OpenSciEd design specifications

Many considerations must be taken into account in designing instructional materials to create a product that lives up to the expectations of students, teachers, schools, and districts. There are the obvious and necessary elements that must be addressed, such as standards, scope and sequence, instructional model, and pacing. OpenSciEd instructional materials are thoughtfully constructed with all of these considerations and constraints in mind. Yet, these elements are not enough. Instructional materials must have a classroom vision, an image of how students will engage with the content, what type of discourse students will engage in, and a sense of what a teacher needs to make standards come alive. OpenSciEd’s beliefs about a science learning and vision of the classroom are embodied in our design specifications. These fourteen specifications describe what we want science learning to look like for every student, and therefore guide our materials development process and implementation support. The topics addressed range from equitable science instruction and the centrality of asking questions, to meeting practical needs and constraints of a classroom. These specifications are based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the resulting Next Generation Science Standards, including the emphasis on three-dimensional learning.Published versio

Effects Of Plant Community Structure, Soil Components, And Aboveground Fungal Presence On Grassland Productivity

This dissertation investigates how aspects of the resident plant community affect grassland productivity. Chapter One gives an overview of how grassland productivity can be affected by the structural components of a plant community, abiotic and biotic soil components, and the presence of aboveground fungi. In Chapter Two, I present results of an experiment where the frequency of interspecific interactions in plant communities was altered along richness and evenness gradients by either randomly placing species in plots (dispersed plots) or by aggregating species in groups of four individuals (aggregated plots). Results suggest aggregation decreased productivity by promoting species coexistence and not by decreasing niche partitioning and facilitation. In Chapter Three, I compare two diversity effect modeling approaches (additive partitioning model and Diversity Interaction models) and show how using sown and realized proportions may alter outcomes and interpretations of diversity effects analyses. In Chapter Four, I describe a set of experiments to determine whether soil feedbacks affect grassland species monoculture yields. To determine the mechanism (abiotic or biotic), focal species were grown in soil cores from conspecifically conditioned plots that removed soil biota by two different heating treatments. Results reinforce the facilitative effect of legumes and suggest nutrient limitation may be more important than soil biota effects in the early years of grassland establishment. In Chapter Five, I evaluated the effects of aboveground fungal presence in Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass) and one of its’ cultivars, Rodan wheatgrass. Results suggest fungal presence affects multiple above- and belowground responses. However, the lack of specificity of the fungal presence testing method created difficulty in interpreting the results. I recommend the use of multiple methods to determine specific fungal presence as to ensure the identity of treatments being applied in experiments

An initial inquiry into and comparison of in-group attitudes at a state training school for delinquent boys

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Praying with Vincent de Paul

https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentian_ebooks/1019/thumbnail.jp

Kontum: The Battle to Save South Vietnam

In the spring of 1972, North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam in what became known as the Easter Offensive. Almost all of the American forces had already withdrawn from Vietnam except for a small group of American advisers to the South Vietnamese armed forces. The 23rd ARVN Infantry Division and its American advisers were sent to defend the provincial capital of Kontum in the Central Highlands. They were surrounded and attacked by three enemy divisions with heavy artillery and tanks but, with the help of air power, managed to successfully defend Kontum and prevent South Vietnam from being cut in half and defeated. Although much has been written about the Vietnam War, little of it addresses either the Easter Offensive or the Battle of Kontum. In Kontum: The Battle to Save South Vietnam, Thomas P. McKenna fills this gap, offering the only in-depth account available of this violent engagement. McKenna, a U.S. infantry lieutenant colonel assigned as a military adviser to the 23rd Division, participated in the battle of Kontum and combines his personal experiences with years of interviews and research from primary sources to describe the events leading up to the invasion and the battle itself. Kontum sheds new light on the actions of U.S. advisers in combat during the Vietnam War. McKenna’s book is not only an essential historical resource for America’s most controversial war but a personal story of valor and survival. Thomas P. McKenna, Lt. Col., USA (Ret.), served as a military adviser to the Army of South Vietnam and has published articles on military history in Vietnam, Military Officer, and Military Heritage magazines. A gripping combat narrative. McKenna does an excellent job of combining his personal experiences and observations with the extensive information he has drawn from official records, contemporary press reports, and published works. -- David T. Zabecki, editor emeritus, Vietnam Magazine Tom McKenna is a \u27soldier\u27s soldier.\u27 His reputation for integrity, courage and professional know how is known throughout the Army. His peacetime as well as wartime service marked him as one of the infantry\u27s most remarkable leaders, the kind admired by not only his subordinates but also his peers and superior officers. This book reflects his professional acumen and contributions to freedom. -- Major General Guy S. Meloy, USA (Ret.), former commanding general, 82nd Airborne Division A superbly written and researched account of the 1972 NVA Easter Offensive and the heroism and professionalism of the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War, the advisor teams. If you are interested in understanding why the Vietnam War ended as it did, read this book. -- Major General Neal Creighton, USA (Ret.), former Commanding General of 1st Infantry Division McKenna sweeps away the fog of war in his detailed history of the Battle of Kontum. He expertly blends his personal experience as a military adviser to the victorious 23rd South Vietnamese Division with years of painstaking research in this significant account of one of the final battles of the Vietnam War. -- Edward Richards, Emeritus Professor of English and Military Literature, Norwich University, CDR, USNR (Ret.) Accurately describes the important contribution of the U.S. Air Force in winning the Battle of Kontum. B-52 bombers, fighter-bombers, and gunships supported the advisors and the troops in Kontum while C-130 airlifts delivered vital supplies to the beleaguered city. -- Major General James C. Pfautz, USAF (Ret.) Although the Easter Offensive was the biggest battle of the Vietnam War, it has been neglected by historians. McKenna helps fill the gap with his account of the battle for Kontum in the Central Highlands. His perspective as a participant in the fighting there makes this an interesting and valuable addition to the historiography. -- Dale Andradé, author of America\u27s Last Vietnam Battle: Halting Hanoi\u27s 1972 Easter Offensive Offers an illuminating picture of the colorful, contradictory ex-military man in action. McKenna. . . does an effective job of melding his own story with the bigger picture. -- Publishers Weekly McKenna, a U.S. infantry lieutenant colonel assigned as a military adviser to the 23rd Division, participated in the battle of Kontum and combines his personal experiences with years of interviews and research from primary sources to describe the events leading up to the invasion and the battle itself. -- Siagon Arts, Culture, & Education Institute Newsletter Thomas McKenna\u27s fine work is an important addition to our knowledge of advisors and those they advised, during a critical period of the war . . . In a balanced and detailed account McKenna tells it like it was. -- Journal of Military History Kontum sheds new light on the actions of U.S. advisers in combat during the Vietnam War. McKenna\u27s book is not only an essential historical resource for America\u27s most controversial war but a personal story of valor and survival. -- West Point Grad News McKenna was a lieutenant colonel serving in South Vietnam as an adviser to the 23rd Army of the Republic of Vietnam. In this detailed account, he makes use of interviews, primary documents, and personal experience of how the 23rd successfully defended against three North Vietnamese divisions of superior numberical strength with the help of U.S. advisers and air power. -- Library Journal This biography details his career in the US Army...and also gives information on his early life and his marriage, drawing on the author\u27s personal interviews with Meadows. -- Book News Riveting account of desperate combat. -- Armchair General McKenna\u27s book is not only an essential historical resource for America\u27s most controversial war but a personal story of valor and survival. -- First Call Although much has been written about the Vietnam War, little of it addresses either the Easter Offensive or the Battle of Kontum. In Kontum, Thomas P. McKenna fills this gap, offering the only in-depth account available of this violent engagement. -- Military Officer Readers unfamiliar with the later stages of the Vietnam War will enjoy McKenna’s attention to detail, particularly his account of the battle of Kontum and the realities faced by American advisors. -- H-Net Review The author\u27s detailed accounts of the fighting make this book a must read for anyone interested in military history and particularly for anyone studying or who simply enjoys reading about the Vietnam War. -- Military Writers Society of America McKenna has done a great job of bringing us his firsthand account of the Battle of Kontum and America\u27s pivotal role in keeping South Vietnam from being split in half and defeated in 1972. This book is compelling reading wheather you were \u27in country\u27 at the time or not. -- Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Aviator McKenna combines solid research and first-person interviews with his own experiences there to produce an informative book that should serve as a \u27how not to\u27 for Iraq and Afghanistan. -- The Past in Review A well-written book that examines a relatively brief but critical chapter of the Vietnam War. -- On Point A powerful testament to the indispensable role played by advisor teams, which has often been obscured in conventional combat histories. . . . It is a must for any veteran or scholar who wants an in depth understanding as to how the Vietnam War was fought, and why its conclusion came to be. -- Military Winner of the William E. Colby Award [A] thorough and insightful account about the Easter Offensive launched by the North Vietnamese in Spring 1972. . . . Beyond being just a history of the Battle of Kontum, McKenna’s well-written and balanced account provides exceptional insights in the NVA, ARVN, and the withering commitment of the United States. -- Parameters: US Army War College Quarterly [. . .] [T]he book is a heavily researched, very detailed look at the 1972 North Vietnamese Army invasion of South Vietnam, better known as the Easter Offensive, which was designed to topple the South Vietnamese government and end the war. [. . .] [A]nd offers an insightful picture of the colorful, contradictory ex-military man in action. -- VVA Veteran Books in Reviewhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_military_history/1033/thumbnail.jp

The Prayer of the Active Apostle

This article concerns the balancing of seemingly conflicting demands, prayer and action. Vincent de Paul used his experience to show that the two should be integrated. He said that “prayerful solitude” made missioners desire work and vice versa. As Thomas McKenna writes, “each feeds off the other, and each does not make full sense without the other.” The word “prayer” has two senses: formal prayer, but also one’s general openness to God. At its best, formal prayer is the conscious expression of this openness, which is mostly unconscious. Action keeps prayer from becoming abstract or “insulation from reality.” McKenna makes a distinction between activity and action; activity is done for its own sake and not because it is God’s will. Action is done with care, under the guidance of the Spirit. Prayer keeps action from becoming activity. In explaining Vincent’s exhortation to “leave God for God,” McKenna adds, “praying and service are rooted in one underlying reality—God’s presence and care at the heart of life. Because both prayer and service are sprouts from the same soil, one can change into the other and still remain an avenue onto God’s Way.

Vincentian Simplicity: A Core Leadership Trait

In a time when there is an increasing gap between appearances and reality, the Vincentian virtue of simplicity—having one’s inner values and motivations match one’s outer behavior—is ever more essential. Vincent de Paul exemplified simplicity. He said it was a virtue of God and Jesus and that it was impossible to serve poor persons effectively without it. Elizabeth Seton also sought and exhibited a genuine presence in her relationships, both in her personal life and with those she served. As both saints demonstrated, simplicity is necessary for leadership. Authority is derived from faith that a leader truly is the person he or she professes to be