Language in the Common Core

In elementary education, we continue to work towards making the demands of language use (oral or written) explicit to students, especially linguistically and culturally diverse pupils. States\u27 adoption of the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will not support us in improving practices unless teachers\u27 linguistic knowledge is developed. Teachers are the catalyst for change in teaching and learning not standards. Developing teachers\u27 understanding of language can be supported using systemic functional linguistics (SFL). This theory provides the necessary lens for examining how language functions in texts to make meaning. This approach to language should be applied in teaching students the content of the ELA CCSS. Research shows that school-university partnerships using SFL can develop teachers\u27 linguistic knowledge, which transfers to their instruction with students in the classroom

Perceptions of Middle School Math and Language Arts Teachers on High-Stakes Testing Cultures in Public Schools

Instruction in public schools today is highly prescribed to meet state standards, which, in turn, prepare students for success on standardized assessments. Teachers in language arts and mathematics are being held accountable for standardized assessment results in their end-of-year, summative evaluations. The development of curriculum and delivery of instruction is being impacted and, most specifically, revised and paced according to skills required to demonstrate levels of proficiency on standardized assessments. No Child Left Behind (2001) changed the game for teachers and started the mandate of placing teacher accountability and evaluation on high-stakes tests. However, it was difficult to place a federal mandate on test scores when states were taking different assessments and working with different standards for proficiency. Common Core Curriculum Standards (2010) attempted to formalize national standards and presented PARCC as the national standard for assessment. Race to the Top provided states monetary rewards for adopting Common Core Curriculum Standards and for entering into the PARCC Consortium. Grades 3-8 language arts and mathematics teachers in New Jersey currently teach under a mandate that ties 30% of their end-of-year, summative evaluations to standardized assessment results. This is known in New Jersey as a Student Growth Percentile (SGP). This mandate holds teachers directly accountable for high-stakes testing outcomes. This does not take into consideration many of the proven factors that dictate academic performance and proficiency, such as socioeconomic status, limited English proficiency, and transience of students. Teachers are under pressure to make sure their students know the skills required for PARCC and to analyze growth and progress throughout the school year. This can get in the way of creativity in delivering lessons and has the potential to narrow the curriculum to only skills required for standardized assessment proficiency. PARCC also changed the way in which standardized assessments are administered to students. It delivered the assessments to students through computer software for the first time. This placed a burden on teachers to make sure their students were proficient in typing skills and other technology skills necessary to navigate through a timed, computerized assessment. This study examined whether or not instructional time is being taken away from language arts and mathematics instruction to ensure technology proficiency required to navigate through a computer-based standardized assessment. It is important to examine perceptions of language arts and math teachers who are objectively held accountable for standardized assessment results. Specifically, the researcher examined any effects on the development of curriculum and delivery of instruction in a middle school setting. This study also examined any time spent away from teaching language arts and mathematics skills in order to ensure technology tools necessary to take a computerized assessment are learned

De Vita, Et Gestis S. Francisci Xaverii È Societate Iesv Indiarvm Apostoli Libri Qvatvor

Ex R. P. Danielis Bartoli è Societate Iesv, Italico Romae approbato & edito, Latinè redditi à P. Lvdovico Ianino ex eadem SocietateVorlageform des Erscheinungsvermerks: Lvgdvni, Sumptibus Adami Demen, vico Mercatorio, sub signo Fortunae. ..

Investigation of Silicon Etching Effects for Monolithic Integration of MEMS with CMOS

Monolithic integration of CMOS and MEMS is quickly proving to be a viable asset to current complex structures. However, synthesis of these technologies has proven to have multiple processing obstacles. Depending on the method used to create these devices, the hurdles include the effects of silicon etching and high temperature processing. For this experiment, previously processed CMOS wafers were obtained and a trench was etched into the silicon. “Family of curves” plots of the working CMOS wafers were taken before and after processing to study any changes in ID. Results have shown that the processing of this integration will effect the family of curve plots, however this was not concluded as a result of a small sample size

El “mito del pueblo austriaco” raimundeano según Claudio Magris

This paper proposes an approach to the plays of F. Raimund following C. Magris’ perspective of the habsburgical myth in the modern Austrian literature. According to this, the presence of the statements of this theory is analysed in his plays, and the question is raised about its pertinence to read this author, and even more to read him in our days.Este trabajo plantea una lectura de la obra teatral de F. Raimund desde la perspectiva del mito habsbúrgico de la literatura austriaca moderna propuesta por C. Magris. De acuerdo con esto, en sus obras se analizan las afirmaciones de Magris presentes en dicha teoría y se formula la pregunta acerca de su pertinencia para leer a este autor y aun para leerlo desde nuestra época

Investigation Of The Allosteric Modulators Desformylflustrabromine And 4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-1-Piperazineethanesulfonic Acid (Hepes) Interactions On Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2011Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are members of the Cys-loop super family of ligand gated ion channels. Dysregulation of nAChRs can lead to pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Autism and nicotine addiction. Possible new therapeutic avenues are positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). The natural product desformylflustrabromine (dFBr), a tryptophan metabolite of the marine bryozoan Flustra foliacea, was found to be PAM of alpha4beta2 nAChR. Evaluation of our synthetic water soluble dFBr salt by two-electrode voltage clamp of Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing human nAChR confirmed that synthetic dFBr displayed similar properties as the natural product. Low concentrations of the synthetic dFBr enhanced ACh's efficacy on alpha4beta2 receptors. At higher dFBr concentrations, dFBr inhibited ACh potentiated responses. On alpha7 receptors, dFBr inhibited ACh induced currents. Further pharmacological characterization of dFBr revealed that dFBr was able to enhance partial agonist potencies and efficacies. Evaluation of dFBr on antagonists showed no effect on antagonist inhibition. The mechanisms of biphasic modulation (potentiation and inhibition) of dFBr on alpha4beta2 nAChR were also investigated. Enhanced efficacy of ACh induced currents by dFBr appeared to be accomplished by dFBr stabilization of the open receptor conformation by destabilization of the desensitized state. The inhibition of ACh potentiated currents by dFBr appeared to involve open-channel block. To better understand dFBr mechanisms, its putative binding site was examined. Alanine mutations were made in non-orthosteric clefts on the beta2+ and alpha4- faces. Results revealed residues located on these faces are involved in ACh induced conformational change of the receptor. In addition our data supports our hypothesis that allosteric modulation by dFBr interacts with residues located on the beta2+ and alpha4- faces. The new novel actions of (4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid) (HEPES) as a alpha4beta2 stoichiometric PAM was discovered and characterized. We showed that HEPES, a common buffering agent, potentiated the high ACh sensitivity alpha4beta2 receptor while only inhibiting the low ACh sensitivity alpha4beta2 receptor. Mutagenesis results suggested that residue beta2D217 is a critical residue in the HEPES binding site. Results from these studies will aid in the development of therapeutic ligands that will assist in the treatment of diseases where nAChRs are dysregulated

Systemic functional linguistics theory in practice: A longitudinal study of a school-university partnership reforming writing instruction in an urban elementary school

Thesis advisor: Dennis ShirleyThe ability to express meaning in prose is a foundational skill in our society. Given the importance of being a competent writer, concern with the quality of writing instruction is a recurring theme among American educators (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010; National Commission on Writing, 2003, 2004, 2006). Research shows that teachers are unprepared to teach writing (Gilbert & Graham, 2010) and devote limited amounts of time to it (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010). In addition, national assessment data indicates that most students are not proficient writers (Salahu-Din, Persky & Miller, 2008). An embedded case study design (Yin, 2009), using mixed methodology (Greene & Caracelli, 2003a, 2003b; Hesse-Biber, 2010), was employed to determine whether a school-university partnership enacted systemic functional linguistics theory guided writing intervention changed fourth and fifth grade teachers' writing instruction over the course of three years in an urban elementary school. The study further investigated changes to 41 fourth and 27 fifth graders' writing performance during the third year of the invention. Examination of the relationship between students' performance in writing and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test in English language arts was conducted. The study also explored how teachers articulated their experiences with the partnership. Findings showed the content of teachers' instruction changed involving the use of metalanguage and the teaching of genre, language, and tenor. Similarly, instructional strategies evolved regarding negotiating field and deconstruction of text. Findings also indicated a significant improvement in writing performance for all students, and bilingual students had more growth over time than monolingual peers. Also, a moderate positive relationship existed between writing performance and MCAS performance, which suggests understanding of genre may support reading comprehension. Overall, teachers positively experienced the partnership and found value in the professional development. Implications of these study findings will benefit teacher education, administrators and policymakers, and allow for improved school-university partnerships.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Macroglossia in Inclusion Body Myositis

OBJECTIVE: Discussion of a case of Inclusion body myositis (IBM) associated with macroglossia. INTRODUCTION: IBM is one of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Exact pathogenesis is unclear but there is an evidence of dysregulation of antigen driven immune response involving T cells. Typical onset is slowly progressive impacting quadriceps often more than hip flexors, ankle dorsiflexors and distal forearm flexor muscles. Swallowing difficulties often are present and mild facial weakness can be seen. Macroglossia has never been reported in association with IBM. In fact inflammatory myopathies of tongue are a rarity. DESIGN: A case report of a 68 year old woman with 12 year progressive difficulty getting out of chair and inability to twist jar lids. Examination showed forearm flexor and quadriceps atrophy and bilateral face, hip flexion and finger flexion weakness. Clinical diagnosis of IBM was further supported by muscle biopsy findings. One year after the diagnosis, she reported painless progressive enlargement of her tongue resulting in difficulty with chewing. On exam the tongue looked enlarged. MRI of the oropharynx was unremarkable. Tongue muscle biopsy showed non-granulomatous inflammatory infiltrates, myophagocytosis and degenerating regenerating fibers without evidence of amyloidosis. Work up for Sarcoidosis with Chest CT and ACE levels was negative. RESULTS: Decision to start patient on steroids for idiopathic myositis of the tongue was deferred as our patient is currently enrolled in an IBM clinical trial. CONCLUSION: Macroglossia in IBM patients has never been reported in literature. Two reported cases of macroglossia were associated with dermatomyositis and granulomatous myositis. It remains unknown whether this is the first reported case of IBM associated with macroglossia or macroglossia due to a second inflammatory myositis

La pouertà contenta : [Texto impreso] descritta e dedicatta a' ricchi non mai contenti

Sign.: A-Z12Port. calc., representando un soldado del Imperio roman