A Case Study on the Impact of Digital Relationships on Unaccompanied Minors during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Abstract.The exploratory study investigates how unaccompanied minors (UAMs) in Italy dealt with social isolation at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Have they suffered from the effects of the lockdown? How did their relationships change? What feelings characterised their experience? What factors helped them? Did ICT help them, or did it increase their social and economic marginalisation? Very little researchhasinvestigatedthe issues of UAMs, socialisation, technologies, and pandemics together. The data were collected through a purpose-built questionnaire that obtained an excellent Cronbach Alpha index (0.91) for internal consistency, which was administered to the migrant students of a school in North-East Italy. The answers indicatedthat they perceived the change in their social relations;but they coped with it, thanks to their internal resources, such as resilience and self-efficacy, and external ones, including digital devices and social support from family and teachers. Their friendship networks are regrettably fragile, and the youths do not rely much on them. On the other hand, the results show the crucial role of adults for the UAMs’ well-being: everyone, from the developers of policies to teachers, should take this aspect into account. Providing teenagers with appropriate communication technologies, ensuring the support of caregivers and teachers, and organising activities that strengthen peer networks are the actions of paramount importance, toensure their welfare

Le attività narrative multimodali accrescono la motivazione nelle classi multiculturali? Uno studio esplorativo in una scuola primaria

Today’s teachers face a double challenge: to raise the students’ communicative and narrative skills, while at the same time maintaining a high level of motivation even in the face of the difficultiescaused by the use of Italian as L2. In this context, the use of multimodal narrative activities can be effective, allowing everyone to find their own most congenial way of expression. In a class of 8-9 year olds with a high rate of foreign students, we organized a multimodal storytelling workshop based on an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work “The merchant of Venice”. Eighteen children tried their hand at listening, shadow theatre, drawing, confrontation, writing and digital storytelling. At each step, we measured their motivation for storytelling, trying to understand which activities produced the greatest effects. Results show that foreign children start with a lower perception of their narrative skills and perceive a higher effort. However, at the end of the workshop the two groups finished with very close results. Children feel more confident communicating by acting but the set of experienced modalities motivated children to narrate. We have recorded a steady interest by the children, and despite some difficulties, they showed perseverance and determination in the assigned tasks, bringing them to completion.Oggi, gli insegnanti affrontano una duplice sfida: aumentare le capacità comunicative e narrative degli studenti, mantenendo allo stesso tempo un alto livello di motivazione anche di fronte alle difficoltà causate dall’uso dell’italiano come L2. In questo contesto, l’uso di attività narrative multimodali può essere efficace, consentendo a tutti di trovare il modo di espressione più congeniale.Abbiamo organizzato un laboratorio di narrazione multimodale basato su un adattamento dell’opera di Shakespeare “Il mercante di Venezia” in una classe di alunni di 8-9 anni con un alto tasso di studenti stranieri. Diciotto bambini si sono cimentati con l’ascolto, il teatro delle ombre, il disegno, il confronto, la scrittura e la narrazione digitale. Ad ogni passo, abbiamo misurato la loro motivazione per la narrazione, cercando di capire quali attività producano gli effetti maggiori. I risultati mostrano che i bambini stranieri partono con una percezione inferiore delle loro capacità narrative e percepiscono uno sforzo superiore. Tuttavia, alla fine del workshop i due gruppi hanno terminato con risultati molto simili. I bambini si sentono più sicuri comunicando con la recitazione, ma è l’insieme delle modalità sperimentate che ha motivato i bambini alla narrazione. Abbiamo registrato un costante interesse da parte dei bambini e, nonostante alcune difficoltà, hanno mostrato perseveranza e determinazione nei compiti assegnati, portandoli a completamento

Caratterizzazione del flusso in acquiferi carbonatici fratturati dell'Italia centrale per la gestione e la protezione delle risorse idriche sotterranee

The peculiarities of karst aquifers make them strategic resources which, however, are not yet exploitable because of objective difficulties that are found in their study. Indeed, it is recognized the importance of carbonate aquifers for water sourcing (BAKALOWICZ, 2005; CIVITA, 2008; GOLDSCHEIDER & DREW, 2007; VIGNA, 2002), but often the inadequacy of the investigation methods together with their inaccessibility due to morphological factors, does not allow an adequate exploitation. For this reason, a study was carried out with a multidisciplinary approach, which made it possible to compare, analyze and validate the results obtained by the different techniques of investigation. Final result is the characterization of fractured aquifers and of baseflow, as well as the evaluation of the influence of the variability of recharge on the groundwater regime. This study describes the results obtained in two areas of the central Apennines, which are representative of the Umbria-Marche and Lazio-Abruzzi geological domains. In the south-eastern area of “Sibillini Mountains National Park” is located the upper basin of Aso river, closed between some of the highest reliefs of Sibillini Mounts: Mt. Vettore, Mt. Porche and Mt. Sibilla. Here outcrop the pelagic Mesozoic–Cenozoic Umbria-Marche succession, whose formations are involves by the Olevano-Antrodoco-Monti Sibillini or OAMS Thrust (PIERANTONI et alii, 2005) and have a structural setting characterized by an asymmetric, east-verging anticline with box-fold geometry. Groundwater of the Aso River has been evaluated between 1400 L/s (BONI et alii, 2010, NANNI et alii, 2010) and 1800 L/s (MASTRORILLO et alii, 2012), about 530 of those (Foce spring) are tapped for drinking use by a tunnel drainage. The Sagittario river is located in the Northern Montagna Grande (Eastern Marsica, Abruzzi) where the Cavuto springs represent the main discharge of Basal aquifer, with an average flow rate evaluated in 1800 L/s (BONI & RUISI, 2005). Here outcrop Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate deposits, belonging to different palaeogeographic domains (from platform to slope-to-basin); this unit are placed in contact with synorogenic flysch deposits by important tectonic lines that are predominantly N-S and NNW-SSE oriented. The works discussed were carried out by means of a multidisciplinary approach including geological, hydrogeological, hydrochemical-isotope and climatic aspects. In particular, the analysis and elaboration of latest geological-stratigraphic and structural data allowed to define the major regional carbonate aquifers, to locate structural elements that can affect the groundwater circulation and to identify stratigraphic elements leading to the presence of local or regional surface circulations. The hydrogeological analysis is based on the realization of direct measurements of discharge, on the baseflow recession analysis, on the evaluation of annual changes in piezometric levels and on the implementation of vertical log with Flowmeter. The results obtained have allowed us to evaluate the flow rate and the seasonal and annual variability, also in function of climate change, and the intrinsic characteristic of the aquifer systems; in addition, it was possible to determine vertical component of groundwater flow and to detect any interactions with adjacent aquifers and/or to differentiate separate circulations of aquifers overlaid. The chemical and isotopic data were useful to individuate an unique circulation or to confirm the presence of separate groundwater flows, identified on the basis of geological and hydrogeological data. Furthermore, the isotopic data have enabled us to define the average height of recharge area of main springs, while the results of chemical analysis have provided information about the hydrodynamic conditions in the aquifers and the different circulation systems drained by closing springs which have or not similar chemistry. Finally, in the investigated areas, the detailed analysis of temperature, rainfall and snow data (in terms of thickness variation of snowpack or inches have fallen on the ground) and, then, of “Effective Rainfall”, have allowed us to make important considerations on the meteoric inflows and its relations with the variability of the groundwater regime. The total amount of base flow of the Aso River in 2009-2012 has been evaluated in about 1900 L/s, ranging between about 2200 and 1500 L/s. The multidisciplinary approach made it possible to identify three regional deep groundwater inside the “Basal”, “Maiolica” and “Scaglia calcarea” aquifers. The flow of the river is mainly supported by Foce and linear springs of the Basal aquifer (more than 70%), whose recharge area it has been evaluated in about 40 Km2 by geological-tectonic and isotopic results: underground drainage occurs mainly in a direction NNW-SSE, from South to North. Shallow alluvial-detritic aquifer of “Gardosa Plain”, connected with Basal aquifer, supplies the spring of Aso and Foce lake: this happens only in the wettest years, when the rise of the groundwater table feeds a flowpath from Basal to shallow aquifer. Recharge of the Basal aquifer is due to melting snows and subordinately to rainfall: the delay between the beginning of the snowmelt and discharge increase was estimated at just over month. The baseflow recession analysis also shown that the basin of the Aso river is the main address of the Basal groundwater flow in the south-eastern part of the chain of the Sibillini Mountains. Maiolica and “Scaglia calcarea” aquifers also contribute to the discharge of Aso river with, respectively, 240 L/s and 290 L/s (referred to the 2009-2012 period): the recharge areas outcrop northwards and their extension is a function of the variability of meteoric inflow, that affects the involvement of more extensive areas of aquifers in the periods in which the recharge is greater. Influence of the snow on the recharge of aquifers of Sibillini has also been confirmed by the negative rainfall gradient (-41,3 mm/100 mt), because as the altitude increases the rains are replaced by snow, and by coefficient of Lauscher that is over 50% above 1300 meters a.s.l. The analysis of the Effective Infiltration, evaluated on the basis of the temperature, rainfall and snow data, showed a great variability depending on the areal extension, the local relief and annual climatic variations: has been calculated a mean value for 2008-2012 period of about 1020 mm/year, variable between 630 and above 1400 mm/year. In addition, the water budget has provided a mean net infiltration of 990 mm/year, ranging between 735 and 1220 mm/year, values comparable with those obtained from the analysis of weather data. Were carried out in 2009-2010 measurements of discharge in the Sagittario River, between San Domenico dam and Cavuto spring group, that have shown how the flow rate in this area is strongly influenced by the presence of hydro diversion. In fact, the volumes of water released immediately and about 1,5 Km downstream of the diversion structure, valuated in about 50 and 320 L/s, moves through the soil surface into the ground, leaving part of the riverbed dry. Contribute to feed the Cavuto spring group, whose average base flow in 2009-2010 has been evaluated in 1860 L/s, in addition to the meteoric recharge due to the rains that the snow, also approximately 225 L/s of the waters that infiltrate directly into the riverbed. The baseflow recession analysis provided that the recession coefficient α increases with time: this has been interpreted as temporarily flooded caves in the northern karst region of Montagna Grande. Indeed, analysis of climatic data referred to 2002-2012, returned a wide range of effective rainfall with an average value of about 670 mm/year; instead, for 2009-2010 the average value is of 925 mm/year, reflecting that these two years have been characterized by particularly high levels of recharge. In addition, the water budget carried out by assuming an area of 53 Km2, identified on the basis of geological-structural setting, allowed to determine an average value of Effective Infiltration for the 2009-2010 of almost 970 mm/year, very close to that calculated by the “Indirect method” (BONI et alii, 1986). The study conducted in the carbonate basins of the rivers Aso and Sagittario, based on the application of multi-disciplinary methodologies, showed that this approach made it possible the analysis and validation of the results obtained by the different techniques of investigation. The final result was the characterization of fractured aquifers and underground drainage of the main spring, as well as the evaluation of the influence of the variability of recharge on the groundwater regime. In particular, for this type of aquifer, it is shown essential the detailed evaluation of the annual and multiannual scheme of “Effective Rainfall”, especially with regard to snow, and the validation of Conceptual Hydrogeological Models by comparing the Direct and Indirect hydrogeological method

Does a multimodal narrative workshop enhance motivation in multicultural class? A exploratory study in a primary schoolLe attività narrative multimodali accrescono la motivazione nelle classi multiculturali? Uno studio esplorativo in una scuola primaria

Today’s teachers face a double challenge: to raise the students’ communicative and narrativeskills, while at the same time maintaining a high level of motivation even in the face of the diffi-culties caused by the use of Italian as L2. In this context, the use of multimodal narrative activitiescan be effective, allowing everyone to find their own most congenial way of expression. In aclass of 8-9 year olds with a high rate of foreign students, we organized a multimodal storytellingworkshop based on an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work “The merchant of Venice”. Eighteenchildren tried their hand at listening, shadow theatre, drawing, confrontation, writing and digitalstorytelling. At each step, we measured their motivation for storytelling, trying to understandwhich activities produced the greatest effects. Results show that foreign children start with alower perception of their narrative skills and perceive a higher effort. However, at the end of theworkshop the two groups finished with very close results. Children feel more confident com-municating by acting but the set of experienced modalities motivated children to narrate. Wehave recorded a steady interest by the children, and despite some difficulties, they showed per-severance and determination in the assigned tasks, bringing them to completion

Ideologie e ricerca in educazione ambientale: credenze, approcci educativi e metodi di ricerca

The focus on environmental education research is at the centre of national/international educational agendas and policies; at the same time, there is a rise in public debate of ideologies/discourses/narratives on environmental issues which, while fuelling interest, may cause new tensions in educational research, which, on the other hand, is required to rigorously and precisely examine ‘discourses over ideas’. The international literature reveals a heated debate on environmental educational ideologies but also a research gap on the complex relationship between the ideologies that underpin the research itself and the educational practices investigated, as both are carriers of ‘worldviews’. Therefore, this work has set itself the following objectives: 1) to identify the ideologies of environmental education research and practice; 2) to investigate the relationships between ideologies and beliefs, educational approaches and research methods; 2) to propose this analysis as a possible heuristic and critical instrument for researchers, in order to reflect and explicate their methodological choices, taking into account the tensions “about worldviews” of which the researches are themselves bearers.L’attenzione sulla ricerca di educazione ambientale è al centro delle agende e delle politiche educative nazionali/internazionali; allo stesso tempo, nel dibattito pubblico si assiste un aumento di ideologie/discorsi/narrazioni sulle questioni ambientali che se da un lato alimentano l’interesse, dall’altro possono provocare nuove tensioni, in ambito di ricerca educativa, alla quale, invece, è richiesto un vaglio rigoroso e preciso sui “discorsi sopra le idee”. Dalla letteratura internazionale emerge un acceso dibattito sulle ideologie educative ambientali ma anche un gap di ricerca sulla complessa relazione tra le ideologie che innervano le stesse ricerche e le pratiche educative indagate, in quanto entrambe portatrici di “visioni del mondo”. Pertanto, questo lavoro si pone i seguenti obiettivi: 1) identificare le ideologie di ricerca e di pratica di educazione ambientale; 2) indagare le relazioni tra le ideologie e le credenze, gli approcci educativi e i metodi di ricerca; 3) proporre questa analisi come un possibile strumento euristico e critico per i ricercatori, al fine di riflettere ed esplicitare le proprie scelte metodologiche, tenendo conto delle tensioni “sulle visioni del mondo” di cui le ricerche stesse sono portatrici

Sustained post‐seismic effects on groundwater flow in fractured carbonate aquifers in Central Italy

n/

A central Apennine test site for long-term monitoring: relationship between seismicity and groundwater during 2016-17 earthquakes

Earthquakes hydrology, groundwater, water table, stable isotopes, trace metals

Relationship between rainfall and water table in a coastal aquifer: the case study of Castelporziano presidential estate

This study is focused on the analysis of seasonal and annual variability in groundwater levels of the coastal aquifer of Castelporziano Presidential Estate, a protected area of 59 Km2 located in the periphery of Rome. A comparison with the local trends of rainfall at “Castello” gauging station at different time scales (monthly, seasonal and annual) has been carried out. The results highlight differences between the coastal area and eastern and northern sector of the Estate. Indeed, the seasonal effect due to local meteoric recharge is direct and regular during the year in the coastal area in respect to the eastern and northern sectors of the Estate. Moreover, annual steady regime and multi-year trend of groundwater levels suggest the contribution from the adjacent volcanic aquifer of Albani Hills. In the latter case, the regional circulation of groundwater is affected by the effects of intense withdrawals. The maintenance of the monitoring network will allow to define the flow paths of the groundwater that characterize the coastal aquifer of Castelporziano

L’effetto di un laboratorio “dal visivo al verbale” sulla autoefficacia narrativa dei bambini in un contesto multiculturale

Narrative skills are very important in children’s lives: they represent the basisfor academic, cognitive, social and identity development. Improving narrativeability can be very hard for children who live in a context where the commonlanguage is not their first language. Lexical and syntactical difficultiescan lead children to give up trying to express themselves, preventing themfrom continuing to practice.For this reason, we tried to proposed a workshop for a 3rd grade class in amulticultural context, in order to develop at the same time narrative skillsand engagement in storytelling. A series of activities gradually brought pupilsfrom imagining, through action, to speech, while allowing everyone to findtheir favorite communication channel. The results were encouraging, as theactivities structured in this way allowed even those who started from a disadvantagedsituation to strengthen their self-efficacy and to participate inthe same way as the others. Peer collaboration and the active role of the childrenwere essential characteristics for the success of the project.Le abilità narrative sono molto importanti nella vita dei bambini: rappresentanola base per lo sviluppo accademico, cognitivo, sociale e identitario. Migliorarele capacità narrative può essere molto difficile per i bambini chevivono in un contesto in cui la lingua comunemente utilizzata non è la lorolingua madre. Le difficoltà lessicali e sintattiche possono portare i bambini arinunciare di cercare di esprimersi, impedendo loro di continuare ad esercitarsi.Per questo motivo, abbiamo cercato di proporre un laboratorio per unaclasse di terza primaria con un contesto multiculturale, al fine di sviluppareallo stesso tempo le capacità narrative e l’impegno nella narrazione. Unaserie di attività ha portato gradualmente gli alunni dall’immagine, attraversol’azione, alla parola, permettendo a tutti di trovare il proprio canale di comunicazionepreferito. I risultati sono stati incoraggianti, poiché le attivitàstrutturate in questo modo hanno permesso, anche a chi è partito da una situazionedi svantaggio, di rafforzare la propria autoefficacia e di parteciparecome gli altri. La collaborazione tra pari e il ruolo attivo dei bambini sonostate caratteristiche essenziali per il successo del progetto