How can I use Irish language e-portfolios in the assessment for learning approach in my primary classroom?

This paper investigates the process of assessment for learning (AfL) in the primary school Irish language classroom. Electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) are used as a tool in assessment for learning with eight of my second class pupils in an urban primary school in North Dublin. This research was carried out as part of the Master of Science in Education and Training Management (e-learning strand) at Dublin City University and was supervised by Dr. Margaret Farren. Some strategies from the literature served as a solid basis from which to develop a framework to organise my own investigation. My action research enquiry is strengthened by the values I hold for my pupils and for my own professional practice, which include the value of self-evaluation, freedom to create in language-learning using technology and the ability to ‘share learning’ with a peer. Several strategies emerge through the enquiry, which improve with reflection, planning and redrafting. My introduction to the practicalities of implementing electronic portfolios involve identifying appropriate software, dealing with technical difficulties and adapting the portfolios to meet the needs of my pupils. Through the process of critical questioning and action reflection cycles my own professional practice has developed. By seeking to create a living educational theory, I hope these changes have impacted positively on my pupils’ learning and involved me in deeper reflection of my own teaching

A bifurcation and symmetry discussion of the Sommerfeld effect

The Arnold Sommerfeld effect is an intriguing resonance capture and release series of events originally demonstrated in 1902. A single event is studied using a two degree of freedom mathematical model of a motor with imbalance mounted to laterally restricted spring connected cart. For a certain power supplied, in general the motor rotates at a speed consistent with a motor on a rigid base. However at speeds close to the natural frequency of the cart, it seemingly takes on extra oscillations where for a single rotation it both speeds up and then slows down. Therefore in a standard experimental demonstration of the effect, as the supplied torque force is increased or decreased, this may give the illusion that the stable operation of the motor is losing and gaining stability. This is not strictly the case, instead small oscillations always present in the system solution are amplified near the resonant frequency. The imbalance in the motor causes a single resonance curve to fold back on itself forming two fold bifurcations which leads to hysteresis and an asymmetry between increasing and decreasing the motor speed. Although as outlined the basic mechanism is due the interplay between two stable and one unstable limit cycles, a more complicated bifurcation scenario is observed for higher imbalances in the motor. The presence of a Z2 phase space symmetry tempers the dynamics and bifurcation picture.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figure

Multi-stabilities and symmetry-broken one-colour and two-colour states in closely coupled single-mode lasers

We theoretically investigate the dynamics of two mutually coupled identical single-mode semi-conductor lasers. For small separation and large coupling between the lasers, symmetry-broken one-colour states are shown to be stable. In this case the light output of the lasers have significantly different intensities while at the same time the lasers are locked to a single common frequency. For intermediate coupling we observe stable symmetry-broken two-colour states, where both lasers lase simultaneously at two optical frequencies which are separated by up to 150~GHz. Using a five dimensional model we identify the bifurcation structure which is responsible for the appearance of symmetric and symmetry-broken one-colour and two-colour states. Several of these states give rise to multi-stabilities and therefore allow for the design of all-optical memory elements on the basis of two coupled single-mode lasers. The switching performance of selected designs of optical memory elements is studied numerically.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figure

Beyond Imitation, Without Limitations: A Student Music Therapist Supports the Participation and Development of Young People with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties in a School Setting

This exploratory study sought to uncover the methods and techniques a student music therapist employed to support the participation of young people with complex needs in a school setting. Individual music therapy sessions were carried out over nine months, and clinical documentation was generated throughout this period. Data sources included clinical notes, a reflective journal, and audiovisual recordings from music therapy sessions. Once a research question had been established, the existing data was reviewed retrospectively through a process of secondary analysis, and both inductive and deductive methods of analysis were employed to enable meaningful interpretations of the data to occur. A process of coding and thematically linking elements of music therapy practice allowed for a model of understanding to emerge, and findings suggest that the behaviours and strategies utilised by the student music therapist to support the young people’s participation in music therapy fell into three thematic groupings: creating a collaborative environment; following and leading; and dynamic flow. Themes are defined and the codes within elaborated upon, with case examples from the data included as appropriate to illustrate their meaning. Findings are discussed, and links are made to the literature in relevant fields. While results cannot be generalised to other settings, it is hoped that the detail and in depth analysis of practice provide a thorough and meaningful insight into the types of interaction that can occur in music therapy with young people with complex needs, and the value of specific supports to participation identified in this research

A middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke occurring in a child with a large prolactinoma.

Pituitary adenomas are rare in children, and often present with symptoms of headache, nausea or emesis, visual disturbance, or hormonal hypersecretion. With large tumors, mass effect from the lesion can lead to severe endocrinopathy and compression of intracranial neurovascular structures. In this case report, we describe an unusual presentation of an ischemic stroke in the territory of the right middle cerebral artery resulting from a prolactin-secreting macroadenoma. The patient's primary symptoms were headache, left facial droop, and left hemibody weakness. She was successfully managed with cabergoline, a dopamine agonist, with a reduction in the size of the tumor and normalization of serum prolactin levels. She remained clinically stable throughout her hospitalization, and was safely discharged without surgical intervention. In her recent 2-year follow-up, her tumor and prolactin levels were stable and she had dramatic improvements in her left-sided muscle strength

Indiana Nonprofits: A Portrait of Religious Nonprofits and Secular Charities

Compares sources of revenue, staffing, volunteers, services, governance, financial management, information technology, and other criteria for Indiana faith-based organizations and secular charities. Includes recommendations for policymakers

Development and analysis of an Internet browsing utilizing the overscan technique for persons with physical disabilities

Persons with a severe disability often use scanning as an indirect selection technique for operating augmentative and alternative communication aids and computer access. For information that can be organized in advance, including lists of communication elements such as words and phrases, users often employ rate enhancing scanning methods like the row-column scanning technique. However, row-column scanning requires selection elements to be grouped into defined rows and columns, and therefore does not work well with Internet browsing due to the non-grouped layout of HTML pages. This work attempts to develop an improved scanning technique for Internet browsing by designing interfaces to compare two contemporary scanning techniques with the overscan scanning technique, also known as the critically damped selection technique. The hypothesis of this investigation is that the overscan technique is a viable technique for persons with a severe physical disability to use to access the Internet. Alphabetic and Internet browsing interfaces were designed to test the error rates, throughput, key press times, reaction times, and activation forces for three different scanning methods: linear, row-column, and overscan. The effectiveness of the interface was determined by testing each interface with individuals without a disability, and a Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection Rules (GOMS) model for the three scanning methods tests was developed. The throughput of the overscan technique was a significant improvement over the linear scan technique for both the alphabetic and Internet interfaces. The individuals testing the interface were able to realize this increased throughput while maintaining error rates which were slightly less than the error rates measured while using the row-column interface. The error rates for the overscan and row-column scanning techniques were greater than the error rates for the linear scanning technique, but the time lost on erroneous selections was much less than the time gained through the use of the overscan and row-column selection techniques. The overscan technique was shown to be a viable scanning technique for Internet browsing. Use of overscan as a method of indirect selection for Internet browsing could connect individuals to the Internet who are not now linked to this electronic communication medium

Life History Aspects and Taxonomy of Deep-Sea Chondrichthyans in the Southwestern Indian Ocean

During the last quarter of a century, the conservation and management of chondrichthyans (collectively, sharks, rays, and chimaeras) has received considerable focus. This is especially true for deep-sea chondrichthyans. As technologically advanced fisheries expand into deeper waters of the high seas, new chondrichthyan species are being discovered and described at an increasing rate. The objectives of this study were to investigate the deep-sea chondricthyan fauna in a remote region of the Southwestern Indian Ocean Offshore and provide descriptions of three species of Chimaeridae previously unknown to science, and collect and analyze biological parameters relating to the life histories of all shark species encountered. Specimens were collected as bycatch in deep-sea fisheries from 46 sites along deepwater seamounts of the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge and the Madagascar Ridge. Among the species encountered were three relatively large chimaeroids which, upon closer examination, were determined to be distinct from all other known members of the family. A description these three new species is presented. A total of 4009 specimens were examined and sex ratios, size range, smallest mature, largest immature, and length at 50% maturity (LT50) calculated. Detailed information is presented on the reproductive biology, life history, and distribution of 31 species representing 14 gener

Numerical analysis of a pair of singular integral equations with a principal value

Numerical analysis of pair of singular integral equations with principal value - Volterra and Fredholm equation