Meeting The Needs Of Struggling Readers In Middle School Social Studies

This capstone identifies strategies and practices middle school social studies teachers can integrate into their instruction to support readers of all abilities. It addresses the research question, how can middle social studies teachers better meet the needs of students who struggle in reading? The author documents the importance of combining literacy instruction with social studies instruction due to the adoption of Common Core’s ELA standards and to better support readers in comprehension of complex text. The author also examines the needs of struggling readers and how literacy practices can enrich social social studies instruction. Focusing on vocabulary and comprehension strategies, the research explains how readers can improve and better meet their goals in social studies and literacy. A website was created to showcase research findings and provide a valuable resource for middle school social studies teachers to utilize as they integrate literacy into their instruction to support readers

Quantifying bridge resilience

Deviations in weather patterns have changed the demands facing the nation’s infrastructure. “Extreme” weather events (i.e. those characterized as having a low probability of occurring yet result in a high consequence) are increasing in intensity, frequency, or both. Because these changes are happening on a relatively short timescale, existing probabilistic methods used by engineers to model weather events are increasingly obsolete. The most effective approach for designing structures to resist the effects of unpredictable events is to incorporate principles of resilience into their design. Resilient structures better adapt, quickly recover, and minimize the destructive outcomes of an unpredictable destructive event. In this paper, a method is proposed for rating and quantifying the structural resilience of a bridge. The proposed method specifically focuses on bridges and the relationship between their resilience and structural inputs. To demonstrate the extent of the proposed approach, four distinct bridges are chosen for a comparative case study. Each bridge falls into a category with varying combinations of high and low sufficiency and resilience ratings. Resilience ratings are calculated for each bridge and compared with their sufficiency ratings to demonstrate that high sufficiency is not indicative of high resilience. Both the sufficiency and resilience ratings of bridges should be analyzed separately and in compliment with each other when making decisions related to their design, construction, and maintenance

A Phenomenological Study of Middle School Teacher Experiences in a Standardized Testing Environment

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of middle school teachers in a standardized testing environment. Using Spiro, Feltovich, and Coulson’s theory of cognitive flexibility as a theoretical framework, this study sought to answer the central question: What are the experiences of middle grade teachers in a standardized testing environment? Sub-questions sought to understand how and why middle school teachers adjust instructional practices in a standardized testing environment. A purposeful criterion sampling followed by snowball sampling was used to select participants with the shared lived experience of teaching in a standardized testing environment from four middle schools within a single rural southwest Virginia school district. Data was collected through a writing prompt, interviews, and focus group interviews. Data analysis occurred through epoché phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and describing the essence of the lived experience. The study revealed that teachers perceived this environment limits their ability to adjust instructional practices to meet the needs of the students, fosters feelings of resentment regarding the teacher evaluation process, and introduces concerns on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the standardized testing environment as the continued focus of instruction in this environment is the end-of-course standardized assessment

At Options with Children with Autism

According to information from the Center for Disease Control Prevention (2007) it is estimated that autism affects 1 in 150 births. The Autism Society of America (2007) reports that the prevalence of autism is expected to increase by 10-17 % per year. It has been shown through research that assistive technology can benefit or increase performance in children with autism spectrum disorder. It also can address performance areas limited in children with autism, such as communication, cognition, self-care, leisure, social/play, productivity, and sensorimotor (Reed, 2002). Assistive technology can aid these children in various contexts such as school, home, and play. There is a lack of knowledge among entry-level professionals and educators in regards to implementing assistive technology devices ((Bryant, Erin, Lock, Allan, & Resta, 1998; Long& Perry, 2006; Long, Woolverton, Perry, & Thomas, 2007) A literature review was conducted in order to obtain an overview of autism, assistive technology used for children with autism, and what the need is for training in assistive technology. An inservice was developed based on the findings from the literature review. The inservice is intended to provide an overview of autism, assistive technology and the specific assistive devices used for children with autism. This inservice is designed for entry-level occupational therapists, physical therapists and educators who are working with children with autism. It is intended to be three hours in duration, and be presented by an occupational therapist who has knowledge about autism and assistive technology. All materials needed for the instructor as well as the participants are included in the product

Vaccination Disease Prevention

Vaccination disease prevention plays a big factor into the world of public health. There are many vaccinations available that are used for disease prevention. Research was taken to determine the impact these vaccinations have on health and why they are important. This poster discusses the impact that these vaccines have on pharmacy. It also addresses the different categories of determinants of health. There are direct and indirect health indicators that the vaccines are involved in and those are reviewed within the poster. The positive and negative views of vaccination preventable diseases are mentioned and the question, “Why should you be vaccinated?” is answered.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/public_health_posters/1022/thumbnail.jp

Sustainability Opportunities for Universities: Cloud Computing, Virtualization and other Recommendations

In this poster session we describe efforts of a Midwestern United States university striving to increase computing capacity without increasing the actual size of the data center while simultaneously reducing the amount of energy required to power the data center. Other sustainability projects at universities across the United States are summarized and guidelines and suggestions are provided for university administrators to follow in order to ensure the smooth development of such initiatives. Our recommendations are based on the study of the university’s energy consumption data before and after initiatives began, which gives insight to the effectiveness of virtualization initiatives. Sustainability efforts not only affect a university’s triple bottom line but also can provide financial savings in the long run in terms of energy savings

Toward Modeling Pilot Workload in a Cognitive Architecture

Characterizing and predicting pilot cognitive workload remains a formidable challenge, especially in tasks with a high perceptual/motor demand like aerial refueling. Cognitive models are useful tools for this, as they offer the potential to derive both performance and workload simulations before a test is conducted. We conducted a task analysis of a C-17 aerial refueling mission and developed a low-fidelity Atomic Components of Thought – Rational (ACT-R) model and environment to simulate the task. ACT-R models have been successful in predicting workload in other domains, such as menu navigation and problem solving. Eight aerial maneuvers were examined, including takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, refueling, contact station keeping, and landing. The exercise revealed two subtasks not currently described in great detail by workload modeling methods: trajectory estimation and collision avoidance. We identify gaps in research on workload modeling approaches and explore preliminary predictions made by the model using default ACT-R parameters

Factors Impacting Adherence to a Multifactorial Fall Prevention Program - a Matter of Balance

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Falls among community dwelling older adults are a significant public health problem. “A Matter of Balance” (MOB) is a multifactorial fall prevention program that aims to improve participants’ self-efficacy and increase physical activity in order to reduce falls. Although there is some evidence supporting MOB’s effectiveness, no published studies to date have examined the program from the perspective of participants or long-term program adherence. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine self-reported outcomes associated with the MOB program in order to explore participants’ perspectives and program adherence. METHODS: This study utilized a mixed methods design that incorporated both survey and focus group interview data. Subjects included a convenience sample of 28 healthy community dwelling older adults who were enrolled in 4 separate MOB programs in the Twin Cities. Survey data were collected before the program and immediately after, 6-weeks, and 6-months post-program. Survey items addressed demographics, general health, falls management, exercise behavior, and number of falls. Focus groups were scheduled 3 to 5 months post-program and led by a principle investigator and student researchers. Semi-structured interview questions focused on participants’ experience of the MOB program, recommendations that were or were not implemented, and motivation for and barriers to change. RESULTS: 70.4% of the participants completed all 4 surveys. Statistically significant improvements were identified for 2 survey items including: “I can find a way to reduce falls” and “I can protect myself if I fall”. No significant change over time in exercise level or number of falls was identified. Ten subjects participated in 4 focus groups. Qualitatively, 7 themes emerged from the focus group data. These were: awareness, motivators for attendance, class learning environment, current adherence, facilitators and barriers to adherence, and recommendations for future programming. CONCLUSION: Overall, MOB’s effectiveness was evidenced by increased awareness, which may be related to improved falls management, self-efficacy and motivation. Post-program adherence to physical activity recommendations was facilitated when activities were incorporated into participants’ existing routines. Participants desired a follow-up program for continued social support and accountability but further research is needed to investigate the efficacy of this type of intervention

Dog and Owner Characteristics Predict Training Success

Teaching owners how to train their dogs is an important part of maintaining the health and safety of dogs and people. Yet we do not know what behavioral characteristics of dogs and their owners are relevant to dog training or if owner cognitive abilities play a role in training success. The aim of this study is to determine which characteristics of both dogs and owners predict success in completing the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen training program. Before the first session of a dog training course, owners completed surveys evaluating the behavior and cognition of their dog and themselves. Additionally, we collected the dogs’ initial training levels via behavioral tasks. We then examined what factors predicted whether the dogs passed the Canine Good Citizen test after the class ended. In terms of dog characteristics, we found that, while dog age, sex and neuter status did not predict success, owner-rated levels of disobedience did predict completion of the program. In terms of owner characteristics, owners who scored higher on cognitive measures were more likely to have their dogs complete the program. Finally, dog–owner characteristics such as the time spent training predicted success. Thus, characteristics of the dogs, owners, and how they interact seem to predict training success. These findings suggest that there are some owner, dog, and dog–owner characteristics that can facilitate or hinder dog training

Athlete Perceptions of Flavored, Menthol-enhanced Energy Gels Ingested Prior to Running in the Heat

Thermal perception during exercise is known to influence endurance performance and the onset of fatigue. L-menthol, an organic compound derived from peppermint, evokes a cooling sensation through its action on TRPM8 channels which also respond to cold stimuli. Recent work identified that the internal application of menthol-enhanced fluids can be ergogenic during exercise in the heat. Hence, the addition of menthol to energy gels may be practical and beneficial for athletes. PURPOSE: To determine athlete acceptability and preferences for flavored energy gels with different menthol concentrations. METHODS: With a randomized, crossover, and double-blind placebo-controlled design, 27 endurance athletes (34.8±6.7 y, BMI: 21.7±1.6 kg·m-2, 9 female) ingested an energy gel with a menthol additive at relative concentrations: low (0.1%), medium-low (0.3%), medium-high (0.5%), high (0.7%), or a non-menthol, flavor-matched placebo (CON), on separate days before outdoor running sessions. Athletes rated the gels for cooling sensation, irritation (tingling/burning), flavor, and overall experience on 100-point sensory and hedonic labeled magnitude scales. The duration of any cooling sensation was also reported. Repeated measures ANOVAs with a Bonferroni adjustment for pairwise comparisons were used to determine differences. RESULTS: All menthol gels successfully delivered a greater cooling sensation compared to CON (7.4±8.1 AU) with a significantly greater response for 0.7% (59.9±20.5 AU) and 0.5% (57.7±21.8 AU), compared to all others, which were both rated “moderate-strong” for intensity. Irritation intensity was higher for all menthol gels compared to CON (3.4±7.2 AU), and for 0.7% compared to 0.1% (31.1±31.0 vs 16.3±21.0 AU, p=0.041), with none reported higher than a “mild-moderate” intensity. The menthol gels delivered a significantly longer cooling duration (range: 12.3-19.6 min) compared to CON (2.2±4.8 min) with no significant difference between menthol gels. Ratings of overall experience and flavor were not different between gels (p\u3e.05). CONCLUSION: A flavored energy gel with the addition of menthol at 0.1-0.7% provides a cooling sensation for athletes when ingested before exercise. The 0.5% concentration is recommended to maximize the cooling sensation of the gel whilst minimizing irritation