Developing reflective practice in distance teacher education programs

Among the many challenges that teacher education programs face is fostering reflective practice in the future teachers. The difficulty is increased in distance education programs where face-to-face contact between students and teachers is missing. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the perceptions of reflective teaching, tools for reflection, and self-evaluation of reflective practices from in-service teachers enrolled in the distance BA and MA in English language teaching at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. Although subjects were able to describe reflective practice and its importance, they recognized that these practices are usually limited to activities undertaken as students, and once the course requirements have been completed, they were no longer practiced

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Summer 2009

BLM and wildfire protection in the Mojave, studies of the sticky ringstem flowering phenology in Lake Mead NRA, restoration work within gypsum soils, post-fire response synthesis for Mojave and Sonoran desert

PROPOSAL OF ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY CONSIDERING THE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY

El presente trabajo es una propuesta de materiales para enseñar inglés a través de la teoría de las inteligencias múltiples. Desde mi punto de vista los alumnos necesitan diferentes tipos de materiales para aprender inglés de una manera más exitosa. Además es importante mencionar que generalmente todas las personas aprenden de diferentes maneras, por estas circunstancias los profesores deben identificar las necesidades de los alumnos así como su inteligencia más desarrollada para poder enseñarles de una manera más efectiva. Hoy en día, el inglés es una lengua franca reconocida mundialmente; por consecuencia, tanto el aprendizaje como la enseñanza del inglés se han convertido en actividades importantes; como ejemplo tenemos los recursos culturales de la literatura, programas de televisión, películas, y/o la ciencia y este idioma está incluso por encima del japonés y del chino; sin dejar a un lado, el conocer personas de diferentes países, entre otros

INTERFACIAL ELECTRON TRANSFER FOR SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION: KINETIC AND MECHANISTIC INSIGHTS

The ubiquity of sunlight makes solar energy a promising alternative to carbon fuels, but wide-spread applications will require solar energy storage. To this end, solar energy and earth-abundant chemical feedstocks might be converted to liquid fuels in devices termed dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs). This Dissertation seeks to build fundamental understandings of interfacial electron transfer (IET) reactions between molecular sensitizers and metal oxide (MOx) nanocrystals important to DSPEC optimization. Chapter 1 outlines the chemical processes involved in DSPEC operation and the semi-classical theories which describe IET. Chapters 2 develops a novel method to sensitize MOx materials through diazonium electrografting. Diazonium-substituting Ru-bis-terpyridine sensitizers were successfully anchored to MOx surfaces through alkaline-stable, covalent bonds. Though diazonium-electrografted photoelectrodes produced small photocurrents relative to traditional anchoring groups in acidic conditions, they achieved sustained photocurrents at pH 12. In Chapter 3, the IET mechanisms of dye-sensitized MOx core|shell materials generated through atomic layer deposition are discussed. Structural and kinetic analysis of Ru-polypyridyl-sensitized ZrO2|TiO2 and SnO2|TiO2 materials demonstrated that the rate and mechanism of IET could be controlled by the shell thickness and morphology. Chapters 4-7 explore IET reactions in dye-sensitized transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), which exhibit metallic behavior. In Chapter 4, a TCO displayed both anodic and cathodic capabilities, as the direction of photo-initiated IET with Ru-polypyridyl or Ru-bipyrazine sensitizers was controlled by applied potentials and sensitizer excited state localization. In Chapters 5-7, Marcus-Gerischer kinetic analysis allowed quantification of IET reorganization energies (). This showed that for a Ru water oxidation catalyst, proton-coupled IET exhibited a 0.4 eV larger than did electron transfer alone (Chapter 5). Marcus-Gerischer analysis also showed to increase systematically with IET distance for Ru-polypyridal and tri-aryl amine complexes located at defined positions within the TCO electric double layer (EDL) by layered ionic bridges (Chapter 6). In fact, within the outer-Helmholtz plane, IET was nearly activationless ( ≈ 0.1 eV). This was attributed to electric fields in the EDL which drastically decreased the dielectric response of the polar solvents. Further, insensitivity to solvent dynamics between water, acetonitrile, methanol, and benzonitrile indicated IET was non-adiabatic, even at the smallest distances (Chapter 7).Doctor of Philosoph

Management Techniques for the Control of Sahara Mustard (Brassica Tournefortii) in the Mojave Desert

In the southwestern United States, Brassica tournefortii(Sahara mustard) is a highly invasive plant that colonizes roadsides, beaches, sand dunes, and open desert threatening native annuals. Sahara mustard is believed to contribute to fuel loads in the Mojave Desert in areas where Schismussp. and Bromussp. occur. Sahara mustard may act as ladder fuel, thereby facilitating the spread of fire throughout the landscape. Manpower limitations and insufficient funding limits the abilities of managers to effectively control Sahara mustard. We tested seed germinability in Sahara mustard after fruiting plants were treated with either 2%, 5%, or 12% triclopyr. Sahara mustard seed pods were labeled based on three developmental stages prior to treatment. Application of herbicide decreased germination from control seeds; however, effectiveness did not differ across concentrations of triclopyr (2, 5, and 12%). We also tested seed germinability in Sahara mustard after fruiting plants were separated from their resources and allowed to dry in the field. Seed pods were labeled by developmental stage before treatment. The three treatments consisted of: 1) pulling plants with roots intact; 2) pulling the plant and breaking the roots and leaf rosette from the inflorescence; 3) pulling off individual fruits. All treatments resulted in a decrease in germination from control seeds

Design Methods Review for Smart Product: Objectomy, a New Approach

Digital artefacts call for new design challenges: they enable services, technology-driven and multidisciplinary never ended processes, uncouple form-function, in a social relationship that must be ecosystem-framed. Then, the usual design mindset is not proper and expected vs unexpected outcomes must be equally studied. A framework of methods, in view of the usual design variables and the new ones called by design of smart objects, is here offered. From that the seeds for the future aid to the design process of smart objects result. Then, Objectomy and one real application case are described

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Summer 2008

Soil climate project, rare plant monitoring, JFS update, granivory and Sahara mustar

A study on simulation analysis for laser-welded I-core sandwich plate with different material properties and T-joint weld characteristic

Stiffness and strength of sandwich plate vary depending on similar (SI) or dissimilar (DSI) material element (faceplate or core) and laser weld geometry. The issues of I-core sandwich plate characteristics are essential to attain practical sandwich plate application. Hence, research on different material properties and T-joint weld characteristics of I-core sandwich steel plate presents a positive understanding of various character factors that affect sandwich plate bending performance. In this paper, the I-core sandwich steel plate characteristic was investigated using finite element analysis (FEA). The 3-point bending with a fine meshing, interaction of elements, and load applied was kept constant. The partition size at the laser weld geometry is smaller, and the partition size continuously grows when further away from the weld geometry. The result shows that a combination of weak and strong material on either element will reduce I-core sandwich's stiffness and strength unless strong material is assigned at the faceplate and core. Moreover, there is a significant change when rootgap is present. This influencing the centric and eccentric of the weld. The weld width produces a perfect bending as wholesome T-joint, yet to achieve such traits is impossible in reality but possible when the weld length is closer to the length of the core. The exploration of these characteristics in response to I-core sandwich steel plate holds a good response in engaging for the multiple variables that affect the plate's stiffness and strength

Desafíos de la evaluación profesional en la facultad de Lenguas de la UAEMÉX: Una investigación diagnóstica de la eficiencia terminal

Se presenta un diagnóstico de la problemática del bajo índice de eficiencia terminal por parte de los egresados de las licenciaturas en Lenguas y en Enseñanza del Inglés a distancia, de la Facultad de Lenguas de la UAEMéx. Se realizó un análisis estadístico del comportamiento de las modalidades de titulación y sus procesos implícitos: tesis, tesina, ensayo, artículo para publicación, examen general de egreso, memoria de experiencia laboral, reportes de autoempleo profesional y de aplicación de conocimientos. Los hallazgos se centraron en: carencia en la sistematización para la elaboración integral de los trabajos de titulación, así como en la influencia del ámbito laboral de los egresados. Se reportan los resultados cuantitativos y cualitativos iniciales de la investigación como parte del proceso correspondiente de evaluación curricular, así como algunas estrategias viables de solución