Professional identity

This chapter discusses the concept of professional identity and how professional teachers develop their identity. Policy contexts as well as research contexts are discussed in terms of how these shape professional working conditions

What do students feel about PBL? Discussion of interim findings from a small scale study of medical and education students' experiences of problem-based learning in a Scottish university

This paper looks at the experiences of problem-based learning among groups of medical and education students in the University of Glasgow. PBL has been in use in the university in a number of different contexts for some time now, and this paper sets out to give those participating in professional education taught by this methodology a voice in assessing its effectiveness and in articulating their own experiences of it. Using qualitative methods, students were invited to respond to a range of issues. The results indicate acceptance for the methodology as an effective teaching medium, but indicate a range of differing perceptions both between the 2 groups and within the groups themselves

The importance of collegiality and reciprocal learning in the professional development of beginning teachers

This paper discusses factors which enhance induction experiences for beginning teachers. It reports the findings from case studies which explore the impact of new entrants to the teaching profession in Scotland. The data suggest that the most supportive induction processes mix both formal and informal elements, but that the informal elements such as collegiality, good communication and a welcoming workplace environment should not be underestimated. The study also highlights the potential benefits of a more collegiate environment for teachers across the career phases. Experienced teachers and new entrants had a range of experience to offer each other, thus creating more cohesive professional working which was supportive of early career teachers while encouraging reflection on practice among the more experienced professionals

Evidence for a Functional Interaction between Integrins and G Protein-activated Inward Rectifier K+ Channels

Heteromultimeric G protein-activated inward rectifier K+ (GIRK) channels, abundant in heart and brain, help to determine the cellular membrane potential as well as the frequency and duration of electrical impulses. The sequence arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD), located extracellularly between the first membrane-spanning region and the pore, is conserved among all identified GIRK subunits but is not found in the extracellular domain of any other cloned K+ channels. Many integrins, which, like channels, are integral membrane proteins, recognize this RGD sequence on other proteins, usually in the extracellular matrix. We therefore asked whether GIRK activity might be regulated by direct interaction with integrin. Here, we present evidence that mutation of the RGD site to RGE, particularly on the GIRK4 subunit, decreases or abolishes GIRK current. Furthermore, wild-type channels can be co-immunoprecipitated with integrin. The total cellular amount of expressed mutant GIRK channel protein is the same as the wild-type protein; however, the amount of mutant channel protein that localizes to the plasma membrane is decreased relative to wild-type, most likely accounting for the diminished GIRK current detected. GIRK channels appear to bind directly to integrin and to require this interaction for proper GIRK channel membrane localization and function

Does use of touch screen computer technology improve classroom engagement in children?

Many studies have shown that the use of technology in the classroom may influence pupil engagement. Despite the recent widespread use of tablet technology, however, very little research has been carried out into their use in a primary school setting. We investigated the use of tablet computers, specifically Apple’s ‘iPad’, in an upper primary school setting with regard to children’s engagement. Cognitive, emotional and general engagement was higher in lessons based on iPads than those which were not. There was no difference in behavioral engagement. Of particular significance was the increase in engagement seen in boys, which resulted in their engagement levels increasing to levels comparable to those seen in girls. These findings suggest that tablet technology has potential as a tool in the classroom setting

Anomalous sea-ice reduction in the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean during summer 2010

Special Issue: The Second International Symposium on the Arctic Research (ISAR - 2

Spatial and temporal variability of oceanic heat flux to the Arctic ice pack

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 110 (2005): C07021, doi:10.1029/2004JC002293.In order to simulate the large-scale structure and temporal variability of oceanic heat flux (F w) to the Arctic perennial ice pack, observations of heat in the mixed layer and ice dynamics are compared with parameterizations and climatologies. Long-term drifting platform observations of seawater temperature and salinity (primarily from automated buoys) are used to describe the annual cycle of temperature above freezing (ΔT f) in the mixed layer beneath the ice pack, which are modulated by ice-ocean friction velocities (u*) determined from the platform drifts to produce estimates of F w between 1975 and 1998. On average, ΔT f is not negligible in winter, especially in the Transpolar Drift, which implies a positive F w to the ice pack by means other than solar heating. A parameterization based solely on the solar zenith angle (with a 1 month lag) is found to largely describe the observed ΔT f (with root mean square error of 0.03°C), despite the lack of an albedo or open water term. A reconstruction of F w from 1979 to 2002 is produced by modulating parameterized ΔT f with u* on the basis of daily ice drift estimates from a composite satellite and in situ data set. The reconstructed estimates are corrected for regional variations and are compared to independent estimates of F w from ice mass balance measurements, indicating annual F w averages between 3 and 4 W m−2 depending on the selection of under-ice roughness length in the ice-ocean stress calculations. Although the interannual variations in ΔT f are fixed by the parameterization in the derived reconstruction, the dynamics indicate an overall positive trend (0.2 W m−2 decade−1) in Arctic F w, with the largest variations found in the southern Beaufort Gyre.Portions of this work were prepared with funding provided by the International Arctic Research Center and National Science Foundation ARCSS program (grant OPP-0230184). Analysis of the IOEB data was accomplished as part of the IOEB program, which was supported by the Office of Naval Research, High Latitude Program, and Japan Marine Science and Technology Center

The Formation of the Double Pulsar PSR J0737-3039A/B

Recent timing observations of the double pulsar J0737-3039A/B have shown that its transverse velocity is extremely low, only 10 km/s, and nearly in the Plane of the Galaxy. With this new information, we rigorously re-examine the history and formation of this system, determining estimates of the pre-supernova companion mass, supernova kick and misalignment angle between the pre- and post-supernova orbital planes. We find that the progenitor to the recently formed `B' pulsar was probably less than 2 MSun, lending credence to suggestions that this object may not have formed in a normal supernova involving the collapse of an iron core. At the same time, the supernova kick was likely non-zero. A comparison to the history of the double-neutron-star binary B1534+12 suggests a range of possible parameters for the progenitors of these systems, which should be taken into account in future binary population syntheses and in predictions of the rate and spatial distribution of short gamma-ray burst events.Comment: To appear in MNRAS Letters. Title typo fix only; no change to pape

TB199: Ant–Homopteran Relationships: Relevance to an Ant Invasion in Maine

The richness and diversity of native ant species on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, have been reduced in areas infested with Myrica rubra (European red ant). In general, the success of invasive ant species has been attributed to interference and exploitative competition coupled with the ants’ opportunistic diets. In field experiments on Mount Desert Island, Maine, M. rubra discovered and recruited to baits faster than native ants. This study also showed that M. rubra displaced most native ant species from food resources (Garnas 2005). This, together with M. rubra’s aggressive defense of invaded territories, has led to fewer native ants in infested areas. The purpose of this literature review is to investigate ant–homopteran relationships and discuss the possibility of homopterans indirectly aiding ant invasions.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1004/thumbnail.jp