Arguing Book Bans: A Critical Analysis of Public Forums at School Board Meetings

To examine and define issues related to current book banning efforts, I first identified a foundation for this study by discussing the importance of book collections, library origins and resistance to change, and current social and political issues influencing libraries. Through a directed content analysis, I utilized Critical Race Theory’s tenets of whiteness as property and counter-storytelling to analyze a school district’s board meeting public forums. This method and theoretical lens provided understanding for an oppressive library ideology that is promoted at school board meetings. School librarians should instead choose to enact a liberatory library ideology within their libraries

"SHOULDN'T EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THEIR GOVERNMENT?": AN EXPLORATION OF CURRICULAR VALUES IN ADVANCED PLACEMENT GOVERNMENT CLASSES

Prevalent models of secondary education in the United States have tended to privilege the acquisition of knowledge of scientific disciplines that is often peripheral to the experiences of students. My Advanced Placement Government classes were no different, and this caused me to wonder whether my classes were meeting the often-stated goal of the social studies - citizenship education. This situation, along with anecdotal evidence of disconnection, led me to wonder what, if anything, my students were taking out of my classes. The purpose of this teacher action research study was to better understand what students found valuable in our AP Government classes. I used an interpretive framework and qualitative methodology to study the thoughts and actions of forty-four students, including how the transactional nature of our experiences interacted within our situation. Data collection involved the use of a Likert-scale survey, an open-ended questionnaire, field notes, and in-depth group and individual interviews. Findings indicated that students expressed that there was value in our course, and I categorized findings of value as primarily passive, academic, or active. The first two categories were more prominent in the findings and often revealed less of a connection to lived experiences. Other students communicated value in ways that actively connected content knowledge beyond the school setting. Students' reactions to some assignments helped me realize that we often had mismatched goals for the course, and this seemed to distance my students and me from better knowing each other. With these findings in mind, I conclude that we must create more spaces for educative experiences that might foster citizenship growth while cultivating situations where students and teachers may better know each other

Looking into Mirrors and Windows: School Librarians’ Perspectives on Diverse Representation in Book Collections

Librarian professional standards include the development of collections with diverse representation, and the study of multicultural literature is often part of masters programs. However, there is a lack of scholarship examining what multicultural literature signifies for librarians. In addition, the current landscape surrounding libraries has jeopardized students’ access to literature, furthering a narrative that attempts to exclude specific identities and portrays librarians as irresponsible and harmful. This study aimed to build a foundation of understanding and critical insights into this problem through a survey distributed to Texas school librarians. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis to understand school librarian perspectives, assess practices, and gain insights to support the presence of multicultural literature. Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphor of books as “mirrors and windows” was a foundation for this study. A theoretical lens informed by Critical Race Theory and Critical Information Literacy and an interpretivist approach were used to guide methods and analysis. Conclusions support a counter-narrative of school libraries related to diverse representation through four themes: librarians center students in practices and decision-making, they believe in the power of books, they compassionately curate the message they are sending students, and they know libraries can continue to improve in service to communities. 142 librarians contributed to the understanding that diverse representation in collections matters. It is recommended these librarians’ voices be considered in critically examining policies and develop equitable and just practices that explicitly show that libraries seek to include and affirm the identity and experiences of all students

Media Literacy, Democracy, and the Challenge of Fake News

In this essay, the authors offer a context for discussions about fake news, democracy, and considerations for media literacy education. Drawing on media ecology and critical media studies, they highlight the longer history of fake news and how this concept cannot be separated from the media technologies in which cultures grow. They discuss current iterations of this phenomenon alongside the effects of social media and offer a preview of the special issue

Analysis of melt blowing dies using computational fluid dynamics .

For a single annular jet and the blunt slot die, a previously developed rheological model was used to predict the fiber diameter, velocity, and temperature. Then, these were used to set boundary conditions in simulations to study the effect of the fiber on the air profiles. Close to the fiber edge, the interactions between the air and fiber are important.Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to study the air flow from different types of melt blowing dies. Specifically, the types of dies studied include Exxon slot dies, Schwarz multihole dies, and swirl dies. For the slot dies, the Reynolds Stress Model with modifications matched the experimentally measured velocity profiles. After the experimental measurements were matched, the RSM was used to study the effect of changing the angle between the air jets and the die face. Simulations were completed for melt blowing dies that have not been tested experimentally. Decreasing this angle changed the centerline velocity profile. For sharp slot dies, the effect of the nose piece placement was also examined. The more inset above the die face the nose piece, the higher the maximum centerline air velocity. However, the centerline turbulence intensity also increased. Non-isothermal simulations were run for all slot die geometries to study the effect of the jet geometry on the temperature profiles. The Schwarz melt blowing die was also examined. The k-epsilon turbulence model was used to simulate the air flow from this die. The spacing between the annular jets was changed, and the effect of the jet spacing on the centerline velocity, temperature decay, and turbulence was studied. Finally, the isothermal air flow from a swirl melt blowing die was measured experimentally and simulated using CFD

Together We Are Better : Professional Learning Networks for Teachers

In recent years, many educators have turned to professional learning networks (PLNs) to grow in their craft with peers who are more accessible online because of reduced temporal and spatial constraints. While educators have cultivated PLNs, there is a dearth of research about the effects of PLNs. This manuscript reports the findings of a qualitative study that investigated PLN experiences through the analysis of survey data from 732 P-12 teachers. Data analysis suggests that the anytime, anywhere availability of expansive PLNs, and their capacity to respond to educators\u27 diverse interests and needs, appear to offer possibilities for supporting the professional growth of whole teachers. These findings have implications for defining the present and future of teacher learning in a digital age

Looking into Mirrors and Windows: School Librarians’ Perspectives on Diverse Representation in Book Collections

Librarian professional standards include the development of book collections with diverse representation, and the study of multicultural literature is often part of library science programs and professional development. However, there is a lack of academic scholarship examining what multicultural literature signifies for librarians and its role in libraries. In addition, the current landscape surrounding books, libraries, and librarians jeopardizes students’ access to literature. This context includes district and state book bans, legislation aimed at prosecuting librarians, and restrictive content guidelines for collection development. This has created a narrative that attempts to exclude specific identities and experiences from libraries and portrays librarians as irresponsible and harmful. This research study aimed to build a foundation of understanding and critical insights into this problem through an exploratory experience survey distributed to a convenience sample of Texas school librarians. Survey data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis to understand school librarian perspectives, assess school librarian practices, and gain insight to support the presence of multicultural literature. Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphor of books as “mirrors and windows” was a foundation for this study. A theoretical lens informed by Critical Race Theory and Critical Information Literacy and an interpretivist approach were used to guide the methods and analysis. Conclusions from this study support a narrative of school libraries related to diverse representation through four themes: librarians center students in practices and decision-making, they believe in the power of books, they compassionately curate the message they are sending students, and they know libraries can continue to improve in service to communities. These 142 school librarians contributed to the understanding that diverse representation in book collections matters. It is recommended these librarians’ voices be considered in order to critically examine policies and develop equitable and just practices that explicitly show that libraries seek to affirm, uplift, and include the identity and experiences of all students

Evaluation of Solid Sorbents As A Retrofit Technology for CO{sub 2} Capture from Coal-Fired Power Plants

Final technical report documenting research to study the viability of solid-based sorbents for CO2 capture

EVALUATION OF SOLID SORBENTS AS A RETROFIT TECHNOLOGY FOR CO2 CAPTURE FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

Through a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) funded cooperative agreement DE-NT0005649, ADA Environmental Solutions (ADA) has begun evaluating the use of solid sorbents for CO{sub 2} capture. The project objective was to address the viability and accelerate development of a solid-based CO{sub 2} capture technology. To meet this objective, initial evaluations of sorbents and the process/equipment were completed. First the sorbents were evaluated using a temperature swing adsorption process at the laboratory scale in a fixed-bed apparatus. A slipstream reactor designed to treat flue gas produced by coal-fired generation of nominally 1 kWe was designed and constructed, which was used to evaluate the most promising materials on a more meaningful scale using actual flue gas. In a concurrent effort, commercial-scale processes and equipment options were also evaluated for their applicability to sorbent-based CO{sub 2} capture. A cost analysis was completed that can be used to direct future technology development efforts. ADA completed an extensive sorbent screening program funded primarily through this project, DOE NETL cooperative agreement DE-NT0005649, with support from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and other industry participants. Laboratory screening tests were completed on simulated and actual flue gas using simulated flue gas and an automated fixed bed system. The following types and quantities of sorbents were evaluated: 87 supported amines; 31 carbon based materials; 6 zeolites; 7 supported carbonates (evaluated under separate funding); and 10 hydrotalcites. Sorbent evaluations were conducted to characterize materials and down-select promising candidates for further testing at the slipstream scale. More than half of the materials evaluated during this program were supported amines. Based on the laboratory screening four supported amine sorbents were selected for evaluation at the 1 kW scale at two different field sites. ADA designed and fabricated a slipstream pilot to allow an evaluation of the kinetic behavior of sorbents and provide some flexibility for the physical characteristics of the materials. The design incorporated a transport reactor for the adsorber (co-current reactor) and a fluidized-bed in the regenerator. This combination achieved the sorbent characterization goals and provided an opportunity to evaluate whether the potential cost savings associated with a relatively simple process design could overcome the sacrifices inherent in a co-current separation process. The system was installed at two field sites during the project, Luminant's Martin Lake Steam Electric Station and Xcel Energy's Sherburne County Generating Station (Sherco). Although the system could not maintain continuous 90% CO{sub 2} removal with the sorbents evaluated under this program, it was useful to compare the CO{sub 2} removal properties of several different sorbents on actual flue gas. One of the supported amine materials, sorbent R, was evaluated at both Martin Lake and Sherco. The 1 kWe pilot was operated in continuous mode as well as batch mode. In continuous mode, the sorbent performance could not overcome the limitations of the cocurrent adsorbent design. In batch mode, sorbent R was able to remove up to 90% CO{sub 2} for several cycles. Approximately 50% of the total removal occurred in the first three feet of the adsorption reactor, which was a transport reactor. During continuous testing at Sherco, CO{sub 2} removal decreased to approximately 20% at steady state. The lack of continuous removal was due primarily to the combination of a co-current adsorption system with a fluidized bed for regeneration, a combination which did not provide an adequate driving force to maintain an acceptable working CO{sub 2} capacity. In addition, because sorbent R consisted of a polymeric amine coated on a silica substrate, it was believed that the 50% amine loaded resulted in mass diffusion limitations related to the CO{sub 2} uptake rate. Three additional supported amine materials, sorbents AX, F, and BN, were selected for evaluation using the 1 kW pilot at Sherco. Sorbent AX was operated in batch mode and performed similarly to sorbent R (i.e. could achieve up to 90% removal when given adequate regeneration time). Sorbent BN was not expected to be subject to the same mass diffusion limitations as experienced with sorbent R. When sorbent BN was used in continuous mode the steady state CO{sub 2} removal was approximately double that of sorbent R, which highlighted the importance of sorbents without kinetic limitations