Playing it real in a virtual context: developing sustainable connections to university

For teachers from within the early childhood education and care sector, working with children and families in the current societal context has become increasingly problematic (Gardner, 1999, 2003; Prout, 2003a, 2003b). From one standpoint, research has indicated that much of the difficulty associated with working in this field is symptomatic of the uncertainty, discontinuity and insecurity characteristic of the post-modern condition (Dahlgren & Chiriac, 2009; Hulqvist & Dahlberg, 2001; Jenks, 1996a, 1996b; Lyotard, 1984; Prout, 2003a, 2003b). As authors of this paper, whilst we agree with this particular standpoint, it can be argued that the aforementioned perspective can be seen as an over-simplification of the problems in the ECEC field. While the characteristics of the post-modern condition may be considered to be at the heart of some of these problems, the complexities of current policy reform, the demands of neo-liberal approaches to the provision of care and education (Ball, 2003; Beck, 1999; Hulqvist, 1998; Popkewitz, 2000; Rose, 1999, 2000), as well as a lack of understanding of current contexts for children and their families compound the present state of play across the sector (Moss, 2003; Prout, 2003a). Thus, new demands are evident for teachers in the ECEC field in relation to both personal and professional skill development. Therefore preparation for understanding the impact these contexts have on their identity development is critical to evaluating pre-service educator’s university experiences in contract with the reality of the rural practice context. On the grounds that learners view and interpret new information and experiences through their existing network of knowledge, experience and beliefs (Dahlgren & Chiriac, 2009; Darling-Hammond, 1997; Helm, 2006), the project’s design acknowledges and anticipates that the beginner teachers' experiences will be shaped, in part, by what they 'bring' to those experiences, including their initial choices to enter the profession, and their prior conceptions and expectations about teaching and initial teacher preparation (Helm, 2006). In this case study, juxtaposition between preconceptions and expectations of pre-service teacher education and early experiences as beginning teacher in a rural Australian context are explored and the key research questions guiding data interrogation include: o What are the connections between your initial expectations about becoming a teacher and commencing your university studies and the reality of teaching in a rural context? o How has this influenced or shaped your professional identity and learning? o How has the rural context impacted upon the manifestation of the curriculum, impacting your professional decisions and development? o How do you use the knowledge, skills and abilities developed at University in your professional context? o What have you learned about yourself as an individual as well as you as a professional? What will you do differently now as an outcome of your professional learning thus far? A model of critical reflection is used to interrogate the data from interviews and facebook postings over a 2 year period. Key themes emerged and these relate to the concept of teacher identity, the role of relationships, a sense of agency, the notion of relevance, and the central presence of emotion. In this paper these themes are presented as core features of the experience of 'becoming a teacher'

A Comparison of Results From MRIO and Interregional Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Analyses of the Impacts of a Positive Demand Shock on the ‘CO2 Trade Balance’ Between Scotland and the Rest of the UK

In previous work we have applied the environmental multi-region input-output (MRIO) method proposed by Turner et al (2007) to examine the ‘CO2 trade balance’ between Scotland and the Rest of the UK. In McGregor et al (2008) we construct an interregional economy-environment input-output (IO) and social accounting matrix (SAM) framework that allows us to investigate methods of attributing responsibility for pollution generation in the UK at the regional level. This facilitates analysis of the nature and significance of environmental spillovers and the existence of an environmental ‘trade balance’ between regions. While the existence of significant data problems mean that the quantitative results of this study should be regarded as provisional, we argue that the use of such a framework allows us to begin to consider questions such as the extent to which a devolved authority like the Scottish Parliament can and should be responsible for contributing to national targets for reductions in emissions levels (e.g. the UK commitment to the Kyoto Protocol) when it is limited in the way it can control emissions, particularly with respect to changes in demand elsewhere in the UK. However, while such analysis is useful in terms of accounting for pollution flows in the single time period that the accounts relate to, it is limited when the focus is on modelling the impacts of any marginal change in activity. This is because a conventional demand-driven IO model assumes an entirely passive supply-side in the economy (i.e. all supply is infinitely elastic) and is further restricted by the assumption of universal Leontief (fixed proportions) technology implied by the use of the A and multiplier matrices. In this paper we argue that where analysis of marginal changes in activity is required, a more flexible interregional computable general equilibrium approach that models behavioural relationships in a more realistic and theory-consistent manner, is more appropriate and informative.To illustrate our analysis, we compare the results of introducing a positive demand stimulus in the UK economy using both IO and CGE interregional models of Scotland and the rest of the UK. In the case of the latter, we demonstrate how more theory consistent modelling of both demand and supply side behaviour at the regional and national levels affect model results, including the impact on the interregional CO2 ‘trade balance’.CGE modelling, MRIO, CO2 trade balance, environmental responsibility

Fluctuating demands and unexpected events: An action research approach to improving work-family interaction in project-based work

This research into work-family balance in project-based construction work aims to:determine the effect of a consultative approach to the identification and evaluation of work- family balance strategies on the work-family experiences of project-based construction workers;examine the relationship between workload fluctuations and work-family experiences (both positive and negative) on project-based construction workers; andinform the development of industry policy and organisational support for positive work-family interaction in the construction industry.The issue of work-family balance is of great importance to Australia. Driven by demographic changes, the aging workforce, low birth rates, dramatic increases in dual earner couples and the changing expectations of younger generations of Australian workers, there is an urgent need to find practical solutions to the work-family balance problem.In Australia, the longest average work hours are observed in blue-collar, traditionally male industries, including construction. Construction workers are expected to work non-standard work schedules, including regular weekend work.Project-based construction work is subject to varying levels of intensity. In projects, there are critical points at which components must be completed. Immediately prior to these critical points, the intensity of work is very high. During these periods work hours can be very long, impacting negatively upon work-family experiences. The impact of peaks and troughs in work intensity on the work-family experiences of construction workers is not well understood.The research evaluates the effect of a employer-worker consultation concerning work-family interaction and the implementation of selected project-specific work-family balance strategies in a series of case study construction projects. The research will inform the Victorian Government’s policy development and build a strong partnership between government and the construction industry, for the purpose of promoting positive work-family interaction among the construction workforce.Research teamRMIT University, School of Property, Construction and Project Management:Professor Helen LingardTel. +61 3 9925 3449Email: [email protected] University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning:Valerie FrancisTel. +61 3 8344 8762Email: [email protected] TurnerTel. +61 3 8344 7256Email: [email protected]

In Flight

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The Potter\u27s Vessel

This piece exposes the spiritual identity that people do not tend to discuss. The Potters Vessel ignores our flesh, our diverse physical selves. It focuses on what all of our souls have in common, its origin and how that is alive in all of us. Created with a variety of self-portraits, utilizing Adobe Photoshop software brought the piece to life

1014 Granger Ave.

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Using Systematic Prompt Fading to Program a Self-Questioning Strategy with Elementary Students with Disabilities

Standardized assessments are focused on integrating knowledge from multiple sources and developing composed written responses. This requires the students to be able to read and comprehend on grade level, within the various subject areas (reading, math, science, and social studies), which are skills students with disabilities struggle to do. The purpose of the study was to use a systematic prompt fading procedure as a vehicle to program a self-questioning strategy for students with disabilities. The intervention package occurred in seven phases: baseline, embedded questions training, embedded questions independent practice, self-questioning training, self-questioning independent practice, self-questioning fading, and maintenance. A systematic prompt fading strategy was utilized to teach the self-questioning strategy. Generalization effects of the comprehension strategy on novel texts were measured at each intervention stage. Maintenance probes were administered one week after the self-questioning condition has been concluded. A multiple baseline across participants experimental design was used. Participants were one third and two fourth grade students from a public elementary school in a southeastern parish in Louisiana who have been identified as having reading comprehension deficits. Results across participants demonstrated at gradual, but consistent increase in reading comprehension and question generation

The added value from adopting a CGE approach to analyse changes in environmental trade balances

The application of multi-region environmental input-output (IO) analysis to the problem of accounting for emissions generation (and/or resource use) under different accounting principles has become increasingly common in the ecological and environmental economics literature in particular, with applications at the international and interregional subnational level. However, while environmental IO analysis is invaluable in accounting for pollution flows in the single time period that the accounts relate to, it is limited when the focus is on modelling the impacts of any marginal change in activity. This is because a conventional demand-driven IO model assumes an entirely passive supply-side in the economy (i.e. all supply is infinitely elastic) and is further restricted by the assumption of universal Leontief (fixed proportions) technology implied by the use of the A and multiplier matrices. Where analysis of marginal changes in activity is required, extension from an IO accounting framework to a more flexible interregional computable general equilibrium (CGE) approach, where behavioural relationships can be modelled in a more realistic and theory-consistent manner, is appropriate. Our argument is illustrated by comparing the results of introducing a positive demand stimulus in the UK economy using IO and CGE interregional models of Scotland and the rest of the UK. In the case of the latter, we demonstrate how more theory consistent modelling of both demand and supply side behaviour at the regional and national levels effect model results, including the impact on the interregional CO2 ‘trade balance’.modelling, MRIO, CO2 trade balance, environmental responsibility

Becoming Chacoan: The archaeology of the Aztec North Great House

Between 900 and 1140 CE, people at Chaco Canyon and throughout its region built multistory monumental structures with hundreds of rooms, known as great houses. This dissertation reports on recent archaeological testing on one such great house, the Aztec North great house at Aztec Ruins National Monument. I argue that Aztec North’s occupation represents an early, transitional period, as people previously not involved in the Chaco world made choices that increasingly brought them into Chaco’s orbit and changed their way of life forever. The structure represents a remarkable architectural experiment in large-scale adobe construction, one that likely was not terribly successful but that might have been an inspiration for generations after. The two main strands of data I report here, the architecture and the artifact assemblage, each tell a very different story. The artifact assemblage is one entirely typical of a Chacoan great house fully absorbed in the network of trade that characterized the Chacoan world. The architecture, however, suggests a more complicated site biography, with some aspects that seem entirely Chacoan, and a few striking elements that are not at all characteristic of Chacoan construction. Drawing on theories of social complexity, landscape archaeology and materiality, I argue that this great house was a site of rapid transition and of a community drawn into the Chacoan world in very short order, and perhaps with unintended consequences

The Female Athlete Triad: Role of the Coach in Prevention and Intervention

Introduction The Female Athlete Triad consists of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Eating disorders affect between 1-10% of adolescent and college age women (Haller, 1992),particularly in women\u27s\u27 sports in which leanness is considered important for performance such as cross-country running. Methods A three page 17 item questionnaire was sent out to 45 coaches of women\u27s Division III cross-country teams in the Midwest region of the US. Descriptive statistics were run on the data. Results Results showed that 8% of coaches have coached an athlete with a diagnosed eating disorder. Of the top three topics for team discussions, 9% of coaches discuss disordered eating. In addition, only 43% of coaches were fully educated on the Triad- Results show that coaches want more resources to assist them in recognizing an athlete with an eating disorder. Conclusions This research shows that coaches are in a pivotal position to prevent or intervene with an athlete at risk for developing the Triad. However, coaches need more resources available to better recognize the disorder