Life Through Different Lenses

For this capstone project, my partner and I were able to explore the lack of affordable housing for low-income families and the demonstrable effect on students academic achievement. Children whose families have a difficult time finding adequate housing, live in poor conditions that limits them to acquire their learning skills and abilities to succeed. The community partner we worked with was a local Family Resource Center that provides housing assistance and other social determinants. The purpose of this research was understand how low-income families deal with inadequate living conditions and the impacts of student academic success. Based on an analysis of the data and the relevant research that was collected, the data suggested the importance of informing families about the benefits they can get from utilizing their local Family Resource centers

The Dynamics of Student Learning within a High School Virtual Reality Design Class

This mixed method study investigated knowledge and skill development of high school students in a project-based VR design class, in which 3-D projects were developed within a student-centered, student-directed environment. This investigation focused on student content learning, and problem solving. Additionally the social dynamics of the class and the role of peer mentoring were examined to determine how these factors influenced student behavior and learning. Finally, parent and teachers perceptions of the influence of the class were examined. The participants included freshmen through senior students, parents, teachers and the high school principal. Student interviews and classroom observations were used to collect data from students, while teachers and parents completed surveys. The results of this study suggested that this application of virtual reality (VR) learning environment promoted the development of; meaningful cognitive experiences, creativity, leadership, global socialization, problem solving and a deeper understanding of academic content. Further theoretical implications for 3-D virtual reality technology are exceedingly promising, and warrant additional research and development as an instructional tool for practical use

ArchaeoSchool for the Future

Sis centres educatius de secundària de Catalunya, Itàlia i Grècia, una universitat de Venècia, el Col·legi de Doctors i Llicenciats de Catalunya, el Museu d'Arqueologia de Kalamata (Grècia) i un centre d'educació ambiental de Kalamata participen en un projecte europeu sota les condicions d'Erasmus+ KA2 per estudiar les restes arqueològiques. Comparteixen metodologies educatives innovadores com el knowledge building, el paradigma ICE (Ideas, Connections, Extensions), l'enginyeria inversa mitjançant el programa de reconstrucció virtual 3D Edmondo, learning by doing, la sostenibilitat i una projecció de futur. L'article parla sobre l'aplicació de la teoria del knowledge building en un projecte europeu, els avantatges que es poden obtenir, la relació d'aquesta teoria amb les competències del segle XXI i un exemple concret d'un dels quatre temes que s'handesenvolupat al llarg del curs 2016-2017. Dins aquest escrit, també hi ha evidències de la tècnica d'enginyeria inversa i del learning by doing perquè equips d'alumnes dels tres països estan reconstruint virtualment els llocs arqueològics que estan estudiant. Aquesta connexió entre persones i professionals provinents de disciplines diferents, de l'educació superior i la formació permanent permet assolir quotes d'aprenentatge insospitades.Six secondary schools from Catalonia, Italy and Greece, a Venetian university, the Association of Doctor's and Master's Degree Holders of Catalonia, the Archaeological Museum of Kalamata (Greece), and an environmental education center in Kalamata work together in a European program under the Erasmus+ KA2 conditions to study different archaeological sites. They all share innovative teaching methodologies, like knowledge building, the ICE framework (Ideas, Connections, Extensions), reverse engineering using the 3D virtual app Edmondo, learning by doing, sustainability and a forward-looking approach. This article is about the implementation of the knowledge building theory in a European project, the benefits of applying this method and the relationship between the knowledge building principles and 21st-century skills. It also includes an example of one of the themes developed over the course of the 2016-17 academic year. This paper also presents evidence of the reverse engineering technique and the learning by doing method, since a group of students from the three countries are rebuilding, in the Edmondo app, the archaeological sites that they are studying. The connection between so many different people, multidisciplinary teams, and higher education and life-long learning professionals who are working together, allows the achievement of unsuspected learning levels

The Last Stone is Just the Beginning: A Rhetorical Biography of Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral sits atop Mt. St. Alban’s hill in Washington, D.C. declaring itself the nation’s cathedral and spiritual home for the nation. The idea of a national church serving national purposes was first envisioned by L’Enfant in the District’s original plan. Left aside in the times of nation building, the idea of a national church slumbered until 1893 when a group of Episcopalians petitioned and received a Congressional charter to begin a church and school in Washington, D.C. The first bishop of Washington, Henry Y. Satterlee, began his bishopric with the understanding that this cathedral being built by the Protestant Episcopal Church Foundation was to be a house of prayer for all people. Using Jasinksi’s constructivist orientation to reveal the one hundred year rhetorical history defining what constitutes a “national cathedral” within the narrative paradigm first established by Walter Fisher, this work utilizes a rhetorical biographical approach to uncover the various discourses of those speaking of and about the Cathedral. This biographical approach claims that Washington National Cathedral possesses an ethos that differentiates the national cathedral from the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul even though the two names refer to the same building. The WNC ethos is one that allows a constant “becoming” of a national cathedral, and this ability to “become” allows for a rhetorical voice of the entity we call Washington National Cathedral. Four loci of rhetorical construction weave through this dissertation in the guiding question of how the Cathedral rhetorically created and how it sustains itself as Washington National Cathedral: rhetoric about the Cathedral, the Cathedral as rhetoric, the Cathedral as context, and Cathedral Dean Francis Sayre, Jr. as synecdoche with the Cathedral. This dissertation is divided into eight rhetorical moments of change that take the idea of a national church from L’Enfant’s 1791 plan of the City through the January 2013 announcement allowing same-sex weddings at the Cathedral and Obama’s second inaugural prayer service. The result of this rhetorical exploration is a more nuanced understanding of the place and how it functions in an otherwise secular society for which there is no precedent for the establishment of a national cathedral completely separated from the national government. The narrative strains that wind through Cathedral discourse create a braid of text, context, and moral imperative that ultimately allows for the unique construction of Washington National Cathedral, a construction of what defines “national” created entirely by the Cathedral

Trebetasun sozialak erakusten eskola kirolean

Por medio de estre trabajo pretendemos plantear una manera de entender el proceso de formación de los responsables del Deporte Escolar. En nuestra opinión, el desarrollo de determinados factores sociales en los deportes condiciona el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. El trabajo que presentamos se desarrolla en Gipuzkoa, y se debe a una investigación impulsada por la Diputación Foral; en el mismo exponemos las preocupaciones y temores de un grupo de entrenadores y coordinadores, ya que según ellos creamos un plan de intervención para desarrollar habilidades sociales.Idazki honen bidez, mahaigaineratu nahi dugu Eskola Kiroleko arduradunen formakuntza prozesua ulertzeko modu bat. Gure ustez kiroletan hainbat faktore sozialen garapenak ikaskuntza-irakaskuntza prozesua baldintzatzen du. Aurkezten dugun lana Gipuzkoan garatzen da, Foru Aldundiak bultzatutako ikerketa baten bidez, eta bertan, entrenatzaile eta koordinatzaile talde baten ardurak eta kezkak azaltzen ditugu, hauen arabera trebetasun sozialak garatzeko interbentzio plan bat sortu baikenuen.Au moyen de ce travail, nous prétendons présenter une façon de comprendre le processus de formation des responsables du Sport Scolaire. A notre avis, le développement de certains facteurs sociaux dans les sports conditionne le processus d'enseignement-apprentissage. Le travail que nous présentons se déroule en Gipuzkoa, et se doit à une recherche développée par la Députation Forale; nous y exposons les préoccupations et les appréhensions d'un groupe d'entraîneurs et de coordinateurs, car selon eux nous créons un plan d'intervention pour développer des habiletés comportements sociaux.In this article we want to propose a way to understand staff development (education) for school sport trainers. Our viewpoint is that the teaching/learning process is affected by the development of certain social factors. The work that we are presenting takes place in the Basque territory (province, county) of Gipuzkoa thanks to a research project supported by the county government. The research project deals with the needs and struggles of a group of trainers and sport coordinators. We have devised an intervention plan to help develop the participants' social skills

From Utopia to a Hostile Space: France in "L’Éducation d’une fée" et "Nation par Barbès"

El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar la evolución de las protagonistas femeninas extranjeras de las novelas L’Éducation d’une fée y Nation par Barbès, de los autores Didier Van Cauwelaert y Cécile Wajsbrot respectivamente. Los personajes de César y Aniela responden a un particular proceso de sensibilización cultural que se inicia con una fase de distanciamiento de la cultura propia y manifiesta una clara inclinación por todo lo relativo a la lengua francesa y su cultura. Francia representa la liberación de los países de origen, el espacio soñado y la identidad deseada desde el punto de vista del estereotipo. Sin embargo, cuando las dos protagonistas logren alcanzar su utopía serán recibidas por una sociedad multicultural como dos extranjeras más que se debaten entre la pasión por la lengua francesa y una realidad hostil representada por varios microcosmos de la supramodernidad.Le but de cet article est de montrer l’évolution des personnages féminins étrangers dans les romans L’Éducation d’une fée de Didier Van Cauwelaert et Nation par Barbès de Cécile Wajsbrot. Les personnages, César et Aniela, se trouvent dans un processus particulier de sensibilisation culturelle déclanché par un état d’éloignement de leur propre culture et une préférence pour tout ce qui concerne la langue et la culture françaises. La France représente la libération de leurs pays d’origine, l’espace rêvé et l’identité désirée du point de vue du stéréotype. Cependant, lorsque les deux personnages réussiront à atteindre leur utopie, elles seront reçues au sein d’une société multiculturelle en tant qu’étrangères. Deux étrangères, enfin, qui se débattent entre leur passion pour la langue française et une réalité hostile relevant de plusieurs microcosmes de la surmodernité.The aim of this paper is to show how foreign female characters evolve in Didier Van Cauwelaert’s L’éducation d’une fée and Cécile Wajsbrot’s Nation par Barbès. The characters César and Aniela are involved in a personal process of cultural sensitivity. This process begins by distancing themselves from their own culture, and leads them to a preference for French language and culture. Thus, France represents liberation from their native countries, a desired space and identity, from a stereotypical point of view. Nevertheless, when the characters achieve their utopia they will be welcomed into a multicultural society as foreigners. In fact, they will become two foreigners struggling for their passion for French language within a hostile reality represented by supra-modernity microcosms

Study of nanocomposites prepared from polyamides and biodegradable polyesters and poly(ester amide)s

Premi extraordinari doctorat curs 2011-2012, àmbit d’Enginyeria IndustrialPolymer clay nanocomposites of polyamides and biodegradable polymers with three kinds of organomodified clays were prepared by different techniques (in situ polymerization, solution casting, and melt mixing). The polymers used in this research were nylons 56, 65 and 47 and the biodegradable polymers: poly (glycolic acid-alt-6-hydrohexanoic acid) and poly(glycolic acid-alt-6-aminohexanoic acid). The development of biodegradable nanocomposites with improved or modified material properties is an interesting topic since these new materials are expected to replace already existing biodegradable and non-biodegradable commodity plastics in some specific applications.This project aims to study the influence of clay particles incorporated in a polymer matrix on the crystallization processes, the study of the in situ polymerization kinetics of mixtures of clays and monomers of biodegradable polymers, as well as the influence of nanoparticles on the thermal behavior and morphologic parameters. Even-odd, and odd-even polyamides were chosen to study the Brill transition and to prepare nanocomposites with organomodified clays. These polyamides have a peculiar structure where hydrogen bonds are established along two different directions. X-ray diffraction as well as SAXS-WAXD synchrotron experiments were employed to study the structural changes induced by temperature, during heating and cooling. Different organomodified clays were used to prepare nanocomposites, which final structure was found to be dependent on the preparation method. Nanocomposites derived from biodegradable polymers were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Morphological studies showed that the extent of clay dispersion depended on the clay type and on the preparation technique. Hence, exfoliated and intercalated nanocomposites could be obtained. The final nanocomposite structure was found to have a great influence on both cold and hot crystallization processes. Hence, the crystallization rate increased and decreased with respect to the neat polymer when intercalated and exfoliated structures were respectively obtained. The kinetics of the polymerization process was also studied by means of FTIR and SAXS-WAXD. The results indicate that the presence of the organomodified clay had a remarkable effect on the kinetic parameters.Award-winningPostprint (published version

Assessment of Virgin Olive Oil Adulteration by a Rapid Luminescent Method

The adulteration of virgin olive oil with hazelnut oil is a common fraud in the food industry, which makes mandatory the development of accurate methods to guarantee the authenticity and traceability of virgin olive oil. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of a rapid luminescent method to characterize edible oils and to detect adulterations among them. A regression model based on five luminescent frequencies related to minor oil components was designed and validated, providing excellent performance for the detection of virgin olive oil adulteration

The community museum: a space for the exercise of communal power

This paper discusses two key elements in the field of museums: a summary of the concept of the community museum, on the one hand, and, on the other, a proposal as to how this concept is put into practice, especially in the early stages of the creation of the museum, when the social basis for the project is being established. We will discuss how the community museum combines and integrates complex processes aimed at strengthening the community as a collective subject, asserting its identity, improving its quality of life and building alliances between communities. In the second part, which has a methodological focus, we will discuss how the museum is born out of community aspirations to strengthen its identity and integrity, the initial process of consensus-building, the roles of different agents, both internal and external to the community, as well as some factors that foster or prevent community appropriation. To conclude we will emphasize the potential of community museum networks as a strategy to generate a broader field of action, in which communities can exercise greater autonomy, by collectively developing and appropriating projects of regional and even international scope.