Corticospinal activity during a single-leg stance in people with chronic ankle instability

Purpose:The aim of the study was to determine whether corticospinal excitability and inhibition of the tibialis anterior during single-leg standing differs among individuals with chronic ankle instability(CAI),lateral ankle sprain copers,and healthy controls.Methods:Twenty-three participants with CAI,23 lateral ankle sprain copers,and 24 healthy control participants volunteered.Active motor threshold(AMT),normalized motor-evoked potential(MEP),and cortical silent period(CSP)were evaluated by transcranial magnetic stimulation while participants performed a single-leg standing task.Results:Participants with CAI had significantly longer CSP at 100%of AMT and lower normalized MEP at 120%of AMT compared to lateral ankle sprain copers(CSP100%:p=0.003;MEP120%:p=0.044)and controls(CSP100%:p=0.041;MEP120%:p=0.006).Conclusion:This investigation demonstrate altered corticospinal excitability and inhibition of the tibialis anterior during single-leg standing in participants with CAI.Further research is needed to examine the effects of corticospinal maladaptations to motor control of the tibial anterior on postural control performance in those with CAI.     

The Southern Manifesto: Massive Resistance,Growth Liberalism,and the Interpretation of Brown II

ABSTRACT

The United States Congress’ Southern Congressional Delegation promulgated the Declaration of Constitutional Principles, popularly known as the Southern Manifesto, on March 12, 1956. The Southern Manifesto was the South’s primary means to effectively delay implementation of public school desegregation as ordered by the United States Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Topeka, Kansas (1954; as cited in Day, 2014). This essay places the desegregation of American public school system within the larger context of the time period in which it transpired, and explains how racial disparity in public education was perpetuated after the Jim Crow caste system was dismantled in the 1960s. Ironically, while de jure desegregation of American public schools was effectively accomplished by the early 1970s under the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, government spending during the era after World War II, perpetuated racial and economic disparity in America’s public schools that prevails up to the present day.     

An investigation of early childhood teachers’ perceptions of families through a photo-sharing activity

This study examined parent–teacher interactions during a photo-sharing project at three early childhood centers that serve as clinical sites for early childhood preservice teachers. Families were provided with a digital camera for one week to document activities they used to support children’s early learning and development. Families then participated in an interview with their child’s teacher to share and discuss the meaning behind the images. Upon completion, teachers participated in a follow-up interview with the researchers to reflect on the process and their relationships with families. Data were thematically analyzed through the theoretical lens of cultural capital, and findings suggested that previously established power dynamics and assumptions about families interfered with the photo-sharing process aimed at enhancing home–school relationships. Families at a higher-income center possessed the most power in relationships, while families enrolled at lower-income centers possessed less power. Implications for early childhood professionals are discussed, specifically related to addressing biases in home–school relationships and adequately preparing preservice teachers to work with a diverse range of families in equitable ways.     

Two Arts. Revision and what it leaves behind

Inspired by an experience of teaching the drafts of Elizabeth Bishop’s ‘One Art’, this article rereads the drafts as far more than imperfect precursors to the final poem. The drafts have their own prosodic features and poetic logic, one that values and enacts a vertiginous dilation of thought, expression and memory. The final version of ‘One Art’ records an anxiety about moving away from the openness of drafting to the stability of the finished poem. It is an anxiety that writers and especially writing teachers should consider adopting.     

Ready...Fire...Aim! Toward meaningful technology standards for educators and students

Conclusion I applaud ISTE, AASL, AECT, and the other organizations involved for tackling the “messy work” of developing standards for the use of technology and information resources in schools. And, at the same time, I call for a “second generation” of standards that define realistic expectations for teachers based on the subjects and levels they are called upon to teach. I propose that professional organizations from each subject work with ISTE and AECT to complete this huge task, and I propose that we consider as a “next step” the creation of a set of on-line learning experiences through which teachers can gain the identified skills and knowledge by using the very technologies we’re hoping they’ll embrace in their own teaching. There’s an old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do.” As far as educational technologies are concerned, this is also true. For many, the goal seems to have been simply to “get more computers into the schools,” without much thought about purpose. To return to Phil Schlechty’s metaphor, It’s generally been a brief and misguided “Ready” stage (occupied with questions like “How many do we need?” “What type?” “Where?” and “How shall we connect them?”), followed by “Fire!” (the acquisition and installation of equipment). What we need is: “Ready” (the creation of appropriate teams of people who will combine their insights to plan for the district)... “Aim” (a series of discussions about what technologies can accomplish for schools and the students they serve)... “Fire” (acquisition, installation, and professional development according to plan)... “Aim” (an assessment of how well the technologies and related programs met the intended goals, and a new planning effort designed to close the gap)... “Fire” (acquisition and implementation designed to eliminate the gap)... “Aim” (another gap assessment)... “Fire” (another attempt to close gaps)..., And so on.