Teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the role of technology in literacy instruction: A mixed methods study

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of teachers’ beliefs about the role of technology in their literacy instruction in the context of one elementary school with a technology-rich environment by investigating those beliefs about instructional technology and the degree to which they were reflected in actual practice. Survey data were used to establish overall patterns of the teachers’ beliefs about and their use of technology in instruction. The survey data informed the qualitative data gathered through open-ended questions and the case studies of three literacy teachers. Within-case and cross-case analysis yielded in-depth details about the beliefs of three teachers regarding the role of technology in their literacy instruction and the degree to which those beliefs were evidenced in their actual instruction. Findings revealed that the case study participants believed that technology played several roles in their literacy instruction. Technology enabled teachers to enact their pre-existing pedagogical beliefs. Technology served as a manager of classroom behavior and as a tool to make classroom instruction more efficient. Teachers also used technology to make their literacy instruction more effective. Findings led to the conclusion that technology use in the teachers’ literacy instruction was influenced by such factors as their pedagogical beliefs, perceived administrative support, the amount and type of professional development teachers received, the ease of access to technology, perceived barriers to technology integration, and teachers’ attitudes toward technology integration

Tackling Change: Future-Proofing Water, Agriculture, and Food Security in an Era of Climate Uncertainty

In 1950 the global population was just over 2.5 billion. Now, in 2013, it is around 7 billion. Although population growth is slowing, the world is projected to have around 9.6 billion inhabitants by 2050. Most of the population increase will be in developing countries where food is often scarce, and land and water are under pressure. To feed the global population in 2050 the world will have to produce more food without significantly expanding the area of cultivated land and, because of competition between a greater number of water users, with less freshwater. On top of land and water constraints, food producers face climatic and other changes which will affect food production. There remains great uncertainty as to how climate change will affect any given locality, but it seems likely that it will have a profound effect on water resources. Projected rises in average temperature, more extreme temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns are likely to alter the amounts and distribution of rainfall, ice and snow melt, soil moisture, and river and groundwater flows. Now and in the future, agriculture and food security depend on managing water—a finite resource, but variable in time and space

Tackling Change: Future-Proofing Water, Agriculture, and Food Security in an Era of Climate Uncertainty

In 1950 the global population was just over 2.5 billion. Now, in 2013, it is around 7 billion. Although population growth is slowing, the world is projected to have around 9.6 billion inhabitants by 2050. Most of the population increase will be in developing countries where food is often scarce, and land and water are under pressure. To feed the global population in 2050 the world will have to produce more food without significantly expanding the area of cultivated land and, because of competition between a greater number of water users, with less freshwater. On top of land and water constraints, food producers face climatic and other changes which will affect food production. There remains great uncertainty as to how climate change will affect any given locality, but it seems likely that it will have a profound effect on water resources. Projected rises in average temperature, more extreme temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns are likely to alter the amounts and distribution of rainfall, ice and snow melt, soil moisture, and river and groundwater flows. Now and in the future, agriculture and food security depend on managing water—a finite resource, but variable in time and space

Tackling Change: Future-Proofing Water, Agriculture, and Food Security in an Era of Climate Uncertainty

In 1950 the global population was just over 2.5 billion. Now, in 2013, it is around 7 billion. Although population growth is slowing, the world is projected to have around 9.6 billion inhabitants by 2050. Most of the population increase will be in developing countries where food is often scarce, and land and water are under pressure. To feed the global population in 2050 the world will have to produce more food without significantly expanding the area of cultivated land and, because of competition between a greater number of water users, with less freshwater. On top of land and water constraints, food producers face climatic and other changes which will affect food production. There remains great uncertainty as to how climate change will affect any given locality, but it seems likely that it will have a profound effect on water resources. Projected rises in average temperature, more extreme temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns are likely to alter the amounts and distribution of rainfall, ice and snow melt, soil moisture, and river and groundwater flows. Now and in the future, agriculture and food security depend on managing water—a finite resource, but variable in time and space

Afrontar el Cambio: Cuidar del Agua, de la Agricultura y de la Seguridad Alimentaria en una Era de Incertidumbre Climática

En 1950, la población mundial era apenas superior a los 2500 millones de habitantes. En 2013, ronda los 7 mil millones. Aunque el crecimiento de la población se está ralentizando, se estima que en 2050 se alcanzarán los 9600 millones de habitantes. El aumento de la población será mayor en los países en desarrollo, donde los alimentos a menudo escasean, y la tierra y el agua están sometidas a presión. Para alimentar a la población mundial en 2050, tendrán que producirse más alimentos sin que haya un aumento significativo del terreno de cultivo y contando con un caudal menor de agua dulce, debido al aumento del número de consumidores. Además de los problemas relacionados con la tierra y con el agua, los agricultores deben hacer frente al cambio climático y a otros cambios que afectarán su producción. Aún no se sabe bien cómo el cambio climático afectará en diferentes ubicaciones. Sin embargo, es probable que tenga un gran impacto sobre los recursos hídricos. El aumento proyectado de la temperatura promedio, las temperaturas más extremas y los cambios en los regimens pluviométricos con mucha probabilidad incidirán sobre la cantidad y distribución de las lluvias, los deshielos, la humedad del suelo y los caudales de los ríos y de las aguas subterráneas. Tanto en la actualidad como en el futuro, la agricultura y la seguridad alimentaria dependen de la gestión del agua: un recurso limitado, pero variable en el tiempo y el espacio

Nevirapine- Versus Lopinavir/Ritonavir-Based Initial Therapy for HIV-1 Infection among Women in Africa: A Randomized Trial

In a randomized control trial, Shahin Lockman and colleagues compare nevirapine-based therapy with lopinavir/ritonavir-based therapy for HIV-infected women without previous exposure to antiretroviral treatment

A Latin American Perspective to Agricultural Ethics

The mixture of political, social, cultural and economic environments in Latin America, together with the enormous diversity in climates, natural habitats and biological resources the continent offers, make the ethical assessment of agricultural policies extremely difficult. Yet the experience gained while addressing the contemporary challenges the region faces, such as rapid urbanization, loss of culinary and crop diversity, extreme inequality, disappearing farming styles, water and land grabs, malnutrition and the restoration of the rule of law and social peace, can be of great value to other regions in similar latitudes, development processes and social problems. This chapter will provide a brief overview of these challenges from the perspective of a continent that is exposed to the consequences of extreme inequality in multiple dimensions and conclude by arguing for the need to have a continuous South-South dialogue on the challenges of establishing socially and environmentally sustainable food systems

Double Negative (CD3+4−8−) TCRαβ Splenic Cells from Young NOD Mice Provide Long-Lasting Protection against Type 1 Diabetes

-reactive T-cells. Herein, we analyzed the function and phenotype of DNCD3 splenic cells in young NOD mice predisposed to several autoimmune disorders among which, the human-like autoimmune diabetes. with a predominant Vβ13 gene usage.T-regulatory cells. DNCD3 splenic cells could be potentially manipulated towards the development of autologous cell therapies in autoimmune diabetes

Afrontar el cambio: Cuidar del agua, de la agricultura y de la seguridad alimentaria en una era de incertidumbre climatica. In Spanish

En 1950, la población mundial era apenas superior a los 2500 millones de habitantes. En 2013, ronda los 7 mil millones. Aunque el crecimiento de la población se está ralentizando, se estima que en 2050 se alcanzarán los 9600 millones de habitantes. El aumento de la población será mayor en los países en desarrollo, donde los alimentos a menudo escasean, y la tierra y el agua están sometidas a presión. Para alimentar a la población mundial en 2050, tendrán que producirse más alimentos sin que haya un aumento significativo del terreno de cultivo y contando con un caudal menor de agua dulce, debido al aumento del número de consumidores. Además de los problemas relacionados con la tierra y con el agua, los agricultores deben hacer frente al cambio climático y a otros cambios que afectarán su producción. Aún no se sabe bien cómo el cambio climático afectará en diferentes ubicaciones. Sin embargo, es probable que tenga un gran impacto sobre los recursos hídricos. El aumento proyectado de la temperatura promedio, las temperaturas más extremas y los cambios en los regimens pluviométricos con mucha probabilidad incidirán sobre la cantidad y distribución de las lluvias, los deshielos, la humedad del suelo y los caudales de los ríos y de las aguas subterráneas. Tanto en la actualidad como en el futuro, la agricultura y la seguridad alimentaria dependen de la gestión del agua: un recurso limitado, pero variable en el tiempo y el espacio