The Techification of Education in Ontario's virtual schools

In Ontario, Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the creation of publicly funded virtual schools for K-12, synchronous remote learning. Going into the 3rd year of operations, many of these schools are transitioning into permanent learning options. Using a critical theoretical lens, this paper presents my preliminary findings from my doctoral research examining principals’ leadership practices in these virtual schools. The qualitative interviews conducted in Spring 2022 reveal an emerging trend towards the techification of education, a phenomenon where Big Tech becomes enmeshed in all parts of education. The results of my study show that virtual schools increasingly rely on Google/Alphabet products in ways that may place schools as training grounds for lifetime consumer loyalty and exacerbate existing inequities. I investigate this problem from the school principals’ perspectives, as they are the mediators between policy and practice. Finally, I offer suggestions for how to mediate the techification of education at both the principal and policy levels.In Ontario, Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the creation of publicly funded virtual schools for K-12, synchronous remote learning. Going into the 3rd year of operations, many of these schools are transitioning into permanent learning options. In this paper, I present preliminary findings from my doctoral research examining principals’ leadership practices in these virtual schools. Qualitative interviews conducted in Spring 2022 reveal an emerging trend towards the techification of education: A phenomenon wherein Big Tech becomes enmeshed in all parts of education. Results show that virtual schools are increasingly relying on Google/Alphabet products in ways that may place schools as training grounds for lifetime consumer loyalty and may exacerbate existing inequities. I investigate this problem through the lens of school principals, as principals are a mediating point between policy and practice. Finally, I offer suggestions for how to mediate the techification of education at both the principal and policy level

School principals’ emotionally draining situations and student discipline issues in the context of work intensification

Over the past decade, research into principals’ work intensification has revealed that principals spend significant work hours on student discipline and attendance issues, and that they report high levels of emotionally draining situations. In the current study, we examined the relationship between student discipline issues and principals’ emotionally draining situations to determine if variables related to student discipline issues affected principals’ experiences of emotionally draining situations. Using a correlational research design with hierarchical regression, we analysed data from a digital survey of school principals in Ontario, Canada. A total of 1434 surveys were included in the final analysis, with respondents from elementary, high-school and combined schools. Results showed a correlation between student discipline and attendance issues and principals’ experiences of emotionally draining situations, while also showing that student discipline and student and parent mental health were strong predictors of principals’ experiences of emotionally draining situations. These findings have important implications in supporting principals: These insights can inform principal preparation programmes by showing the need for increased training on identifying and treating emotionally draining situations. Insights may also encourage policymakers to review student discipline and student/parent mental health policies in light of the revelation of their impact on principals’ work

Small is beautiful? The salience of scale and power to three European cultures of TV production

As television production becomes increasingly global, television studies must advance its understanding of how the global and the local intersect and impact upon the cultures of production. Drawing on original comparative research of three small European nations - Denmark, Ireland and Wales – this article offers empirical insights into the distinct challenges and opportunities for non-Anglophone producers and public service broadcasters. The concept of small nations is employed critically to reveal how distinctions of scale and power make a tangible difference to how television is produced and distributed, and to how smaller, national PSBs are trying to secure a sustainable future

School Principals’ Work Intensification and Resilience: A Call for Structural Change

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, principals have taken on increased responsibilities. Principals who are thriving are praised for their resilience while those who are struggling are inundated with calls to build their resilience. In this conceptual article, we problematize the overemphasis on individual responsibility that is implicit in pro-resilience narratives. We reviewed the interdisciplinary literature and used an inductive approach to examine resilience narratives across historical and disciplinary arcs, with specific attention given to the school leadership literature. We argue that, within the context of this pro-resilience movement, if attention is not given to the structural conditions of work intensification, the education system is setting K–12 principals up to experience adverse unintended consequences. These consequences can worsen existing mental health issues, such as occupational burnout, or exacerbate mental health stigma. We conclude by suggesting that structural changes could disrupt this individualization of responsibility and overreliance on the personal resiliency of school principals

EU Law and Multiple Discrimination

In EU law, nationality and gender were the only equality issues on the legal agenda from the outset in 1958 and for about 40 years. Multiple discrimination was not addressed until the 1990's. The intersectionality approach which has been widely discussed outside Europe has mainly been used with a view to gendermainstreaming the fight against other kinds of discrimination (on grounds of ethnic origin, age, etc)

Effect of Combination Therapy with a Calcium Channel Blocker and an Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor on Renal Hypertrophy and Urinary Albumin Excretion in Diabetic Rats

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker on the development of renal changes in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin in normotensive Wistar rats. Treatment was commenced immediately in 1 set of rats with 4 treatment arms: nitrendipine (250 mg/kg fodder), enalapril (35 mg/L drinking water), both treatments in combination, or placebo. Treatment was continued for 9 weeks. Another set of rats was left with untreated diabetes for 3 months followed by 7 weeks treatment as above. When starting treatment right after induction of diabetes, nitrendipine significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion (UAE) to the nondiabetic level (P < .05) without reducing blood pressure (BP), whereas enalapril failed to significantly reduce UAE despite a reduction in BP. Combining the two treatments showed no further reduction in UAE compared to monotherapy with nitrendipine, despite a lower BP. When leaving diabetic rats untreated for 3 months, only the coadministration of nitrendipine and enalapril showed a significant reduction in UAE compared to monotherapy and placebo treatment, but showed no significant effect on BP