A Natural Pairing: Social Justice and Theatre Education

Social justice curricula are often solely geared toward middle and high school students. I intend to prove that a social justice curriculum can be creatively paired with a theatre curriculum. I also intend to prove that social justice can be taught as young as pre-kindergarten. I will design a social justice curriculum for various grade levels, beginning with pre-kindergarten. Through research and age-appropriate strategies, I will develop curriculum goals and learning experiences for all grade levels. The curriculum is not an end point for teachers, but rather a starting point for theatre teachers who want to integrate social justice into their curriculum. Learning experiences will be tied to Teaching Tolerance’s Social Justice standards. Although defining social justice is a complicated process, for the purpose of this paper I will define social justice as the process and the goal of achieving equity in a democratic society

An exploration into how collaborative problem solving groups can change teachers' practice

PhD ThesisThis thesis includes three related documents. The first, the Systematic Review, includes a review of literature relevant to the area. In the second, the Bridging Document, there is a discussion about the conceptual framework which links the Systematic Review with the Empirical Research. It also explores ethical and methodological issues. The final document discusses findings from the Empirical Research, as well as future implications for educational psychologists’ practice. There are many Continuing Professional Development (CPD) models for teachers. This Systematic Review focuses specifically on the under researched area of ‘collaborative problem solving groups’. Synthesis of findings from five articles about ‘collaborative problem solving groups’ suggested that benefits for teachers existed within the context of some challenges. Teachers benefited from the time and space to reflect, be with others and problem solve; thinking differently about a situation and changing their practice. Teachers also benefited from decreased stress levels. Challenges related to demands on their time, difficulties putting changes into practice and concerns that participation was judged by colleagues. This empirical study outlines an action research project carried out with three teachers, on how the process of being in a collaborative problem solving group promoted changes to their practice. Tape recorded review sessions with participants took place before and after three collaborative problem solving groups, during which participants discussed the thinking and associated changes that occurred for them throughout the process. A second research focus considered how a facilitator could promote changes to teachers’ practice during collaborative problem solving. Constructionist grounded theory was used to analyse the data. General factors that supported changes to teachers’ practice included: an acknowledgement that participants think differently, appreciating that problems and classrooms are complex, being open minded and recognising perceived impacts of social and political pressures. A facilitator can promote vii changes to teachers’ practice by acknowledging these areas, whilst also applying psychology to facilitate a democratic process and attend to relational factors. A constructed grounded theory outlines that the roles of the facilitator and participants are interrelated and dynamic, thus requiring ongoing attention. Implications for educational psychologists are considered

Final Project Report: Hydraulic Model Study NEORSD Mill Creek Tunnel

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154199/1/39015101405317.pd

Re-Structuring Evaluation Findings into Useful Knowledge

Background: A long research stream has shown that when knowledge is more structured it is more likely to be effective in practical application. Building on that research, the authorsapplied Integrative Proposition Analysis to visualize, integrate, and assess the quality and usefulness of knowledge gained from the NMAC (formerly National Minority AIDS Council) Strong Communities evaluation. Purpose: Demonstrate an innovative method to rigorously integrate and strengthen knowledge gained from evaluation and to encourage discussion of future directions for developing stronger theories for more effective evaluation and more effective action. Setting: Birmingham, Alabama Intervention: A project to identify local strategies for community-based organizations and community health centers that serve African American and Latinx gay and bisexual men and transgender women to collaboratively meet HIV-related community needs. Research Design:  The researchers applied Integrative Propositional Analysis to integrate and map concepts and causal connections emerging from the evaluation findings. The authorsthen analyzed the resulting map to identify top-mentioned concepts, better understood concepts, reinforcing loops, and knowledge gaps. Data Collection and Analysis: Integrative Propositional Analysis applied to a literature review and stakeholder interview transcripts collected for the evaluation. Findings: Integrating literature and interview results helped to identify several actions where providers of HIV-related services could increase their impact on combating the HIV epidemic among the communities they serve. The authorsalso identified a reinforcing loop; this shows opportunity to improve two desired outcomes by increasing one. In addition, the authorsidentified blank spots on the map; these show where additional research could strengthen the quality and usefulness of the mapped knowledge. Keywords: evaluation syntheses; Integrative Propositional Analysis; complexity; systems thinking; HIV; African American; Latinx; gay men; bisexual men; transgender wome

The Role of Social Support During Pregnancy for African American Women

The idea that social context affects health is an old concept that has since taken new meaning in the light of health disparities and health care reform in the United States. As efforts to address differences in health outcomes become a major focus in health care, it is important to understand not only how social context affects health, but also the variation in the social contexts themselves. Observational studies suggest that social support contributes to reduction of preterm birth and low birthweight; however, previous reviews of intervention trials report limited evidence that social support improves gestational age or birthweight. These trials vary in the type of support provided, (i.e., educational, emotional, referral services), in the training of persons providing the support (nurse or lay health worker, or both) and in the intensity of the intervention. Previous studies have shown that low birthweight, preterm birth, and infant mortality rates differ based on race and ethnicity. However, few trials developed interventions that consider how the social context, or cultural experiences of African American women influence their social support needs. The purpose of this paper is three-fold: to describe how social support influences the experience of pregnancy for African American women; to review intervention studies of social support for pregnant African American women; and lastly, to present recommendations for future research and programming on social support for African American women.Master of Science in Public Healt

Lipid kinase regulation of nociceptive signaling and sensitization: Implications for analgesic drug development

Chronic pain affects approximately 35% of American adults resulting in annual treatment costs over $600 billion. Unfortunately, current therapeutics have harmful side effects while only providing partial relief, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic targets for analgesic drug development. Neuropathic pain and inflammatory pain are the two most common forms of chronic pain in humans. In these conditions, nerve injury and inflammation lead to the release of pronociceptive molecules that signal through pronociceptive (pain-promoting) G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels to sensitize nociceptive neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Sensitization of these neurons leads to hyperalgesia and allodynia, two common symptoms of chronic pain. The majority of these pronociceptive receptors and ion channels signal via phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis. However, it is currently unknown which lipid kinases generate PIP2 in DRG neurons and if these kinases regulate pronociceptive receptor signaling. The aim of this dissertation is to fully characterize the regulatory role of the predominant PIP2-synthesizing enzyme in nociceptive signaling and sensitization using a combination of genetic and pharmacological approaches. Our studies reveal that lipid kinase (LK) is expressed at the highest levels in DRG and, based on experiments with LK+/- mice, generates at least half of all PIP2 in DRG neurons. Moreover, LK haploinsufficiency reduced pronociceptive receptor signaling and ion channel-mediated neuronal excitability in DRG neurons and reduced noxious thermal and mechanical sensitization in mouse models of chronic pain via PIP2-dependent mechanism(s). In parallel, we developed a high-throughput screening assay to identify the first reported small molecule inhibitor of LK, UNC1. UNC1 lowered PIP2 levels in DRG neurons, reduced pronociceptive receptor signaling, and attenuated noxious thermal and mechanical sensitization when administered intrathecally. Collectively, this work demonstrates that LK regulates PIP2-dependent nociceptive signaling and sensitization and validates LK as a novel therapeutic target for chronic pain.Doctor of Philosoph

Choosing and using methodological search filters : searchers' views

© 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.Peer reviewedPostprin

The epidemiology of skin cancer and public health strategies for its prevention in Southern Africa

Skin cancer is a non-communicable disease that has been underexplored in Africa, including Southern Africa. Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an important, potentially modifiable risk factor for skin cancer. The countries which comprise Southern Africa are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. They di er in population size and composition and experience di erent levels of solar UVR. Here, the epidemiology and prevalence of skin cancer in Southern African countries are outlined. Information is provided on skin cancer prevention campaigns in these countries, and evidence sought to support recommendations for skin cancer prevention, especially for people with fair skin, or oculocutaneous albinism or HIV-AIDS who are at the greatest risk. Consideration is given to the possible impacts of climate change on skin cancer in Southern Africa and the need for adaptation and human behavioural change is emphasized.Table S1: Absence (x) or presence (X) of evidence of online skin cancer prevention campaigns (any focus—could be in relation to albinism) in English by country in Africa. Websites valid as at the 17 December 2019.The South African Medical Research Council and the National Research Foundation (South Africa).http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerpham2020Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

Men’s help-seeking attitudes in rural communities affected by a natural disaster

The article describes a mixed methods study of help-seeking in men living in the Chilean Central Valley, following exposure to a major earthquake event in 2010. The results identify that, within the sample, positive attitudes toward help-seeking correlated with younger age, higher education levels, above-average incomes, and stable personal relationships. It appears that education plays a significant role in shaping such positive attitudes, particularly by influencing views of gender roles and help-seeking. Conversely, older men’s reticence toward seeking help appeared linked to negative perceptions of available services and the influence of traditional notions of masculinity. The study concludes that adapting interventions and service offers to men’s needs in rural contexts must include an ecosystemic analysis of their reality and incorporate an understanding of masculinity socialization processes