Learning from lived experiences strengths and insights of bilingual immigrant teachers

The primary purpose of this study was to closely examine the livedexperiences of a group of seven bilingual and bicultural ELL paraeducators as they transition from support positions in schools and classrooms to certified teaching positions. The emphasis was to gain understanding about the ways in which the participants' own experiences as immigrants and English language learners specially equip them to be classroom teachers. A second purpose was to inform educational practice with regard to teacher preparation and at the classroom level. This was accomplished through exploration of insights gleaned from the participants' lived-experiences and examination of the qualities and strengths they bring with them to their work as teachers. A hermeneutic phenomenological research perspective served as the conceptual approach for considering a variety of data on each of the participants. Life story interviews, reflective contributions from participants, photographic portraits, and observations of their teaching provided the substance for written portraits of the participants. Analysis during the portraiture process and through a comparison of the portraits served to inform the findings of the study. Four general conclusions were generated. First, based on their personal experiences, bilingual immigrant teachers approach the profession from a culturally responsive perspective that not only influences their instructional practices but also their advocacy for students. Second, because of their vast experiences as immigrants, second language learners and paraeducators, educators such as the ones in this study have the potential to become leaders who can guide others - including preservice and inservice educators - in issues relating to the education and welfare of culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families. Third, as they transition into their new roles as teachers, certain sociocultural factors can present challenges for bilingual immigrant paraeducators that have the potential to hinder their inclusion into the staff or faculty. Finally, linguistically and culturally diverse teacher candidates benefit from having additional support systems such as a cohort model and mentors who have experienced similar challenges, not only during their teacher preparation programs but also throughout their first years of teaching

Selective Actuation and Sensing of Antisymmetric Lamb Wave Mode Using D15 Piezoelectric Transducers

Undetected damage in aircraft can lead to catastrophic failures and loss of life. Automated embedded damage detection systems can reduce manhours and downtime due to inspection. Ultrasonic inspection has become one of the most capable methods for thin plate-like structures, such as aircraft spars, stiffeners, and skins. Piezoelectric transducers can inspect structures by generating ultrasonic Lamb waves and sensing how they propagate. Many Lamb wave modes exist at a given frequency, which makes signal interpretation challenging. Selective actuation of a single mode simplifies the signal analysis. The A0 mode has the shortest wavelength, which increases sensitivity to small defects, and its group velocity is independent of composite structure layup. Recent research has found a shear-mode d15 piezoelectric transducer will selectively actuate the A0 mode when embedded at the neutral axis of a composite structure. Precise placement of the transducer at the neutral axis is difficult due to operator error, changing manufacturing environments, and design constraints. This work studies the relationship between off-axis d15 transducer placement and A0 mode selectivity through analytical, numerical, and experimental methods. A0 selectivity was found to be 12.7 dBV at the neutral axis but dropped 4.02 dBV when moved off-axis by 5.5% of the structure thickness, a drop of approximately 0.73 dBV/% of structure’s thickness from the neutral axis

From Silence to a Whisper to Active Participation: Using Literature Circles with ELL Students

This article discusses benefits of using literature circles with ELL students to strengthen literacy skills and student confidence. Highlighting one teacher\u27s implementation of literature circles, the authors present a candid examination of areas of initial weakness and describe strategies used for improvements in subsequent rounds. A discussion of specific student growth in oral communication, attitude toward reading and improved reading comprehension is included as well as lists of resources and strategies supporting effective literature circles

Solvent Azeotropes in Art Conservation

Solvent mixtures are often fine-tuned by art conservators for the difficult tasks of safely removing yellowed varnishes and obfuscating dirt from oil paintings. These two goals are often loosely termed “picture cleaning.” Concern has been raised over the impact of differential evaporation rates for solvents in the cleaning mixture. Differential evaporation can lead to changes in the mixture’s potency over time and potentially lead to solvent mixtures on the surface of the artwork having solubility characteristics deleterious to artists’ oil paints. Azeotropic mixtures of solvents have been proposed as an alternative for maintaining consistent solvent composition. Azeotropes are specific mixtures of two or more solvents that behave as a single solvent and maintain a constant composition at their boiling point. The azeotropes that have appeared in the art conservation literature are taken from tables of azeotropic compositions in the CRC Handbook given at their boiling point. This research examines whether these solvent blends, in particular a hexane/isopropanol combination found to be an effective cleaner in the treatment of painted royal sleighs at the Palace of Versailles, in fact behave azeotropically under room temperature evaporation conditions. For the first time, the actual evaporation behavior of this purported azeotropic mixture will be explored in depth. A range of hexane/isopropanol mixtures around the boiling point azeotrope composition have been assessed for their room temperature vapor pressure and evaporation weight loss kinetics. Aliquots of the evaporating solutions are also being analyzed chemically using gas chromatography of both the liquid phase and the vapor phase in the headspace. This research aims to provide conservators information on the evaporation of purportedly azeotropic solvent blends and to suggest new approaches to the cleaning of oil paintings

Is "User Friendly" really possible in library automation?

The term user friendly has become a buzzword. Everyone would probably agree that online library systems should be approachable. However, despite efforts to make system use easier, many first-time users still feel intimidated. The major cause of user fear may be the everyday jargon used by those persons who are the corporate keepers of the Holy Grail i.e., automated library systems. Often the words used in discussing online systems are overly expressive and needlessly violent in tone. Even the term user fits this situation because it sounds drug related rather than library related.published or submitted for publicatio

Black History and Culture: A Comprehensive Bibliography

https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/university-archives-msu-authors/1011/thumbnail.jp

Treadway: A diversionary program for preadolescents at risk for substance use

The purpose of this project was to develop a flexible, adaptable curriculum (Treadway) designed to meet the specific developmental needs of preadolescents who have been identified as being high risk for developing a substance use problem. Substance use among preadolescents has been reported with increasing frequency. Preadolescents (individuals ages 11 to 13) differ from their older adolescent counterparts behaviorally, cognitively, emotionally, and socially; differences which impact how to approach the preadolescent’s use of alcohol and drugs. Stakeholders are inclined to help younger clients, but have limited information on how to intervene effectively with preadolescents. In the space between substance abuse prevention and substance abuse treatment, there exists a strong need for a diversionary curriculum targeting preadolescents. The Treadway program was designed to meet this need. Key Words: Preadolescents, adolescents, substance use interventions, substance abuse, treatment manual

The room temperature evaporation behavior of purported azeotropes used as cleaning solutions in art conservation

Finely-tuned solvent mixtures are used by art conservators for the difficult task of safely and selectively removing yellowed varnish, disfiguring grime, and discolored overpaint from the surface of oil paintings. This process is often referred to as picture cleaning and depends on the different solubilities of the obfuscating surface materials and the underlying paint medium. However, differential evaporation rates for the solvents used in these carefully formulated cleaning mixtures can change the potency of the mixture over time, which could potentially lead to solutions having solubility characteristics that are ineffective at cleaning, or worse yet, are deleterious to artists\u27 oil paints. Azeotropic blends of solvents have been proposed as an alternative for maintaining consistent solvent composition throughout the evaporation process while benefiting from their high vapor pressure relative to the pure solvents. Azeotropes are specific combinations of two or more solvents at a precise concentration that behave as a single solvent, maintaining a constant composition in both the liquid and vapor phases. The use of purportedly azeotropic solvent blends has appeared in the art conservation literature for the cleaning of historic objects and paintings. However, these solvent mixtures are taken from tables of azeotropic compositions given at their boiling point. We have studied one of these solutions, a 19:81 vol% mixture of isopropanol and n-hexane. For the first time, the actual evaporation behavior of this purported azeotropic mixture was followed in detail at room temperature conditions. Through the use of rudimentary vapor pressure measurements, gravimetric analysis, as well as sophisticated compositional determinations of both the liquid phase and headspace of evaporating mixtures by gas chromatography, this particular cleaning solution has been shown to be zeotropic (i.e. NOT an azeotrope) under the conditions typical of conservation studios. The true room temperature azeotropic composition was found instead to contain half as much isopropanol at 9.5 vol%. Art conservators should therefore be dubious of purportedly azeotropic mixtures reported at boiling points well above room temperature. Individual azeotropic cleaning blends are best determined chemically prior to their use in art restoration. Furthermore, the introduction of a model paint film to the evaporating room temperature azeotrope was shown to further confound its behavior, calling into question whether solvent systems can be configured to evaporate with constant composition from the surface of an artwork