65 Pounds of Honeycomb

Pages 64-6

Creating An “Invitational Classroom” In The Online Educational Milieu

Parker Palmer, a scholar who studied effective face-to-face teaching, introduced the term the “invitational classroom” (1993, p. 71). In particular Palmer emphasized that “an air of hospitality” facilitated an inviting educational environment (p. 71). Hospitality in Palmer’s words means “receiving each other, our struggles, our newborn ideas, with openness and care” (p. 74). Palmer concludes that both teachers and learners experience positive consequence when the class environment is invitational. This paper explores a category of innovative teaching strategies, called artistic pedagogical technologies (APTs) that facilitate the experience of an invitational classroom in online courses (Perry & Edwards, 2010). APTs are teaching strategies founded in the arts. APTs described in this paper include photovoice, parallel poetry, and conceptual quilting. A study of the effect of these APTs on graduate students and instructors from a Canadian online university is described. The data collection and data analysis processes used in the study are detailed. Both students and instructors found the online classroom environment changed in a positive way in part because of APTs. Research participants reported that APTs initiated, sustained, and enhanced interactions among students and between students and the instructors (Perry & Edwards, 2010). These findings are analyzed using Palmer’s concepts of hospitality and the invitational classroom and Wenger’s Social Theory of Learning (1990). Practical ideas for educators regarding the use of APTS in teaching and course design are reviewed.

Mapping the Impacts of COVID-19 on the Work-Life Balance of Academic Librarians Who Are Parents of School-Aged Children

Objective: Academic librarians at three public universities in the Southern United States who are parents of school-aged children have experienced changes in their work, parenting, and the balance between them during the lockdowns, quarantines, and closures necessitated by the current pandemic. Many librarians have been affected by these conditions, and there are variations in the support and guidance provided by institutions, and the impact of governmental policies. Methods: To begin, we selected a purposive sample of 11 public, SACS-accredited universities from the 11 states in the Southeastern U.S. We compiled university policies related to the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and other institutional support made available to librarians and other faculty and staff. Since leave policies have been updated since FFCRA provisions ended on December 31, 2020, we compared archived policies with policies in effect in 2021. We reviewed the text of these policies to determine how FFCRA was applied, and whether any other provisions were made for working parents after FFCRA ended. In order to see how these policies were applied in practice, we surveyed librarians at the selected institutions. Results: Our results from the policy review are presented as an interactive table with links to available policy sites. For each institution, it shows whether a guidance page on FFCRA was available in 2020, whether there was an extension of leave after the federal act expired, information on leave specifically related to school closures; and whether policies applied to parents who chose to keep children out of school. As of May 2021, we have received survey responses from seven states. Themes have been drawn from the open-ended answers we have received so far, and several relevant quotes have been broken out to authentically express the experiences of the participants. Discussion: There have been positive and negative impacts resulting from the leave policies, and remote and flexible work arrangements that were implemented in response to the pandemic. Many participants observed a breakdown of boundaries between work and family time, and frequent interruptions to their work. However, most participants were not concerned that promotion or tenure would be impacted, due to policies implemented by their institutions. Participants also indicated that flexible leave policies are well received and have made it possible for them to learn new skills and remain productive

Recovery networks and community connections: identifying connection needs and community linkage opportunities in early recovery populations

There is a consistent evidence base showing that recovery pathways are initiated and enhanced by positive social networks and the underlying changes in social identity that is associated with the transition from stigmatised and excluded groups to positive and prosocial groups. There is also a growing literature that focuses on community engagement as a vital ingredient of recovery journeys, with engagement in recreational activities, training and employment, volunteering and mutual aid and other peer activities seen as important components of a Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSC). The mechanism for identifying such community assets that has been widely used is Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), and the process for engaging people in such groups is known as Assertive Linkage. The current paper introduces two innovative research methods - Social Identity Mapping (SIM) - and shows how this can be linked with Assertive Linkage and ABCD to create a model for identifying individuals in early recovery in need of community support and strong linkage approaches. The resulting 'ice cream cone' model of assertive community connections provides a practical framework for implementing one aspect of generating a ROSC, building individual recovery capital through positive networks and building community assets, underpinned by the idea of recovery capital as a metric that can be quantified and used as the basis for recovery support and planning

What matters in learning communities for inclusive education: a cross-case analysis

© 2019 International Professional Development Association (IPDA). Implementing inclusive education requires on-going commitment to teachers’ professional learning. One way of implementing professional learning is to develop learning communities based on Lave and Wenger’s ideas of situated learning and learning as social practice. Learning communities, drawing on models of Professional Learning Communities and communities of practice, were designed to build capacity for inclusive teaching in two rural schools in Australia and a peri-urban school in South Africa. This paper reports on a multi-case study that involves a cross-case analysis of these three learning communities. We demonstrate that across the three cases, responsiveness to contextual exigencies matters, expertise matters and supportive networks matter. These findings are further illuminated by complexity theory which draws attention to learning communities operating at the confluence of a number of interacting systems, as well as the possibility of change where teacher learning occurs through the recontextualisation of knowledge and learning across boundaries. Our findings support situated learning that values collaboration to develop social and inclusive cultures and practice in schools. The findings also have the potential to inform planning for professional learning for inclusive education

On the importance of sycamore seedlings and other lessons learned along the way: a conversation with Dr. Ian Edwards

Biographical Note: Ian is an ecologist and environmental educator with a deep, long-standing interest in the regeneration of habitats, ecosystems and communities. He has worked on projects in Australia, Africa, Arabia and the Far East but is currently living in the heart of the regenerating, post-industrial landscape of Midlothian. He divides his time between writing, making and teaching. He is also a trustee of several environmental charities and a forest school leader. Stories and nature have been important aspects of his life for as long as he can remember. Interviewer’s Note: I conducted this just beside Ian’s garden which in miniature is the best of what always took me to the Botanics—where Ian developed and directed the education programme for twenty years. All the way through the conversation, the birds gave voice to the biodiversity well and thriving where he has had a hand. I wish I could have transcribed the bird song as it was such an important companion to what Ian shared. Many things Ian says may surprise. What I came away with was an appreciation of how much I learned through his storytelling—a growing understanding of the important points he makes were woven in and around them, making it possible for me to glimpse in some way some of how he has learned from the storytelling he has encountered through his life

Soil Leachate Responses During 10 Years of Induced Whole-Watershed Acidification

Soil solution was collected from zero-tension lysimeters for 10 yr on two small central Appalachian watersheds in West Virginia, U.S.A. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer was applied to one catchment 3 times per year during each year. The other watershed was used as a reference to account for ambient baseline conditions. Ca and Mg concentrations collected below the A- and B-horizons of the treated watershed increased and then decreased over time as a result of the treatment. By contrast, Ca and Mg concentrations in the C-horizon continued to increase throughout the study period

Experiences of transitioning between settings of care from the perspectives of patients with advanced illness receiving specialist palliative care and their family caregivers: A qualitative interview study

Background: Transitions between care settings (hospice, hospital and community) can be challenging for patients and family caregivers and are often an under-researched area of health care, including palliative care. Aim: To explore the experience of transitions between care settings for those receiving specialist palliative care. Design: Qualitative study using thematic analysis. Setting/participants: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult patients (n = 15) and family caregivers (n = 11) receiving specialist palliative care, who had undergone at least two transitions. Results: Four themes were identified. (1) Uncertainty about the new care setting. Most participants reported that lack of information about the new setting of care, and difficulties with access and availability of care in the new setting, added to feelings of uncertainty. (2) Biographical disruption. The transition to the new setting often resulted in changes to sense of independence and identity, and maintaining normality was a way to cope with this. (3) Importance of continuity of care. Continuity of care had an impact on feelings of safety in the new setting and influenced decisions about the transition. (4) Need for emotional and practical support. Most participants expressed a greater need for emotional and practical support, when transitioning to a new setting. Conclusions: Findings provide insights into how clinicians might better negotiate transitions for these patients and family caregivers, as well as improve patient outcomes. The complexity and diversity of transition experiences, particularly among patients and families from different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, need to be further explored in future research

Kinematic and EMG Comparison of Gait in Normal and Microgravity

Astronauts regularly perform treadmill locomotion as a part of their exercise prescription while onboard the International Space Station. Although locomotive exercise has been shown to be beneficial for bone, muscle, and cardiovascular health, astronauts return to Earth after long duration missions with net losses in all three areas [1]. These losses might be partially explained by fundamental differences in locomotive performance between normal gravity (NG) and microgravity (MG) environments. During locomotive exercise in MG, the subject must wear a waist and shoulder harness that is attached to elastomer bungees. The bungees are attached to the treadmill, and provide forces that are intended to replace gravity. However, unlike gravity, which provides a constant force upon all body parts, the bungees provide a spring force only to the harness. Therefore, subjects are subjected to two fundamental differences in MG: 1) forces returning the subject to the treadmill are not constant, and 2) forces are only applied to the axial skeleton at the waist and shoulders. The effectiveness of the exercise may also be affected by the magnitude of the gravity replacement load. Historically, astronauts have difficulty performing treadmill exercise with loads that approach body weight (BW) due to comfort and inherent stiffness in the bungee system. Although locomotion can be executed in MG, the unique requirements could result in performance differences as compared to NG. These differences may help to explain why long term training effects of treadmill exercise may differ from those found in NG. The purpose of this investigation was to compare locomotion in NG and MG to determine if kinematic or muscular activation pattern differences occur between gravitational environments

Historical insights: teaching North American History using images and material culture

Historical insights: teaching North American History using images and material cultur