Love, Courtship, and Marriage

A couple that I just found out was only married two years, so they\u27re newlyweds. That\u27s really exciting. Love is definitely in the air with Todd and Jenny Lewis. And Todd is the forensics team coach. They\u27re speaking and sharing kind of how they met. And their experience is a married couple

Examining the goal systems of student teachers

textUnderstanding why novice science teachers use certain practices and not others upon entering the classroom remains an important question for those conducting research on science teaching and learning. Previous research suggests two important avenues for further study of science teachers: (1) more careful study of the student teaching semester; and (2) additional studies on the cognition of teachers. This study follows these traditions via investigation into the cognition of student teachers. The theoretical framework guiding this study draws upon goal-driven theories of cognition suggesting that teachers hold multiple goals that exist in goal systems. A teacher’s classroom practice is directed toward the satisfaction of one or more of these goals. Furthermore, goals can be reinforcing—the pursuit of one goal simultaneously satisfies a second goal—or goals can be conflicting—the pursuit of one goal inherently prevents the satisfaction of a second goal. Thus, a more careful study of the goal systems of teachers can lead to a deeper understanding of why science teachers use the practices they do in their classrooms. Given the theoretical framework, the research question driving this study is: what is the content of the goal systems of student teachers of science as they reflect on and plan for their first year of teaching? Qualitative methods, including interviews and document analysis, were used to investigate the goal systems of four student teachers at a large, southern state university during the spring of 2014. Findings from this study suggest novice teachers exit teacher education having integrated into their goal systems many, but not all, of the pedagogical approaches emphasized in their teacher education program. Findings also suggest that at the same time, student teachers have goals reflective of broader aspects of the school organization—goals such as teaching the state standards and collaborating with other science teachers. Finally, this study suggests that the goals student teachers hold with respect to the school organization may conflict with their pedagogical goals developed during teacher education, leading to movement away from the reform-oriented practices emphasized in teacher education. Finally, implications for teacher education and directions for future research are presented.Curriculum and Instructio

Combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput photopotential and photocurrent screening of mixed-metal oxides for photoelectrochemical water splitting

A high-throughput method has been developed using a commercial piezoelectric inkjet printer for synthesis and characterization of mixed-metal oxide photoelectrode materials for water splitting. The printer was used to deposit metal nitrate solutions onto a conductive glass substrate. The deposited metal nitrate solutions were then pyrolyzed to yield mixed-metal oxides that contained up to eight distinct metals. The stoichiometry of the metal oxides was controlled quantitatively, allowing for the creation of vast libraries of novel materials. Automated methods were developed to measure the open-circuit potentials (Eoc), short-circuit photocurrent densities (Jsc), and current density vs. applied potential (J–E) behavior under visible light irradiation. The high-throughput measurement of Eoc is particularly significant because open-circuit potential measurements allow the interfacial energetics to be probed regardless of whether the band edges of the materials of concern are above, close to, or below the values needed to sustain water electrolysis under standard conditions. The Eoc measurements allow high-throughput compilation of a suite of data that can be associated with the composition of the various materials in the library, to thereby aid in the development of additional screens and to form a basis for development of theoretical guidance in the prediction of additional potentially promising photoelectrode compositions