Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Task Analysis Data Sheet Protocol in Training Educators to Use the You/Me Game During Direct Instruction Reading Groups

Teachers often struggle with classroom management during academic lessons. Self-adapted efforts to improve classroom management are often not founded on researched behavioral principles. These struggles and efforts impact student behavioral and academic outcomes. The You/Me game is a game included in many Direct Instruction curricula, specially sequenced curricula that encourage positive classroom management and the gaining of academic skills, as a means to reward students for correct academic performance. This study examined the effectiveness of providing a sheet of specific written instructions and allowing for clarifying questions in training four general educators to implement the You/Me Game for classroom management during small group reading lessons run using Direct Instruction curriculum. The effects of game implementation were assessed by examining the frequency of student disruptions, academic opportunities to respond provided by the teacher, the percentage of correct student responses to academic opportunities to respond, and the rate of behavioral redirections. Results provide information related to the effects of a simple, low cost means for training educators to implement a classroom management strategy that has the potential to impact student academic and behavioral outcomes

Characterisation of potential regulators of PAMP-triggered immunity

An essential part of plant innate immunity is the perception of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) through surface-localised pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). EFR and FLS2 are well characterised PRRs, which recognise the bacterial elongation factor Tu and flagellin, respectively. A variety of downstream responses upon PAMP perception have been described. However, it is still poorly understood how EFR- and FLS2-dependent signalling is mediated. Here, I used two different approaches in order to identify novel components of both signalling pathways. First, I characterised seven candidate genes of a predicted flagellin-dependent gene expression network, which are predicted to regulate each other’s expression in a flagellin-dependent manner, and therefore, are potentially involved in the FLS2 signalling pathway. Further characterisation revealed that mutation of at least three of the seven candidate genes was affecting flg22-mediated signalling. In addition, I characterised a predicted protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C), which had been identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen with the EFR cytoplasmic domain and was therefore referred to as PIE (PP2C-interacting with EFR). Using Co-IP experiments, I confirmed that PIE associates with EFR in planta. Furthermore, PIE also associates with FLS2 and BIK1, a co-regulator of both PRRs, in planta. Interestingly, PIE dissociates from both the EFR and FLS2 complexes upon PAMP perception. PIE expressed in planta and in E. coli exhibits protein phosphatase activity and we showed that PIE dephosphorylates EFR, FLS2 and BIK1 in vitro. As expected from bio-informatic predictions, I confirmed that PIE is phosphorylated upon PAMP perception. Furthermore, I demonstrated that EFR and FLS2 kinase activities are partially required for PIE phosphorylation. Both PIE overexpression and pie knock-down lines display reduced PAMP-triggered responses, indicating that an optimal PIE expression level is required for proper induction of signalling. All together, these results imply that PIE is a novel regulator of the EFR and FLS2 signalling pathway

On 2nd Order Calculi of Individuals

From early work of N. Goodman to recent approaches by H. Field and D. Lewis, there have been attempts to combine 2nd order languages with calculi of individuals. This paper is a contribution, containing basic definitions and distinctions and some metatheorems, to the development of a general metatheory of such theories

Mereology and Infinity

This paper deals with the treatment of infinity and finiteness in mereology. After an overview of some first-order mereological theories, finiteness axioms are introduced along with a mereological definition of “x is finite” in terms of which the axioms themselves are derivable in each of those theories. The finiteness axioms also provide the background for definitions of “(mereological theory) T makes an assumption of infinity”. In addition, extensions of mereological theories by the axioms are investigated for their own sake. In the final part, a definition of “x is finite” stated in a second-order language is also presented, followed by some concluding remarks on the motivation for the study of the (first-order) extensions of mereological theories dealt with in the paper

Promoting Positive Identity Among Children in a School Curriculum

Abstract Positive identity development is the social-emotional process of forming a healthy self-awareness including high self-esteem and self-efficacy. This study examined the impact of a Best Possible Selves class that involved identifying individual strengths and setting goals on third and fourth graders' self-concept, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Participants included 112 private school third and fourth grade students ranging from 9-12 years of age. There were 56 participants in the intervention group (41 third grade and 16 fourth grade students) who attended the Best Possible Selves class twice a week for four weeks. Lessons and activities addressed social roles and life skills that each individual uses in their life and how to improve other life skills that are important for future goals. The control group (15 third grade and 40 fourth grade students) did not participate in the Best Possible Selves class. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared between the control group and the intervention group. Post-test scores revealed no differences between the control and intervention conditions in self-esteem or self-efficacy, but post-test scores did indicate an increase in self-concept reflective trait descriptions that increased over time among students in the intervention condition. This implies more self-awareness or understanding of individual traits due to the Best Possible Selves curriculum

Self-organization of Ce adatoms on Ag(111): a kinetic Monte Carlo study

One of the most fascinating experimental results in fabrication of artificial nanostructures is the creation of the macroscopically ordered superlattice of Ce adatoms on Ag111 F. Silly et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 016101 2004. Here, performing kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we study the formation of Ce superlattice at the atomic scale. It is demonstrated that the surface-state mediated long-range interaction between Ce adatoms can lead to their self-assembly into a well ordered structure. The temperature of the substrate and the concentration of Ce adatoms are shown to play a key role in this process

On 2nd order calculi of individuals

From early work of N. Goodman to recent approaches by H. Field and D. Lewis, there have been attempts to combine 2nd order languages with calculi of individuals. This paper is a contribution, containing basic definitions and distinctions and some metatheorems, to the development of a general metatheory of such theories

Ab initio study of mirages and magnetic interactions in quantum corrals

The state of the art ab initio calculations of quantum mirages,the spin-polarization of surface-state electrons and the exchange interaction between magnetic adatoms in Cu and Co corrals on Cu(111) are presented. We find that the spin-polarization of the surface-state electrons caused by magnetic adatoms can be projected to a remote location and can be strongly enhanced in corrals compared to an open surface.Our studies give a clear evidence that quantum corrals could permit to tailor the exchange interaction between magnetic adatoms at large separations. The spin-polarization of surface-state electrons at the empty focus in the Co corral used in the experimental setup of Manoharan et al., (Nature 403, 512 (2000)) is revealed.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letter