A critical discourse analysis of teachers’ views on LGBT literature

This article presents a thread of discussion posted to a web-based forum in the context of a children's literature course in one teacher education program in the USA. Participants in the virtual discussion include three preservice elementary teachers and the course instructor (author) on the subject of bringing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) literature into the elementary classroom. Classroom teachers who lead discussions about race, gender, class, sexuality and inequality are encouraged to create and maintain a safe environment for dialogue. In this article, the author explores how the need to maintain a culture of safety around discussions of sexuality shaped the participants’ views on teaching LGBT literature written for children. Applying the tools of critical discourse analysis, the author demonstrates how events in the discussion unfolded that left normative constructions of sexuality unexamined.     

Parental sport achievement and the development of athlete expertise

This study sought to examine how parental sport involvement and attainment were related to the eventual level of competitive sport attained by their children. Athletes (n?=?229) were divided into three skill level groups (elite: n?=?139; pre-elite: n?=?33; non-elite: n?=?57), based on the peak competition level achieved in their career, which were compared using chi-squares tests of independence and analyses of variance according to parents sport characteristics provided through the Developmental History of Athletes Questionnaire. Parental recreational and competitive sport participation was overrepresented among elite athletes, as were parents who reached an elite level of sport themselves. Results were found to differ according to parent sex, with athlete skill level significantly related to the sport participation and skill level of fathers, but not mothers. Results suggest parental sport experiences at different levels of competition influence the development of athletes, although these relationships are subject to many factors.     

Self‐modeling as a treatment for increasing on‐task behavior

The study investigated the effectiveness of self‐modeling as a treatment to increase on‐task behavior. A multiple baseline design across 3 students was employed to determine the treatment effects. In addition, classroom peers' on‐task behavior was employed as comparison data. The results indicated immediate, substantial, and durable changes in students' on‐task behavior that generalized across academic settings. The 3 students evidenced an increase of on‐task behavior from an average of 33% of the intervals observed at baseline to 86% during treatment. At 6‐ and 8‐week follow‐up, the students' percentages of on‐task behavior was essentially indistinguishable from their classroom peers. Consumer data indicated that the teachers and students were satisfied with the procedure. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Assessment of setting in the behavioral ratings of preschoolers with and without high levels of activity

Parents report their preschoolers' excessive activity and inattention as early as age two. Unfortunately, most reports and ratings involve global assessments collapsed across settings. Research has not investigated specific behavior as a function of play, TV, meals, and sleep settings for preschool children. To this end, fifty‐six preschoolers (aged 3–5) were placed in a high active or comparison group based on a preschool rating scale. Individual types of behavior that differentiated between groups and an interaction of group with setting indicated that comparison preschoolers modulated changing activities during play and TV; whereas, preschoolers with hyperactivity demonstrated more stable activity across settings. The implications of these findings are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The “Gallop Poll”: Using Evaluation to Develop Fossil Horses in Cyberspace,An Online Exhibition

The number, complexity, and popularity of World Wide Web sites has increased dramatically in recent years, providing a new opportunity for museum access. This case study describes the front‐end and formative evaluations conducted during the development of the Florida Museum of Natural History's first virtual exhibition, Fossil Horses in Cyberspace < http:www.flmnh.ufl.edunatscivertpaleofhcfhc.htm >, which during 2000 received −540,000 hits equating to −60,000 user sessions. As with physical exhibitions, evaluation is critical to enhancing the educational effectiveness and appeal of online exhibitions.     

Biceps femoris long head sarcomere and fascicle length adaptations after 3 weeks of eccentric exercise training

Background:Eccentric exercise increases muscle fascicle lengths;however,the mechanisms behind this adaptation are still unknown.This study aimed to determine whether biceps femoris long head(BFlh)fascicle length increases in response to 3 weeks of eccentric exercise training are the result of an in-series addition of sarcomeres within the muscle fibers.Methods:Ten recreationally active participants(age=27±3 years;mass=70±14 kg;height=174±9 cm;mean±SD)completed 3 weeks of Nordic hamstring exercise(NHE)training on a custom exercise device that was instrumented with load cells.We collected in vivo sarcomere and muscle fascicle images of the BFlh in 2 regions(central and distal)by using microendoscopy and 3 dimension ultrasonography.We then estimated sarcomere length,sarcomere number,and fascicle length before and after the training intervention.Results:Eccentric knee flexion strength increased after the training(15%;p<0.001;η_p²=0.75).Further,we found a significant increase in fascicle length(21%;p<0.001;η_p²=0.81)and sarcomere length(17%;p<0.001;ηp2=0.90)in the distal but not in the central portion of the muscle.The estimated number of sarcomeres in series did not change in either region.Conclusion:Fascicle length adaptations appear to be heterogeneous in the BFlh in response to 3 weeks of NHE training.An increase in sarcomere length,rather than the addition of sarcomeres in series,appears to underlie increases in fascicle length in the distal region of the BFlh.The mechanism driving regional increases in fascicle and sarcomere length remains unknown,but we speculate that it may be driven by regional changes in the pas sive tension of muscle or connective tis sue adaptations.     

Moral rights protection for the visual arts

Beginning in 1979, certain states extended extra copyright protection, known as “moral rights” protection, to visual artists. Moral rights protection, which was incorporated into U.S. copyright law in 1990, ensures that works cannot be altered in a manner that would negatively impact the reputation of the artist. Using difference-in-differences regression strategies, we compare artists and non-artists in states with moral rights laws to those in states without these laws, before and after the laws are enacted. This enables us to test the impact of the laws on the behavior of artists, consumers, and policy makers. Our analysis reveals that the average artist’s income falls by around $4000 per year as a result of moral rights legislation, but we find no impact of the laws on artists’ choices of residence or on state-level public spending on the arts.     

The concurrent validity of the matrix analogies test-short form with the stanford-binet: Fourth edition and KTEA-BF (academic achievement)

This study examined the relationship between the Matrix Analogies Test-Short Form (MAT-SF) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition and academic achievement as measured by the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Brief Form (KTEA-BF). The subjects were 71 referred students who were attending a large urban school district. The results supported the concurrent and criterion-related validity of the MAT-SF. This brief nonverbal intelligence test correlated significantly with the Stanford-Binet Areas and Test Composite (r = .73) and with the Math, Reading, and Spelling scores of the Brief Form of the KTEA (rs = .44, .44, and .38, respectively).