The Literacy Narrative of Chadwick’s The First Grader

While examination of narratives written by and about older adults is, by now, recognized as crucial to the critical work of age studies, the overlapping proj- ects of age studies and studies of literate activity (including writing) have not yet been sufficiently integrated. Through analysis of The First Grader, a film dramatizing the true story of an eighty-four-year-old Kenyan man who attends primary school in order to learn how to read and write, this essay illustrates the value in establishing deliberate cross-talk between age studies and writing studies through joint examination of literacy narratives: stories that capture both master and “little” narratives about literacy and learning. As a cinematic literacy narrative featuring an elder protagonist, The First Grader demonstrates how age meanings and age identities impact and challenge culturally endorsed perceptions of literacy and learning by uncritically representing prefigured ideas about literacy and old age, while also suggesting some critical alterna- tives. At the same time, the film acknowledges how literacy and learning contribute to, and are implicated by, the creation and circulation of the meanings of old age

Extraordinarily high leaf selenium to sulfur ratios define ‘se-accumulator’ plants

Background and Aims: Selenium (Se) and sulfur (S) exhibit similar chemical properties. In flowering plants (angiosperms) selenate and sulfate are acquired and assimilated by common transport and metabolic pathways. It is hypothesized that most angiosperm species show little or no discrimination in the accumulation of Se and S in leaves when their roots are supplied a mixture of selenate and sulfate, but some, termed Se-accumulator plants, selectively accumulate Se in preference to S under these conditions. Methods: This paper surveys Se and S accumulation in leaves of 39 angiosperm species, chosen to represent the range of plant Se accumulation phenotypes, grown hydroponically under identical conditions. Results: The data show that, when supplied a mixture of selenate and sulfate: (1) plant species differ in both their leaf Se ([Se]leaf) and leaf S ([S]leaf) concentrations; (2) most angiosperms show little discrimination for the accumulation of Se and S in their leaves and, in non-accumulator plants, [Se]leaf and [S]leaf are highly correlated; (3) [Se]leaf in Se-accumulator plants is significantly greater than in other angiosperms, but [S]leaf, although high, is within the range expected for angiosperms in general; and (4) the Se/S quotient in leaves of Se-accumulator plants is significantly higher than in leaves of other angiosperms. Conclusion: The traits of extraordinarily high [Se]leaf and leaf Se/S quotients define the distinct elemental composition of Se-accumulator plants

Medical Student Perceptions of Feedback and Feedback Behaviors Within the Context of the “Educational Alliance”

Purpose: Using the "educational alliance" as a conceptual framework, the authors explored medical students' beliefs about feedback and how their feedback behaviors reflect their perceptions. Method: Five focus groups (four to six medical students each) at one UK medical school in 2015 were used to capture and elucidate learners' feedback perceptions and behaviors within the context of the learner-educator relationship. A map of key feedback opportunities across the program was used as a tool for exploring student engagement with the feedback process. Qualitative data were analyzed using an approach based on grounded theory principles. Results: Three learner feedback behaviors emerged: recognizing, using, and seeking feedback. Five core themes influencing these behaviors were generated: learner beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions; relationships; teacher attributes; mode of feedback; and learning culture. Conceptual models illustrating the relationships between the themes and each behavior were developed. Learning culture influenced all three behaviors with a wide context of influences. Conclusions: Ensuring that feedback leads to improved performance requires more than training educators in best practices. The conceptual models support the educational alliance framework and illustrate the context and complexity of learning culture surrounding the educational relationship, learner, and feedback exchange. The educational alliance approach is underpinned by a mutual understanding of purpose and responsibility. Enhancing learners' feedback literacy skills seems to be the key aspect of the educational alliance in need of attention. Empowering learners to recognize, seek, and use feedback received within diverse learning cultures is essential

Stories for Students from Students

IMPACT. 1: The program, from Ohio States's Office of the Vice President for Student Life, is now in its fourth year. -- 2. This year, 2,879 school children in the City of Columbus were able to take home a book of their very own. -- 3. This year we partnered with OSU Reads and reached out to over 20 Ohio State student organizations to recruit over 70 student volunteers to help with the program.OSU PARTNERS: The Office of the Vice President for Student Life; University Housing; University Residences and Dining Services; College of Education & Human Ecology; Department of Teaching and Learning; Department of Recreational Sports; OSU Reads; African American Heritage Festival; Pay it Forward; Sorority and Fraternity life; Sports and Wellness Scholars; Order of Omega; Adopt-A-School; Honors & Scholars; Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity; The Multicultural Center; Council of Graduate StudentsCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Graham Primary School; Weinland Park Elementary School; Hamilton STEM K-6 Academy; Seibert Elementary School; Windsor STEM K-6 Academy; Linden STEM K-6 Academy; Como Elementary School; South Mifflin STEM K-6 Academy; I Know I CanPRIMARY CONTACT: Bowen Marshall ([email protected])Stories for Students from Students champions the belief that every student deserves a future filled with learning, success, and knowledge. Getting books into the hands of a student is the first step in establishing a lifelong love of learning that will one day lead to a college degree and a successful life. The Stories for Students from Students Program seeks to get books into the hands of Columbus Elementary and Middle School students

Stories for Students from Students

IMPACT. 1: The program, from Ohio State's Office of the Vice President for Student Life, is now in its fifth year. -- 2. This year, volunteers provided over 300 hours of reading and mentorship service and gave books to 325 students at the Graham Expeditionary Middle School and Graham Primary School. -- 3. Volunteers provided one-on-one reading instruction and assistance and facilitated reader training workshops over the course of Spring Semester. They also hosted a book fair and celebration to make sure that every student in the school got to pick a book of their very own to take home. In total, the program had over 70 people volunteer their time to make this program a success.OSU PARTNERS: The Office of the Vice President for Student LIfe; University Housing; University Dining Services; Pay It Forward; The Student Life Multicultural Center; Honors and Scholars; National Residence Hall Honorary; Residence Hall Advisory Council; Sigma Phi Epsilon; Alpha PhiCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Macy's Inc.; Graham Primary School; Graham Expeditionary Middle School; I Know I CanPRIMARY CONTACT: Bowen Marshall ([email protected])Stories for Students from Students champions the belief that every student deserves a future filled with learning, success, and knowledge. Getting books into the hands of a student is the first step in establishing a lifelong love of learning that will one day lead to a college degree and a successful life. The Stories for Students from Students program seeks to get books into the hands of Columbus elementary and middle school students

Mr Upjohn’s Debts: Money and Friendship in Early Colonial Calcutta

The paper discusses the effective operation of money and credit among Europeans in Calcutta around 1800, arguing for the importance of informal processes and ties of friendship that facilitated, regulated and enforced agreements, helping both to tide over individuals in times of economic stress and to underwrite the provision and transfer of capital. The argument is advanced by a detailed case study in regard to debts owed by one resident, Aaron Upjohn, to another, Richard Blechynden, amidst a web of acquaintance, officialdom and law that variously ensured that the debts were honoured. It is defined as ‘a support system among acquaintances, necessitated in part by shortage of money and abundance of risk’

CO2 Hydrogenation to Formate and Formic Acid by Bimetallic Palladium-Copper Hydride Clusters.

Mass spectrometric analysis of the anionic products of interaction between bimetallic palladium-copper tetrahydride anions, PdCuH4-, and carbon dioxide, CO2, in a reaction cell shows an efficient generation of the PdCuCO2H4- intermediate and formate/formic acid complexes. Multiple structures of PdCuH4- and PdCuCO2H4- are identified by a synergy between anion photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The higher energy PdCuH4- isomer is shown to drive the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2, emphasizing the importance of accounting for higher energy isomers for cluster catalytic activity. This study represents the first example of CO2 hydrogenation by bimetallic hydride clusters

The effect of variation in interpretation of the La Trobe radiographic foot atlas on the prevalence of foot osteoarthritis in older women: the Chingford general population cohort.

Background: The prevalence of foot osteoarthritis (OA) is much less understood than hip, knee and hand OA. The foot is anatomically complex and different researchers have investigated different joints with lack of methodological standardisation across studies. The La Trobe Foot Atlas (LFA) is the first to address these issues in providing quantitative assessment of radiographic foot OA, but has not been tested externally. The aim of this study was to evaluate three different interpretive approaches to using the LFA for grading OA when scoring is difficult due to indistinct views of interosseous space and joint contour. Methods: Foot radiographs of all remaining participants (n = 218) assessed in the Chingford Women Study 23 year visit (mean (SD) for age: 75.5 years (5.1)) were scored using the LFA defined protocol (Technique 1). Two revised scoring strategies were applied to the radiographs in addition to the standard LFA analyses. Technique 2 categorised joints that were difficult to grade as 'missing'. Technique 3 included joints that were difficult to grade as an over estimated score. Radiographic OA prevalence was defined for the foot both collectively and separately for individual joints. Results: When radiographs were scored using the LFA (Technique 1), radiographic foot OA was present in 89.9%. For Technique 2 the presence of radiographic foot OA was 83.5% and for Technique 3 it was 97.2%. At the individual joint level, using Technique 1, the presence of radiographic foot OA was higher with a wider range (18.3-74.3%) than Technique 2 (17.9-46.3%) and lower with a wider range (18.3-74.3%) than Technique 3 (39.9-79.4%). Conclusion: The three different ways of interpreting the LFA scoring system when grading of individual joints is technically difficult and result in very different estimates of foot OA prevalence at both the individual joint and global foot level. Agreement on the best strategy is required to improve comparability between studies