Brochure: Florida Junior College at Jacksonville Celebrates the Achievements of Women in Politics the Arts the Community

Event held to celebrate Women\u27s achievements in politics, the arts, and the community on November 12, 1975. Guest Speakers included Florynce Kennedy, Antonia Brico, and Lois Graessle

Legal aspects of certification requirements for private elementary and secondary school teachers

The purpose of this research was to determine the legal basis and statutory requirements for certification of private elementary and secondary school teachers. An analysis of state statutes was done based on examination of appropriate code sections of the fifty states, responses to letters sent to all chief state school officers, and follow-up telephone interviews with department of education officials in seventeen states. The legal basis for certification of private school teachers was ascertained through an analysis of relevant state and federal court cases. The results of the study indicate that certification is required for all private school teachers in nine states and for all teachers in licensed, approved, or accredited private schools in thirteen states. Certification is not required for teachers in private elementary and secondary schools in twenty-eight states. In five of the nine states requiring certification, enforcement of the requirement is accomplished through compulsory attendance laws

Using the Contextualized Interaction Model to examine changes in teacher beliefs

With the increased importance placed on the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields throughout the world but particularly in the United States, research in mathematics education has become widely recognized as critical to efforts to improve the ability of U. S. students to compete in a global market. A key focus of this movement has included efforts to improve the teaching of mathematics. Unfortunately, changes in teachers’ practices have been slow to evolve. Researchers have found that teachers’ beliefs are a critical barrier to enacting change. Though the relationship between teacher beliefs and practices has been studied since the early 80’s, a consistent and encompassing model for the interaction between teachers’ beliefs and practices has not emerged. This paper presents a proposed model of teacher change, the Contextualized Interaction Model, and the findings of a multiple case study which utilized the model to examine the changes in the beliefs of three elementary teachers engaged in a professional development program. The proposed model was found to accurately include the various factors which appear to interact with teacher beliefs though it was altered to include the impact of the curriculum as a key factor. The various contextual factors represented by the proposed model were found to profoundly impact the alignment between teachers’ beliefs and practices

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Diurnal Rock-Lifting And Nocturnal Dive-Lighting Surveys For Eastern Hellbenders

Studies designed to better understand perceived hellbender population declines typically use diurnal rock-lifting surveys to detect individuals. However, these methods are invasive as they may alter sheltering or breeding habitat or result in injuries to hellbenders and surveyors. Further, diurnal surveys omit bedrock and large boulders that cannot be lifted. Between the months of June and August, 2019, I compared the number of detections and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of nocturnal snorkel surveys, followed by traditional diurnal rock-lifting surveys across 11 sites within the New, Watauga and Nolichucky river drainages in Western North Carolina. An additional late August - late September pass was conducted to reveal any breeding period effect on nocturnal detection rates. Wilcoxon signed-rank revealed that number of animals detected did not vary with method (diurnal to nocturnal summer: (Z = 37, df = 10, P = 0.08); nocturnal summer to nocturnal breeding: (Z = 9, df = 7, P = 0.68). Detections increased in 63% of sites during nocturnal surveys in both summer and breeding nocturnal surveys when compared to diurnal rock-lifting surveys. Paired t-tests comparison of hellbender catches across three survey treatments revealed that CPUE was statistically higher in the nocturnal summer treatment (t = 2.69, df = 9, P = 0.025); this difference was not observed between nocturnal-summer and nocturnal-breeding surveys (t = - 0.95, df = 7, P = 0.37). During nocturnal snorkel surveys, CPUE increased in 82% and 88% of sites for early summer and late summer treatments with 26% and 13% of detections being individuals sheltering in bedrock crevices during early summer and late summer nocturnal surveys respectively. Contrastingly, during early summer diurnal surveys, all detections were from beneath boulder substrate. By targeting the period of highest presumed activity in these cryptic salamanders, I was able to obtain more representative enumeration estimates of populations size likely because detection probabilities were equal or higher at most sites. These results suggest that both methods are similarly effective at detecting hellbenders. However, nocturnal surveys have the advantage of minimizing microhabitat impacts and are more efficient in terms of search effort. Additionally, non-invasive sampling can also be used to conduct surveys during the breeding season when nesting animals would presumably be more sensitive to disturbance associated with rock-lifting

Detection and Quantification of Leptospira interrogans in Hamster and Rat Kidney Samples: Immunofluorescent Imprints versus Real-time PCR

A major limitation in the clinical management and experimental research of leptospirosis is the poor performance of the available methods for the direct detection of leptospires. In this study, we compared real-time PCR (qPCR), targeting the lipL32 gene, with the immunofluorescent imprint method (IM) for the detection and quantification of leptospires in kidney samples from the rat and hamster experimental models of leptospirosis. Using a virulent strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni, a chronic infection was established in the rat model, which were euthanized 28 days post-infection, while the hamster model simulated an acute infection and the hamsters were euthanized eight days after inoculation. Leptospires in the kidney samples were detected using culture isolation, qPCR and the IM, and quantified using qPCR and the IM. In both the acute and chronic infection models, the correlation between quantification by qPCR and the IM was found to be positive and statistically significant (P<0.05). Therefore, this study demonstrates that the IM is a viable alternative for not only the detection but also the quantification of leptospires, particularly when the use of qPCR is not feasible

A pilot randomized controlled trial for a videoconference-delivered mindfulness-based group intervention in a nonclinical setting

Technology is increasingly being integrated into the provision of therapy and mental health interventions. While the evidence base for technology-led delivery of mindfulness-based interventions is growing, one approach to understanding the effects of technology-delivered elements includes so-named blended programs that continue to include aspects of traditional face-to-face interaction. This arrangement offers unique practical advantages, and also enables researchers to isolate variables that may be underlying the effects of technology-delivered interventions. The present study reports on a pilot videoconference-delivered mindfulness-based group intervention offered to university students and staff members with wait-list controls. Apart from the first session of the six-week course, the main facilitator guided evening classes remotely via online videoconferencing, with follow-up exercises via email. Participants Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation were taught a variety of mindfulness-based exercises such as meditation, breathing exercises, mindful tasting, as well as the concepts underpinning such practice. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires on depression, anxiety, repetitive negative thinking, dysfunctional attitudes, positive and negative affect, self-compassion, compassion for others, and mindfulness. For participants who attended at least five of the six sessions, scores on all outcome measures improved significantly post intervention and remained stable at three-week follow up. The videoconference-delivered mindfulness-based group intervention appears to provide a viable alternative format to standard mindfulness programs where the facilitator and participants need to live in close physical proximity with each other