The Greater Sum of Collaboration: Adding Value to Mathematics Education Through Teamwork

The role of a Mathematics Specialist can vary from pre-K through grade 8 schools. One of the most distinguishing factors involves the relationship between the Mathematics Specialists, administrators, and teachers. In this article, we share our experiences in a school culture that supports common language, collective commitments, trust, and transparency. Using this model, we have experienced high levels of teacher professionalism and student success. As lifelong learners, we continually reflect upon our practices and look for ways to meet the needs of our students. This occurs by implementing purposeful meeting structures that allow us to facilitate discussions around mathematics content, lesson planning, assessment results, and student progress. Administrators Brian Butler and Diane Kerr, along with Mathematics Specialists Tracey Hulen and Jennifer Deinhart, have formed a powerful relationship at Mason Crest Elementary School. This is a Title I school with 560 students, pre-K through grade 5, which promotes reflective practices and allows for flexibility and creativity as we continue to strengthen and improve our practices. Together, we share a story of our collaborative journey with teachers and students to create an effective mathematics program that embraces a conceptual learning philosophy. Ultimately there are two kinds of schools: learning-enriched schools and learning impoverished schools. I have yet to see a school where the learning curves ... of the adults were steeped upward and those of the students were not. Teachers and students go hand in hand as learners ... or they don\u27t go at all. [1] Roland Barth, Hand in Hand, We All Lear

Increasing Protection of GIS at the WTO: Clawbacks, Greenfields and Monopoly Rents

Currently there are proposals and negotiations regarding the strengthening of protection for geographic indicators (GIs) in the WTO. A major proponent of stronger protection for GIs has been the European Union. One of the arguments it has put forward for stronger protection has been that it will provide an avenue for economic development for agricultural producers in developing countries – a way to capture rents in the markets of developed countries. This paper first outlines the proposed changes to the international protection of geographic indicators. Second, the potential for groups of producers to generate and capture rents in foreign markets is assessed under differing assumptions pertaining to industry structure, product differentiation in the short and long run, barriers to entry reputation and the form of legal protection in importing countries. A discussion of the resource requirements to establish and maintain a GI is also provided.Agricultural and Food Policy, International Development, International Relations/Trade, WTO, GIS,

Decay of a coherent scalar disturbance in a turbulent flow

The time evolution of an initially coherent, sinusoidal passive-scalar disturbance is considered when the wavelength q is less than the length scale of the surrounding isotropic turbulent flow. In 64 sup 3 direct numerical simulations a Gaussian prescription for the average scalar amplitude breaks down after a timescale associated with the wavenumber of the disturbance and there is a transition to a new characteristic decay. The Gaussian prescription is given by exp(-(1/2) q-squared w(t)), where a form for w(t), the Lagrangian mean square displacement of a single fluid particle, is proposed. After the transition the decay is given by exp(-t/tau), where tau is the new characteristic timescale. If q k(sub K), then 1/tau = 1/tau(sub D) + 1/tau(sub K), where k(sub K) is the Kolmogorov wavenumber, tau(sub D) is the diffusive timescale and tau(sub K) is the Kolmogorov timescale. An experiment originally proposed by de Gennesis considered in which the evolution of a coherent laser-induced pattern is read by a diffracting laser. The theory of this experiment involves the dispersion of particle pairs, but it is shown that in a certain limit it reduces to the single Fourier-mode problem and can be described in terms of single particle diffusion. The decay of a single mode after the transition in the simulation best describes the experiment

Post-Moratorium EU Regulation of Generically Modified Products: Trade Concerns

EU, GMO, trade, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Relations/Trade,

Post-Moratorium EU Regulation of Genetically Modified Products: Trade Concerns

Trade in genetically modified (GM) products remains a major issue in agricultural trade policy. In particular, the European Union has sought to deny market access to GM-products. In the wake of a WTO case brought by Canada and the US, among others, against an import ban imposed on genetically modified agricultural products by the European Union (EU) – which the EU lost – the import ban was dropped and the EU put in place a new regulatory regime for GM-products. The EU suggests that the post-moratorium regulatory regime is compliant with its WTO obligations. As of June 2011, the operation of this new import regime has not been formally assessed. The first GM-crops are just now working their way through the post-moratorium regulatory system and an assessment of the operation of the regime is timely. The results of this assessment suggest that the EU’s approval system is only partially based in science and thus is not in conformity with its SPS obligations under the WTO. Hence, the new EU regulatory regime could be challenged through a WTO Disputes panel.EU regulatory regime, Genetically Modified (GM) products, Science, SPS, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Relations/Trade,

Post-Moratorium EU Regulation of Genetically Modified Products: Triffid Flax

The regulatory regime for contamination permits the imposition of import bans with neither a scientific justification nor a risk assessment. No scientific assessment of Triffid flax was done prior to the import ban. The import regime put in place to deal with the contamination of flax with the GM-flax CDC Triffid provides no rationale for the thresholds of safety established for the testing regime. The EU is consistently pushing for commercial, economic and social considerations to be included, along with science, in decision-making. Such considerations are often perceived as avenues for economic protection to creep into EU decision-making. Such considerations can, however, cut both ways. The Canada-EU testing regime for Triffid makes provision for, but does not necessarily require, the testing of cargoes when they reach European ports (Western Producer, 2010). The risks associated with inspection upon arrival made exports to Europe too risky. By only requiring the passing of the tests prior to product leaving Canada, flexibility to find alternative markets for contaminated cargoes has been gained. Thus, while costly, the testing regime for flax exports to the EU has allowed for the resumption of Canadian flax exports to the EU. Of course, the import Protocol negotiated between the EU and Canada was a one off. In a future case, economic and commercial considerations could be used to bolster economic protection. This is why science was agreed upon as the arbitrator of SPS-based trade barriers by the Member States of the WTO, including the EU. Thus, the EU regulatory regime for GM-products would seem open to a new challenge at the WTO. Of course, the political consequences of such a challenge would have to be carefully weighed.GMO, food, EU, Triffid Flax, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Relations/Trade,

Cyber Buddy is Better than No Buddy: A Test of the Köhler Motivation Effect in Exergames.

Objective: Although exergames are popular, few people take advantage of the potential of group dynamics to motivate play (and achieve associated health bene?ts). One motivation gain phenomenon has shown promise for motivating greater effort in partnered exergames: The Koehler effect (working at a task with a more capable partner where one’s performance is indispensable to the group). This article examines whether a Koehler effect can be demonstrated in an exergame by exercising with a moderately superior humanoid, software-generated partner. Materials and Methods: Male and female (n = 120; mean age, 19.41 years) college students completed a series of plank exercises using ‘‘CyBuddy Exercise,’’ a program developed speci?cally for this study. In a lab in an academic building, participants completed the exercises individually and, after a rest, were randomly assigned to complete the same exercises again, but with a ‘‘live’’ human partner (HP) presented virtually, a nearlyhuman-like, humanoid partner (NHP), a hardly human-like, software-generated partner (HHP), or a no-partner control condition (IC), with equal numbers in each group (i.e., n = 30). Exercise persistence, perceived exertion, self-ef?cacy beliefs, enjoyment, and intentions to exercise were recorded and analyzed. Results: A 4X2 analysis of variance on the (Block 2 – Block 1) difference scores showed that a signi?cant Koehler motivation gain was observed in all partner conditions (compared with IC), but persistence was signi?cantly greater with HPs than with either NHP or HHP humanoid partners (P < 0.05). By the conclusion of the study, there were no signi?cant differences among the partnered conditions in perceived exertion, self-ef?cacy, enjoyment, or future intentions to exercise. Conclusions: These results suggest that a software-generated partner can elicit the Koehler motivation gain in exergames, but not as strongly as a partner who is thought to be human

Wage Garnishment Should be Prohibited

Historically, the statutory treatment of wage garnishment among the states has been characterized primarily by its diversity. Although most states exempt a specified amount of a man\u27s wage from the reach of his creditors, the dollar levels of these exemptions are as various as the methods chosen to compute the amount to be exempted. In addition, legislators, some union spokesmen and some legal commentators have become increasingly aware of the role of wage garnishment in the debtor-spiral of easy credit, discharge from employment, bankruptcy and welfare. Inevitably this spiral involves a disproportionate impact on the poor. Impelled by these concerned groups, Congress enacted the Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act of 1968, effective July 1, 1970. Yet this law is only one step in ameliorating the impact of wage garnishment and, if it diverts our attention from an eventual prohibition of this device, it is an unfortunate compromise. Bill H.R. 11601, introduced in the House, would have placed an unqualified prohibition upon wage garnishment. The final Act merely raises the level of wage exemption to uniform minimum and restricts to a certain extent the right of an employer to discharge an employee whose wages have been garnished. This is not enough; wage garnishment should be prohibited. In the legislature of at least one state, Michigan, the lawmakers are presently faced with such a proposal and have an opportunity to reconsider the federal compromise

United States v. Henry: The Further Expansion of the Criminal Defendant\u27s Right to Counsel During Interrogations

Despite the Burger Court\u27s history of judicial conservatism, the Supreme Court in United States v. Henry exceeds the liberality of the Warren Court in the area of criminal defendant rights. The decision in Henry clearly provides further limitations upon the government\u27s ability to conduct interrogations. The author examines the Court\u27s factual and legal analysis of the case, emphasizes how the test established in Henry surpasses the rule promulgated in Massiah, and discusses the decision\u27s impact as well as the curious turnabout of Chief Justice Burger