In Pursuit of Democratic Practice: Self-Study as a Democratic Approach to Teaching Social Studies

Dewey (1916/2009) viewed democracy as a “path or journey”. This suggests that there is no mutually agreed upon end. Similarly, in teaching and teacher education, if viewed as a learning problem, the end is the process according to Ritter (2010) “[t]eaching others how to teach for democratic citizenship represents a process that righteously lacks a conclusion” (p. 90). Without a definitive conclusion there are many potentially valuable conceptions and enactments of democratic living and learning. Discussing these strong connections between democracy in social studies and self-study, Powell (2010) argues “when social studies teachers engage in ‘reflectively pragmatic’ study of their own practice, they. . . position themselves to see the possibilities inherent in the social and political nature of their work” (p. 26). This is indicative of a desire to pursue a teaching practice that does not contradict one’s effort to explicitly teach democratic citizenship. Given the unique contexts and many potentially valuable conceptions of democratic citizenship, inquiry into one’s practice toward a democratic approach and improving ones teaching practice is necessary. What follows is an argument for the promise of self-study to empower teachers toward democratic ends through researching their own practice. This is accomplished here through a review of relevant literature and a description of the framework, methods, and a major finding of a collaborative self-study research project conducted during the spring of 2009

Administrative Agencies; Subpoena Power; Relevancy; Right of Privacy; Atchison, Topeka & Sante Fe Ry. Co. v. Lopez

The Kansas Supreme Court in Sante Fe has joined the majority of states in declaring that administrative fishing expeditions via the use of subpoena powers are now permissible. No probable cause need be shown and confidential information may be subject to subpoena if there is even a mere possibility of relevance to a matter within the scope of the agency\u27s authority. The state\u27s interest in preventing discrimination in employment practices has been declared a compelling state interest such as to override any claims to rights of privacy. Although primarily discussing only arrest and conviction records, the court in actuality upheld without modification a subpoena which was much broader in scope. As a result of this decision personnel records of employees who are not themselves parties to any litigation may be obtained upon a showing of a mere possibility of relevance. It seems doubtful that a general legislative dictate that the agency maintain the confidentiality of the records can provide sufficient safeguards to potential administrative witch hunts, especially when the legislature does not even establish penalties for the breach of such confidentiality

Clinostomum marginatum metacercaria: Incidence in Smallmouth Bass from a North Arkansas Stream and in vitro Oxygen Consumption Studies

Small mouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) captured from Crooked Creek (Marion Co., Arkansas) in the summers of 1977 and 1987 were found to have a high incidence of infection with the metacercaria of Clinostomum marginatum (yellow grub). Of 41 fish collected in 1977, 32 (78%) were found infected with metacercariae with some fish containing large numbers of parasites. The number of larvae per fish ranged from 1 to 184, with an average of 23.2 ± 38 per smallmouth. Eighty-six percent of the bass collected in 1987 were found positive for C. marginatum. The number of metacercariae per fish ranged from 1 to 227 with an average of 32.7 ± 54 per fish. Fish from both collection groups ranged in size from 12 to 34 cm. No significant correlation could be found between the number of metacercariae per fish and the length of the host. Using metacercariae removed from host tissue, the effect on oxygen consumption by glucose, serotonin and insulin, singularly or in combination, was measured by manometric methods. Glucose alone did not stimulate oxygen utilization, serotonin alone and with glucose was stimulatory, and insulin with glucose also increased oxygen consumption

Ground-based photometric surveillance of the passive geodetic satellite

Ground-based photometry of Passive Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite /PAGEOS

Use of Irradiated and Formalin-fixed Trichomonas vaginalis to Examine Protective Immune Responses in the Mouse Intraperitoneal Model

Gamma irradiated Trichomonas vaginalis was used to initiate a protective immune response in mice by intraperitoneal inoculation using host mortality as the measure of virulence. Irradiated trichomonads of a virulent strain gave some immune protection but no more so than the use of formalin-fixed, virulent trichomonads. A formalin-fixed virulent strain combined with complete Freund\u27s adjuvant (CFA) gave complete protection. Metabolically produced antigens do not appear to be important in conferring protective immunity in these experiments. A common laboratory strain of T. vaginalis (ATCC 30001) was used as an avirulent control. It gave no protection against a virulent strain. Combining CFA with ATCC 30001 (avirulent) gave partial protection indicating that a protective antigen is present, but needed an immune stimulant to be detected. IgG analysis corresponded to the mortality results with the avirulent strain being the weakest responder and the strongest being the formalin-fixed virulent strain with CFA. Western blot analysis indicated a band of about 31-kDa that was present using the protocols that showed from partial to complete protection. This band was not present using the avirulent strain but appeared with the addition of CFA. These results indicated that a 31-kDa protein is present in the avirulent strain but it requires an immune stimulant to be revealed. Whether this antigen confers protective immunity or not in the mouse intraperitoneal model is an open question

Distribution of Clinostomum marginatum (Yellow Grub) Metacercaria in Smallmouth Bass Populations from Crooked Creek in North Central Arkansas

Four hundred thirty-three smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) were collected from ten sites on Crooked Creek in North Central Arkansas from just below the city of Harrison to the White River in the summers of 1988-90. Necropsy of these hosts for yellow grub (Clinostomum marginatum) metacercariae showed a range of mean abundance (average/fish) from 1.4 ±1.9 (SD) at a far up stream site to 105 ± 368 at the White River juncture. An increasing mean abundance of C. marginatum was seen from the uppermost sites of the creek downstream to the White River. Relating stream mileage with mean abundance gave a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.78, with P= \u3c0.01. Maximum abundance (maximum number of parasites in a single host from a site) ranged from 7 to 2500 and also showed a positive correlation with stream mileage (r=0.77,P=\u3c0.01). Prevalence (% fish infected) at the different sites ranged from 61 to 91% but showed no significant correlation with stream distance. The increasingly heavier infections seen in the downstream sites are not due to poor water quality but probably to the combination of the greater presence of the definitive host, the great blue heron, and large intermediate host (smallmouth) populations

Gender bias & teachers : college students' perceptions of sexual discrimination in their high school

The field of gender bias indicates that teachers are a significant source of gender-role socialization for students. This study focuses on post hoc recollections of college students' perceptions of gender bias exhibited by their high school teachers. Specifically, this study asks students to define sex discrimination, as well as describe instances of sex discrimination they experienced or observed exhibited by their high school teachers. Several unanswered questions emerged from a review of the literature: (1) students' reports of the extent to which they experience sex discrimination exhibited by their teachers; (2) students' observations of sex discrimination exhibited toward students of the same sex, as well as toward students of the opposite sex; (3) students' reports of the sex of teacher involved in the sexually discriminative instances they describe; (4) students' definitions of sex discrimination; and (5) students' descriptions of their own experiences of sex discrimination. Consequently, one hypothesis and five research questions are posed to investigate these unanswered questions in the literature. A survey instrument incorporating both closed and open-ended questions explores the hypothesis and research questions. Participants for this study include 149 undergraduate students (63 females, 86 males) in introductory communication and psychology courses at a western university. Results of the survey are analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The closed-ended questions reveal that male and female students experienced and observed sex discrimination exhibited by their teachers with similar frequency (in this case 'Very Rarely'). The open-ended questions indicate that males and females experienced and observed their teachers exhibiting different types of sexually discriminative behaviors toward male and female students (e.g., females described being treated as if they were unintelligent; males described being disciplined more strictly than females). Both male and female students' definitions of sex discrimination are very similar. In addition, the sex of the teacher described exhibiting sex discrimination appears to make a difference. Although previous research seems to suggest that male and female teachers are equally biased in their display of sexually discriminative behavior toward male and female students, this study's results show that both male and female students perceived male teachers to be more biased toward female students than female teachers

Inhibition of adenovirus serotype 14 infection by octadecyloxyethyl esters of (S)-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonomethoxy)propyl]- nucleosides in vitro.

On September 22, 2008, a physician on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, notified the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (ADHSS) of an unusually high number of adult patients with recently diagnosed pneumonia (n = 10), including three persons who required hospitalization and one who died. ADHSS and CDC conducted an investigation to determine the cause and distribution of the outbreak, identify risk factors for hospitalization, and implement control measures. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which found that the outbreak was caused by adenovirus 14 (Ad14), an emerging adenovirus serotype in the United States that is associated with a higher rate of severe illness compared with other adenoviruses. Among the 46 cases identified in the outbreak from September 1 through October 27, 2008, the most frequently observed characteristics included the following: male (70%), Alaska Native (61%), underlying pulmonary disease (44%), aged > or = 65 years (26%), and current smoker (48%). Patients aged > or = 65 years had a fivefold increased risk for hospitalization. The most commonly reported symptoms were cough (100%), shortness of breath (87%), and fever (74%). Of the 11 hospitalized patients, three required intensive care, and one required mechanical ventilation. One death was reported. Ad14 isolates obtained during the outbreak were identical genetically to those in recent community-acquired outbreaks in the United States which suggests the emergence of a new, and possibly more virulent Ad14 variant. Clinicians should consider Ad14 infection in the differential diagnosis for patients with community-acquired pneumonia, particularly when unexplained clusters of severe respiratory infections are detected