Core French Teachers’ Perceptions of ELL Inclusion: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Canada is perceived around the world as a bilingual country that embraces linguistic and cultural diversity. The purpose of this study was to examine French as a second language (FSL) teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion of English language learners (ELLs) and the contributing factors affecting teachers’ attitudes toward ELLs. The province of Ontario served as the context for this study and the participants were elementary core French (CF) (where French is taught as a subject) teachers. Theories of multilingualism and positioning theory were drawn on in order to understand CF teachers’ perceptions of ELL inclusion and the contributing factors affecting these perceptions. This work is situated within the literature of FSL education, ELL inclusion, teachers’ attitudes, and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach and the data were collected from surveys (n=76) and interviews (n=9) with CF teachers. Data, during the analysis stages, were divided into sub-groups; the sub-groups included teachers who taught in high- and low-ELL regions (as determined by statistical information), teachers who taught in high- and low-ELL categories (as determined by the percentage of ELLs each teacher taught), as well as novice and experienced teacher groups. The purpose for these groupings was to determine the similarities and differences among and between groups. Overall findings suggest that while teachers, overall, demonstrate generally positive attitudes toward ELL inclusion in CF, they express many challenges, including, but not limited to workload demands, preparation time, ELLs’ use of L1, availability of appropriate resources, and ELLs’ grade entry level in CF. This research adds to the knowledge base of teachers’ perceptions of ELLs and offers new insight into the particularities of the Ontario CF classroom context

The Growing Resistance of Klebsiella pneumonia; the Need to Expand Our Antibiogram: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Carbapenemases are being increasingly reported in Enterobacteriaceae including Klebsiella pneumoniae causing considerable increases in morbidity and mortality with limited therapeutic options. Issues related to difficulties associated with pathogen identification and infection control have been identified as major obstacles to the control of these multi-drug resistant organisms. Identification of this enzyme in organisms not previously found to harbor them has added to the already existing challenge in the control of this growing problem. The case of a 60 year-old Saudi lady with diabetes, hypertension, pituitary adenoma, hypothyroidism, and obstructive sleep apnea who was admitted in our intensive care unit following a cardiac arrest is hereby presented. During the course of her treatment she acquired various infections that led to her exposure to antimicrobials from almost all classes at various times; including bacteremia due to a pan-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. She was successfully treated with a combination of colistin and amikacin. This case highlights the resurgence of colistin in clinical practice and also calls for the need to expand our antibiogram to include antibiotics not conventionally reported, especially in areas where drug resistance is a growing problem. Improving susceptibility detection methods for Klebsiella pneumoniae and hand hygiene could prove effective in reducing nosocomial infections. Involvement of clinical pharmacists in antimicrobial stewardship could reduce the development of antimicrobial drug resistance.Key words: Klebsiella pneumoniae, pan-drug resistance, infection, intensive care unit

Analiza opowiadań kanadyjskich nauczycieli pisania akademickiego: zbiorowa autoetnografia

Writing instruction in Canadian universities takes a variety of forms. While there are few formal departments for writing studies, many institutions do have a writing centre – a place that offers writing instruction to varying degrees. The writing centre may be housed within a department, a library, or within a student services unit. Its position within a university may indicate the degree to which writing is valued by the administrative body. The goal of our paper is to share insights into the ways that writing professionals perceive, work in, and adapt to current demands for writing instruction in higher education. Using a collaborative ethnographic approach, three scholars at different career stages explore their experiences with writing centre work. Using data consisting of individually written reflections, our analysis revealed four major themes: (a) initial experience with writing centres, (b) community, (c) frustrations and tensions at work, and (d) mentorship. In this paper, we discuss our findings within the framework of positioning theory in order to understand how we position ourselves as scholars, mentors, and educators, and how we are positioned by others within the fields of writing studies and higher education. This study raises awareness about the value of writing centre professionals’ contributions, the place of mentorship within higher education, and the support required for continued writing centre work.3833134520Studia Edukacyjn