To protect the hell yeah and every hell yeah\u27s variations

I try to imagine a scrutiny free from transaction and authority, where time and generosity are not scarce. If real generosity divests from the expectation of returns, then what are the full implications of imaging someone in this way, through touch? My sitters gave me permission to stare at them in private. What happens to this momentary consensual gaze over time, prolonged into months of looking? Prolonged into an abundance of labor, abundance of attention, abundance of precious materials

Technology as a resource: Increasing engagement in learning and developing 21st century skills

The purpose of this research study was to help inform the researcher’s future practice as a teacher on the influence of technology on young learners. The question of inquiry pertained to define how technology has initiated and increased student engagement within their learning, and through this, how technology has specifically influenced the creation of the 21st century learner. By beginning the inquiry through a literature review on the theme of technology and student engagement, the researcher was able to gain an understanding that technology is the motivator for children in developed, and even in undeveloped countries. In order to assess the relationship of technology and student engagement in learning, along with how digital devices influence the creation of 21st century learners, the researcher surveyed a variety of teacher candidates and university students to draw conclusions. From the research findings of the study, the researcher concluded that students were attracted to technology as it is a tool that is convenient in organizing information, and is efficient in making data easier to allocate. Therefore, the skills that technology imparted upon 21st century learners from the findings were allowing students to become self-directed learners, access and, evaluate information through critical thinking and solving data to become more engaged thinkers, and influencing leadership and collaboration skills

Demon or philosopher: the artist and teacher Tibor Varga

The Hungarian violinist and pedagogue Tibor Varga (1921–2003) was a performer of formidable technical ability whose playing was characterised by a vibrant and powerful tone and a unique approach to phrasing. He is rarely acknowledged among the great violinists of the twentieth century notwithstanding his legacy of compositions, recordings and teaching which indicates that the field of violin performance and education may have much to gain from his approach to playing and teaching. At this point, there is no comprehensive presentation of his contribution to violin playing and teaching. This research project presents and analyses Tibor Varga’s approach to performance and pedagogy and places it in the context of violin pedagogy from the seventeenth century to today. Significant influences are identified and the advantages and disadvantages of his technical conceptions, approach to practice, performance, and his psychology of teaching are discussed critically. Significant violin pedagogical literature, journal articles about Varga, interviews, literature on psychology in music education and direct information gathered in lessons is used to inform this investigation. Varga’s original contributions to the development of violin playing are presented and unique approaches to practice and performance are highlighted. The concept of an ‘old school’ of playing and teaching and its place in contemporary teaching that is the result of scientific research in the twentieth century is discussed. Encouraging students to think for themselves is identified as fundamental to a successful didactic approach and revealed as central to Tibor Varga’s philosophy of teaching

Shawn Hunt\u27s Transformation Mask: The Intersection of Contemporary and Traditional Heiltsuk Art

Shawn Hunt is an artist of Heiltsuk (Bella Bella), French, and Scottish Canadian ancestry who is at the forefront of contemporary Northwest Coast art in the Vancouver area. Historic artworks of his community have been often overlooked in scholarly literature due to the seeming willingness of the people to adapt to colonization. Viewed as a “tainted” culture, the Heiltsuk have been noticeably ignored in the art historical realm. However, their masks are some of the best examples of traditional regalia that are found in museums across Canada and the United States. Contemporary native artists of the Northwest Coast continue to use these works as examples for their own pieces today – these artists are merely continuing tradition in the modern day. Hunt is making strides towards blending the “traditional” and the “contemporary” native art worlds into an inclusive, more indigenous notion of art today. His works speak about indigenous identity and what the “authentic” native looks like today. Hunt’s work Transformation Mask is the best example of his work intersecting the boundaries of western categories of native art. He is able to blend the ideas of “native,” “contemporary,” and “traditional” through the utilization of oral histories, clan imagery, and commercial technologies. My thesis discusses Hunt’s work in relation to long-standing Heiltsuk art practices. It breaks new ground as the first in-depth examination of Hunt’s Transformation Mask which explores the issues of identity, respect for ceremony and expansion on traditions, and the resistance to colonial narratives

Cocooning in Culture: Exploring the development and implementation of a culturally-situated trauma-informed approach within an Aboriginal community controlled out of home care program

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 11 times more likely to be placed in Out of Home Care (OOHC) than non-Indigenous children. Trauma-informed practice has been identified as an approach to effectively support children in OOHC. For Aboriginal children cultural connection in the context of trauma-informed practice is found to be lacking. There is little formal exploration about what is needed to develop a culturally-situated trauma-informed practice (CSTIP) approach to supporting Aboriginal children in OOHC. This community-led Indigenous Informed Participatory Action Research (IPAR) investigates participants\u27 understandings and perceptions of what is required to co-create CSTIP with an Aboriginal organisation providing OOHC to Aboriginal children. This research privileges the voices of Aboriginal community members, staff and carers in the discussion about what constitutes, enables and hinders a CSTIP approach in supporting Aboriginal children to heal from trauma. It is undertaken on the South Coast of NSW Australia on Dharawal Country in partnership with an OOHC program managed by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO). The research uses a relational ontology, an epistemology of ignorance and an Indigenous conceptual frame. Multiple interpretive methods are used, including individual and group yarning, artefact and document analysis, co-analysis, observations, ethnographic field notes and reflexive writing. Using this methodological approach, the ‘knowing, being and doing’ of CSTIP is examined

Intelligence correlates of transcendent beliefs: A preliminary study

In previous research, Barušs and Moore had identified a material-transcendent dimension of beliefs about consciousness and reality that underlies the Western intellectual tradition including the academic study of consciousness. At one pole, materialists believe that reality is entirely physical in nature, whereas those tending toward the transcendent pole believe that reality cannot exhaustively be captured in physical terms. More recently, Jewkes and Barušs had found a number of personality correlates of transcendent beliefs including a tendency toward curiosity and a rational approach to the world [1]. These previous results prompted the present study in which 39 undergraduate psychology students at a liberal arts college were given a measure of beliefs about consciousness and reality, a comprehensive intelligence test, and a personality subtest. Correlations were found among various facets of intelligence, aspects of beliefs, and intellectual curiosity. The results indicate that greater intelligence is associated with transcendent beliefs

Pagkababae at Pagkalalake (Femininity and Masculinity): Developing a Filipino Gender Trait Inventory and predicting self-esteem and sexism

This study focused on the construction of a gender trait inventory from a Filipino perspective, guided by social constructionist, symbolic interactionist, and feminist theories. Traits that were identified as being typical of Filipino men and women were grouped into positive (i.e., socially desirable) and negative (i.e., socially undesirable) subscales. Development and validity testing were conducted using data from 296 Filipino university students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to develop the subscales of the instrument. The Filipino femininity subscale included positive traits such as being caring and supportive and negative traits such as being timid or keeping things to one\u27s self. The Filipino masculinity subscale included positive traits such as being principled and having affinity with others and negative traits such as being boastful and impetuous. Criterion validity was assessed by using structural equation modelling (SEM), which indicated that while the Filipino inventory had similarities with an established measure of gender, there were distinct differences in how they operationalized and measured masculinity and femininity. Predictive validity was assessed by using SEM to test separate models for self-esteem and sexism. Model testing indicated that Filipino femininity and masculinity predicted self-esteem, but only predicted a specific type of sexism. The discussion focused on the implications of using an emic approach to understanding gender and future directions of research

Management of introduced American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeiana Shaw 1802) in the South Okanagan, British Columbia

Introduced invasive species threaten biodiversity on a global scale. An estimated fifteen new species introduction and establishments occur in aquatic systems per decade in Canada. A particular introduced aquatic species of concern in western Canada is the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus; formerly Rana catesbeiana, Shaw 1802; hereafter referred to as bullfrogs). Bullfrogs were introduced into one wetland in the South Okanagan, British Columbia in the 1950s for human consumption, and have since been detected in 7 locations across 5 wetland complexes. Bullfrog populations were detected by biologists in the South Okanagan in 2003, and shortly after intense bullfrog control efforts were initiated. On-going, resource-intensive detection and removal efforts targeting all life stages were put into place in 2004. Limited resources and lowered detections are prompting the need to determine the potential re-colonization patterns and effort required to successfully continue to suppress populations. Determining potential colonization patterns and optimal future control measures for bullfrogs in the South Okanagan is also of critical importance to the conservation of native amphibians, 50 % of which are federally threatened, endangered, or of special concern. Introduced bullfrogs outcompete, predate upon, transmit disease to, and interfere with reproductive activity of native amphibians. The goals of this thesis were to: 1. develop a distribution model for introduced bullfrogs in the South Okanagan, to: a. estimate the distribution probability of bullfrogs previous to major wetland landscape changes beginning in 2004; and b. project the historical distribution onto the changing wetland landscape post 2004 to prioritize monitoring during average annual wetland conditions, and consecutive flood and drought years anticipated with a changing climate; 2. Analyze nine years of existing introduced bullfrog detection and removal effort in the South Okanagan, to: a. describe the methods, total effort, and results of the bullfrog management; and b. highlight key management lessons learnt through bullfrog control in the South Okanagan. Goal 1 was addressed using species distribution modeling with Maxent®. The distribution model aimed to create a wetland-specific probability distribution for bullfrogs in the South Okanagan for 235 wetlands across a 233 km2 extent. Hydroperiod, water velocity, surrounding matrix at 100 m, 500 m, and 1000 m, distance to nearest known breeding location, and presence of introduced predatory fish were modeled using a minimum training presence threshold to determine wetlands at highest risk of bullfrog colonization and projected onto the future wetland landscape under the 3 scenarios. Maps were validated using 28 % partitioned test data and evaluated using Area Under the Curve and True Skill Statistics. Following Maxent modeling, mapped wetlands were ranked in ArcGIS according to presence of provincially endangered or threatened native amphibian species and number of neighboring wetlands within a 1000 m buffer. Permanent, stagnant, large ponds surrounded by high cover/moisture retaining agriculture (i.e. tree fruit orchard), within 300 m of a breeding location are at highest risk of bullfrog colonization. 60.5 %, 71.5 %, and 47 % of the South Okanagan wetlands are classified for priority monitoring and carry a relative rank value of 0.5 or higher in typical, flood, and drought conditions, respectively. The resulting wetland landscape map from the present study is a water body ranked priority monitoring list for all known permanent and ephemeral wetlands in the study area. The bullfrog distribution map provides wetland criteria, and the ranked monitoring priority list highlights key areas in which to focus future bullfrog monitoring efforts within the South Okanagan. Goal 2 was addressed using the wetland monitoring and bullfrog removal collective data set obtained from the BC Ministry of Environment, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the University of Waterloo, Canada. Bullfrog detection and removal effort resulted in 11 102 introduced individual bullfrogs and egg masses detected and removed at 7 of the 125 surveyed sites in the South Okanagan between 2004 and 2012, with zero detections occurring in 2011 and 2012. Main detection and removal effort included auditory surveys, active searches, Gee trapping, and night-time canoe searches. Approximately 640 and 850 total search hours were expended for auditory and active searches respectively, and 24 670 total 24-hour trap day equivalents of Gee trapping. An additional 310 hours were spent on night-time canoe searches, 2 940 hours were spent on automated auditory recording, and 65 hours on seine netting and night-time active searches by foot. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) of the main methods varied widely among methods and sites, from 0 to 16 ± 55 individuals per trap day for Gee trapping, to 0 to 41 ± 46 individuals per search hour for active searches, and 0 to 28 individuals per hour for canoe searches. Although statistical comparison of methods is precluded due to the post-hoc nature of this analysis, results indicate that the combination of methods selected was successful in reducing abundance at the colonized ponds. However, the variation in CPUE supports the premise that effort needs to be maintained for detection and removal in subsequent years as there are likely additional individuals at low enough densities to avoid detection by standard methods. Here I recommend 10 years of zero detections, based on the Committee for the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)’s threatened species population trend assessment guidelines. Major lessons learned include: each water body requires an adaptive and robust approach; removal efforts must be persistent; future monitoring should focus on a slight increase in visual effort and slight reduction in auditory effort when populations are at low abundances; and repetitive training is required for observers to ensure accurate identification. The future of bullfrog control in the South Okanagan presents challenges under low population abundance and low detectability, and reduced funding while population suppression is at a critical point in preventing re-establishment. Multiple collaborative efforts combining different agency goals and target species is recommended to help alleviate the resource-limiting pressure for monitoring. Ultimately, the results of this thesis suggest permanent, stagnant, ponds surrounded by high cover/moisture retaining agriculture (i.e. tree fruit orchard), within 300 m of a breeding location are at highest risk of bullfrog colonization, and monitoring should focus on a slight increase in visual effort and slight reduction in auditory effort when populations are at low abundances

The ichthyofauna in a small temporarily open/closed Eastern Cape estuary, South Africa

The ichthyofaunal community structure, population dynamics and movement patterns in the small temporarily open/closed (TOCE) Grant’s Valley estuary, situated along the Eastern Cape coastline, were investigated over the period May 2004 to April 2005. Community structure in the littoral zone was assessed, while growth of selected ichthyofaunal species was investigated using the MULTIFAN model. Population size was assessed using mark recapture models and movement within the estuary using the Hilborn (1990) model. Total ichthyofaunal densities and biomass within the littoral zone ranged between 0.31 to 21.45 fish m⁻² and 0.20 to 4.67 g wwt m⁻², with the highest values typically recorded during the summer. Results of the study indicated that the ichthyofaunal community structure within the estuary was closely linked to the mouth phase and the establishment of a link to the marine environment via overtopping events. In the absence of any link to the sea, the ichthyofaunal community was numerically dominated by estuarine resident species, mainly Gilchristella aestuaria and to a lesser extent, by the river goby, Glossogobius callidus which collectively comprised ca. 88% of all fish sampled. The establishment of the link to the marine environment contributed to an increased contribution of marine breeding species (e.g. Rhabdosargus holubi, Myxus capensis and Atherina breviceps) to the total ichthyofaunal abundances. In contrast, total ichthyofaunal biomass was almost always dominated by marine breeding species by virtue of their larger sizes. Results of hierarchical cluster analyses did not identify any spatial patterns in the ichthyofaunal community within the littoral zone. Results of MULTIFAN analysis indicated estuarine resident fish species bred over an extended period with peaks occurring in the summer months. Conversely, marine breeding fish were shown to recruit into the estuary following overtopping and breaching events. Results of the mark-recapture experiment indicated a population of ca. 12 000 (11 219 – 13 311) individuals greater than 50mm SL. Marine-breeding species (R. holubi, Monodactylus falciformis, and two mullet species) numerically dominated the ichthyofauna, possibly as a result of their effective use of overtopping events. The two mullet species, M. capensis and Liza richardsonii, and the Cape stumpnose, R. holubi moved extensively throughout the estuary, while the remaining species exhibited restricted movement patterns possibly due to the preference for refuge and foraging areas associated with reed beds. The observed movement patterns of individual fish species appeared to be associated with both foraging behaviour and habitat selection