Rap as a roadway: creating creolized forms of science in an era of cultural globalization

Even during an era of cultural globalization where diversity, hybridity, and heterogeneity prevail, educational institutions remain unchanged and economically and racially marginalized students continue to experience a sense of exclusion in school. Whereas the science education community often addresses such exclusion in terms of the achievement gap or the lack of materials and qualified teachers in urban schools, there are also more subtle ways in which these students remain as outsiders to the culture of science. The study highlights how the acceptance and affordance of students’ cultural capital can encourage a sense of belonging with school science. Specifically, this paper contributes to the literature by sharing longitudinal findings that reveal students’ skills of orality, in the form of rap practices, can be rich resources for developing creolized forms of school science, and how rap creates entryways for students to form and reform hybridized identities in which canonical science discourse and lyrics about non-science subjects can begin to emerge in integrated, fluid and seamless manners.     

Learning science through research apprenticeships: A critical review of the literature

Science education models for secondary and college students as well as K‐12 teachers have been dominated by classroom‐based approaches. Recently, research apprenticeships wherein learners worked with practicing scientists on authentic scientific research have become increasingly popular. The purpose of this critical review of the literature was to review and synthesize empirical studies that have explored learning outcomes associated with research apprenticeships for science learners. We reviewed 53 studies of scientific research apprenticeship experiences for secondary students, undergraduates and teachers, both pre‐service and in‐service. The review explored various learning outcomes associated with participation in research apprenticeships. These outcomes included effects of apprenticeship experiences on participant career aspirations, ideas about the nature of science (NOS), understandings of scientific content, confidence for doing science and intellectual development. The extant literature supported many of the presumed positive associations between apprenticeship experiences and desired learning outcomes, but findings related to some themes (e.g., NOS understandings) supported conflicting conclusions. Implications included importance of the length of the apprenticeship, need to explicitly place attention on desired outcomes, and engagement of participants. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:235–256, 2010     

The early school leaver count as a policy instrument in EU governance: the un/intended effects of an indicator

ABSTRACT

The EU has embraced the use of indicators as policy instruments for achieving common aims. One of the indicators, ‘early school leaver’ (ESL), depicts the proportion of young people leaving education and training prematurely. Initially defined as an education policy indicator, it has been transformed into a performance indicator measuring the targets of the current Europe 2020 strategy. In this article, we examine how the indicator works as a policy instrument at different levels of governance applying the conceptual tools provided by the policy instrumentation approach to unpack the components, pinpoint the political effects, and reveal the power relations they produce. Thus challenging the taken-for-grantedness of comparison as a way of knowing we have intended to shift the focus of discussion concerning the role of large-scale comparisons in education towards more productive directions: moving from problematisation and deconstruction of comparison to engaging with processes of measurement.     

Learning to teach primary geography in the context of school placement: lessons from an all-Ireland study

Teaching education is Ireland is currently undergoing significant structural and conceptual changes. School placement is at the centre of these reforms. This article reports the findings of an all-Ireland study which investigates student teachers’ experiences of teaching geography during their school placements. Based on data collected from surveys and focus group interviews with one cohort of B.Ed. students, this study illustrates the emotional journey of school placement, emerging identities as teacher, the positive impact of initial teacher education, the problematic nature of messages from ‘third parties’ and conflicting conceptualisations of geography. The findings of this study are important for student teachers and teacher educators as they illustrate the complexity of school placement and the importance of emotional as well as cognitive engagement.     

Learning science in an alternative context: The effects on a selected group of young science educators

The Ontario Science Centre is a popular alternative learning environment for science and technology. Using semi-structured interviews, the research underpinning this paper investigates the experiences and effects of working as a Host or exhibit interpreter at the Science Centre. It examines how the Hosts benefit from the program in terms of their knowledge about and attitudes toward science and technology. What is distinctive about learning in this context, and its implications for science and technology education in schools, are discussed. The dominant aspects of learning for the respondents tended to be inspirational and attitudinal, as well as cognitive. The comments of the respondents indicate that in order to encourage learning in science and technology, science education needs to focus on more than a narrow concern with curriculum content.     

Cast the net a little wider: Australian aid in the South Pacific

This article examines the development of Australia's bilateral aid programme to higher education in the South Pacific, specifically at the University of the South Pacific (USP). The premise is primarily historical, focusing on the important decades of USP's expansion and Australian aid policy development in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. This article briefly examines current challenges for donor and recipient. Both historical and current perspectives are fundamental to understanding key issues about aid in the South Pacific. Australian aid priorities have ranged from the explicitly political and security focused, to priorities of education and welfare. This article is timely given Australia's continued influence in the South Pacific.     

基于C/S和B/S结构相结合的教学管理信息系统设计

通过对总体方案设计、系统模块设计和系统特点的描述，提出了基于C／S和B／S结构相结合的教学管理信息系统的设计方案，该方案打破了原先教务系统使用地域的局限性，为促进学校教学管理的科学化、规范化、信息化提供了有力的支持。     

Virtual Teaching Dispositions in an Open Distance Learning Environment: Origins,Measurement and Impact

An understanding of the key characteristics and implicit competencies underlying online teaching is essential to distance education institutions that embark on the assertive use of technology in their tuition development and delivery. The Virtual Teaching Dispositions Scale (VTDS) assists in investigating professional teaching dispositions associated with effective online instruction. It was initially validated among academic staff members at a residential university in the United States of America (USA). Strong support was found for the construct's cognitive, pedagogical and social presence that served as the conceptual foundation for developing the scale. The aim of this study was to validate the VTDS among academic staff members of an open distance learning (ODL) institution and to make suggestions for improving online teaching in this environment. This study highlights the need for interventions aimed at enhancing academic staff members’ experienced level of virtual/technological presence.     

Science Letters:Dechlorination mechanism of 2,4-dichlorophenol by Ni/Fe nanoparticles in the presence of humic acid

To understand the feasibility of its application to the in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater, the dechlori-nation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) by Ni/Fe nanoparticles in the presence of humic acid (HA) was investigated. We found that, as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used, the 2,4-DCP was first quickly reduced to o-chlorophenol (o-CP) andp-chlorophenol (p-CP), and then reduced to phenol as the final product. Our experimental results indicated that HA had an adverse effect on the dechlorination of 2,4-DCP by Ni/Fe nanoparticles, as the HA concentration increased, the removal rate decreased evidently. It also demonstrated that 2,4-DCP was reduced more easily to o-CP than to p-CP, and that the sequence of the tendency in dechlorination of intermediates was p-CP>o-CP. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that HA could act as an adsorbate to compete reactive sites on the surface of Ni/Fe nanoparticles to decrease the dechlorination rate. Also we con-cluded that the dechlorination reaction of 2,4-DCP over Ni/Fe nanoparticles progressed through catalytic reductive dechlorination.     

基于B/S模式的网上学习系统的设计与实现

结合网上学习系统,探讨了B/S软件结构开发技术,并给出了利用SQLSERVER2000作为后台数据库,通过Web远程进行查询、更新,对数据库系统实施管理的具体方法.     

Ecological and intercultural citizenship in the primary English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom: an online project in Argentina

This article describes an online intercultural citizenship project concerning the environment in the primary English-language classroom carried out in 2013/2014 between Argentina and Denmark. It is part of a network of projects coordinated by Michael Byram that involves teachers and researchers in Europe, the US and East Asia. The project is framed within the theory of intercultural citizenship in the foreign-language classroom and it is the only study set in the primary school context. Furthermore, developments in Latin America in this field are scarce and the study intends to fill an empirical gap. Although the comparative perspective is ingrained in the project, the article describes mainly the Argentinian standpoint.

At the same time, and more generally (beyond language education), it will be argued, and shown, that the project can also be framed within the notion of ecological citizenship, understood as a new form of citizenship that presents new challenges to educators. While the notion of citizenship in formal education usually assumes nationalist and patriotic mindsets, in this project ecological citizenship offers a new framework that introduces an international, transnational or global perspective. Furthermore, citizenship education tends to be reserved to secondary civics and social studies classrooms and in this sense the focus on the primary school context and on the foreign-language classroom is innovative in this project.     

Dechlorination mechanism of 2,4-dichlorophenol by Ni/Fe nanoparticles in the presence of humic acid

To understand the feasibility of its application to the in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater, the dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol （2,4-DCP） by Ni/Fe nanoparticles in the presence of humic acid （HA） was investigated. We found that, as high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） was used, the 2,4-DCP was first quickly reduced to o-chlorophenol （o-CP） andp-chlorophenol （p-CP）, and then reduced to phenol as the final product. Our experimental results indicated that HA had an adverse effect on the dechlorination of 2,4-DCP by Ni/Fe nanoparticles, as the HA concentration increased, the removal rate decreased evidently. It also demonstrated that 2,4-DCP was reduced more easily to o-CP than to p-CP, and that the sequence of the tendency in dechlorination of intermediates was p-CP〉o-CP. Transmission electron microscope （TEM） showed that HA could act as an adsorbate to compete reactive sites on the surface of Ni/Fe nanoparticles to decrease the dechlorination rate. Also we concluded that the dechlorination reaction of 2,4-DCP over Ni/Fe nanoparticles progressed through catalytic reductive dechlorination.     

Application of the ISCST3 model for predicting PCDD/F concentrations in agricultural soil in the vicinity of a MSWI plant in China

Based on the Industrial Source Complex Short-Term Version 3 （ISCST3） model, a simplified modeling approach was developed to predict concentrations of congeners of polychlorinated-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans （PCDD/Fs） of agricultural soil, within a radius of 3 kin from a municipal solid waste incinerator （MSWI） plant after its 4-year operation in Hangzhou, China. Comparisons were made between the measured and estimated congener-specific concentrations and the international-toxic equivalent （I-TEQ） values of soil samples with respect to distance from the stack. The results indicate that the predictions of soil PCDD/F concentrations and K-TEQ values were generally lower than their observations, and that the higher the degree of underestimation seems, the greater the further downwind one gets. Nevertheless, most of the predictions were in good agreement with the trend of measured ones and were within a factor of ten for samples located within 1 kin of the plant. Besides, analysis of contributions of various deposition pathways confirms that in addition to wet particle deposition, the dry gaseous deposition is essential for realistic prediction of PCDD/F depositions to soil, especially for tetra- and penta-chlorinated dioxins.     

Effectiveness of urban construction boundaries in Beijing: an assessment

Based on the remote sensing （RS） and geographic information system （GIS） analysis of the Landsat multispectral scanner （MSS） and thematic mapper （TM） satellite images of 1983, 1993, and 2005, the present research examined the effectiveness of the urban construction boundaries （UCBs） in containing urban growth within the 6th Ring Road of Beijing Municipality. Three indicators on boundary control were proposed, through which the effectiveness of boundary containment, land inventory sufficiency and illegal adjacent development to the UCBs were explored. The results suggested that, first, the UCBs were limited in effectiveness in containing urban growth; second, the area encompassed by the UCBs might not be designed large enough to accommodate new development. The frustration of the urban growth control through the UCBs mainly resulted from the lack of a transparent system for urban land use planning and control to provide sufficient information, the limitation of the traditional land use prediction method to consider contingencies, and the absence of a mechanism to monitor and adjust the UCBs to respond just in time to urban change.     

Understanding collaborative language learning in novice-level foreign language classrooms: perceptions of teachers and students

This study explored the congruence and disparities among three groups of foreign language (Chinese, French, and German) students’ and teachers’ perceptions of collaborative/cooperative language learning (CLL) strategies in novice-level classroom contexts. A total of 168 participants from a university in the USA took part in this mixed-method study. The quantitative findings from a 10-item CLL questionnaire suggested that while the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies were generally consistent and positive, some disparities emerged in terms of their perceptions towards pair work, 3–6 as a group work, interview, and role playing. The qualitative findings from interviews and classroom observations provided some possible explanations to the differences discovered. The quantitative findings also revealed that foreign language type was not a factor differentiating students’ and teachers’ perceptions of CLL strategies. Some practical implications are provided for the effective implementation of CLL strategies in novice-level foreign language classrooms.     

Comparison of an SMS text messaging and phone reminder to improve attendance at a health promotion center： A randomized controlled trial

Objective To compare the efficacy of a short messaging service (SMS) text messaging and phone reminder to improve attendance rates at a health promotion center. Methods A total of 1 859 participants who had scheduled appointments in the health promotion center of our hospital from April 2007 to May 2007 were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned into 3 groups control (no reminder) group, SMS text messaging reminder group and telephone reminder group. Attendance rates and costs of interventions were collected. Results A total of 1848 participants were eligible for analysis. Attendance rates of control,SMS and telephone groups were 80.5%, 87.5% and 88.3%, respectively. The attendance rates were significantly higher in SMS and telephone groups than that in the control group, with odds ratio 1.698, 95% confidence interval 1.224 to 2.316, P=0.001 in the SMS group, and odds ratio 1.829, 95% confidence interval 1.333 to 2.509, P＜0.001 in the telephone group. However, there was no difference between the SMS group and the telephone group (P=0.670). The cost effectiveness analysis showed that the cost per attendance for the SMS group (0.31 Yuan) was significantly lower than that for the telephone group (0.48 Yuan). ConclusionSMS and telephone are effective reminders for improving attendance rate at a health promotion center. SMS reminder may be more cost-effective compared with the telephone reminder.     

Science Letters:A power divider based on a new kind of composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH TL) unit

INTRODUCTION Wave propagation in a material with negative magnetic permeability and negative electric permit- tivity was first theoretically analyzed by Veselago (1968). In such a left-handed material (LHM), the electric field E, the magnetic field H and the wave vector k of electromagnetic wave propagation obey the left-hand rule (instead of the right-hand rule for usual materials). After Smith et al.(2000) demon- strated simultaneously negative permeability and permittivity, using cop…     

Critical Religious Education (CRE) in practice: evaluating the reception of an introductory scheme of work

Critical Religious Education (CRE) is a contemporary pedagogy of religious education developed by Andrew Wright and various colleagues over the past two decades. There has been widespread academic discourse about the pedagogy in theory but increasingly commentators have called for examples of it in practice. Over the past seven years a writing group associated with The Forum of Religious and Spiritual Education at King’s College London have been developing practical materials aimed at supporting teachers in embedding the pedagogy in practice. Of particular relevance to this paper is the development of an introductory scheme of work, aimed at year 7 students, which has been trialled in a number of schools in and around London. In 2013, focus group interviews took place in four of these schools in order to ascertain the reception that the materials had received. The data suggests a very positive response to the introductory scheme of work and the CRE approach in general, partially dispelling some criticisms levelled at it in academic discourse. The author has thus suggested that the approach and the work of the writing group need further exposure, especially in schools, at conferences and on initial teacher education programmes.