Study of ligand substituent effects on the rate and stereoselectivity of lactide polymerization using aluminum salen-type initiators.

A series of aluminum salen-type complexes [where salen is N,N′-bis(salicylaldimine)-1,2-ethylenediamine] bearing ligands that differ in their steric and electronic properties have been synthesized and investigated for the polymerization of rac-lactide. X-ray crystal structures on key precatalysts reveal metal coordination geometries intermediate between trigonal bipyramidal and square-based pyramidal. Both the phenoxy substituents and the backbone linker have a significant influence over the polymerization. Electron-withdrawing groups attached to the phenoxy donor generally gave an increased polymerization rate, whereas large ortho substituents generally slowed down the polymerization. The vast majority of the initiators afforded polylactide with an isotactic bias; only one exhibited a bias toward heteroselectivity. Isoselectivity generally increases with increased flexibility of the backbone linker, which is presumed to be better able to accommodate any potential steric clashes between the propagating polymer chain, the inserting monomer unit, and the substituents on the phenoxy donor

Lessons learnt from case studies : TOOLBOX OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES AND GOOD PRACTICES. Outcome of the TRACKs project

The project Transition Children and Kindergarten (TRACKs) is funded by the Erasmus+ European program and it is carried out in partnership with different institutions in three partner countries: Poland, Italy and Belgium. The University institutions are the Jagiellonian University of Krakow in Poland, the University of Bologna in Italy, and the University of Ghent in Belgium. Other local educational organizations collaborating are Artevelde University College in Belgium, the Komensky Institute in Poland, and the Cooperativa Assistenza Disabili Infermi Anziani Infanzia (CADIAI) in Italy. The purpose of our project is to focus on the voices of practitioners \u2013 such as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals currently working with children aged 1 to 6 years old \u2013 and future ECEC professionals, such as early years educators and pre-school teachers still in training. The project\u2019s foundation rests on the dynamic exchange of knowledge and practice between the two target groups in the three countries involved in the project. This transnational exchange between the ECEC professionals across the three European Member States is intended to improve quality of learning, assuming that the international contexts can feed into each other, exchange solutions and practices and respond to shared challenges. A further essential purpose of the project is providing high quality learning opportunities and nurturing environments for all children, especially those coming from multiply marginalized backgrounds, and those that are experiencing social inequalities, poverty and racism. Drawing on the method of video-coaching and video-analysis, the project encourages high-quality interaction of ECEC professionals with children (Fukkink & Lont, 2007; Fukkink & Tavecchio, 2010; Fukkink, Trienekens & Kramer, 2010). The research teams and professionals from the different countries observe the video recordings collectively, or in one-to-one sessions, and reflect on the interactions between professionals and children and among children. This report will shed light on the contextual conditions where such tools and methods were implemented and how. The purpose is to show how the video-coaching methodology can be implemented in different ways in relation to diverse contexts (\u2018no one model fits all\u2019). This will also facilitate reflection by trainers/pedagogical leaders/coordinators who might want to use this methodology in their services/with their teams on how to develop context-appropriate procedures and tools that make it relevant to the settings/professionals within which/with whom they are working

Video-coaching to support inclusive practice in ECEC: Final recommendations from the TRACKs project.

The TRACKs project is based on a partnership between different institutions and early childhood education and care (ECEC) service providers from three countries: Poland, Italy and Belgium. The University institutions actively involved in the project are the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland), the University of Bologna (Italy) and the University of Ghent (Belgium). As the purpose of the project is to actively promote research-based professional development, the training institutions and ECEC service providers taking part in this endeavour are: Arteveldehogeschool in Belgium, the Komensky Instytut in Poland, and the Cooperativa Assistenza Disabili Infermi Anziani Infanzia (CADIAI) in Italy. The main objective of TRACKs is to offer high quality learning opportunities to ECEC professionals currently working with children aged 0 to 6 years old and to prospective professionals still in teacher training, with the aim of promoting more inclusive educational practices within early childhood settings . Inside the final report we present the analysis of the main results of the project contextualized in each partners' Country

Toolbox: Outlines for using video analysis and video coaching as a tool for professionalizing ECEC workforce and training future ECEC professionals. Outcome of the TRACKs project2

The TRACKs project (TRAnsi ons Children and Kindergarten) was focused on the professionals working in childcare centres, preschools and out-of-school services. Reports and research show that for the children between 0 and 6 years old, early childhood educa on and care (ECEC) can make a crucial contribu on to cogni ve, social and emo onal development of children and academic achievements later on (Lazzari & Vandenbroeck, 2012)3. Preschool educa on contributes to the acquisi on of skills and a tudes (i.e. curiosity, perseverance and par cular social skills) that enhance later learning. To ensure a broader impact and outreach of the project to the larger community of ECEC professionals, this toolbox is developed. It contains: \u2022 the framework that lies behind video analysis and video coaching, and \u2022 the key elements or basic principles of why and how to implement video analysis and video coaching. \u2022 Three country perspec ves, how all the partners translated these general frameworks and key elements according to their own context