International Perspective of Aquatic Instructors’ Attitudes Toward Teaching Swimming to Children With Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes of aquatic instructors (N = 23) toward teaching swimming to children with mild and severe disabilities in an inclusive setting. Aquatic instructors from 23 cities in 7 countries participated in the study. Data were collected by mail survey using the Aquatic Instructors Attitudes Toward Teaching Swimming to Individuals With Disabilities questionnaire (Conatser, Block, & Lapore, 2000). A correlated t test showed that aquatic instructors were significantly more favorable toward teaching aquatics to children with mild disabilities than children with severe disabilities. Instructors agreed they should include children with mild disabilities and disagreed over including severe disabilities. Although 100% of their programs offered swimming for children with disabilities, over half the instructors had segregated programs, did not consider parents’ thoughts in placement decisions, and did not feel prepared to teach children with disabilities. Results from this study are similar to findings from other studies conducted on aquatic instructors in the United States (Conatser, 2004, 2007a, 2007c; Conatser & Block 2001, 2002; Conatser, Block, & Gansneder, 2002)

Against the Clock

In The Slow Professor, Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber\u27s thoughtful contribution to the conversation on academic labor is to challenge what often goes without saying: that it\u27s good to be more efficient, to be faster, to manage as many tasks as possible at once. How can we practice slowness and pleasure in thoughtful ways for the good of our disciplines and colleagues and, more importantly, for those whom our decisions and actions affect profoundly

The Apparition of These Screens in the Crowd

To unpack some of our assumptions about attention, learning, and technology in the classroom, CELT\u27s Trey Conatser spoke with Dr. Yuha Jung and Dr. Rachel Shane of the Department of Arts Administration. Jung and Shane have worked with colleagues to integrate technologies into their teaching so that students are more likely to be on task. What follows is an informal exploration of what it means to pay attention and to learn in the context of the contested value of digital technologies

On Cheating and Prosperity

At the outset of a new academic year, we\u27d do well to reflect on how we pitch academic integrity—and the concept of cheating—to our students. Not only does it affect how they see us as teachers and scholars; it also affects in profound ways how we see (or don\u27t see) students as complex human beings. And this asks us to go against our gut reactions to the apparent moral legibility of cheating. If we understand cheating as an evasive concept, and as a product of our institutions, we\u27re much less likely to incentivize it

A Coprological Survey of Golden Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta palliata palliata) in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Interactions between free-ranging primates and their associated parasitic forms continue to be a point of interest in ecology for several reasons. External and internal parasitism is not atypical for wild populations of primates, and the repercussions of these relationships can range from benign to life-threatening and capable of altering the structure of naturally occurring groups. The ecological relationship between the golden mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata palliata) and its host-specific ectoparasite, the howler monkey bot fly (Alouattamyia baeri) poses significant potential detriment to the overall body quality and success of the host primate. A. p. palliata has also been recorded as a host to a number of gastrointestinal parasites. We suspect that the colonization of a primate by one parasite species may prove to diminish host condition and increase susceptibility for additional parasitic establishment. The objectives of this research project are to (1) measure the density and species richness of both external and internal parasites inhabiting golden-mantled howler monkeys, (2) provide information on the overall parasite load for howler monkeys in a protected region of Costa Rica, (3) provide information on the relative densities of internal parasites in the presence or absence of howler monkey bot flies, and (4) document any existing relationships between parasite presence, density, and species richness as a function of host primate demographics including age class and sex

Adapted Aquatics & Rehabilitation: A Literature Synthesis

This article presents a synthesis of literature related to the planning, implementing, and delivery of adapted aquatic and rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities. The review investigates the benefits of aquatics (from the psychomotor, cognitive, affective, and educational domains), certification opportunities, inclusion, federal guidelines, and the classification system for competitive swimming. Further, it includes recommendations for future study and protocols for conducting quality research

Designing for Universal Success

Dr. Deb Castiglione is the Universal Design and Instructional Technology Specialist at CELT. She has worked to get a campus-wide license at the University of Kentucky for the software Read&Write Gold, which follows principles of universal design for learning. We asked Dr. Castiglione about what the software can do for learners, and why we should think more about inclusive practices such as universal design in our teaching