Comment

Introduction to this special issue of the Early Childhood Folio on key learning competencies across place and time. Publication of these working papers (adapted and edited for the Early Childhood Folio) from a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project means they will now be widely available for teachers. These are articles by teachers for teachers

Strengthening responsive and reciprocal relationships in a whānau tangata centre: A summary

Although the kindergarten teaching team members were excited at being a part of the parent support and development initiative, they were also aware that they would face challenges that would affect their practice. Their commitment to ensuring effective teaching and learning at Taitoko Kindergarten led them to seek evidence-based teaching practices, inside the vision of the parent support and development initiative. Their involvement with this TLRI research project has helped to provide this. Through action research, the research team has addressed the teachers’ questions associated with (a) the strengthening of relationships (how this has been done so far, and how might it be furthered); (b) changes in practice (what is possible, what appears to be effective); (c) diversity (how a range of “funds of knowledge” (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005) can be shared and included in curriculum); and (d) documentation (how this can engage families and learners)

Strengthening responsive and reciprocal relationships in a whānau tangata centre: An action research project

This project came about after discussions with the general manager of the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association and Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips (University of Waikato) about setting up a research partnership to support the teachers at Taitoko Kindergarten in Levin. The teachers were establishing an integrated community centre (the whānau tangata centre) as part of a parent support and development initiative funded by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development. This initiative in Levin includes a drop-in centre for parents, parent workshops on topics of the parents’ choice, a well-resourced whānau room, facilities for infants and toddlers, school liaison visits and liaison with local health centres. The initiative at Taitoko Kindergarten is one of six pilot parent support and development projects. These pilot projects do not include any research components to evaluate the processes and outcomes for teaching and learning, or the level of engagement of the community. This Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project, in one centre, researched these aspects of the initiative in an ongoing action research project. The parent support and development contracts are a relatively new initiative for New Zealand, and this research project was designed to provide information to guide this teaching and learning policy for future initiatives of this nature. The aim of the TLRI research project was to investigate the development of the whānau tangata centre at Taitoko Kindergarten with teaching and learning in mind

The Temperance Worker as Social Reformer and Ethnographer as Exemplified in the Life and Work of Jessie A. Ackermann.

This project used primary historical documents from the Jessie A. Ackermann collection at ETSU\u27s Archives of Appalachia, other books and documents from the temperance period, and recent scholarship on the subjects of temperance, suffrage, and women travelers and civilizers. As the second world missionary for the Woman\u27s Christian Temperance Union, Ackermann traveled in order to establish WCT Unions and worked as a civilizer, feminist, and reporter of the conditions of women and the disadvantaged throughout the world

The Immune Responses of Periplaneta americana to Hymenolepis diminuta and Moniliformis moniliformis

This thesis examines the insect immune system using the cockroach, Periplaneta americana as a model. Host immunocompetence has been investigated by studying the cellular immune response to infection with Moniliformis moniliformis (Acanthocephala) and Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda) . Studies of this nature are relevant to medicine, veterinary science and agriculture because of the deprivation and suffering caused by insects as disease vectors and as pests. A general introduction (Chapter 1) provides information on the lifecycles and biology of the parasites used in this study and gives an overview to the study of invertebrate immunology, emphasising functional aspects of the insect cellular immune response. In Chapter 2 the experimental procedures used throughout the work are detailed

The relationship of coping and social support to distress in couples where one partner has multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic and progressive disease with an estimated prevalence of 116 cases per 100,000 adults in England and Wales and 158 cases per 100,000 in Scotland (Swingler, Rothwell, Taylor, & Hall 1994). Although the psychological consequences of MS on the individual are well established, little is known about the psychological impact of this condition on the partner's well being. Researchers have indicated that carers, particularly spouses experience significant levels of stress, when caring for a partner with a chronic illness. While it is commonplace to assess either patient or carer individually in terms of psychiatric morbidity, little research has been conducted into the psychological effects of chronic illness on couples. This was the focus of the present study. Although coping and social support have been found to be important in moderating the impact of stress in both patients and carers at the individual level of analysis, little is known about how these strategies operate in couples facing chronic illness. The present study examines the role of coping and social support and their relationship to distress in 42 couples where one partner has MS. Illness characteristics such as length of diagnosis and level of disability were also examined. Results are discussed in terms of how couples manage the impact of the illness, and what procedures can be put in place to ensure that the needs of both patient and partner-carer are met

Does Voluntary Euthanasia Fulfill or Contradict a Physicians’ Oath to “Do No Harm”

Voluntary Euthanasia, or VE, is a practice which has been medically, and ethically, debated for decades. VE is a medical procedure in which a physician, with the explicit and informed consent of the patient, administers a lethal agent for the purpose of relieving a patients intolerable and incurable suffering (Euthanasia, 2022). The availability of this practice as an option for terminally diagnosed patients, to allow them to choose to die on their own terms, has been debated for its ethicality. Through my research, I strove to answer the question of whether VE fulfills, or contradicts, a physician’s oath to “do no harm”. Currently in the United States, this practice is illegal in all instances, with a few select states having some options of PAS, or physician-assisted suicide, which is deemed by some bioethicists to be a more ethical practice. Through my research on this topic, I found extensive support for both sides of the debate. Ultimately, I concluded that this practice does fulfill a physician’s oath to do no harm and was able to discount many of the main arguments against this practice. The research discussed in this paper has significant implications, as recognizing the therapeutic potential of Voluntary Euthanasia can greatly benefit terminally ill patients, and help give them a dignified death, on their own terms

An Investigation into Implementation of the Mini-Society Instructional Program

This student received her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, not Ed.D. The cover page of this document indicates erroneously that she was granted the degree of Doctor of Education. The degree of record for Margaret M. Carr is the Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Kansas, 2003.The present study examined variables associated with the implementation of the Mini-Society® instructional program, a student-centered, economic and entrepreneurship curriculum designed to acquaint students with their roles as producers and consumers in a market economy, enhance their decision-making skills, and increase their understanding of their roles as citizens (Kourilsky, 1996). The investigation consisted of two parts, (1) a quantitative study to assess the degree to which Mini-Society implementation correlated to student and teacher variables, and (2) a qualitative analysis of how the program relates to elementary teachers' beliefs about their students' ability and the purpose of the social studies curriculum. Study questions were: How do years of teaching experience, level of education, and teachers' beliefs toward their students, as measured on the Pupil Control Ideology scale (Willower, et al, 1967) relate to implementation of the Mini-Society instructional program? What is the relationship between the number of teachers in a building who have been trained in Mini-Society and teachers' implementation of the instructional program? How does Mini-Society implementation vary by students' ethnicity, SES, and achievement? What are the differences between those teachers who implement Mini-Society and those who do not on attitudes toward the curriculum, their students, and the goals and purpose of their social studies curriculum? One hundred and seventy six surveys were mailed to 3r d-6t h grade teachers who had been trained in the program, and 118 surveys were returned representing a response rate of 67 percent. A total sample size of 96 teachers was obtained for this study. Regression analysis was used to determine answers to the first three research questions. Among the student variables measured for this study, socioeconomic status of students proved to be a statistically significant predictor of Mini-Society implementation accounting for 19 percent of the variance between users and non-users in a stepwise analysis. Among teacher variables, only collegial support approached significance, p=.07 in the ordinary least squares model, and accounting for 4 percent of the variance in a stepwise model. In depth interviews with four teachers, two users of the curriculum and two non-users, were conducted to answer the 4th research question involving teacher perceptions of their students, the Mini-Society curriculum and social studies. Data from the interviews indicates that users of Mini-Society would appear to have a more positive outlook toward their students than the non-users. There is also evidence from the qualitative portion of this study that concern over standardized tests is a factor in non-implementation. An additional finding indicates that users of Mini-Society appear to appreciate the program for the affective gains that they see in their students as a result of the program as opposed to cognitive outcomes

Early childhood portfolios as a tool for enhancing learning during the transition to school

From 2005-2008 Mangere Bridge Kindergarten in New Zealand carried out a Centre of Innovation research project exploring the transition between early childhood education and school. A flexible action research approach was used, with the three teacher researchers, supported by two university research associates, developing and researching a range of strategies for supporting children’s learning as the children and their families ‘crossed the border’ from early childhood education to school. Many of these initiatives involved working closely with teachers in the local school setting. This paper focuses on one aspect of the findings, the ways in which the early childhood portfolios could be used to enhance children’s learning during the transition to school. Portfolios were identified as a belonging and empowerment tool; a means for school teachers to access to children’s funds of knowledge; playing a role in constructing a positive self-image about learning; and as valuable literacy artefacts

Report from the pandemic influenza project: expert panel meetings

This report was prepared by the Indiana University Center for Bioethics under contract with the Indiana State Department of Health as a part of the project “Translating Ethics Advice into Practice: Public and Professional Outreach about Pandemic Influenza Planning in Indiana.” The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Center for Bioethics, Indiana University, or the Indiana State Department of Health.The Indiana University Center for Bioethics convened expert panels for each of the four topics of the Technical Advisory Documents (TADs): altered standards of care, triage, vaccine and antiviral allocation, and healthcare workforce management. The goal of each meeting was to assess the relevance and applicability of the recommendations put forth by the TADs. Participants were encouraged to apply the seven ethical points and assess the feasibility of the recommendations by examining case studies intended to portray real world ethical dilemmas. Engagement from the public was critical for each panel to learn the full ethical and social implications of pandemic influenza preparedness and planning.Indiana University Center for Bioethics; Indiana State Department of Healt