Katie Mikler\u27s School Diploma - 1926 - Oviedo School

An image of the diploma earned in 1926 by Katherine (Katie) Mikler at Oviedo School. Katie arrived in Slavia at the age of 1 and by the time she was 9 years old, was baking the bread for her large family and by 13 was responsible for all the laundry and many more chores. When she was needed at home, she was not allowed to attend school. But no child loved learning more than Katie or was more proud of earning an 8th grade school diploma at last....at age 16. Scanned on Epson 10000XL at SLLC, 2011.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cfm-images/1267/thumbnail.jp

Sketching Towards Character: An Actor\u27s Process of Reclaiming the Mind-Body Connection

The human body is capable of incredible things. It completes vital functions autonomically, can instinctively protect us from harm, helps us sense, process, and respond to the world we inhabit, and can even heal itself when necessary. But what happens when an actor, who is dependent on their body to express their artistry, has lost awareness of their material? With the help of this thesis and the crafting of a personal methodology, I have developed a process that works towards healing this fracture and encourages the initial crafting of character through embodiment. This thesis details the evolution of a personal methodology that uses abstract movement to simplify the early stages of character development. This thesis then demonstrates the testing and application of this new methodology through a portrayal of William Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. With the desire to strengthen trust between the mind and body, this methodology displays how actors can unburden themselves from over-analysis and self-doubt. Rooted in the Michael Chekhov technique and inspired by visual art fundamentals, this thesis presents a character-building approach that uses physical sketches layered with the basic elements of line, color, and texture. In this thesis, I offer ways for an actor to construct richer, more nuanced performances by allowing movement to lead the creative process. Through graduate coursework and key productions, including Metamorphoses, The Cherry Orchard, and Macbeth, I examine how an actor, whose relationship to their body has recently transformed, can still find a deep connection between themselves and their character, between their artistic material and their creative imagination

Exploring Instructors\u27 Practices And Perceptions Towards Artificial Intelligence Integration In Postsecondary Literacy Classrooms

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in post-secondary literacy is seeing increasing prevalence in the classroom. However, there is a gap in the literature in which specifically studies have been done regarding teachers practices and perceptions towards AI in the post-secondary literacy spaces, specifically integrated reading and writing spaces at the post-secondary level. This dissertation will examine the various practices and perceptions of instructors toward AI-driven tools in integrated reading and writing classrooms. In integrated reading and writing classrooms, cultivating students\u27 literacy skills is fundamental for developing critical thinkers and empowered learners. With AI becoming increasingly integrated into literacy instruction, there have been studies conducted specifically addressing AI\u27s role in college writing within and English language learners (Aljuaid, 2024; Wang, 2024; Wang et al., 2024) however there is a gap in research specifically addressing AI\u27s role in integrated reading and writing classrooms at the post-secondary level. Instructors\u27 perceptions and practices significantly influence how AI can enhance students\u27 literacy outcomes. While previous studies have explored AI in broader educational contexts (AlDhaen, 2022; Bearman et al., 2022; Bond et al., 2024; Crompton & Burke, 2023), focused research on AI\u27s application in integrated reading and writing remains limited. This qualitative case study will examine how developmental literacy instructors perceive and utilize AI tools in their classrooms, as well as their experiences with this integration. Grounded in the Artificial Intelligence -Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (AI-TPACK) framework proposed by Celik (2023), along with Gee\u27s (1999) discourse theory and Rosenblatt\u27s (1994) transactional theory, this study will analyze how developmental literacy instructors\u27 knowledge and discourse about AI shape their pedagogical approaches. This study will aim to address the limited research on AI integration in integrated reading and writing classrooms at the post-secondary level by exploring developmental literary instructors\u27 perceptions and practices. It will further aim to provide instructors with insights into the potential role of AI in literacy development. Finally, this study will explore how professional development and prior AI knowledge impact instructors\u27 ability to integrate AI tools effectively

Do not settle for one Large Language Model - leverage them all and use better tooling with QuadC AI!

This session will discuss how QuadC\u27s AI solution leverages multiple AI Large Language Models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.) on one platform with better tooling and more flexible licensing. This will help educators save time and effort, enable students to learn better and faster, and some improved administrative capabilities to help scale deployment. Participants will learn how the platform leverages multiple AI LLM models to provide different perspectives to encourage critical thinking and detect/challenge biases; how better tooling in the platform can save time on grading, make make working with LMS systems easier, get sentiment analysis, and provide abuse detection; and also how one can start using this platform in your organization easily in small steps starting from a single class and eventually scaling to the whole school with minimal administrative support

Beyond the Buzzwords: Integrating an AI Literacy Module Across the Curriculum

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prevalent, institutions must equip students with AI literacy in ways that are both comprehensive and adaptable. This poster showcases a module developed at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) as a practical example. It offers tips and considerations for building an AI literacy module for your learning management system that can be widely integrated across the curriculum without overburdening educators or learners. A QR code will be available for attendees to access the full module, which can serve as a framework for developing similar resources at their own institutions

Performance of LASSO and Ridge Regression for Variable Selection in Genome-Wide Association Studies of Maize Flowering Time

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) are instrumental in identifying genetic variants linked to complex traits, providing valuable insights into trait heritability and biological mechanisms. This study applies GWAS to investigate flowering time in maize, a critical adaptive trait, using a diverse dataset of 5,000 recombinant inbred lines across eight environments. Traditional GWAS methods often encounter challenges in high-dimensional datasets due to the presence of multiple small-effect genetic loci. To address this, we compared two penalized regression methods—LASSO and Ridge regression—to perform variable selection and regression analysis within a GWAS framework. LASSO effectively reduced the number of predictors by selecting the most impactful variables, while Ridge regression retained more features, offering a broader genetic context for predicting flowering time. Results demonstrated that Ridge regression yielded slightly better predictive performance, achieving a lower Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) than LASSO

When Clotting and Bleeding Collide: A Case of Bilateral PE and Concurrent Upper GI Hemorrhage

Introduction Concurrent episodes of pulmonary emboli and gastrointestinal bleeding in one patient are not commonly seen. When a patient presents with both, it presents a challenge to manage as they are opposite ends of the same disease spectrum associated with the coagulation system. Case Report We present the case of a 65-year-old male who presented to our hospital via EMS with unknown prior history after a witnessed cardiac arrest, who on evaluation also had a concurrent bilateral pulmonary emboli with right heart strain. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? While there is extensive research on the management of a PE and upper GI bleeding, there is limited data on concurrent management of both conditions. This case serves to explore the clinical dilemmas related to the management of patients with coexisting PE and an upper GI bleed

Collaborative opportunities between academic librarians and ESL faculty to support international students

Session for the Sunshine TESOL Conference This session will explore ways academic librarians and ESL faculty can collaborate to support not only the research skills of international students but also out of classroom learning opportunities for students. As an academic librarian working on a TEFL certificate, I hope to highlight the value of librarians learning about teaching and outreach techniques targeted to English language learners and faculty learning about unique challenges international students face using American academic libraries and conducting research

Insights into Iapodian Lifeways: Phytolith and Starch Grain Analysis of Animal and Human Dental Calculus from Croatia

The Piplica hillfort is located near the village of Lovinac within the Lika region of Croatia. The Bronze Age is a pivotal period in Europe that encompasses changes in landscapes, social structures, and famously includes vast production of metals. The Bronze Age in Lika is characterized by changes in social, political, and economic lifeways; denser populations; expanded trade networks; and advancements in agriculture, husbandry, and metal-working. However, little is known about the Iapodes people, who inhabited the Lika region during the Late Bronze Age, and how they interacted with their environment. The Iapodes were only known from classical Greek written sources until excavations beginning in the 19th century. The Iapodes left material culture including ceramics, amber, metalwork, and glass but also animal bones and plant remains. However, poor preservation of paleobotanical remains does not allow us to know much about Iapodian agricultural practices. This project intends to contribute to the paleoethnobotanical knowledge of Croatia and provide insight into Iapodian lifeways. Paleoethnobotanical and zooarchaeological methods were utilized to analyze 20 animal teeth and eight human teeth provided by Dr. Emily Zavodny. Dental calculus from the teeth was scraped off and processed in Dr. Neil Duncan’s Paleoethnobotany and Environmental Archaeology Laboratory (PEAL) for phytolith and starch grain analysis. A single unidentifiable starch grain was found after processing. Further testing of phytolith and starch grain extraction from animal and human dental calculus is suggested to continue building on paleoethnobotanical knowledge of the region. Complementary methods such as microwear analysis, residue analysis, and sediment analysis are recommended to provide additional means of gathering context and data in future studies

Roleing In & Out of Character

This thesis explores different methods for an actor to safely get in and out of character. There is a myriad of methodologies for actors to get into their roles, but not much public information on how actors should get out of character. My research navigates how to release a role, or ‘de-roleing,’ along with what actors need in preparation for taking on a role, or ‘pre-roleing.’ The risks of not having an efficient pre-roleing and de-roleing method are emphasized. Using a combination of ideas brought on by Augusto Boal, Susana Bloch, Suzanne Dieckman, and others, I explore methods to de-role and elaborate on what I found has worked. The lack of a sufficient pre-roleing method is directly linked to why so many actors suffer from boundary blurring. As a theatre educator, it’s our responsibility to educate theatre students on the risks of not having a healthy methodology, along with guiding them towards sufficient pre- and de-roleing methods. By cultivating awareness about pre-roleing and de-roleing, we prevent future actors from self-detriment. Inspired by my experience of boundary blurring with a past role, I have implemented pre-roleing methods in my roles over the past year. My methods have enabled me to separate myself from my character with more ease and have led to new discoveries. Through exploring different de-roleing concepts, pre-roleing techniques are revealed along with a call to action for theatre educators. Analysis from roles done during my master’s program and vernacular to be familiar with if wanting to continue acting is discussed. My intention is to showcase the necessity of having a healthy pre-roleing method if one wants to de-role safely out of a role, which in turn would minimize the effects of an emotional hangover on an actor post-production