Science notebooks as interactional spaces in a multilingual classroom: Not just ideas on paper

Past studies have explored the role of student science notebooks in supporting students' developing science understandings. Yet scant research has investigated science notebook use with students who are learning science in a language they are working to master. To explore how student science notebook use is co-constructed in interaction among students and teachers, this study examined plurilingual students' interactions with open-ended science notebooks during an inquiry science unit on condensation and evaporation. Grounded in theoretical views of the notebook as a semiotic social space, multimodal interaction analysis facilitated examination of the ways students drew upon the space afforded by the notebook as they constructed explanations of their understandings. Cross-group comparison of three focal groups led to multiple assertions regarding the use of science notebooks with plurilingual students. First, the notebook supported student-determined paths of resemiotization as students employed multiple communicative resources to express science understandings. Second, notebooks provided spaces for students to draw upon diverse language resources and as a bridge in time across multiple inquiry sessions. Third, representations in notebooks were leveraged by both students and teachers to access and deepen conceptual conversations. Lastly, students' interactions over time revealed multiple epistemological orientations in students' use of the notebook space. These findings point to the benefits of open-ended science notebooks use with plurilingual students, and a consideration of the ways they are used in interaction in science instruction.     

Increasing school personnel's self-efficacy,knowledge, and response regarding nonsuicidal self-injury in youth

Rates of students engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) are rising and additional supports in the schools are needed (Nock, 2010, Ann Rev Clin Psychol, 6, 339–363; Stargell et al., 2017, Prof Sch Couns, 21, 37-46). School psychologists, school counselors, and school nurses are key personnel in responding to self-injurious behaviors within the school setting. The results of a practice-based research project are described, in which school psychologists, school counselors, and school nurses participated in training to increase their self-efficacy, knowledge, and response in regard to NSSI. The training provided information regarding best practice in responding to NSSI in youth (Hasking et al., 2016, Sch Psychol Int, 37(6), 644–663; Kanan et al., 2008, Sch Psychol Forum: Res Prac, 2, 67–79; Walsh & Muehlenkamp, 2013, Sch Psychol Forum: Res Prac, 7, 161–171). This exploratory study indicated that training positively impacted participants' perceived self-efficacy and knowledge with respect to responding to youth who engage in NSSI. Handouts and resources for school-based staff are included. Limitations and future directions are discussed.     

Effect of the kinesthetic conflict on promoting scientific reasoning

The importance of the kinesthetic-cognitive conflict (bodily experience that contradicts cognition) in the development of thinking is rooted in Piaget's theory. This article presents three studies which demonstrate the efficiency of the kinesthetic conflict in promoting the understanding of three scientific concepts among children aged 5–12. The first study examines the effect of the kinesthetic conflict on promoting the concept of length in children aged 4.5–5.5 years; the second study compares the effect of four types of cognitive conflicts—two physical ones (visual and kinesthetic) and two social ones (between peers and between children and adults)—on promoting the concept of balance among children aged 5–6 years; and the third study compares the effect of the kinesthetic conflict with the visual conflict on promoting the concept of speed among sixth graders. In all three studies, the kinesthetic conflict was found to be the most efficient in causing a significant cognitive change. The results support Piaget's theory which determines that scientific thinking begins with the sensomotoric experience of the physical surroundings. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 1083–1099, 1997.     

Onset of channeling during DNA electrophoresis in a sparse ordered post array

The “channeling hypothesis” of DNA electrophoresis in sparse, ordered arrays of posts predicts that the DNA will move through the array relatively unhindered if (i) the spacing between the posts is larger than the DNA coil and (ii) the electric field lines are straight. We tested this hypothesis by studying the electrophoretic separation of a small plasmid DNA (pUC19, 2686 base pairs) and a large, linear DNA (λ-DNA, 48 500 base pairs) in a hexagonal array of 1 μm diameter posts with a pitch of 7 μm. At low electric field strengths, these DNAs are separated due to the long-lived, rope-over-pulley collisions of λ-DNA with the posts. The resolution is lost as the electric field increases due to the onset of channeling by the λ-DNA. Using a diffusive model, we show that channeling arises at low electric fields due to the finite size of the array. This channeling is not intrinsic to the system and is attenuated by increasing the size of the array. Higher electric fields lead to intrinsic channeling, which is attributed to the disparate time scales for a rope-over-pulley collision and transverse diffusion between collisions. The onset of channeling is a gradual process, in agreement with extant Brownian dynamics simulation data. Even at weak electric fields, the electrophoretic mobility of λ-DNA in the array is considerably higher than would be expected if the DNA frequently collided with the posts.     

留住人才的5条法则

（1）挑选优胜者 企业家很容易陷入到数字困惑之中。去年的销售额是多少？公司2009年的销售有望增长——或下降——多少？但对于关注运营和扩大正茁壮成长公刮的企业家来说,成功远非这些数字所代表。事实上这些公训关注的是人。吸引并留住顶级人才是企业家的首要任务,普若森企业发展中心的首席执行官同时也是《和理论说再见》一书作者鲍勃·普若森说。     

The contributions of ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ executive function to children's academic achievement, learning-related behaviors, and engagement in kindergarten

Executive functioning (EF) refers to higher order thought processes considered foundational for problem-solving. EF has both ‘cool’ cognitive and ‘hot’ emotional components. This study asks: (a) what are the relative contributions of ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ EF to children's academic achievement? (b) What are the relative contributions of ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ EF to learning-related classroom behaviors and observed engagement? (c) Do learning-related classroom behaviors and observed engagement account for the relation between EF and achievement? For a sample of 173 kindergarteners, cool EF predicted math achievement, learning-related classroom behaviors, and observed engagement. Hot EF did not predict any achievement or behavior outcomes when examined concurrently with cool EF. Children's classroom behavior did not account for the relation between cool EF and math achievement, suggesting cool EF and math performance are directly associated.     

1, 2, 3, 4: Infusing Quantitative Literacy into Introductory Biology

Biology of the twenty-first century is an increasingly quantitative science. Undergraduate biology education therefore needs to provide opportunities for students to develop fluency in the tools and language of quantitative disciplines. Quantitative literacy (QL) is important for future scientists as well as for citizens, who need to interpret numeric information and data-based claims regarding nearly every aspect of daily life. To address the need for QL in biology education, we incorporated quantitative concepts throughout a semester-long introductory biology course at a large research university. Early in the course, we assessed the quantitative skills that students bring to the introductory biology classroom and found that students had difficulties in performing simple calculations, representing data graphically, and articulating data-driven arguments. In response to students'' learning needs, we infused the course with quantitative concepts aligned with the existing course content and learning objectives. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by significant improvement in the quality of students'' graphical representations of biological data. Infusing QL in introductory biology presents challenges. Our study, however, supports the conclusion that it is feasible in the context of an existing course, consistent with the goals of college biology education, and promotes students'' development of important quantitative skills.     

TOLERANCE,EMPATHY, OR INCLUSION? INSIGHTS FROM MARTIN BUBER

Given the reality of diversity, particularly religious diversity, in the contemporary world, Marion Larson and Sara Shady explore how educators can help students (and ourselves) consider the following question: How do I balance my own belief commitments with my responsibility to be genuinely open to and challenged by the other's perspective? Larson and Shady describe and evaluate three possible models: (1) tolerance, a neutral openness to the other's position; (2) empathy, a complete absorption of the other's position; and (3) inclusion, genuine dialogue about one's own position and the other's. Using the writings of Martin Buber as a basis, Larson and Shady advocate inclusion and apply this model to classroom teaching, arguing that this model of education promotes a shared reality where all partners in the dialogue come to understand each other's position, even if they do not entirely agree with it.     

Measuring basic needs satisfaction: Evaluating previous research and conducting new psychometric evaluations of the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale

Self-Determination Theory specifies the existence of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The current set of studies (a) provides a narrative review of past research on the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, (b) examines its dimensionality which has been assumed but not empirically studied, and (c) gathers external validity evidence. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the existence of a one- and a three-factor solution; neither model fit the data. After patterns of misfit were examined across three independent samples, a reduced, 16-item three-factor model with a negative-worded method effect was championed. External validity evidence, collected by examining the differential relationships between the three needs and measures of well-being and worry, supported the distinctiveness of the three needs. Although the results are promising, future research is needed to examine the generalizability of the psychometric properties of the modified scale.