Teaching and Learning in Two iPad-Infused Classrooms: A Descriptive Case Study of a Dual Classroom, School-Based Pilot Project

This multi-methods, descriptive case study examines attitudes and practices of classroom-based iPad use. The site is one inner-city, urban, publicly funded school, focused on two iPad-infused classrooms (Grade 2/3 and Grade 4/5). Data were collected from 5 educators and 35 students to investigate two research questions: How are iPads being utilized in student instruction? How do educators and students perceive the value of using iPads in the classroom? For this study, we analyzed the transcript of a focus group with five educators, data from 10 days of structured student observations, and the results from 35 student questionnaires. Five themes emerged from the focus group; the strongest related to pedagogical practices. Data related to student perceptions indicated a positive attitude toward iPads. They enjoyed iPad use, were concerned about equity issues, had high self-ratings about related skills, felt they used it most often in Mathematics, and indicated various preferred applications. Overall, iPads were used in 31.7% of observed instructional time, 94.7% of which was facilitated by classroom teachers. Of this iPad- based instructional time, 72.5% was for individualized teaching, typically in language and/or mathematics instruction. Our analysis culminates in recommendations for school leadership such as teaching prerequisite skills and providing ongoing technological supports

What’s BEFORE the iPad®? Teaching Basic Prerequisite Skills for iPad® Use

Assistive technology, such as that available in an iPad®, have increasingly been used to support learning for all students and particularly for those with special education needs. The purpose of this article is to consider the prerequisite skills required for effective iPad® use. The effective integration of assistive technologies, from technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge perspectives is an important theoretical framework. From a Universal Design for Learning perspective, we consider how new skills can be taught and how task analysis is a critical part of the process. A review of suggested apps for prerequisite skills, such as cause and effect, tap, drag, and swipe, is included as are considerations for Individual Education Plans. An authentic case anecdote is provided to illustrate the ways in which prerequisite skills can be addressed. The conclusion integrates the scholarly literature on teaching and assistive technology

Gamification approaches for open innovation implementation: A conceptual framework

In today's business environment, knowledge sources for innovation are widely distributed n the economy, pushing firms to shift from a closed to an open model of innovation. However, the successful implementation of an open innovation model requires overcoming the inertia that hinders organizations facing environmental changes. The aim of this research is to build a conceptual framework of how gamification approaches might help firms overcome inertia in open innovation implementation following an organizational change perspective. After a systematic literature review, we posit that a gamification approach can help firms overcome inertia shortcomings with respect to the three stages of organizational change that are needed to implement open innovation: unfreezing, moving and institutionalizing. This research sheds light on the barriers to open innovation and contributes to the theoretical literature on gamification. Organizations can take advantage of the new opportunities in gamification to manage the challenges of implementing an open innovation process

Subjektive Krankheitsrepräsentationen sind relevant für Outcomes der Adipositasbehandlung

Adipositas wird von der WHO als chronische Erkrankung beschrieben; Gewichtsreduktionsprogramme sind langfristig häufig nicht erfolgreich. Das Common-Sense-Modell (CSM) der Selbstregulation nach Leventhal nimmt an, dass kognitive und affektive subjektive Repräsentationen von chronischen Gesundheitszuständen das Selbstregulationsverhalten der Betroffenen und darüber den Krankheitsverlauf beeinflussen. Es scheint somit geeignet, um relevante Einflüsse auf Faktoren der Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung der Adipositas zu identifizieren und neue Ansatzpunkte der Behandlung abzuleiten. Bislang wurden vor allem Ursachenrepräsentationen untersucht. Das CSM postuliert jedoch weitere kognitive (z. B. über Verlauf, Kontrollierbarkeit und Verständnis) sowie emotionale Repräsentationen, die bislang weitestgehend unberücksichtigt blieben

Parachlamydia spp. and Related Chlamydia-like Organisms and Bovine Abortion

Chlamydophila abortus and Waddlia chondrophila cause abortion in ruminants. We investigated the role of Parachlamydia acanthamoebae in bovine abortion. Results of immunohistochemical analyses were positive in 30 (70%) of 43 placentas from which Chlamydia-like DNA was amplified, which supports the role of Parachlamydia spp. in bovine abortion

До питання фольклоризму та фольклоризації творчості трудових мігрантів

The topicality of the research is caused by the lack of study of creative activities of the Ukrainians who are hunting for a job abroad. Prose, poetry, small genres are not the object of the thorough research yet. At the same time folkloristic processes flow lively among this group of people. This thought is proved by author’s own fieldwork. Dramatic peculiarities of migrants’ creativity (homesickness, loneliness, nostalgia) help laborers to bear their lives. Some of the bright examples of migrant folklore (poems, jokes, and a vocabulary) are given in the article as well

GAR22β regulates cell migration, sperm motility, and axoneme structure

© 2016 Gamper et al. Spatiotemporal cytoskeleton remodeling is pivotal for cell adhesion and migration. Here we investigated the function of Gas2-related protein on chromosome 22 (GAR22β), a poorly characterized protein that interacts with actin and microtubules. Primary and immortalized GAR22β-/- Sertoli cells moved faster than wild-type cells. In addition, GAR22β-/- cells showed a more prominent focal adhesion turnover. GAR22β overexpression or its reexpression in GAR22β-/- cells reduced cell motility and focal adhesion turnover. GAR22β-actin interaction was stronger than GAR22β-microtubule interaction, resulting in GAR22β localization and dynamics that mirrored those of the actin cytoskeleton. Mechanistically, GAR22β interacted with the regulator of microtubule dynamics end-binding protein 1 (EB1) via a novel noncanonical amino acid sequence, and this GAR22β-EB1 interaction was required for the ability of GAR22β to modulate cell motility. We found that GAR22β is highly expressed in mouse testes, and its absence resulted in reduced spermatozoa generation, lower actin levels in testes, and impaired motility and ultrastructural disorganization of spermatozoa. Collectively our findings identify GAR22β as a novel regulator of cell adhesion and migration and provide a foundation for understanding the molecular basis of diverse cytoskeleton-dependent processes

Twin GEM-TPC prototype (HGB4) beam test at GSI – a tracking detector for the Super-FRS

The GEM-TPC detector will be part of the standard Super-FRS detection system, as tracker detectors at several focal diagnostic stations along the separator and its three branches.Non peer reviewe