Teacher self in the novice secondary teacher : creation and manifestation

textThis qualitative case study examined the creation of the teacher self in the novice secondary teacher and its manifestation in classroom practice. In asking, how is the teacher self created through educational experiences, the researcher explored participants' educational memory, teacher preparation programs, experiences of the first year/s and educative life experiences. Simultaneously, the researcher focused on how the teacher self was or was not manifested in classroom practice. This study argued the creation of teacher self was a constant negotiation and state of dissonance between a cluster of experiences. The dissonance and resulting compromises of teacher self that occurred were apparent in four ways. First, the majority of the study participants believed their students would be as they were in during high school; however, all of them encountered differing realities. This paradox aroused an awareness of privilege, but not necessarily critical consciousness in the teacher selves of the participants. Second, it appeared there was an inconsistency between the participants' value and understanding of educational/instructional theory in influencing their teaching selves. All participants claimed pedagogical and curriculum conceptual understandings played a minimal role in shaping their teacher selves and classroom practice; however, interviews and observations demonstrated educational/instructional theory was visible in the classroom. Third, based on past educational experiences, the participants perceived the teacher self to be autonomous in the classroom; however, external forces, mainly high stakes standardized testing, collided with the teaching selves' vision of autonomy. Finally, there were times when participants believed their teaching selves were securely manifested in their classroom practices. Despite the informants' claims, there was ample data indicating that often teacher self did not emerge in ways informants assumed. The findings of this study suggested all facets of teaching--teacher preparation, teacher induction and teacher research--take a more in-depth examination at how past and present educational experiences shape the teaching self and in turn how the teaching self is or is not manifested in classroom practice.Curriculum and Instructio

Teachers\u27 Attitudes Towards the Statewide Writing Assessment and the District Assessments Used In Nebraska STARS

A new tool has recently been introduced to the Nebraska classroom entitled STARS, which is the Student-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System and it is used to measure student competencies of Nebraska\u27s standards. The purpose of this research project was to discover teachers\u27 attitudes towards the Statewide Writing Assessment and the district assessments used as part of STARS. The information gathered through this study is intended to help curriculum leaders, policy makers, administrators and the Nebraska Department of Education to make informed decisions regarding STARS and its influence on students, teachers and the classroom. A survey was distributed to graduate students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who taught third through sixth grades in Omaha, Millard and Bellevue public schools. The survey combined a series of Likert scale and one open-ended question to determine the attitudes of teachers towards the Statewide Writing Assessment and the district assessment used in STARS. There were five conclusions discovered through this research: a) Overall, Nebraska teacher attitudes seem fairly consistent with the research available on teachers\u27 attitudes toward standardized assessments; b) Nebraska school districts appear to be achieving some of their main goals in assessment for the classroom; c) Nebraska teachers\u27 attitudes, regardless of the grade level that they teach, seem to be the same towards the Statewide Writing Assessment and the district assessments used as part of STARS; d) Nebraska teachers and Texas teachers feel negatively toward the need for standardized assessments and the use of standardized test scores to compare schools; and e) Nebraska teachers displayed a more positive attitude then Texas teachers towards the amount of time that state assessments (Statewide Writing Assessment and district assessments vs. Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) take in the classroom and the motivation that these assessments give teachers to do a better job

Neurobehavioral Symptoms in Mild Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Related to Hypercalcemia but not Improved by Parathyroidectomy

The neurobehavioral symptomatology of severe primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has been thoroughly described. Less is known about more mild cases. We evaluated 34 patients with mild PHPT and followed 19 for an average of six months. Of those cases followed, ten had parathyroidectomy (PTX). Patients with no neurobehavioral abnormalities had the lowest serum calcium levels (10.9 ± 0.88 mg/dL), patients with signs of affective disorder had intermediate levels (11.25 ± 0.66 mg/dL), and patients with signs of cerebral dysfunction had the highest levels (12.17 ± 1.17 mg/dL). Serum calcium significantly correlated with motor speed, psychomotor speed, fluid intelligence, and short term memory. However, in the follow-up of patients, PTX seemed to have no effect on their behavior Serum calcium correlates with both type and severity of the neurobehavioral abnormalities found in mild PHPT. However, most of the evidence indicates that PTX does not produce any improvement of these abnormalities, even when the hypercalcemia elevation is corrected

Psychological Factors Relevant to the Prehospital and In-hospital Phases of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Recognition and treatment of psychological factors relevant to the acute prehospital and in-hospital phases of myocardial infarction (Ml) are reviewed. Various emotions and personality characteristics can be both risk factors for and consequences of acute Ml. Components of the Type A behavior pattern and levels of somatic and emotional awareness have been linked with excessive treatment-seeking delay for Ml patients. Psychiatric conditions such as panic disorder may mimic symptomatic presentation of Ml and therefore have implications for differential diagnosis in the emergency room. Additionally. anxiety, depression, and neurobehavioral disorders such as delirium are relatively common during the hospitalization period and may contribute to potentially lethal complications of Ml. Because psychological factors are associated with prognosis during each phase of Ml, the identification and treatment of such factors are crucial in providing comprehensive care for MI patients

Камерный оркестр в творчестве венских классиков

The present article is dedicated to the evolution of chamber orchestra in works by Haydn, Mozart, and other composers. The article analyzes quantitative and timbre instrumentation of big and small orchestras of the given period and performed pieces. It interprets the terms of “nocturne”, which stood for a category of functional instrumental music, and “quadro”, a variant of orchestra basis. It describes the non-typical instrumentation, continuing its development since the Baroque period. It determines the classification for the chamber orchestra structure: individualized four-voice string parts, wind instruments as a timbre component. This orchestra is defined as a classic type, divided into two kinds: string and combined. The presence of symphonic and chamber orchestras worked for the formation of two performing styles: symphonic and chamberСтатья посвящена развитию камерного оркестра в творчестве Гайдна, Моцарта, других композиторов. Исследуются составы больших и малых оркестров периода (количественный и тембровый), исполняемые произведения. Трактуются понятия «ноктюрн», обозначающее в то время совокупность бытовой инструментальной музыки, и «квадро» – вариантная основа оркестров. Указывается на продолжающий свое развитие со времен барокко ненормированный состав. Определяется типизация структуры камерного оркестра: струнные с индивидуализацией каждой партии в четырехголосном складе, духовые – как тембровое слагаемое. Данный оркестр определяется как классический тип, подразделяемый на два вида: струнный и смешанный. Наличие симфонического и камерного оркестра послужило формированию двух исполнительских стилей – симфонического и камерно-оркестровог