How COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences can Inform Teacher Education and Professional Development Practices

Participants in this research study found themselves suddenly forced into remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, unfamiliar with online teaching and with little guidance from the field of education. Survey data was used to capture the voices of 18 K-12 educators to share their lessons learned, the challenges they encountered, and the strategies they developed from their experiences as they reimagined education in an online environment. Findings are reported in an effort to inform professional development and teacher preparation programs

Shaping Attitudes in Public Child Welfare: An Innovative MSW Training Program

Children investigated by child welfare are at significant risk for poor cognitive, emotional, social, behavioral and economic outcomes. In 2000, California formed the Child Welfare Services Group to propose changes in how child welfare services are delivered, the CWS Redesign. California State University, Long Beach’s child welfare training program developed its complement. Fundamentally, Redesign calls for partnering with families and communities to strengthen families, prevent unnecessary placements or re-unite families successfully. These changes are a paradigm shift in attitudes toward birth families and communities. In a qualitative study, interns logged their observations and subsequent impressions of CWS-Client encounters to explore how attitudes are learned. Majority of interns observed positive, collaborative encounters and perceived birth parents as motivated. Their impressions support introducing interns to birth families on the front-end of CWS training

State of the Science and the Intraductal Approach for Breast Cancer: Proceedings Summary of The Sixth International Symposium on the Intraductal Approach To Breast Cancer Santa Monica, California, 19–21 February 2009

Researchers are using the intraductal approach to advance breast cancer risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Procedures and technologies that can access and interrogate the ductal-alveolar systems include nipple aspiration, ductal lavage and ductoscopy. Ductoscopic papillectomy, ductoscopic margin evaluation, and intraductal therapy are considered promising investigational and innovative treatments. These techniques are used to explore the biology of the normal breast; collect and analyze breast fluid and cells to identify biomarkers that can be used in breast cancer detection and risk assessment; and to identify new ways to find and administer therapeutic and/or preventive agents to the breast tissue. This report summarizes the latest research findings in these areas, presented at The 6th International Symposium on the Intraductal Approach to Breast Cancer in 2009

Overcoming Resistance to Instructional Technology

This article discusses the significance of instructional technology to communication departments and presents actions which can take to overcome faculty resistance to instructional technology. One of the major values of instructional technology is that rather than minimizing the role of the human instructor, that instructor actually uncovers a means for greater learning impact upon individuals in the class. The massive utilization of communication technology in distance learning efforts across the nation clearly demonstrates the effective utilization of instructional strategies in one context from which we can make appropriate adjustments to another context, the on-site classroom

Women with Addictions: Music Therapy Clinical Postures and Interventions

Like men, women have been using alcohol and drugs since ancient times; yet we are just beginning to uncover important information about women\u27s unique trajectory to and through addiction. Straussner and Brown (2002) write, “There is little or no denial left today: Women can be and are addicts at alarming rates” (p. 34). Close to 15% of the members of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) report working with clients who have addictions (AMTA, 2011). It is likely that some of these members work with women who struggle with addictions, and it seems feasible that some would work predominantly or exclusively with women. Yet, few treatises exist to inform music therapy clinical practice with this clientele. With the present report, we hope to expand the knowledge base in this important area of clinical practice. We first present statistics and other research findings pertaining to women with addictions. Then, based on our collective experiences with women who have alcohol and drug addictions, we present suggested postures and interventions for ethical, effective, and meaningful music therapy clinical practice

“… with interpersonal and project skills for all”: Integrating Project Management and Organizational Behavior Instruction

We explain the journey that led to our development of a course for all undergraduate business majors that combines the teaching of “hard” and “soft” skills needed in projects. In this class, we use group projects to provide a practice field for the project management skills (e.g., developing a scope statement, creating and assigning tasks, tracking and reporting progress) as well as the interpersonal skills needed for successful projects. Interpersonal skills taught are those typically found in an organizational behavior class, for example: active listening, managing diversity, managing conflict, communication, effective team meetings, and dealing with underperforming team members. We share our course syllabus, strategies for course materials and staffing the class, as well as outcomes and lessons learned from our first time teaching the course in Summer 2012. We also share our vision for further elements that can be developed to support our mission of “interpersonal and project skills for all” students, faculty, and staff

Tahitian French: the vernacular French of the Society Islands, French Polynesia. A study in language contact and variation

The study oflanguage contact has expanded and consolidated over recent years, with theoretical approaches moving beyond a traditional pidgin and creole classification to encompass a wider variety of languages from a variety of contact situations. Studies of migrant language, mixed and restructured varieties and new vernaculars have contributed to a growing understanding of language contact and language change, and to a growing number of labels for the new varieties. This study examines one such variety, the French spoken by the Polynesians of the Society Islands, French Polynesia. It is argued that this variety exhibits a number of features which place it in the category of contact languages, but also that it does not fit neatly within the subcategories defined by current labels. Tahitian French, as we call this vernacular, is the result of contact between a small but dominant minority of French immigrants with a relatively homogeneous majority of Polynesians in their own islands. The sociolinguistic situation does not provide the classic multiple-substrate or displaced population scenarios of pidgins and creoles, nor does the language display the criteria of indigenised or restructured varieties. Additionally, both the prestige administrative language, French, and the local vernacular, Tahitian, still remain in active use, forming three poles of linguistic and social influence. Tahitian French is a continuum varying from an acrolect approaching colloquial French to a basilect heavily influenced by features from Tahitian. It has a set of stable features while admitting more variation than standard spoken French. It is used as a socially marking identity vernacular and its use is contextually defined, with many speakers able to choose and adjust their range of the continuum based on these factors. This thesis begins with an introduction to the historical and social situation of French Polynesia, followed by an examination of the current literature on the islands and the field oflanguage contact. The core of the work is a linguistic description of the phonology, lexicon and granunatical features of Tahitian French. For this section, a comparative approach is taken in order to clearly analyse the differences between standard French and Tahitian French. The influence of Tahitian is assessed through comparison with colloquial Tahitian structures and numerous transfer features are described. The description is extensively illustrated with examples of Tahitian French recorded during two field trips to Tahiti and the Society Islands. Following the descriptive section, a discussion of sociolinguistic factors situates the linguistic data, complemented by a series of case studies on individual speakers with selected texts presented in the Appendices. A detailed examination of the central themes of the thesis and analysis of the models presented then draw out the theoretical implications of the study. A short concluding chapter situates the study and expands the scope of the thesis

Estimating Social Variation in the Health Effects of Changes in Health Care Expenditure

Background. A common aim of health expenditure is to reduce unfair inequalities in health. Although previous research has attempted to estimate the total health effects of changes in health expenditure, little is known about how changes affect different groups in the population. Methods. We propose a general framework for disaggregating the total health effects of changes in health expenditure by social groups. This can be performed indirectly when the estimate of the total health effect has first been disaggregated by a secondary factor (e.g., disease area) that can be linked to social characteristics. This is illustrated with an application to the English National Health Service. Evidence on the health effects of expenditure across 23 disease areas is combined with data on the distribution of disease-specific hospital utilization by age, sex, and area-level deprivation. Results. We find that the health effects from NHS expenditure changes are produced largely through disease areas in which individuals from more deprived areas account for a large share of health care utilization, namely, respiratory and neurologic disease and mental health. We estimate that 26% of the total health effect from a change in expenditure would accrue to the fifth of the population living in the most deprived areas, compared with 14% to the fifth living in the least deprived areas. Conclusions. Our approach can be useful for evaluating the health inequality impacts of changing health budgets or funding alternative health programs. However, it requires robust estimates of how health expenditure affects health outcomes. Our example analysis also relied on strong assumptions about the relationship between health care utilization and health effects across population groups

Active Learning on Center Stage: Theater as a Tool for Medical Education

Introduction: Knowledge and skill development related to communication must incorporate both affective and behavioral components, which are often difficult to deliver in a learning activity. Using theater techniques and principles can provide medical educators with tools to teach communication concepts. Methods: This 75-minute faculty development workshop presents a variety of techniques from theater and adapts them for use in medical education. Using examples related to diversity and inclusion, this session addresses general educational and theater principles, role-play, sociodrama, applied improvisation, and practical aspects of involving theater partners. The session materials include a PowerPoint presentation with facilitator notes, interactive activities to demonstrate each modality, and an evaluation. The sessions can be extended to longer formats as needed. Results: Forty-five participants at Learn Serve Lead 2016: The AAMC Annual Meeting attended the 75-minute session. We emailed 32 participants 5 months after the conference, and eight responded. Participants reported that their confidence level in using theater techniques as a tool for medical education increased from low-to-medium confidence presession to high confidence postsession. All survey respondents who were actively teaching said they had made changes to their teaching based on the workshop. All commented that they appreciated the active learning in the session. Many indicated they would appreciate video or other follow-up resources. Discussion: Principles and techniques from theater are effective tools to convey difficult-to-teach concepts related to communication. This workshop presents tools to implement activities in teaching these difficult concepts

Global Breast Cancer: The Lessons to Bring Home

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women globally. This paper discusses the current progress in breast cancer in Western countries and focuses on important differences of this disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMCs). It introduces several arguments for applying caution before globalizing some of the US-adopted practices in the screening and management of the disease. Finally, it suggests that studies of breast cancer in LMCs might offer important insights for a more effective management of the problem both in developing as well as developed countries