Using Citizen Science to Create Meaningful Learning Experiences and Enhance the Learning of Science for Second Grade Students

Citizen science is a new and growing field of research that brings about new knowledge and understanding through the collaboration of citizens in scientific research. As citizen science continues to grow, it is essential to consider its potential to encourage education and learning opportunities. The capstone focuses on answering the question: How can citizen science create meaningful learning experiences and enhance the learning of science for second grade students? Participation in citizen science projects can assist in developing science literacy, enhance learning, increase interest in science, increase understanding of the scientific process, and connect students with the world around them. Research shows that students who learn through hands-on activities have a higher retention rate than those taught through reading and lectures. The hands-on components of citizen science can also help students access more information, especially students who may struggle to gain access to information in traditional ways. The lesson plans created for this capstone were created to guide second grade students through a citizen science project while developing observation, prediction, data collecting, and data analysis skills

Self-Reflection and Measurement of Professional Behavior Growth in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students

Occupational therapy (OT) educators have recognized the need to facilitate student professional development along a continuum of behavior that leads them toward professionalism. Reflection has often been a tool assisting in that process. The teaching of professional behavior has been a curricular thread throughout entry-level OT programs. Few studies exist, however, that have measured use of a self-assessment tool for reflection and development of professional behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine how self-perception of professional behaviors changed in two cohorts of an entry-level occupational therapy program. Investigators compared two cohorts of students at two points in time for both longitudinal and cross-sectional differences. Participants demonstrated significant increase from Time 1 to Time 2 in a greater number of professional behaviors in the area of Fieldwork vs. Academics. Students demonstrated unequal growth in categories, suggesting that academic environments may prompt growth in different professional behaviors than do fieldwork environments. In comparing the two cohorts, the second-year cohort demonstrated significantly higher scores in clinical reasoning (at Time 1), communication, and responsibility and reliability (at Time 2). Qualitative data suggested that students perceived reflection as a valuable tool for observing improvement and goal-setting in professional behaviors. Investigators summarized that self-reflection prompted awareness of changes in professional behaviors among entry-level OT students. Authors recommend utilizing both quantitative and qualitative means of self-reflection, with individualized review with academic advisors, in order to facilitate growth in professional behaviors

Delivering private therapy in rural Australia

Enabling high quality, sustainable and accessible services: A framework for rural private therapists.Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Australian Government

Collaborating to transform and improve education systems: A playbook for family-school engagement

This playbook on family-school collaboration makes the case for why family engagement is essential for education systems transformation and why families and schools must have a shared understanding of what a good quality education looks like. By providing evidence-based strategies from around the world and other hands-on tools that school leaders and partners can adopt and use in their local contexts, it aims to help leapfrog education inequality so that all young people can have a 21st-century education

Metamorphosis Metaphora

Plants have become the focus of my artwork as a way to explain a state of being. Growing up in a highly industrialized area that lacks vegetation and scenery, I became captivated by the ephemeral nature of plant life. Using traditional metalsmithing techniques along with modern patina processes, I create pieces where plants are metaphors for my emotions and experiences. I believe people identify with the plant's life cycle, seeing a parallel in their own life. Due to this analogy, plants as metaphors, both in literary and visual symbolism, can aptly describe the changes, conditions, and stages of life. "Metamorphosis Metaphora" is an exhibition that embodies these ideas and also acts as a reflection of recent personal experiences

Reading Success in the Primary Years: An Evidence-Based Interdisciplinary Approach to Guide Assessment and Intervention

This open access book describes the Reading Success project, in which a 5-step, assessment-to- intervention process, based on the Simple View of Reading, was used within a primary school setting in Australia to better support those students who struggle with reading. It provides an easily accessible overview of each step of the process involved in implementing this approach and highlights the crucial importance of collaboration between professionals involved in the teaching of reading within a school setting. It focuses on the decision-making processes used, such as rich dialogue with the leadership team and teachers, and shares participants’ perspectives gathered throughout the project. Using case studies, the book describes how the 5-step approach assists in creating detailed profiles of students’ strengths and weaknesses in spoken and written language skills that can be used to guide targeted intervention. This book offers valuable insights for educators, speech pathologists, researchers, and pre-service teacher education students interested in the teaching of reading

Reading Success in the Primary Years

This open access book describes the Reading Success project, in which a 5-step, assessment-to- intervention process, based on the Simple View of Reading, was used within a primary school setting in Australia to better support those students who struggle with reading. It provides an easily accessible overview of each step of the process involved in implementing this approach and highlights the crucial importance of collaboration between professionals involved in the teaching of reading within a school setting. It focuses on the decision-making processes used, such as rich dialogue with the leadership team and teachers, and shares participants’ perspectives gathered throughout the project. Using case studies, the book describes how the 5-step approach assists in creating detailed profiles of students’ strengths and weaknesses in spoken and written language skills that can be used to guide targeted intervention This book offers valuable insights for educators, speech pathologists, researchers, and pre-service teacher education students interested in the teaching of readin

The Implementation of Telemedicine in the Covid-19 Era

Introduction: During the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, social distancing policies called for health care providers to turn to telemedicine platforms for most of their patient encounters. We aimed to better understand the experiences and perspectives of patients and providers who used telemedicine in the primary care setting. Methods: This study included semi-structured interviews with patients and providers who participated in telemedicine visits during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients (n = 14) were from a rural Maine practice and providers (n = 10) were from practices within 100 miles of a tertiary care center. The interviews were analyzed through inductive coding and applying the constant comparative method. Results: Both patients and providers expressed general satisfaction with their telemedicine experiences. Patients (64%) and providers (90%) felt “comfortable” with telemedicine. They praised telemedicine for its convenience and recognized the benefit of having a telemedicine option in the future. However, there was a mixed response regarding perceived efficacy of telemedicine and the ability to emotionally connect over virtual platforms. Finally, the participants in this study discussed dissatisfaction with the loss of the “ritual of medicine.” Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic posed barriers to health care that parallel existing barriers in rural states. For much of this rural population, the rapid implementation of telemedicine enabled easier access to care. However, the implementation also saw many technological and infrastructural roadblocks. Conclusions: Understanding the benefits and challenges of telemedicine for patients and providers will be critical in assuring that telemedicine continues to improve access to health care