A Spiral Task as a Model for In-service Teacher Education

The spiral approach has long been used by curriculum designers to deepen students’ knowledge of scientific and mathematical concepts and to bring students to higher levels of abstraction. The benefits of a spiral approach, however, can also be extended to teacher education. This paper describes a spiral activity employed by the Kidumatica program not only to raise the level of teachers’ content knowledge, but also to promote discussion and collaboration among teachers teaching at different grade levels. The activity was designed to take a single problem situation and develop it in ways appropriate to the different grade levels. At each stage, the teachers are encouraged to discuss teaching approaches required by the students at each grade level and the relationships between the different stages of the development.     

Hyperinsulinemia predisposes to NAFLD

Metabolic syndrome contributes to pathogenesis of Type-2 diabetes and CAD. Insulin Resistance is the key factor of metabolic syndrome implicated in development of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). In present study we have investigated the prevalence of NAFLD in metabolic syndrome and contribution of metabolic risk factors in causation of NAFLD in non-diabetic North Indian male population. The study was conducted on 495 non-diabetic, nonalcoholic subjects (age 30–65 years). Metabolic Syndrome was assessed by using ATP III and ADA (2005) criteria. Anthropometric factors-Waist circumference and blood pressure were measured. Fasting serum samples were analyzed for Glucose, Triglycerides, Cholesterol and its fractions, Insulin, Alanine transaminase, Aspartate transaminase, Gamma glutamyl transferase and free fatty acids. Insulin resistance was estimated by Homeostasis Model and Insulin sensitivity by QUICKI Index. Liver ultrasonographic scanning was used for assessing fatty liver. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and NAFLD was 24% and 14.8% respectively in non-alcoholic population and 27% of metabolic syndrome had NAFLD which was associated with hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, insulin insensitivity along with elevated levels of waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride, FFA and decreased HDL-Cholesterol. The prevalence of NAFLD increased with insulin resistance and clustering of metabolic risk factors.     

The Globalization of Cricket: The Rise of the Non-West

The article argues that international cricket has not followed the path of other transnational sporting events which, typically, are dominated by developed countries. It is a game which the non-Western countries have begun to dominate not just on the field but, more importantly, in shaping the economics and politics of the game. The article suggests that this change, that is atypical of international sport, has come about because of processes within the globalization phenomenon particularly. These are the rise of a transnational community which can support its team across frontiers, the spread of technology that provides real time coverage of the sport; and the decline of the sport in its host country, thereby allowing alternative centres of power to emerge, especially in decision making.     

The Influence of Teacher Development on Secondary Content Area Supervision Among Preservice Teachers

This study addresses the issues and challenges faced by university supervisors when providing content-specific and general pedagogical feedback to preservice teachers. Study data highlight the perspectives of six preservice teachers as they reflect on their supervisory experiences over the course of a licensure year. Survey, interview, and written observation data from preservice teachers and university supervisors reveal the influence of teacher development and content area conventions on how preservice teachers view their teaching abilities and their expectations of university supervisors. Findings will inform how others may approach mentoring, support, and the evaluation of beginning teachers.     

Schools and informal science settings: collaborate, co-exist, or assimilate?

In this metalogue we build on the arguments presented by Puvirajah, Verma and Webb to discuss the nature of authentic science learning experiences in context of collaborations between schools and out-of-school time settings. We discuss the role of stakeholders in creating collaborative science learning practices and affordances of out of school time and formal science learning contexts. We contend that authentic science learning experiences are those where science learning happens within a social milieu and advocate for true collaborations between schools and informal settings in ways that emphasize the goals of the collaboration and strengths of each setting.     

Savouring Rajasthan's Shiksha Karmi in a remote village: the prospect of dismantling the student-teacher divide

The Shiksha Karmi Project in Rajasthan, one of the most educationally challenged states, is at the frontiers of alternative models of primary education in India. The key ideas underlying this model are: (i) the taking over of ‘sick’ schools in remote regions of the state and turning them around, (ii) creating new schools driven by demand from the ground, (iii) human resource investments to train local village teachers, (iv) strong linkages between the school and the community built upon a spirit of voluntarism, (v) an explicit movement toward gender equity and (vi) a bold attempt at the universalization of primary education through a combination of formal and non-formal institutions. This article provides a grounded feel for the Shiksha Karmi Project in a stellar school, Meena Dant Ka Pura. While the case highlights the shortage of locally based female teachers in the entire Shiksha Karmi Project, it also suggests the very real possibility of employing Shiksha Karmi Project alumni and higher grade students in teaching roles. Overall, primary education in India has much to learn from the Shiksha Karmi Project experience.     

Notable and Emerging Variants of SARS-CoV-2 Virus: A Quick Glance

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a highly contagious pathogenic coronavirus to emerge and spread in human populations. Although substantial exertions have been laid to avert spread of COVID-19 by therapeutic and preventive countermeasures, but emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants as a result of mutations make the infection more ominous. New viral confers a higher nasopharyngeal viral load, increased viral transmissibility, higher infectiousness, immune escape, increased resistance to monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies from convalescence sera/vaccine, and an enhanced virulence. Thus, it is pertinent to monitor evolving mutations and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 as it is decisive for understanding the viral variants. In this review we provide an overview of colloquial nomenclature and the genetic characteristics of different SARS-CoV-2 variants in the context of mutational changes of the circulating strains, transmissibility potential, virulence and infectivity.