From Lists to Images: Exploring the Concept of the Good Teacher in Teacher Education

The question of what it means to be a good teacher is often addressed through lists of teacher traits, competencies, skills, beliefs, and practices. However, list-making runs the risk of fragmenting the complex, relational act of teaching and limiting the types of conversations that occur in teacher education. There is a small body of literature that attempts to explore this question through the use of images rather than lists. The aim of this paper is to foreground that research and the types of conversations it enables in order to begin to interrogate the images and corresponding discourses about good teachers that are held both individually and collectively

Addition of the apical oblique projection increases the detection of acute traumatic shoulder abnormalities in adults

Purpose Plain radiographic evaluation of acute shoulder trauma in adults requires a minimum of two projections, commonly the anteroposterior (AP) and lateral scapular projections, with additional projections taken for diagnosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether the addition of the apical oblique (AO) projection to the AP and lateral scapular projections increases the number and/or alters the types of abnormalities detected in the examination of acute shoulder trauma. Methods Examinations of 56 adults who had undergone three-projection (AP, lateral scapular, AO) radiographic shoulder examination for acute trauma were allocated into two-projection (AP, lateral scapular) and three-projection cases and assessed by a radiologist. The differences in number and types of abnormalities between the two-projection and three-projection cases were quantified using the one-tailed t test and chi-square goodness-of-fit test, respectively. Results Test-retest reliability was moderate (intra-class correlation coefficient [95%CI], 0.56 [0.15 to 0.80]) for number, and almost perfect (kappa [95%CI], 0.94 [0.85 to 1.00]) for types, of abnormalities detected. There was a significant increase in the number of abnormalities detected across all three-projection versus two-projection cases (difference in means [95%CI], 0.20 [0.01 to 0.39]) and for fractures (difference in means [95%CI], 0.30 [0.11 to 0.49]), but no difference in the types of abnormalities detected (χ 2 = 4.7, p = 0.19). Conclusion This study suggests that adding the AO projection to two-projection examination of acute shoulder trauma increases the number of abnormalities detected; this has potential implications for patient management. Further research investigating differences in types of abnormalities detected between two-projection and three-projection cases is warranted

Reimagining Teacher Education through Design Thinking Principles: Curriculum in the Key of Life

Inspired by Arendt’s (2009) “task of renewing a common world” (p. 193), a team of ten instructors took on the challenge of reimagining a teacher preparation course entitled Curriculum II - Arts & Humanities. Through the dominant discourses of management, accountability and technique-driven preparation, the act of teaching is interpreted as a “service rendered” (Pinar, 2012, p. 36), measured “objectively” by demonstrable deliverables and pre-determined outcomes. Our team provoked these discourses by asserting that human beings are inherently attuned to deeper learning through wonderment, interpretation, ideation and experimentation (Whitehead, 1929). The principles of design thinking – a problem-based process which, through curiosity, empathy and interdisciplinary thinking, generates playful and collaborative creative experimentation – offered a space within which to open up deeper educational conversations with pre-service teachers. Invoking the metaphor of a choral performance, this series of miniature musical movements “in the key of life” express the challenging, enlivening and multivocal nature of curriculum and pedagogy enacted through Design Thinking principles. From contemplating the power of self-reflection and collective action, to meeting challenges and resistance with courage, to listening with heart to people and places, and to responding with joy and hope in the face of our place and circumstances, each individual movement gives voice to the echoes that linger long after the official coursework is complete. Together, these voices join together in a chorus of authentic and responsive curriculum renewal

Innovative Certificate Programs in University Teaching and Learning: Experiential Learning for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

In response to a growing need for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to strengthen their teaching and learning skills, our university recently established innovative certificate programs that purposively incorporate experiential learning opportunities for deeper growth and development. Drawing on prior research and local needs assessments, we developed programs aimed to meet the identified needs of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. In this paper we describe how we planned, developed, and implemented these new certificate programs to engage graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from across our institution. Further, we discuss how these programs provide experiential learning opportunities for all participants

Robust Parallel Laser Driving of Quantum Dots for Multiplexing of Quantum Light Sources

Deterministic sources of quantum light (i.e. single photons or pairs of entangled photons) are required for a whole host of applications in quantum technology, including quantum imaging, quantum cryptography and the long-distance transfer of quantum information in future quantum networks. Semiconductor quantum dots are ideal candidates for solid-state quantum emitters as these artificial atoms have large dipole moments and a quantum confined energy level structure, enabling the realization of single photon sources with high repetition rates and high single photon purity. Quantum dots may also be triggered using a laser pulse for on-demand operation. The naturally-occurring size variations in ensembles of quantum dots offers the potential to increase the bandwidth of quantum communication systems through wavelength-division multiplexing, but conventional laser triggering schemes based on Rabi rotations are ineffective when applied to inequivalent emitters. Here we report the demonstration of the simultaneous triggering of >10 quantum dots using adiabatic rapid passage. We show that high-fidelity quantum state inversion is possible in a system of quantum dots with a 15~meV range of optical transition energies using a single broadband, chirped laser pulse, laying the foundation for high-bandwidth, multiplexed quantum networks

Children’s, parents’ and educators’ understandings and experiences of digital resilience: A systematic review and meta-ethnography

Supporting children to be digitally resilient when facing online adversity is an increasingly important developmental task. However, conceptual knowledge underpinning digital resilience and how this operates among children and across their home, community and societal contexts is embryonic. A systematic review and meta-ethnography of research focusing on the understandings and experiences of digital resilience of children aged 8–12, their parents and educators identified 11 studies conducted since 2011 across 14 countries. Four main themes, ‘Using connective technologies’, ‘Risky online experiences’, ‘Mediation strategies’ (comprised of sub-themes ‘Proactive coping’ and ‘Reactive coping’), and ‘Risk and protective factors’ were constructed from our translation of first- and second-order constructs, with the overarching theme ‘Constant balancing’ cross-cutting these themes. We argue one cannot have risky online experiences without the potential to develop digital resilience and vice versa. Insofar as current conceptualisations of digital resilience underestimate the role played by wider contexts, important knowledge gaps are highlighted

How to Better Understand the Influence of Host Genetics on Developing an Effective Immune Response to Thoracic Cancers

Thoracic cancers pose a significant global health burden. Immune checkpoint blockade therapies have improved treatment outcomes, but durable responses remain limited. Understanding how the host immune system interacts with a developing tumor is essential for the rational development of improved treatments for thoracic malignancies. Recent technical advances have improved our understanding of the mutational burden of cancer cells and changes in cancer-specific gene expression, providing a detailed understanding of the complex biology underpinning tumor-host interactions. While there has been much focus on the genetic alterations associated with cancer cells and how they may impact treatment outcomes, how host genetics affects cancer development is also critical and will greatly determine treatment response. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with cancer predisposition. This approach has successfully identified host genetic risk factors associated with common thoracic cancers like lung cancer, but is less effective for rare cancers like malignant mesothelioma. To assess how host genetics impacts rare thoracic cancers, we used the Collaborative Cross (CC); a powerful murine genetic resource designed to maximize genetic diversity and rapidly identify genes associated with any biological trait. We are using the CC in conjunction with our asbestos-induced MexTAg mouse model, to identify host genes associated with mesothelioma development. Once genes that moderate tumor development and progression are known, human homologues can be identified and human datasets interrogated to validate their association with disease outcome. Furthermore, our CC−MexTAg animal model enables in-depth study of the tumor microenvironment, allowing the correlation of immune cell infiltration and gene expression signatures with disease development. This strategy provides a detailed picture of the underlying biological pathways associated with mesothelioma susceptibility and progression; knowledge that is crucial for the rational development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Here we discuss the influence of host genetics on developing an effective immune response to thoracic cancers. We highlight current knowledge gaps, and with a focus on mesothelioma, describe the development and application of the CC-MexTAg to overcome limitations and illustrate how the knowledge gained from this unique study will inform the rational design of future treatments of mesothelioma