The Impact of Lived Experiences of Instructional Coaches Using Engagement Strategies with Overseas Instructional Leaders: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructional coaches in professional development (PD) meetings with overseas instructional leaders in the Department of Defense-connected community. Progressivism drives the research as it pertains to actively engaging learners through ownership and the growth of their individual knowledge. The central research question examined intended to gather the lived experiences of instructional coaches who use engagement strategies in coaching sessions in an overseas Department of Defense community. Voluntary participants live in an overseas Department of Defense-connected community. The participants are of diverse ethnicities with numerous personal and professional backgrounds. Interviews were conducted, focus groups held, and journals were collected to document instructional leaders’ delivery of professional development and the effectiveness of information delivered to educators on a routine basis. Data were analyzed using procedures laid out by Moustakas’ (1994) seven step plan to determine findings, and limitations, and identify gaps to be recommended for future research. Five major themes were identified: (a) questioning techniques, (b) differentiation, (c) relationships, (d) goals and objectives, and (e) professional learning. The analysis of the data aligned with the research. The determined results state coaches should leverage open-ended questions to allow coachees to reach their own conclusions when possible. In addition, based on the collected data, providing specific guidance through instructional inquiry should be utilized in specific instances when working with time sensitive situations

Moving Your Student Law Reviews Towards An Open-Access Publishing Model

This is a PDF of the slide presentation given by the authors at the 2012 CALI Conference for Law School Computing, held June 21-23, 2012 at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, CA. The CALI session discussed the trend among law schools towards an open access publishing model for both faculty scholarship and student law reviews. Included was a brief overview of the Durham Statement on open access legal publishing and the advantages for law schools that move to this publishing model (including improved accessibility and access and even increased citation rates). Additionally, the session focused on ways to promote an institutional repository within a law school and how to develop relationships with faculty and other stakeholders to acquire content. Once a journal has been moved to an open access publishing model, metadata for all of the articles in the journal’s backfile must be gathered and uploaded to the journal’s online site. Before it can be uploaded, the metadata must be parsed to match the structure of the journal’s web site. The last part of the session described how Santa Clara Law, which recently moved all three of its student law reviews to an open access publishing model using Digital Commons from BePress, automated the process of gathering, parsing and uploading metadata for the backfiles of its law reviews via spreadsheets, thus saving a tremendous amount of time and human effort

So you want to digitize?: Maximizing the value of a digitization project

This session will cover how to make the best use of a digitization project in your library. Discussion topics will include whether to outsource to a third-party vendor or select your own digitization equipment. At Santa Clara Law, we purchased two book scanners (one Zeutschel Zeta and one Zeutschel 12000 BC) and two films scanners (U-Scan Patron Scanner) that are used to digitize materials for our institutional repository. During the beginning stages of this project, we learned what mistakes libraries frequently make when embarking on a digitization project and what pitfalls to avoid. Additionally, we will discuss how to create a digitization workflow including staff training and collaboration with library interns and other libraries. This session may be particularly useful for law schools thinking about moving their student journals to an open-access publishing model or those with archival collections that would like to expose to a larger audience. At Santa Clara, we spent nearly a year researching the various equipment options before making a purchase and can speak about what is currently available on the market and how much you should budget

Greenhouse Gas Legislation: Summary and Analysis of H.R. 2454 as Passed by the House of Representatives

This report offers an introduction and overview of legislation regarding greenhouse gases. It also discusses combined efficiency and renewable electricity standard, geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, vehicles and fuels, smart grid, energy efficiency, and major cap-and-trade provisions

Extension’s Role in Rural Stress: An Evaluation of Extension Agents’ Perceptions of Rural Stress in Georgia

This was a qualitative, exploratory study examining the use of a word cloud activity with Extension agents to promote dialogue around the sensitive topic of farmer/rural stress to understand their community needs. With an increasing amount of health-related issues in rural America and abroad, particularly mental health and rural stress, the use of a word cloud activity helped identify individual regional needs through a visual thematic qualitative analysis. Through a constant comparative analysis, regional and state-wide themes were deduced to begin creating programming opportunities to address community needs in Georgia, the U.S., and the world. The identified themes indicated a need for support, resources and education in rural areas regarding farmer and rural stress

How Location of Feed Affects the Rate of Feeding in Multi-parity Sows

Sows are often selected by their body size and gestation groups are formed from this initial selection. However, size of sow and rate of feeding speed have not been determined, and instead of body size as the selection criteria, would rate of feeding be a better determinant for sows being grouped? Therefore, the objective of this study was to (1) estimate the range of speeds that a sow consumes a pre determined ration, (2) determine how sow parity affects the rate of feeding and (3) ascertain if feeding rate differs when feed is presented on the floor versus a raised ledge. To avoid aggression, 11 clinically normal, mixed-parity, crossbred sows were purchased from a commercial producer in Iowa and housed in individual pens at Iowa State University. Sows were all feed by hand and the ration was formulated to meet the NRC (1998) requirements for that sow at her stage of production. Data was collected on the afternoon feeding (1600 h) and each sow received 0.90 kg (2 lb). Treatment One; Floor; defined as food being placed centrally 1 m in distance on the rubber mat from the back of the home pen. Treatment Two; Ledge; the ledge was defined as a raised concrete step. Scoring of feeding rate was conducted by live observation (one person to one sow). Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS and a repeated measure statement of date nested within sow was used. A P \u3c 0.05 was considered significant and PDIFF was used to separate the means. The feeding rate (sec) range for sows within parity will be presented descriptively. No differences were found for parity (P = 0.59) of sow, although parity one sows ate quicker (14 mins) compared to parities two (20 mins) and three (19 mins). There was a difference (P = 0.02) for rate of feeding when sows were presented with feed on the floor of their home pen or on the raised feeder. In conclusion there was no difference between rates of feeding by parity when sows were housed individually in a home pen. However, when feed was presented on the floor the sows ate more quickly compared to a raised ledge

How Does the Addition of Gel at the Time of Vaccination Affect Overall Nursery Pig Performance?

Swine industry feed suppliers are continually striving to create techniques and tools to reduce the additive stressors imposed on the weanling piglet, to increase advantageous behaviors (feeding and drinking) and to reduce aggrieve interactions. In addition to social reorganization, pigs are often vaccinated during the nursery phase to reduce the impact of potentially harmful diseases. It has been noted by swine practitioners that at the time of vaccination many pigs lie down, rest more and reduce the amount of feed consumption over the vaccination period. One product on the market is a gel-based feed that is designed to ease the transition from a liquid diet (sow\u27s milk) to dry ration. This gel-based feed contains high quality ingredients; it is highly palatable and provides the young pig with both a feed component and a water component thereby influencing feed consumption and intestinal health. The gel can be used in addition to a standard weaned pig solid ration. Although, often recommended to be used at the time of weaning, the possibilities of implementing the gel around the time of vaccination is a novel concept that might impact the individual pig’s overall performance. The objectives of this study were to determine if the addition of gel at the time of vaccination provided benefits to the nursery pigs’ performance

Differences in Nursery Pigs’ Behavior on the Day of Vaccination

Swine industry feed suppliers are continually striving to develop techniques and tools to reduce the additive stressors imposed on the weanling piglet, to increase advantageous behaviors (feeding and drinking) and to reduce aggressive interactions. One product on the market designed to ease the transition from a liquid diet (sow\u27s milk) to a dry ration is a gel-based feed supplement that was incorporated in this trial as a means to positively affect feeding and drinking behaviors. The objectives of this study were to determine if there were differences in the nursery pigs’ behavior on the day of vaccination when provided a gel supplement. A total of 29 d crossbred pigs (5.94 kg) were housed in Double L® confinement nursery buildings. Four treatments were compared. No vaccine and no gel (control n = 4) defined as unvaccinated and without supplemental gel at days 8 to 10. No vaccine and gel (n = 4) defined as pigs that were provided supplemental gel at days 8 to 10 without vaccination. Vaccinated and no gel (n = 4) defined as pigs that were vaccinated but did not receive supplemental gel at days 8 to 10. Vaccinated and gel (n = 4) defined as pigs that were provided supplemental gel at days 8 to 10 and were vaccinated. The group of four pigs housed together in a pen was considered the experimental unit for data analysis. Definitions for the behaviors and postures recorded and summarized for the trial included the following: Active was defined as standing, this included any upright postures. Inactive posture was defined as sitting or lying postures (both lateral and sternal). Time at drinker was defined as when an individual pig’s mouth was around the water nipple. Time at feeding stations was defined as the time when the individual pig’s head was inside the creep (that contained gel) or the three hole feeder (dry pelleted feed). Nursery aged pigs were less active (P \u3c 0.05; Figure 1) and spent less time (P \u3c 0.05; Figure 2) at the feeding stations 1- h after receiving Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccination, indicating a short term behavioral response to this stressor. These behavioral alterations continued for approximately 6- h (or 5:00 PM the vaccination day afternoon). After this time, all nursery pigs regardless of treatment engaged in the same behavioral repertoire. However, the behavioral repertoire of these nursery pigs were not different over the 3-d trial (previously published worked by Johnson et al., 2008) suggesting that the effects of this vaccination stressor and product were not long lasting

The Effect of Supplementing Dry Feed with a Nutritional Gel Product at the Time of Vaccination on Nursery Pig Maintenance Behaviors and Postures

Swine industry feed suppliers are continually striving to develop techniques and tools to reduce the additive stressors imposed on the weanling piglet, to increase advantageous behaviors (feeding and drinking) and to reduce aggressive interactions. One product on the market designed to ease the transition from a liquid diet (sow\u27s milk) to a dry ration is a gel-based feed supplement that was incorporated in this trial as a means to positively affect the aforementioned parameters. The trial was conducted in the spring of 2007. A total of 64 3-week old, crossbred pigs (4.2 kg) were received from a commercial farm and housed in Double L ® confinement nursery buildings. Four treatments were compared. Control groups (n = 4) were defined as unvaccinated and without supplemental gel at days 9 to 11. Treatment one (TRT 1 n = 4 groups) was provided supplemental gel at days 9 to 11 without vaccination. Treatment two (TRT 2; n = 4 groups) was vaccinated but did not receive supplemental gel at days 9 to 11. Treatment three (TRT 3; n = 4 groups) received supplemental gel at days 9 to 11 and were vaccinated. The group of four pigs housed together in a pen was considered the experimental unit for data analysis. Definitions for the behaviors and postures recorded and summarized for the trial included the following: Active was defined as standing, this included any upright postures. Inactive posture was defined as sitting or lying postures (both lateral and sternal). Time at drinker was defined as when an individual pig’s mouth was around the water nipple. Time at feeding stations was defined as the time when the individual pig’s head was inside the creep (that contained gel) or the three hole feeder (dry pelleted feed). There were no differences between treatments for active (P = 0.60), inactive (P = 0.99) or time at drinker (P = 0.37), respectively. There was a difference (P = 0.0085) between treatments for the percentage of time spent at the feeding stations with pigs receiving vaccine and no gel spending the least amount of time at the feeding stations compared to the other three treatment groups. Therefore, the availability of a gel product when pigs are vaccinated provided some benefit, as the time spent at the feeding station was higher compared to pigs that did not have access to the gel

Validation of a lameness model in sows using physiological and mechanical measurements

The objective of this study was to develop a validated, transient, chemically induced lameness model in sows using subjective and objective lameness detection tools. Experiment 1 determined an effective joint injection technique based on volume and placement of dye using feet collected from 9 finisher pigs and 10 multiparity cull sow carcasses. Experiment 2 confirmed the injection technique in live animals and produced a transient clinical lameness in 4 anesthetized sows injected with amphotericin B (15 mg/mL) in the distal interphalangeal joints of the claw. Clinical lameness was assessed by a categorical lameness scoring system, and a postmortem visual confirmation of joint injection technique was obtained. In Exp. 3, 6 sows were injected with 0, 10, or 15 mg/mL amphotericin B in either the left or right hind foot and were monitored until clinical resolution. Treated sows demonstrated elevated clinical lameness scores. These changes resolved by 7 d after lameness induction. Control sows injected with sterile saline developed a clinical lameness score of 0.5, which resolved 72 h post injection. In Exp. 4, 36 sows were injected with 10 mg/mL amphotericin B in 1 of 4 injection sites (left front claws, right front claws, left rear claws, and right rear claws). All injected sows exhibited a decrease in maximum pressure, stance time, and number of sensors activated on the GaitFour (P \u3c 0.05) sensor system. A static force plate also demonstrated a decrease in weight (kg) being placed on the injected foot when all feet were injected (P ≤ 0.05). Injection of amphotericin B induced a predictable acute lameness that resolved spontaneously and is an effective method to model lameness in sows