Teachers’ Phonological Awareness Assessment Practices, Self-Reported Knowledge and Actual Knowledge: The Challenge of Assessing What You May Know Less About

This study investigates the relationship between early childhood (EC) and early years’ primary school (EYPS) teachers’ phonological awareness (PA) assessment practices, self-reported PA knowledge and actual PA knowledge. Method: A survey design was employed whereby 102 registered Australian EC and EYPS teachers responded to questions regarding PA assessment practices, self-reported PA knowledge and actual PA knowledge. Results: The results showed: a) more than 80% of teachers use PA assessments, with EYPS teachers conducting frequent assessments and EC teachers conducting rare-to-occasional assessments; b) over-estimation of self-reported PA knowledge; c) low levels of actual PA knowledge; and d) high usage of observations and professional judgement as assessment methods despite limited own PA knowledge. Implications: Increasing EC and EYPS teachers’ knowledge of PA and improving their self-appraisal skills is critical for high-quality teacher PA assessment practices, and it illustrates the need for robust pre- and in-service teacher training

Teachers’ Phonological Awareness Assessment Practices, Self-Reported Knowledge and Actual Knowledge: The Challenge of Assessing What You May Know Less About

This study investigates the relationship between early childhood (EC) and early years’ primary school (EYPS) teachers’ phonological awareness (PA) assessment practices, self-reported PA knowledge and actual PA knowledge. Method: A survey design was employed whereby 102 registered Australian EC and EYPS teachers responded to questions regarding PA assessment practices, self-reported PA knowledge and actual PA knowledge. Results: The results showed: a) more than 80% of teachers use PA assessments, with EYPS teachers conducting frequent assessments and EC teachers conducting rare-to-occasional assessments; b) over-estimation of self-reported PA knowledge; c) low levels of actual PA knowledge; and d) high usage of observations and professional judgement as assessment methods despite limited own PA knowledge. Implications: Increasing EC and EYPS teachers’ knowledge of PA and improving their self-appraisal skills is critical for high-quality teacher PA assessment practices, and it illustrates the need for robust pre- and in-service teacher training

Dekreacja. Wypowiadanie Boga: Safona, Marguerite Porete i Simone Weil

Esej przedstawia interpretację poezji Safony oraz pism teologicznych Marguerite Porete i Simone Weil w kontekście aktu dekreacji: usunięcia siebie z relacji ze światem i Bogiem. Dekreacja jest rozpatrywana jako rodzaj ekstazy, mającej na celu przybliżenie do Boga. Ekstaza jest aktywną formą zanegowania świadomości (Bycia). Figurą relacji z Bogiem jest zazdrość, ukazana w ruchu tanecznym i pozwalająca na zachowanie dialektycznej pozycji – bliskiej i dalekiej – względem Stwórcy-ukochanego.The essay presents an interpretation of Sappho’s poetry as well as the theological works of Marguerite Porete and Simone Weil in the context of the act of decreation – moving aside in relation to the world and to God. Decreation is considered an ecstasy aiming to come closer to God. Ecstasy, however, is an active form of negating consciousness (Being). The figure of a relation with God is jealousy – presented in the movement of dance and allowing to keep a dialectical position (distant and close) to the Creator-lover

Supporting Teachers to Work with Children with Exceptionalities

The current study had two purposes: to explore further revisions to the Three-Part Schedule D Additional Qualification (AQ) courses in special education and to determine if a virtual knowledge network would be a viable and welcome tool in building teacher capacity for classroom inclusion of students with exceptionalities. Educational stakeholders convened at the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) for a two-day consultation meeting. A consensus-building workshop was used on the first day to discuss further revisions to the revised AQ course guidelines and to specifically identify gaps in teacher knowledge and skills. An open space consultation (Owen, 1997) was used on the second day to discuss the possibility of a provincial virtual knowledge network that would support revised Special Education AQ course guidelines and build capacity for teachers working with children with exceptionalities. Keywords: Ontario, teacher education, inclusive education, special education, additional qualifications

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate induces peripheral neuropathy and alters inflammation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the brains of mice.

Mounting evidence suggests that antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs may contribute to the prevalence of HIV-associated neurological dysfunction. The HIV envelope glycoprotein (gp120) is neurotoxic and has been linked to alterations in mitochondrial function and increased inflammatory gene expression, which are common neuropathological findings in HIV+ cases on ART with neurological disorders. Tenofovir disproxil fumarate (TDF) has been shown to affect neurogenesis in brains of mice and mitochondria in neurons. In this study, we hypothesized that TDF contributes to neurotoxicity by modulating mitochondrial biogenesis and inflammatory pathways. TDF administered to wild-type (wt) and GFAP-gp120 transgenic (tg) mice caused peripheral neuropathy, as indicated by nerve conduction slowing and thermal hyperalgesia. Conversely TDF protected gp120-tg mice from cognitive dysfunction. In the brains of wt and gp120-tg mice, TDF decreased expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). However, double immunolabelling revealed that TFAM was reduced in neurons and increased in astroglia in the hippocampi of TDF-treated wt and gp120-tg mice. TDF also increased expression of GFAP and decreased expression of IBA1 in the wt and gp120-tg mice. TDF increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α in wt mice. However, TDF reduced interleukin (IL) 1β and TNFα mRNA in gp120-tg mouse brains. Primary human astroglia were exposed to increasing doses of TDF for 24 hours and then analyzed for mitochondrial alterations and inflammatory gene expression. In astroglia, TDF caused a dose-dependent increase in oxygen consumption rate, extracellular acidification rate and spare respiratory capacity, changes consistent with increased metabolism. TDF also reduced IL-1β-mediated increases in IL-1β and TNFα mRNA. These data demonstrate that TDF causes peripheral neuropathy in mice and alterations in inflammatory signaling and mitochondrial activity in the brain