Normalizing difference in inclusive teaching

Inclusion practices and special education can be transformed by using a disability studies perspective, which constructs differences as natural, acceptable, and ordinary. Although inclusion is a moral imperative in promoting social justice, some inclusive practices continue to marginalize students with disabilities. A truly inclusive school reflects a democratic philosophy whereby all students are valued, educators normalize difference through differentiated instruction, and the school culture reflects an ethic of caring and community.     

Physical literacy and inclusion: A scoping review of the physical literacy literature inclusive of individuals experiencing disability

PROSPECTS - Although inclusion is a fundamental tenet of physical literacy (PL), its applicability and inclusivity related to individuals experiencing disability has been assumed but is not well...     

The Implications of COVID-19 for Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia: Perspectives from Parents and Caregivers

Early Childhood Education Journal - Recent research on the effects of COVID-19 on school closures has mainly focused on primary and secondary education, with extremely limited attention to early...     

Approach tendency and threat display as related to social status of Siamese fighting fish,Betta splendens

Forty-eight maleBetta splendens were assigned to three groups of 16 (eight pairs) each. In two of the groups, pairs of fish were first allowed to fight until a dominance-subordinance relationship was established. Then each subject was tested on measures of time spent in approach and threat display toward either (1) its own pair member, with which it was experienced and familiar (Group EF), or toward (2) another combat-experienced fish, with which it was unfamiliar (Group EU). A third group of inexperienced and unfamiliar individuals (Group IU) were first exposed to their own mirror images and then tested for approach and threat-display duration. Pairs of these fish were then allowed to fight until dominance was determined. The three major findings were: (a) Dominant subjects approached and displayed significantly more than subordinates in all three groups; (2) Dominant subjects of Group IU did not differ significantly from dominants in the other two groups with respect to time spent in approach and display; and (3) Fish exposed to mirrors prior to combat required significantly fewer sessions to establish dominance than fish not receiving mirror exposure. Results suggest that dominant fish can be distinguished on the basis of their approach tendency and threat-display scores prior to actual physical combat. An habituation model of dominance determination was proposed.     

Computer conferencing with access to a 'guest expert' in the professional development of special educational needs coordinators

This article describes and outlines the implications of a one‐year case study of students’ use of the computer conferencing facility of a postgraduate module for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) at a distance‐learning institution. This facility incorporates a virtual space for a ‘guest expert’. The aim of the study was to inform future development of courses at a time when computer conferencing was just becoming widespread in the university concerned. Quantitative data associated with the volume and patterns of individual participation in the computer conference were collected as well as interview material from students, tutors and the ‘guest expert’. Findings from the study indicate that computer conferencing has the potential to facilitate the professional development of teachers as reflective practitioners and researchers. However, they also point to a number of barriers to student participation that must be addressed. These include access issues related to time constraints, unfamiliarity with the medium, and lack of confidence in expressing personal views in a public arena. A major conclusion drawn from this study is that it may be appropriate to consider future developments which incorporate the assumption that, in computer conferences of large professional development courses, students are much more likely to participate through reading rather than making personal contributions to conference discussions. This opens the possibility of reconceptualising the role of the ‘guest expert’ as two or more discussants with relevant expertise dialoguing with each other while students follow a threaded discussion and/or make personal contributions.     

WOMEN AND RETIREMENT: EVOLVING ISSUES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INTERVENTION

Until recent years, occupational retirement was perceived primarily as a male life transition process. Women now comprise a major population experiencing active, long‐term involvement in occupational roles and facing significant concerns in their transition from work to retirement.

This article provides an examination of the current status of research regarding women and retirement and discusses multiple issues that surround the aging woman and her relationship to the retirement process. Key orientations are discussed in relation to conceptualizing and shaping future preretirement educational programming alternatives.     

Practicing What We Teach: Trauma-Informed Educational Practice

This article presents the starting case for applying the elements of trauma-informed care (TIC) to education and outlines the authors’ initial efforts to develop guidelines for what they call trauma-informed educational practice. To this end, the article starts with a literature review related to the potential for vicarious traumatization and retraumatization among students in clinical training, followed by a discussion of the TIC framework and past efforts to be trauma sensitive in social work education. The authors then describe what drew them to this perspective and inspired them to apply it to educational practice. They then present guidelines for implementing the trauma-informed principle of safety in the classroom in several domains.     

Heat transfer variations of bicycle helmets

Abstract

Bicycle helmets exhibit complex structures so as to combine impact protection with ventilation. A quantitative experimental measure of the state of the art and variations therein is a first step towards establishing principles of bicycle helmet ventilation. A thermal headform mounted in a climate-regulated wind tunnel was used to study the ventilation efficiency of 24 bicycle helmets at two wind speeds. Flow visualization in a water tunnel with a second headform demonstrated the flow patterns involved. The influence of design details such as channel length and vent placement was studied, as well as the impact of hair. Differences in heat transfer among the helmets of up to 30% (scalp) and 10% (face) were observed, with the nude headform showing the highest values. On occasion, a negative role of some vents for forced convection was demonstrated. A weak correlation was found between the projected vent cross-section and heat transfer variations when changing the head tilt angle. A simple analytical model is introduced that facilitates the understanding of forced convection phenomena. A weak correlation between exposed scalp area and heat transfer was deduced. Adding a wig reduces the heat transfer by approximately a factor of 8 in the scalp region and up to one-third for the rest of the head for a selection of the best ventilated helmets. The results suggest that there is significant optimization potential within the basic helmet structure represented in modern bicycle helmets.