The effect of video instruction on social interactions of children in the inclusive preschool

Social competence is an important consideration for early childhood education. Furthermore, young children with disabilities are increasingly being placed in community preschool programs therefore necessitating strategies to increase the number and quality of social interactions between young children with and without disabilities. Beginning at a very young age nearly all children have access to television, VCR or DVD, and cable or satellite. Therefore, media may serve as a vehicle to increase the number and quality of social interactions between young children with and without disabilities; This study had two purposes. The first was to investigate the effect of scripted video instruction on the quantity of social interactions between young children with and without disabilities in an inclusive preschool classroom. The second purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of scripted video instruction on the quality of social interactions between young children with and without disabilities in an inclusive preschool classroom. Eighteen four and five year-old children with and without disabilities were selected to participate in this study. The subjects were randomly selected from two classrooms at an inclusive preschool program housed in the College of Education, on an urban university campus in the southwestern region of the United States. Upon selection of the participants, the subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups, the intervention group, the parallel group, or the comparison group. Each group consisted of three males, three females, two children with a disability, and four children without a disability; The results from this study indicated that scripted video instruction had a positive effect on the number and quality of social interactions between young children with and without disabilities in the inclusive preschool classroom. However, there were no significant differences indicated for disability status or gender regardless of group assignment or session

Social Characteristics of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Across Classroom Settings

Social Characteristics of Students with autism spectrum disorders across Classroom Settings The current study examined the differences in social characteristics between students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) primarily educated in full inclusion and non full inclusion classrooms. One hundred and forty six parents of children with ASD completed a questionnaire regarding the social experiences of their child. Results indicate that after controlling for severity of disability and age, higher social competence was related to placement in full inclusion classrooms. Regression analyses indicate that ASD severity predicted social competence and quality of friendships, and age and problem behaviour predicted the number of friends outside school. Implications for future studies are discussed

Collecting Overdue Library Books While Simultaneously Benefiting the Community: The Food for Fines Program

This poster presentation is a detailed description of the background, process, promotion, results, and conclusions of an academic library community service project. The Food for Fines program, implemented at Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library was designed to encourage the collection of fines for overdue items. One non-perishable food item was accepted for every $1.00 in overdue fines, to a maximum of$20.00. These food items were donated to a local food bank in the Washington, DC, area

"Beyond Professional Development: Factors Influencing Early Childhood Educators’ Beliefs and Practices Working With Dual Language Learners"

The National Association for the Education of Young Children and Head Start have clearly articulated their position on the provision of high-quality instruction for the 4 million dual language learners (DLLs) enrolled in early childhood (EC) programs nationwide. Professional development (PD) provides a way for educators to increase their knowledge and skills; however, teacher practices in the classroom are strongly influenced by implicit beliefs about how children learn. This study examined the influence of 6 PD sessions related to high-quality instruction for DLLs and examined other influential factors related to beliefs and practices. Participants were 98 early childhood educators serving 3- and 4-year-old DLLs in an urban area in the Southwest US. Quantitative findings indicate educators’ beliefs and practices shifted after PD. Qualitative findings suggest that educators’ empathy, expectations, and external factors also influenced their beliefs and practices. Implications for PD and program design are discussed

Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms

Breast Milk, a Source of Beneficial Microbes and Associated Benefits for Infant Health

peer-reviewedHuman breast milk is considered the optimum feeding regime for newborn infants due to its ability to provide complete nutrition and many bioactive health factors. Breast feeding is associated with improved infant health and immune development, less incidences of gastrointestinal disease and lower mortality rates than formula fed infants. As well as providing fundamental nutrients to the growing infant, breast milk is a source of commensal bacteria which further enhance infant health by preventing pathogen adhesion and promoting gut colonisation of beneficial microbes. While breast milk was initially considered a sterile fluid and microbes isolated were considered contaminants, it is now widely accepted that breast milk is home to its own unique microbiome. The origins of bacteria in breast milk have been subject to much debate, however, the possibility of an entero-mammary pathway allowing for transfer of microbes from maternal gut to the mammary gland is one potential pathway. Human milk derived strains can be regarded as potential probiotics; therefore, many studies have focused on isolating strains from milk for subsequent use in infant health and nutrition markets. This review aims to discuss mammary gland development in preparation for lactation as well as explore the microbial composition and origins of the human milk microbiota with a focus on probiotic development

Being lost

Being Lost brought together 5 artists - Catherine Bertola, Susan Collis, Kevin Hunt, Brendan Lyons and Adele Vallance - whose work explores different notions of being lost; working with discarded/found objects and injecting life into them or working with the everyday, which we take for granted (and therefore can be argued that it is lost to us). The show was curated by artists Adele Vallance and Andrew Bracey