Lessons learnt from case studies : TOOLBOX OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES AND GOOD PRACTICES. Outcome of the TRACKs project

The project Transition Children and Kindergarten (TRACKs) is funded by the Erasmus+ European program and it is carried out in partnership with different institutions in three partner countries: Poland, Italy and Belgium. The University institutions are the Jagiellonian University of Krakow in Poland, the University of Bologna in Italy, and the University of Ghent in Belgium. Other local educational organizations collaborating are Artevelde University College in Belgium, the Komensky Institute in Poland, and the Cooperativa Assistenza Disabili Infermi Anziani Infanzia (CADIAI) in Italy. The purpose of our project is to focus on the voices of practitioners \u2013 such as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals currently working with children aged 1 to 6 years old \u2013 and future ECEC professionals, such as early years educators and pre-school teachers still in training. The project\u2019s foundation rests on the dynamic exchange of knowledge and practice between the two target groups in the three countries involved in the project. This transnational exchange between the ECEC professionals across the three European Member States is intended to improve quality of learning, assuming that the international contexts can feed into each other, exchange solutions and practices and respond to shared challenges. A further essential purpose of the project is providing high quality learning opportunities and nurturing environments for all children, especially those coming from multiply marginalized backgrounds, and those that are experiencing social inequalities, poverty and racism. Drawing on the method of video-coaching and video-analysis, the project encourages high-quality interaction of ECEC professionals with children (Fukkink & Lont, 2007; Fukkink & Tavecchio, 2010; Fukkink, Trienekens & Kramer, 2010). The research teams and professionals from the different countries observe the video recordings collectively, or in one-to-one sessions, and reflect on the interactions between professionals and children and among children. This report will shed light on the contextual conditions where such tools and methods were implemented and how. The purpose is to show how the video-coaching methodology can be implemented in different ways in relation to diverse contexts (\u2018no one model fits all\u2019). This will also facilitate reflection by trainers/pedagogical leaders/coordinators who might want to use this methodology in their services/with their teams on how to develop context-appropriate procedures and tools that make it relevant to the settings/professionals within which/with whom they are working

GIS Open Source: GRASS GIS, Quantum GIS e SpatiaLite

L’informazione geografica, con il diffondersi delle tecnologie legate ai navigatori satellitari, dalla cartografia web agli smartphone, è ormai entrata a far parte della vita quotidiana di tutti. Ingegneri, architetti, urbanisti, geologi, naturalisti, biologi, forestali si confrontano quotidianamente con la necessità di gestire e produrre cartografia numerica georiferita e/o di integrare i propri dati con quelli che possono ottenere da enti pubblici, privati, servizi web, cartografia partecipata. Capire e conoscere gli strumenti utili per gestire informazioni territoriali è quindi diventata una necessità per i professionisti e tecnici che operano sul territorio, ma anche per gli studenti di materie ambientali, urbanistiche o comunque legate alla pianificazione territoriale e alla protezione civile. Spesso però l’accesso a questi strumenti è ostacolato dai costi elevati delle licenze software e dalla scarsità di percorsi formativi adeguati alle esigenze di chi si avvicina per la prima volta a queste tematiche. Il software geografico Libero ed Open Source e la sua comunità italiana e internazionale rappresentano la soluzione che consente all’utente di superare gli ostacoli sopra citati. Il presente testo ha lo scopo di introdurre l’acquirente al mondo dei software GIS e in particolare all’uso di alcuni software geografici Liberi ed Open Source. Il testo non si limita a descrivere alcune funzionalità dei software ma fornisce nozioni di carattere generale sulla cartografia numerica e sui sistemi di riferimento. Gli autori, tutti esponenti di rilevo della comunità nazionale e, in molti casi, anche internazionale dei GIS Open Source, svolgono attività di formazione, professionale e di ricerca scientifica e sono fortemente motivati dalla comune attività a sostegno del Sofware Libero. L’originalità del testo è quindi da ricercarsi nella possibilità, da parte dell’utente, di avvalersi immediatamente sia degli strumenti software che delle numerose risorse documentali accessibili via internet e descritte nel testo. Il libro, composto di 10 capitoli, è caratterizzato da una prima parte in cui si descrivono i sistemi di riferimento e si assiste l’utente nell’installazione dei software su sistemi operativi Microsoft, Apple, GNU/Linux. Successivamente sono introdotte le funzionalità più importanti di software ben noti come Quantum GIS o GRASS GIS e si descrive l’approccio alla gestione del dato geografico mediante motori di database relazionali (SpatiaLite). Nei capitoli successivi vengono sia presentati alcuni esempi e applicazioni nel settore del paesaggio, della geomorfologia, dell’idrologia e della geologia sia descritte le risorse online, mediante il quale l’utente può ottenere gratuitamente aiuto e supporto. Il libro si chiude con alcuni accenni a funzionalità avanzate

An experimental and numerical study of the aeolian erosion of isolated and successive piles

International audienc

An experimental and numerical study of the aeolian erosion of isolated and successive piles

International audienceOpen storage yards at industrial sites usually comprise several piles of granular materials, representing a particulate matter source that may significantly deteriorate air quality. The aeolian erosion of stockpiles is affected by changes in airflow patterns due to the pile shape and the presence of nearby piles or buildings. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of wind erosion of successive parallel stockpiles on flow behaviour and particle emissions. A wind tunnel experiment was conducted in six configurations: one isolated pile and two successive piles separated by gaps of 0.9h and 1.8h (h is the pile height) oriented to 60 • and 90 • with respect to the main wind flow direction. The particles in the piles had a bimodal particle size distribution consisting of sand that was erodible (white) and non-erodible (black) in the investigated velocity range. The contrasting colours enabled the visualisation of the non-erodible sand accumulation. The mean field of the wall shear stress distribution and flow pathlines predicted by numerical simulation were associated with the experimental erosion patterns. The emitted mass was experimentally quantified as the difference between the initial and fina

A simple model to estimate emission of wind-blown particles from a granular bed in comparison to wind tunnel experiments

International audienceDust emissions due to aeolian erosion of exposed granular materials are strongly influenced by grain size distribution. Non-erodible particles that are too heavy to be lifted into the air play a protective role in the aeolian erosion process attenuating emission, which is known as the pavement phenomenon. To date, there is no approach that reliably predicts the reduction in emissions caused by their presence on an aggregate surface. In this work, an analytical model was developed to quantify emissions from particle beds with a wide size distribution. As non-erodible particles accumulate, changes in surface characteristics create increasing shelter for the erodible portion of the bed until the shear on the erodible surface reaches a minimum and emissions cease. The proposed emission model describes the relationship between this minimum value of wind shear and the eroded depth of the bed after the pavement, which in turn gives the emitted mass. In addition, wind tunnel experiments were carried out in order to broaden knowledge of the pavement phenomenon and validate the modelling. A bimodal particle size distribution of sand with erodible and non-erodible particles was used for the tested velocities. Three experimental measurements were carried out (i) continuous weighing of the emitted mass, (ii) eroded depth of the bed at regular time intervals and (iii) final cover rates of the non-erodible particles using digital analysis of sand bed pictures after experiments. Good agreement between the modelling and experimental results was found. The emission model proposed herein is a simple algebraic expression that demands low computational effort. This approach may serve as a base for an emission model for application in granular materials stockpiles. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

Transition from Saltation to Collisional Regime in Windblown Sand

International audienceWe report experiments on windblown sand that highlight a transition from saltation to collisional regime above a critical dimensionless mass flux or Shields number. The transition is first seen through the mass flow rate Q, which deviates from a linear trend with the Shields number and seems to follow a quadratic law. Other physical evidences confirm the change of the transport properties. In particular, the particle velocity and the height of the transport layer increases with increasing Shields number in the collisional regime while the latter are invariant with the wind strength in the saltation regime. Discrete numerical simulations support the experimental findings and ascertain that mid-air collisions are responsible for the change of transport regime

Toolbox: Outlines for using video analysis and video coaching as a tool for professionalizing ECEC workforce and training future ECEC professionals. Outcome of the TRACKs project2

The TRACKs project (TRAnsi ons Children and Kindergarten) was focused on the professionals working in childcare centres, preschools and out-of-school services. Reports and research show that for the children between 0 and 6 years old, early childhood educa on and care (ECEC) can make a crucial contribu on to cogni ve, social and emo onal development of children and academic achievements later on (Lazzari & Vandenbroeck, 2012)3. Preschool educa on contributes to the acquisi on of skills and a tudes (i.e. curiosity, perseverance and par cular social skills) that enhance later learning. To ensure a broader impact and outreach of the project to the larger community of ECEC professionals, this toolbox is developed. It contains: \u2022 the framework that lies behind video analysis and video coaching, and \u2022 the key elements or basic principles of why and how to implement video analysis and video coaching. \u2022 Three country perspec ves, how all the partners translated these general frameworks and key elements according to their own context