681 research outputs found
Reinforced sulphur concrete
Reinforced sulphur concrete wherein one or more metal reinforcing members are in contact with sulphur concrete is disclosed. The reinforced sulphur concrete comprises an adhesion promoter that enhances the interaction between the sulphur and the one or more metal reinforcing members
Sulphur cement pre-composition and process for preparing such sulphur cement pre-composition
The invention provides a process for the preparation of a sulphur cement pre-composition comprising reacting sulphur modifier with polysulphide-containing organosilane to obtain in the presence of sulphur the sulphur cement pre-composition, wherein the organosilane has the general molecular formula: (X 3 Si) m H (2n+1) C n -S a -C n' H (2n'+1-m') (SiX' 3 ) m' (1) wherein a is an integer in the range of from 2 to 8, X and X' each are, independently, a hydrolysable group, n and n' each are, independently, an integer in the range of from 1 to 4, and m and m' each are, independently, an integer in the range of from 1 to (2n+1)
Winking at Facebook: capturing digitally-mediated classroom learning
In this article I present an innovative combination of methods, used in a study of the use of Facebook as an educational resource by five dyslexic students at a Sixth Form College in north-west England. Through a project in which teacher-researcher and student-participants co-constructed a Facebook group page about the studentsâ scaffolded research into dyslexia, the study examined the educational affordances of a digitally-mediated social network. Combining multiple data-collection methods including participant-observation, semi-structured interviews, video recordings, dynamic screen capture (Cox, 2007), protocol analysis (Ericsson & Simon, 1993) helped to capture in detail multiple perspectives on the learning that happened in the classroom over the five weeks of the research project's lifetime. Aggregating the resulting data in turn enabled meticulous, comprehensive analysis and rigorous theorising. The article presents and analyses excerpts from the data which help to illustrate the insights gained into one participant's learning trajectory. I argue that the combination of methods employed could be used with any range of research participants in other studies exploring learning through Facebook and other Web 2.0 spaces. The article concludes by suggesting further refinements to the methods used
"Evil cats" and "jelly floods": young childrenâs collective constructions of digital art-making in the early years classroom
Digital technologies have the potential to offer new opportunities for childrenâs expressive arts practices. While adult expectations surround and shape childrenâs visual art-making on paper in the early years classroom, such expectations are not so established in relation to digital art-making. So how do children make sense of digital art-making when it is newly introduced into the classroom and adult input is minimal? Drawing on a social semiotic ethnographic perspective, this paper explores this question by examining instances of 4-5 year oldsâ spoken dialogue around the computer during a week in which digital art-making was first introduced into the classroom. Analysis focused on interactions where children proposed, reinforced or challenged conceptions of digital art-making. These interactions demonstrated that childrenâs digital art-making was negotiated and constructed through particular processes. Three such processes are presented here: the use of collective motifs and metaphors; attributing âexpertâ status; and polarizing conflicts. Understanding these processes offers a starting point for thinking about how a new activity like digital art-making can be integrated into the early years classroom and supported by practitioners
3D virtual worlds as environments for literacy learning
Background: Although much has been written about the ways in which new technology might transform educational practice, particularly in the area of literacy learning, there is relatively little empirical work that explores the possibilities and problems - or even what such a transformation might look like in the classroom. 3D virtual worlds offer a range of opportunities for children to use digital literacies in school, and suggest one way in which we might explore changing literacy practices in a playful, yet meaningful context. Purpose: This paper identifies some of the key issues that emerged in designing and implementing virtual world work in a small number of primary schools in the UK. It examines the tensions between different discourses about literacy and literacy learning and shows how these were played out by teachers and pupils in classroom settings.Sources of evidence: Case study data are used as a basis for exploring and illustrating key aspects of design and implementation. The case study material includes views from a number of perspectives including classroom observations, chatlogs, in-world avatar interviews with teachers and also pupils, as well as the authorâs field notes of the planning process with accompanying minutes and meeting documents.Main argument: From a Foucauldian perspective, the article suggests that social control of pedagogical practice through the regulation of curriculum time, the normalisation of teaching routines and the regimes of individual assessment restricts teachersâ and pupilsâ conceptions of what constitutes literacy. The counternarrative, found in recent work in new litearcies (Lankshear & Knobel, 2006) provides an attractive alternative, but a movement in this direction requires a fundamental shift of emphasis and a re-conceptualisation of what counts as learning.Conclusions: This work on 3D virtual worlds questions the notion of how transformative practice can be achieved with the use of new technologies. It suggests that changes in teacher preparation, continuing professional development as well as wider educational reform may be needed
Investigating childrenâs interactions around digital texts in classrooms : how are these framed and what counts?
This article argues that, in informing our understanding of the possibilities and challenges associated with new technologies in educational contexts, we need to explore what counts to children when using digital texts in classrooms, and what children think counts for their teachers. It suggests that such insights can be gained by investigating children's interactions around these texts and, drawing on Goffman's work, considering how these are framed. This is illustrated using examples from a study of classroom digital literacy events. The article suggests that it is important to consider how frames disrupt, intersect with and over-layer each other
Supporting Teachers in Integrating Digital Technology Into Language Arts Instruction to Promote Literacy
A systematic review of relevant literature was conducted to provide a source of information and practical guidelines for teachers and teacher educators to consider instructional methods for using digital tools in elementary language arts classrooms to promote literacy. Focal studies are highlighted to provide rich descriptions of practical uses and considerations of integrating digital tools into literacy instruction. The following nine digital tools are discussed to provide methods, affordances, and potential obstacles to their use: (a) wikis, (b) digital video production tools, (c) blog/online threaded discussion, (d) iPad apps, (e) digital games, (f) Kindle e-reader, (g) podcasts, (h) digital cartoon creator, and (i) e-mail. Barriers from the research for each tool are also discussed to provide a comprehensive resourc
Investigating pupilsâ interactions around digital texts: a spatial perspective on the âclassroom-nessâ of digital literacy practices in schools
This paper complements debates around use of new technologies and literacy in education by proposing a focus on âclassroom-ness.â It highlights the significance of incidental, everyday and ephemeral practices associated with classroom technology-use. Using examples from a study of primary pupilsâ interactions around digital texts, it argues that we must acknowledge the distinctiveness of technology-use in classroom contexts but also see the spaces associated with those contexts as continually constructed, relational and heterogeneous. This helps us look beyond binary distinctions â between in/out of school and global/local practices, on/off-screen and on/offline activity, material/virtual contexts and official/unofficial discourses â to recognise the complex and nuanced ways that children make meaning around new technologies. It is proposed that this theoretical lens â in recognising the complexity of classroom-ness â can help us better understand the barriers and opportunities associated with effective integration of new technologies in educational contexts
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