taking a course titled Community Literacy. Exploring their participation, we wondered in what ways pedagogy developed within this context. Drawing on a close discourse analysis of preservice teachers' written work, we found…

Rural Dislocated Women in Career Transition: The Importance of Supports and Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAtee, Atticia B.; Benshoff, James M.

2006-01-01

Job loss researchers have focused on the physical and mental well being of White working and middle class men, their families, friends, and coworkers to with immediate reemployment as the outcome. This study focused on low-income rural women dislocated workers and their decision to enroll in community college for retraining or seek immediate…

Diving into Troubled Waters: Sexual Discrimination in a Male Dominated Recreational Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lagache, Edouard

This paper presents results of a study of sex discrimination in the culture of scuba divers. The research grew out of class related conflicts that permitted observation in ethnographic field work, the character of gender relations in the recreational activity of scuba diving. The project was intended to investigate the role of communities of…

California Freshwater Shrimp Project: An Eco-Action Project with Real Life Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Laurette H.

The California Freshwater Shrimp Project is an example of a student-initiated, eco-action project. Students, from a fourth grade class in the Ross Valley School District in San Rafael, California, were linked to their community and environment through their work in rehabilitating habitat and educating the public. The paper gives an overview of a…

Turning an Undergraduate Class into a Professional Research Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Hasok

2005-01-01

I describe here an ongoing pilot project aimed at a full integration of teaching and research at the undergraduate level. Our chief innovation is the mechanism of inheritance: each year students receive a body of work produced by the previous group of students and make improvements and additions to it; this process can be repeated until…

Success-Avoidance Imagery of High School Girls in Relation to Grade Level and Career Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Ellen

1979-01-01

This study identified success-avoidance imagery in the projective test stories of freshmen and senior girls in a Catholic, working-class community. Success-avoidance appeared in 49 percent of the stories but was not significantly higher in seniors or in those planning on college and a career. (Author/SJL)

The Role of Online Collaboration in Promoting ESL Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jessie Wai-ching

2008-01-01

The study examined an ESL writing class, which consisted of 36 students, at a community college of Hong Kong. The students took part in three online collaborative writing tasks by sending drafts to peers who gave them suggestions and comments for improvement and working together on the completion of the writing tasks via email. The 36 students…

Portable roots: Latin New Yorker community building and the meanings of women's return migration in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1960-2000.

PubMed

Findlay, Eileen J

2009-01-01

This article examines the life histories of women return migrants to Puerto Rico. It emphasizes the cultural aspects of return migration, especially how the narrators understood and expressed their collective identity as distinctive from Puerto Ricans born and raised on the island. These informants turned their life histories into morality fables of class mobility, gender role restriction, and social rejection on the island. These tales asserted their radical differences from both middle class-islanders, whom they had joined, and the working-class diaspora in New York City, from which they had come. The narrators also built an organization which reinforced their "Latin New Yorker" identity, invented on the island.

Incorporating Sociology into Community Service Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hochschild, Thomas R., Jr.; Farley, Matthew; Chee, Vanessa

2014-01-01

Sociologists and instructors who teach about community service share an affinity for understanding and addressing social problems. While many studies have demonstrated the benefits of incorporating community service into sociology courses, we examine the benefits of incorporating sociological content into community service classes. The authors…

Creating a new class of pharmaceutical services provider for underserved areas: the Tanzania accredited drug dispensing outlet experience.

PubMed

Rutta, Edmund; Senauer, Katie; Johnson, Keith; Adeya, Grace; Mbwasi, Romuald; Liana, Jafary; Kimatta, Suleiman; Sigonda, Margareth; Alphonce, Emmanuel

2009-01-01

In developing countries, the most accessible source of treatment for common conditions is often an informal drug shop, where drug sellers are untrained and operations are unmonitored. We sought to describe a public-private initiative in Tanzania that created a new class of provider in government-accredited drug outlets, which improved the quality of medicines and pharmaceutical services in previously underserved areas. The accredited drug-dispensing outlet program combines changing behavior and expectations of community members who use, own, regulate, and work in drug shops. Success resulted from including community stakeholders from the beginning of the process. Addressing shortages in qualified health care providers by training and accrediting private sector drug dispensers to recognize common conditions and provide quality pharmaceutical products and services is feasible in a developing country, when supported by an appropriate policy and regulatory environment. Scaling up and sustaining the program will be a challenge.

The microbial community in decaying fallen logs varies with critical period in an alpine forest.

PubMed

Chang, Chenhui; Wu, Fuzhong; Yang, Wanqin; Xu, Zhenfeng; Cao, Rui; He, Wei; Tan, Bo; Justine, Meta Francis

2017-01-01

Little information has been available on the shifts in the microbial community in decaying fallen logs during critical periods in cold forests. Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) fallen logs in decay classes I-V were in situ incubated on the forest floor of an alpine forest in the eastern Tibet Plateau. The microbial community was investigated during the seasonal snow cover period (SP), snow thawing period (TP), early growing season (EG) and late growing season (LG) using Phosphorous Lipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) analysis. Total microbial biomass and microbial diversity in fallen logs were much more affected by critical period than decay class, whereas decay class had a stronger effect on microbial diversity than on microbial biomass. Abundant microbial biomass and microbial diversity in logs even without the cover of snow were observed in winter, which could not be linked to thermal insulation by snow cover. The freshly decayed logs functioned as an excellent buffer of environmental variation for microbial organisms during the sharp fluctuations in temperature in winter. We also found distinct decay patterns along with seasonality for heartwood, sapwood and bark, which requires further detailed research. Gram- bacteria mainly dominated the shifts in microbial community composition from SP to EG, while fungi and Gram+ bacteria mainly dominated it from SP to TP. Based on previous work and the present study, we conclude that fallen logs on the forest floor alter ecological processes by influencing microbial communities on woody debris and beneath the soil and litter. Our study also emphasizes the need to maintain a number of fallen logs, especially fresh ones, on the forest floor.

The microbial community in decaying fallen logs varies with critical period in an alpine forest

PubMed Central

Chang, Chenhui; Wu, Fuzhong; Xu, Zhenfeng; Cao, Rui; He, Wei; Tan, Bo; Justine, Meta Francis

2017-01-01

Little information has been available on the shifts in the microbial community in decaying fallen logs during critical periods in cold forests. Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) fallen logs in decay classes I-V were in situ incubated on the forest floor of an alpine forest in the eastern Tibet Plateau. The microbial community was investigated during the seasonal snow cover period (SP), snow thawing period (TP), early growing season (EG) and late growing season (LG) using Phosphorous Lipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) analysis. Total microbial biomass and microbial diversity in fallen logs were much more affected by critical period than decay class, whereas decay class had a stronger effect on microbial diversity than on microbial biomass. Abundant microbial biomass and microbial diversity in logs even without the cover of snow were observed in winter, which could not be linked to thermal insulation by snow cover. The freshly decayed logs functioned as an excellent buffer of environmental variation for microbial organisms during the sharp fluctuations in temperature in winter. We also found distinct decay patterns along with seasonality for heartwood, sapwood and bark, which requires further detailed research. Gram- bacteria mainly dominated the shifts in microbial community composition from SP to EG, while fungi and Gram+ bacteria mainly dominated it from SP to TP. Based on previous work and the present study, we conclude that fallen logs on the forest floor alter ecological processes by influencing microbial communities on woody debris and beneath the soil and litter. Our study also emphasizes the need to maintain a number of fallen logs, especially fresh ones, on the forest floor. PMID:28787465

World-Class Care: Boston Welcome Back Center Puts Internationally Educated Nurses Back to Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fifield, Mary L.

2008-01-01

Massachusetts alone needs an estimated 5,000 nurses, and the shortage is deepening. Nurses are retiring and quitting faster than new nurses can be trained. In this article, the author describes Bunker Hill Community College's Welcome Back Center, a workforce development program that has thus far helped 47 internationally educated nurses from 29…

Improving First Grade Academic Skills through the Integration of Music into the First Grade Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart-Davis, Charity

This study designed a music program for improving academic skills of first grade students after the teaching staff found the students doing average work in the classroom. The school involved in the study was located in an urban, middle class community in Northern Illinois. Results of standardized tests showed the extent of the academic problems of…

Re-Engaging Marginalised Young People in Learning: The Contribution of Informal Learning and Community-Based Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Debra

2012-01-01

In the twenty-first century, a socially just system of schooling prepares all young people to adapt to new technologies, and participate in a global economy that is highly differentiated at the local level. In Australia and other countries where local markets have become heavily dependent on service economies, "working-class" families…

I Can Do That: Lorena Mata--San Jose Public Library, CA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library Journal, 2004

2004-01-01

This article details the work of Lorena Mata of the San Jose Public Library. Fresh out of library school, Lorena Mata has already made a mark on her community. At the San Jose Public Library (SJPL) she conducts public Internet classes in Spanish and English and gives quarterly English and Spanish-language presentations at neighborhood academies.…

Setting a Mercy Curriculum in Motion: The First-Year Learning Community as Campus-Wide Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sproles, Karyn; McClintock, Elizabeth; Meaner, Christopher

2014-01-01

Part of Carlow University's social justice mission is a commitment to providing access to education. This commitment can lead the institution to admit students who are not prepared for college-level work. As a result, the university recently removed a sequence of developmental classes because it lengthened the time to graduation, and there was no…

"All the Places We Were Not Supposed to Go": A Case Study of Formative Class and Gender "Habitus" in Adventure Climbing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland-Smith, David

2016-01-01

This paper explores the origins of meaning in adventurous activities. Specifically, the paper reports on a study of 10 adventure climbers in the Scottish mountaineering community. The study explores how formative experiences have influenced engagement in adventure climbing. Work has been done on the phenomenology of adventure and how individuals…

Investigating the Linkage between Intrinsic Motivation and Project Team Satisfaction in Undergraduate Agricultural Leadership Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamm, Kevan W.; Carter, Hannah S.; Melendez, Marcus W.

2014-01-01

Organizations have increased the amount of work that is completed by project teams over the past several decades. This trend is projected to continue into the foreseeable future. In response to this trend, the academic community has increased the number of project team based learning experiences for students in classes. The challenge has been that…

Parenting Values and Parenting Stress among Impoverished Village and Middle-Class Small City Mothers in the Dominican Republic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foucault, Darlene C.; Schneider, Barry H.

2009-01-01

Poverty is known to influence parenting values, parenting stress, psychological adjustment, and social support according to North American research. The purpose of this study was to determine whether poverty might work in similar ways in a collectivistic Latin culture. The participants were primary caregivers in two distinct communities in the…

A Pilot Study on Concurrent Learning/Teaching Model (CLTM) for Online and In-Class Informatics Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Feng; Stapleton, Colleen; Stephen, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

The Informatics program at Mercer University is offered at four regional academic centers located throughout the state of Georgia. We serve non-traditional students who have primary responsibilities such as caring for family, working, and participating in their communities. We aim to offer availability and access to all required courses, access to…

A Survey of Student Attitudes on the Use of Social Networking to Build Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arndt, Timothy

2012-01-01

Post-secondary students are increasingly receiving instruction by distance learning. This mode of learning can result in the students learning in isolation, with bad results in learning outcomes. The same type of isolation can occur for part-time students and those who are working while taking classes. In such circumstances, we believe that it…

Motivation for Attending Higher Education from the Perspective of Early Care and Education Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huss-Keeler, Rebecca; Peters, Michelle; Moss, Joy Marie

2013-01-01

The field of early care and education has been challenged to raise the level of quality for young children by increasing the number of practitioners with college degrees. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of early care and education professionals working in the field and enrolled in community college early childhood classes,…

Creating a Community of Inquiry in Large-Enrollment Online Courses: An Exploratory Study on the Effect of Protocols within Online Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Baiyun; deNoyelles, Aimee; Patton, Kerry; Zydney, Janet

2017-01-01

It can be difficult to foster focused and effective communication in online discussions within large classes. Implementing protocols is a strategy that may help students communicate more effectively, facilitate their learning process, and improve the quality of their work within online discussions. In this exploratory research study, a protocol…

Involving Community Stakeholders to Increase Park Use and Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Marsh, Terry; Mariscal, Mark; Pina-Cortez, Sophia; Cohen, Deborah A.

2014-01-01

Objective To describe implementation of a randomized controlled trial of community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to increase park use and physical activity across 33 diverse neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Methods Fifty parks were randomly assigned based on park size, facilities and programs, and neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics to: park director (PD, 17 parks); PD and park advisory board of interested community members (PD+PAB, 16 parks); and no-intervention control (17 parks) arms. Between 2007 and 2012, PDs and PABs from the 33 intervention parks participated in community engagement, baseline assessment, marketing training, intervention design and implementation, and follow-up assessment. Results Intervention parks (PD and PD+PAB) invested in new and diversified signage, promotional items, outreach or support for group activities like fitness classes and walking clubs, and various marketing strategies. Scaling up CBPR methods across parks in 33 diverse neighborhoods was challenging. Working with departmental management and established structures for community input (PABs) and park policy (PDs) facilitated implementation and sustainability. Conclusion Scaling up CBPR methods across diverse communities involved tradeoffs. CBPR is useful for tailoring research and enhancing community impact and sustainability, but more work is needed to understand how to conduct multi-site trials across diverse settings using CBPR. PMID:24674853

Involving community stakeholders to increase park use and physical activity.

PubMed

Derose, Kathryn Pitkin; Marsh, Terry; Mariscal, Mark; Pina-Cortez, Sophia; Cohen, Deborah A

2014-07-01

The aim of this study is to describe implementation of a randomized controlled trial of community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to increase park use and physical activity across 33 diverse neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Fifty parks were randomly assigned based on park size, facilities and programs, and neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics to: park director (PD, 17 parks); PD and park advisory board of interested community members (PD+PAB, 16 parks); and no-intervention control (17 parks) arms. Between 2007 and 2012, PDs and PABs from the 33 intervention parks participated in community engagement, baseline assessment, marketing training, intervention design and implementation, and follow-up assessment. Intervention parks (PD and PD+PAB) invested in new and diversified signage, promotional items, outreach or support for group activities like fitness classes and walking clubs, and various marketing strategies. Scaling up CBPR methods across parks in 33 diverse neighborhoods was challenging. Working with departmental management and established structures for community input (PABs) and park policy (PDs) facilitated implementation and sustainability. Scaling up CBPR methods across diverse communities involved tradeoffs. CBPR is useful for tailoring research and enhancing community impact and sustainability, but more work is needed to understand how to conduct multi-site trials across diverse settings using CBPR. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Michael Young, the Institute of Community Studies, and the Politics of Kinship.

PubMed

Butler, Lise

2015-01-01

This article examines the East London-based Institute of Community Studies, and its founder, Michael Young, to show that sociology and social research offered avenues for left-wing political expression in the 1950s. Young, who had previously been Head of the Labour Party Research Department during the Attlee government, drew upon existing currents of psychological and sociological research to emphasize the continuing relevance of the extended family in industrial society and to offer a model of socialist citizenship, solidarity and mutual support not tied to productive work. Young and his colleagues at the Institute of Community Studies promoted the supportive kinship networks of the urban working class, and an idealized conception of the relationships between women, to suggest that family had been overlooked by the left and should be reclaimed as a progressive force. The article shows that the Institute's sociological work was informed by a pre-existing concern with family as a model for cooperative socialism, and suggests that sociology and social research should be seen as important sources of political commentary for scholars of post-war politics.

Longitudinal Pathways between Political Violence and Child Adjustment: The Role of Emotional Security about the Community in Northern Ireland

PubMed Central

Cummings, E. Mark; Merrilees, Christine E.; Schermerhorn, Alice C.; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.; Shirlow, Peter; Cairns, Ed

2013-01-01

Links between political violence and children’s adjustment problems are well-documented. However, the mechanisms by which political tension and sectarian violence relate to children’s well-being and development are little understood. This study longitudinally examined children’s emotional security about community violence as a possible regulatory process in relations between community discord and children’s adjustment problems. Families were selected from 18 working class neighborhoods in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Participants (695 mothers and children, M=12.17, SD=1.82) were interviewed in their homes over three consecutive years. Findings supported the notion that politically-motivated community violence has distinctive effects on children’s externalizing and internalizing problems through the mechanism of increasing children’s emotional insecurity about community. Implications are considered for understanding relations between political violence and child adjustment from a social ecological perspective. PMID:20838875

Microbial diversity in degraded and non-degraded petroleum samples and comparison across oil reservoirs at local and global scales.

PubMed

Sierra-Garcia, Isabel Natalia; Dellagnezze, Bruna M; Santos, Viviane P; Chaves B, Michel R; Capilla, Ramsés; Santos Neto, Eugenio V; Gray, Neil; Oliveira, Valeria M

2017-01-01

Microorganisms have shown their ability to colonize extreme environments including deep subsurface petroleum reservoirs. Physicochemical parameters may vary greatly among petroleum reservoirs worldwide and so do the microbial communities inhabiting these different environments. The present work aimed at the characterization of the microbiota in biodegraded and non-degraded petroleum samples from three Brazilian reservoirs and the comparison of microbial community diversity across oil reservoirs at local and global scales using 16S rRNA clone libraries. The analysis of 620 16S rRNA bacterial and archaeal sequences obtained from Brazilian oil samples revealed 42 bacterial OTUs and 21 archaeal OTUs. The bacterial community from the degraded oil was more diverse than the non-degraded samples. Non-degraded oil samples were overwhelmingly dominated by gammaproteobacterial sequences with a predominance of the genera Marinobacter and Marinobacterium. Comparisons of microbial diversity among oil reservoirs worldwide suggested an apparent correlation of prokaryotic communities with reservoir temperature and depth and no influence of geographic distance among reservoirs. The detailed analysis of the phylogenetic diversity across reservoirs allowed us to define a core microbiome encompassing three bacterial classes (Gammaproteobacteria, Clostridia, and Bacteroidia) and one archaeal class (Methanomicrobia) ubiquitous in petroleum reservoirs and presumably owning the abilities to sustain life in these environments.

"Building the Natural Society of the Future": The Peckham Experiment (1943) as an Anarchist Account of Childhood and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charkin, Emily

2014-01-01

"The Peckham Experiment" (Innes H. Pearse and Lucy H. Crocker, Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1985) is a book about the Peckham Health Centre (1935-1950), which was a scientific experiment and community centre set up to identify and foster conditions of good health for local working-class families in South London. The book was…

Transnational Mexican-Origin Families' Ways of Knowing: A Framework toward Bridging Understandings in U.S. Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasun, G. Sue

2016-01-01

Transnational students and families are those who cross real and metaphoric borders, spanning countries, to engage family and community in meaningful ways. Based on a three-year, multi-sited ethnographic study, I show the distinct ways of knowing of four Mexican-origin, working class families and how the U.S. schools where the children from these…

Development and Assessment of Student Social/Civic Responsibility and Ethical Reasoning. TLTC Paper No. 5. CRLT Occasional Paper No. 36

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallman, Samantha K.

2016-01-01

University of Michigan (U-M) students visit community-based organizations in Detroit on a weekly basis to work on projects aimed at improving the well being of children and their families, such as tutoring youth in after school programs. Their site visits are supplemented by relevant readings, class discussions and written reflections on topics…

Making Maths Useful: How Two Teachers Prepare Adult Learners to Apply Their Numeracy Skills in Their Lives outside the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Carolyn

2015-01-01

This pilot case study of two teachers and their learner groups from Adult and Community settings, investigates how numeracy teachers, working with adult learners in discrete numeracy classes, motivate and enable learners to build on their informal skills and apply new learning to their own real-life contexts. Teachers used a range of abstract and…

Donde Estan los Estudiantes Puertorriquenos/os Exitosos? [Where Are the Academically Successful Puerto Rican Students?]: Success Factors of High-Achieving Puerto Rican High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antrop-Gonzalez, Rene; Velez, William; Garrett, Tomas

2005-01-01

This article describes the 4 success factors that 10 working class Puerto Rican urban high school students attributed to their high academic achievement. These success factors were (a) the acquisition of social capital through religiosity and participation in school and community-based extracurricular activities, (b) having a strong Puerto Rican…

Hunger at Home: A Higher Education Service Learning Course of Appraisal and Action in Community Food Security

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Nancy J.

2011-01-01

Service learning and civic engagement are playing an increasingly larger role in higher education. Unity College's Hunger at Home course could serve as a model for service learning in disciplines such as nutrition, sociology, and food and agriculture. The class worked with local partners to get a better understanding of hunger in the area, recent…

Writing across the Curriculum: A How-To Plan for a "Writing-in-the-Social Sciences" Class That Works.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Limbert, Claudia A.

A writing course (adapted from Eliot Wigginton's "Foxfire" method) for college freshmen and sophomores is taught in a way that is not only important to the students concerned but to their community--a valley in the "rust belt" of Pennsylvania--as a whole. The course differs from the usual writing-in-the-social-sciences course…

Development of an ADP Training Program to Serve the EPA Data Processing Community.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-07-29

divide, compute , perform and alter statements; data representation and conversion; table processing; and indexed sequential and random access file...processing. The course workshop will include the testing of coded exercises and problems on a computer system. CLASS SIZE: Individualized METHODS/CONDUCT...familiarization with computer concepts will be helpful. OBJECTIVES OF CURRICULUM After completing this course, the student should have developed a working

A new inter-professional course preparing learners for life in rural communities.

PubMed

Medves, Jennifer; Paterson, Margo; Chapman, Christine Y; Young, John H; Tata, Elizabeth; Bowes, Denise; Hobbs, Neil; McAndrews, Brian; O'Riordan, Anne

2008-01-01

The 'Professionals in Rural Practice' course was developed with the aim of preparing students enrolled in professional programs in Canada to become better equipped for the possible eventuality of professional work in a rural setting. To match the reality of living and working in a rural community, which by nature is interprofessional, the course designers were an interprofessional teaching team. In order to promote group cohesiveness the course included the participation of an interprofessional group of students and instructors from the disciplines of medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, teacher education, and theology. The format of the course included three-hour classes over an eight-week period and a two-day field experience in a rural community. The course utilized various experiential and interactive teaching and learning methods, along with a variety of assessment methods. Data were collected from student participants over two iterations of the course using a mixed methods approach. Results demonstrate that students value the interprofessional and experiential approach to learning and viewed this course as indispensable for gaining knowledge of other professions and preparation for rural practice. The data reveal important organizational and pedagogical considerations specific to interprofessional education, community based action research, and the unique interprofessional nature of training for life and work in a rural community. This study also indicates the potential value of further longitudinal study of participants in this course. Key words: Canada, community based action research, education, interdisciplinary, interprofessional.

Microbial community in a full-scale drinking water biosand filter.

PubMed

Feng, Shuo; Chen, Chao; Wang, Qingfeng; Yang, Zhiyu; Zhang, Xiaojian; Xie, Shuguang

2013-04-01

To remove turbidity and minimize microbiological risks, rapid sand filtration is one of main drinking water treatment processes in the world. However, after a long-term operation, sand particles will be colonized by microorganisms which can remove biodegradable organic matters and nitrogen compounds. In this study, 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis was applied to characterize the microbial community in a full-scale biosand filter used for drinking water treatment. The results indicate that phylum Nitrospirae and class Alphaproteobacteria were the dominant bacterial groups in the biosand sample collected from the upper filter layer. The dominance of Sphingomonas species might pose a microbiological risk. This work could provide some new insights into microbial community in drinking water biofilter.

The Future of Small- and Medium-Sized Communities in the Prairie Region.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellar, Barry S., Ed.

Four papers are featured. The first is a statistical overview and analysis of past, present and future happenings to small communities in the Region; it focuses on two indicators: (1) population growth or declining community class size and, (2) the changing distribution of commercial outlets by community class size. The other three papers report…

Reclaiming respectability? The class-cultural dynamics of crime, community and governance in inner-city Dublin.

PubMed

Ilan, Jonathan

2011-01-01

This paper critically examines developments in Irish urban governance through an ethnographic account of one community's historical memory and contemporary structure. During an era of rapid economic growth, the Irish state has courted previously excluded communities, offering them greater "inclusion" as "partners" in responding to urban decay and crime. The micro-governance structures this creates, however, become sites of contest between competing community factions and class-cultural imperatives. Tensions emerge between aspirational community leaders championing the aesthetics (if not the values) of "respectability" and residual residents who are presented as "rough". The paper demonstrates that nuances of class-cultural identity dictate the character of partnership governance at the community level with particular implications for local regeneration and crime control agendas.

Understanding the local public health workforce: labels versus substance.

PubMed

Merrill, Jacqueline A; Keeling, Jonathan W

2014-11-01

The workforce is a key component of the nation's public health (PH) infrastructure, but little is known about the skills of local health department (LHD) workers to guide policy and planning. To profile a sample of LHD workers using classification schemes for PH work (the substance of what is done) and PH job titles (the labeling of what is done) to determine if work content is consistent with job classifications. A secondary analysis was conducted on data collected from 2,734 employees from 19 LHDs using a taxonomy of 151 essential tasks performed, knowledge possessed, and resources available. Each employee was classified by job title using a schema developed by PH experts. The inter-rater agreement was calculated within job classes and congruence on tasks, knowledge, and resources for five exemplar classes was examined. The average response rate was 89%. Overall, workers exhibited moderate agreement on tasks and poor agreement on knowledge and resources. Job classes with higher agreement included agency directors and community workers; those with lower agreement were mid-level managers such as program directors. Findings suggest that local PH workers within a job class perform similar tasks but vary in training and access to resources. Job classes that are specific and focused have higher agreement whereas job classes that perform in many roles show less agreement. The PH worker classification may not match employees' skill sets or how LHDs allocate resources, which may be a contributor to unexplained fluctuation in public health system performance. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Detecting the changes in rural communities in Taiwan by applying multiphase segmentation on FORMOSA-2 satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yishuo

2015-09-01

Agricultural activities mainly occur in rural areas; recently, ecological conservation and biological diversity are being emphasized in rural communities to promote sustainable development for rural communities, especially for rural communities in Taiwan. Therefore, since 2005, many rural communities in Taiwan have compiled their own development strategies in order to create their own unique characteristics to attract people to visit and stay in rural communities. By implementing these strategies, young people can stay in their own rural communities and the rural communities are rejuvenated. However, some rural communities introduce artificial construction into the community such that the ecological and biological environments are significantly degraded. The strategies need to be efficiently monitored because up to 67 rural communities have proposed rejuvenation projects. In 2015, up to 440 rural communities were estimated to be involved in rural community rejuvenations. How to monitor the changes occurring in those rural communities participating in rural community rejuvenation such that ecological conservation and ecological diversity can be satisfied is an important issue in rural community management. Remote sensing provides an efficient and rapid method to achieve this issue. Segmentation plays a fundamental role in human perception. In this respect, segmentation can be used as the process of transforming the collection of pixels of an image into a group of regions or objects with meaning. This paper proposed an algorithm based on the multiphase approach to segment the normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI, of the rural communities into several sub-regions, and to have the NDVI distribution in each sub-region be homogeneous. Those regions whose values of NDVI are close will be merged into the same class. In doing so, a complex NDVI map can be simplified into two groups: the high and low values of NDVI. The class with low NDVI values corresponds to those regions containing roads, buildings, and other manmade construction works and the class with high values of NDVI indicates that those regions contain vegetation in good health. In order to verify the processed results, the regional boundaries were extracted and laid down on the given images to check whether the extracted boundaries were laid down on buildings, roads, or other artificial constructions. In addition to the proposed approach, another approach called statistical region merging was employed by grouping sets of pixels with homogeneous properties such that those sets are iteratively grown by combining smaller regions or pixels. In doing so, the segmented NDVI map can be generated. By comparing the areas of the merged classes in different years, the changes occurring in the rural communities of Taiwan can be detected. The satellite imagery of FORMOSA-2 with 2-m ground resolution is employed to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. The satellite imagery of two rural communities (Jhumen and Taomi communities) is chosen to evaluate environmental changes between 2005 and 2010. The change maps of 2005-2010 show that a high density of green on a patch of land is increased by 19.62 ha in Jhumen community and conversely a similar patch of land is significantly decreased by 236.59 ha in Taomi community. Furthermore, the change maps created by another image segmentation method called statistical region merging generate similar processed results to multiphase segmentation.

Designing Knowledge Building Communities in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Kwok-Wing

2014-01-01

In 2012-2013, sixteen senior secondary classes participated in this study, with eight of them being distance classes. Approximately 220 Year 11-13 students and 8 teachers took part in this study. This project aimed at designing and evaluating a computer-supported knowledge building community in senior secondary classes. Researchers sought to…

Barriers and Facilitators to Community CPR Education in San José, Costa Rica.

PubMed

Schmid, Kristin M; Mould-Millman, Nee-Kofi; Hammes, Andrew; Kroehl, Miranda; García, Raquel Quiros; McDermott, Manrique Umaña; Lowenstein, Steven R

2016-10-01

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves survival after prehospital cardiac arrest. While community CPR training programs have been implemented across the US, little is known about their acceptability in non-US Latino populations. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to enrolling in CPR training classes and performing CPR in San José, Costa Rica. After consulting 10 San José residents, a survey was created, pilot-tested, and distributed to a convenience sample of community members in public gathering places in San José. Questions included demographics, CPR knowledge and beliefs, prior CPR training, having a family member with heart disease, and prior witnessing of a cardiac arrest. Questions also addressed barriers to enrolling in CPR classes (cost/competing priorities). The analysis focused on two main outcomes: likelihood of registering for a CPR class and willingness to perform CPR on an adult stranger. Odds ratios and 95% CIs were calculated to test for associations between patient characteristics and these outcomes. Among 371 participants, most were male (60%) and <40 years old (77%); 31% had a college degree. Many had family members with heart disease (36%), had witnessed a cardiac arrest (18%), were trained in CPR (36%), and knew the correct CPR steps (70%). Overall, 55% (95% CI, 50-60%) indicated they would "likely" enroll in a CPR class; 74% (95% CI, 70-78%) would perform CPR on an adult stranger. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation class enrollment was associated with prior CPR training (OR: 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6-4.3) and a prior witnessed cardiac arrest (OR: 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5). Willingness to perform CPR on a stranger was associated with a prior witnessed cardiac arrest (OR: 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2-5.4) and higher education (OR: 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.2). Believing that CPR does not work was associated with a higher likelihood of not attending a CPR class (OR: 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7-7.9). Fear of performing mouth-mouth, believing CPR is against God's will, and fear of legal risk were associated with a likelihood of not attending a CPR class and not performing CPR on a stranger (range of ORs: 2.4-3.9). Most San José residents are willing to take CPR classes and perform CPR on a stranger. To implement a community CPR program, barriers must be considered, including misgivings about CPR efficacy and legal risk. Hands-only CPR programs may alleviate hesitancy to perform mouth-to-mouth. Schmid KM , Mould-Millman NK , Hammes A , Kroehl M , Quiros García R , Umaña McDermott M , Lowenstein SR . Barriers and facilitators to community CPR education in San José, Costa Rica. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):509-515.

Is the Learning Community of Economics and Accounting Effective? Empirical Assessment of Class Achievements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stumph, Carolyn Fabian; Kim, Myeong Hwan; Han, Yongseung; Minke, Susan

2017-01-01

Learning communities are increasingly used at colleges and universities, as one of the goals of a learning community is to increase interaction among students and teach them how to apply knowledge. The goal of this research is to assess the learning community of the economics and accounting students in their class performance measured by class…

Maltreatment and Mental Health Outcomes among Ultra-Poor Children in Burkina Faso: A Latent Class Analysis

PubMed Central

Ismayilova, Leyla; Gaveras, Eleni; Blum, Austin; Tô-Camier, Alexice; Nanema, Rachel

2016-01-01

Objectives Research about the mental health of children in Francophone West Africa is scarce. This paper examines the relationships between adverse childhood experiences, including exposure to violence and exploitation, and mental health outcomes among children living in ultra-poverty in rural Burkina Faso. Methods This paper utilizes baseline data collected from 360 children ages 10–15 and 360 of their mothers recruited from twelve impoverished villages in the Nord Region of Burkina, located near the Sahel Desert and affected by extreme food insecurity. We used a Latent Class Analysis to identify underlying patterns of maltreatment. Further, the relationships between latent classes and mental health outcomes were tested using mixed effected regression models adjusted for clustering within villages. Results About 15% of the children in the study scored above the clinical cut-off for depression, 17.8% for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 6.4% for low self-esteem. The study identified five distinct sub-groups (or classes) of children based on their exposure to adverse childhood experiences. Children with the highest exposure to violence at home, at work and in the community (Abused and Exploited class) and children not attending school and working for other households, often away from their families (External Laborer class), demonstrated highest symptoms of depression and trauma. Despite living in adverse conditions and working to assist families, the study also identified a class of children who were not exposed to any violence at home or at work (Healthy and Non-abused class). Children in this class demonstrated significantly higher self-esteem (b = 0.92, SE = 0.45, p<0.05) and lower symptoms of trauma (b = -3.90, SE = 1.52, p<0.05). Conclusions This study offers insight into the psychological well-being of children in the context of ultra-poverty in Burkina Faso and associated context-specific adverse childhood experiences. Identifying specific sub-groups of children with increased exposure to life stressors has implications for program developers. Study findings indicate a further need to explore the mental health consequences of traumatic experiences within the context of ultra-poverty and to develop integrated economic and psychosocial interventions that prevent or mitigate childhood adversities linked with the family-level poverty and violence in the family. PMID:27764155

Maltreatment and Mental Health Outcomes among Ultra-Poor Children in Burkina Faso: A Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Ismayilova, Leyla; Gaveras, Eleni; Blum, Austin; Tô-Camier, Alexice; Nanema, Rachel

2016-01-01

Research about the mental health of children in Francophone West Africa is scarce. This paper examines the relationships between adverse childhood experiences, including exposure to violence and exploitation, and mental health outcomes among children living in ultra-poverty in rural Burkina Faso. This paper utilizes baseline data collected from 360 children ages 10-15 and 360 of their mothers recruited from twelve impoverished villages in the Nord Region of Burkina, located near the Sahel Desert and affected by extreme food insecurity. We used a Latent Class Analysis to identify underlying patterns of maltreatment. Further, the relationships between latent classes and mental health outcomes were tested using mixed effected regression models adjusted for clustering within villages. About 15% of the children in the study scored above the clinical cut-off for depression, 17.8% for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 6.4% for low self-esteem. The study identified five distinct sub-groups (or classes) of children based on their exposure to adverse childhood experiences. Children with the highest exposure to violence at home, at work and in the community (Abused and Exploited class) and children not attending school and working for other households, often away from their families (External Laborer class), demonstrated highest symptoms of depression and trauma. Despite living in adverse conditions and working to assist families, the study also identified a class of children who were not exposed to any violence at home or at work (Healthy and Non-abused class). Children in this class demonstrated significantly higher self-esteem (b = 0.92, SE = 0.45, p<0.05) and lower symptoms of trauma (b = -3.90, SE = 1.52, p<0.05). This study offers insight into the psychological well-being of children in the context of ultra-poverty in Burkina Faso and associated context-specific adverse childhood experiences. Identifying specific sub-groups of children with increased exposure to life stressors has implications for program developers. Study findings indicate a further need to explore the mental health consequences of traumatic experiences within the context of ultra-poverty and to develop integrated economic and psychosocial interventions that prevent or mitigate childhood adversities linked with the family-level poverty and violence in the family.

Network analysis of physics discussion forums and links to course success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traxler, Adrienne; Gavrin, Andrew; Lindell, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Large introductory science courses tend to isolate students, with negative consequences for long-term retention in college. Many active learning courses build collaboration and community among students as an explicit goal, and social network analysis has been used to track the development and beneficial effects of these collaborations. Here we supplement such work by conducting network analysis of online course discussion forums in two semesters of an introductory physics class. Online forums provide a tool for engaging students with each other outside of class, and offer new opportunities to commuter or non-traditional students with limited on-campus time. We look for correlations between position in the forum network (centrality) and final course grades. Preliminary investigation has shown weak correlations in the very dense full-semester network, so we will consider reduced ''backbone'' networks that highlight the most consistent links between students. Future work and implications for instruction will also be discussed.

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 2. General Practices.

PubMed

Mazur, Steven; Holbrook, Michael R; Burdette, Tracey; Joselyn, Nicole; Barr, Jason; Pusl, Daniela; Bollinger, Laura; Coe, Linda; Jahrling, Peter B; Lackemeyer, Matthew G; Wada, Jiro; Kuhn, Jens H; Janosko, Krisztina

2016-10-03

Work in a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) containment laboratory requires time and great attention to detail. The same work that is done in a BSL-2 laboratory with non-high-consequence pathogens will take significantly longer in a BSL-4 setting. This increased time requirement is due to a multitude of factors that are aimed at protecting the researcher from laboratory-acquired infections, the work environment from potential contamination and the local community from possible release of high-consequence pathogens. Inside the laboratory, movement is restricted due to air hoses attached to the mandatory full-body safety suits. In addition, disinfection of every item that is removed from Class II biosafety cabinets (BSCs) is required. Laboratory specialists must be trained in the practices of the BSL-4 laboratory and must show high proficiency in the skills they are performing. The focus of this article is to outline proper procedures and techniques to ensure laboratory biosafety and experimental accuracy using a standard viral plaque assay as an example procedure. In particular, proper techniques to work safely in a BSL-4 environment when performing an experiment will be visually emphasized. These techniques include: setting up a Class II BSC for experiments, proper cleaning of the Class II BSC when finished working, waste management and safe disposal of waste generated inside a BSL-4 laboratory, and the removal of inactivated samples from inside a BSL-4 laboratory to the BSL-2 laboratory.

Teaching about the Earth Online: Faculty-Sourced Guidance from InTeGrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Bralower, T. J.; Anbar, A. D.; Leinbach, A.

2017-12-01

Teaching online is growing in acceptance within the higher education community and its accessibility creates an opportunity to reach students from diverse backgrounds with geoscience content. There is a need to develop best practices for teaching about Earth online as new technologies, pedagogical approaches, and teaching materials that incorporate societal issues and data emerge. In response to this need, the InTeGrate: Teaching about Earth for a Sustainable Future project convened a workshop of interdisciplinary faculty who teach about the Earth online, in a variety of contexts, to develop consensus best-practices, collect online resources, and develop teaching materials to share with the rest of the community. Workshop participants generated five broad categories of guidance for faculty teaching online: develop communication and a sense of community among class participants, stimulate student engagement, develop activity frameworks that scale with class size, include information literacy in the curriculum explicitly, and employ effective management and assessment techniques. Many of the best practices highlighted by the group are not unique to teaching online, but teaching online rather than face-to-face affects how they are or can be implemented. The suite of webpages developed from this work showcase specific strategies in each area, underpinned by examples drawn from the experiences of the participants. This resource can provide a wealth of advice for faculty seeking help for teaching online. Faculty can also provide feedback on the strategies and add their own experiences to the collection. Participants also worked together in teams to develop new or revise existing teaching resources to make available via the InTeGrate website. In addition, they shared insights about online resources they use in their teaching and class management and developed plans for an online repository for next-generation, interactive educational materials and tools for creating them. All of the best practices guidance, teaching materials, and online resources from the workshop can be found via the InTeGrate website - http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/online_learning/index.html.

Implementation of an Online Climate Science Course at San Antonio College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, R.; Strybos, J.

2016-12-01

San Antonio College (SAC) plans to incorporate an online climate science class into the curriculum with a focus on local weather conditions and data. SAC is part of a network of five community colleges based around San Antonio, Texas, has over 20,000 students enrolled, and its student population reflects the diversity in ethnicity, age and gender of the San Antonio community. The college understands the importance of educating San Antonio residents on climate science and its complexities. San Antonio residents are familiar with weather changes and extreme conditions. The region has experienced an extreme drought, including water rationing in the city. Then, this year's El Niño intensified expected annual rainfalls and flash floods. The proposed climate science course will uniquely prepare students to understand weather data and the evidence of climate change impacting San Antonio at a local level. This paper will discuss the importance and challenges of introducing the new climate science course into the curriculum, and the desired class format that will increase the course's success. Two of the most significant challenges are informing students about the value of this class and identifying the best teaching format. Additionally, measuring and monitoring enrollment will be essential to determine the course performance and success. At the same time, Alamo Colleges is modifying the process of teaching online classes and is officially working to establish an online college. Around 23% of students enrolled in SAC offered courses are currently enrolled in online courses only, representing an opportunity to incorporate the climate science class as an online course. Since the proposed course will be using electronic textbooks and online applications to access hyperlocal weather data, the class is uniquely suited for online students.

Class in the Class: Sharing Bukowski's Class with Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiraldo, Carlos

2008-01-01

Faculty members take pride in the great diversity of students attending LaGuardia Community College. Their students self-identify with various nationalities, races, religions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Not only do students adopt diverse identity markers, but they also come to their classroom with variant skill levels. It is difficult…

Student Achievement in Large-Lecture Remedial Math Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monte, Brent M.

2011-01-01

Due to the increase in students seeking remedial math classes at the community college level, coupled with declining revenues to the community colleges and a lack of classroom availability, the need to consider increasing class size has become a relevant and timely issue. This study is a mixed-method, quasi-experimental study testing effects of…

Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology Classroom for LGBTQIA Students

PubMed Central

Cooper, Katelyn M.; Brownell, Sara E.

2016-01-01

As we transition our undergraduate biology classrooms from traditional lectures to active learning, the dynamics among students become more important. These dynamics can be influenced by student social identities. One social identity that has been unexamined in the context of undergraduate biology is the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) identities. In this exploratory interview study, we probed the experiences and perceptions of seven students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community. We found that students do not always experience the undergraduate biology classroom to be a welcoming or accepting place for their identities. In contrast to traditional lectures, active-learning classes increase the relevance of their LGBTQIA identities due to the increased interactions among students during group work. Finally, working with other students in active-learning classrooms can present challenges and opportunities for students considering their LGBTQIA identity. These findings indicate that these students’ LGBTQIA identities are affecting their experience in the classroom and that there may be specific instructional practices that can mitigate some of the possible obstacles. We hope that this work can stimulate discussions about how to broadly make our active-learning biology classes more inclusive of this specific population of students. PMID:27543636

Poor hand hygiene by college students linked to more occurrences of infectious diseases, medical visits, and absence from classes.

PubMed

Prater, Kayla J; Fortuna, Crystal A; McGill, Janis L; Brandeberry, Macey S; Stone, Abigail R; Lu, Xu

2016-01-01

Proper hand hygiene has been linked to lower susceptibility to infectious diseases in many types of communities, but it has not been well established on college campuses. This study investigated the hand hygiene statuses of college students and their occurrences in relation to infectious diseases, medical visits, and absence from classes or work. It also examined the effects of education on handwashing technique to improve hand hygiene. College students enrolled at a university in Northwestern Ohio were recruited as study subjects. Microbial samples were collected 3 times from each of the 220 valid volunteers before washing their hands, after washing with their own procedures, and after washing with a procedure recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Each volunteer also answered a survey including questions on their health conditions, medical visits, and absence from classes or work. Hands of 57.7% volunteers were colonized by an uncountable number of microbial colonies, which were significantly linked to more occurrences to infectious diseases (P < .05), medical visits (P < .05), and arguably more absence from classes or work (P = .09). The handwashing procedure provided by the CDC significantly improved hand hygiene. It is critical to promote education on proper handwashing in colleges, in grade schools, and at home to improve health and learning outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The pipeline of physiology courses in community colleges: to university, medical school, and beyond.

PubMed

McFarland, Jenny; Pape-Lindstrom, Pamela

2016-12-01

Community colleges are significant in the landscape of undergraduate STEM (science technology, engineering, and mathematics) education (9), including biology, premedical, and other preprofessional education. Thirty percent of first-year medical school students in 2012 attended a community college. Students attend at different times in high school, their first 2 yr of college, and postbaccalaureate. The community college pathway is particularly important for traditionally underrepresented groups. Premedical students who first attend community college are more likely to practice in underserved communities (2). For many students, community colleges have significant advantages over 4-yr institutions. Pragmatically, they are local, affordable, and flexible, which accommodates students' work and family commitments. Academically, community colleges offer teaching faculty, smaller class sizes, and accessible learning support systems. Community colleges are fertile ground for universities and medical schools to recruit diverse students and support faculty. Community college students and faculty face several challenges (6, 8). There are limited interactions between 2- and 4-yr institutions, and the ease of transfer processes varies. In addition, faculty who study and work to improve the physiology education experience often encounter obstacles. Here, we describe barriers and detail existing resources and opportunities useful in navigating challenges. We invite physiology educators from 2- and 4-yr institutions to engage in sharing resources and facilitating physiology education improvement across institutions. Given the need for STEM majors and health care professionals, 4-yr colleges and universities will continue to benefit from students who take introductory biology, physiology, and anatomy and physiology courses at community colleges. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

PreSSAPro: a software for the prediction of secondary structure by amino acid properties.

PubMed

Costantini, Susan; Colonna, Giovanni; Facchiano, Angelo M

2007-10-01

PreSSAPro is a software, available to the scientific community as a free web service designed to provide predictions of secondary structures starting from the amino acid sequence of a given protein. Predictions are based on our recently published work on the amino acid propensities for secondary structures in either large but not homogeneous protein data sets, as well as in smaller but homogeneous data sets corresponding to protein structural classes, i.e. all-alpha, all-beta, or alpha-beta proteins. Predictions result improved by the use of propensities evaluated for the right protein class. PreSSAPro predicts the secondary structure according to the right protein class, if known, or gives a multiple prediction with reference to the different structural classes. The comparison of these predictions represents a novel tool to evaluate what sequence regions can assume different secondary structures depending on the structural class assignment, in the perspective of identifying proteins able to fold in different conformations. The service is available at the URL http://bioinformatica.isa.cnr.it/PRESSAPRO/.

Fighting female infanticide by working with midwives: an Indian case study.

PubMed

Murthy, R K

1996-06-01

In many cultures throughout history, parents have preferred to conceive and bear sons rather than daughters. In May 1995, Adithi, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) working in parts of Bihar with resource-poor women, and Bal Mahila Kalyan (BMK), an NGO working with poor people in general, organized a workshop with traditional midwives on the issue of female infanticide. A prior study found that traditional midwives are often called upon to kill female infants. These women mainly belong to the dalit community, are mostly illiterate, typically live in poverty, and have little power in the community. The workshop goals were to explore gender discrimination in different caste and religious groups; to understand the history and extent of female infanticide in the area, and to examine whether the incidence varies with caste, class, religion, and birth order; and to identify strategies to combat female infanticide. 28 traditional midwives participated. This paper describes the proceedings of the workshop and examines strategies for combatting female infanticide.

College in Paradise! (Paradise Valley Shopping Mall).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoolland, Lucile B.

Rio Salado Community College (RSCC), a non-campus college within the Maricopa Community College District, offers hundreds of day, late afternoon, and evening classes at locations throughout the county. The Paradise Valley community had always participated heavily in the evening classes offered by RSCC at local high schools. In fall 1982, an effort…

Apart Together: "Girl Talk" and "Boy Talk" Classes at an Urban Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calderwood, Patricia E

1998-01-01

The influence of two subgroups (male and female) on their larger middle-school community are examined. Participant observation of two single-sex classes in an urban middle school reveals both negative and positive effects. The classes differed in organization, goals, sense of community, and actual or potential fracturing or strengthening effects.…

Flying beneath the Radar of Health Reform: The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Edward Alan

2011-01-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act attempts to address prevailing deficiencies in long-term care (LTC) financing through the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, a national voluntary LTC insurance program administered by the Federal government. The CLASS Act is intended to supplement rather than supplant…

A Five-Year Review of Student Class Evaluations at Salt Lake Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooney, Frank

This report reviews the past five years of student class evaluations at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). Included in the review are the Instructional Assessment System (IAS) student class evaluations, the results from the new, non-returning and graduating student surveys, and observations on the student comments in those surveys. The average…

OUR READING TOOLBOX: The Reading-Thinking Connection in a Community College Developmental Reading Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Navarrete, Sylvia; Sax, Caren; Levine, Joel

2012-01-01

The nature and role of developmental education classes are under tremendous scrutiny across the nation today. Specifically, students are entering community college and four-year institutions of higher education unprepared to understand and apply much of the reading material presented to them in college-level classes. This article describes the…

A Qualitative Analysis of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Effective Online Class Communities Using Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costello, Rebecca; Welch, S. A.

2014-01-01

This article describes a qualitative approach in understanding factors that are evident in effective online class communities. Instructors and students in the same class were asked about their perceptions regarding what constitutes an effective online experience. The analysis was done using both Herzberg's (1962, 1965) motivator-hygiene factors…

"Ready to shoot and do shoot": black working-class self-defense and community politics in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s.

PubMed

King, Shannon

2011-01-01

Throughout the first three decades of the twentieth century, black people in New York City encountered white violence, especially police brutality in Manhattan. The black community used various strategies to curtail white mob violence and police brutality, one of which was self-defense. This article examines blacks’ response to violence, specifically the debate concerning police brutality and self-defense in Harlem during the 1920s. While historians have examined race riots, blacks’ everyday encounters with police violence in the North have received inadequate treatment. By approaching everyday violence and black responses—self-defense, legal redress, and journalists’ remonstrations—as a process of political development, this article argues that the systematic violence perpetrated by the police both mobilized and politicized blacks individually and collectively to defend their community, but also contributed to a community consciousness that established police brutality as a legitimate issue for black protest.

Data Management challenges in Astronomy and Astroparticle Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamanna, Giovanni

2015-12-01

Astronomy and Astroparticle Physics domains are experiencing a deluge of data with the next generation of facilities prioritised in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), such as SKA, CTA, KM3Net and with other world-class projects, namely LSST, EUCLID, EGO, etc. The new ASTERICS-H2020 project brings together the concerned scientific communities in Europe to work together to find common solutions to their Big Data challenges, their interoperability, and their data access. The presentation will highlight these new challenges and the work being undertaken also in cooperation with e-infrastructures in Europe.

A network function-based definition of communities in complex networks.

PubMed

Chauhan, Sanjeev; Girvan, Michelle; Ott, Edward

2012-09-01

We consider an alternate definition of community structure that is functionally motivated. We define network community structure based on the function the network system is intended to perform. In particular, as a specific example of this approach, we consider communities whose function is enhanced by the ability to synchronize and/or by resilience to node failures. Previous work has shown that, in many cases, the largest eigenvalue of the network's adjacency matrix controls the onset of both synchronization and percolation processes. Thus, for networks whose functional performance is dependent on these processes, we propose a method that divides a given network into communities based on maximizing a function of the largest eigenvalues of the adjacency matrices of the resulting communities. We also explore the differences between the partitions obtained by our method and the modularity approach (which is based solely on consideration of network structure). We do this for several different classes of networks. We find that, in many cases, modularity-based partitions do almost as well as our function-based method in finding functional communities, even though modularity does not specifically incorporate consideration of function.

Examining the Distribution, Modularity, and Community Structure in Article Networks for Systematic Reviews.

PubMed

Ji, Xiaonan; Machiraju, Raghu; Ritter, Alan; Yen, Po-Yin

2015-01-01

Systematic reviews (SRs) provide high quality evidence for clinical practice, but the article screening process is time and labor intensive. As SRs aim to identify relevant articles with a specific scope, we propose that a pre-defined article relationship, using similarity metrics, could accelerate this process. In this study, we established the article relationship using MEDLINE element similarities and visualized the article network with the Force Atlas layout. We also analyzed the article networks with graph diameter, closeness centrality, and module classes. The results revealed the distribution of articles and found that included articles tended to aggregate together in some module classes, providing further evidence of the existence of strong relationships among included articles. This approach can be utilized to facilitate the articles selection process through early identification of these dominant module classes. We are optimistic that the use of article network visualization can help better SR work prioritization.

Examining the Distribution, Modularity, and Community Structure in Article Networks for Systematic Reviews

PubMed Central

Ji, Xiaonan; Machiraju, Raghu; Ritter, Alan; Yen, Po-Yin

2015-01-01

Systematic reviews (SRs) provide high quality evidence for clinical practice, but the article screening process is time and labor intensive. As SRs aim to identify relevant articles with a specific scope, we propose that a pre-defined article relationship, using similarity metrics, could accelerate this process. In this study, we established the article relationship using MEDLINE element similarities and visualized the article network with the Force Atlas layout. We also analyzed the article networks with graph diameter, closeness centrality, and module classes. The results revealed the distribution of articles and found that included articles tended to aggregate together in some module classes, providing further evidence of the existence of strong relationships among included articles. This approach can be utilized to facilitate the articles selection process through early identification of these dominant module classes. We are optimistic that the use of article network visualization can help better SR work prioritization. PMID:26958292

Novel trace chemical detection algorithms: a comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raz, Gil; Murphy, Cara; Georgan, Chelsea; Greenwood, Ross; Prasanth, R. K.; Myers, Travis; Goyal, Anish; Kelley, David; Wood, Derek; Kotidis, Petros

2017-05-01

Algorithms for standoff detection and estimation of trace chemicals in hyperspectral images in the IR band are a key component for a variety of applications relevant to law-enforcement and the intelligence communities. Performance of these methods is impacted by the spectral signature variability due to presence of contaminants, surface roughness, nonlinear dependence on abundances as well as operational limitations on the compute platforms. In this work we provide a comparative performance and complexity analysis of several classes of algorithms as a function of noise levels, error distribution, scene complexity, and spatial degrees of freedom. The algorithm classes we analyze and test include adaptive cosine estimator (ACE and modifications to it), compressive/sparse methods, Bayesian estimation, and machine learning. We explicitly call out the conditions under which each algorithm class is optimal or near optimal as well as their built-in limitations and failure modes.

Selecting and Assessing the Family-Friendly Community: Adaptive Strategies of Middle-Class, Dual-Earner Couples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Stephen; Swisher, Raymond; Moen, Phyllis

2005-01-01

Using a life course perspective, this study analyzes the adaptive strategy of community selection utilized by middle-class dual-earner couples, as well as the perceived family friendliness of their communities. Although many common concerns exist (most paramount being safety, jobs, and housing quality), parents are more apt than nonparents to…

The "Mentor Paper" Writing Assignment in One Community College Puente Class: Preliminary Report from a Participant Observer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cazden, Courtney B.

An educator participating in a community college Puente class as both participant and observer analyzes the structure and experience of one writing assignment representative of the program's objectives. The Puente program combines teaching, counseling, and mentoring to California community college students as a means of promoting learning,…

Profile Characteristics of Students Enrolled in Community Services Classes, Spring 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Stephen C.

A survey was distributed and administered to community service classes at the nine member colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District during March of 1976 in order to obtain information on the demographic characteristics of enrollees. Results indicated: (1) 73.7% of the enrollees were female; (2) there was a wide range in participating…

An Examination of How Community of Inquiry Relates to Student Performance in an Online Community College Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWhorter, Robert Rowe

2013-01-01

Research has revealed that students in online classes may have higher rates of attrition than those in traditional face-to-face classes. Effective teaching and learning in an online environment requires different pedagogical skills than those used in traditional face-to-face classes. Online courses must focus on the quality of interaction. As an…

The Impact of a Classroom-Based Guidance Program on Student Performance in Community College Math Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butcher, Kristin F.; Visher, Mary G.

2013-01-01

Passing through remedial and required math classes poses a significant barrier to success for many community college students. This study uses random assignment to investigate the impact of a "light-touch" intervention, where an individual visited math classes a few times during the semester, for a few minutes each time, to inform…

Prevalence and characteristics of addictive behaviors in a community sample: A latent class analysis.

PubMed

Deleuze, Jory; Rochat, Lucien; Romo, Lucia; Van der Linden, Martial; Achab, Sophia; Thorens, Gabriel; Khazaal, Yasser; Zullino, Daniele; Maurage, Pierre; Rothen, Stéphane; Billieux, Joël

2015-06-01

While addictions to substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs have been extensively investigated, interest has been growing in potential non-substance-related addictive behaviors (e.g., excessive gambling, buying or playing video games). In the current study, we sought to determine the prevalence and characteristics of a wide range of addictive behaviors in a general population sample and to identify reliable subgroups of individuals displaying addictive behaviors. Seven hundred seventy participants completed an online survey. The survey screened for the presence and characteristics of the main recognized substance and behavioral addictions (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, other drugs, gambling, compulsive shopping, intensive exercise, Internet and mobile phone overuse, intensive work involvement, and overeating) in a three-month period. Key aspects of addiction were measured for each reported behavior, including negative outcomes, emotional triggers (positive and negative emotional contexts), search for stimulation or pleasure, loss of control, and cognitive salience. Latent class analysis allowed us to identify three theoretically and clinically relevant subgroups of individuals. The first class groups problematic users, i.e., addiction-prone individuals. The second class groups at-risk users who frequently engage in potentially addictive behaviors to regulate emotional states (especially overinvolvement in common behaviors such as eating, working, or buying). The third class groups individuals who are not prone to addictive behaviors. The existence of different groups in the population sheds new light on the distinction between problematic and non-problematic addiction-like behaviors.

Understanding fall meaning and context in marketing balance classes to older adults.

PubMed

Clark, Lauren; Thoreson, Sallie; Goss, Cynthia W; Zimmer, Lorena Marquez; Marosits, Mark; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn

2013-02-01

This study explored older, community-dwelling adults' attitudes and values about proposed church-delivered balance classes for fall prevention. Community observation, group interviews with stakeholders, key informant interviews, and focus groups with church members ≥ 60 years of age were analyzed in two ways: first for inductive themes expressing community sentiment about fall prevention for older adults, then for content useful in creating locally tailored social marketing messages. Four themes expressed perceptions of fall-prevention programming: de-emphasizing fall risk and emphasizing strength and independence, moving older adults out of their "comfort zones" to join classes, identifying relationships to support fall-prevention activities, and considering gender-based differences in approaches to fall prevention. A content analysis of the same dataset yielded information about preferred places in the community, promotion through churches, a tolerable price, and the balance class product itself. The qualitative results will inform the social marketing program to increase intervention delivery success.

Ecole et communaute au Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, Alberto

1980-09-01

Since 1974 Portugal has experienced some dramatic changes in educational practices at the local level. The school has been opened to the community and the community to the school. Teacher education now includes community studies, designed to prepare teachers for an active role in this process and for the better understanding of the social background of pupils. One new practice is the publication of local newspapers or news-sheets to enhance the understanding of the community by teachers and pupils. The development of a school garden for the cultivation of flowers and vegetables serves as another bridge between school and community. Other examples of community action are adult literacy classes, the creation of voluntary organisations for women, the running of youth clubs, the formation of co-operatives, and local projects like the purchase of an old tram-car to be converted into a library. The introduction of `Civic and Polytechnic Education' for 13-16 year olds was an important innovation. One half-day a week was to be devoted to the integration of the school with the locality, young people's participation in society as agents of change, the linking of study and productive work, and the involvement of young people in the solution of national problems, working from a concrete knowledge of local and regional life. However, since 1976 there has been a more conservative approach, and only in places with a strong consensus amongst teachers has the new relationship between school and community been maintained.

Providing Access to Developmental Reading Courses at the Community College: An Evaluation of Three Presentation Modes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Susan K.

2010-01-01

Rural community colleges often face the problem of having to cancel classes due to low enrollment. To eliminate this problem one western community college developed several presentation modes for College Reading I (CR1) to combine low-enrollment classes. This study was a program evaluation on non-equivalent groups to determine which presentation…

An update on the OpenOrbiter I Mission and its paradigm's benefits for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, Jeremy

2017-05-01

The OpenOrbiter I spacecraft is the culmination of significant work on reducing the cost levels of a CubeSat-class spacecraft. By redesigning the spacecraft from the ground up, down to the component level, to use readily available electronic and physical components, the cost of CubeSat construction has been significantly reduced. This paper provides an overview of the OpenOrbiter I mission, to date. It then focuses on the benefits that can be provided by the lower-cost, low-risk spacecraft. The paper discusses the prospective utility of this mission paradigm for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities.

Patterns of productive activity engagement among older adults in urban China.

PubMed

Liu, Huiying; Lou, Wei Qun

2016-12-01

This study aims to identify patterns of productive activity engagement among older adults in urban China. Once patterns are identified, we further explore how a set of individual characteristics is associated with these patterns. Using data from the 2011 baseline survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we performed a latent class analysis (LCA) on a national representative sample of adults aged 60 years and over ( N  = 3019). A specified range of productive activity indicators that fit the context of urban China was used for performing LCA (including working, grandchildren's care, parental care, spousal care, informal helping, and formal volunteering). A multinomial logistic regression was used to assess whether individual characteristics are associated with the identified patterns. The results indicated that a four-class model fit the data well, with the interpretable set of classes: spouse carer (51.2 %), working grandparents (21.7 %), multifaceted contributor (16.6 %), and light-engaged volunteer (10.5 %). Age, gender, education, number of children, proximity with the nearest child, household composition and functional status contributed to differentiating these classes. This study captured the reality of productive engagement among older adults by drawing attention to how multiple productive activities intersect in later-life stages. Our findings have implications for policy-makers, health care practitioners, and community advocates to develop programs that facilitate this aging population in assuming meaningful productive activities.

Clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours among residents of forty deprived neighbourhoods in London: lessons for targeting public health interventions.

PubMed

Watts, P; Buck, D; Netuveli, G; Renton, A

2016-06-01

Clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours is very important in predicting premature mortality. Understanding the extent to which risk behaviours are clustered in deprived communities is vital to most effectively target public health interventions. We examined co-occurrence and associations between risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, low physical activity and high sedentary time) reported by adults living in deprived London neighbourhoods. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and clustered risk behaviours were examined. Latent class analysis was used to identify underlying clustering of behaviours. Over 90% of respondents reported at least one risk behaviour. Reporting specific risk behaviours predicted reporting of further risk behaviours. Latent class analyses revealed four underlying classes. Membership of a maximal risk behaviour class was more likely for young, white males who were unable to work. Compared with recent national level analysis, there was a weaker relationship between education and clustering of behaviours and a very high prevalence of clustering of risk behaviours in those unable to work. Young, white men who report difficulty managing on income were at high risk of reporting multiple risk behaviours. These groups may be an important target for interventions to reduce premature mortality caused by multiple risk behaviours. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Eclipse '17 at Indiana University Bloomington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna Mahadev; Pilachowski, Catherine A.

2017-01-01

August 21, 2017, is the first day of fall classes at Indiana University Bloomington. On campus, we will host viewing stations to assist students, faculty, and community members to watch the eclipse safely. The Kirkwood Observatory solar telescope will provide an online view of the event. Science teachers of Indiana will be surveyed to understand their needs to be prepared for the first week of classes. Working this spring with K12 educators and other local organizations involved in science outreach, we will help to prepare Indiana classrooms to take advantage of the August event to meet the goals of Indiana’s state science standards with eclipse-related activities at all grade levels. These activities are aimed at increasing the scientific literacy in rural Indiana.

Domestic violence at the intersections of race, class, and gender: challenges and contributions to understanding violence against marginalized women in diverse communities.

PubMed

Sokoloff, Natalie J; Dupont, Ida

2005-01-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of the emerging domestic violence literature using a race, class, gender, sexual orientation intersectional analysis and structural framework fostered by women of color and their allies to understand the experiences and contexts of domestic violence for marginalized women in U.S. society. The first half of the article lays out a series of challenges that an intersectional analysis grounded in a structural framework provides for understanding the role of culture in domestic violence. The second half of the article points to major contributions of such an approach to feminist methods and practices in working with battered women on the margins of society.

Class Construction: White Working-Class Student Identity in the New Millennium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freie, Carrie

2007-01-01

"Class Construction" explores class, racial, and gender identity construction among white, working-class students. Delving into River City High School, Freie asks what happens to the adolescent children of working-class families when economic changes such as globalization and technological advancements have altered the face of working-class jobs.…

The evaluation of a strength and balance exercise program for falls prevention in community primary care.

PubMed

Hawley-Hague, Helen; Roden, Amy; Abbott, Jo

2017-08-01

We aimed to evaluate a strength and balance program delivered in the community. There is little evidence of implementation of evidence-based exercise in practice. The program was a step-down model, designed to encourage long-term exercise in community classes. The program consisted of a fully funded referral only evidence-based 12-week strength and balance (Community Otago) class, followed by an evidence-based continuous open-access community strength and balance class (Active Always). The program was offered to patients: 1) after formal falls rehabilitation (falls and fracture service); 2) after falls rehabilitation in intermediate care; and 3) referred by a GP who were not eligible for rehabilitation (preventative measure). Outcome evaluation used descriptive statistics to report changes in function, confidence in balance, hospital attendance/admission for falls/fractures and transition to community classes. Focus groups established participant experience/satisfaction. Seventy-nine participants were included, aged 56-96, and 53 (67%) were women. About 63.3% of patients transitioned to Active Always classes, demonstrating improvement in maintenance. Follow-up scores from baseline attendance at falls and fracture service to 12-weeks follow-up (24 weeks) in Community Otago showed the majority of patients improved their function (Timed up and Go), confidence (ConfBal) and lowered their falls risk (Tinetti). Follow-up of participants from Community Otago baseline to the end of 12-weeks showed improvement in function and confidence, but only a third of participants lowered their falls risk. Focus groups data suggest that continuity of delivery, the role of the instructor, health professional, and social and physical outcomes were essential for maintenance. A supportive environment can be created which encourages older adults' continued participation in group-based strength and balance, helping the delivery of evidence-based practice.

[Clinical policy for management and risk stratification of community-acquired pneumonia in patients hospitalized on the basis of conventional admission criteria].

PubMed

Putinati, Stefano; Ballerin, Licia; Piattella, Marco; Ritrovato, Lucia; Zabini, Franco; Potena, Alfredo

2003-05-01

To identify discrepancies between Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) risk class and the conventional criteria for deciding the site of care we performed a prospective observational study on 229 patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia. PSI classes and corresponding mortality rates were as following: class I, 41 patients (0%); class II, 20 (0%); class III, 58 (1.7%); class IV, 86 (8.1%); class V, 24 (33.3%). Overall, 119 patients (52%) who were hospitalized according to conventional criteria were assigned to low-risk classes (I-III). Among these low risk patients, 58 (49%) had complications as respiratory failure, pleural effusion, hypotension or shock; among remaining patients, no reasons for admission were found. This latter group deserves prospective evaluation in randomized studies comparing in-hospital versus outpatient management.

A Manual of Mosquito Control Projects and Committee Assignments for 4-H and Scouts Biology Class Projects, Organized Community Service Programs, and Individuals Interested in Environmental Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Richard A.

The mosquito control projects presented in this manual were prepared from an educational viewpoint and are intended for use by students in 4-H and Scouts and as a supplement to high school and college biology course work. The major emphasis of the projects is on integrated pest management, an approach utilizing cost-effective control methods which…

Work-life balance/imbalance: the dominance of the middle class and the neglect of the working class.

PubMed

Warren, Tracey

2015-12-01

The paper was stimulated by the relative absence of the working class from work-life debates. The common conclusion from work-life studies is that work-life imbalance is largely a middle-class problem. It is argued here that this classed assertion is a direct outcome of a particular and narrow interpretation of work-life imbalance in which time is seen to be the major cause of difficulty. Labour market time, and too much of it, dominates the conceptualization of work-life and its measurement too. This heavy focus on too much labour market time has rendered largely invisible from dominant work-life discourses the types of imbalance that are more likely to impact the working class. The paper's analysis of large UK data-sets demonstrates a reduction in hours worked by working-class men, more part-time employment in working-class occupations, and a substantial growth in levels of reported financial insecurity amongst the working classes after the 2008-9 recession. It shows too that economic-based work-life imbalance is associated with lower levels of life satisfaction than is temporal imbalance. The paper concludes that the dominant conceptualization of work-life disregards the major work-life challenge experienced by the working class: economic precarity. The work-life balance debate needs to more fully incorporate economic-based work-life imbalance if it is to better represent class inequalities. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2015.

Effect of therapeutic class on counseling in community pharmacies.

PubMed

Vainio, Kirsti K; Airaksinen, Marja S A; Hyykky, Tarja T; Enlund, K Hannes

2002-05-01

To assess the effect and importance of the therapeutic class of a drug as a determinant for verbal counseling by community pharmacists. Direct external observations (n = 1431) of pharmacist-customer interactions at the point of delivery of prescription medicines were conducted in 7 community pharmacies in Finland. Trained observers noted whether the pharmacist provided information on directions for use, mode of action, and adverse effects. To examine factors associated with counseling, a multiple logistic regression analysis was constructed, with the dependent variable being counseling of any of the 3 observed topics. In addition to therapeutic class, other independent variables were the pharmacy; pharmacist's age, gender, and degree; and the customer's age, gender, previous use of medicine, and question asking. Provision of counseling differed significantly according to therapeutic classes. Counseling on any of the 3 observed topics was most likely to be provided for customers with antibiotics (80%) and least likely for customers with gynecologic preparations (18%). Differences between therapeutic classes remained statistically significant when the effects of the other variables were controlled for. Other significant predictors for any verbal counseling were the pharmacy, customer's previous use of the medicine, and question asking. Therapeutic class is an important variable that should be included in further studies and considered when comparing studies on patient counseling in community pharmacies.

Teaching primary prevention of Alzheimer's disease: does it make a difference?

PubMed

Clevenger, Carolyn K; Cantey, Shileah; Quinn, Mary Ellen

2010-07-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most feared illnesses among older adults. Although no cure exists, an emerging body of literature has outlined potentially risk-reducing behaviors. As evidence has become available on risk reduction, community organizations and advocacy groups have developed health education courses on the topic. This study examines the impact of one educational program on the audience's efficacy expectations and outcome expectations for behavior change. Participants included 53 older adults residing in a continuing care retirement community. The study used a pretest-posttest design with an experimental group (n = 33) and a control group (n = 20). Topics on weekly classes included the relationship between cardiovascular factors and AD, dietary factors implicated in AD, and mental stimulation to reduce AD risk. Class sessions consisted of lecture, discussion, and demonstration. Between-group differences were found for both efficacy (P = .016) and outcome expectations (P = .000). Within-group differences were only significant for increased outcome expectations related to literature-derived behaviors (P = .000). Future work should focus on action and prevention and on replication of the educational program's evaluation in a more diverse population.

A diabetes self-management program designed for urban American Indians.

PubMed

Castro, Sarah; O'Toole, Mary; Brownson, Carol; Plessel, Kimberly; Schauben, Laura

2009-10-01

Although the American Indian population has a disproportionately high rate of type 2 diabetes, little has been written about culturally sensitive self-management programs in this population. Community and clinic partners worked together to identify barriers to diabetes self-management and to provide activities and services as part of a holistic approach to diabetes self-management, called the Full Circle Diabetes Program. The program activities and services addressed 4 components of holistic health: body, spirit, mind, and emotion. Seven types of activities or services were available to help participants improve diabetes self-management; these included exercise classes, educational classes, and talking circles. Ninety-eight percent of program enrollees participated in at least 1 activity, and two-thirds participated in 2 or more activities. Program participation resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge of resources for managing diabetes. The Full Circle Diabetes Program developed and implemented culturally relevant resources and supports for diabetes self-management in an American Indian population. Lessons learned included that a holistic approach to diabetes self-management, community participation, and stakeholder partnerships are needed for a successful program.

Developing Membership in the Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Inclusive Settings.

PubMed

Antia, Shirin D; Stinson, Michael S; Gaustad, Martha Gonter

2002-01-01

This article discusses the importance of membership in the inclusive education of deaf/hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students. Membership refers to being an integral part of the classroom and school communities. Membership is a key philosophical concept in inclusion that may influence how classroom teachers and teachers of D/HH students share their expertise and how they work with students and each other. Membership can be contrasted with "visitorship." When programs treat D/HH students as visitors, these students face greater barriers to obtaining a quality education in classes with hearing students. A social constructivist perspective of learning and teaching that requires students in the classroom to interact with one another and the teacher may best promote learning and is consistent with a focus on membership. We suggest that inclusion is possible, but to sustain students as full members of their classes and school, programs must go beyond placement and communication access issues. To facilitate membership, inclusive programs must carefully address teacher attitudes, teacher roles and relationships, student knowledge and curriculum, structural barriers, extracurricular activities, community relationships, and parental support.

The chemical properties and microbial community characterization of the thermophilic microaerobic pretreatment process.

PubMed

Fu, Shan-Fei; He, Shuai; Shi, Xiao-Shuang; Katukuri, Naveen Reddy; Dai, Meng; Guo, Rong-Bo

2015-12-01

Thermophilic microaerobic pretreatment (TMP) was recently reported as an efficient pretreatment method of anaerobic digestion (AD). In this study, the chemical properties and microbial community were characterized to reveal how TMP working. Compared with thermophilic treatment under anaerobic condition (TMP0), cellulase activity obviously improved under microaerobic condition (TMP1), which was 10.9-49.0% higher than that of TMP0. Reducing sugar, SCOD and VFAs concentrations of TMP1 were 2.6-8.9%, 1.8-4.8% and 13.8-24% higher than those of TMP0, respectively. TMP gave obvious rise to phylum Firmicutes, which associated with extracellular enzymes production. The proportion of class Bacilli (belongs to phylum Firmicutes and mainly acts during hydrolysis) in TMP1 was 124.89% higher than that of TMP0, which reflected the greater hydrolytic ability under microaerobic condition. The improved abundance of phylum Firmicutes (especially class Bacilli, order Bacillales) under microaerobic condition could be the fundamental reason for the improved AD performance of thermophilic microaerobic pretreated corn straw. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Working-class Filipino women's perspectives on factors that facilitate or hinder prenatal micronutrients supplementation to prevent congenital anomalies.

PubMed

Daack-Hirsch, Sandra; Gamboa, Henrietta

2012-11-01

The study was conducted to plan for a community-health campaign to inform working-class Filipinos about the causes and prevention of orofacial clefting. Prenatal micronutrients may play a role in preventing orofacial clefting. Therefore, women's practices and perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of micronutrient supplementation were elicited. A total of 43 women and 22 health care workers were interviewed. Barriers to taking supplements included side effects, late prenatal care, the view that micronutrients are medications, inadequate supply, and health care workers who were unaware that prenatal vitamin supplements prevent congenital anomalies. The main facilitator was women's understanding that prenatal micronutrients improve the physical well-being of both mother and child. Given that women view having healthy babies as a reason to take micronutrients and that the health care workers lacked knowledge related to the use of micronutrients to prevent congenital anomalies, uptake of prenatal micronutrient supplementation programs may improve by specifically promoting the health benefit of preventing congenital anomalies.

Impact of occupational stress on stroke across occupational classes and genders.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Kayaba, Kazunori; Ishikawa, Shizukiyo

2011-05-01

The aims of the present study were to analyze the association between incident stroke, occupational class and stress and to examine whether the association is found in both men and women in a prospective study of Japanese male and female workers. A total of 3190 male and 3363 female Japanese community-dwelling workers aged 65 or under with no history of cardiovascular disease were followed. Occupational stress was evaluated using a demand-control questionnaire. The impact on stroke was examined in stratified analyses of occupational classes. We identified 147 incident strokes (91 in men and 56 in women) during the 11-year follow-up period. Men with high strain jobs (combination of high job demand and low job control) were nearly three times more likely to suffer from a stroke than men with low strain jobs (combination of low job demand and high job control). Among male workers in low occupational classes (blue-collar and non-managerial work), job strain was associated with a higher risk of stroke. In contrast, there was no association between job strain and incident stroke among male workers in high occupational classes (white-collar and managerial work). No statistically significant differences were found for stroke incidence among the job characteristic categories in all the female participants. However, significant, over five-fold excess risks were found among white-collar and managerial female workers exposed to high job strain, compared with their counterparts with low strain jobs. Our study of Japanese workers provided supportive evidence for vulnerability to occupational stress among lower occupational class workers in males but not in females. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A cross-sectional investigation of parenting style and friendship as mediators of the relation between social class and mental health in a university community.

PubMed

Rubin, Mark; Kelly, Benjamin M

2015-10-05

This study tested a novel explanation for the positive relation between social class and mental health among university students. Students with a higher social class were expected to have experienced more authoritative and less authoritarian parenting styles; these parenting styles were expected to lead to greater friendship and social integration at university; and greater friendship and integration were expected to lead to better mental health. To test this model, the researchers asked 397 Australian undergraduate students to complete an online survey. The research used a cross-sectional correlational design, and the data was analysed using bootstrapped multiple serial mediation tests. Consistent with predictions, parenting style, general friendship and support, and social integration at university mediated the relation between social class and mental health. The present results suggest that working-class parenting styles may inhibit the development of socially-supportive friendships that protect against mental health problems. The potential effectiveness of interventions based on (a) social integration and (b) parenting style is discussed. Future research in this area should employ a longitudinal research design in order to arrive at clearer causal conclusions about the relations between social class, parenting styles, friendship, social integration, and mental health.

Health visiting and district nursing in Victorian Manchester; divergent and convergent vocations.

PubMed

Heggie, Vanessa

2011-01-01

Community nursing and public health work provided many Victorian and Edwardian women in Britain with the opportunity of a career and professional training. Such work created contradictions, not least the tension between 'inherent' female skills and the role of learnt professionalism. This article discusses Manchester's neglected district nurses alongside the city's more well-studied health visiting scheme. Comparing these occupations in one city highlights continuities in origins and practice, but a clear divergence in terms of class and purpose. These differences provide historians with opportunities to reconsider the inherent tensions and varied identities of employed women in Victorian and Edwardian Britain.

GigaPan Technology to Enhance In-Class and In-Field Learning in Community College Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villalobos, J. I.; Bentley, C.

2014-12-01

Community college students account for over 40% of all undergraduates in the United States as well as the majority of minority and non-traditional students attending undergraduate courses. Implementing innovative, cost effective, and formative pedagogies to the diverse backgrounds of students that typically enroll at a community is often a challenge. Interactive pedagogies in geology pose a unique challenge considering that students gain the most long-term knowledge when topics covered in a course are exposed to them in outdoor settings where they are allowed to explore and make connections. The ability to expose students to real world examples is challenging to many community college faculty considering that that many; lack funds or means for transportation of students, do not have administrative support on such endeavors, teach evening or night classes, or have a high percentage of students who are physically limited or have obligations to work and family. A joint collaborative between El Paso Community College (EPCC) and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has explored the usage of GigaPan technology to create multi-layered online material to minimize these issues faced by many community college faculty and students. The primary layer of the online material is GigaPans of local geological sites that highlight large-scale structures in the El Paso, Texas region that are commonly used in local field trips and lab book material. The second layer is of Macro-GigaPans of hand samples of key outcrops from the primarily GigaPans which facilitate student learning, exploration, and ability to make connections by exploring smaller scale features of the primary layer. A third layer of online material, GigaPans of thin sections of hand samples (from secondary layers), and curriculum based on the GigaPans was then created to assist students in evaluating proposed hypotheses on the primary layers' geological origin. GigaPan cirriculum was utilized in introductory geology courses as well as a capstone Geological Field Methods course at El Paso Community College.

The Team Climate Inventory as a Measure of Primary Care Teams' Processes: Validation of the French Version

PubMed Central

Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique; Dragieva, Nataliya; Del Grande, Claudio; Dawson, Jeremy; Haggerty, Jeannie L.; Barnsley, Jan; Hogg, William E.; Tousignant, Pierre; West, Michael A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Evaluate the psychometric properties of the French version of the short 19-item Team Climate Inventory (TCI) and explore the contributions of individual and organizational characteristics to perceived team effectiveness. Method: The TCI was completed by 471 of the 618 (76.2%) healthcare professionals and administrative staff working in a random sample of 37 primary care practices in the province of Quebec. Results: Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the original four-factor model. Cronbach's alphas were excellent (from 0.88 to 0.93). Latent class analysis revealed three-class response structure. Respondents in practices with professional governance had a higher probability of belonging to the “High TCI” class than did practices with community governance (36.7% vs. 19.1%). Administrative staff tended to fall into the “Suboptimal TCI” class more frequently than did physicians (36.5% vs. 19.0%). Conclusion: Results confirm the validity of our French version of the short TCI. The association between professional governance and better team climate merits further exploration. PMID:24726073

Time and Money Explain Social Class Differences in Students' Social Integration at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Mark; Wright, Chrysalis L.

2017-01-01

Working-class students tend to be less socially integrated at university than middle-class students. The present research investigated two potential reasons for this working-class social exclusion effect. First, working-class students may have fewer finances available to participate in social activities. Second, working-class students tend to be…

Astronomy Education: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly -- A Practical Guide for Those Who Teach and Those Who Don't

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, A.

2005-05-01

Whether you teach undergraduate astronomy or just do occasional public outreach, you've probably seen personal examples reflecting the disturbing statistics. Roughly half of all freshmen entering the California State Colleges cannot do English or math at the college level and need remedial courses. Only 22% of adults in the U.S. can correctly explain what a molecule is. More people will watch each pseudoscience-filled episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" on television than will be taught an astronomy course by all the people at this AAS meeting combined. In this talk, we will briefly examine the challenges for everyone interested in astronomy education in three arenas: (dwindling) astronomy instruction in grades K-12, the teaching of Astro 101 for non-science majors, and the work of astronomers contributing to the public understanding of science. (For example, with the modern growth of astronomical knowledge, trying to teach ALL of astronomy in one quarter or semester is like trying to buy one of each item at your local Wal-Mart -- your cart will be impressively full, but your ability to get to know and enjoy each purchase will be severely limited.) We'll also look at some surprising result from a survey of the training and work of 400 astronomy instructors at non-research-oriented colleges. We'll then focus on some practical ideas on how all astronomers can contribute to improving the public appreciation of astronomy -- in their classes, in their institution's outreach work, and in the community. Several projects around the country that have found research-based techniques for making a significant difference will be highlighted, from family astronomy community events to experiments with hands-on small-group activities in the midst of large lecture classes. We'll discuss the role of a new electronic journal and web-based communities in facilitating the exchange of information on what works and what doesn't. Participants will receive an annotated resource guide to key readings, research findings, and ongoing projects in astronomy education.

Pattern recognition of native plant communities: Manitou Colorado test site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driscoll, R. S.

1972-01-01

Optimum channel selection among 12 channels of multispectral scanner imagery identified six as providing the best information about 11 vegetation classes and two nonvegetation classes at the Manitou Experimental Forest. Intensive preprocessing of the scanner signals was required to eliminate a serious scan angle effect. Final processing of the normalized data provided acceptable recognition results of generalized plant community types. Serious errors occurred with attempts to classify specific community types within upland grassland areas. The consideration of the convex mixtures concept (effects of amounts of live plant cover, exposed soil, and plant litter cover on apparent scene radiances) significantly improved the classification of some of the grassland classes.

Evaluating Reactions to Community Bridge Initiative Pilot Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koldewyn, Julie; Brain, Roslynn; Stephens, Kate

2017-01-01

Does participating in an integrated service-learning project aimed at improving local sustainability issues result in significant professional real-world application for students? This study aimed to answer that question by evaluating student reactions to pilot classes featuring a sustainability-based service-learning program, Community Bridge…

Parental recommendations for population level interventions to support infant and family dietary choices: a qualitative study from the Growing Up in Wales, Environments for Healthy Living (EHL) study.

PubMed

Khanom, Ashrafunnesa; Hill, Rebecca A; Morgan, Kelly; Rapport, Frances L; Lyons, Ronan A; Brophy, Sinead

2015-03-11

Childhood obesity presents a challenge to public health. This qualitative study explored the main barriers to dietary choices faced by parents with infants, and the types of interventions and policy level recommendations they would like to see put in place, to promote a healthier food environment. 61 semi-structured interviews with prospective parents and parents of infants (61 mothers and 35 fathers) were conducted. Families were selected according to community deprivation levels using the Townsend Deprivation Index to ensure a representative sample from deprived and affluent neighbourhoods. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Parents identified triggers which led to unhealthy dietary choices such as reliance on fast food outlets due to; shift work, lack of access to personal transport, inability to cook, their own childhood dietary experiences, peer pressure and familial relationships. Parents who made healthy dietary choices reported learning cooking skills while at university, attending community cooking classes, having access to quality food provided by church and community organisations or access to Healthy Start vouchers. They called for a reduction in supermarket promotion of unhealthy food and improved access to affordable and high-quality fresh produce in the local area and in supermarkets. There was a strong message to policy makers to work with commercial companies (food manufactures) as they have resources to lower costs and target messages at a diverse population. Provision of targeted advice to fathers, minority ethnic parents, and tailored and practical advice and information on how to purchase, prepare, store and cook food was requested, along with community cookery classes and improved school cookery lessons. There is a need for parent directed community/population level interventions that aims to reduce socio-ecological barriers to making healthy dietary choices. Parents desired improvements in meals provided in workplaces, schools and hospitals, as well as increased access to healthy foods by increasing local healthy food outlets and reducing unhealthy, fast food outlets. Knowledge and skills could then be enhanced in line with these improvements, with confidence gained around cooking and storing food appropriately.

Exploring the plant-associated bacterial communities in Medicago sativa L

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Plant-associated bacterial communities caught the attention of several investigators which study the relationships between plants and soil and the potential application of selected bacterial species in crop improvement and protection. Medicago sativa L. is a legume crop of high economic importance as forage in temperate areas and one of the most popular model plants for investigations on the symbiosis with nitrogen fixing rhizobia (mainly belonging to the alphaproteobacterial species Sinorhizobium meliloti). However, despite its importance, no studies have been carried out looking at the total bacterial community associated with the plant. In this work we explored for the first time the total bacterial community associated with M. sativa plants grown in mesocosms conditions, looking at a wide taxonomic spectrum, from the class to the single species (S. meliloti) level. Results Results, obtained by using Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis, quantitative PCR and sequencing of 16 S rRNA gene libraries, showed a high taxonomic diversity as well as a dominance by members of the class Alphaproteobacteria in plant tissues. Within Alphaproteobacteria the families Sphingomonadaceae and Methylobacteriaceae were abundant inside plant tissues, while soil Alphaproteobacteria were represented by the families of Hyphomicrobiaceae, Methylocystaceae, Bradyirhizobiaceae and Caulobacteraceae. At the single species level, we were able to detect the presence of S. meliloti populations in aerial tissues, nodules and soil. An analysis of population diversity on nodules and soil showed a relatively low sharing of haplotypes (30-40%) between the two environments and between replicate mesocosms, suggesting drift as main force shaping S. meliloti population at least in this system. Conclusions In this work we shed some light on the bacterial communities associated with M. sativa plants, showing that Alphaproteobacteria may constitute an important part of biodiversity in this system, which includes also the well known symbiont S. meliloti. Interestingly, this last species was also found in plant aerial part, by applying cultivation-independent protocols, and a genetic diversity analysis suggested that population structure could be strongly influenced by random drift. PMID:22607312

An anthropological approach to teaching health sciences students cultural competency in a field school program.

PubMed

Hutchins, Frank T; Brown, Lori DiPrete; Poulsen, Keith P

2014-02-01

International immersion experiences do not, in themselves, provide students with the opportunity to develop cultural competence. However, using an anthropological lens to educate students allows them to learn how to negotiate cultural differences by removing their own cultural filters and seeing events through the eyes of those who are culturally different. Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Global Health Institute believed that an embedded experience, in which students engaged with local communities, would encourage them to adopt this Cultural Competency 2.0 position. With this goal in mind, they started the Field School for the Study of Language, Culture, and Community Health in Ecuador in 2003 to teach cultural competency to medical, veterinary, pharmacy, and nursing students. The program was rooted in medical anthropology and embraced the One Health initiative, which is a collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to obtain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. In this article, the authors identify effective practices and challenges for using a biocultural approach to educating students. In a semester-long preparatory class, students study the Spanish language, region-specific topics, and community engagement principles. While in Ecuador for five weeks, students apply their knowledge during community visits that involve homestays and service learning projects, for which they partner with local communities to meet their health needs. This combination of language and anthropological course work and community-based service learning has led to positive outcomes for the local communities as well as professional development for students and faculty.

Changes in ground beetle diversity and community composition in age structured forests (Coleoptera, Carabidae).

PubMed

Riley, Kathryn N; Browne, Robert A

2011-01-01

We examined diversity, community composition, and wing-state of Carabidae as a function of forest age in Piedmont North Carolina. Carabidae were collected monthly from 396 pitfall traps (12×33 sites) from March 2009 through February 2010, representing 5 forest age classes approximately 0, 10, 50, 85, and 150 years old. A total of 2,568 individuals, representing 30 genera and 63 species, were collected. Carabid species diversity, as estimated by six diversity indices, was significantly different between the oldest and youngest forest age classes for four of the six indices. Most carabid species were habitat generalists, occurring in all or most of the forest age classes. Carabid species composition varied across forest age classes. Seventeen carabid species were identified as potential candidates for ecological indicators of forest age. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed separation among forest age classes in terms of carabid beetle community composition. The proportion of individuals capable of flight decreased significantly with forest age.

Changes in ground beetle diversity and community composition in age structured forests (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

PubMed Central

Riley, Kathryn N.; Browne, Robert A.

2011-01-01

Abstract We examined diversity, community composition, and wing-state of Carabidae as a function of forest age in Piedmont North Carolina. Carabidae were collected monthly from 396 pitfall traps (12×33 sites) from March 2009 through February 2010, representing 5 forest age classes approximately 0, 10, 50, 85, and 150 years old. A total of 2,568 individuals, representing 30 genera and 63 species, were collected. Carabid species diversity, as estimated by six diversity indices, was significantly different between the oldest and youngest forest age classes for four of the six indices. Most carabid species were habitat generalists, occurring in all or most of the forest age classes. Carabid species composition varied across forest age classes. Seventeen carabid species were identified as potential candidates for ecological indicators of forest age. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed separation among forest age classes in terms of carabid beetle community composition. The proportion of individuals capable of flight decreased significantly with forest age. PMID:22371677

Photovoltaic Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The Ohio Aerospace Institute through David Scheiman and Phillip Jenkins provided the Photovoltaics Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) with expertise in photovoltaic (PV) research, flight experiments and solar cell calibration. NASA GRC maintains the only world-class solar cell calibration and measurement facility within NASA. GRC also has a leadership role within the solar cell calibration community, and is leading the effort to develop ISO standards for solar cell calibration. OAI scientists working under this grant provided much of the expertise and leadership in this area.

Social Class as Moderator of the Relationship between (Dis)Empowering Processes and Psychological Empowerment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christens, Brian D.; Speer, Paul W.; Peterson, N. Andrew

2011-01-01

This study examined whether social class moderated the relationship between empowering and disempowering processes and psychological empowerment (PE) in a sample of individuals from five community organizing initiatives (N=490). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the relationship between community participation (CP) and alienation…

Women's and Community Issues Magazine. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutheran Social Mission Society, Philadelphia, PA. Lutheran Settlement House.

General Educational Development (GED), pre-GED, and adult basic education students and teachers in Lutheran Settlement House Women's Program GED classes participated in the production of two magazines focusing on women's and community issues. The process included the following: surveying GED classes to determine which current issues were of…

Reaching Higher: Secondary Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borsuk, Corina; Vest, Bette

2002-01-01

Describes program at Middle College High School in the San Bernardino (California) City Unified School District where students split their day between morning classes at a local community college and afternoon honors classes at the high school. Students can earn both a high school diploma and a community college associate degree. (PKP)

No City Is an Island: The Study of Interdependence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braden, Nancy

In this award winning project for incorporating economics study into the curriculum, a fifth grade class studied economic interdependence as it applied to their community (Barling, Arkansas). Class readings of several books dealing with the development of an economic community preceded the students' creation of a mini-Barling with elected…

45 CFR 1225.18 - Notification of class members of decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notification of class members of decision. 1225.18... AND COMMUNITY SERVICE VOLUNTEER DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT PROCEDURE Processing Class Complaints of Discrimination § 1225.18 Notification of class members of decision. Class members shall be notified by the agency...

45 CFR 1225.18 - Notification of class members of decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Notification of class members of decision. 1225.18... AND COMMUNITY SERVICE VOLUNTEER DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT PROCEDURE Processing Class Complaints of Discrimination § 1225.18 Notification of class members of decision. Class members shall be notified by the agency...

Simulation of dendritic growth reveals necessary and sufficient parameters to describe the shapes of dendritic trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trottier, Olivier; Ganguly, Sujoy; Bowne-Anderson, Hugo; Liang, Xin; Howard, Jonathon

For the last 120 years, the development of neuronal shapes has been of great interest to the scientific community. Over the last 30 years, significant work has been done on the molecular processes responsible for dendritic development. In our ongoing research, we use the class IV sensory neurons of the Drosophila melanogaster larva as a model system to understand the growth of dendritic arbors. Our main goal is to elucidate the mechanisms that the neuron uses to determine the shape of its dendritic tree. We have observed the development of the class IV neuron's dendritic tree in the larval stage and have concluded that morphogenesis is defined by 3 distinct processes: 1) branch growth, 2) branching and 3) branch retraction. As the first step towards understanding dendritic growth, we have implemented these three processes in a computational model. Our simulations are able to reproduce the branch length distribution, number of branches and fractal dimension of the class IV neurons for a small range of parameters.

Joint effects of social class and community occupational structure on coronary mortality among black men and white men, upstate New York, 1988–92

PubMed Central

Armstrong, D; Strogatz, D; Barnett, E; Wang, R

2003-01-01

Study objective: Occupational structure represents the unequal geographical distribution of more desirable jobs among communities (for example, white collar jobs). This study examines joint effects of social class, race, and county occupational structure on coronary mortality rates for men, ages 35–64 years, 1988–92, in upstate New York. Design: Upstate New York's 57 counties were classified into three occupational structure categories; counties with the lowest percentages of the labour force in managerial, professional, and technical occupations were classified in category I, counties with the highest percentages were in category III. Age adjusted coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates, 35–64 years, (from vital statistics and census data) were calculated for each occupational structure category. Main results: An inverse association between CHD mortality and occupational structure was observed among blue collar and white collar workers, among black men and white men, with the lowest CHD mortality observed among white collar, white men in category III (135/100 000). About two times higher mortality was observed among blue collar than white collar workers. Among blue collar workers, mortality was 1.3–1.8 times higher among black compared with white workers, and the highest rates were observed among black, blue collar workers (689/100 000). Also, high residential race segregation was shown in all areas. Conclusions: Results suggest the importance of community conditions in coronary health of local populations; however, differential impact on subpopulations was shown. Blue collar and black workers may especially lack economic and other resources to use available community services and/or may experience worse working and living conditions compared with white collar and white workers in the same communities. PMID:12700223

Recognizing the importance of conversation between experts and non-experts in science communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rushlow, C. R.; Soderquist, B.; Cohn, T.; Eitel, K.

2016-12-01

Science communication is often perceived by scientists as the flow of information from experts to non-experts, and institutions have responded by providing science communication training that focuses on best practices for disseminating information. This unidirectional approach neglects a key component of science communication: scientists must understand the needs and values of the stakeholders for whom they are producing information, whether the stakeholders are community members, resource managers, or policy makers. We designed an activity for graduate students enrolled in a science communication class at the McCall Outdoor Science School to both alert them to this misconception, and to give them an opportunity to rectify it. Over the course of 24-hours, we challenged students to have a conversation about climate change with someone they encountered in the community of McCall, ID. Using material from their conversations, students created a story in podcast or video form to share with the class. Through reflecting on this activity, students experienced a change in their perceptions of their identities as science communicators. Many students expressed an increased interest in listening to the stories of community members to learn more about the community's needs and values. We repeated the activity with early career scientists attending a climate workshop in McCall offered by the USGS Northwest Climate Science Center, focusing our evaluation around the science identity model of Carlone and Johnson (2007). Evaluations suggest that participants recognized their role as scientists in not only to providing information, but also in listening to the values and needs of the people for whom they are working. We believe this understanding is fundamental to being a good science communicator and ensuring that science remains relevant to communities.

Integrating Project-Based Service-Learning into an Advanced Environmental Chemistry Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draper, Alison J.

2004-02-01

In an advanced environmental chemistry course, the inclusion of semester-long scientific service projects successfully integrated the research process with course content. Each project involved a unique community-based environmental analysis in which students assessed an aspect of environmental health. The projects were due in small pieces at even intervals, and students worked independently or in pairs. Initially, students wrote a project proposal in which they chose and justified a project. Following a literature review of their topic, they drafted sampling and analysis plans using methods in the literature. Samples were collected and analyzed, and all students assembled scientific posters describing the results of their study. In the last week of the semester, the class traveled to a regional professional meeting to present the posters. In all, students found the experience valuable. They learned to be professional environmental chemists and learned the value of the discipline to community health. Students not only learned about their own project in depth, but they were inspired to learn textbook material, not for an exam, but because it helped them understand their own project. Finally, having a community to answer to at the end of the project motivated students to do careful work.

Re-engineering a pharmacy work system and layout to facilitate patient counseling.

PubMed

Lin, A C; Jang, R; Sedani, D; Thomas, S; Barker, K N; Flynn, E A

1996-07-01

The development and evaluation of a new work system and facility design for a chain of community pharmacies are described. A new work system was developed to optimize utilization of pharmacist and technician time and allow the pharmacy to increase patient counseling without adding personnel. In the new system, pharmacists would review prescriptions, check technicians' work, and dispense prescriptions, counseling patients as needed; technicians would enter prescriptions into the pharmacy computer and fill them. The existing work system and design were evaluated in June and July of 1992 by observing, classifying, and recording activities of pharmacy personnel three days per week at six pharmacies in the chain. Pharmacy designs that would work with the new work system were created by a university design class after consultation with representatives of the pharmacy chain and the university's college of pharmacy. The pharmacy chain selected one design, and a detailed floor plan and specifications were created. To test how the new design and system would work at each of the six test pharmacies, a computer simulation program was developed and verified by using the data collected on the existing pharmacy operations. Computer simulation showed that, with the new design and system, increasing patient counseling would increase patient waiting time slightly but would not require additional personnel. The layout and work system in a chain of community pharmacies were redesigned to facilitate patient counseling and make the best use of employee time.

A phenomenological view of language shift.

PubMed

Tsitsipis, Lukas D

2004-01-01

Sociolinguistic studies of language shift have in their majority framed their research object in a horizon of theoretically received variables such as class, ethnicity, locality, attitudes etc. In spite of a limited usefulness of such conceptual variables, and of a recently emerging focus on agency, negotiation, and praxis the best results we obtain have not questioned in a coherent and theoretically sound manner the continuing hegemony of mechanistic-metaphorical models (language death, language suicide). In this paper I propose to examine language shift as a multifaceted phenomenon, joining in this respect work by other linguistic anthropologists researching similar areas. I specifically argue that by replacing vertical concepts such as age and generation, and dichotomous logics such as center and periphery with phenomenologically inspired concepts such as typifications, consociateship, contemporariness, and stream of consciousness we are in a better position to generalize about language shift dynamics. Data for this work is derived primarily from the Albanian speech communities of modern Greece, but also from other communities for comparative purposes.

Unequal exposure to ecological hazards: environmental injustices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

PubMed Central

Faber, Daniel R; Krieg, Eric J

2002-01-01

This study analyzes the social and geographic distribution of ecological hazards across 368 communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Combining census data with a variety of environmental data, we tested for and identified both income-based and racially based biases to the geographic distribution of 17 different types of environmentally hazardous sites and industrial facilities. We also developed a composite measure of cumulative exposure to compare the relative overall risks characteristic of each community. To the best of our knowledge, this point system makes this the first environmental justice study to develop a means for measuring and ranking cumulative exposure for communities. The study also controls for the intensity of hazards in each community by accounting for the area across which hazards are distributed. The findings indicate that ecologically hazardous sites and facilities are disproportionately located and concentrated in communities of color and working-class communities. The implication of this research for policymakers and citizen advocates is that cumulative exposure of residents to environmentally hazardous facilities and sites should receive greater consideration regarding community demographics and environmental health indicators. We conclude that the provision of additional resources for environmental monitoring and ranking, as well as yearly progress reports, is necessary for communities and state agencies to achieve equal access to clean and healthy environments for all residents. PMID:11929739

[A phylogenetic analysis of plant communities of Teberda Biosphere Reserve].

PubMed

Shulakov, A A; Egorov, A V; Onipchenko, V G

2016-01-01

Phylogenetic analysis of communities is based on the comparison of distances on the phylogenetic tree between species of a community under study and those distances in random samples taken out of local flora. It makes it possible to determine to what extent a community composition is formed by more closely related species (i.e., "clustered") or, on the opposite, it is more even and includes species that are less related with each other. The first case is usually interpreted as a result of strong influence caused by abiotic factors, due to which species with similar ecology, a priori more closely related, would remain: In the second case, biotic factors, such as competition, may come to the fore and lead to forming a community out of distant clades due to divergence of their ecological niches: The aim of this' study Was Ad explore the phylogenetic structure in communities of the northwestern Caucasus at two spatial scales - the scale of area from 4 to 100 m2 and the smaller scale within a community. The list of local flora of the alpine belt has been composed using the database of geobotanic descriptions carried out in Teberda Biosphere Reserve at true altitudes exceeding.1800 m. It includes 585 species of flowering plants belonging to 57 families. Basal groups of flowering plants are.not represented in the list. At the scale of communities of three classes, namely Thlaspietea rotundifolii - commumties formed on screes and pebbles, Calluno-Ulicetea - alpine meadow, and Mulgedio-Aconitetea subalpine meadows, have not demonstrated significant distinction of phylogenetic structure. At intra level, for alpine meadows the larger share of closely related species. (clustered community) is detected. Significantly clustered happen to be those communities developing on rocks (class Asplenietea trichomanis) and alpine (class Juncetea trifidi). At the same time, alpine lichen proved to have even phylogenetic structure at the small scale. Alpine (class Salicetea herbaceae) that develop under conditions of winter snow accumulation were more,even at the both.scale, i.e., contained more diverse and distantly related plant species compared with random samples. (Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae) aquatic communities in cold (Montio-Cardaminetea), sedge meadows (Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii), and communities, in which shrubs and predominated (juniper and rhododendron elfin woods, class Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea), have been studied only at the larger scale and showed significant evenness of species composition, i.e., were phylogenetically more diverse compared with random samples.

Language as Social Fabric: Ties That Bind and Separate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Keith; And Others

1991-01-01

Asserts that speakers of Black English and their behavior evoke strong responses outside and inside their communities. Asserts that members of the black communities are rarely permitted to describe or defend their language or ways of using it. Offers the essays, comments, and class interactions of an African-American/Linguistics class on language…

Interdisciplinary Connections and Academic Performance in Psychology-English Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grose-Fifer, Jillian; Helmer, Kimberly A.; Zottoli, Tina M.

2014-01-01

We investigated whether students in psychology-based learning communities (LCs; i.e., cohorts who took introductory psychology and English together) performed better on psychology tests than those in standard classes. There were two types of LC; in one (connected LC), we created links between English and psychology by using English class readings…

Whose Community Is This? Mathematics of Neighborhood Displacement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutstein, Eric

2013-01-01

Displacement was part of students' realities--gentrification in North Lawndale (a Chicago community), deportation in Little Village, and foreclosures in both. The author started the unit in his 12th-grade "math for social justice" class by telling the story (with family permission) of Carmen, a student in his class. Her grandmother paid…

From Closed to Open Classes--Repositioning Schools to Sustain Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Ken

2010-01-01

Schools have always been central to rural communities, but today they are critical to the sustainability of social and economic life for people who live beyond major centres of population. The development of virtual structures and processes that enhance classes in and between rural schools has provided extended educational and, indirectly,…

Incorporating Process-Based Writing Pedagogy into First-Year Learning Communities: Strategies and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnhisel, Greg; Stoddard, Evan; Gorman, Jennifer

2012-01-01

This article reports a study that examines the efforts of one school--Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania--to improve student writing in first-year learning communities by promoting so-called process-based writing pedagogy outside of writing classes. Administrators encouraged instructors of subject-matter classes to integrate the…

Considerations for expanding community exercise programs incorporating a healthcare-recreation partnership for people with balance and mobility limitations: a mixed methods evaluation.

PubMed

Salbach, Nancy M; Howe, Jo-Anne; Baldry, Diem; Merali, Saira; Munce, Sarah E P

2018-04-02

To increase access to safe and appropriate exercise for people with balance and mobility limitations, community organizations have partnered with healthcare providers to deliver an evidence-based, task-oriented group exercise program in community centers in Canada. We aimed to understand challenges and solutions to implementing this program model to inform plans for expansion. At a 1-day meeting, 53 stakeholders (healthcare/recreation personnel, program participants/caregivers, researchers) identified challenges to program implementation that were captured by seven themes: Resources to deliver the exercise class (e.g., difficulty finding instructors with the skills to work with people with mobility limitations); Program marketing (e.g., to foster healthcare referrals); Transportation (e.g., particularly from rural areas); Program access (e.g., program full); Maintaining program integrity; Sustaining partnerships (i.e., with healthcare partners); and Funding (e.g., to deliver program or register). Stakeholders prioritized solutions to form an action plan. A survey of individuals supervising 28 programs revealed that people with stroke, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease register at 95-100% of centers. The most prevalent issues with program fidelity across centers were not requiring a minimum level of walking ability (32%), class sizes exceeding 12 (21%), and instructor-to-participant ratios exceeding 1:4 (19%). Findings provide considerations for program expansion.

Innovations in service learning: a novel program for community service at NYU School of Medicine.

PubMed

Herlihy, Nola Seta; Brown, Christina

2015-01-01

As NYU medical students, the authors determined that there was no structured form of service learning in their curriculum. They sought to establish a service program that recognizes students for their dedication to community service in both the NYU and NYC communities. In 2012, with the support of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), the authors created the NYU School of Medicine Community Service Program (CSP). The program tracks and verifies students' participation in service projects. It sets a goal for students to complete 100 service hours through at least five unique service initiatives. Two reflective essays at the completion of pre-clinical and core clerkship curricula challenge students to express how their service experiences will inform their future careers in medicine. The authors developed an innovative online portal for students to track their service involvement and allow the committee to easily approve hours. They created the Community Service Committee, made up of two representatives from each class year, to be in charge of regulating the program together with the OSA. The class of 2015 is the first class to participate; thus far, 13 students have met program requirements. In the classes of 2016 and 2017, 20 and 41 students, respectively, are expected to receive the award. Total participation has significantly increased in successive class years. The authors seek to gather data on CSP participants' changing perspectives and hope the program can serve as a model for other schools to build service learning into their curricula.

Community Cookbooks: Sponsors of Literacy and Community Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mastrangelo, Lisa

2015-01-01

This article looks at the various ways that communities can be "read" through their cookbooks. Recipes and collections can reveal much about communities, including shared memories/traditions, geographical identifications, and representations of class.

Social-class differences in self-concept clarity and their implications for well-being

PubMed Central

Na, Jinkyung; Chan, Micaela Y.; Lodi-Smith, Jennifer; Park, Denise C.

2017-01-01

A consistent/stable sense of the self is more valued in middle-class contexts than working-class contexts; hence we predicted that middle-class individuals would have higher SCC than working-class individuals. It is further expected that SCC would be more important to one’s well-being among middle-class individuals than among working-class individuals. Supporting these predictions, SCC was positively associated with higher social-class. Moreover, although SCC was associated with higher life satisfaction and better mental health, the association significantly attenuated among working-class individuals. In addition, SCC was not associated with physical health and its association with physical health did not interact with social class. PMID:27114215

Alternative Fuels Data Center: How Do Natural Gas Class 8 Trucks Work?

Science.gov Websites

Natural Gas Class 8 Trucks Work? to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: How Do Natural Gas Class 8 Trucks Work? on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: How Do Natural Gas Class 8 Trucks Work? on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: How Do Natural Gas Class 8

The ground truth about metadata and community detection in networks.

PubMed

Peel, Leto; Larremore, Daniel B; Clauset, Aaron

2017-05-01

Across many scientific domains, there is a common need to automatically extract a simplified view or coarse-graining of how a complex system's components interact. This general task is called community detection in networks and is analogous to searching for clusters in independent vector data. It is common to evaluate the performance of community detection algorithms by their ability to find so-called ground truth communities. This works well in synthetic networks with planted communities because these networks' links are formed explicitly based on those known communities. However, there are no planted communities in real-world networks. Instead, it is standard practice to treat some observed discrete-valued node attributes, or metadata, as ground truth. We show that metadata are not the same as ground truth and that treating them as such induces severe theoretical and practical problems. We prove that no algorithm can uniquely solve community detection, and we prove a general No Free Lunch theorem for community detection, which implies that there can be no algorithm that is optimal for all possible community detection tasks. However, community detection remains a powerful tool and node metadata still have value, so a careful exploration of their relationship with network structure can yield insights of genuine worth. We illustrate this point by introducing two statistical techniques that can quantify the relationship between metadata and community structure for a broad class of models. We demonstrate these techniques using both synthetic and real-world networks, and for multiple types of metadata and community structures.

Upwardly Mobile: Attitudes toward the Class Transition among First-Generation College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinz, Serena E.

2016-01-01

First-generation, working-class college students are on the path to upward mobility and may have social and psychological problems related to cultural differences between the working class and the middle class. In her study, Hurst (2007, 2010) reports that students of working-class origin often choose loyalty to one class. However, I revise…

Marine microbial communities of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon are influenced by riverine floodwaters and seasonal weather events.

PubMed

Angly, Florent E; Heath, Candice; Morgan, Thomas C; Tonin, Hemerson; Rich, Virginia; Schaffelke, Britta; Bourne, David G; Tyson, Gene W

2016-01-01

The role of microorganisms in maintaining coral reef health is increasingly recognized. Riverine floodwater containing herbicides and excess nutrients from fertilizers compromises water quality in the inshore Great Barrier Reef (GBR), with unknown consequences for planktonic marine microbial communities and thus coral reefs. In this baseline study, inshore GBR microbial communities were monitored along a 124 km long transect between 2011 and 2013 using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Members of the bacterial orders Rickettsiales (e.g., Pelagibacteraceae) and Synechococcales (e.g., Prochlorococcus), and of the archaeal class Marine Group II were prevalent in all samples, exhibiting a clear seasonal dynamics. Microbial communities near the Tully river mouth included a mixture of taxa from offshore marine sites and from the river system. The environmental parameters collected could be summarized into four groups, represented by salinity, rainfall, temperature and water quality, that drove the composition of microbial communities. During the wet season, lower salinity and a lower water quality index resulting from higher river discharge corresponded to increases in riverine taxa at sites near the river mouth. Particularly large, transient changes in microbial community structure were seen during the extreme wet season 2010-11, and may be partially attributed to the effects of wind and waves, which resuspend sediments and homogenize the water column in shallow near-shore regions. This work shows that anthropogenic floodwaters and other environmental parameters work in conjunction to drive the spatial distribution of microorganisms in the GBR lagoon, as well as their seasonal and daily dynamics.

Marine microbial communities of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon are influenced by riverine floodwaters and seasonal weather events

PubMed Central

Heath, Candice; Morgan, Thomas C.; Tonin, Hemerson; Rich, Virginia; Schaffelke, Britta; Bourne, David G.; Tyson, Gene W.

2016-01-01

The role of microorganisms in maintaining coral reef health is increasingly recognized. Riverine floodwater containing herbicides and excess nutrients from fertilizers compromises water quality in the inshore Great Barrier Reef (GBR), with unknown consequences for planktonic marine microbial communities and thus coral reefs. In this baseline study, inshore GBR microbial communities were monitored along a 124 km long transect between 2011 and 2013 using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Members of the bacterial orders Rickettsiales (e.g., Pelagibacteraceae) and Synechococcales (e.g., Prochlorococcus), and of the archaeal class Marine Group II were prevalent in all samples, exhibiting a clear seasonal dynamics. Microbial communities near the Tully river mouth included a mixture of taxa from offshore marine sites and from the river system. The environmental parameters collected could be summarized into four groups, represented by salinity, rainfall, temperature and water quality, that drove the composition of microbial communities. During the wet season, lower salinity and a lower water quality index resulting from higher river discharge corresponded to increases in riverine taxa at sites near the river mouth. Particularly large, transient changes in microbial community structure were seen during the extreme wet season 2010–11, and may be partially attributed to the effects of wind and waves, which resuspend sediments and homogenize the water column in shallow near-shore regions. This work shows that anthropogenic floodwaters and other environmental parameters work in conjunction to drive the spatial distribution of microorganisms in the GBR lagoon, as well as their seasonal and daily dynamics. PMID:26839738

Nonlinear viscoplasticity in ASPECT: benchmarking and applications to subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glerum, Anne; Thieulot, Cedric; Fraters, Menno; Blom, Constantijn; Spakman, Wim

2018-03-01

ASPECT (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth's ConvecTion) is a massively parallel finite element code originally designed for modeling thermal convection in the mantle with a Newtonian rheology. The code is characterized by modern numerical methods, high-performance parallelism and extensibility. This last characteristic is illustrated in this work: we have extended the use of ASPECT from global thermal convection modeling to upper-mantle-scale applications of subduction.

Subduction modeling generally requires the tracking of multiple materials with different properties and with nonlinear viscous and viscoplastic rheologies. To this end, we implemented a frictional plasticity criterion that is combined with a viscous diffusion and dislocation creep rheology. Because ASPECT uses compositional fields to represent different materials, all material parameters are made dependent on a user-specified number of fields.

The goal of this paper is primarily to describe and verify our implementations of complex, multi-material rheology by reproducing the results of four well-known two-dimensional benchmarks: the indentor benchmark, the brick experiment, the sandbox experiment and the slab detachment benchmark. Furthermore, we aim to provide hands-on examples for prospective users by demonstrating the use of multi-material viscoplasticity with three-dimensional, thermomechanical models of oceanic subduction, putting ASPECT on the map as a community code for high-resolution, nonlinear rheology subduction modeling.

Community-Organizing Agent: An Artificial Intelligent System for Building Learning Communities among Large Numbers of Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Fan; Wang, Minjuan; Shen, Ruimin; Han, Peng

2007-01-01

Web-based (or online) learning provides an unprecedented flexibility and convenience to both learners and instructors. However, large online classes relying on instructor-centered presentations could tend to isolate many learners. The size of these classes and the wide dispersion of the learners make it challenging for instructors to interact with…

Using Culturally Relevant Teaching in a Co-Educational Mathematics Class of a Patriarchal Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mogari, David

2017-01-01

The paper reports on the use of culturally relevant teaching in a class located in a patriarchal community. The paper is conceptualised around the notion that learners' familiar context provided by the socio-cultural activities can facilitate mathematics learning and make it fun to learn. Data were derived from a lesson activity using…

What Factors Are Related to the Satisfaction of Online Instructors at Rural Community Colleges?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Kristie G.

2011-01-01

Student enrollment in online classes has witnessed a significant growth over the past decade. Higher education institutions, in particular, rural community colleges recognize both the need and demand for online classes and have taken great strides to incorporate them into their course curriculum. However, with the growth of online courses there…

What Senior Citizens Want from the Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darden, Mary Landon; Cloud, Robert C.; Illich, Paul

This study for McLennan Community College (MCC), Texas, examines the issue of meeting the educational needs of the senior population of McLennan County. MCC aims to develop a Senior College. The Senior College would design classes specially for those age 55 and older, would make the classes affordable through use of expert volunteer instructors,…

Formative Self-Assessment College Classes Improves Self-Regulation and Retention in First/Second Year Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahlberg, Jamie

2015-01-01

This research examined the influence formative self-assessment had on first/second year community college student self-regulatory practices. Previous research has shown that the ability to regulate one's learning activities can improve performance in college classes, and it has long been known that the use of formative assessment improves…

The Effects of Web Conferencing on the Community of Inquiry in Online Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stover, Sheri; Miura, Yoko

2015-01-01

This mixed-methods research study compared the level of community of inquiry (CoI) in online graduate classes that use web conferencing (WC) compared to those that do not. This study also investigated students' perceptions of Teaching Presence (TP), Social Presence (SP), and Cognitive Presence (CP). The authors found that students had…

How Experiential Learning in an Informal Setting Promotes Class Equity and Social and Economic Justice for Children from "Communities at Promise": An Australian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zyngier, David

2017-01-01

Educational research often portrays culturally, linguistically and economically disenfranchised (CLED) children's disengagement from school learning as individual behaviour, ignoring the contribution of race, gender, socio-cultural, ethnic and social class factors. This paper analyses a specific community engagement programme in Australia which…

In-Course Instructor-Guided Service Learning in a Community College General Psychology Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goomas, David T.; Weston, Melissa B.

2012-01-01

Students enrolled in two general psychology classes at El Centro College (ECC) of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) were offered the opportunity to earn extra credit by performing up to 20 hours of service learning. Benefits of service learning were observed in student development, including exploration of career possibilities,…

Social-class differences in self-concept clarity and their implications for well-being.

PubMed

Na, Jinkyung; Chan, Micaela Y; Lodi-Smith, Jennifer; Park, Denise C

2018-06-01

A consistent/stable sense of the self is more valued in middle-class contexts than working-class contexts; hence, we predicted that middle-class individuals would have higher self-concept clarity than working-class individuals. It is further expected that self-concept clarity would be more important to one's well-being among middle-class individuals than among working-class individuals. Supporting these predictions, self-concept clarity was positively associated with higher social class. Moreover, although self-concept clarity was associated with higher life satisfaction and better mental health, the association significantly attenuated among working-class individuals. In addition, self-concept clarity was not associated with physical health and its association with physical health did not interact with social class.

Dental hygiene work in a clinical trial.

PubMed

Luís, H S; Morgado, I; Assunção, V; Bernardo, M F; Leroux, B; Martin, M D; DeRouen, T A; Leitão, J

2008-08-01

Dental hygiene activities were developed as part of a randomized clinical trial designed to assess the safety of low-level mercury exposure from dental amalgam restorations. Along with dental-hygiene clinical work, a community programme was implemented after investigators noticed the poor oral hygiene habits of participants, and the need for urgent action to minimize oral health problems in the study population. Clinical and community activity goal was to promote oral health and prevent new disease. Community activities involved participants and their fellow students and were aimed at providing education on oral health in a school environment. Dental hygienists developed clinical work with prophylaxis, sealants application and topical fluoride and implemented the community programme with in-class sessions on oral health themes. Twice a month fluoride mouthrinses and bi-annual tooth brushing instructional activity took place. Participation at dental-hygiene activities, sealed teeth with no need of restoration and dental-plaque-index were measures used to evaluate success of the programme for the participants. Improvement in dental hygiene is shown by the decrease in dental plaque index scores (P < 0.0001); also sealants integrity is achieved in 86.3% of teeth. 888 (13.7%) teeth with sealants had to be restored or were lost. Children participated actively on dental hygiene activities. Teachers became aware of the problem and included oral-health in school curricula. Dental hygiene activities have shown to be helpful to promote dental hygiene, promote oral health and to provide school-age children with education on habits that will be important for their future good health.

Reconsidering identity: the ethnic and political dimensions of hybridity among majority and Turkish youth in Germany and England.

PubMed

Faas, Daniel

2009-06-01

Sociological research has hitherto largely focused on majority and minority ethnic identities or citizenship identities. However, the social connections between youth are not simply ethnic dynamics but also political dynamics involving citizenship categories. This article argues that in postmodern societies, it is important to reconsider the ways we think about youth identities. Drawing upon qualitative data from a study into the political identities of majority (German and British) youth and Turkish youth, educated in two Stuttgart and two London secondary schools, the research found that fifteen-year-olds had no singular identity but hybrid ethno-national, ethno-local and national-European identities as a result of governmental policies, their schooling and community experience, social class positioning, ethnicity and migration history. In working-class educational contexts, many majority and Turkish youth privileged the ethnic dimension of hybridity whereas majority and Turkish youth in the two middle-class dominated schools emphasized the political dimension of hybridity. The article demonstrates that social class and schooling (e.g. ethos and peer cultures) have a considerable role to play in who can afford to take on the more hybridized cosmopolitan identities on offer.

Strong shift in the diazotrophic endophytic bacterial community inhabiting rice (Oryza sativa) plants after flooding.

PubMed

Ferrando, Lucía; Fernández Scavino, Ana

2015-09-01

Flooding impacts soil microbial communities, but its effect on endophytic communities has rarely been explored. This work addresses the effect of flooding on the abundance and diversity of endophytic diazotrophic communities on rice plants established in a greenhouse experiment. The nifH gene was significantly more abundant in roots after flooding, whereas the nifH gene copy numbers in leaves were unaffected and remained low. The PCA (principal component analysis) of T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism) profiles indicated that root communities of replicate plots were more similar and diverse after flooding than before flooding. The nifH libraries obtained by cloning and 454 pyrosequencing consistently showed a remarkable shift in the diazotrophic community composition after flooding. Gammaproteobacteria (66-98%), mainly of the genus Stenotrophomonas, prevailed in roots before flooding, whereas Betaproteobacteria was the dominant class (26-34%) after flooding. A wide variety of aerotolerant and anaerobic diazotrophic bacteria (e.g. Dechloromonas, Rhodopseudomonas, Desulfovibrio, Geobacter, Chlorobium, Spirochaeta, Selenomonas and Dehalobacter) with diverse metabolic traits were retrieved from flooded rice roots. These findings suggest that endophytic communities could be significantly impacted by changes in plant-soil conditions derived from flooding during rice cropping. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Training of Community Health Agents in health hearing children: current perspectives.

PubMed

Castro, Taís Teixeira de Oliveira; Zucki, Fernanda

2015-01-01

To characterize the training of Community Health Workers in the field of child hearing health. A systematic literature review on Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) and Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações of USP databases was performed. The search strategy was oriented by the specific question: "How have the Community Health Workers been trained to work in the field of child hearing health?" The study selection criteria involved consistency with the proposed theme, belonging to the category of scientific papers, dissertation or thesis, and publication in Brazilian Portuguese. A total of 2,687 studies were found. After analyzing the title and abstract, eight studies were chosen for full reading, however, only four of them met the proposed criteria and were included in the review. The studies indicated live and virtual classes with the use of video conferencing or CD-ROM as training strategies for Community Health Workers. Trainings were effective. Only one questionnaire about hearing and language monitoring was described. Different possibilities for the activities of Community Health Workers were identified. Different learning methodologies have been used for training the Community Health Worker in the field of child hearing health, and all of have proven effective for knowledge acquisition. Community Health Workers play an important role in promoting and monitoring child hearing health.

Modeling the Emergence of Lexicons in Homesign Systems

PubMed Central

Richie, Russell; Yang, Charles; Coppola, Marie

2014-01-01

It is largely acknowledged that natural languages emerge from not just human brains, but also from rich communities of interacting human brains (Senghas, 2005). Yet the precise role of such communities and such interaction in the emergence of core properties of language has largely gone uninvestigated in naturally emerging systems, leaving the few existing computational investigations of this issue at an artificial setting. Here we take a step towards investigating the precise role of community structure in the emergence of linguistic conventions with both naturalistic empirical data and computational modeling. We first show conventionalization of lexicons in two different classes of naturally emerging signed systems: (1) protolinguistic “homesigns” invented by linguistically isolated Deaf individuals, and (2) a natural sign language emerging in a recently formed rich Deaf community. We find that the latter conventionalized faster than the former. Second, we model conventionalization as a population of interacting individuals who adjust their probability of sign use in response to other individuals' actual sign use, following an independently motivated model of language learning (Yang 2002, 2004). Simulations suggest that a richer social network, like that of natural (signed) languages, conventionalizes faster than a sparser social network, like that of homesign systems. We discuss our behavioral and computational results in light of other work on language emergence, and other work of behavior on complex networks. PMID:24482343

Beyond the Schoolyard: The Contributions of Parenting Logics, Financial Resources, and Social Institutions to the Social Class Gap in Structured Activity Participation.

PubMed

Bennett, Pamela R; Lutz, Amy; Jayaram, Lakshmi

2012-01-01

We investigate cultural and structural sources of class differences in youth activity participation with interview, survey, and archival data. We find working- and middle-class parents overlap in parenting logics about participation, though differ in one respect: middle-class parents are concerned with customizing children's involvement in activities, while working-class parents are concerned with achieving safety and social mobility for children through participation. Second, because of financial constraints, working-class families rely on social institutions for participation opportunities, but few are available. Schools act as an equalizing institution by offering low-cost activities, allowing working-class children to resemble middle-class youth in school activities, but they remain disadvantaged in out-of-school activities. School influences are complex, however, as they also contribute to class differences by offering different activities to working- and middle-class youth. Findings raise questions about the extent to which differences in participation reflect class culture rather than the objective realities parents face.

Beyond the Schoolyard: The Contributions of Parenting Logics, Financial Resources, and Social Institutions to the Social Class Gap in Structured Activity Participation

PubMed Central

Bennett, Pamela R.; Lutz, Amy; Jayaram, Lakshmi

2014-01-01

We investigate cultural and structural sources of class differences in youth activity participation with interview, survey, and archival data. We find working- and middle-class parents overlap in parenting logics about participation, though differ in one respect: middle-class parents are concerned with customizing children’s involvement in activities, while working-class parents are concerned with achieving safety and social mobility for children through participation. Second, because of financial constraints, working-class families rely on social institutions for participation opportunities, but few are available. Schools act as an equalizing institution by offering low-cost activities, allowing working-class children to resemble middle-class youth in school activities, but they remain disadvantaged in out-of-school activities. School influences are complex, however, as they also contribute to class differences by offering different activities to working- and middle-class youth. Findings raise questions about the extent to which differences in participation reflect class culture rather than the objective realities parents face. PMID:25328250

Getting By on the Minimum: The Lives of Working-Class Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jennifer

The lives of working-class women were explored through interviews with 63 middle-aged women, most of whom were employed in working-class jobs and living working-class lives in Baltimore, Maryland. The following were among the areas covered in the interviews: the women's lives on and off the job; their job satisfaction; the reasons they work and…

CuboCube: Student creation of a cancer genetics e-textbook using open-access software for social learning.

PubMed

Seid-Karbasi, Puya; Ye, Xin C; Zhang, Allen W; Gladish, Nicole; Cheng, Suzanne Y S; Rothe, Katharina; Pilsworth, Jessica A; Kang, Min A; Doolittle, Natalie; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Stirling, Peter C; Wasserman, Wyeth W

2017-03-01

Student creation of educational materials has the capacity both to enhance learning and to decrease costs. Three successive honors-style classes of undergraduate students in a cancer genetics class worked with a new software system, CuboCube, to create an e-textbook. CuboCube is an open-source learning materials creation system designed to facilitate e-textbook development, with an ultimate goal of improving the social learning experience for students. Equipped with crowdsourcing capabilities, CuboCube provides intuitive tools for nontechnical and technical authors alike to create content together in a structured manner. The process of e-textbook development revealed both strengths and challenges of the approach, which can inform future efforts. Both the CuboCube platform and the Cancer Genetics E-textbook are freely available to the community.

Metrics help rural hospitals achieve world-class performance.

PubMed

Goodspeed, Scott W

2006-01-01

This article describes the emerging trend of using metrics in rural hospitals to achieve world-class performance. This trend is a response to the fact that rural hospitals have small patient volumes yet must maintain a profit margin in order to fulfill their mission to the community. The conceptual idea for this article is based largely on Robert Kaplan and David Norton's Balanced Scorecard articles in the Harvard Business Review. The ideas also come from the experiences of the 60-plus rural hospitals that are using the Balanced Scorecard and their implementation of metrics to influence performance and behavior. It is indeed possible for rural hospitals to meet and exceed the unique needs of patients and physicians (customers), to achieve healthy profit margins, and to be the rural hospital of choice that employees are proud to work for.

CuboCube: Student creation of a cancer genetics e-textbook using open-access software for social learning

PubMed Central

Seid-Karbasi, Puya; Ye, Xin C.; Zhang, Allen W.; Gladish, Nicole; Cheng, Suzanne Y. S.; Rothe, Katharina; Pilsworth, Jessica A.; Kang, Min A.; Doolittle, Natalie; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Stirling, Peter C.; Wasserman, Wyeth W.

2017-01-01

Student creation of educational materials has the capacity both to enhance learning and to decrease costs. Three successive honors-style classes of undergraduate students in a cancer genetics class worked with a new software system, CuboCube, to create an e-textbook. CuboCube is an open-source learning materials creation system designed to facilitate e-textbook development, with an ultimate goal of improving the social learning experience for students. Equipped with crowdsourcing capabilities, CuboCube provides intuitive tools for nontechnical and technical authors alike to create content together in a structured manner. The process of e-textbook development revealed both strengths and challenges of the approach, which can inform future efforts. Both the CuboCube platform and the Cancer Genetics E-textbook are freely available to the community. PMID:28267757

Expanding the Reach of Continuing Educational Offerings Through a Web-Based Virtual Network: The Experience of InspireNet.

PubMed

Frisch, Noreen C; Atherton, Pat; Borycki, Elizabeth M; Mickelson, Grace; Black, Agnes; Novak Lauscher, Helen; Cordeiro, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Virtual platforms using webinars, e-posters, e-newsletters, wikis and blogs connect people who have common interests in new ways. When those individuals are healthcare providers, a professional network that operates on a virtual platform can support their needs for learning, professional development and information currency. The practice of e-learning for continuing professional development is emerging , particularly in nursing where shift work shift inhibits their ability to attend conferences and classes. This article reports the experience of the InspireNet network that provided e-learning models to: 1) provide opportunities for healthcare providers to organize themselves into learning communities through development of electronic communities of practice; 2) support learning on demand; and 3) dramatically increase the reach of educational offerings.

Not Driven by High-Stakes Tests: Exploring Science Assessment and College Readiness of Students from an Urban Portfolio Community High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleshman, Robin Earle

This case study seeks to explore three research questions: (1) What science teaching and learning processes, perspectives, and cultures exist within the science classroom of an urban portfolio community high school? (2) In what ways does the portfolio-based approach prepare high school students of color for college level science coursework, laboratory work, and assessment? (3) Are portfolio community high school students of color college ready? Is there a relationship between students' science and mathematics performance and college readiness? The overarching objectives of the study are to learn, understand, and describe an urban portfolio community high school as it relates to science assessment and college readiness; to understand how the administration, teachers, and alumni perceive the use of portfolios in science learning and assessment; and to understand how alumni view their preparation and readiness for college and college science coursework, laboratory work, and assessments. The theoretical framework of this study encompasses four theories: critical theory, contextual assessment, self-regulated learning, and ethic of care. Because the urban high school studied partnered with a community-based organization (CBO), it identifies as a community school. Therefore, I provide context regarding the concept, culture, and services of community schools. Case study is the research design I used to explore in-depth this urban portfolio community high school, which involved mixed methods for data collection and analysis. In total, six alumni/current college students, five school members (administrators and teachers), and three CBO members (administrators, including myself) participated in the study. In addition to school artefacts and student portfolios collected, classroom and portfolio panel presentation observations and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the portfolio-based approach as it pertains to science learning and assessment and college science readiness. Data from the transcripts of two graduating classes were analyzed and the interview transcripts were coded and analyzed as well. Analysis of qualitative data revealed key findings: (1) the school's Habits of Mind, authentic scientific inquiry, self-regulated learning triggers and strategies, and teacher feedback practices driven by an ethic of care supported students' science learning and portfolio assessment; and (2) the cyclical and extensive portfolio processes of writing, revision, and submission well prepared alumni for college science laboratory work and coursework, to a certain extent, but not for the traditional assessments administered in college science courses. Analysis of quantitative data revealed that, if based solely on the City University of New York's Regents score criteria for college readiness, the majority of students from these two graduating classes studied would not have been considered college ready even though all participants, including interviewed alumni, believed the school prepared them for college. The majority of these students, however, were transitioning to college readiness based on their Regents-level science and mathematics coursework. Findings of this study have implications for science assessment, professional development in science, education policy reform, and high school partnerships with CBOs and postsecondary institutions as they pertain to college and college science readiness for students of color in urban portfolio community high schools.

The Training Process of the Organization Development and Training Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Melissa S.

2004-01-01

The Organization Development and Training Office provides training and development opportunities to employees at NASA Glenn Research Center, as a division of the Office of Human Resources and Workforce Planning. Center-wide required trainings, new employee trainings, workshops and career development programs are organized by the OD&TO staff. They also arrange all academic, non-academic, headquarters, fellowship and learning center sponsored courses. They also service organizations wishing to work more effectively by facilitating teambuilding exercises. Equal Opportunity programs and upward mobility programs such as the STEP and GO programs for administrative staff. In working with my mentor I am very involved with Cuyahoga Community College classes, mandatory supervisory training and administrative staff workshops. My largest tasks are in the secretarial training category. The Supporting Organizations And Relationships workshop for administrative personnel, commonly known as SOAR, began last year and continued this summer with follow-up workshops. Months before a workshop or class is brought to Glenn, a need has to be realized. In this case, administrative staff did not feel they had an opportunity to receive relevant training and develop skills through teambuilding, networking and communication. A Statement of work is then created as several companies are contacted about providing the training. After the company best suited to meet the target group s needs is selected, the course is announced with an outline of all pertinent information. A reservation for a facility is made and applications or nominations, depending on the announcement s guidelines, are received from interested employees. Confirmations are sent to participants and final preparations are made but there are still several concluding steps. A training office staff member also assists the facilitator with setting up the facility and introducing the class. After the class, participants evaluations are read and summarized to determine the effectiveness of the class and instructor. In addition to the SOAR workshops, I have several projects and daily tasks to complete. Coding training applications, which require me to be familiar with Glenn s budgetary allocations and policies on training, is an ongoing process. It also requires verifying information reported by an employee via her C-478 form, more commonly known as the training application. I am also the point of contact for the Cuyahoga Community College Advising Sessions held here at NASA Glenn which involves coordinating counselors visits with employees schedules. Two databases had to be created. The first database holds information on administrative staff, and the other tracks supervisors training histories. Through these assignments I gained experience in Microsoft Access 2002 and spreadsheet creation, communicating with co-workers, and successfully facilitating a training to serve specific purposes. With trainings and evaluations to assessment them, the Organization Development and Training Office can assure a quality product and continued customer satisfaction.

Early-career work location of Memorial University medical graduates: Why the decline in rural practice?

PubMed

Mathews, Maria; Ryan, Dana; Samarasena, Asoka

2017-01-01

In a previous study, we found a decline in the proportion of Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) medical alumni practising in rural areas, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador. The current study focused on the work location of recent graduates and examined the predictors of working in rural Canada and in rural Newfoundland and Labrador within the first 15 years following graduation. We linked data from graduating class lists and the alumni and postgraduate databases with Scott's Medical Database to create a record of all graduates from 1973 to 2008, including their work location. We identified differences and significant predictors for each outcome and then described and compared the characteristics of 4 cohorts of graduating classes. In their early career, 127/1113 (11.4%) MUN medical graduates were working in rural Canada, and 57 (5.1%) were working in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Having a rural background and being a family physician were predictors of working in rural Canada, and having a rural background, doing at least part of the residency at MUN, being from Newfoundland and Labrador and being a family physician were predictors of working in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Seventy-four (13.6%) and 33 (6.1%) of 1989-1998 graduates worked in rural Canada and rural Newfoundland and Labrador, respectively, compared to 53 (9.3%) and 24 (4.2%), respectively, of 1999-2008 graduates. The proportion of MUN medical graduates who worked in rural communities early in their career decreased among recent cohorts. The results show the impact of changes in the characteristics of MUN medical graduates, who increasingly opt for specialist practice and residency training outside the province, and the important role of local postgraduate training.

Teaching Quantum Mechanics through Project-based Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duda, Gintaras

2013-04-01

Project/Problem-based learning (PBL) is an active area of research within the physics education research (PER) community, however, work done to date has focused on introductory courses. This talk will explore research on upper division quantum mechanics, a junior/senior level course at Creighton, which was taught using PBL pedagogy with no in-class lectures. The talk will explore: 1. student learning in light of the new pedagogy and embedded meta-cognitive self-monitoring and reflective exercises and 2. the effect of the PBL curriculum on student attitudes students’ epistemologies.

Individualized student advisement for preparation for the national council licensure examination for registered nurses: a community college experience.

PubMed

Anderson, Ruth M

2007-01-01

The success of faculty is, in part, measured by the success of their students. One measurement of student success is passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. However, some students require assistance beyond routine class work; they require a personalized plan for studying based on individualized areas of weakness. The author reviews the process of implementing a program of individualized student advisement. Included are samples of forms that have been developed to assist in this process.

Monitoring Distributed Real-Time Systems: A Survey and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodloe, Alwyn E.; Pike, Lee

2010-01-01

Runtime monitors have been proposed as a means to increase the reliability of safety-critical systems. In particular, this report addresses runtime monitors for distributed hard real-time systems. This class of systems has had little attention from the monitoring community. The need for monitors is shown by discussing examples of avionic systems failure. We survey related work in the field of runtime monitoring. Several potential monitoring architectures for distributed real-time systems are presented along with a discussion of how they might be used to monitor properties of interest.

Technology Usage among Community College Faculty in First-Time-in-College Classes: A Call to Standardization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goomas, David T.

2013-01-01

Technology in higher education has played an increasingly dramatic role, particularly on community college campuses, with emphasis on how to provide better services to students via the use of technology. This report examines the challenge for faculty teaching first-time-in-college (FTIC) classes at El Centro College of the Dallas County Community…

Glendale Community College Student Views, 1999. Results of the 1999 Spring Student Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karpp, Edward R.

This report presents the results of Glendale Community College's 1999 Spring Student Survey. More than 2,800 students completed this survey. Class scheduling issues were emphasized in the survey. Less than one-fourth of credit students reported they had problems getting the classes they wanted in the spring semester. This was a small decrease from…

Academic Effects and Cost Benefit of a Four-Day Week at College of DuPage, an Illinois Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Carol C.

The implementation of a four-day week (Monday-Thursday) for on-campus classes at the College of DuPage, an Illinois community college, was assessed in terms of student registration; class enrollment; student success rates; instructional quality; and savings resulting from driving differences, energy use, and building maintenance. Withdrawal and…

Survey Results for Participating Colleges: Classes and Programs for the Aged in the California Community Colleges, 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles, Richard F.

The 106 community colleges in California were surveyed by questionnaire to determine their current level of commitment to the aged in terms of programs and courses available, adult participation, and methods used to conduct programs. Eighty-three questionnaires (78%) were returned. Of the responding colleges, 43% were currently offering classes or…

Study of Frequency of Errors and Areas of Weaknesses in Business Communications Classes at Kapiolani Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uehara, Soichi

This study was made to determine the most prevalent errors, areas of weakness, and their frequency in the writing of letters so that a course in business communications classes at Kapiolani Community College (Hawaii) could be prepared that would help students learn to write effectively. The 55 participating students were divided into two groups…

Class and ideological orientations revisited: an exploration of class-based mechanisms.

PubMed

Bengtsson, Mattias; Berglund, Tomas; Oskarson, Maria

2013-12-01

Studies of the relationship between class position and political outlooks still only have a limited understanding of the class-related mechanisms that matter for ideological orientations. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms that link class position and left/right and authoritarian/libertarian orientations. Besides main factors such as income, career prospects, job security, education, class origin and class identification, the significance of work-related factors such as work autonomy, working in a team, a physically demanding job and a mentally demanding job is studied. The findings are based on a survey specifically designed for this purpose and collected in Sweden in 2008/2009. A great deal of the association between class position and left/right orientations is explained by socio-economic conditions; different classes sympathize with policies that will benefit them economically. Another important factor is class identification. Work-related factors also have relevance, but the effect of class position on left/right orientations works mainly through the remuneration system. Class position is also related to authoritarian/libertarian orientations. However, this relationship is less explained by socio-economic position per se, but is rather an effect of the educational system and its allocation of the workforce into different class positions. It also turns out that work-related factors do not explain the class effects; however, a physically demanding job shows a unique effect. Overall, our findings suggest that besides factors such as class position, income, education and class identification, we need to consider work-related aspects to derive a more complete understanding of the distribution of ideological orientations in Western societies. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.

Testing a Social Ecological Model for Relations between Political Violence and Child Adjustment in Northern Ireland

PubMed Central

Cummings, E. Mark; Merrilees, Christine E.; Schermerhorn, Alice C.; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.; Shirlow, Peter; Cairns, Ed

2013-01-01

Relations between political violence and child adjustment are matters of international concern. Past research demonstrates the significance of community, family and child psychological processes in child adjustment, supporting study of inter-relations between multiple social ecological factors and child adjustment in contexts of political violence. Testing a social ecological model, 300 mothers and their children (M= 12.28 years, SD = 1.77) from Catholic and Protestant working class neighborhoods in Belfast, Northern Ireland completed measures of community discord, family relations, and children’s regulatory processes (i.e., emotional security) and outcomes. Historical political violence in neighborhoods based on objective records (i.e., politically motivated deaths) were related to family members’ reports of current sectarian and non-sectarian antisocial behavior. Interparental conflict and parental monitoring and children’s emotional security about both the community and family contributed to explanatory pathways for relations between sectarian antisocial behavior in communities and children’s adjustment problems. The discussion evaluates support for social ecological models for relations between political violence and child adjustment and its implications for understanding relations in other parts of the world. PMID:20423550

Testing a social ecological model for relations between political violence and child adjustment in Northern Ireland.

PubMed

Cummings, E Mark; Merrilees, Christine E; Schermerhorn, Alice C; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C; Shirlow, Peter; Cairns, Ed

2010-05-01

Relations between political violence and child adjustment are matters of international concern. Past research demonstrates the significance of community, family, and child psychological processes in child adjustment, supporting study of interrelations between multiple social ecological factors and child adjustment in contexts of political violence. Testing a social ecological model, 300 mothers and their children (M = 12.28 years, SD = 1.77) from Catholic and Protestant working class neighborhoods in Belfast, Northern Ireland, completed measures of community discord, family relations, and children's regulatory processes (i.e., emotional security) and outcomes. Historical political violence in neighborhoods based on objective records (i.e., politically motivated deaths) were related to family members' reports of current sectarian antisocial behavior and nonsectarian antisocial behavior. Interparental conflict and parental monitoring and children's emotional security about both the community and family contributed to explanatory pathways for relations between sectarian antisocial behavior in communities and children's adjustment problems. The discussion evaluates support for social ecological models for relations between political violence and child adjustment and its implications for understanding relations in other parts of the world.

78 FR 37998 - Electronic One Touch Bingo System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-25

... decision regarding the classification of server based electronic bingo system games that can be played... Class II or Class III game. DATES: The agency must receive comments on or before August 26, 2013... from the regulated community regarding the status of one touch bingo as a Class II or a Class III game...

Pima College Students' Knowledge of Selected Basic Physical Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iadevaia, David G.

In 1989 a study was conducted at Pima Community College (PCC) to assess students' knowledge of basic physical science concepts. A three-part survey instrument was administered to students in a second semester sociology class, a first semester astronomy class, a second semester Spanish class, and a first semester physics class. The survey…

Early Talk About the Past Revisited: Affect in Working-Class and Middle-Class Children's Co-Narrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burger, Lisa K.; Miller, Peggy J.

1999-01-01

Investigated personal storytelling among young working-class and middle-class children, observing them at home at age 2; age 6 and 3; and under-one year. Analysis of generic properties, narrative content, and emotion talk revealed a complex configuration of similarities and differences. Differentiation between working-class and middle-class…

Making the Invisible More Visible: Home Literacy Practices of Middle-Class and Working-Class Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthey, Sarah J.

1997-01-01

Interviews with eight families showed that literacy materials and goals for using literacy differed between middle and working class families, with middle class families drawing on more resources to learn about the child's classroom. However, all families expressed value for literacy activities, challenging the myth that working-class families do…

"Not Footprints Behind but Footsteps Forward": Working Class Women Who Teach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maguire, Meg

2005-01-01

This paper draws on in-depth interviews with five working class women who work/have worked as schoolteachers in inner city settings. The paper explores their subjective and continuing engagement with their class origins--their footprints in their past--as well as the way in which social class is implicated in their professional contemporary…

Community College Contributions. Policy Brief 2013-01PB

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullin, Christopher M.; Phillippe, Kent

2013-01-01

America's community colleges are the brokers of opportunity for a stronger middle class and more prosperous nation. The value of community colleges has repeatedly been detailed in broad brushstrokes. While these broad-brush pictures of the community college contribution are important, the community college is an intricate institution offering…

Management Classes as Online Learning Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shrivastava, Paul

1999-01-01

Conceptualizes management education in the digital economy through the development of online leaning communities. Essential elements for building community are described: technology and content infrastructure, organizational learning model, managed interactivity, and facilitator retraining. (SK)

An Investigation of the Factors That Motivate Adults to Participate in Adult Basic Education (ABE) Classes at a Southeastern Wisconsin Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump-Phillips, Maureen R.

2013-01-01

This study assessed the plausibility of using Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB) to identify the factors that motivate adults to participate in Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes at a Southeast Wisconsin Community College. The original TPB (Ajzen, 1991) attests that planned behaviors are determined by behavioral intentions which are…

Chronic Disease Risk Typologies among Young Adults in Community College.

PubMed

Jeffries, Jayne K; Lytle, Leslie; Sotres-Alvarez, Daniela; Golden, Shelley; Aiello, Allison E; Linnan, Laura

2018-03-01

To address chronic disease risk holistically from a behavioral perspective, insights are needed to refine understanding of the covariance of key health behaviors. This study aims to identify distinct typologies of young adults based on 4 modifiable risk factors of chronic disease using a latent class analysis approach, and to describe patterns of class membership based on demographic characteristics, living arrangements, and weight. Overall, 441 young adults aged 18-35 attending community colleges in the Minnesota Twin Cities area completed a baseline questionnaire for the Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings study, a RCT. Behavioral items were used to create indicators for latent classes, and individuals were classified using maximum-probability assignment. Three latent classes were identified: 'active, binge-drinkers with a healthy dietary intake' (13.1%); 'non-active, moderate-smokers and non-drinkers with poor dietary intake' (38.2%); 'moderately active, non-smokers and non-drinkers with moderately healthy dietary intake' (48.7%). Classes exhibited unique demographic and weight-related profiles. This study may contribute to the literature on health behaviors among young adults and provides evidence that there are weight and age differences among subgroups. Understanding how behaviors cluster is important for identifying groups for targeted interventions in community colleges.

Neighborhood Economic Deprivation and Social Fragmentation: Associations With Children's Sleep.

PubMed

Bagley, Erika J; Fuller-Rowell, Thomas E; Saini, Ekjyot K; Philbrook, Lauren E; El-Sheikh, Mona

2016-12-09

A growing body of work indicates that experiences of neighborhood disadvantage place children at risk for poor sleep. This study aimed to examine how both neighborhood economic deprivation (a measure of poverty) and social fragmentation (an index of instability) are associated with objective measures of the length and quality of children's sleep. Participants were 210 children (54.3% boys) living predominantly in small towns and semirural communities in Alabama. On average children were 11.3 years old (SD = .63); 66.7% of the children were European American and 33.3% were African American. The sample was socioeconomically diverse with 67.9% of the participants living at or below the poverty line and 32.1% from lower-middle-class or middle-class families. Indicators of neighborhood characteristics were derived from the 2012 American Community Survey and composited to create two variables representing neighborhood economic deprivation and social fragmentation. Child sleep period, actual sleep minutes, and efficiency were examined using actigraphy. Higher levels of neighborhood economic deprivation were associated with fewer sleep minutes and poorer sleep efficiency. More neighborhood social fragmentation was also linked with poorer sleep efficiency. Analyses controlled for demographic characteristics, child health, and family socioeconomic status. Findings indicate that living in economically and socially disadvantaged neighborhoods predicts risk for shorter and lower-quality sleep in children. Examination of community context in addition to family and individual characteristics may provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors shaping child sleep.

The ground truth about metadata and community detection in networks

PubMed Central

Peel, Leto; Larremore, Daniel B.; Clauset, Aaron

2017-01-01

Across many scientific domains, there is a common need to automatically extract a simplified view or coarse-graining of how a complex system’s components interact. This general task is called community detection in networks and is analogous to searching for clusters in independent vector data. It is common to evaluate the performance of community detection algorithms by their ability to find so-called ground truth communities. This works well in synthetic networks with planted communities because these networks’ links are formed explicitly based on those known communities. However, there are no planted communities in real-world networks. Instead, it is standard practice to treat some observed discrete-valued node attributes, or metadata, as ground truth. We show that metadata are not the same as ground truth and that treating them as such induces severe theoretical and practical problems. We prove that no algorithm can uniquely solve community detection, and we prove a general No Free Lunch theorem for community detection, which implies that there can be no algorithm that is optimal for all possible community detection tasks. However, community detection remains a powerful tool and node metadata still have value, so a careful exploration of their relationship with network structure can yield insights of genuine worth. We illustrate this point by introducing two statistical techniques that can quantify the relationship between metadata and community structure for a broad class of models. We demonstrate these techniques using both synthetic and real-world networks, and for multiple types of metadata and community structures. PMID:28508065

Translational research education and training needs in Hawai'i.

PubMed

Kataoka-Yahiro, Merle R; Inouye, Jillian; Seto, Todd B; Braun, Kathryn L

2015-05-01

The purpose of this needs assessment was to identify the translational research education and training needs of researchers and administrators working in Hawai'i's communities and to use the finding to develop an education and training plan. The assessment was led by a community advisory board with members from community health centers, social agencies, hospitals, and academia on O'ahu. The survey, developed with input of the community advisory board, was sent to 94 administrators and researchers involved or affiliated with research being conducted in Hawai'i. Forty-one respondents (43%) completed the survey. Respondents wanted education and training in research processes, specific research-related skills, and facilitating interactions between community and academic researchers. Sixty-one percent were interested in training related to community-engaged research and yearly seminars on "collaborative mentoring." Popular topics of interest were related to data monitoring, networking with different cultural groups, statistics, and human subjects review. A majority of respondents wanted to attend workshops, seminars, and presentations rather than take a class. Approximately 50% of the respondents wanted to gain information through on-line training. Findings guided the development of a translational research education and training plan for the University of Hawai'i National Institute of Health (NIH) Research Centers in Minority Institutions Multidisciplinary and Translational Research Infrastructure Expansion (RMATRIX) grant.

Bacterial community shift in the coastal Gulf of Mexico salt-marsh sediment microcosm in vitro following exposure to the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252).

PubMed

Koo, Hyunmin; Mojib, Nazia; Huang, Jonathan P; Donahoe, Rona J; Bej, Asim K

2015-08-01

In this study, we examined the responses by the indigenous bacterial communities in salt-marsh sediment microcosms in vitro following treatment with Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252). Microcosms were constructed of sediment and seawater collected from Bayou La Batre located in coastal Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. We used an amplicon pyrosequencing approach on microcosm sediment metagenome targeting the V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, we identified a shift in the bacterial community in three distinct groups. The first group was the early responders (orders Pseudomonadales and Oceanospirillales within class Gammaproteobacteria), which increased their relative abundance within 2 weeks and were maintained 3 weeks after oil treatment. The second group was identified as early, but transient responders (order Rhodobacterales within class Alphaproteobacteria; class Epsilonproteobacteria), which increased their population by 2 weeks, but returned to the basal level 3 weeks after oil treatment. The third group was the late responders (order Clostridiales within phylum Firmicutes; order Methylococcales within class Gammaproteobacteria; and phylum Tenericutes), which only increased 3 weeks after oil treatment. Furthermore, we identified oil-sensitive bacterial taxa (order Chromatiales within class Gammaproteobacteria; order Syntrophobacterales within class Deltaproteobacteria), which decreased in their population after 2 weeks of oil treatment. Detection of alkane (alkB), catechol (C2,3DO) and biphenyl (bph) biodegradation genes by PCR, particularly in oil-treated sediment metacommunity DNA, delineates proliferation of  the hydrocarbon degrading bacterial community. Overall, the indigenous bacterial communities in our salt-marsh sediment in vitro microcosm study responded rapidly and shifted towards members of the taxonomic groups that are capable of surviving in an MC252 oil-contaminated environment.

The Teacher as Leader: Effect of Teaching Behaviors on Class Community and Agreement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Beth; Fernandes, Ronald

2013-01-01

This article examines the effects of teaching behaviors in online university classes, focusing on the agreement among class members. Literature on group leaders' effects on group agreement about workplace climate is reviewed. Hypotheses are generated about the effects that teachers of online courses, as class leaders, have on both the level and…

Students' confidence in the ability to transfer basic math skills in introductory physics and chemistry courses at a community college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Reginald

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the confidence levels that community college students have in transferring basic math skills to science classes, as well as any factors that influence their confidence levels. This study was conducted with 196 students at a community college in central Mississippi. The study was conducted during the month of November after all of the students had taken their midterm exams and received midterm grades. The instrument used in this survey was developed and validated by the researcher. The instrument asks the students to rate how confident they were in working out specific math problems and how confident they were in working problems using those specific math skills in physics and chemistry. The instrument also provided an example problem for every confidence item. Results revealed that students' demographics were significant predictors in confidence scores. Students in the 18-22 year old range were less confident in solving math problems than others. Students who had retaken a math course were less confident than those who had not. Chemistry students were less confident in solving math problems than those in physics courses. Chemistry II students were less confident than those in Chemistry I and Principals of Chemistry. Students were least confident in solving problems involving logarithms and the most confident in solving algebra problems. In general, students felt that their math courses did not prepare them for the math problems encountered in science courses. There was no significant difference in confidence between students who had completed their math homework online and those who had completed their homework on paper. The researcher recommends that chemistry educators find ways of incorporating more mathematics in their courses especially logarithms and slope. Furthermore, math educators should incorporate more chemistry related applications to math class. Results of hypotheses testing, conclusions, discussions, and recommendations for future research are included.

Thriving locally in the global economy.

PubMed

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss

2003-08-01

More and more small and midsize companies are joining corporate giants in striving to exploit international growth markets. At the same time, civic leaders worry about their communities' economic future in light of the impact of global forces on the operation and survival of business. How can communities retain local vitality yet still link their business to the global economy? Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter addresses that question in this classic HBR article, orginally published in 1995. To avoid a clash between international economic interests and local political interests, globalizing business must learn how to be responsive to the communities in which they operate, Kanter says. And communities must determine how to create a civic culture that will attract and retain footloose companies. The author surveyed five U.S. regions with direct connections to the global economy--Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Seattle, and the Spartanburg-Greenville region of South Carolina--to determine their business and civic leader's strategies for improving their constituent's quality of life. She identified ways in which the global economy can work locally by capitalizing on the resources that distinguish one place from another. Kanter argues that regions can invest in capabilities that connect their local populations to the global economy in one of three ways: as thinkers, makers, or traders. She points to the Spartanburg-Greenville region as a good example of a world-class makers, with its exceptional blue-collar workforce that has attracted more than 200 companies from 18 countries. The history of the economic development of this region is a lesson for those seeking to understand how to achieve world-class status and bring local residents into the world economy.

Working-Class Children's Experience through the Prism of Personal Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Peggy J.; Cho, Grace E.; Bracey, Jeana R.

2005-01-01

Framed within recent developments in genre theory, this paper examines personal storytelling as practiced by working-class children and their families. Although both working-class and middle-class children encounter versions of oral storytelling that embody a personal perspective, these versions privilege different slants on experience. Drawing on…

The design of a medical school social justice curriculum.

PubMed

Coria, Alexandra; McKelvey, T Greg; Charlton, Paul; Woodworth, Michael; Lahey, Timothy

2013-10-01

The acquisition of skills to recognize and redress adverse social determinants of disease is an important component of undergraduate medical education. In this article, the authors justify and define "social justice curriculum" and then describe the medical school social justice curriculum designed by the multidisciplinary Social Justice Vertical Integration Group (SJVIG) at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. The SJVIG addressed five goals: (1) to define core competencies in social justice education, (2) to identify key topics that a social justice curriculum should cover, (3) to assess social justice curricula at other institutions, (4) to catalog institutionally affiliated community outreach sites at which teaching could be paired with hands-on service work, and (5) to provide examples of the integration of social justice teaching into the core (i.e., basic science) curriculum. The SJVIG felt a social justice curriculum should cover the scope of health disparities, reasons to address health disparities, and means of addressing these disparities. The group recommended competency-based student evaluations and advocated assessing the impact of medical students' social justice work on communities. The group identified the use of class discussion of physicians' obligation to participate in social justice work as an educational tool, and they emphasized the importance of a mandatory, longitudinal, immersive, mentored community outreach practicum. Faculty and administrators are implementing these changes as part of an overall curriculum redesign (2012-2015). A well-designed medical school social justice curriculum should improve student recognition and rectification of adverse social determinants of disease.

Voices of the Forgotten Half: The Role of Social Class in the School-to-Work Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blustein, David L.; Chaves, Anna P.; Diemer, Matthew A.; Gallagher, Laura A.; Marshall, Kevin G.; Sirin, Selcuk; Bhati, Kuldhir S.

2002-01-01

This study examines the impact of social class on the school-to-work (STW) transitions of young adults in working-class occupations. Using an exploratory, qualitative research methodology, interviews were conducted with 10 men and 10 women to examine the role of social class in the STW transition. All participants were working in low-skilled jobs…

Providing Bridges from 2YC to 4YC in the El Paso Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doser, D. I.; Villalobos, J. I.

2012-12-01

For the past ~3 years the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has been working closely with El Paso Community College (EPCC) to help ease the transfer of geoscience and environmental science students between our institutions. We have initiated a number of activities to accomplish this including: articulation of degree programs to build a 2+2 transfer plan, review of introductory course content, cross-institution research projects with EPCC students and co-sponsored student research symposiums. One of the most successful activities has been our cross-institutional research projects that involve either individual students working with a UTEP undergraduate/UTEP faculty member team or EPCC classes that join UTEP classes for some aspect of field work or project. The EPCC students gain confidence in their ability to succeed by working with UTEP students and finding out that they are as capable of engaging in and completing research as their 4YC peers. They also have an opportunity to meet UTEP professors first as mentors and professional colleagues rather than in a classroom setting. The research symposium serves as an excellent venue for showcasing their research to the EPCC and UTEP community, as well as interacting with local and out of town professionals who serve as judges for the research presentations. Feedback provided by the judges assists students in refining their presentations for out of town professional meetings. The first students participating in the research program are graduating from UTEP in the summer and fall of 2012. Many EPCC students involved in research have obtained summer internships in industry, the public sector or at other academic institutions, some even prior to attending UTEP. Several have received competitive scholarships. The greatest challenges to the research program include finding UTEP faculty who are willing to work with EPCC students and financial support for the students during their research activities. The greatest challenges to smooth transfers between institutions include insuring EPCC students complete all requirements for the associate's degree prior to transfer to UTEP, timing their transfer to mesh with UTEP course schedules and helping them secure funding to cover the higher tuition costs of UTEP.

Beyond the statistics of adolescent smoking.

PubMed Central

Eckert, P

1983-01-01

Statistical studies can identify the demographic characteristics of the adolescent smoking population but cannot reveal how clusters of demographic categories combine in the culture of the community to form salient social categories, or how social processes link these categories to smoking and smoking-related behavior. Because smoking and smoking-related behavior function as a key social symbol, anti-smoking campaigns that are based on an inaccurate understanding of the social context in which smoking occurs can reinforce this behavior. Participant observation in a suburban high school suggests that adolescents begin smoking as part of a complex symbolic process growing out of the process of social differentiation between future members of the working class on the one hand and the middle class on the other. It points out inadequacies in two existing anti-smoking programs in the schools that result from ignoring the social dynamics of smoking. PMID:6829827

National Study on Community College Health. Research Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottenritter, Nan

This is a report on a national survey of community colleges conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in 2000. The survey was designed to identify various community health programs, centers, classes, and services related to HIV/AIDS that community colleges administered, partnered, or sponsored. The study surveyed 1,100…

Asymptomatic and Submicroscopic Carriage of Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria in Household and Community Members of Clinical Cases in Sabah, Malaysia.

PubMed

Fornace, Kimberly M; Nuin, Nor Afizah; Betson, Martha; Grigg, Matthew J; William, Timothy; Anstey, Nicholas M; Yeo, Tsin W; Cox, Jonathan; Ying, Lau Tiek; Drakeley, Chris J

2016-03-01

Although asymptomatic carriage of human malaria species has been widely reported, the extent of asymptomatic, submicroscopic Plasmodium knowlesi parasitemia is unknown. In this study, samples were obtained from individuals residing in households or villages of symptomatic malaria cases with the aim of detecting submicroscopic P. knowlesi in this population. Four published molecular assays were used to confirm the presence of P. knowlesi. Latent class analysis revealed that the estimated proportion of asymptomatic individuals was 6.9% (95% confidence interval, 5.6%-8.4%). This study confirms the presence of a substantial number of asymptomatic monoinfections across all age groups; further work is needed to estimate prevalence in the wider community. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

[A brief investigation on Gu Dehua, a female healer from Wuzhong in the Qing Dynasty].

PubMed

Lin, Z K; Song, W J

2016-09-28

The female healer is a special community in traditional Chinese medical professionals. Since the Song-Yuan Dynasties, although the literati class holding the social voices and the male healers acting as medical orthodoxy were always suspicious of the female healers' behaviors and their medical morality, and tarnished their images through all kinds of media. Meanwhile, the female healers were still badly needed on the account of recognition of distinction between sexes between both sexes due to the rising of neo-Confucianism. An excellent female healer could still earn wide respect from the society. Gu Dehua was a famous female healer from Wuzhong in the Qing Dynasty's Daoguang-Xianfeng period. By investigating Gu Delua's family conditions, deeds and works, and her career, the community of the female healers in the Ming-Qing Dynasties can be thus understood.

Framing discourse for optimal learning in science and mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megowan, Mary Colleen

2007-12-01

This study explored the collaborative thinking and learning that occurred in physics and mathematics classes where teachers practiced Modeling Instruction. Four different classes were videotaped---a middle school mathematics resource class, a 9th grade physical science class, a high school honors physics class and a community college engineering physics course. Videotapes and transcripts were analyzed to discover connections between the conceptual structures and spatial representations that shaped students' conversations about space and time. Along the way, it became apparent that students' and teachers' cultural models of schooling were a significant influence, sometimes positive and sometimes negative, in students' engagement and metaphor selection. A growing number of researchers are exploring the importance of semiotics in physics and mathematics, but typically their unit of analysis is the individual student. To examine the distributed cognition that occurred in this unique learning setting, not just among students but also in connection with their tools, artifacts and representations, I extended the unit of analysis for my research to include small groups and their collaborative work with whiteboarded representations of contextual problems and laboratory exercises. My data revealed a number of interesting insights. Students who constructed spatial representations and used them to assist their reasoning, were more apt to demonstrate a coherent grasp of the elements, operations, relations and rules that govern the model under investigation than those who relied on propositional algebraic representations of the model. In classrooms where teachers permitted and encouraged students to take and hold the floor during whole-group discussions, students learned to probe one another more deeply and conceptually. Shared representations (whether spatial or propositional/algebraic), such as those that naturally occurred when students worked together in small groups to prepare collaborative displays of their thinking, were more apt to stimulate conceptually oriented conversations among students than individual work, i.e., what each student had written on his or her worksheet. This research was supported, in part, by grants from the National Science Foundation (#0337795 and #0312038). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Modelling the social dynamics of a sex industry: its implications for spread of HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Hsieh, Ying Hen; Hsun Chen, Chien

2004-01-01

A theoretical model is proposed for a community which has the structure of two classes (direct and indirect) of commercial sex workers (CSW), and two classes of sexually active male customers with different levels of sexual activity. The direct CSW's work in brothels while the indirect CSW's are based in commercial establishments such as bars, cafes, and massage parlours where sex can be bought on request and conducted elsewhere. Behaviour change and the resulting change of activity class occurs between the two classes of CSW's and two classes of males under the setting of the proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic and the subsequent intervention programmes. In recently years, this phenomenon has been observed in several countries in Asia. Given the lower levels of condom use and higher HIV prevalence of the indirect CSW's, ascertaining the impact of this change in the structure of the sex industry on the spread of HIV is the main focus of this paper. The complete analysis of the disease-free model is given. For the full model, local analysis will be performed for the case of preferred mixing without activity class change, as well as the case with activity class change and restricted mixing. The basic reproduction number for the spread of epidemic will be derived for each case. Results of biological significance include: (i). the change of behaviour by the CSW's has a more direct effect on the spread of HIV than that of the male customers; (ii). the basic reproduction number is obtained by considering all possible infection cycles of the heterosexual transmission of HIV which indicates the importance of understanding the sexual networking in heterosexual transmission of HIV; (iii). the social dynamics of the sex industry is not just a simple 'supply and demand' mechanism driven by the demand of the customers, hence highlighting the need for further understanding of the changing structure of the sex industry. The main points of this work will be illustrated with numerical examples using the HIV data of Thailand.

Irish set dancing classes for people with Parkinson's disease: The needs of participants and dance teachers.

PubMed

Shanahan, Joanne; Bhriain, Orfhlaith Ní; Morris, Meg E; Volpe, Daniele; Clifford, Amanda M

2016-08-01

As the number of people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease increases, there is a need to develop initiatives that promote health and wellbeing and support self-management. Additionally, as exercise may slow physical decline, there is a need to develop methods that facilitate greater engagement with community-based exercise. The aim of this study is to examine the needs of (1) people with Parkinson's disease and (2) set dancing teachers to enable the development of participant-centred community set dance classes. A mixed methods study design was used. Two consensus group discussions using nominal group technique were held to (1) identify factors pertaining to the needs of people with Parkinson's disease from a set dance class and (2) the educational needs of set dancing teachers to enable them to teach set dancing to people with Parkinson's disease. Group discussions began with silent generation of ideas. A round-robin discussion and grouping of ideas into broader topic areas followed. Finally, participants ranked, by order of priority (1-5), the topic areas developed. Final data analysis involved summation of participants' ranking scores for each topic area. Rich information on the needs of people with Parkinson's disease from a dance class and the educational guidance sought by set dancing teachers was gathered. Topic areas developed include "teaching method" for set dances and "class environment". Accessing community exercise programmes is important for this population. The results of this study will inform the development of an educational resource on Parkinson's disease for set dancing teachers. This resource may facilitate a larger number of teachers to establish sustainable community set dancing classes for people with Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender and social reproduction: historical perspectives.

PubMed

Laslett, B; Brenner, J

1989-01-01

It is argued that gender relations and social reproduction were both shaped by macrohistorical processes and shaped the processes. Social reproduction is defined within feminist theory as more than production in the Marxist sense. Societal reproduction is a combination of the organization of production, the organization of social reproduction, the perpetuation of gender, and the continuation of class relations. Social reproduction includes the care and socialization of children and care of the elderly or infirm. Social reproduction includes the organization of sexuality, biological reproduction, and how food, clothing, and shelter are made available. Most social reproduction occurs within the family unit. It is pointed out that variations in the distribution of the work of social reproduction are affected by the family, market, community, and state. The ways in which women construct their own worlds of activity is a central concern. The feminist concept of social reproduction differs from modernization theory, which is concerned with the institutional location of the tasks of social reproduction and the structural effects on the family and gender relations. This literature review focuses only on the history of family strategies and separate gender-related activities. The authors describe the changes in family organization that define men as income producers and women as caretakers, who base child rearing on love and feminine virtue rather than patriarchal authority and religious doctrine. The discussion focuses on the differences in marital relationships, motherhood, and sexuality between upper and middle class and working class women in the 19th century. Among working class women, a good wife was an efficient manager, a skilled domestic worker, and an income earner. The turn of the century was a period of social change marked by smaller average family size, the decline of household production, the rise in real wages, and increased consumption. It is argued that new developments in gender relations are due to sex as well as economics and the institutionalization of these changes results in constraints and opportunities for women.

Archaea diversity in vegetation gradients from the Brazilian Cerrado.

PubMed

Araujo, Ademir Sergio Ferreira de; Mendes, Lucas Wiliam; Bezerra, Walderly Melgaço; Nunes, Luis Alfredo Pinheiro Leal; Lyra, Maria do Carmo Catanho Pereira de; Figueiredo, Marcia do Vale Barreto; Melo, Vania Maria Maciel

2018-02-11

We used 16S rRNA sequencing to assess the archaeal communities across a gradient of Cerrado. The archaeal communities differed across the gradient. Crenarcheota was the most abundant phyla, with Nitrosphaerales and NRPJ as the predominant classes. Euryachaeota was also found across the Cerrado gradient, including the classes Metanocellales and Methanomassiliicoccaceae. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

3 CFR - White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working... Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and... times. To these ends, I hereby direct the following: Section 1. White House Task Force on Middle-Class...

Experiencing community psychology through community-based learning class projects: reflections from an American University in the Middle East.

PubMed

Amer, Mona M; Mohamed, Salma N; Ganzon, Vincent

2013-01-01

Many introductory community psychology courses do not incorporate community-based learning (CBL), and when they do, it is most often in the form of individualized volunteer hours. We present an alternative model for CBL in which the entire class collaborates on an experiential project that promotes community action. We believe that such an approach better embodies the values and methods of the discipline and has a more powerful impact on the students and stakeholders. It may be especially effective in developing countries that do not have an established network of service infrastructures; in such nations the onus is on the teachers and learners of community psychology to contribute to transformative change. In this article practical guidelines are provided by the instructor regarding how to structure and implement this CBL model. Additionally, two students describe how the CBL experience solidified their learning of course concepts and significantly impacted them personally.

Will Belly Dancing Be Our Nemesis?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parnell, Dale

1982-01-01

Points out the degree to which the community college's image is distorted by the provision of hobby and recreation classes. Advocates linkages with other community organizations offering adult and community service programs. Calls for college involvement in community development and the solution of urban and suburban problems. (DMM)

Teachers in Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Galen, Jane

2008-01-01

In this article, I argue for a closer read of the daily "class work" of teachers, as posited by Reay, 1998. In developing exploratory class portraits of four teachers who occupy distinctive social positions (two from working-class homes now teaching upper-middle-class children and two from upper-middle-class homes now teaching poor children), I…

PLAN Bicol, Philippines: health manpower development program in action.

PubMed

Lind, K

1994-06-01

PLAN Bicol in the Philippines is a community based Health Manpower Development Program (HMDP) geared toward training and mobilization of indigenous health practitioners, providing infrastructural and logistical support to individual families, and educating the community about health, nutrition, and the environment. The field officer recommends at the initiation of a project that program staff have roles that are well defined. New programs should be introduced to the community first and should involve the community in the planning stages. The HMDP program is directed to 38 villages located around national parks that have suffered from deforestation. Community health issues are malnutrition, low immunization, and lack of access to health services. HMDP established a training program for auxiliary health workers (AHWs), who make a commitment to return to their villages after training. Midwives are being trained at local schools. Village houses are being built and repaired; water systems and sanitary toilet facilities are being installed. Village health stations have been constructed and equipped with basic medicines, supplies, and equipment, and are open 5 days a week. Health education classes inform the community about nutrition and health. The problems at inception were the unwillingness of field staff to participate in the program and a high drop out rate among AHWs. Problems were worked out as the program progressed. Facilitative factors are the close coordination with the provincial health office, community acceptance, and the availability of qualified people.

Object-based random forest classification of Landsat ETM+ and WorldView-2 satellite imagery for mapping lowland native grassland communities in Tasmania, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melville, Bethany; Lucieer, Arko; Aryal, Jagannath

2018-04-01

This paper presents a random forest classification approach for identifying and mapping three types of lowland native grassland communities found in the Tasmanian Midlands region. Due to the high conservation priority assigned to these communities, there has been an increasing need to identify appropriate datasets that can be used to derive accurate and frequently updateable maps of community extent. Therefore, this paper proposes a method employing repeat classification and statistical significance testing as a means of identifying the most appropriate dataset for mapping these communities. Two datasets were acquired and analysed; a Landsat ETM+ scene, and a WorldView-2 scene, both from 2010. Training and validation data were randomly subset using a k-fold (k = 50) approach from a pre-existing field dataset. Poa labillardierei, Themeda triandra and lowland native grassland complex communities were identified in addition to dry woodland and agriculture. For each subset of randomly allocated points, a random forest model was trained based on each dataset, and then used to classify the corresponding imagery. Validation was performed using the reciprocal points from the independent subset that had not been used to train the model. Final training and classification accuracies were reported as per class means for each satellite dataset. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was undertaken to determine whether classification accuracy differed between the two datasets, as well as between classifications. Results showed mean class accuracies between 54% and 87%. Class accuracy only differed significantly between datasets for the dry woodland and Themeda grassland classes, with the WorldView-2 dataset showing higher mean classification accuracies. The results of this study indicate that remote sensing is a viable method for the identification of lowland native grassland communities in the Tasmanian Midlands, and that repeat classification and statistical significant testing can be used to identify optimal datasets for vegetation community mapping.

Teaching healthcare marketing via community research: the LifeFlight project.

PubMed

Cellucci, Leigh W

2005-01-01

Undergraduate students in Healthcare Administration programs may benefit from cooperative learning strategies such as participation in community research. Collaborating with local healthcare facilities on class projects also encourages more active engagement between the academic and practice communities. This purpose of this paper is to briefly describe one collaborative venture undertakenby undergraduates in a Marketing for Healthcare Organizations class and a LifeFlight program at a local hospital. The students carried out a survey of members in the program, conducted a SWOT analysis, and made relevant recommendations. Student evaluations of this experience were positive, as was the hospital's assessment.

Scaling up Education Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaffney, Jon D. H.; Richards, Evan; Kustusch, Mary Bridget; Ding, Lin; Beichner, Robert J.

2008-01-01

The SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment for Undergraduate Programs) project was developed to implement reforms designed for small classes into large physics classes. Over 50 schools across the country, ranging from Wake Technical Community College to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have adopted it for classes of…

Education, Social Class and Social Exclusion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitty, Geoff

2001-01-01

Concerned about working-class failure, argues that recent (British) government policies have insufficiently considered sociological studies on how social class affects educational success or failure. Social-inclusion policies must address forms of middle-class self-exclusion from mainstream public education as well as working-class social…

Assets and Affect in the Study of Social Capital in Rural Communities

PubMed Central

Phillips, Martin

2015-01-01

Abstract Shucksmith (2012) has recently suggested that rural research might be refreshed by incorporating theoretical insights that have emerged through a renewal of class analysis. This article seeks to advance this proposed research agenda by exploring the concept of asset‐based class analysis and its association with the concept of social capital. The article explores connections between social capital, class analysis and understandings of community, noting how all have been associated with long running and unresolved debates. Attention is drawn to the problems of modernist legislative approaches to these debates and the value of adopting more interpretive perspectives. A distinction between ‘infrastructural’ and ‘culturalist’ interpretations of social capital is explored in relation to ‘asset‐based’ theorisations of class and culture. It is argued that an infrastructural conception of social capital might usefully be employed in association with a disaggregated conception of cultural capital that includes consideration of emotion and affect, as well as institutional, objectified and technical assets. These arguments are explored using studies of rural communities, largely within Britain. PMID:27563158

All in a Day's Work: Job Experiences, Self-Esteem, and Fathering in Working-Class Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimm-Thomas, Karen; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

1994-01-01

Examined how working-class fathers' job experiences affected their self-esteem and parenting styles. Conducted home interviews with 59 working-class fathers in dual-earner families and their target child, who was aged 8 to 12 years. Found that more positive fathers' work experiences, higher their self-esteem, which predicted more accepting…

Mathematical decision theory applied to land capability: a case study in the community of madrid.

PubMed

Antón, J M; Saa-Requejo, A; Grau, J B; Gallardo, J; Díaz, M C; Andina, Diego; Sanchez, M E; Tarquis, A M

2014-03-01

In land evaluation science, a standard data set is obtained for each land unit to determine the land capability class for various uses, such as different farming systems, forestry, or the conservation or suitability of a specific crop. In this study, we used mathematical decision theory (MDT) methods to address this task. Mathematical decision theory has been used in areas such as management, finance, industrial design, rural development, the environment, and projects for future welfare to study quality and aptness problems using several criteria. We also review MDT applications in soil science and discuss the suitability of MDT methods for dealing simultaneously with a number of problems. The aim of the work was to show how MDT can be used to obtain a valid land quality index and to compare this with a traditional land capability method. Therefore, an additive classification method was applied to obtain a land quality index for 122 land units that were compiled for a case study of the Community of Madrid, Spain, and the results were compared with a previously assigned land capability class using traditional methods based on the minimum requirements for land attributes. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Circle and Lines: Complexities of Learning in Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schupack, Sara

2013-01-01

Following is a study that explores learning in community in a fully-integrated, team taught course at a community college in New England. These classes, Learning Communities (LCs) represent rich opportunities for exploring and practicing democratic education. From a theoretical grounding in social learning theories and an exploration into learning…

Function Model for Community Health Service Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Peng; Pan, Feng; Liu, Danhong; Xu, Yongyong

In order to construct a function model of community health service (CHS) information for development of CHS information management system, Integration Definition for Function Modeling (IDEF0), an IEEE standard which is extended from Structured Analysis and Design(SADT) and now is a widely used function modeling method, was used to classifying its information from top to bottom. The contents of every level of the model were described and coded. Then function model for CHS information, which includes 4 super-classes, 15 classes and 28 sub-classed of business function, 43 business processes and 168 business activities, was established. This model can facilitate information management system development and workflow refinement.

The Future of Past Skies: Historical Celestial Cartography at the Adler Planetarium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raposo, Pedro M. P.

2018-01-01

The Adler Planetarium is home to a world-class collection of scientific instruments, rare books and works on paper. Since 2014, Adler staff has been digitizing a wide selection of items relating to celestial cartography, including: more than 236 rare books and atlases; 97 works on paper; globes and other artifacts, amounting to 58 objects; and approximately 3,750 Carte du Ciel prints. This work has been carried out under the auspices of the Celestial Cartography Digitization Project (CCDP), which is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This poster presentation will include: 1) an update on the project; 2) a description of related resources and tools available to the research community; 3) examples of how the Adler Planetarium is integrating the history of celestial cartography with its public programs; 4) an overview of a prospective citizen science project involving the identification of constellations in historical atlases and charts.

Communities. Community Study Unit, Grade 1. Teacher Edition, Field Trip Guide for Teachers, and Student Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee County School District, Ft. Myers, FL. Dept. of Environmental Education and Instructional Development Services.

This unit is designed to help first grade students understand the broad concept of community. The students experience a variety of in-class and field trip activities that will expose them to communities. The students observe and compare both natural and human-designed communities. Learning activities include pantomimes, listening activities,…

Researcher Perspectives on Class Size Reduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graue, Elizabeth; Rauscher, Erica

2009-01-01

This article applies to class size research Grant and Graue's (1999) position that reviews of research represent conversations in the academic community. By extending our understanding of the class size reduction conversation beyond published literature to the perspectives of researchers who have studied the topic, we create a review that includes…

Mississippi Community College Student Transitioning Factors from Noncredit to Credit Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuntz, Wayne A.

2017-01-01

Most research about college students concentrates on credit students, with relatively little research focusing on noncredit students and why some transition from noncredit courses into credit classes. This dissertation research examined factors that may contribute to students transitioning from noncredit courses into credit classes at Mississippi…

Melding Service Learning and Leadership Skills Development: Keys to Effective Course Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Scott W.

2015-01-01

The author presents keys to designing a class that successfully melds service learning and student leadership development. These prescriptions are based on the lessons learned over 8 years of teaching a class titled "Community Leadership." This class emphasizes experiential learning and revolves around service learning projects. The…

Dynamic Leadership, Character Education Form New FCS Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Carol Ann

2007-01-01

In this article, the author describes the leadership class that she created for the family and consumer sciences (FCS) department. The class, "Family & Consumer Sciences Issues & Applications," focused on family and community action for improved quality of life. It included in-depth laboratory experiences, service learning activities, and the…

Mapping vegetation communities using statistical data fusion in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chastain, R.A.; Struckhoff, M.A.; He, H.S.; Larsen, D.R.

2008-01-01

A vegetation community map was produced for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways consistent with the association level of the National Vegetation Classification System. Vegetation communities were differentiated using a large array of variables derived from remote sensing and topographic data, which were fused into independent mathematical functions using a discriminant analysis classification approach. Remote sensing data provided variables that discriminated vegetation communities based on differences in color, spectral reflectance, greenness, brightness, and texture. Topographic data facilitated differentiation of vegetation communities based on indirect gradients (e.g., landform position, slope, aspect), which relate to variations in resource and disturbance gradients. Variables derived from these data sources represent both actual and potential vegetation community patterns on the landscape. A hybrid combination of statistical and photointerpretation methods was used to obtain an overall accuracy of 63 percent for a map with 49 vegetation community and land-cover classes, and 78 percent for a 33-class map of the study area.

Clinical classes of injured workers with chronic low back pain: a latent class analysis with relationship to working status.

PubMed

Carlesso, Lisa C; Raja Rampersaud, Y; Davis, Aileen M

2018-01-01

To determine (a) clinical classes of injured workers with chronic low back pain (CLBP), (b) predictors of class membership and (c) associations of classes with baseline work status. Patients with CLBP from a tertiary care outpatient clinic in Toronto, Canada were sampled. Latent class analysis was applied to determine class structure using physical, psychological and coping indicators. Classes were interpreted by class-specific means and analyzed for predictors of membership. Lastly, association of the classes with being off work was modeled. A 3-class model was chosen based on fit criteria, theoretical and clinical knowledge of this population. The resultant 3 classes represented low, moderate and high levels of clinical severity. Predictors of being in the high severity group compared to the low severity group were < high school education [odds ratio (OR) 3.06, 95% CI (1.47, 6.37)] and comorbidity total [OR 1.28, 95% CI (1.03, 1.59)]. High severity class membership was associated with four times increased risk of being off work at baseline compared to those in the low severity group [OR 3.98, 95% CI (1.61, 6.34)]. In a cohort of injured workers with CLBP, 3 clinical classes were identified with distinct psychological and physical profiles. These profiles are useful in aiding clinicians to identify patients of high clinical severity who may be potentially at risk for problematic return to work.

Star power: an experiential learning exercise to foster ecological perspectives on power, privilege, and oppression.

PubMed

Nnawulezi, Nkiru; Campbell, Christina; Landstra, Kalleigh; Davis, Se'ara; Vandegrift, Cortney; Taylor, Amanda

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the utility of Star Power as an experiential learning exercise applied in a community psychology undergraduate course. This exercise simulates systems of power, privilege, and oppression while fostering an ecological perspective that raises students' awareness and knowledge about power differentials within society. The simulation of trading and lawmaking works best with 18 to 35 students and takes approximately 80 minutes to conduct. This article highlights three representative student perspectives concerning their participation and experience with Star Power. Strategies for facilitating class discussion are also reported.

Star Power: An Experiential Learning Exercise to Foster Ecological Perspectives on Power, Privilege, and Oppression

PubMed Central

Nnawulezi, Nkiru; Campbell, Christina; Landstra, Kalleigh; Davis, Se'ara; Vandegrift, Cortney; Taylor, Amanda

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the utility of Star Power, as an experiential learning exercise applied in a community psychology undergraduate course. This exercise simulates systems of power, privilege, and oppression while fostering an ecological perspective that raises students’ awareness and knowledge about power differentials within society. The simulation of trading and lawmaking works best with 18 to 35 students and takes approximately 80 minutes to conduct. This paper highlights three representative student perspectives concerning their participation and experience with Star Power. Strategies for facilitating class discussion are also discussed. PMID:23480288

DCoE in Action. Volume 4, Number 6, June 2011. Community Partnerships: Working Together to Support Service Members, Veterans, Families

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

worldwide in the war on terrorism. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III DCoE Real Warriors Campaign DCoE Real Warriors Campaign DCoE...resilience, recovery and reintegration, it can often be hard for them to choose what best fits their needs,” said Dr. Lolita O’Donnell, deputy director...Force photo by Airman 1st Class Clayton Lenhardt See INITIATIVE on Page 5 new s R esilience  R ecovery  R eintegration 3 DCoE in ActionVol. 4 No

Evaluation of Experimental Four-Day Week Class Schedule, January Through April 1974 at Lake City Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Clark

Due to the energy disturbance during the fall and winter of 1973-74, Lake City Community College experimented with a 4-days-per-week schedule of classes. a student evaluation of the 4-day week was completed by 58 percent of the full-time students. Fifty-one percent of the total student sample preferred the 4-day week, and 30 percent preferred the…

The Effectiveness of Mao’s Influence Operations at the Beginning of the Chinese Civil War

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-22

the merchants. This class was not only comprised of the local shop keepers and trade merchants but was also home to many wealthy monopolists traders...relied on the village-and- market center community.14 These communities would be the basis in which the farmer classes received many of their basic and...1-7. 20 public relations and communications, social marketing , statistics, and trend analysis

A Rebuttal to Jack Niemonen's "Whither the White Working Class?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khanna, Nikki; Harris, Cherise A.

2015-01-01

Prof. Niemonen claims that the concept of white privilege is "anti-sociological" and "mask[s] complex race-class interactions." He highlights the importance of including social class in discussions of white privilege but focuses exclusively on the white working class, neglecting how race and social class also intersect for…

Embodying Deficiency Through ‘Affective Practice’: Shame, Relationality, and the Lived Experience of Social Class and Gender in Higher Education

PubMed Central

Loveday, Vik

2015-01-01

Based on empirical research with participants from working-class backgrounds studying and working in higher education in England, this article examines the lived experience of shame. Building on a feminist Bourdieusian approach to social class analysis, the article contends that ‘struggles for value’ within the field of higher education precipitate classed judgements, which have the potential to generate shame. Through an examination of the ‘affective practice’ of judgement, the article explores the contingencies that precipitate shame and the embodiment of deficiency. The article links the classed and gendered dimensions of shame with valuation, arguing that the fundamental relationality of social class and gender is not only generative of shame, but that shame helps in turn to structure both working-class experience and a view of the working classes as ‘deficient’. PMID:28018006

Getting Under the Hood: How and for Whom Does Increasing Course Structure Work?

PubMed Central

Eddy, Sarah L.

2014-01-01

At the college level, the effectiveness of active-learning interventions is typically measured at the broadest scales: the achievement or retention of all students in a course. Coarse-grained measures like these cannot inform instructors about an intervention's relative effectiveness for the different student populations in their classrooms or about the proximate factors responsible for the observed changes in student achievement. In this study, we disaggregate student data by racial/ethnic groups and first-generation status to identify whether a particular intervention—increased course structure—works better for particular populations of students. We also explore possible factors that may mediate the observed changes in student achievement. We found that a “moderate-structure” intervention increased course performance for all student populations, but worked disproportionately well for black students—halving the black–white achievement gap—and first-generation students—closing the achievement gap with continuing-generation students. We also found that students consistently reported completing the assigned readings more frequently, spending more time studying for class, and feeling an increased sense of community in the moderate-structure course. These changes imply that increased course structure improves student achievement at least partially through increasing student use of distributed learning and creating a more interdependent classroom community. PMID:25185229

Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology Classroom for LGBTQIA Students.

PubMed

Cooper, Katelyn M; Brownell, Sara E

As we transition our undergraduate biology classrooms from traditional lectures to active learning, the dynamics among students become more important. These dynamics can be influenced by student social identities. One social identity that has been unexamined in the context of undergraduate biology is the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) identities. In this exploratory interview study, we probed the experiences and perceptions of seven students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community. We found that students do not always experience the undergraduate biology classroom to be a welcoming or accepting place for their identities. In contrast to traditional lectures, active-learning classes increase the relevance of their LGBTQIA identities due to the increased interactions among students during group work. Finally, working with other students in active-learning classrooms can present challenges and opportunities for students considering their LGBTQIA identity. These findings indicate that these students' LGBTQIA identities are affecting their experience in the classroom and that there may be specific instructional practices that can mitigate some of the possible obstacles. We hope that this work can stimulate discussions about how to broadly make our active-learning biology classes more inclusive of this specific population of students. © 2016 K. M. Cooper and S. E. Brownell. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

The Bird Community Resilience Index: a novel remote sensing-based biodiversity variable for quantifying ecological integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, N. L.; Wilsey, C.; Burkhalter, C.; Trusty, B.; Langham, G.

2017-12-01

Scalable indicators of biodiversity change are critical to reporting overall progress towards national and global targets for biodiversity conservation (e.g. Aichi Targets) and sustainable development (SDGs). These essential biodiversity variables capitalize on new remote sensing technologies and growth of community science participation. Here we present a novel biodiversity metric quantifying resilience of bird communities and, by extension, of their associated ecological communities. This metric adds breadth to the community composition class of essential biodiversity variables that track trends in condition and vulnerability of ecological communities. We developed this index for use with North American grassland birds, a guild that has experienced stronger population declines than any other avian guild, in order to evaluate gains from the implementation of best management practices on private lands. The Bird Community Resilience Index was designed to incorporate the full suite of species-specific responses to management actions, and be flexible enough to work across broad climatic, land cover, and bird community gradients (i.e., grasslands from northern Mexico through Canada). The Bird Community Resilience Index consists of four components: density estimates of grassland and arid land birds; weighting based on conservation need; a functional diversity metric to incorporate resiliency of bird communities and their ecosystems; and a standardized scoring system to control for interannual variation caused by extrinsic factors (e.g., climate). We present an analysis of bird community resilience across ranches in the Northern Great Plains region of the United States. As predicted, Bird Community Resilience was higher in lands implementing best management practices than elsewhere. While developed for grassland birds, this metric holds great potential for use as an Essential Biodiversity Variable for community composition in a variety of habitat.

Age Differences Explain Social Class Differences in Students' Friendship at University: Implications for Transition and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Mark; Wright, Chrysalis L.

2015-01-01

The present research tested the hypotheses that (a) working-class students have fewer friends at university than middle-class students and (b) this social class difference occurs because working-class students tend to be older than middle-class students. A sample of 376 first-year undergraduate students from an Australian university completed an…

Working-Class Women Study Social Science Degrees: Remembering Enablers and Detractors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Heather; Michell, Dee; Beddoe, Liz; Jarldorn, Michele

2016-01-01

In this article, we report on a feminist memory work project conducted with 11 working-class women in Australia. Participants responded to the question: "what helps and hinders working-class women study social science degrees?" The women confirmed that to succeed at university, they needed opportunities, resources, support and…

Employment goals, expectations, and migration intentions of nursing graduates in a Canadian border city: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Freeman, Michelle; Baumann, Andrea; Akhtar-Danesh, Noori; Blythe, Jennifer; Fisher, Anita

2012-12-01

Internationally, nurse migration in border cities has received little attention. Nurses who graduate from nursing programs in Canadian border communities have the option of working in Canada or the United States. They are able to cross the international border each day as commuter migrants returning to their home country after work. Despite recent investment by Canada to increase the number of nursing students, the migration intentions of graduating nurses and the factors influencing their decision making has not been explored. The objective of this study is to explore the migration intentions of a graduating class of baccalaureate nursing students in a Canadian border community and the factors influencing their decision making. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. In the first quantitative phase, data was collected by a web-based self-report survey. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection took place between February and July 2011. The response rate to the survey was 40.9% (n=115). Eighty-six percent of graduates preferred to work in Canada although two thirds identified that they were considering migrating for work outside of Canada. Knowing a nurse who worked in the US (Michigan) influenced intention to migrate and living in a border community was a strong predictor of migration. Migrants had significantly higher expectations that their economic, professional development, healthy work environment, adventure and autonomy values would be met in another country than Canada. Evidence from the interviews revealed that clinical instructors and clinical experiences played a significant role in framing students' perceptions of the work environment, influencing their choice of specialty, and where they secured their first job. The value-expectancy framework offered a novel approach to identifying job factors driving migration intentions. The study offered a snapshot of the graduates' perception of the work environment before entering the workforce. The graduates doubted that their future work environment would meet many of their job expectations, a troubling finding requiring further investigation. Expectations influenced their migration intentions and may be relevant to their integration and retention in the workforce. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The times they are a-changing: Self-directed long-term services and supports and gerontological social work.

PubMed

Sciegaj, Mark; Hooyman, Nancy R; Mahoney, Kevin J; DeLuca, Casey

2018-03-05

The Partnerships for Person-Centered (PC) and Participant-Directed (PD) Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Project (Partnerships Project) was a three-year effort funded by the New York Community Trust to develop and implement social work curriculum that would better prepare students for the changing practice demands of the aging and disability services network for self-directed LTSS (SD-LTSS). This article first describes the growth of SD-LTSS and the need for trained social workers on this service delivery model. The paper then describes the Partnerships Project that involved schools of social work along and aging and disability network organization partners in nine states. This description includes the major activities of the project including the creation of SD-LTSS competencies for social work education, the infusion of these competencies in beginning and advanced social work classes, and student assessment of their attainment of these competencies. This article then discusses the challenges to institutionalizing such curricular changes within social work programs and the need for a national strategy to train social workers for the demands of SD-LTSS.

Monitoring the bacterial community dynamics in a petroleum refinery wastewater membrane bioreactor fed with a high phenolic load.

PubMed

Silva, Cynthia C; Viero, Aline F; Dias, Ana Carolina F; Andreote, Fernando D; Jesus, Ederson C; De Paula, Sergio O; Torres, Ana Paula R; Santiago, Vania M J; Oliveira, Valeria M

2010-01-01

The phenolic compounds are a major contaminant class often found in industrial wastewaters and the biological treatment is an alternative tool commonly employed for their removal. In this sense, monitoring microbial community dynamics is crucial for a successful wastewater treatment. This work aimed to monitor the structure and activity of the bacterial community during the operation of a laboratory-scale continuous submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR), using PCR and RT-PCR followed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA libraries. Multivariate analyses carried out using DGGE profiles showed significant changes in the total and metabolically active dominant community members during the 4-week treatment period, explained mainly by phenol and ammonium input. Gene libraries were assembled using 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA PCR products from the fourth week of treatment. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of clones from 16S rDNA library revealed a high diversity of taxa for the total bacterial community, with predominance of Thauera genus (ca. 50%). On the other hand, a lower diversity was found for metabolically active bacteria, which were mostly represented by members of Betaproteobacteria (Thauera and Comamonas), suggesting that these groups have a relevant role in the phenol degradation during the final phase of the SMBR operation.

The Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrmann, K. A.; Hunter, D. A.; Bosh, A. S.; Johnson, M.; Schindler, K.

2012-08-01

We present an overview of the Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program, which is modeled after the ASP's Project ASTRO (Richter & Fraknoi 1994). Since 1996, our missions have been (1) to use the inherent excitement about the night sky to help teachers get Navajo and Hopi students excited about science and education, and (2) to help teachers of Navajo and Hopi students learn about astronomy and hands-on activities so that they will be better able to incorporate astronomy in their classrooms. Lowell astronomers pair up for a school year with an elementary or middle school (5th-8th grade) teacher and make numerous visits to their teachers' classes, partnering with the educators in leading discussions linked with hands-on activities. Lowell staff also work with educators and amateur astronomers to offer evening star parties that involve the family members of the students as well as the general community. Toward the end of the school year, teachers bring their classes to Lowell Observatory. The classes spend some time exploring the Steele Visitor Center and participating in tours and programs. They also voyage to Lowell's research facility in the evening to observe at two of Lowell's research telescopes. Furthermore, we offer biennial teacher workshops in Flagstaff to provide teachers with tools, curricula materials, and personalized training so that they are able to include astronomy in their classrooms. We also work with tribal educators to incorporate traditional astronomical knowledge. Funding for the program comes from many different sources.

Diabetes training for community health workers on an American Indian reservation.

PubMed

Policicchio, Judith M; Dontje, Katherine

2018-01-01

To improve the knowledge and skills of community health workers (CHWs) on an American Indian (AI) Reservation related to the management of diabetes to allow CHWs, with no prior formal diabetes education to work more effectively with individuals in the community with diabetes. Training was provided in six "face-to-face" sessions with the CHWs using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CHW Training Resource on Heart Disease and Stroke. This is a quality improvement program guided by the Model for Improvement: Plan, Do, Study, Act and using a pre-post evaluation design. Ten AI CHWs were recruited for the training. Knowledge and attitudes, participation rates, and participant satisfaction were measured. Knowledge increased overall with largest changes in diabetes, depression and cholesterol. Diabetes attitudes were high and consistent with those found in caregivers who support patient-centered care. Participants reported learning, liking the class, and finding the materials helpful. This QI program provided by a public health nurse improved CHW's knowledge of diabetes and the management of diabetes. Next steps include formalizing the Reservation's CHW training program, expanding this training to other AI Health Service areas, and measuring the impact of CHWs in the community. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Student Multicultural Awareness in Online Community College Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Warren J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: US community colleges are based on an open-door mission and serve to provide access to students of diverse backgrounds. Online learning is one of the fastest growing segments of community college offerings--serving both local and geographical dispersed students. If the community college system embraces its open-door mission, it must…

Informed Faith and Reason: A Perspective on Learning Community Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeIuliis, David

2015-01-01

The curriculum of each learning community at Duquesne University is integrated around a shared theme. The integrated classes equip students to articulate their biases in reference to the theme. The residual effect of the thematic communities is a byproduct of pedagogy informed by theory and embodied in service. The learning communities at Duquesne…

An Analysis of Gender and Major Differences upon Undergraduate Student Attitudes about Community Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shukla, P. K.; Shukla, Monica P.

2014-01-01

Community Service Learning (CSL) believes that university and colleges should incorporate community based service projects into courses. There are faculty and administrator supporters who argue for such proposals to require community service learning components into classes, but there are also faculty and administrator critics of such proposals.…

Associations Between Latent Classes of Interpersonal Polyvictimization and Polyperpetration and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Pregnant Couples: A Dyadic Analysis.

PubMed

Willie, Tiara; Kershaw, Trace S

2018-05-24

Interpersonal violence victimization and perpetration have been associated with sexual risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults, but research is lacking on: (1) how patterns of interpersonal polyvictimization and polyperpetration are associated with sexual risk among young pregnant couples, and (2) how individual and partner experiences of violence differentially impact sexual risk. The current analyses used baseline data from a longitudinal study that followed 296 pregnant young couples from pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. Couples were recruited at obstetrics and gynecology clinics, and an ultrasound clinic in the U.S. Latent class analysis identified subgroups based on polyvictimization and polyperpetration. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, path analyses assessed actor-partner effects of class membership on sexual risk. Three latent classes were used for women: Class 1: Polyvictim-Polyperpetrator; Class 2: Nonvictim-Nonperpetrator; and Class 3: Community and Prior IPV Victim. Four latent classes were used for men: Class 1: Community and Prior IPV Victim; Class 2: Polyvictim-Nonpartner Perpetrator; Class 3: Prior IPV and Peer Victim; and Class 4: Nonvictim-Nonperpetrator. Path analyses revealed that females in Class 2 and their male partners had higher condom use than females in Class 3. Males in Class 2 had more sexual partners than males in Class 1. Among nonmonogamous couples, males in Class 2 were less likely to be involved with a female partner reporting unprotected sex than males in Class 1. Among nonmonogamous couples, females in Class 2 had more acts of unprotected sex than females in Class 1. Males in Class 4 were less likely to have concurrent sexual partners compared to males in Class 1. Risk reduction interventions should address both victimization and perpetration. Additional research is needed to understand how mechanisms driving differential sexual risk by patterns of interpersonal polyvictimization and polyperpetration.

Reflective Writing and Life-Career Planning: Extending the Learning in a Learning Community Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nownes, Nicholas; Stebleton, Michael

2010-01-01

This essay recounts the authors' experiences as community college faculty members in a learning community (LC) linking first-year composition with a class in life-career planning and development. The authors begin with a learning community story shared recently over drinks with a group of community college English teachers. They use the story to…

Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and substance use among young adults: A latent class analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Sunny H; McDonald, Shelby Elaine; Conley, David

2018-03-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been strongly linked with subsequent substance use. The aim of this study was to investigate how different patterns of ACEs influence substance use in young adulthood. Using a community sample of young individuals (N=336; ages 18-25), we performed latent class analyses (LCA) to identify homogenous groups of young people with similar patterns of ACEs. Exposure to ACEs incorporates 13 childhood adversities including childhood maltreatment, household dysfunction, and community violence. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used in an effort to examine the associations between ACEs classes and four young adult outcomes such as alcohol-related problems, current tobacco use, drug dependence symptoms, and psychological distress. LCA identified four heterogeneous classes of young people distinguished by different patterns of ACEs exposure: Low ACEs (56%), Household Dysfunction/Community Violence (14%), Emotional ACEs (14%), and High/Multiple ACEs (16%). Multiple regression analyses found that compared to those in the Low ACEs class, young adults in the High/Multiple ACEs class reported more alcohol-related problems, current tobacco use, and psychological symptoms, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and common risk factors for substance use such as peer substance use. Our findings confirm that for many young people, ACEs occur as multiple rather than single experiences. The results of this research suggest that exposure to poly-victimization during childhood is particularly related to substance use during young adulthood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A New Tool for Classifying Small Solar System Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desfosses, Ryan; Arel, D.; Walker, M. E.; Ziffer, J.; Harvell, T.; Campins, H.; Fernandez, Y. R.

2011-05-01

An artificial intelligence program, AutoClass, which was developed by NASA's Artificial Intelligence Branch, uses Bayesian classification theory to automatically choose the most probable classification distribution to describe a dataset. To investigate its usefulness to the Planetary Science community, we tested its ability to reproduce the taxonomic classes as defined by Tholen and Barucci (1989). Of the 406 asteroids from the Eight Color Asteroid Survey (ECAS) we chose for our test, 346 were firmly classified and all but 3 (<1%) were classified by Autoclass as they had been in the previous classification system (Walker et al., 2011). We are now applying it to larger datasets to improve the taxonomy of currently unclassified objects. Having demonstrated AutoClass's ability to recreate existing classification effectively, we extended this work to investigations of albedo-based classification systems. To determine how predictive albedo can be, we used data from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) database in conjunction with the large Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which contains color and position data for over 200,000 classified and unclassified asteroids (Ivesic et al., 2001). To judge our success we compared our results with a similar approach to classifying objects using IRAS albedo and asteroid color by Tedesco et al. (1989). Understanding the distribution of the taxonomic classes is important to understanding the history and evolution of our Solar System. AutoClass's success in categorizing ECAS, IRAS and SDSS asteroidal data highlights its potential to scan large domains for natural classes in small solar system objects. Based upon our AutoClass results, we intend to make testable predictions about asteroids observed with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).

Inquiry into Identity: Teaching Critical Thinking through a Study of Race, Class, and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Martha

2012-01-01

In Inquiry into Identity: Race, Class, and Gender (RCG), an eighth grade social studies class, the students' stories serve as springboards for higher-order learning. Through sharing personal experiences and listening to one another respectfully, students form a learning community in which deep, critical thinking naturally emerges. They gain…

Thoughts of Death and Suicide in Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vander Stoep, Ann; McCauley, Elizabeth; Flynn, Cynthia; Stone, Andrea

2009-01-01

The prevalence and persistence of thoughts of death and suicide during early adolescence were estimated in a community-based cohort. A latent class approach was used to identify distinct subgroups based on endorsements to depression items administered repeatedly over 24 months. Two classes emerged, with 75% in a low ideation class across four…

Classroom Research: Writing Assessment in Paired and Separate History and English Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messina, Susan; White, Diane

In fall 1991, Solano Community College (California) undertook a study comparing the writing skills of students in an integrated course combining history and freshman English composition with students in unpaired history and English classes. Students were divided into three groups: the integrated class and two control groups, one taking history…

Comparing Students' Attitudes towards the Use of Traditional and Alternative Assessment Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeMauro, Tom; Helphrey, Traci; Schram, Greg; Spiekermann, Carrie

This paper describes a program designed to compare students' attitudes towards the use of traditional and alternative assessment practices. The targeted population consisted of a second and third grade general education class, a third grade physical education class, and an eighth grade applied technology class in three communities in northern…

Using the Community as a Classroom for Large Introductory Sociology Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corwin, Patricia

1996-01-01

Explores how a student service program can be implemented without a large staff and without cost, in large introductory sociology classes as part of an extra-credit project, while augmenting course material as an active learning component. Discusses a class that fits this description at North Dakota State University. (MJP)

Latent Class Analysis of Peer Conformity: Who Is Yielding to Pressure and Why?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosten, Paul A.; Scheier, Lawrence M.; Grenard, Jerry L.

2013-01-01

This study used latent class analysis to examine typologies of peer conformity in a community sample of middle school students. Students responded to 31 items assessing diverse facets of conformity dispositions. The most parsimonious model produced three qualitatively distinct classes that differed on the basis of conformity to recreational…

Class, Gender, (Hetero)Sexuality and Schooling: Paradoxes within Working-Class Girls' Engagement with Education and Post-16 Aspirations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archer, Louise; Halsall, Anna; Hollingworth, Sumi

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the ways in which inner-city, ethnically diverse, working-class girls' constructions of hetero-femininities mediate and shape their dis/engagement with education and schooling. Drawing on data from a study conducted with 89 urban, working-class young people in London, attention is drawn to three main ways through which young…

Signature Patterns of MHC Diversity in Three Gombe Communities of Wild Chimpanzees Reflect Fitness in Reproduction and Immune Defense against SIVcpz.

PubMed

Wroblewski, Emily E; Norman, Paul J; Guethlein, Lisbeth A; Rudicell, Rebecca S; Ramirez, Miguel A; Li, Yingying; Hahn, Beatrice H; Pusey, Anne E; Parham, Peter

2015-05-01

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules determine immune responses to viral infections. These polymorphic cell-surface glycoproteins bind peptide antigens, forming ligands for cytotoxic T and natural killer cell receptors. Under pressure from rapidly evolving viruses, hominoid MHC class I molecules also evolve rapidly, becoming diverse and species-specific. Little is known of the impact of infectious disease epidemics on MHC class I variant distributions in human populations, a context in which the chimpanzee is the superior animal model. Population dynamics of the chimpanzees inhabiting Gombe National Park, Tanzania have been studied for over 50 years. This population is infected with SIVcpz, the precursor of human HIV-1. Because HLA-B is the most polymorphic human MHC class I molecule and correlates strongly with HIV-1 progression, we determined sequences for its ortholog, Patr-B, in 125 Gombe chimpanzees. Eleven Patr-B variants were defined, as were their frequencies in Gombe's three communities, changes in frequency with time, and effect of SIVcpz infection. The growing populations of the northern and central communities, where SIVcpz is less prevalent, have stable distributions comprising a majority of low-frequency Patr-B variants and a few high-frequency variants. Driving the latter to high frequency has been the fecundity of immigrants to the northern community, whereas in the central community, it has been the fecundity of socially dominant individuals. In the declining population of the southern community, where greater SIVcpz prevalence is associated with mortality and emigration, Patr-B variant distributions have been changing. Enriched in this community are Patr-B variants that engage with natural killer cell receptors. Elevated among SIVcpz-infected chimpanzees, the Patr-B*06:03 variant has striking structural and functional similarities to HLA-B*57, the human allotype most strongly associated with delayed HIV-1 progression. Like HLA-B*57, Patr-B*06:03 correlates with reduced viral load, as assessed by detection of SIVcpz RNA in feces.

Working Class Gender Relationships and Leisure in the United States, 1890-1920.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peiss, Kathy

Recent studies of the history of working-class leisure have rested on the conceptualization of leisure as both public and male. A study of the living conditions, recreational activities, and family budgets of white working-class New Yorkers between 1880 and 1920 suggests broad ways in which working women's leisure activities contributed to a…

Community-based cardiovascular health interventions in vulnerable populations: a systematic review.

PubMed

Walton-Moss, Benita; Samuel, Laura; Nguyen, Tam H; Commodore-Mensah, Yvonne; Hayat, Matthew J; Szanton, Sarah L

2014-07-01

Although cardiovascular health has been improving for many Americans, this is not true of those in "vulnerable populations." To address this growing disparity, communities and researchers have worked for decades, and as a result of their work, a growing body of literature supports the use of community engagement as a component of successful interventions. However, little literature synthesizes community-based interventions that address this disparity among a wide range of vulnerable populations. This article provides a critical review of community-based cardiovascular disease interventions to improve cardiovascular health behaviors and factors among vulnerable populations based on the American Heart Association's 7 metrics of ideal cardiovascular health. In February 2011, 4 databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, CINAHL, and Scopus) were searched using the following keywords: vulnerable populations OR healthcare disparities AND cardiovascular disease AND clinical trials OR public health practice AND English. This search strategy resulted in the retrieval of 7120 abstracts. Each abstract was reviewed by at least 2 authors, and eligibility for the systematic review was confirmed after reading the full article. Thirty-two studies met eligibility criteria. Education was the most common intervention (41%), followed by counseling or support (38%) and exercise classes (28%). Half of the interventions were multicomponent. Healthcare providers were the most frequent interventionists. Interventions aimed at decreasing blood pressure were the most promising, whereas behavior change interventions were the most challenging. Almost all of the interventions were at the individual level and were proof-of-concept or efficacy trials. This analysis provides a step toward understanding the current literature on cardiovascular interventions for vulnerable population. The next step should be integrating the identified successful interventions into larger health systems and/or social policies.

Community Based Cardiovascular Health Interventions in Vulnerable Populations: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Walton-Moss, Benita; Samuel, Laura; Nguyen, Tam H; Commodore-Mensah, Yvonne; Hayat, Matthew J.; Szanton, Sarah L.

2013-01-01

Background Although cardiovascular health has been improving for many Americans, this is not true of those in “vulnerable populations.” To address this growing disparity communities and researchers have worked for decades, and as a result of their work a growing body of literature supports the use of community engagement as a component of successful interventions. However, little literature synthesizes community-based interventions that address this disparity among a wide range of vulnerable populations. Objective This paper provides a critical review of community-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) interventions to improve cardiovascular health behaviors and factors among vulnerable populations based on the American Heart Association’s 7 metrics of ideal cardiovascular health. Methods In February 2011, four databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, CINAHL, and Scopus) were searched using the following keywords: vulnerable populations OR healthcare disparities AND cardiovascular disease AND clinical trials OR public health practice AND English. Results This search strategy resulted in the retrieval of 7,120 abstracts. Each abstract was reviewed by at least two authors and eligibility for the systematic review was confirmed after reading the full article. Thirty two studies met eligibility criteria. Education was the most common intervention (41%), followed by counseling or support (38%), and exercise classes (28%). Half of the interventions were multi-component. Health care providers were the most frequent interventionists. Interventions aimed at decreasing blood pressure were the most promising while behavior change interventions were the most challenging. Almost all of the interventions were at the individual level, and were proof of concept or efficacy trials. Conclusions This analysis provides a step towards understanding the current literature on cardiovascular interventions for vulnerable population. The next step should be integrating the identified successful interventions into larger health systems and/or social policies. PMID:23612036

Class, gender and time poverty: a time-use analysis of British workers' free time resources.

PubMed

Chatzitheochari, Stella; Arber, Sara

2012-09-01

Free time, that is, the time that remains at one's own discretion after conducting daily work and personal care activities, has been previously recognized as a 'primary good' and an important welfare resource that provides opportunities for participation in social life and leisure. However, recent years have witnessed an increasing preoccupation with the phenomenon of time poverty, drawing attention to the distribution of free time and its relationship to structural and family circumstances. In this article we propose a novel approach to the measurement of time poverty and document its occurrence amongst British workers. In line with previous literature, a conceptualization of time poverty as a relative lack of free time resources vis-à-vis other members of the community is adopted. However, unlike previous empirical studies, we investigate the differential configuration of time poverty on weekdays and weekend days, alongside indicators of the quality of free time, taking into account insights from theoretical and empirical work within the field of the sociology of time. Our analysis of the 2000 UK Time Use Survey highlights class and gender inequalities that have been missed by previous measurement approaches and demonstrates that, overall, working women experience multiple and more severe free time constraints, which may constitute an additional barrier for their leisure and social participation. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2012.

Community-based Ontology Development, Annotation and Discussion with MediaWiki extension Ontokiwi and Ontokiwi-based Ontobedia

PubMed Central

Ong, Edison; He, Yongqun

2016-01-01

Hundreds of biological and biomedical ontologies have been developed to support data standardization, integration and analysis. Although ontologies are typically developed for community usage, community efforts in ontology development are limited. To support ontology visualization, distribution, and community-based annotation and development, we have developed Ontokiwi, an ontology extension to the MediaWiki software. Ontokiwi displays hierarchical classes and ontological axioms. Ontology classes and axioms can be edited and added using Ontokiwi form or MediaWiki source editor. Ontokiwi also inherits MediaWiki features such as Wikitext editing and version control. Based on the Ontokiwi/MediaWiki software package, we have developed Ontobedia, which targets to support community-based development and annotations of biological and biomedical ontologies. As demonstrations, we have loaded the Ontology of Adverse Events (OAE) and the Cell Line Ontology (CLO) into Ontobedia. Our studies showed that Ontobedia was able to achieve expected Ontokiwi features. PMID:27570653

Emerging contaminants and nutrients synergistically affect the spread of class 1 integron-integrase (intI1) and sul1 genes within stable streambed bacterial communities.

PubMed

Subirats, Jèssica; Timoner, Xisca; Sànchez-Melsió, Alexandre; Balcázar, José Luis; Acuña, Vicenç; Sabater, Sergi; Borrego, Carles M

2018-07-01

Wastewater effluents increase the nutrient load of receiving streams while introducing a myriad of anthropogenic chemical pollutants that challenge the resident aquatic (micro)biota. Disentangling the effects of both kind of stressors and their potential interaction on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in bacterial communities requires highly controlled manipulative experiments. In this work, we investigated the effects of a combined regime of nutrients (at low, medium and high concentrations) and a mixture of emerging contaminants (ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, and methylparaben) on the bacterial composition, abundance and antibiotic resistance profile of biofilms grown in artificial streams. In particular, we investigated the effect of this combined stress on genes encoding resistance to ciprofloxacin (qnrS), erythromycin (ermB), sulfamethoxazole (sul1 and sul2) as well as the class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1). Only genes conferring resistance to sulfonamides (sul1 and sul2) and intI1 gene were detected in all treatments during the study period. Besides, bacterial communities exposed to emerging contaminants showed higher copy numbers of sul1 and intI1 genes than those not exposed, whereas nutrient amendments did not affect their abundance. However, bacterial communities exposed to both emerging contaminants and a high nutrient concentration (1, 25 and 1 mg L -1 of phosphate, nitrate and ammonium, respectively) showed the highest increase on the abundance of sul1 and intI1 genes thus suggesting a factors synergistic effect of both stressors. Since none of the treatments caused a significant change on the composition of bacterial communities, the enrichment of sul1 and intI1 genes within the community was caused by their dissemination under the combined pressure exerted by nutrients and emerging contaminants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the contribution of nutrients on the maintenance and spread of antibiotic resistance genes in streambed biofilms under controlled conditions. Our results also highlight that nutrients could enhance the effect of emerging contaminants on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A "fair innings" between the sexes: are men being treated inequitably?

PubMed

Tsuchiya, Aki; Williams, Alan

2005-01-01

In most modern developed communities, women are known to live longer than men. A less known fact is that in many statistics reporting differences in life expectancy between socio-economic classes, on average women in the worst-off social class live as long as men in the best-off social class, if not longer. It is true that women tend to have higher morbidity, or lower health-related quality of life, especially at advanced age, but this female disadvantage does not offset the life expectancy advantage sufficiently to lead to the conclusion that men and women enjoy comparable lifetime health prospects in these communities. Although there is much public and policy discussion about the inequity of health inequalities between the social classes, there is relatively little discussion about such inequalities between the sexes. The paper first discusses the applicability of the fair innings argument to the issue of inequality in health between the sexes. It critically examines six arguments concerning why inequality in health between the sexes may or may not be an inequity. Next, special attention is given to the argument that it is wrong to judge the fairness or unfairness of health inequalities in isolation, but that this judgement should be made only after considering other inequalities relevant to overall human well-being, many of which are believed to work to the disadvantage of women. An analytical framework based on the Gender-related Development Index (a supplementary index to the Human Development Index) is taken as a starting point, to address the issue of health and overall well-being. But this is found wanting, and suggestions are made as to how its conceptual and empirical properties could be improved. Meanwhile we conclude that a prima facie case has been made that the current distribution of health in most countries does not give men a "fair innings", but the broader question about general well-being remains unresolved.

Capitalizing on Community: the Small College Environment and the Development of Researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoneking, M. R.

2014-03-01

Liberal arts colleges constitute an important source of and training ground for future scientists. At Lawrence University, we take advantage of our small college environment to prepare physics students for research careers by complementing content acquisition with skill development and project experience distributed throughout the curriculum and with co-curricular elements that are tied to our close-knit supportive physics community. Small classes and frequent contact between physics majors and faculty members offer opportunities for regular and detailed feedback on the development of research relevant skills such as laboratory record-keeping, data analysis, electronic circuit design, computational programming, experimental design and modification, and scientific communication. Part of our approach is to balance collaborative group work on small projects (such as Arduino-based electronics projects and optical design challenges) with independent work (on, for example, advanced laboratory experimental extensions and senior capstone projects). Communal spaces and specialized facilities (experimental and computational) and active on-campus research programs attract eager students to the program, establish a community-based atmosphere, provide unique opportunities for the development of research aptitude, and offer opportunities for genuine contribution to a research program. Recently, we have also been encouraging innovativetendencies in physics majors through intentional efforts to develop personal characteristics, encouraging students to become more tolerant of ambiguity, risk-taking, initiative-seeking, and articulate. Indicators of the success of our approach include the roughly ten physics majors who graduate each year and our program's high ranking among institutions whose graduates go on to receive the Ph.D. in physics. Work supported in part by the National Science Foundation.

Proposals for registered nurse prescribing: perceptions and intentions of nurses working in primary health care settings.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Jill

2015-12-01

In 2013, the Nursing Council of New Zealand consulted on a proposal for introduction of registered nurse (RN) prescribing at two levels (specialist and community) within the designated class of prescriber. The proposal builds on the success of the diabetes nurse specialist prescribing project and the experience of other countries where RN prescribing is well established. To describe the views and intentions of nurses who work in primary health care (PHC) settings about the two levels of RN prescribing proposed. The study involved a self-reported survey using a non-probability sample of RNs working in PHC settings (N=305). Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed descriptively. The respondents were experienced nurses. Overall, 82.3% expressed interest in becoming a community nurse prescriber, and 62.6% expressed interest in the specialist prescriber level. RN prescribing was expected to improve efficiency and access to medicines for high-needs populations, clarify accountability and improve nurses' autonomy. The education requirements for the specialist level were viewed as appropriate but too onerous for many. Requirements were viewed as inadequate for the community level. Concerns were raised about funding for education and support for RN prescribing roles. Nurses were positive about the proposals and see a potential to meet significant unmet health need. Nurses are already engaged in the provision of medicines to patients and prescribing authority would ensure they are suitably qualified to engage in these tasks. A clear policy platform will be needed if the proposed levels of RN prescribing are to be successfully implemented.

Dark Skies Yuma: An NOAO and APS Program on Light Pollution Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pompea, Stephen M.; Walker, C. E.; Dugan, C.; Roddy, W. T.; Newhouse, M.

2014-01-01

Fifteen Yuma 6th grade teachers participated in a dark skies preservation and energy conservation professional development and classroom program delivered by NOAO during 2013. Two teacher professional development workshops and a culminating Family Science Night for students to display projects occurred. Between workshops, support was provided through real-time video conferencing using iPads. In the first workshop the teachers were provided foundational, scaffolded activities in accordance with STEM standards, resource materials in kits to facilitate the activities, and firsthand experiences in doing the activities with students. The second workshop focused on dark skies and energy education projects done in March and April. Teachers received training on how to work with classes on outdoor lighting in their communities and distinguish between energy efficient and wasteful outdoor lighting. In May, 2013, student projects were presented to parents and the school community as part of a Family Science Night and served as a form of authentic assessment of the students’ work. Participants will take away from this presentation new techniques for using iPads to sustain a community of educators as well as immersing them (and in turn, their students) in Project Based Learning after a scaffolded sequence of activities on dark skies preservation and energy conservation. View a video of the Family Science Night event at http://www.noao.edu/education/video/Dark-Skies-A-Night-of-Light/.

Effects of reclamation years on composition and diversity of soil bacterial communities in Northwest China.

PubMed

Cheng, Zhibo; Zhang, Fenghua; Gale, William Jeffrey; Wang, Weichao; Sang, Wen; Yang, Haichang

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate bacterial community structure and diversity in soil aggregate fractions when salinized farmland was reclaimed after >27 years of abandonment and then farmed again for 1, 5, 10, and 15 years. Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing was performed to characterize the soil bacterial communities in 5 aggregate size classes in each treatment. The results indicated that reclamation significantly increased macro-aggregation (>0.25 mm), as well as soil organic C, available N, and available P. The 10-year field had the largest proportion (93.9%) of soil in the macro-aggregate size classes (i.e., >0.25 mm) and the highest soil electrical conductivity. The 5 most dominant phyla in the soil samples were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The phylogenetic diversity, Chao1, and Shannon indices increased after the abandoned land was reclaimed for farming, reaching maximums in the 15-year field. Among aggregate size classes, the 1-0.25 mm aggregates generally had the highest phylogenetic diversity, Chao1, and Shannon indices. Soil organic C and soil electrical conductivity were the main environmental factors affecting the soil bacterial communities. The composition and structure of the bacterial communities also varied significantly depending on soil aggregate size and time since reclamation.

Community Service Learning Increases Communication Skills across the Business Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Mary L.; McCarthy, Anne M.; Hoxmeier, John A.; Lenk, Margarita M.

1998-01-01

Defines community service learning. Discusses its importance to business and higher education. Describes three community service learning projects involving three departments in the college business curriculum: (1) partnering among public schools, junior achievement, and management classes; (2) between nonprofit organizations and computer…

Learners at the Heart of Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hankins, Enid

2010-01-01

Adult community learning in Wales covers a number of curriculum areas, delivered by a range of providers, including the voluntary sector. Classes reflect Welsh Assembly Government policy priorities, including improving levels of literacy and skills, decreasing economic inactivity and building community regeneration. A variety of community-based…

An Enriching Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Nancy A.; Burroughs, Jean

2001-01-01

Successful school-community partnerships in Volusia (Florida) Public Schools are the results of marketing creatively, meeting community members' needs, and bringing the right people together. The 3-year old program now offers students of all ages an expanding list of enrichment classes on many subjects for a nominal fee. (MLH)

Community Wireless Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feld, Harold

2005-01-01

With increasing frequency, communities are seeing the arrival of a new class of noncommercial broadband providers: community wireless networks (CWNs). Utilizing the same wireless technologies that many colleges and universities have used to create wireless networks on campus, CWNs are creating broadband access for free or at costs well below…

Planning ahead for livable communities along the Powell–Division Bus Rapid Transit : neighborhood conditions and change.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-04

New transit investments can be a double-edged sword for disadvantaged communities (e.g., those included in environmental justice and Title VI protected classes). Transit investments improve communities mobility and access, and may improve health w...

Supporting Working-Class Students in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soria, Krista; Bultmann, Mark

2014-01-01

Utilizing data from the multi-institutional "Student Experience in the Research University" survey, we examined self-identified working-class students' experiences in higher education. The results suggest that working-class students experience a lower sense of belonging, perceive a less welcoming campus climate, and pursue fewer social…

Perceived psychological pressure at work, social class, and risk of stroke: a 30-year follow-up in Copenhagen male study.

PubMed

Suadicani, Poul; Andersen, Lars L; Holtermann, Andreas; Mortensen, Ole S; Gyntelberg, Finn

2011-12-01

Investigate if the association between perceived psychological work pressure and risk of stroke is modified by socioeconomic status. Thirty-year follow-up of 4943 middle-aged men without cardiovascular disease. In the higher social classes (I, II, and III), perceived regular exposure to psychological work pressure was common and a significant predictor of stroke; almost 10% of the stroke events could be attributed to this exposure in the higher social classes; among lower social classes (IV and V), perceived psychological pressure was no predictor at all. Regular psychological work pressure is a highly prevalent and independent risk factor for stroke among men in higher social classes. In contrast, no association to stroke risk was found among low social class men.

Midregional Proadrenomedullin as a Prognostic Tool in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

PubMed Central

Huang, David T.; Angus, Derek C.; Kellum, John A.; Pugh, Nathan A.; Weissfeld, Lisa A.; Struck, Joachim; Delude, Russell L.; Rosengart, Matthew R.; Yealy, Donald M.

2009-01-01

Background: Midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a potential prognostic biomarker in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Previous work has been hampered by sample size and illness spectrum limits. We sought to describe the pattern of MR-proADM in a broad CAP cohort, confirm its prognostic role, and compare its performance to procalcitonin, a novel biomarker of infection. Methods: We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study in 28 community and teaching EDs. Patients with a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of CAP were enrolled. We stratified MR-proADM levels a priori into quartiles and quantified severity of illness using the pneumonia severity index (PSI); and confusion (abbreviated mental test score of ≤ 8), urea ≥ 7 mmol/L, respiratory rate ≥ 30 breaths/min, BP < 90 mm Hg systolic or < 60 mm Hg diastolic, age ≥ 65 years (CURB-65). The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Results: A total of 1,653 patients formed the study cohort. MR-proADM levels consistently rose with PSI class and 30-day mortality (p < 0.001). MR-proADM had a higher area under the curve for 30-day mortality than procalcitonin (0.76 vs 0.65, respectively; p < 0.001), but adding MR-proADM to the PSI in all subjects minimally improved performance. Among low-risk subjects (PSI classes I to III), mortality was low and did not differ by MR-proADM quartile. However, among high-risk subjects (PSI class IV/V; n = 546), subjects in the highest MR-proADM quartile (n = 232; 42%) had higher 30-day mortality than those in MR-proADM quartiles 1 to 3 (23% vs 9%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Similar results were seen with CURB-65. MR-proADM and procalcitonin levels were generally concordant; only 6% of PSI class IV/V subjects in the highest MR-proADM quartile had very low procalcitonin levels (< 0.1 ng/mL). Conclusions: In our multicenter CAP cohort, MR-proADM levels correlate with increasing severity of illness and death. High MR-proADM levels offer additional risk stratification in high-risk CAP patients, but otherwise MR-proADM levels do not alter PSI-based risk assessment in most CAP patients. PMID:19363212

Vegetation communities at Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Struckhoff, Matthew A.; Grabner, Keith W.; Stroh, Esther D.

2011-01-01

New and existing data were used to describe and map vegetation communities at Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Existing data had been gathered during the growing seasons of 2002, 2003, and 2004. New data were collected in 2007 to describe previously unsampled communities and communities within which insufficient data had been collected. Plot data and field observations were used to describe 17 natural and semi-natural communities at the Association level of the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS). Four ruderal communities not included in the NVCS are also described. Data were used to inform delineation of communities using aerial photos from 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007. During this process, eleven additional land cover classes including cultural features, managed vegetation communities, and water features were identified. These features were mapped, some were described, but no vegetation data were collected. In 2009, nearly all community polygons were field visited and classified to the Association level. When necessary, polygon boundaries were adjusted based on field observations. The final map includes 482 polygons of 27 land cover classes encompassing 3,174 hectares on 5 units of the refuge. Data and information will inform the development of the refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

[Succession of Larix olgensis and Betula platyphlla-marsh ecotone communities in Changbai Mountain].

PubMed

Mu, Changcheng

2003-11-01

The succession of communities within the ecotone between forest and marsh in Changbai Mountain was studied to identify the interrelation between the succession of ecotone communities and the mesophytization of the ecotone. The succession regime of the ecotone communities was studies by patch size (the volume of each mound) and age class of different tree species, water transmission from soil to atmosphere through the transpiration of different tree species, and regional climate warming and community succession. The results demonstrated that both patch size and water loss through transpiration were increased with age class. The increased volume of mounds and water loss through transpiration of trees were converted to the raised ground surface level and the lowered ground surface water level. Within 60 years, the ground surface level would be raised by 0.405-0.590 m, depending on the distance to the marsh, and the aboveground water level would be lowered by 1.050-1.442 m. Climate had a great effect on the community dynamics. Community succession and regional climate warming intensified the mesophytization process of forest-marsh ecotone, and the ecotone communities would eventually change into forest communities within a relatively short period.

Disability pension by occupational class - the impact of work-related factors: The Hordaland Health Study Cohort

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The social gradient in disability pension is well recognized, however mechanisms accounting for the gradient are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between occupational class and subsequent disability pension among middle-aged men and women, and to what extent work-related factors accounted for the association. Methods A subsample (N = 7031) of the population-based Hordaland Health Study (HUSK) conducted in 1997-99, provided self-reported information on health and work-related factors, and were grouped in four strata by Erikson, Goldthorpe and Portocareros occupational class scheme. The authors obtained follow-up data on disability pension by linking the health survey to national registries of benefit (FD-trygd). They employed Cox regression analysis and adjusted for gender, health (medical conditions, mental health, self-perceived health, somatic symptoms) and work-related factors (working hours, years in current occupation, physical demands, job demands, job control). Results A strong gradient in disability pension by occupational class was found. In the fully adjusted model the risk (hazard ratio) ranged from 1.41 (95% CI 0.84 to 2.33) in the routine non-manual class, 1.87 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.27) in the skilled manual class and 2.12 (95% CI 1.14 to 3.95) in the unskilled manual class, employing the administrator and professional class as reference. In the gender and health-adjusted model work-related factors mediated the impact of occupational class on subsequent disability pension with 5% in the routine non-manual class, 26% in the skilled manual class and 24% in the unskilled manual class. The impact of job control and physical demands was modest, and mainly seen among skilled and unskilled manual workers. Conclusions Workers in the skilled and unskilled manual classes had a substantial unexplained risk of disability pension. Work-related factors only had a moderate impact on the disability risk. Literature indicates an accumulation of hazards in the manual classes. This should be taken into account when interpreting the gradient in disability pension. PMID:21619716

Disability pension by occupational class--the impact of work-related factors: the Hordaland Health Study Cohort.

PubMed

Haukenes, Inger; Mykletun, Arnstein; Knudsen, Ann Kristin; Hansen, Hans-Tore; Mæland, John Gunnar

2011-05-30

The social gradient in disability pension is well recognized, however mechanisms accounting for the gradient are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between occupational class and subsequent disability pension among middle-aged men and women, and to what extent work-related factors accounted for the association. A subsample (N = 7031) of the population-based Hordaland Health Study (HUSK) conducted in 1997-99, provided self-reported information on health and work-related factors, and were grouped in four strata by Erikson, Goldthorpe and Portocareros occupational class scheme. The authors obtained follow-up data on disability pension by linking the health survey to national registries of benefit (FD-trygd). They employed Cox regression analysis and adjusted for gender, health (medical conditions, mental health, self-perceived health, somatic symptoms) and work-related factors (working hours, years in current occupation, physical demands, job demands, job control). A strong gradient in disability pension by occupational class was found. In the fully adjusted model the risk (hazard ratio) ranged from 1.41 (95% CI 0.84 to 2.33) in the routine non-manual class, 1.87 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.27) in the skilled manual class and 2.12 (95% CI 1.14 to 3.95) in the unskilled manual class, employing the administrator and professional class as reference. In the gender and health-adjusted model work-related factors mediated the impact of occupational class on subsequent disability pension with 5% in the routine non-manual class, 26% in the skilled manual class and 24% in the unskilled manual class. The impact of job control and physical demands was modest, and mainly seen among skilled and unskilled manual workers. Workers in the skilled and unskilled manual classes had a substantial unexplained risk of disability pension. Work-related factors only had a moderate impact on the disability risk. Literature indicates an accumulation of hazards in the manual classes. This should be taken into account when interpreting the gradient in disability pension.

Multicultural Curriculum Development in Online Classes: Practices from Washington State Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Warren J.

2013-01-01

The community college system is based on an open-door mission and serves to provide access to students of diverse backgrounds. Online learning is one of the fastest growing segments of community college offerings. If the community college system embraces its open-door mission, it must also embrace new ways of providing multicultural experiences…

Parents' Reasons for Community Language Schools: Insight from a High-Shift, Non-Visible, Middle-Class Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordstrom, Janica

2016-01-01

In the past decade, there has been increased scholarly interest in the purpose and functions of community language schools, also known as heritage, supplementary or complementary schools. In particular, previous studies have focused on schools operating in minority communities deriving from Asian and Eastern-European countries, showing that…

"Make My Day, Shoot a Teacher": Tactics of Inclusion and Exclusion, and the Contestation of Community in a Rural School-Community Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHenry-Sorber, Erin; Schafft, Kai A.

2015-01-01

Far from being the harmonious and homogenous communities of popular imagination, rural communities often are characterised by stark differences in class-situated values over education philosophy and financing. These differences can produce contentious political environments, vastly complexifying local decision-making, including school district…

Stratification of women's sport in contemporary China.

PubMed

Xiong, Huan

2011-01-01

Since economic reform in the 1980s, Chinese sport has undergone an extraordinary transformation. The most distinguishing phenomenon is the rapid growth of mass sport at the grassroots level with increasing demands for physical activities in women's daily lives. The rapid growth of women's sports participation at the grassroots is deeply embedded in the process of social stratification as a result of the urbanisation of Chinese society. The purpose of this paper is to use the socialist, feminist and theoretical framework to explore how Chinese women's different economic, educational, domestic and cultural situations shape their sports values and patterns of participation, marking social boundaries in Chinese urban communities. Semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted with 60 female physical exercisers in sports clubs, parks and neighbourhood playgrounds. Documentary research was also applied as a complement method to the interview. The findings indicate that within different classes (middle class, working class and a group who were unemployed), many different opportunities for and limitations on women to participate in sport are noticed. Chinese women have not fully and equally utilised sports opportunities created by urbanisation. Most Chinese women still live within patriarchal arrangements. Consequently, they do not completely fulfil their ambitions in sport.

Microstructural characterization of pressed HMX material sets at differing densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molek, C. D.; Welle, E. J.; Wixom, R. R.; Ritchey, M. B.; Samuels, P.; Horie, Y.

2017-01-01

The detonation physics community has embraced the idea that initiation of high explosives (HE) proceeds from an ignition event through subsequent growth to steady detonation. A weakness of all the commonly used ignition and growth models is the microstructural characteristics of the HE are not explicitly incorporated in their ignition and growth terms. This is the case in spite of a demonstrated, but not well-understood, empirical link between particle morphology and initiation of HE. Morphological effects have been parametrically studied in many ways, the majority of efforts focus on establishing a tie between bulk powder metrics and initiation of the pressed beds. More recently, there has been a shift toward characterizing the microstructure of pressed beds in order to understand the underlying mechanisms governing initiation behavior. In this work, we have characterized the microstructures of two HMX classes pressed at three densities using ion bombardment techniques. We find more significant compaction associated with the larger crystalline material - Class 3 - than the smaller fluid energy milled material. The Class 3 material exhibits evidence of crystal cracking. Finally, we discuss this evidence and our attempt to correlate microstructural features to observed changes in continuum level initiation behavior.

Self-Determination and Meaningful Work: Exploring Socioeconomic Constraints.

PubMed

Allan, Blake A; Autin, Kelsey L; Duffy, Ryan D

2016-01-01

This study examined a model of meaningful work among a diverse sample of working adults. From the perspectives of Self-Determination Theory and the Psychology of Working Framework, we tested a structural model with social class and work volition predicting SDT motivation variables, which in turn predicted meaningful work. Partially supporting hypotheses, work volition was positively related to internal regulation and negatively related to amotivation, whereas social class was positively related to external regulation and amotivation. In turn, internal regulation was positively related to meaningful work, whereas external regulation and amotivation were negatively related to meaningful work. Indirect effects from work volition to meaningful work via internal regulation and amotivation were significant, and indirect effects from social class to meaningful work via external regulation and amotivation were significant. This study highlights the important relations between SDT motivation variables and meaningful work, especially the large positive relation between internal regulation and meaningful work. However, results also reveal that work volition and social class may play critical roles in predicting internal regulation, external regulation, and amotivation.

Concurrent and prospective effects of psychopathic traits on affective and cognitive empathy in a community sample of late adolescents.

PubMed

Brouns, Bart H J; de Wied, Minet Annette; Keijsers, Loes; Branje, Susan; van Goozen, Stephanie H M; Meeus, Wim H J

2013-09-01

A deficit in affective rather than cognitive empathy is thought to be central to psychopathic traits. However, empirical evidence for empathy deficits in adolescents with psychopathic traits is limited. We investigated the concurrent and prospective effects of psychopathic traits on affective and cognitive trait empathy in late adolescence. A community sample of 107 males and 126 females who were approximately 16-year olds at Time 1 participated in four annual waves. Sex-specific classes of adolescents' psychopathic traits were created using Latent Class Analyses. Subsequently, we investigated class differences in level and development of empathy. For both sexes, Latent Class Analyses produced two classes: one class with low and one with moderate levels of psychopathic traits. Consistent with our hypothesis, for both sexes, adolescents with moderate levels of psychopathic traits reported lower mean levels of affective empathy than adolescents with low levels of psychopathic traits. In addition, female adolescents with moderate psychopathic traits reported lower mean levels of cognitive empathy. Male adolescents showed a trend in this direction. No differences between classes were found in development of empathy, which increased over years. This is the first study to show that male and female adolescents with higher levels of psychopathic traits have lower levels of affective empathy not only concurrently but also prospectively over a 3-year period. Females additionally showed a similar pattern on cognitive empathy. In this community sample, developmental results suggest that adolescents with higher levels of psychopathic traits have relative rather than absolute empathy deficits. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

A model for partnering first-year student pharmacists with community-based older adults.

PubMed

Martin, Beth A; Porter, Andrea L; Shawl, Lauren; Motl Moroney, Susannah E

2012-06-18

To design, integrate, and assess the effectiveness of an introductory pharmacy practice experience intended to redefine first-year student pharmacists' views on aging and medication use through their work with a healthy, community-based older-adult population. All students (N = 273) completed live skills training in an 8-hour boot camp provided during orientation week. Teams were assigned an independently living senior partner, completed 10 visits and reflections, and documented health-related information using an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio). As determined by pre- and post-experience survey instruments, students gained significant confidence in 7 skill areas related to communication, medication interviews, involving the partner in health care, and applying patient-care skills. Student reflections, in-class presentations, and e-portfolios documented that personal attitudes toward seniors changed over time. Senior partners enjoyed mentoring and interacting with students and many experienced health improvements as a result of the interaction. The model for partnering first-year student pharmacists with community-based older adults improved students' skills and fostered their connections to pharmacist roles and growth as person-centered providers.

Not Your Mother’s Suburb: Remaking Communities for a More Diverse Population

PubMed Central

Micklow, Amanda C.

2014-01-01

The United States is a suburban nation with a majority of Americans living and working in this landscape. But the suburb is more than a physical location; it is also a social production. Built upon a middle class, white, nuclear family ideal, the suburb is now diversifying demographically and economically, yet zoning ordinances and the built environment continue to reflect this outdated ideal. Today’s suburb is not your mother’s suburb. We argue that these demographic changes create both a point of rupture that challenges traditional land use regulations and actual uses of space, and an opening for communities to embrace and plan for new residents. In order to respond to the needs of a diversifying suburban population, communities need to challenge the underlying assumptions of traditional zoning ordinances – the separation of uses and preference for single-family housing. We present an agenda for the future that includes planning responses that rethink the zoning hierarchy, promote new forms of densification, move beyond restrictive family definitions, and experiment with new forms of service delivery. PMID:26366018

Political violence and child adjustment in Northern Ireland: Testing pathways in a social-ecological model including single-and two-parent families.

PubMed

Cummings, E Mark; Schermerhorn, Alice C; Merrilees, Christine E; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C; Shirlow, Peter; Cairns, Ed

2010-07-01

Moving beyond simply documenting that political violence negatively impacts children, we tested a social-ecological hypothesis for relations between political violence and child outcomes. Participants were 700 mother-child (M = 12.1 years, SD = 1.8) dyads from 18 working-class, socially deprived areas in Belfast, Northern Ireland, including single- and two-parent families. Sectarian community violence was associated with elevated family conflict and children's reduced security about multiple aspects of their social environment (i.e., family, parent-child relations, and community), with links to child adjustment problems and reductions in prosocial behavior. By comparison, and consistent with expectations, links with negative family processes, child regulatory problems, and child outcomes were less consistent for nonsectarian community violence. Support was found for a social-ecological model for relations between political violence and child outcomes among both single- and two-parent families, with evidence that emotional security and adjustment problems were more negatively affected in single-parent families. The implications for understanding social ecologies of political violence and children's functioning are discussed.

Political violence and child adjustment in Northern Ireland: Testing pathways in a social ecological model including single and two-parent families

PubMed Central

Cummings, E. Mark; Schermerhorn, Alice C.; Merrilees, Christine E.; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.; Shirlow, Peter; Cairns, Ed

2013-01-01

Moving beyond simply documenting that political violence negatively impacts children, a social ecological hypothesis for relations between political violence and child outcomes was tested. Participants were 700 mother-child (M=12.1years, SD=1.8) dyads from 18 working class, socially deprived areas in Belfast, Northern Ireland, including single- and two-parent families. Sectarian community violence was associated with elevated family conflict and children’s reduced security about multiple aspects of their social environment (i.e., family, parent-child relations, and community), with links to child adjustment problems and reductions in prosocial behavior. By comparison, and consistent with expectations, links with negative family processes, child regulatory problems and child outcomes were less consistent for nonsectarian community violence. Support was found for a social ecological model for relations between political violence and child outcomes among both single and two parent families, with evidence that emotional security and adjustment problems were more negatively affected in single-parent families. The implications for understanding social ecologies of political violence and children’s functioning are discussed. PMID:20604605

Lessons from White Lake - Connecting Students to their Community through Environmental Stewardship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tate, Susan

2014-05-01

White Lake and its surrounding community have been negatively affected by shoreline degradation and wildlife habitat loss caused primarily by historical logging practices, and reduced water quality from industrial pollution and storm water runoff. This led to the lake being identified as a Great Lakes Area of Concern by the United States Environmental Protection Agency three decades ago. Local community partners have worked diligently in recent years to reverse habitat loss, and repair damaged ecosystems. The "H2O White Lake" (Healthy Habitats On White Lake) project has involved over seven hundred middle school students in grades six through eight over the course of the last five years. Students begin by researching the environmental history of the watershed and then they monitor six tributaries of the lake for nutrient pollution and habitat degradation. Students use the field experience as a community inventory to identify stewardship needs, for which they then identify solutions that take into account land usage and community behaviors. Class projects have focused on stream bank restoration, storm water management, eradication of invasive species, shoreline clean-up, and community outreach and education. This year, the project culminated in the first ever White Lake Environmental Film Festival, for which students had the opportunity to create their own short documentary. This multiple year place based education project allows students to apply their classroom studies of surface water and groundwater dynamics to an authentic, real-world situation, conduct themselves as scientists, and feel valuable through connections with community partners.

Social, Occupational, and Spatial Exposures and Mental Health Disparities of Working-Class Latinas in the US.

PubMed

Hsieh, Yu-Chin; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Hatzudis, Kiki; Sönmez, Sevil

2016-06-01

Grounded in ecosocial theory, this paper discusses the mental health disparities of working-class Latinas from multiple perspectives. An overview of working-class Latinas' prevalent mental health disorders, barriers to care and suggestions for interventions and future studies are provided.

Environmental trends in extinction during the Paleozoic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sepkoski, J. John, Jr.

1987-01-01

Extinction intensities calculated from 505 Paleozoic marine assemblages divided among six environmental zones and 40 stratigraphic intervals indicate that whole communities exhibit increasing extinction offshore but that genera within individual taxonomic classes tend to have their highest extinction onshore. The offshore trend at the community level results from a concentration of genera in classes with low characteristic extinction rates in nearshore environments. This finding is consistent with the ecologic expectation that organisms inhabiting unpredictably fluctuating environments should suffer more extinction than counterparts living under more predictably equitable conditions.

Learning Wellness: A Water Exercise Class in Zagreb, Croatia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, Donald N., Jr.

2007-01-01

The research reported in this article investigated the dynamics of a water exercise class with older adults in Zagreb, Croatia. It focused on 3 classes of older swimmers at a community exercise center. A total of 105 participants were asked to complete a short questionnaire. The questionnaire contained items on demographics, use of free time, and…

Shakespeare in Taiwan: Teaching Online in a Global Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goedde, Brian

2014-01-01

When you think of global, online education, the first thing that may jump to mind these days are MOOCs, the "massive open online classes" that are widely publicized (and criticized). The author states that his classes were not these, but rather, closer to what are now being called SPOCs--small private online classes. Enrollment is…

The Impact Of Middle Class Consumption On Democratization In Northeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

middle-class Koreans. This consumption disparity caused the structurally disadvantaged working-class Koreans to join national protests that ultimately...inequality and a mobility-restraining household registration system. There exists a key political tension around structurally disadvantaged Chinese migrant...lower middle-class Koreans. This consumption disparity caused the structurally disadvantaged working-class Koreans to join national protests that

A Model for Establishing Learning Communities at a HBCU in Graduate Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Bernadine; Barber-Freeman, Pamela T.

2008-01-01

Because of the positive effects of learning communities with undergraduates, these researchers proposed the Collaborative Learning Initiatives that Motivate Bi-cultural experiences model (CLIMB) to implement learning communities within graduate counseling and educational administration courses. This article examines the concept of learning…

SKOLE: The Journal of Alternative Education, 1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SKOLE: The Journal of Alternative Education, 1993

1993-01-01

The two issues of the journal SKOLE for 1993 contain original articles and reprints about small alternative schools, home schooling, school as community and community as school, racial and class inequalities in public schooling, and various educational philosophies and innovations. Major articles include: (1) "School As Community:…

Research Experiences in Community College Science Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beauregard, A.

2011-12-01

The benefits of student access to scientific research opportunities and the use of data in curriculum and student inquiry-driven approaches to teaching as effective tools in science instruction are compelling (i.e., Ledley, et al., 2008; Gawel & Greengrove, 2005; Macdonald, et al., 2005; Harnik & Ross. 2003). Unfortunately, these experiences are traditionally limited at community colleges due to heavy faculty teaching loads, a focus on teaching over research, and scarce departmental funds. Without such hands-on learning activities, instructors may find it difficult to stimulate excitement about science in their students, who are typically non-major and nontraditional. I present two different approaches for effectively incorporating research into the community college setting that each rely on partnerships with other institutions. The first of these is a more traditional approach for providing research experiences to undergraduate students, though such experiences are limited at community colleges, and involves student interns working on a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Specifically, students participate in a water quality assessment study of two local bayous. Students work on different aspects of the project, including water sample collection, bio-assay incubation experiments, water quality sample analysis, and collection and identification of phytoplankton. Over the past four years, nine community college students, as well as two undergraduate students and four graduate students from the local four-year university have participated in this research project. Aligning student and faculty research provides community college students with the unique opportunity to participate in the process of active science and contribute to "real" scientific research. Because students are working in a local watershed, these field experiences provide a valuable "place-based" educational opportunity. The second approach links cutting-edge oceanographic research with my community college students by partnering with a research oceanographer. Through this partnership, students have had access to an active oceanographic researcher through classroom visits, use of data in curriculum, and research/cruise progress updates. With very little research activity currently going on at the community college, this "window" into scientific research is invaluable. Another important aspect of this project is the development of a summer internship program that has allowed four community college students to work directly with an oceanographer in her lab for ten weeks. This connection of community college students with world-class scientists in the field promotes better understanding of research and potentially may encourage more students to major in the sciences. In either approach, the interaction with scientists at different stages of their careers, from undergraduate and graduate students at universities to post docs and research scientists, also provides community college students with the opportunity to gain insight into possible career pathways. For both majors and non-majors, a key outcome of such experiences will be gaining experience in using inquiry and reasoning through the scientific method and becoming comfortable with data and technology.

An Exploration of Dental Students' Assumptions About Community-Based Clinical Experiences.

PubMed

Major, Nicole; McQuistan, Michelle R

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to ascertain which assumptions dental students recalled feeling prior to beginning community-based clinical experiences and whether those assumptions were fulfilled or challenged. All fourth-year students at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics participate in community-based clinical experiences. At the completion of their rotations, they write a guided reflection paper detailing the assumptions they had prior to beginning their rotations and assessing the accuracy of their assumptions. For this qualitative descriptive study, the 218 papers from three classes (2011-13) were analyzed for common themes. The results showed that the students had a variety of assumptions about their rotations. They were apprehensive about working with challenging patients, performing procedures for which they had minimal experience, and working too slowly. In contrast, they looked forward to improving their clinical and patient management skills and knowledge. Other assumptions involved the site (e.g., the equipment/facility would be outdated; protocols/procedures would be similar to the dental school's). Upon reflection, students reported experiences that both fulfilled and challenged their assumptions. Some continued to feel apprehensive about treating certain patient populations, while others found it easier than anticipated. Students were able to treat multiple patients per day, which led to increased speed and patient management skills. However, some reported challenges with time management. Similarly, students were surprised to discover some clinics were new/updated although some had limited instruments and materials. Based on this study's findings about students' recalled assumptions and reflective experiences, educators should consider assessing and addressing their students' assumptions prior to beginning community-based dental education experiences.

Social Class, Identity and the "Good" Student: Negotiating University Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearce, Jane; Down, Barry; Moore, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Through the use of narrative portraits this paper discusses social class and identity, as working-class university students perceive them. With government policy encouraging wider participation rates from under-represented groups of people within the university sector, working-class students have found themselves to be the objects of much…

Permanent work incapacity, mortality and survival without work incapacity among occupations and social classes: a cohort study of ageing men in Geneva.

PubMed

Gubéran, E; Usel, M

1998-12-01

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the burden of disability and death in men, from middle age to age of retirement, among occupational groups and classes in Geneva. Men were included if they resided in the Canton of Geneva, were 45 years of age in 1970-1972, and were not receiving a disability pension at the start of the follow-up. The cohort of 5137 men was followed up for 20 years and linked to national registers of disability pension allowance and of causes of death. There was a steep upward trend in incidence of permanent work incapacity with lower social class for all causes as well as for the seven causes of disability studied. Compared with professional occupations (social class I), the relative risk (RR) of permanent work incapacity was 11.4 for partly skilled and unskilled occupations (class IV+V) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.2-28.0). The social class gradient in mortality was in the same direction as that in work incapacity although much less steep (RR class IV+V to class I = 1.6, 95% CI : 1.1-2.2). Survival without work incapacity at the time of the 65th birthday ranged from only 57% in construction workers and labourers to 89% in science and related professionals. Unemployment in Geneva was below 1.5% during almost all the study period. Medically-ascertained permanent work incapacity and survival without work incapacity have shown considerably greater socioeconomic differentials than the mortality differentials.

The diversity and biogeography of the communities of Actinobacteria in the forelands of glaciers at a continental scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Binglin; Wu, Xiukun; Zhang, Gaosen; Li, Shuyan; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Ximing; Sun, Likun; Zhang, Baogui; Liu, Guangxiu; Chen, Tuo

2016-05-01

Glacier forelands, where the initially exposed area is unvegetated with minimal human influence, are an ideal place for research on the distributions and biogeography of microbial communities. Actinobacteria produce many bioactive substances and have important roles in soil development and biogeochemical cycling. However, little is known about the distribution and biogeography of Actinobacteria in glacier forelands. Therefore, we investigated the patterns of diversity and the biogeography of actinobacterial communities of the inhabited forefields of 5 glaciers in China. Of the bacteria, the mean relative abundance of Actinobacteria was 13.1%, and 6 classes were identified in the phylum Actinobacteria. The dominant class was Actinobacteria (57%), which was followed in abundance by Acidimicrobiia (19%) and Thermoleophilia (19%). When combined, the relative abundance of the other three classes, the MB-A2-108, Nitriliruptoria and Rubrobacteria, was only 2.4%. A biogeographic pattern in the forelands of the 5 glaciers in China was not detected for actinobacterial communities. Compared with 7 other actinobacterial communities found in the forelands of glaciers globally, those in the Southern Hemisphere were significantly different from those in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, the communities were significantly different on the separate continents of the Northern Hemisphere. The dissimilarity of the actinobacterial communities increased with geographic distance (r = 0.428, p = 0.0003). Because of environmental factors, the effect of geography was clear when the distance exceeded a certain continent-level threshold. With the analysis of indicator species, we found that each genus had a geographic characteristic, which could explain why the communities with greater diversity were more strongly affected by biogeography.

Responding to Children's Everyday Transgressions in Chinese Working-Class Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Xiao-lei; Bernas, Ronan; Eberhard, Philippe

2008-01-01

This study examines how working-class mothers in the People's Republic of China respond to their young children's transgressions in everyday contexts. Twenty 4-year-old children and their mothers in a working-class neighbourhood were observed in their daily routines at home. When addressing children's transgressions and socialising desirable…

Course Differentiation in the High School: The Perspective of Working Class Females.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaskell, Jane

Working-class high school girls choose courses for a variety of reasons, both consciously and subconsciously, and use conventional attitudes to justify their choices to themselves and others, according to working-class girls who volunteered to be interviewed during their free periods in Vancouver (British Columbia) high schools. The girls cited…

Strange Imports: Working-Class Appalachian Women in the Composition Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedukovich, Casie

2009-01-01

Valerie Miner muses in "Writing and Teaching with Class:" "I've always carried that Miner suspicion that laboring with words is not real work . . . Should I be doing something useful?" (1993, 74). If working-class academics face uneasy negotiations between their disciplines and their home cultures, which may include deployment…