Reflective teaching, a way to enrich teachers’ intercultural communicative competence at Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento School

Este Proyecto de Investigación- Acción Colaborativa tiene por objetivo comprender de qué manera un proceso de enseñanza reflexiva podría enriquecer la Competencia Comunicativa Intercultural de los docentes a través del desarrollo de una propuesta diseñada y aplicada en un colegio público de Bogotá en la jornada mañana con los Docentes de Inglés como población del proyecto y enmarcado con la teoría de la Competencia Comunicativa Intercultural y la Enseñanza Reflexiva. Las investigadoras establecieron un conjunto de tareas iniciando con la revisión teórica de los documentos legales y teorías de los dos principales conceptos que guiaron el trabajo. Luego, ellas diseñaron una propuesta de cinco sesiones con un taller en cada una con el objetivo de que los profesores reflexionaran sobre la importancia de desarrollar la CCI en las clases de Inglés para mejorar el ambiente de aprendizaje de sus estudiantes así como sus prácticas de enseñanza, utilizando diferentes materiales y recursos para presentar los temas establecidos en cada sesión y así adquirir el interés, la participación y la reflexión de la muestra de profesores colaboradores. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de algunos instrumentos diseñados por las investigadoras, tales como diarios de campo y encuestas respondidas por ellas y por los demás docentes al comienzo y al final de cada sesión, mostraron que el aspecto más importante para tener en cuenta es que los Docentes deben obtener la oportunidad de compartir sus experiencias y reflexionar sobre ellas como medio de trabajo colaborativo y desarrollo profesional. Además, los resultados revelaron que la CCI es una habilidad fundamental para promover mejores ambientes de enseñanza y aprendizaje basados en el diálogo, alteridad y respeto por la diversidad cultural.This Collaborative Action Research project aims at understanding how reflective teaching process could enrich English Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence through the development of a proposal designed and applied in a public school of Bogotá, in the morning shift, with the English teachers as population and framed with the theory about Intercultural Communicative Competence and Reflective teaching. Researchers established a set of tasks, starting with the theoretical review about the legal documents and theories of the two main concepts which guided this work. Then, they designed a proposal of five sessions with a workshop in each one, where they aimed teachers reflected about the importance of developing Intercultural Communicative Competence into the English classes to improve their students’ learning environment and their teaching practices, using different materials and sources to present the topics established in each session in order to get interest, participation and reflection from the sample teachers. The results obtained from some instruments designed by researchers such as the journals and the surveys that were filled by them and the other teachers at the beginning and at the end of each session, showed that the most important aspect to take into account is that teachers must get the opportunity to share their experiences and reflect on them as a means of collaborative work and professional development. On the other hand, results revealed that Intercultural Communicative Competence is a fundamental ability to foster a better learning and teaching environments based on the otherness, dialogue and respect toward the cultural diversity

Motivations to consume ecological foods in alternative food networks (AFNs) in southern Spain

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the motivations to consume ecological foods in alternative food networks (AFNs). Design/methodology/approach In total, 150 questionnaires were applied; the questionnaire was adapted from Food Choice Questionnaire (Steptoe et al., 1995). Data were analyzed by means of multivariate statistics with factor and cluster analysis. In order to identify statistical differences (p<0.05), Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney nonparametric tests were performed. Findings Ten factors or motivations were found: social ecological concern, nutritional content, sensory aspects, certifications, naturalness, specialized consumption, trust in the seller, economic aspects, health and availability. Four groups were obtained and called: citizen consumers, in-process citizen consumers, conscious social consumers with no interest in certifications and conscious pragmatic consumers. It is concluded that differentiated consumers visit these establishments and their motivations are diverse, albeit they concur, to a varying extent, with the objectives of AFNs, finding a mixture of hedonic and ethical motivations. Practical implications This sort of works about specific places of consumption as well as specific consumers, in this case ecological, contributes to the development of future social research on other contexts, different consumers and products. Originality/value This sort of research has been carried out in various European cities, with a number of foods and over various sales channels; however, at present there is a debate around AFNs and the veracity of their goals. This way, the present work can contribute with an answer to whether the goals match the motivations of consumers

Recommendations for the Management of Construction and Demolition Waste in Treatment Plants

Construction and demolition waste consists approximately of one third waste generated in the European Union. The recycling of this stream waste will provide ecological and sustainable benefits. Recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste are clearing a path into civil constructions, as substitutes for natural aggregates. The possible applications of recycled aggregates on infrastructure construction projects will depend on the quality of the recycled aggregates mainly. This will be determined by the nature and the origin of the construction and demolition waste, and the treatment system undergone. Hence, this work proposes recommendations for the handling of construction and demolition waste in treatment plants

Pollutant Potential of Reinforced Concrete Made with Recycled Plastic Fibres from Food Packaging Waste

In our modern, fast-paced life, plastic is a versatile material essential to our economy; daily life is unthinkable without it. However, there are serious downsides for the environment and health, which are becoming more and more stark in our society, and the recycling of plastic offers a partial solution to these widespread problems. The present work delves into the environmental assessment of fibre-reinforced concrete specimens, made with recycled plastic fibres from food packaging waste. Leaching tank tests for the evaluation of the long-term release of pollutant elements, identification of leaching mechanisms, and the diffusion process of contaminants into the environment were conducted on fibre reinforced concrete. The results showed that the incorporation of the recycled plastic fibres, classified as non-hazardous, did not release relevant levels of any potential harmful element incorporated in concrete. Moreover, low mobility was detected in the studied elements and different release mechanisms were identified through long-term diffusion leaching tests. Hence, the environmental feasibility of the incorporation of recycled plastic fibre in concrete was proven. This study strengthens the objectives set out by the Circular Economy Action Plan, which includes the European Strategy for Plastics and aims to, among other things, boost the market for recycled plastics

Photocatalytic Recycled Mortars: Circular Economy as a Solution for Decontamination

The circular economy is an economic model of production and consumption that involves reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling materials after their service life. The use of waste as secondary raw materials is one of the actions to establish this model. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) constitute one of the most important waste streams in Europe due to its high production rate per capita. Aggregates from these recycling operations are usually used in products with low mechanical requirements in the construction sector. In addition, the incorporation of photocatalytic materials in construction has emerged as a promising technology to develop products with special properties such as air decontamination. This research aims to study the decontaminating behavior of mortars manufactured with the maximum amount of mixed recycled sand without affecting their mechanical properties or durability. For this, two families of mortars were produced, one consisting of traditional Portland cement and the other of photocatalytic cement, each with four replacement rates of natural sand by mixed recycled sand from CDW. Mechanical and durability properties, as well as decontaminating capacity, were evaluated for these mortars. The results show adequate mechanical behavior, despite the incorporation of mixed recycled sand, and improved decontaminating capacity by means of NOx reduction capacity

One-sided differentiability: a challenge for computer algebra systems

Computer Algebra Systems (CASs) are extremely powerful and widely used digital tools. Focusing on differentiation, CASs include a command that computes the derivative of functions in one variable (and also the partial derivative of functions in several variables). We will focus in this article on real-valued functions of one real variable. Since CASs usually compute the derivative of real-valued functions as a whole, the value of the computed derivative at points where the left derivative and the right derivative are different (that we will call conflicting points) should be something like "undefined", although this isn't always the case: the output could strongly differ depending on the chosen CAS. We have analysed and compared in this article how some well-known CASs behave when addressing differentiation at the conflicting points of five different functions chosen by the authors. Finally, the ability for calculating one-sided limits of CASs allows to directly compute the result in these cumbersome cases using the formal definition of one-sided derivative, which we have also analysed and compared for the selected CASs. Regarding teaching, this is an important issue, as it is a topic of Secondary Education and nowadays the use of CASs as an auxiliary digital tool for teaching mathematics is very common

Epidermal growth factor enhances osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells in vitro

Introduction: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) play an important role in extracellular matrix mineralization, a complex process required for proper bone regeneration, one of the biggest challenges in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic potential of EGF and bFGF on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Material and methods: Human DPSCs were isolated using CD105 magnetic microbeads and characterized by flow cytometry. To induce osteoblast differentiation, the cells were cultured in osteogenic medium supplemented with EGF or bFGF at a low concentration. Cell morphology and expression of CD146 and CD10 surface markers were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy. To measure mineralization, an alizarin red S assay was performed and typical markers of osteoblastic phenotype were evaluated by RT-PCR. Results: EGF treatment induced morphological changes and suppression of CD146 and CD10 markers. Additionally, the cells were capable of producing calcium deposits and increasing the mRNA expression to alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) in relation to control groups (p < 0.001). However, bFGF treatment showed an inhibitory effect. Conclusion: These data suggests that DPSCs in combination with EGF could be an effective stem cell-based therapy for bone tissue engineering applications in periodontics and oral implantology

Antimicrobial Activity of a Cationic Guanidine Compound against Two Pathogenic Oral Bacteria

This study evaluated the potential antimicrobial properties of a polyguanidine (CatDex) on two oral bacteria. Chlorhexidine gluconate 134

La Dorada, Caldas : un lugar mágico lleno de paz y emociones mil ¡Que viva mi terruño que tanto amo! : recopilación de cuentos folclóricos

En el libro recupera cuentos folclóricos, versos, canciones, juegos y mitos producto de la tradición oral difundida en La Dorada Caldas y le da reconocimiento a los narradores de la cultura oral del poblado.In the book, he recovers folk tales, verses, songs, games and myths that are the product of the oral tradition spread in La Dorada Caldas and gives recognition to the narrators of the oral culture of the town.El fantasma -- Anécdota de la patasola -- Historia del mohán -- El pollito pio -- Nos ayudamos -- La emboscada -- Toño un amigo con diversidad -- El horripilante olvido en medio de un temblor -- Valoremos -- Mito de un arriero -- El juego de la candela -- Canción el capitán de un buque -- Versos -- Multiplicadores de la cultura oral.na66 página

Medio ambiente, sociedad, ética, auditoría y educación: reflexiones desde la disciplina contable.

Los servicios y desarrollos tecnológicos en todos los sectores económicos, al igual que la actualidad social, educativa, ambiental y agropecuaria en el mundo, constituyen oportunidades para que los contadores públicos se alejen de los procesos netamente manuales, y se acerquen al desarrollo de actividades que agreguen mayor valor a las unidades económicas en las cuales se desempeñan profesionalmente; en consecuencia, la academia recibe en la misma dimensión retos importantes que conllevan revisar y actualizar constantemente los contenidos, medios y escenarios educativos, a través de los cuales se cumple con la misión de formar contadores públicos idóneos para la sociedad. El programa de Contaduría Pública de la Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios – UNIMINUTO, UVD, consiente de la responsabilidad que tiene al ser uno de los programas con mayor número de estudiantes actualmente en Colombia, ha cimentado a lo largo de sus primeros ocho años bases adecuadas y orientadas a constituir una comunidad académica reconocida por sus aportes alternativos a la profesión y a la industria contable en general. El libro Medio ambiente, sociedad, ética, auditoría y educación en su segunda versión es una muestra de cómo el III Encuentro Nacional y II Internacional de Investigación Contable UNIMINUTO UVD, llevado a cabo en Bogotá en Octubre del 2018, se convirtió en un espacio extraordinario en el que se reunieron representantes de los veintiún lugares de oferta del programa de Contaduría Pública UNIMINUTO UVD, para compartir los avances de los proyectos que se tejen diariamente en diferentes lugares del territorio nacional, y que hacen parte integral de las cuatro sublíneas de investigación que se desarrollan al interior del programa y que se visualizan claramente lo largo del presente libro