Physical Education Teachers\u27 Instructional Adaptations to Teach Motor Skills to Children with Language Disorders

Children with language disorders have a unique blend of impairments related to communication, memory (Gray et al., 2019; Montgomery et al., 2019), executive functioning (Kapa & Plante, 2015), motor skills (Hill, 2001), imitation, gestures (Wray et al., 2017), and reaching early motor milestones (Diepeveen et al., 2018). These deficits may negatively affect learning motor skills in physical education (PE). Instructional adaptations to overcome these learning impairments in PE has not been greatly explored in the literature. Nor has teachers’ level of self-efficacy in providing adaptations to children with language disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine instructional adaptations PE teachers use to teach motor skills to children with language disorders and the impact of teacher self-efficacy on the selection of these adaptations. Participants included current PE teachers (N = 105) across the United States. A mixed methods design was implemented for the purpose of this study. Quantitative data included the Scale for Instructional Adaptations in Physical Education– Language Disorders, the Physical Educators’ Self-Efficacy Toward Including Students with Disabilities- Language Disorders, and educational experiences. Qualitative data included focus group discussions to understand perceptions of instructional adaptations. Data were analyzed using a descriptive analysis, isolation of themes, and merging the data to a single interpretation. Four themes emerged from the interpretation: Teachers expressed challenges when teaching children with language disorders, such as communicating information and the range of language disorders and multiple disorders. Teachers used multisensory instruction such as visuals, adapted verbal instructions, and verbal expressions from the students. Teachers progressed through instruction by allowing more process time and by breaking down instruction into a task analysis. Teachers learned to adapt their instruction through a combination of trial-and-error, from other professionals in the school, and through professional development and conferences. Regression analyses were completed to determine if self-efficacy and educational experiences predicted use of instructional adaptations. The model was statistically significant, R2 = .227, F(7, 87) = 3.655, p = .002, with a medium effect size f2 = .293. Self-efficacy positively predicted instructional adaptations, r = .120, p \u3c .001, and years of teaching experience negatively predicted instructional adaptations, r = -.013, p = .001. There is a need to support self-efficacy in PE teachers for the vital role self-efficacy plays on instructional adaptations

Hero’s Journey, The Alchemist [9th grade]

Students and ninth-graders especially are in search of something to use to make sense of the world. I start the year with the students establishing goals for themselves both academically and personally. Then, we move into a unit that overviews the uses of genre. This unit on the hero’s journey is to extend their ideas of the novel and what it can do as a work of fiction using Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. Like Santiago, the novel’s main character, the students journey to understanding by reading the story. Understanding: The novel genre can be used for different purposes; it can be both a mirror by which you can understand yourself as well as a window through which you can learn about the world. Essential Question: What can you learn from a novel? The hero’s journey in this unit is only an introduction to the richness of Joseph Campbell’s ideas of a hero story structure common to all cultures, which will be picked up again later in the year with The Oddyssey. Understanding: The hero’s journey is a process with essential steps leading to a goal (i.e. a realization, a product, a treasure, an understanding, etc.). Essential Question: What is a process? In order to be successful in any journey but especially the hero’s, one must observe and reflect on what one has learned; this unit strives to further develop the students’ skills of observation and reflection. These tools also address the year-long question in my class of “How do people make sense of the world and of themselves?” Understanding: Observation and self-reflection are essential tools for the hero’s journey, for reading, and for life. Essential Question: What can you learn from observation and self-reflection? This unit culminates in a performance task that asks the students to address the understandings of the unit by persuading their peers who have not read The Alchemist to follow or not to follow their personal legends using a variety of media

Boosting Toddlers\u27 Brains to Affect School Achievement and Beyond

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Kristen C. Morgan on April 12, 2021

Testicular Compromise due to Inguinal Hernia

A 34-year-old male presented to the emergency department with a 3-hour complaint of pain in the right lower quadrant and right testicle. He stated that his pain began suddenly while standing at work. On physical examination, he had a small, firm, unreducible bulge in his right inguinal canal and an enlarged right scrotum. The patient was placed in trendelenburg position; intravenous fentanyl, valium, and dilaudid were administered; and surgery consult was obtained. A testicular ultrasonogram (Figure) was obtained owing to continued pain in the right scrotum and inability to evaluate the testicle. After viewing the ultrasound pattern, the patient was promptly taken to the operating room 6 hours after onset of symptoms

From Writer to Teacher: The Gradual Release of Responsibility in an Early Childhood Education Writing Course for Pre-Service Teachers

Teaching students to become confident, capable writers is imperative in today’s world. Growing attention has been paid to the amount and kinds of writing students are experiencing in schools with an urgent plea for more time and attention given to writing instruction (Nagin, 2003; National Commission on Writing, 2003). Yet, few teachers feel well prepared to teach writing. In this special issue on writing methods courses, we discuss the evolution of our writing methods course for early childhood preservice teachers (PK-5). Specifically, we examine the current pedagogical practices within the course to support preservice teachers’ experiential learning. This piece examines how a gradual release of responsibility model with multiple units of study supports preservice teachers as writers and as future teachers of writers

Zinc supplementation alters airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness to a common allergen

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Zinc supplementation can modulate immunity through inhibition of NF-κB, a transcription factor that controls many immune response genes. Thus, we sought to examine the mechanism by which zinc supplementation tempers the response to a common allergen and determine its effect on allergic airway inflammation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mice were injected with zinc gluconate prior to German cockroach (GC) feces (frass) exposure and airway inflammation was assessed. Primary bone marrow-derived neutrophils and DMSO-differentiated HL-60 cells were used to assess the role of zinc gluconate on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α expression. NF-κB:DNA binding and IKK activity were assessed by EMSA and <it>in vitro </it>kinase assay. Protein levels of A20, RIP1 and TRAF6 were assessed by Western blot analysis. Establishment of allergic airway inflammation with GC frass was followed by administration of zinc gluconate. Airway hyperresponsiveness, serum IgE levels, eosinophilia and Th2 cytokine production were assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Administration of zinc gluconate prior to allergen exposure resulted in significantly decreased neutrophil infiltration and TNFα cytokine release into the airways. This correlated with decreased NF-κB activity in the whole lung. Treatment with zinc gluconate significantly decreased GC frass-mediated TNFα production from bone-marrow derived neutrophils and HL-60 cells. We confirmed zinc-mediated decreases in NF-κB:DNA binding and IKK activity in HL-60 cells. A20, a natural inhibitor of NF-κB and a zinc-fingered protein, is a potential target of zinc. Zinc treatment did not alter A20 levels in the short term, but resulted in the degradation of RIP1, an important upstream activator of IKK. TRAF6 protein levels were unaffected. To determine the application for zinc as a therapeutic for asthma, we administered zinc following the establishment of allergic airway inflammation in a murine model. Zinc supplementation decreased airway hyperresponsiveness and serum IgE levels, but had no effect on Th2 cytokine expression.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This report suggests that the mechanism by which zinc supplementation alters NF-κB activity is via the alteration of A20 activity. In addition, this study provides evidence that supplementation of zinc to asthmatics may alter airway reactivity and serum IgE levels, suggesting zinc supplementation as a potential treatment for asthmatics.</p

Do behavioral interventions improve nighttime sleep in children < 1 year old?

Q: Do behavioral interventions improve nighttime sleep in children < 1 year old? Evidence-based answer: YES. Infants respond to behavioral interventions, although objective data are limited. Behavioral interventions include establishing regular daytime and sleep routines for the infant, reducing environmental noises or distractions, and allowing for self-soothing at bedtime (strength of recommendation: B, based on multiple randomized and nonrandomized studies).Morgan Hungenberg, DO; BreAnna Houss, MD; Madhav Narayan, MD; Corey Lyon, DO (University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency, Denver) Kristen DeSanto, MSLS, MS, RD (University of Colorado Health Sciences Library, Denver)Includes bibliographical reference

Outpatient Physical Therapists’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Regarding Eating Disorder Screening

Background & Purpose: Approximately 9% of Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime1 and these disorders can impact the recovery of patients receiving physical therapy services. Physical therapists (PT) should be aware if a patient has a history of, or current history of an eating disorder or nutritional deficiency as these can negatively impact a patient’s participation and optimal functioning. Minimal research has been performed related to physical therapy and eating disorders. Determining outpatient physical therapists’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards eating disorders and if they are screening for eating disorders is the first step in furthering research to help bridge the gap in the literature and improve patient care for this population This is a descriptive cross-sectional study investigating outpatient physical therapists’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding eating disorder screening as a part of physical therapy practice. Participants: 231 licensed physical therapists working in an outpatient clinic setting. Methods: Researchers created a survey based on current literature on eating disorder screening and three physical therapists reviewed it for clarity. Questions were structured to target three main topics: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of physical therapists on eating disorder screening. The electronic survey was created and distributed via employer emails, APTA listservs, and social media. Results: A total of 231 participants with an average age of 35.67 years old (±10.42 years) consented to participate in the study. The majority of the sample population, 63.06%, reported having no education on eating disorders. A total of 83.34% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that screening for eating disorders is within the physical therapists scope of practice. However, only 6.54% of participants routinely screen for eating disorders. Discussion: The vast majority of physical therapists surveyed did not screen patients for eating disorders. However, the majority of participants agreed/strongly agreed that screening for eating disorders is within the PT scope of practice and that they wanted to play a role in helping patients prevent poor eating habits. Educating patients about eating disorders should include providing appropriate resources to patients, whether that is a referral to another medical professional, a hotline/helpline, or general CDC nutritional guidelines. To identify patients with eating disorders screening is the first step. Physical therapists can then give education, refer to other professionals and modify the PT plan of care appropriately.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2023/1022/thumbnail.jp

Ram Essential

The underlying causes of food insecurity are complex and often intertwined with related issues that affect a student’s ability to meet even basic needs, such as housing, employment and health care, forcing them to choose between their well-being and their education. The latest Hunger in America report finds that about 10 percent of Feed America’s 46.5 million adult clients are college students. That equates to 2 million full-time college students. “Of those surveyed by the emergency food services network, roughly 30.5 percent of students reported that they were forced to choose between food and educational expenses at some point over the last year.”1 In response, colleges and universities, including VCU, have sprung into action, and the number of campus food pantries at higher educational institutions has risen from a handful in 2009 to more than 500 in 2017.2 But changing food insecurity to food security goes beyond providing just food. It involves a comprehensive approach to providing resources that address the causes and results of being food insecure. Ram Essentials is a holistic approach to addressing basic needs insecurity among VCU students by asking the question, What is essential for our students to be successful? The project focuses on raising the awareness of all existing VCU resources and disseminating them widely through a single user-friendly portal to enhance students’ experience, academic achievement and physical and mental well-being