Moving Jewish Educators to the Next Stage in Their Career: An Evaluation of New York University's Dual Master's and Doctoral Programs in Education and Jewish Studies

This study used a qualitative inquiry methodology to explore the experiences of students, which is a common methodological approach in research on higher education when a study's sample size is small and individuals' narratives are diverse (Anderson & Anderson, 2012; Golde & Dore, 2001; Maki & Borkowski, 2006). The evaluation team conducted initial and follow-up phone interviews with the 24 recipients of the Jim Joseph Foundation fellowships under this grant. The interviews inquired about professional experience and academic background, career goals, academic courses and other professional development, professional networking, current employment, and leadership experiences. In addition, the evaluation team conducted interviews with academic advisors and reviewed program materials. To validate the formation of a framework and quality indicators for the review of the programs, the team conducted comprehensive literature review and interviews with employers of the fellows. The evaluation team synthesized the data collected to determine the level of programs' capacity to prepare students for leadership roles in Jewish education and the impact of the programs on students to date

A Phenomenological Study of Elementary General Education Teachers\u27 Experiences Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of elementary general education teachers instructing students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a suburban North Georgia inclusion setting. The four research questions that guided this study included (a) How do elementary general education teachers describe their experiences teaching students with ASD in their classrooms? (b) In what ways do teachers describe how the presence of students with ASD influence their beliefs regarding inclusion? (c) How do teachers describe the challenges they faced with students with ASD in the inclusion setting? and (d) How do teachers describe the benefits they faced with students with ASD in the inclusion setting. The theories guiding the study were Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) social ecological systems theory and Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory as each of these theories adopt the perspective that individuals are products of their environments, which affect the students with ASD and teachers in the inclusive setting. Data collection included 10 elementary general education teacher participants’ interviews and journals, my researcher journal, and an online focus group. I provided rich, descriptive characterizations of the phenomenon as I conducted the data analysis using coding, peer review, enriched description, and triangulation. Conclusively, the results of this study provided a voice for elementary general education teachers who instructed students with ASD I identified four themes from this study: (a) beliefs, (b) relationships, (c) challenges, and (d) benefits. Recommendations for future research include using diverse schools, increasing the number of participants, and researching the collaboration between general and special education teachers in the inclusion setting

The Role of Nursing Practice in Promoting Sleep During Brain Injury Rehabilitation

During hospitalization, sleep can be interrupted or even elusive. It has been established that quality sleep is essential in neural repair. Previous research has indicated that many nurses are unaware of the impact of sleep disturbance on brain injury recovery and do not understand how to promote sleep in the neurorehabilitation setting. The purpose of this project was to determine whether educational intervention would influence nurses\u27 knowledge and attitudes toward sleep. Benner\u27s (2001) novice to expert theory provided a framework for the project. With the collaboration of a neuropsychologist, this study produced a sleep knowledge and attitudes instrument. Pulmonary sleep specialists, rehabilitation physicians, and neuropsychologists who were experts in the treatment of sleep disorders and brain injury validated the instrument. Following instrument validation, 19 rehabilitation nurses completed the instrument prior to receiving sleep hygiene education. Immediately after education, a posttest was administered. Pretest and posttest data were compared via Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results indicated a statistically significant increase nurses\u27 knowledge (p = .015) and attitudes (p = .028) toward sleep. These findings support the use of didactic methods of sleep hygiene education for nurses. Providing nurses with sleep knowledge and improving their attitudes toward sleep may shift nursing focus to sleep as an activity rather than inactivity, and it has the potential to improve quality of patient care by empowering nurses to implement good sleep hygiene practices on inpatient units. Additional research is indicated to determine whether the increase in knowledge and improvement in attitudes will be sustained and ultimately affect patient sleep outcomes

Long-Term Impact of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Examination of Academic Success in At-Risk Elementary School Students

This study examined the long-term impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) implemented through Primary Project on at-risk second-grade elementary school students. The qualifying group received ten 30-minute play therapy sessions during one academic semester during their second-grade year. In a longitudinal analysis for academic growth, MAP testing was used to determine if there was a long-term impact on both the third grade and fourth-grade years for the original qualifying students. The findings reveal implications for identification of and interventions for at-risk elementary students and CCPT as an intervention for academic achievement; specifically, reading and mathematics scores. Recommendations for future research are also included

Oral history interview transcript with Elsie Ableman

Oral history interview transcript with Elsie Ableman. Her topic is working women. Interviewer: Dixie Massengal

A Look at Public Health

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Introduction to local food systems

Original authors: Mary Hendrickson, Sarah Hultine Massengale and Crystal Weberstats092022upload"This guide explores the concept of local food systems and provides resources to help farmers, consumers and communities develop food systems that provide for profitable, thriving farms and businesses; steward our natural resources; and strengthen community relationships in rural and urban Missouri."--Page 1.Mary Hendrickson (Associate Professor, Rural Sociology), Sarah Hultine Massengale (Extension State Specialist in Community Development and Assistant Extension Professor, University of Missouri-St. Louis)Includes bibliographical reference

“Sometimes it’s more valuable than money:” using stories and local knowledge to document impacts of wild harvesting

Self-procurement strategies such as gardening, hunting, and wild harvesting are often overlooked in the development of local and regional food systems because the informal exchanges of these foods do not contribute to traditional financial impacts (McEntee 2011). Research conducted between 2017-2018 in the Missouri Ozarks partnered with wild harvesters and used narrative inquiry and critical reflection to explore the practice of wild harvesting, motivations for food access strategies, and the comprehensive wealth impacts of wild harvesting in the region. Comprehensive wealth, a USDA –Economic Research Service framework, provides a tool for economic development that considers multiple forms of capital and allows for evaluating a wider range of social, cultural, and other non-financial costs and benefits of local food systems investments within a local place. While the research was conducted in a rural area of Missouri, the results support a growing body of research that recognizes the need for strategies that strengthen both market and informal opportunities to participate in a local food system, whether urban or rural. This presentation will share results and comprehensive wealth indicators developed that could be used to evaluate impacts of wild harvesting activities in urban and rural communities. This project will also highlight the methodology of narrative inquiry to value local knowledge and participation in local food systems research

Introduction to Local Food Systems

The local production and marketing of food has reached a critical mass in the past few years. Increasingly, people are searching out food that not only is flavorful, healthy and safe but that also supports their local community. Farmers are working hard to meet that demand and are taking advantage of the economic opportunities community-based, or local, food systems provide. Many farmers, particularly mid-sized (often called ?farmers of the middle?) and small-scale producers, find that producing for and selling into a community-based food system is one of the only options left for them, as they lack the scale or financial resources to compete in a larger market. In recognition of the importance of local food systems, the U.S. Department of Agriculture developed the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative aimed at strengthening the relationships between farmers and consumers throughout the United States. This guide explores the concept of local food systems and provides resources to help farmers, consumers and communities develop food systems that provide for profitable, thriving farms and businesses; steward our natural resources; and strengthen community relationships in rural and urban Missouri.New 4/15/Web.Includes bibliographical reference