Research metadata on the web: selected geospatial data and metadata directories

pp. 131-14

Aquatic Comons and open access: the technology and beyond

pp. 55-5

Teaching daily living skills to young adults with autism : the creation of a curriculum guide for special education teachers

The purpose of this thesis project was to compile a curriculum on teaching daily living skills for students transitioning from the school system to adulthood that is research-based and differentiated for students at various skill levels. A multi-level review procedure was implemented to develop the curriculum. First, a review of the literature was conducted to identify the topics and instructional methods to be included in the curriculum. Second, a panel of national experts were sent a draft of the curriculum to assess the accuracy and clarity of the information provided. Third, parents were surveyed to determine what they thought was important for their children to learn and how comfortable they felt with the proposed teaching strategies. Fourth, special education teachers were surveyed to determine their comfort level with teaching each of the topics outlined and using the proposed strategies. Results of the multi-level review procedure indicated that daily living skills were determined to be an important part of a transition curriculum. Further, the results provided supporting evidence that the topics outlined were important topics for this population to learn, the suggested teaching procedures were effective, and the format of the curriculum guide was a helpful tool for educators teaching this subject. Implications for teachers developing daily living skills curriculum for students transitioning to adulthood are discussed

The historical transformation of swimming into a modern leisure activity

The purpose of this study is to trace the transformation of swimming from its earliest appearance in the literature to its contemporary form as a modern leisure activity. The processes of rationalization, legitimation and democratization are examined in pre-industrial, industrial, and post-industrial societies. An investigation of the available literature disclosed negative attitudes toward swimming during the Middle Ages which caused a decrease in expressive uses of swimming. After this period, swimming\u27s acceptance as a legitimate leisure activity continued to increase through the industrial and post-industrial eras. The democratization of swimming seemed limited to societies on the coasts of large bodies of water. But democratization widened as artificial pools were built, and changes occurred in economic conditions and social norms which allowed and even encouraged more groups of individuals to participate in aquatic activities. Literary evidence has revealed that values and beliefs about leisure during the three time periods influenced those of swimming. It was also found that the condition of the work/leisure relationship had a profound affect upon the uses of swimming, and leisure in general. Assumptions are made on the basis of the limitations of the literature. An unbiased perspective of swimming is absent in the early part of the pre-industrial period which may have caused discrepancies in the analysis. Many contemporary authors have written of the aquatic and leisure activities of earlier societies based on records produced by the literate. Thus the activities of the elite are documented, but those of the common rabble often go unrecorded. Although reports of the socially accepted norms regarding swimming as dictated by the church and other institutes are available, they are not always reliable as indicators of actual behavior. Carl Degler suggests, even though certain behaviors are sanctioned by social authorities, public adherence does not necessarily follow. It is concluded that the instrumental uses, social acceptance, and social availability of swimming differed somewhat from what is reported in the literature

Of fractured Earth and liquid gems: the springs of Florida

pp. 99-10

Aquatic Commons Initiative: a model for resource sharing in marine and aquatic sciences in marine and aquatic sciences

The International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC) is a global non-profit organization that provides a forum for discussion of information issues related to marine and aquatic science. During the last ten years, its members have developed resource sharing mechanisms that support research throughout the world. With an existing Z39.50 Distributed Library that supports interlibrary loan functions, a more comprehensive integrative Aquatic Commons model was developed to address the need for and growth of repositories and harvesters. This presentation will discuss the model and the development of the E-prints Aquatic Commons repository. (20ppt