Standards-based Mathematics Curriculum and Hispanic Middle School Students’ Attitudes and Classroom Experiences

Sixth-grade, Mexican American, middle school students completed a survey which gauged attitudes toward mathematics and the frequency of traditional and nontraditional classroom activities, following the implementation of a standardsbased curriculum. Analysis of variance procedures were conducted using Gender, Ethnicity, and School as main factors. The results indicated that on average students held favorable attitudes toward mathematics, and they experienced primarily nontraditional classroom activities. There was a significant gain in achievement scores as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. The implications are that a standards-based curriculum promotes favorable attitudes in middle school mathematics students and encourages teachers to use nontraditional methods of instruction while improving student achievement

4.7 Six Years Of Measuring Effects Of Professional Development On Mathematics Knowledge For Teaching: Reflections On The Process Of Evaluation

This chapter discusses the process of designing meaningful internal evaluation aimed to answer the question, “What is the relationship between teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) changes and TRC professional development experiences?” MSP guidelines require projects to report on teachers’ content knowledge, instructional change, and student achievement and the guidelines strongly encourage a scientific research design. However, most projects are led by individuals whose primary concern is the delivery of professional development and they possess limited research background. The TRC internal evaluation serves to support these projects by collecting data on the number of teachers served and professional development hours delivered as well as evaluating the project success in improving content knowledge, instruction, and student achievement

Learning Productive Mathematical Talk Moves Through Mix-Reality Simulation: The Case of Pre-service Elementary Teachers in a Hispanic Serving Institution

Teacher preparation programs require pre-service teachers to engage in field experiences that include participation in classrooms (Freeman, 2010). Mix-Reality Simulation (MRS) is a technological tool that can be implemented to provide pre-service teachers opportunities to develop pedagogical techniques such as providing feedback, conducting discussions, integrating technology with instruction while at the same time exploring different environments (Hixon & So, 2009). This paper presents preliminary results of a first-stage research in the implementation of a MRSs’ into an elementary teacher education program at a large Hispanic-Serving Institution. The purpose of the study was to determine whether differences existed between the groups in eliciting student’s mathematical understanding through the use of productive mathematical talk-moves (Chapin, O’Connor, & Anderson, 2009). Preliminary analysis show that the pre-service teachers exposed to MRS felt more confident in conducting formative assessment of students through questioning and clinical interviews, than their peers not exposed to the Intervention

Perceptions and Opinions of the Usability of Simulations in a Mathematics Methods Course for Elementary Pre-Service Teachers

The acceptance, implementation, and adoption of emerging technologies in teacher preparation programs has significantly evolved, and it is now seen as a tool that enhances teacher’s teaching skills particularly during the first years of the program. The use of new technologies like Mixed-Reality Simulations (MRSs) in the preparation of future teachers, provides them the opportunity of developing teaching skills in a safe environment. In this article, the researchers studied the perceptions and opinions of Elementary Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers (EPSMT) that were exposed to the use MRSs in a mathematics methods course. The research questions were: (1) What are the EPSMTs s’ perceptions toward the use of MRSs as part of their teacher preparation program? and (2) what are the opinions of the EPSMTs in regard to the benefits and usefulness of MRS to leverage their teaching skill in productive mathematical talk moves? Results of the study shows that EPSMTs perceive the use of MRSs as beneficial tool that effectively simulate classroom environments and students’ behaviors. The above is relevant since it facilitates the integration and adoption of state-of-the-art technologies like MRSs. Keywords: Pre-service Teachers, Mixed-Reality Simulations, Perceptions, Opinions. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-12-02 Publication date: April 30th 2020  

Mathematics Understanding of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers: The Analysis of their Procedural-Fluency, Conceptual-Understanding, and Problem-Solving Strategies

Students in an elementary teacher preparation program at a Hispanic Serving Institution in deep South Texas were asked to solve non-routine, problem-solving activities. They were administered five tasks during one semester, as part of a mathematics methods course. Two experienced raters assessed the student’s solutions to the non-routine problem-solving mathematical task using a mathematics understanding rubric that scores the Procedural Fluency (PF), Conceptual Understanding (CU), and Problem Solving/Strategic Competency (PS/SC). The research question was: What are the changes in procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and problem solving-Strategic Competency in elementary preservice teachers after engaging in a series of non-routine problem-solving tasks? This is an ongoing research project, and preliminary results indicated that the teacher’s candidates made improvements in each of the three measurements, demonstrating that they are able to successfully use procedures, and have adequate conceptual knowledge for problem solving

Tyrosine dephosphorylation of H2AX modulates apoptosis and survival decisions.

Life and death fate decisions allow cells to avoid massive apoptotic death in response to genotoxic stress. Although the regulatory mechanisms and signalling pathways controlling DNA repair and apoptosis are well characterized, the precise molecular strategies that determine the ultimate choice of DNA repair and survival or apoptotic cell death remain incompletely understood. Here we report that a protein tyrosine phosphatase, EYA, is involved in promoting efficient DNA repair rather than apoptosis in response to genotoxic stress in mammalian embryonic kidney cells by executing a damage-signal-dependent dephosphorylation of an H2AX carboxy-terminal tyrosine phosphate (Y142). This post-translational modification determines the relative recruitment of either DNA repair or pro-apoptotic factors to the tail of serine phosphorylated histone H2AX (gamma-H2AX) and allows it to function as an active determinant of repair/survival versus apoptotic responses to DNA damage, revealing an additional phosphorylation-dependent mechanism that modulates survival/apoptotic decisions during mammalian organogenesis

Spectral tuning and its application to instrumental and vocal composition

This thesis demonstrates the use of spectral tuning in musical composition. Spectral tuning is the use of spectral analysis, most often a fast Fourier transform (FFT) of audio, to provide frequencies that correlate to musical pitches. These pitches then define a spectral tuning. The first chapter outlines a thread of historical and conceptual influences on spectral tuning techniques. Several tuning systems are presented to place spectral tuning in context with other tuning systems. The field of psychoacoustics is also presented to show how certain musical perceptions influence the notion of tuning and intonation. The second chapter briefly describes current spectral tuning practice and looks at the tuning of the compositions in my research folio. The major work of this thesis 'Revelation' uses the spectral tuning defined by the spectral analysis of 'Nayia Widya Laras' (The Venerable Lady Melody of Kowledge) Javanese gamelan gongs and bonangs. The last chapter concludes with a discussion of microtonal perception and deals with the practical issues raised by mircrotonal outcomes of spectral tuning. Reference pitch from accurately tuned instruments or audio samples are suggested for performers to rehearse until they "hear" the new tuning. Microtonal score notation is also briefly discussed and it is recommended, where possible, cents be used to define tunings supplied with digital audio examples so that there is no doubt what is required by the composer.[v. 1]. Text -- [v. 2]. Composition folio -- CD 1 -- CD 2

Fe65 Is Not Involved in the Platelet-derived Growth Factor-induced Processing of Alzheimer's Amyloid Precursor Protein, Which Activates Its Caspase-directed Cleavage

Abstract The proteolytic processing of the precursor of the β-amyloid peptides (APP) is believed to be a key event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. This processing is activated through a pathway involving the PDGF receptor, Src, and Rac1. In this paper, we demonstrate that this pathway specifically acts on APP and requires the YENPTY motif present in the APP cytosolic domain. Considering that several results indicate that the adaptor proteins interacting with this domain affect the processing of APP, we examined their possible involvement in the PDGF-induced pathway. By using an APP-Gal4 reporter system, we observed that the overexpression of Fe65 activates APP-Gal4 cleavage, whereas X11 stabilizes APP. Although mDab1 and Jip1 have no effect, Shc induces a strong activation of APP cleavage, and the contemporary exposure of cells to PDGF causes a dramatic cooperative effect. The analysis of point mutations of the APP YENPTY motif indicates that Fe65 and PDGF function through different mechanisms. In fact, Fe65 requires the integrity of APP695 Tyr682 residue, whereas PDGF effect is dependent upon the integrity of Asn684. Furthermore, the mutation of Asp664 of APP, which is the target site for the caspase-directed APP cleavage, strongly decreases the effect of Fe65. This suggests that Fe65 activates the cleavage of APP by caspases, and in fact, caspase inhibitor Z-VEVD decreases the APP cleavage induced by Fe65. On the contrary, the effects of Shc overexpression, like those of PDGF, are completely absent in the presence of compound X and require the integrity of the Asn684 residue of APP695. The involvement of Shc in the pathway regulating APP processing is confirmed by the effects of constitutively active and dominant negative mutants of Src and Rac1

Efectos sobre la homeostasis redox de intoxicaciones sub-crónicas con Microcystina-LR en ratones

Teniendo en consideración que el estrés oxidativo sería la principal vía por la cual se generan los daños producidos por MC-LR, el objetivo del presente trabajo es determinar, en un modelo in vivo, que ocurre ante dicho estrés oxidativo con los mecanismos naturales de defensa contra el estrés oxidativo durante la exposición a esta toxina y luego de suprimir el contacto con la misma. Para ello, en este trabajo, se realizaron ensayos de exposición sub-crónica a MC-LR en ratones N:NIH-S, administrando dosis subletales de 25μg/kg cada 48 hs. durante un mes, seguido de períodos de 1 y 2 meses sin exposición a la toxina (wash-out). Se determinaron en hígado y riñones de estos animales parámetros de estrés oxidativo tales como Glutation total, oxidado (GSSG) y reducido (GSH) , así como niveles de α-tocoferoles y las actividades de las enzimas involucradas en los sistemas antioxidantes como catalasa (CAT), superóxido dismutasa (SOD), glutation peroxidasa (GSH-Px), glutation reductasa (GSH-Rd), glutation transferasa (GSH-Tr) y óxido nítrico sintetasa (estimada como NOx, producción de nitrato + nitrito) destinadas comúnmente a controlar la homeostasis redox celular.Eje: Productos Naturales Bioactivos y sus AplicacionesFacultad de Ciencias Exacta