MedWorm: Classrooms

Help! My Kid Is Being Treated Like an Outcast

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:11:49 +0100

My 7-year-old son has recently started coming home saying that he isn't wanted at school. He asks me: Why is it that he is not accepted amongst his peers? Is there something wrong with him? He is the only second grade and has been identified as gifted and talented. read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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New insights into how to correct false knowledge

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Duke University) The abundance of false information available on the Internet, in movies and on TV has created a big challenge for educators.Students sometimes arrive in classrooms filled with inaccurate knowledge they are confident is correct, indicating it is deeply entrenched in their memory.According to Duke University researchers, educators might be able to help students overcome their misconceptions by correcting inaccurate information then having the students practice retrieving it from memory. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

New, free e-biography released

National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:51:00 +0100

Always There: the Remarkable Life of Ruth Lillian Kirschstein, M.D., a new biography released Feb. 6, tells the rare story of a woman who was as comfortable conversing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as she was bringing science to children in inner-city classrooms. (Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases)

The Impact of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports on Bullying and Peer Rejection: A Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial [Article]

Archives of Pediatrics — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions The results indicated that SWPBIS has a significant effect on teachers' reports of children's involvement in bullying as victims and perpetrators. The findings were considered in light of other outcomes for students, staff, and the school environment, and they suggest that SWPBIS may help address the increasing national concerns related to school bullying by improving school climate. (Source: Archives of Pediatrics)

Using Formative Assessment in Active Learning Environments: Transitioning from Preclinical to Clinical Training (Linda Chang PharmD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Many medical students struggle as they enter the clinical setting because they have difficulty in integrating and applying what they have learned in the preclinical classroom. In order to address this challenge, active learning activities were added to the Essentials of Patient Care course for second year medical students. This PowerPoint was presented at the 38th Annual STFM Conference on Medical Student Education and presents 1) the structure of the course that encompasses cultural competency, health policy, preventive medicine, epidemiology/evidence-based medicine, and medical ethics; 2) examples of the active learning activities; 3) the formative assessment of students' performance in these activities qualitatively and quantitatively; and 4) the use of these assessment data to improve ...

El Monte City School District in More than Decade-Long Process to Promote Healthy Lifestyles

RWJF News Digest - Childhood Obesity — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The menu items available to El Monte City School District students on a recent Wednesday were a far cry from the staples that for years dominated school lunches - offerings like sloppy joes and tater-tots. The change is the product of a more-than-decade-long effort to bring healthier options to the children of the K-8 school district. Combined with a hefty nutritional curriculum that has pervaded regular classroom lessons, the district has landed several prestigious awards and brought it closer to creating a healthier student population, officials said. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Childhood Obesity)

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JCE Classroom Activity #111: Redox Reactions in Three Representations

Journal of Chemical Education — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:06:03 +0100

Journal of Chemical EducationDOI: 10.1021/ed100694m (Source: Journal of Chemical Education)

2012 HigherEd Edition of the Horizon Report is out!

The Cornflower — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:38:33 +0100

The 2012 HigherEd edition of the Horizon Report has been released. It can be found here: http://www.nmc.org/publications/horizon-report-2012-higher-ed-edition. Here is a summary compiled by my colleague at UIC, Ed Garay. Some key trends: 1) People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to 2) The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support are decentralized 3) The world of work is increasingly collaborative, driving changes in the way student projects are structured 4) The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators 5) Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning and collaborative ...

A Case Control Study on Specific Learning Disorders in School Going Children in Bikaner City

Indian Journal of Pediatrics — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:10:35 +0100

Conclusions The current study, therefore, is an attempt to identify children with learning disorders and explore the prevalence of the problem and etiological factors e.g., family environment, social factors and developmental issues of child and associated co-morbidities. More studies with larger sample size should be undertaken to get accurate picture of these disorders.There is also need for some community based programme to raise the level of awareness and knowledge about these disorders in general population. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-5DOI 10.1007/s12098-012-0699-7Authors Madan Gopal Choudhary, Department of Pediatric Medicine, S.P. Medical College and AG Hospital, Bikaner, 334001 Rajasthan, IndiaAdeesh Jain, Department of Ped...

Me, Miss! Why blurting out the answers can be good for pupils

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:01:12 +0100

Louder children can outperform quieter classmates and lift overall performance by encouraging others to become engagedWhile it may be frustrating for a teacher attempting to control a class, researchers say blurting out the answers can be good for pupils.Children who shout out the answer can be nearly nine months ahead in reading and maths when compared with quieter classmates, according to a study by academics at Durham University.Research which looked at more than 12,000 children aged between four and five finds that, on the whole, pupils who act impulsively in school do less well than those who can control their behaviour.But when the academics compared children with similar levels of inattentiveness, they found the louder ones did better.Boys are much more likely to blurt out the answe...

Stoichiometric Experiments with Alkane Combustion: A Classroom Demonstration

Journal of Chemical Education — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:02:38 +0100

Journal of Chemical EducationDOI: 10.1021/ed200506d (Source: Journal of Chemical Education)

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Visualising the invisible: a network approach to reveal the informal social side of student learning

Advances in Health Sciences Education — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:26:25 +0100

Abstract World-wide, universities in health sciences have transformed their curriculum to include collaborative learning and facilitate the students’ learning process. Interaction has been acknowledged to be the synergistic element in this learning context. However, students spend the majority of their time outside their classroom and interaction does not stop outside the classroom. Therefore we studied how informal social interaction influences student learning. Moreover, to explore what really matters in the students learning process, a model was tested how the generally known important constructs—prior performance, motivation and social integration—relate to informal social interaction and student learning. 301 undergraduate medical students participated in this c...

Building a Muscular Empathy

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:58:50 +0100

Bullying at schools has become a huge issue. In looking for innovative solutions, Canadian educators turned to a unique classroom program called Roots of Empathy.read more (Source: Psychology Today Relationships Center)

One-Room School Also One-Student School

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

New York Times article tells how at a time when many schools are concerned about overcrowded classrooms, the Sunset school in a Montana ranching community has a different problem keeping its lone student at her desk so it can remain open. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Service user involvement in pre‐registration mental health nurse education classroom settings: a review of the literature

Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Accessible summary• Service user involvement is an important part of pre‐registration nursing programmes, as it can give students the opportunity to learn from users about their experiences of health and illness, but so far there have been limited studies in this area.• This literature review provides an opportunity to explore how service user involvement in classroom settings can impact on student learning, and describes methods of best practice.• Further research is needed to understand the influence of service user involvement on student nurses' clinical practice.AbstractService user involvement in pre‐registration nurse education is now a requirement, yet little is known about how students engage with users in the classroom, how such initiatives are being evaluated, how...

Major electric utility buys US Solar Decathlon winner

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Maryland) WaterShed, the international-prize-winning solar house built by University of Maryland students, faculty and professional partners, has found a buyer and a permanent site: Electric service provider Pepco is purchasing the high-tech building. The purchase secures WaterShed's future and will make its innovative technology and design available to the public for educational purposes. The house will serve as a "living classroom and laboratory" to demonstrate smart, clean energy options. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Learning without remembering: Brain lab goes to school

New Scientist - The Human Brain — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Insights from brain science are finally coming into the classroom with a method based on seeing patterns, finds Peter Aldhous (Source: New Scientist - The Human Brain)

Clinical Judgment Development Using Structured Classroom Reflective Practice: A Qualitative Study.

The Journal of Nursing Education — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Glynn DM Abstract This qualitative study examined the incorporation of "reflection-on-action" in a structured reflective classroom format as defined by Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model on the development of perceived clinical judgment and clinical confidence in Bachelor of Science nursing students. The qualitative results described the students' perceptions of the benefit of the intervention on their development of clinical judgment and clinical confidence. This research was an important contribution to the debate regarding the benefit of structured reflection in a classroom setting. By using reflection in the classroom, nurse educators may influence the education-practice gap and incorporate new pedagogies to strengthen the educational preparedness of nursing students to ...

Childhood obesity rates leveling off

Modern Medicine — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that the overall prevalence of obesity in children may be leveling off at about 17%, in contrast to the rapid increases seen in the 1980s and 1990s. Another study showed that the availability of junk foods had little effect on weight gain in middle-school children. Learn why efforts to promote healthy eating may have to extend beyond the classroom. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Charter School Fights Fat

RWJF News Digest - Childhood Obesity — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Instead of using cartoon-size scissors, dozens of enthusiastic students broke through a ceremonial ribbon in full stride Thursday to mark the grand opening of the new fitness center at Charter School for Applied Technologies in the Town of Tonawanda… The 8,700-square-foot expansion of the elementary school gym means that all students in kindergarten through eighth grade receive four, 45-minute periods of physical education and one period of health-based classroom instruction weekly. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Childhood Obesity)

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The use of concept maps for knowledge management: from classrooms to research labs.

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Correia PR PMID: 22278075 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry)

Total viable molds and fungal DNA in classrooms and association with respiratory health and pulmonary function of European schoolchildren

The Aspergillus Website - articles — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:25:45 +0100

Simoni M, Cai GH, Norback D, Annesi-Maesano I, Lavaud F, Sigsgaard T, Wieslander G, Nystad W, Canciani M, Viegi G, Sestini P (Source: The Aspergillus Website - articles)

Impact of time on task on ADHD patient's performances in a virtual classroom.

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: ADHD children are vulnerable to a time on task effect on performances which could explain part of their difficulties. Virtual reality is a reliable method to test ADHD children ability to sustain performances over time. PMID: 22269913 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: European Journal of Paediatric Neurology)

Defending Climate Science's Place In The Classroom

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0100

The National Center for Science Education has long defended educators' right to teach evolution in public schools. Now climate science too is under attack. NCSE executive director Eugenie Scott talks about how teachers and parents can fight the push to get climate change denial into the classroom.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

The Key to Self-Esteem? Accomplishment.

Psychology Today Personality Center — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:15:38 +0100

A fisherman wants to catch his own fish, not be handed one. If you want self esteem, do estimable things.read more (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

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US education advocates prepare to take on climate change skeptics

Physics Today News Picks — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

New Scientist: After decades of fighting over the teaching of evolution in classrooms, US science education advocates are bracing themselves for the next battle—concerning the teaching of human-caused climate change. Over the past few years, several states, including Texas, Louisiana, and South Dakota, have introduced legislation that requires teachers to include the views of climate change skeptics. "Climate change education is kind of where evolution education was 30 years ago," says Steven Newton, programs and policy director for the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California. Whereas creationism is a religious belief, however, climate change denial is mainly political and therefore may be harder to fight in court. (Source: ...

Organic Mastery: An Activity for the Undergraduate Classroom

Journal of Chemical Education — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:27:59 +0100

Journal of Chemical EducationDOI: 10.1021/ed200015v (Source: Journal of Chemical Education)

A comparison of the mystery motivator and the Get 'Em On Task interventions for off‐task behaviors

Psychology in the Schools — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:55:00 +0100

This study examined the impact of two class‐wide positive behavior support programs. The Mystery Motivator and Get 'Em On Task interventions were implemented in an alternating treatments design with fifth grade participants to decrease off‐task behaviors. Results indicated that both interventions effectively decreased off‐task behavior at the class‐wide level. Implications and suggestions for future research on evidence‐based behavioral interventions are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Psychology in the Schools)

Size‐resolved emission rates of airborne bacteria and fungi in an occupied classroom

Indoor Air — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe role of human occupancy as a source of indoor biological aerosols is poorly understood. Size‐resolved concentrations of total and biological particles in indoor air were quantified in a classroom under occupied and vacant conditions. Per occupant emission rates were estimated through a mass‐balance modeling approach and the microbial diversity of indoor and outdoor air during occupancy was determined via rDNA gene sequence analysis. Significant increases of total particle mass and bacterial genome concentrations were observed during the occupied period compared to the vacant case. These increases varied in magnitude with the particle size and ranged from 3 to 68 times for total mass, 12 to 2,700 times for bacterial genomes and 1.5 to 5.2 times for fungal genomes. Emission r...

Tropical classroom inspires exhibit, Smithsonian field station design

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Arizona State University) The ASU Design School traveling studio introduced graduate students in architecture, biology and design to Panama's tropical forest and Smithsonian researchers. Their biology-inspired designs will be showcased in an exhibit "Learning from Organisms" on Jan. 24, 2012 on ASU's Tempe campus. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Climate change skepticism seeps into science classrooms

Los Angeles Times - Science — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Some states have introduced education standards requiring teachers to defend the denial of man-made global warming. A national watchdog group says it will start monitoring classrooms.A flash point has emerged in American science education that echoes the battle over evolution, as scientists and educators report mounting resistance to the study of man-made climate change in middle and high schools. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

Plugged into learning: Computers help students advance

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Concordia University) Technology has grown by leaps and bounds, yet are computers helping students progress in their learning? Absolutely, says a 40-year retrospective on the impact of technology in classrooms. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Richard Dawkins celebrates a victory over creationists

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:06:18 +0100

Free schools that teach 'intelligent design' as science will lose fundingLeading scientists and naturalists, including Professor Richard Dawkins and Sir David Attenborough, are claiming a victory over the creationist movement after the government ratified measures that will bar anti-evolution groups from teaching creationism in science classes.The Department for Education has revised its model funding agreement, allowing the education secretary to withdraw cash from schools that fail to meet strict criteria relating to what they teach. Under the new agreement, funding will be withdrawn for any free school that teaches what it claims are "evidence-based views or theories" that run "contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations".The British Humanist Associati...

One Month, Lasting Impact: Duke's Employee Weight Loss Program

DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:10:04 +0100

Since fall 2009, the Duke Diet & Fitness Center (DFC) has offered the Duke Employee Weight Loss Program, a novel approach to achieving lasting weight-loss and lifestyle changes. The program simulates what occurs in the DFC's highly esteemed residential weight-loss program, but it is geared toward working people and their schedules. "I have been searching the DFC Web site for years and knew that the program was world-renowned, but it seemed out of reach with regards to both the expense and the time required to participate in the program," says Njira Lugogo, MD, a Duke pulmonologist who participated in the program. "I have seen the effects that obesity can have on the lives of many of my patients but previously felt that I could not help them much with this issue," she says. "I now share...

Contracts in the classroom

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(SAGE Publications) While contracts are an indispensable tool in the modern workplace, a new study has found that they may also be very effective in contemporary classrooms. According to a new article published in SAGE Open, courses in which students design their own course based on a contract lead to both higher grades and higher student satisfaction than traditional points-based courses. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Positive and Negative Effects of Monitoring Popular Films for Historical Inaccuracies

Applied Cognitive Psychology — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractHistory educators often use popular films in the classroom to teach critical thinking through an exercise that involves identifying historical inaccuracies in the films. We investigated how this exercise affects the acquisition of true and false historical knowledge. In two experiments, subjects studied texts about historical topics and watched clips from corresponding films. Each film contained one piece of information that contradicted the text (i.e. misinformation). Some subjects received instructions to monitor for inaccuracies in the films. After a delay, they were tested on the texts. Monitoring instructions did not reduce subjects' acquisition of misinformation, and even when subjects successfully detected the inaccuracies, they sometimes still reproduced the misinformation....

'Many voices, one song': a model for an oral health programme as a first step in establishing a health promoting school.

Rural Remote Health — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Macnab A, Kasangaki A Abstract Four health promoting (HP) schools were established in rural communities in Uganda by a joint Ugandan/Canadian university team. The model was based on a successful Canadian health promotion initiative designed to address poor oral health in Aboriginal children in rural and remote communities. Careful situation analysis, orientation of partner schools and collaborative development of educational materials and evaluation methodology preceded implementation. The intervention had three elements: inclusion of health topics by teachers in regular classroom activities; health education delivered by the university team to reinforce key educational concepts; and daily in-school tooth brushing to develop healthy practices. All children entering Grade 1...

A Prospective Study of Childhood and Adolescent Antecedents of Homelessness among a Community Population of African Americans

Journal of Urban Health — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:56:49 +0100

Abstract Much is known about contemporaneous correlates of homelessness from studies of homeless individuals. However, few studies have prospectively examined early antecedents and prevalence of homelessness in community populations. We use data from a 35-year study of a community population of African Americans to examine relationships between homelessness and prior structural, family, school, and behavioral influences. Nearly 22% of males and 16% of females reported homelessness between ages 15 and 42, providing a rare estimate within an African American urban community population. In bivariate analyses, lower school bonds, depressed mood, violent behavior, and running away in adolescence are predictive for both males and females. Teen parenting and angry mood are unique...

Relating Kindergarten Attention to Subsequent Developmental Pathways of Classroom Engagement in Elementary School.

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Pagani LS, Fitzpatrick C, Parent S Abstract We examine the relationship between children's kindergarten attention skills and developmental patterns of classroom engagement throughout elementary school in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods. Kindergarten measures include teacher ratings of classroom behavior, direct assessments of number knowledge and receptive vocabulary, and parent-reported family characteristics. From grades 1 through 6, teachers also rated children's classroom engagement. Semi-parametric mixture modeling generated three distinct trajectories of classroom engagement (n = 1369, 50% boys). Higher levels of kindergarten attention were proportionately associated with greater chances of belonging to better classroom engagement trajectories compared to the ...

Vital Signs: Exercise Yields Dividends in the Classroom, Studies Suggest

NYT Health — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:24:16 +0100

Researchers suggest physical activity increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and may lead to increased levels of norepinephrine and endorphins. (Source: NYT Health)

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Facilitating Emergent Literacy: Efficacy of a Model that Partners Speech-Language Pathologists and Educators.

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that professional development provided by a speech-language pathologist can yield short term changes in the facilitation of emergent literacy skills in early childhood settings. Future research is needed to determine the impact of this program on the children's long term development of conventional literacy skills. PMID: 22230181 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology)

The impact of sound field systems on learning and attention in elementary school classrooms.

Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Both teacher ratings and pupil performance on standardized tests indicated that SFS improved performance on children's understanding of spoken language. However, academic attainments showed no benefits from the use of SFS. Classroom acoustics were a significant factor influencing the efficacy of SFS; children in classes with poorer acoustics benefited in listening comprehension while there was no additional benefit for children in classrooms with better acoustics. PMID: 22232398 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR)

Lots of exercise may boost kids' grades

USATODAY.com Health — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0100

A Dutch review of prior research reveals that the more physically active school-aged children are, the better they fare in the classroom. (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

Bletchley Park's information hub wins Grade II listing

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:23:48 +0100

Derelict block seen as birthplace of modern computer processing gains heritage protectionTo look at, it is a distinctly undistinguished and desolate-looking piece of utilitarian 1940s architecture. There is a failed concrete roof, water seeping in, pigeons nesting and vegetation growing through the cracks in the brickwork.But in context, the long overlooked and derelict Block C at Bletchley Park, the second world war codebreaking headquarters in Buckinghamshire, may be one of the most significant buildings of the 20th century and on Friday the government gave it Grade II listed status to preserve it for posterity.It joins most other buildings on the site, including the famous wooden huts in which scientists, intelligence officers and civil servants, led by figures such as Alan Turing, init...

Helping children correctly say "I don't know" to unanswerable questions. - Waterman AH, Blades M.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:21:09 +0100

Adults ask children questions in a variety of contexts, for example, in the classroom, in the forensic context, or in experimental research. In such situations children will inevitably be asked some questions to which they do not know the answer, because t... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

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Observations of Adolescent Peer Resistance Skills Following a Classroom-Based Healthy Relationship Program: A Post-intervention Comparison. - Wolfe DA, Crooks CV, Chiodo D, Hughes R, Ellis W.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:21:09 +0100

This study examines peer resistance skills following a 21-lesson classroom-based intervention to build healthy relationships and decrease abusive and health-risk behaviors among adolescents. The Fourth R instructs students in positive relationship skills, ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Peer Effects in Preschool Classrooms: Is Children's Language Growth Associated With Their Classmates' Skills? - Justice LM, Petscher Y, Schatschneider C, Mashburn A.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:21:09 +0100

With an increasing number of young children participating in preschool education, this study determined whether peer effects are present in this earliest sector of schooling. Specifically, this work examined whether peer effects were influential to prescho... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Student teachers' observations of unfavorable teacher behaviors exhibited in classrooms. - Dilekmen M.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:21:09 +0100

The aim of this study was to identify male and female teachers' misbehaviors in classrooms and determine the variance of those misbehaviors in schools in different socioeconomic areas. The study was conducted in 24 primary schools in Erzurum province with ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

The good behavior game and the future of prevention and treatment. - Kellam SG, Mackenzie AC, Brown CH, Poduska JM, Wang W, Petras H, Wilcox HC.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:21:09 +0100

The Good Behavior Game (GBG), a universal classroom behavior management method, was tested in first- and second-grade classrooms in Baltimore beginning in the 1985-1986 school year. Followup at ages 19-21 found significantly lower rates of drug and alcohol... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

The Componential Model of Reading: Predicting First Grade Reading Performance of Culturally Diverse Students From Ecological, Psychological, and Cognitive Factors Assessed at Kindergarten Entry.

Journal of Learning Disabilities — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study, framed by the component model of reading (CMR), examined the relative importance of kindergarten-entry predictors of first grade reading performance. Specifically, elements within the ecological domain included dialect, maternal education, amount of preschool, and home literacy; elements within the psychological domain included teacher-reported academic competence, social skills, and behavior; and elements within the cognitive domain included initial vocabulary, phonological, and morpho-syntactic skills, and alphabetic and word recognition skills. Data were obtained for 224 culturally diverse kindergarteners (58% Black, 34% White, and 8% Hispanic or other; 58% received free or reduced-price lunch) from a larger study conducted in seven predominantly high poverty schools (n = 20...

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Why I Delight in the "Minus" on My Daughter's Report Card

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:23:12 +0100

I worry that a child's instinct for out-of-the-box thinking and personal self-expression is often squashed in schools—especially for girls who are taught that being "good" means "going along."read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Being a Mentor: What’s in It for Me?

Academic Emergency Medicine — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:1–6 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractThe benefits of mentorship for the protégé are well established and include increased career satisfaction, advancement, and income. Mentors can derive satisfaction from personal and professional networks within their institutions and specialties. However, the advantages of being a mentor are underreported in the medical literature. The purpose of this review is to investigate the effect of the mentoring relationship on the mentors and institutions in disciplines that have studied it widely and to draw parallels to academic medicine. Literature in the fields of business, organizational psychology, and kindergarten through high school (K‐12) education describe benefits of serving as a...

Being a Mentor: What's in It for Me?

Accident and Emergency Nursing — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Coates WC Abstract ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:1-6 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine ABSTRACT: The benefits of mentorship for the protégé are well established and include increased career satisfaction, advancement, and income. Mentors can derive satisfaction from personal and professional networks within their institutions and specialties. However, the advantages of being a mentor are underreported in the medical literature. The purpose of this review is to investigate the effect of the mentoring relationship on the mentors and institutions in disciplines that have studied it widely and to draw parallels to academic medicine. Literature in the fields of business, organizational psychology, and kindergarten through high school (K-12) educatio...

NCBI Offers Discovery Workshops – February in Bethesda

What's New on JEFFLINE — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:36:33 +0100

Have you been wanting to visit lovely Bethesda in midwinter? NCBI offers a two-day training course on February 21-22 called a Discovery Workshop. It’s an excellent introduction to NCBI tools for new researchers, or a useful refresher for the more experienced. This year’s workshop consists of four 2.5-hour hands-on sessions about NCBI resources. Each session uses specific examples to highlight important features of the resources and tools under study and to demonstrate how to accomplish common tasks. Day 1 9:00-11:30 — Sequences, Genomes and Maps 1:00-3:30 — Proteins, Domains and Structures 3:45-5:00 — Individual Consultations Day 2 9:00-11:30 — NCBI BLAST Services 1:00-3:30 — Human Variation and Disease Genes 3:45-5:00 — Individual Con...

Daycare providers say kids are too inactive

Reuters: Health — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:22:19 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Potential playground hazards, a focus on classroom learning and boring play equipment have children spending too little time being physically active at daycare, according to a survey of staff members at child care centers in Ohio. (Source: Reuters: Health)

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Exploring the Social Impact of Being a Typical Peer Model for Included Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study examined the social impact of being a typical peer model as part of a social skills intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were drawn from a randomized-controlled-treatment trial that examined the effects of targeted interventions on the social networks of 60 elementary-aged children with ASD. Results demonstrated that typical peer models had higher social network centrality, received friendships, friendship quality, and less loneliness than non-peer models. Peer models were also more likely to be connected with children with ASD than non-peer models at baseline and exit. These results suggest that typical peers can be socially connected to children with ASD, as well as other classmates, and maintain a strong and positive role within the clas...

Daycare providers say kids are too inactive

Modern Medicine — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Representational change and strategy use in children's number line estimation during the first years of primary school

Behavioral and Brain Functions — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: In terms of the existing cognitive research, this strategy factor highlights the limitations of any regression modeling approach, or alternatively, it could underpin the developmental time course of the logarithmic-linear shift. Future studies need to systematically investigate this relationship and also consider the implications for educational practice. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)

Parent and Teacher Perceptions of the Impact of School Nurse Interventions on Children's Self-Management of Diabetes.

The Journal of School Nursing — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

We examined this relationship in a sample of 69 school-age children who received case management from school nurses. Our findings suggest that teachers and parents do not always agree on how well a child manages their illness. When school nurses provide more education and counseling, parents are more likely to perceive an improvement in their child's self-management. Teachers are more likely to perceive an improvement when the nurse provides more classroom visits and includes the physical education teacher and guidance counselor. These findings suggest that the roles of educator, counselor, and collaborator are important for school nurses who provide care to school-age children with diabetes. PMID: 22217468 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Journal of School Nursing)

Putting the World as Classroom: An Application of the Inequalities Imagination Model in Nursing and Health Education

Journal of Transcultural Nursing — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article focuses on the description of an educational initiative, the Interdisciplinary Population Health Project (IPHP) conducted in the academic year of 2006-2007 with a group of nursing and health care students. Inspired by population health, community development, critical pedagogy, and the inequalities imagination model, students participated in diverse educational activities to become immersed in the everyday life of an underserved urban neighborhood. A sample of convenience composed of 158 students was recruited from 4 health disciplines in a Western Canadian university. Data were collected using a modified version of the Parsell and Bligh’s Readiness of Health Care Students for Interprofessional Learning Scale. A one group pretest–posttest design was used to assess ...

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Daycare Providers Say Kids Are Too Inactive

RWJF News Digest - Childhood Obesity — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Potential playground hazards, a focus on classroom learning and boring play equipment have children spending too little time being physically active at daycare, according to a survey of staff members at child care centers in Ohio. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Childhood Obesity)

Lots of exercise may boost kids' grades

USATODAY.com Health — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:30:42 +0100

A Dutch review of prior research reveals that the more physically active school-aged children are, the better they fare in the classroom. (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

Measuring speech recognition in children with cochlear implants in a virtual classroom.

Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Direct connect testing with reverberant test materials allows assessment of speech recognition under conditions typical of classrooms and could be useful in identifying children with CIs whose performance decreases significantly in the presence of reverberation and noise. PMID: 22215040 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR)

Active children get best marks

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:50:27 +0100

How well children perform in the classroom could be linked to how physically active they are, suggests a Dutch review of previous studies. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Lots of Exercise May Boost Kids' Grades

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100

Research review found that the most physically active students did the best in the classroom Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Child Development, Exercise for Children (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

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Using Facebook as course management software: a case study

Teaching and Learning in Nursing — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article presents a case study reporting the methodology and experiences of using Web 2.0 social media tools through Facebook to facilitate a graduate-level course in nursing informatics. Using Facebook as the sole classroom management software program permitted the class to become a synergetic learning team. The reader will benefit by learning how the instructor became the facilitator and a participant in the course while students became the producers of information—not just consumers. (Source: Teaching and Learning in Nursing)

Classroom Game Play

JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

After spending all those years being told to sit still, be quiet and listen in class, it's now become popular to play games in the classroom. “Jeopardy” has been a popular model to use for reviewing didactic information for years with the host writing the answers and the students tasked with buzzing in first and responding with the appropriate question. The Eggspert Wireless 2.4 gHz from Educational Insights provides the EMS educator with a fun and high-tech way to educate and entertain their students. It features a color-coded display for up to six participants, six egg-shaped buttons and a remote to reset the board. The first student to “ring in” causes the corresponding light to blink and locks out the other buzzers. A switch on the teacher remote sets the time to answer from fi...

Simulating Care: Technology‐Mediated Learning in Twenty‐First Century Nursing Education

Nursing Forum — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS. Technology does not negate caring–the isolation it fosters makes transpersonal caring all the more important. We are called to create a new paradigm for nursing education that merges Nightingale's vision with technology's promise. (Source: Nursing Forum)

China plans manned moon mission

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:30:12 +0100

Nearly 40 years after Nasa last did it, Chinese space agency announces its 'preliminary plan for a human lunar landing'Nearly 40 years after the cold grey soil of the moon was last disturbed by bounding humans, the lunar surface has become an official destination once more.Tentative plans to land a man on the moon have been outlined in a document published by the Chinese government that confirms the nation's intention to become a major spacefaring nation. Officials in China have spoken before of their hopes for a crewed lunar mission, but the government document is the first to state the aim as a formal goal for the nation's space agency.Details of the plan – which would see a human walk on the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972 – were published in a white paper t...

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Simulation Stimulates Learning in a Childbearing Clinical Course.

The Journal of Nursing Education — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study examined the effectiveness of adding high-fidelity simulation to a childbearing clinical course. Our systematic research addressed the importance of evaluating the outcomes of using simulation on both knowledge acquisition and clinical competency. We found simulation to have a positive effect on not only student clinical performance, but also knowledge development in the undergraduate child-bearing clinical course. These outcome data will inform the curriculum changes needed as we strive to facilitate student proficiency in clinical concepts and skills and prepare the next generation of nurses entering our increasingly complex health care system. PMID: 22201274 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Journal of Nursing Education)

Relations Among Student Attention Behaviors, Teacher Practices, and Beginning Word Reading Skill.

Journal of Learning Disabilities — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

In this study, the authors focused on the role of one of these factors, which they labeled attention-memory, for predicting reading performance. Teacher ratings of attention-memory predicted word reading above and beyond the contribution of phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. In addition, the relations between four teacher practices and attention ratings for predicting reading performance were examined. Using hierarchical linear modeling, the authors found significant interactions between student attention and teacher practices observed during literacy instruction. In general, as ratings of attention improved, better kindergarten word reading performance was associated with high levels of classroom behavior management. However, better word reading performance was not associate...

Nutrition Policies at Child-Care Centers and Impact on Role Modeling of Healthy Eating Behaviors of Caregivers

Journal of the American Dietetic Association — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:29:09 +0100

Abstract: Studies suggest that caregivers influence children's dietary behaviors through role modeling in child-care environments. However, few studies have examined role modeling by caregivers and child-care center policies. This cross-sectional study evaluated the associations between child-care center policies about staff eating practices and caregivers' eating behaviors during mealtime interactions with children. Data were collected in 2008-2009 at 50 North Carolina child-care centers. Caregivers (n=124) reported about modeling healthy eating behaviors to children, trained research staff observed caregivers' (n=112) eating behaviors in classrooms, and directors reported about the presence/absence of center policies on staff eating practices. About 90% of caregivers reported modeling h...

Sound levels and their effects on children in a German primary school

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:45:30 +0100

Abstract Considerable sound levels are produced in primary schools by voices of children and resonance effects. As a consequence, hearing loss and mental impairment may occur. In a Cologne primary school, sound levels were measured in three different classrooms, each with 24 children, 8–10 years old, and one teacher. Sound dosimeters were positioned in the room and near the teacher’s ear. Additional measurements were done in one classroom fully equipped with sound-absorbing materials. A questionnaire containing 12 questions about noise at school was distributed to 100 children, 8–10 years old. Measurements were repeated after children had been taught about noise damage and while “noise lights” were used. Mean sound levels of 5-h per day measuring period ...

Pain Education In Medical Schools Needs Improvement

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Even though pain is by far the leading reason people seek medical care, pain education at North American medical schools is limited, variable and often fragmentary, according to a Johns Hopkins University study published in The Journal of Pain. The study examined the curricula at 117 medical schools in the United States and Canada and went beyond a simple analysis of historical presence-or-absence criteria in assessing pain education for medical students. This measurement does not distinguish the number of classroom hours devoted to pain education or coverage of various pain topics... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Vocal health program for educators: actions and results

Revista CEFAC — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:42:57 +0100

CONCLUSION: the description showed the need for constant regulation of the program in order to reach its goals. The low participation in actions might be related to the discreet impact of voice in professional activities, although this fact requires further investigation. The highest measured benefit of the participation in the advanced vocal groups was the reduction in the volume e of vocal symptoms. (Source: Revista CEFAC)

The effect of two elementary school-based prevention interventions on being offered tobacco and the transition to smoking

Drug and Alcohol Dependence — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 06:11:32 +0100

Conclusion: The CC intervention appeared to have its effect on survival to first cigarette smoked by delaying the first offer to smoke. Preventive interventions focused on refusal skills during the middle school years may be necessary to reduce the likelihood of the transition to smoking once offered. (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)

Externalities in the Classroom: How Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Affect Everyone's Kids - Carrell SE, Hoekstra ML.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:13:53 +0100

There is a widespread perception that externalities from troubled children are significant, though measuring them is difficult due to data and methodological limitations. We estimate the negative spillovers caused by children from troubled families by expl... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Exploring the utility of self‐modeling in decreasing disruptive behavior in students with intellectual disability

Psychology in the Schools — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:24:41 +0100

AbstractStudents with intellectual disabilities can exhibit a wide array of challenging behaviors in the classroom that pose disruptions to the learning milieu and management problems for those involved in their education. Self‐modeling, a behavioral intervention that involves viewing edited videotapes of oneself depicting exemplary behavior, has had documented success in evoking positive behavior change. This investigation utilized a multiple baseline design to examine the effect of self‐modeling in reducing disruptive classroom behavior among 3 high school students with intellectual deficits. Participants were shown five 2‐minute treatment tapes over 10 school days. The results of this experiment were analyzed through visual inspection of the data and calculation of effect sizes. S...

Application of self‐modeling to externalizing and internalizing disorders

Psychology in the Schools — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:24:37 +0100

This article evaluates the use of the intervention with behaviors associated with both externalizing and internalizing disorders. It compares and summarizes the use of the self‐modeling intervention with behaviors such as: disruptive classroom and social‐setting behaviors. Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder‐associated behaviors, anxiety, depression, fear, and self‐efficacy. Behaviors associated with disorders such as stuttering, selective mutism, and autism are not included in this review as they are covered more in‐depth in other articles contained within this special issue. In general, the self‐modeling intervention is supported for use in a variety of behaviors associated with both internalizing and externalizing disorders. Practitioners are advised to use the method...

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Beyond Primary Prevention of Alcohol Use: A Culturally Specific Secondary Prevention Program for Mexican Heritage Adolescents

Prevention Science — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:50:53 +0100

This article describes the initial efficacy evaluation of a companion psychosocial small group program which aims at addressing the needs of Mexican heritage students identified by their teachers as being at higher risk for substance use or already experimenting with alcohol and other drugs. The adolescent (7th grade) small group curricula, REAL Groups, is a secondary prevention program which supplements the primary classroom-based substance use prevention program, keepin’ it REAL. Following a mutual aid approach, a total of 109 7th grade students were referred by their teachers and participated in the REAL Groups. The remaining 252 7th grade students who did not participate served as the control group. To account for biased selection into REAL Groups, propensity score matching (PSM)...

Convergence at the surface; divergence beneath: Cross-agency working within a small-scale, schools-based project

Journal of Child Health Care — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study focuses upon the inter-professional issues in the running of one small-scale intervention involving parents and their babies based in schools in an urban setting in the UK. The programme, run over the school year 2007/08, provided a professional framework in which parents from the local community surrounding a school brought their babies into classroom settings to talk about aspects of baby care and development. This professional framework included classroom teachers, one senior cross-school education manager, family health visitors and one senior children’s health nurse. Despite agreement about the benefits of the programme there were also clear differences of priority. This paper describes the different perceptions that each of these two sets of professionals – fro...

Creating a Positive Learning Environment with the Use of Clickers in a High School Chemistry Classroom

Journal of Chemical Education — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:26:06 +0100

Journal of Chemical EducationDOI: 10.1021/ed101160x (Source: Journal of Chemical Education)

The Power of Workplace Do-It-Yourself

Psychology Today Work Center — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:57:43 +0100

We forget, sometimes, that adults in an office are not that different than children in a classroom. We're all people who take justifiable pride in work that reflects who we are. We all want to be seen and acknowledged not just for our output but for who we are. Primary Topic: Work read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

Print Exposure, Reading Habits, and Reading Achievement Among Deaf and Hearing College Students

Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study explored relations of print exposure, academic achievement, and reading habits among 100 deaf and 100 hearing college students. As in earlier studies, recognition tests for book titles and magazine titles were used as measures of print exposure, college entrance test scores were used as measures of academic achievement, and students provided self-reports of reading habits. Deaf students recognized fewer magazine titles and fewer book titles appropriate for reading levels from kindergarten through Grade 12 while reporting more weekly hours of reading. As in previous studies with hearing college students, the title recognition test proved a better predictor of deaf and hearing students' English achievement than how many hours they reported reading. The finding that the recognition...

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Developing a Collaboration with the Houston Independent School District: Testing the Generalizability of a Partnership Model

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:52:39 +0100

Abstract Moving evidence-based practices into real-world settings is a high priority for education and public health. This paper describes the development of a partnership among the Houston Independent School District, the American Institutes of Research, and the Houston Federation of Teachers to support research on and program sustainability for the Good Behavior Game, a team-based classroom behavior management strategy that has shown positive impact in randomized field trials. The conceptual framework guiding partnership development is presented, followed by an application of the framework in Houston. Lessons learned and implications for the next stage of research and practice are then discussed. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-10DOI 10.100...

A performative and poetical narrative of critical social theory in nursing education: an ending and threshold of social justice

Nursing Philosophy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:19:33 +0100

AbstractIn this article, a poetical and performative narrative is shared to examine how the use of stories to critically self‐reflect on oppression facilitates an understanding of critical social theory in nursing education and impacts social justice. A fusion of prose with a poetical narrative is employed; the latter is reserved to capture the immediacy of personal, emotive, and embodied storied experiences. This deeply intimate and dialogical story begins with a pedagogical experiment created to facilitate nursing students' understanding of critical social theory. Drawing upon Paulo Freire's work, the nursing teacher in a professional development course attempted to deconstruct power relations and cultivate an open and safe learning environment by sharing a poem that depicts her oppres...

Ecological, Psychological, and Cognitive Components of Reading Difficulties: Testing the Component Model of Reading in Fourth Graders Across 38 Countries.

Journal of Learning Disabilities — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Chiu MM, McBride-Chang C, Dan L Abstract The authors tested the component model of reading (CMR) among 186,725 fourth grade students from 38 countries (45 regions) on five continents by analyzing the 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study data using measures of ecological (country, family, school, teacher), psychological, and cognitive components. More than 91% of the differences in student difficulty occurred at the country (61%) and classroom (30%) levels (ecological), with less than 9% at the student level (cognitive and psychological). All three components were negatively associated with reading difficulties: cognitive (student's early literacy skills), ecological (family characteristics [socioeconomic status, number of books at home, and attitudes about...

Bring the Popcorn: Using Film to Teach Sexual and Reproductive Health

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:19:43 +0100

This article provides a framework for incorporating film as a teaching strategy into both case-based and problem-based teaching pedagogies. Reviews and discussion questions of films are provided. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

ECP U Dispensary Manager Program

Modern Medicine — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

The Dispensary Manager Program the institution aims to teach eyecare professionals the business operations skills necessary to manage a retail operation and capture those sales. The 6-month course combines real world activities, classroom instruction, personalized coaching, and project-based learning experiences. Industry experts will help attendees develop strategic plans, identify sales trends, manage finances, develop leadership skills, create pricing and growth strategies, and identify patient needs, and more. (Source: Modern Medicine)

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Promoting STI testing among senior vocational students in Rotterdam, the Netherlands: effects of a cluster randomized study

BMC Public Health - Latest articles — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Adolescents are a risk group for acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In the Netherlands, senior vocational school students are particular at risk. However, STI test rates among adolescents are low and interventions that promote testing are scarce. To enhance voluntary STI testing, an intervention was designed and evaluated in senior vocational schools. The intervention combined classroom health education with sexual health services at the school site. The purpose of this study was to assess the combined and single effects on STI testing of health education and school- based sexual health services. Methods: In a cluster-randomized study the intervention was evaluated in 24 schools, using three experimental conditions: 1) health education, 2) sexual health services;...

Westford Students Told To Leave The Christmas Cookies At Home

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:58:42 +0100

WESTFORD (CBS) – Westford school officials are getting tough on classroom holiday parties. They’re banning sugary snacks and sweetened beverages from the celebrations this year. Students are being told to leave the Christmas cookies, cakes, candy bars, and soda at home and to bring fruits, unsweetened juices, popcorn and raisins instead. Superintendent Everett Olsen says the ban on holiday sweets has nothing to do with being politically correct, rather, his motive is simply promoting a healthy lifestyle. “We aren’t trying to take the Christmas out of Christmas. We’re not trying to take the enjoyment out of children’s lives. We’re just trying to act responsible,” he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Mike Macklin. The school’s goal is to avoid the types of sweets that pile on...

Christmas Chemistry Demonstration - Green to Red Color Change

About.com Chemistry — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:16:05 +0100

Color-change demonstrations are classic fare for the chemistry classroom. The most common color change reaction may be the Blue Bottle (blue-clear-blue) chemistry demonstration and the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating clock (clear-amber-blue), but ...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Chemistry)

Pink v blue - are children born with gender preferences?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:03:00 +0100

Hamleys has abandoned its toy shop 'gender apartheid', scrapping its separate floors for boys and girls and their respective blue and pink signs. Are colour and toy preference dictated by nature or nurture? Polly Curtis, with your help, finds out. Get in touch below the line, email your views to polly.curtis@guardian.co.uk or tweet @pollycurtisThe Times and FT report today (£) that Hamleys, is ditching its separate floors for boys and girls along with their pink and blue signs and replacing them with signs that simply state the types of toys sold. The Times story says:Hamleys, the country's most famous toy store, has abandoned its traditional separate floors for boys and girls after a campaign on Twitter accused it of operating "gender apartheid". New signs in the store now state what typ...

Is sucralose too good to be true?

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractStudent interest in artificial sweeteners can enhance the biochemistry classroom learning experience. This in class, guided‐inquiry activity focuses on sucralose and fits into a 50‐min biochemistry class for undergraduate science majors. Background knowledge of carbohydrate structure, function, and metabolism as well as familiarity with interpretation of primary literature is assumed. This activity uses short answer questions that stimulate small group discussion. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION, 2011 (Source: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education)

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Learning transferable skills in large lecture halls: Implementing a POGIL approach in biochemistry

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractAs research‐based, active learning approaches become more common in biochemistry classrooms, the large lecture course remains the most challenging to transform. Here, we provide a case study demonstrating how process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) can be implemented in a large class taught in a traditional lecture hall. Course structure and multiple strategies to support student learning and encourage engagement are described in detail. Therefore, this case study could act as a model for others wishing to transform their own courses from lecture to a more student‐centered format. Student feedback about the course format was overwhelmingly positive and preliminary assessment data demonstrated student learning gains in several important areas. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR...

Classroom Technology: The Revolution is Not Complete

AAAS — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:13:12 +0100

Linda G. Roberts: The Incredible Power—and Untapped Potential—of Education Technology Computers may be common in many U.S. classrooms, but education technology pioneer Linda G. Roberts, a AAAS visiting scholar, says we’ve only begun to tap their power. (Source: AAAS)

The Secret Problem With That Testing Column

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0100

I hope you won’t object to a post not specifically on point about energy or transmission or connectivity. But I think it gets directly at how we understand those topics, so I think it’s worth mentioning.Everybody has been reading and posting and cross-posting and commenting on this post , in the blog of Valerie Strauss, who writes The Answer Sheet blog for the Washington Post . In it Strauss allows Marion Brady , an educator living in Florida, to guest post, and Brady talks about a friend of his, Rick Roach , on the board of education in Orange County, Florida. He has, as Strauss says, “two masters degrees: in education and educational psychology. He has trained over 18,000 educators in classroom management and course delivery skills in six eastern states over the last 25...

Young Women's Beliefs Regarding Human Papillomavirus

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionYoung women tend to have misconceptions about HPV in addition to noteworthy concerns about the psychosocial consequences of HPV diagnosis. Clinical attention to young women's beliefs about HPV may provide direction for improving the delivery of patient‐centered education and counseling about this exceedingly common illness. (Source: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing)

Molecular diagnostic analysis of outbreak scenarios

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractIn the current laboratory assignment, technical aspects of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are integrated in the context of six different bacterial outbreak scenarios. The “Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Sequence” (ERIC) PCR was used to analyze different outbreak scenarios. First, groups of 2–4 students determined optimal ERIC‐PCR conditions to validate the protocol and subsequently applied ERIC‐PCR to identify genetic relatedness among bacterial strains. Based on these genetic fingerprints, students selected the outbreak cases from the patient samples and assessed the risk factors for the outbreak scenario. Finally, students presented their findings during a classroom presentation. The results indicated that the assignment successfully facilitated st...

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Examination of the communication interface between students with severe to profound and multiple intellectual disability and educational staff during structured teaching sessions

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Despite differences in the availability of communication skills, both student and teacher were able to make their respective contributions to the interaction during classroom activity. Features of the student–teacher interface retained critical features seen in studies of more able individuals with intellectual disability. Scaffolding provided by teachers appears to be relevant to the communicative contributions of individuals functioning at the earliest stages of communication. The coding framework based on structural‐functional linguistics provides some new potential for examining and enhancing the communication interface between individuals with S‐PMID and the people who support them. (Source: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research)

On the road with injury prevention-an analysis of the efficacy of a mobile injury prevention exhibit. - Manno M, Rook A, Yano-Litwin A, Maranda L, Burr A, Hirsh M.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:31:19 +0100

BACKGROUND: : To assess the effectiveness of a mobile injury prevention vehicle (mobile safety street [MSS]) with a hands-on curriculum on instruction and retention of safety knowledge compared with traditional classroom safety curriculum among grade 5 ele... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Appreciation and implementation of the Krachtvoer healthy diet promotion programme for 12- to 14- year-old students of prevocational schools

BMC Public Health - Latest articles — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: We conclude that the revisions have resulted in a programme that was appreciated well, also by the extended target group, and was implemented with a high degree of completeness. Teacher appreciation proved potentially important for completeness of implementation. We identified several aspects requiring improvement, indicating the importance of continued programme updates and repeated evaluation. (Source: BMC Public Health - Latest articles)

Nutrition Education Intervention Improves Vegetable‐Related Attitude, Self‐Efficacy, Preference, and Knowledge of Fourth‐Grade Students

Journal of School Health — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:42:43 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: A defined intervention delivered in a SNAP‐Ed setting can positively impact mediators associated with vegetable intake for fourth‐grade students. (Source: Journal of School Health)

Educational opportunities and anti-doping roles and responsibilities for pharmacists.

Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:48:02 +0100

Authors: Ambrose PJ Abstract Drug use and abuse by athletes has become a common problem. Pharmacists can assist by managing the legitimate medication needs of athletes to prevent them from accidentally using a banned substance. Pharmacists can also educate athletes and the public about the health consequences of using performance-enhancing substances. Pharmacists can play a variety of roles to assist with anti-doping. Such roles include educating, advising, dispensing and monitoring medications and supplements; and working with anti-doping agencies. There are few established educational opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy students. Educational programs in sports pharmacy and doping control need to be developed for instruction in the classroom, for post-graduate training and ...

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Using clickers to facilitate development of problem-solving skills.

CBE Life Sciences Education — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:36:02 +0100

In this study, the effectiveness of clickers in promoting problem-solving skills in a genetics class was investigated. Students were presented with problems requiring application of concepts covered in lecture and were polled for the correct answer. A histogram of class responses was displayed, and students were encouraged to discuss the problem, which enabled them to better understand the correct answer. Students were then presented with a similar problem and were again polled. My results indicate that those students who were initially unable to solve the problem were then able to figure out how to solve similar types of problems through a combination of trial and error and class discussion. This was reflected in student performance on exams, where there was a statistically significant po...

The C.R.E.A.T.E. Approach to Primary Literature Shifts Undergraduates' Self-Assessed Ability to Read and Analyze Journal Articles, Attitudes about Science, and Epistemological Beliefs.

CBE Life Sciences Education — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:36:02 +0100

We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students' attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles. Using a Likert-style survey administered pre- and postcourse, we found significant changes in students' confidence in their ability to read and analyze primary literature, self-assessed understanding of the nature of science, and epistemological beliefs (e.g., their sense of whether knowledge is certain and scientific talent innate). Thus, within a single semester, the inexpensive C.R.E.A.T.E. method can shift not just students' analytical abilities and understanding of scientists as people, but can also positively affect students' confidence with analysis of primary ...

An Introduction to Psych You Up. Literally.

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0100

A glimpse of a bookshelf of classics. Credit: Helder de la Rocha, Creative Commons. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Parker, had short, curly white hair and a low, smooth voice. Every day, right after lunch, she would take the large glasses that she always wore on a gold chain around her neck and place them on her nose. She d pull the chair that usually sat behind her desk onto the faded blue rug that took up the far left corner of the classroom. Then, she would take one of the books from the low wooden shelves along the far wall, sit, and look over at us from above her blue frames. We didn t need to be told twice. Soon, we would all come tumbling from wherever it was we d been, to sit on the rug and look up in wide-mouthed expectation (really, our mouths were all wide open; I even have pictur...

Teaching math, spelling–and kindness?

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:55:59 +0100

In this study, researchers chose three “normal” peers from the class of the child with autism who were considered leaders. They taught these peers about autism and how to interact with children who have it. It made a real difference. The autistic kids whose peers had been trained were much more likely to get incorporated into the classroom community, more likely to have kids ask them to play, far less likely to end up alone at recess. It wasn’t just the trained peers who reached out—other peers, following their example, did too (in the study, it turned out to be “cool” to help). And it wasn’t just that the peers were being nicer; the kids with autism, perhaps because they were getting more practice, got better at social skills. I love this idea, so much. I hope they start doi...

Why we need to change the way we think about autism

Daily Express - Health — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

WHEN he is calm my seven-year-old son Daniel is a thoughtful, kind and polite boy. Place him in a noisy, busy room such as an open-plan classroom, shop or restaurant and his senses can quickly become overloaded. (Source: Daily Express - Health)

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Changing Shape

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:11:15 +0100

Maryam and her parents Born in Baghdad in 2002 without access to advanced medical care, Maryam Idan stood little chance of receiving anything more than the most basic treatment for her sickle cell disease (SCD). By the time Maryam was a baby, her parents, Basim and Janin Al-Zoubaidi, had already lost three of their children to the blood disorder, so they knew the condition’s telltale signs. “When she started showing the same symptoms as her siblings, we immediately thought the worst,” says her father. “We knew there was treatment in America, but we had no idea if we would have the means to get there.” An inherited disease, SCD causes a child’s red blood cells to malform and become stiff, taking on the shape of a sickle, like the letter C. These abnormally shaped blood cells ca...

Epigenetics Offers New Clues to Mental Illness (preview)

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0100

Matt is a history teacher. his twin brother, greg, is a drug addict. (Their names have been changed to protect their anonymity.) Growing up in the Boston area, both boys did well in high school: they were strong students in the classroom and decent athletes on the field, and they got along with their peers. Like many young people, the brothers snuck the occasional beer or cigarette and experimented with marijuana. Then, in college, they tried cocaine. For Greg, the experience derailed his life. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Exercise and learning in grade school

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 04:00:42 +0100

The three Rs of elementary school are Reading, wRiting, and aRithmatic. We know these skills are a crucial part of academic development. There is also evidence for a fourth R in academic development - Recess. Recess is not just fun time; it is valuable break time and valuable physical activity time. Primary Topic: Health read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Paul Seedhouse: learning a language is much more fun in the kitchen

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:04:03 +0100

Professor Paul Seedhouse explains his talking kitchen, a new way to learn languages using motion sensor technologyPaul Seedhouse, professor of education and applied linguistics at Newcastle University, is the brains behind the French Digital Kitchen, a learning site that teaches its users aspects of the French language while they prepare dishes from the country. It is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's Digital Economy Programme and obtained an EU grant of €400,000 earlier in the year.Tell us about the genesis of the project.I started working on the project with Professor Patrick Olivier, a computer scientist who developed a digital kitchen designed to help with people who suffer from dementia. The idea was to help people stay longer in their own homes a...

Building Better Brains: Evidence-Based Interventions to Enhance Contemporary Schooling

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:47:05 +0100

The vast majority of young people attend school. School provides a rich environment for cultivating academic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics, but also for developing interpersonal skills, metacognitive skills such as executive functioning skills, and emotional regulation skills. The 15,000 hours most students spend in school are often guided by familiar but not evidence-based practices driven primarily to prepare students for antiquated needs rather than by contemporary findings about how the brain best learns and grows. Specifically, most schools still rely on a school day driven by previous social designs to prepare students for working on farms or in factories. The school day begins at sunup for most high school students despite clear evidence that adolescents require m...

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Responding to Students with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Schools

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:47:05 +0100

The prevalence of trauma exposure among youth is a major public health concern, with a third of adolescents nationally reporting that they have been in a physical fight in the past 12 months and 9% having been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property. Studies have documented the broad range of negative sequelae of trauma exposure for youth, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety problems, depressive symptoms, and dissociation. In addition, decreased IQ and reading ability, lower grade point average, more days of school absence, and decreased rates of high school graduation have been associated with exposure to traumatic events. Evidence suggests that youth exposed to trauma have decreased social competence and increased rates of peer rejection. Therefor...

History and Epistemology of Science in the Classroom: The Synthesis of Quinine as a Proposal

Journal of Chemical Education — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:22:54 +0100

Journal of Chemical EducationDOI: 10.1021/ed1003542 (Source: Journal of Chemical Education)

Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study

AJP: Advances in Physiology Education — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students. The freely available Moodle platform was simple to use, helped to effectively deliver course materials, and has features that allowed c...

Impact of problem-based learning in a large classroom setting: student perception and problem-solving skills

AJP: Advances in Physiology Education — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Problem-based learning (PBL) can be described as a learning environment where the problem drives the learning. This technique usually involves learning in small groups, which are supervised by tutors. It is becoming evident that PBL in a small-group setting has a robust positive effect on student learning and skills, including better problem-solving skills and an increase in overall motivation. However, very little research has been done on the educational benefits of PBL in a large classroom setting. Here, we describe a PBL approach (using tutorless groups) that was introduced as a supplement to standard didactic lectures in University of British Columbia Okanagan undergraduate biochemistry classes consisting of 45–85 students. PBL was chosen as an effective method to assist student...

Active learning in a large medical classroom setting for teaching renal physiology

AJP: Advances in Physiology Education — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: AJP: Advances in Physiology Education)

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Does Your 8 Year Old Want to Know What a Dildo Is? No? Think Again!

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:25:13 +0100

I have visited well over a thousand classrooms over the years to speak on many different topics and issues pertaining to sex and sexuality. I have spoken to high school and middle school kids many, many times, but if truth be told I have always enjoyed most my discussions with kids in the elementary school grades. Primary Topic: Parenting read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

Active learning in a large medical classroom setting for teaching renal physiology.

Advances in Physiology Education — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Dietz JR, Stevenson FT PMID: 22139786 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Advances in Physiology Education)

Impact of problem-based learning in a large classroom setting: student perception and problem-solving skills.

Advances in Physiology Education — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Klegeris A, Hurren H Abstract Problem-based learning (PBL) can be described as a learning environment where the problem drives the learning. This technique usually involves learning in small groups, which are supervised by tutors. It is becoming evident that PBL in a small-group setting has a robust positive effect on student learning and skills, including better problem-solving skills and an increase in overall motivation. However, very little research has been done on the educational benefits of PBL in a large classroom setting. Here, we describe a PBL approach (using tutorless groups) that was introduced as a supplement to standard didactic lectures in University of British Columbia Okanagan undergraduate biochemistry classes consisting of 45-85 students. PBL was chosen...

Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study.

Advances in Physiology Education — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Seluakumaran K, Jusof FF, Ismail R, Husain R Abstract Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students. The freely available Moodle platform was simple to use, helped t...

Teacher Time Spent on Student Health Issues and School Nurse Presence.

The Journal of School Nursing — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Hill NJ, Hollis M Abstract Elementary school teacher time spent on student health issues and the relationship to school nurse services was the focus of this 2-year study. A cross-sectional design was used to survey traditional and exceptional (special needs) classroom teachers about the time they spent on health issues and their perception of school nurse presence. The school nurses were surveyed regarding the impact of their presence on early releases due to illness. Study findings related to teacher perceptions indicate with school nurse presence there are fewer early releases, increased communication, less time spent on health issues, students with chronic illnesses are safer, and there is a resource available for health information. The data provide the groundwork for ...

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Case presentation in the virtual classroom.

The Journal of Nursing Education — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ciesielka D PMID: 22147530 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The Journal of Nursing Education)

Using behaviour contracts to decrease antisocial behaviour in four boys with an autistic spectrum disorder at home and at school

British Journal of Special Education — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This article describes how a behaviour contract has been implemented to achieve positive and enduring results for four boys with a diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Four case studies are described which address reductions in behaviours such as assaultive and destructive behaviour, out‐of‐seat behaviour, inappropriate contact with others and loud vocalisations, while also increasing the following of directions in the classroom and at playtimes. The common thread across all of the case studies is the use of the behaviour contract and the link that is built between home and school. The authors suggest that it is this contingent link that is the basis for the success in each of these studies. Based on their research, they believe that the behaviour contract can be considere...

Psychology for the Classroom: constructivism and social learning – By Alan Pritchard and John Woollard

British Journal of Special Education — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: British Journal of Special Education)

[Quality of life and burnout among public high school and primary school teachers in Southern Brazil].

Cadernos de Saude Publica — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Tabeleão VP, Tomasi E, Neves SF Abstract In order to investigate quality of life among public schoolteachers in relation to socio-demographic characteristics and work conditions, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 601 primary and secondary teachers from the State and Municipal public school system in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The study analyzed the following domains from the WHOQOL-BREF scale: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. The mean indices were: 69.2 (SD = 16.8) for physical health, 70.6 (SD = 14.0) for psychological health, 72.5 (SD = 17.3) for social relationships, and 60.7 (SD = 14.0) for environment. Age, time in the teaching career, and total number of students were no...

[Level of smoking of 3rd and 4th grade students studying health and related factors: follow-up study].

Tuberkuloz ve Toraks — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This study is carried out in order to see if there is a change in the same students' level of smoking while they are in 3rd and 4th year. In addition, the study aimed to examine the factors affecting the level of use and attitudes towards the law effectuated in July 19, 2009. This is a follow-up study with 80.42% return rate. A 26-item structured questionnaire was administered. The participants filled out the questionnaires under supervision of the researchers in their classrooms. The University Institutional Review Board approved the study. The total of participants (263) of the follow-up study included 189 female and 74 male. The rate of experimenting with smoking was 49% with the mean age of 15.7 (SD= 4.01 years). The mean age of experimenting with smoking was the earliest on male stude...

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Informatics teaching in undergraduate nursing programs at Brazilian public institutions.

Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sanches LM, Jensen R, Monteiro MI, Lopes MH Abstract This descriptive study aimed to verify the inclusion of subjects about informatics in undergraduate nursing programs at Brazilian (state and federal) public education institutions. The programs were located through the e-MEC system. The Internet was used to search for the curricula of the campuses offering the nursing program and identify subjects related to informatics. Eighty-one higher education institutions and 123 campuses were located. Only 100 campuses provided the curriculum on the Internet, 35 of which offered the subject. The highest proportion occurred in the Northeast (46.1%) and the lowest in the North (8.6%). The subject is mostly offered as an elective discipline (57%) in the first and second year (80%), w...

Conclusion: Recommendations for how practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can promote youth purpose

New Directions for Youth Development — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractInitially drawing from, yet then expanding on the research discussed in this volume, this article discusses specific measures that practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can take to support purpose among youth. Strategies for educators include utilizing practical purpose teaching tools, such as purpose interviews, purpose‐related discussions, whole classroom and school community games, and purpose survey methodologies. Research strategies include expanding the study of youth purpose to more diverse groups of young people, and developing more succinct tools to assess purpose in research. Finally, the article discusses policy measures to promote purpose, including modification of current academic testing practices, expanding the breadth of course and extracurricular experienc...

Total viable molds and fungal DNA in classrooms and association with respiratory health and pulmonary function of European schoolchildren

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:41:50 +0100

In conclusion, indoor VM and fungal DNA were commonly found in monitored European schools and adversely related to respiratory health. Schools should be routinely tested through both culturable and non‐culturable methods for global indoor molds’ evaluation. (Source: Pediatric Allergy and Immunology)

Classroom-based and distance learning education and training courses in end-of-life care for health and social care staff: A systematic review.

Palliative Medicine — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Classroom-based education and training is useful for enhancing professionals' skills and perceived preparedness for delivering end-of-life care but should be reinforced by actual practice experience. PMID: 22126845 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Palliative Medicine)

Predictors and mediators of differences in soft drinks consumption according to gender and plans of further education among Norwegian secondary-school children.

Public Health Nutrition — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Preferences and modelling may contribute to gender and educational differences in SDC. The small moderating effects indicate that interventions aiming to reduce SDC can target the same mediators for boys and girls and children planning different levels of future education. PMID: 22122782 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Public Health Nutrition)

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Making the connection: randomized controlled trial of social skills at school for children with autism spectrum disorders

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:02:50 +0100

Conclusions: These data suggest that significant improvements can be made in peer social connections for children with autism spectrum disorders in general education classrooms with a brief intervention, and that these gains persist over time. (Source: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry)

Health Care of Underserved Populations: An Evidence-Based Approach (Misbah Keen MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This resource is a Course Manual for the Underserved Pathway classroom offering, a non-clinical selective at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The resource first discusses the background and the needs that lead to the development of this course. We then provide the course objectives, training and evaluation methods as well as course materials for the entire course. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Offering “Dip” Promotes Intake of a Moderately-Liked Raw Vegetable among Preschoolers with Genetic Sensitivity to Bitterness

Journal of the American Dietetic Association — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Background: Evidence-based strategies for promoting vegetable consumption among children are limited. Objective: To determine the effects of providing a palatable “dip” along with repeated exposure to a raw vegetable on preschoolers' liking and intake. Participants: One hundred fifty-two predominately Hispanic preschool-aged children studied in Head Start classrooms in 2008. Design: A between-subjects, quasiexperimental design was used. A moderately-liked raw vegetable (broccoli) was offered twice weekly at afternoon snacks for 7 weeks. Classrooms were randomized to receive broccoli in one of four conditions differing in the provision of dip. Bitter taste sensitivity was assessed using 6-n-propylthiouracil. Intervention: Broccoli was provided in four conditions: wit...

At-Risk Students Benefit From Evolutionary Practices In Schools

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Helping at-risk high schoolers succeed in the classroom has always been difficult. Binghamton University Professor David Sloan Wilson thinks that he has a solution: design a school program that draws upon general theories of social behavior. Wilson, who has studied the evolution of social behavior throughout his career, recently had an opportunity to advise a new program for at-risk 9th and 10th graders in the upstate community of Binghamton, NY... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Evolutionary practices in schools can benefit at-risk students

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Binghamton University) Helping at-risk high schoolers succeed in the classroom has always been difficult. Binghamton University professor David Sloan Wilson thinks that he has a solution: design a school program that draws upon general theories of social behavior. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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A Cluster Randomized Trial of Sun Protection at Elementary Schools: Results from Year 2

American Journal of Preventive Medicine — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:39:41 +0100

Background: Elementary schools are one potential venue for sun protection interventions that reduce childhood sun exposure.Purpose: To assess Year-2 results from a cluster randomized trial promoting hat use at schools.Design: Block randomization was used to assign intervention/control status to participating schools. Data were collected from 2006 to 2008 and analyzed in 2007–2010.Setting/participants: Of the 24 schools in the School District of Hillsborough County, Florida enrolled, 4th-graders were targeted in the first year and followed through their 5th-grade year.Intervention: Classroom sessions were conducted to improve sun protection knowledge, foster more positive attitudes about hat use, and change the subjective norm of wearing hats when at school.Main outcome measures: Year-2 o...

Cupcake parties make kids fat? What study says

Health News: CBSNews.com — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:15:09 +0100

Children can get 20 percent of daily caloric needs from classroom celebrations featuring "energy-dense" foods (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Science on a Mission: Engineering a Sustainable Future for Haitians without Homes

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:24:00 +0100

Graduate student Dustin Mix works with community members in L og ne to develop plans for engineered housing. (credit: A. Taflanidis) Suppose, for a moment, that you were presented with an opportunity to put what you learned in the classroom, what you learned in the lab, what you learned in the field to use for the benefit of hundreds of thousands of people. That you could save hundreds of thousands of lives by putting to work the knowledge that you share in the classroom everyday. Consider the basic principles of physics put into practice to rescue a society at risk. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Faculty perception of clinical value of five commonly used orthopedic tests.

The Journal of Chiropractic Education — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:12:02 +0100

CONCLUSION: There were strong indications that faculty members were not consistent in their perception of the value for common orthopedic tests for diagnosing specific conditions. In an evidence-based model of education, there should be a consensus among academic and clinical faculty in order for the students to learn, integrate, and apply in practice what they have learned in the classroom. Active intervention in the academic process is required to accomplish necessary change. PMID: 22069341 [PubMed] (Source: The Journal of Chiropractic Education)

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:27:55 +0100

One of the standards of American education today is the concept of ‘heterogeneous grouping' within ‘mainstream' classrooms: Children of every skill level remain together in every subject. This may be a pushback against a time when grouping children according to their abilities lead to a sense of isolation, with kids seeming to languish on the special education track. Primary Topic: Education read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Whatever happened to apprenticeship learning?

The Clinical Teacher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:31:47 +0100

This article is a summary of that talk.Implications: The relatively new model of ‘situated learning’ offers an opportunity for academics and clinicians to revitalise the apprenticeship model of learning in, and being stimulated by, the clinical workplace. (Source: The Clinical Teacher)

Medical weblogs: advocacy for positive cyber role models

The Clinical Teacher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:31:38 +0100

SummaryBackground: The development of empathy and of medical professionalism is important in medical education. Research has shown a decline in empathy during medical study. An important factor that may contribute to this decline is the lack of positive role models. Students identify positive and negative role models in the clinical ward and in classrooms. Positive clinical role models, showing good professionalism, will foster the student’s professional growth.Context: Students base both knowledge and opinions on information they find on the internet, such as ‘medical weblogs’. These weblogs may be regarded as a new aspect of the ‘informal curriculum’, even though they might be written by ‘negative role models’. In our experience, students frequently require debriefing...

Death and dignity through fresh eyes

The Clinical Teacher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:31:37 +0100

SummaryBackground: Trinity College Dublin remains one of the Medical Schools that uses traditional dissection to teach anatomy, exposing students from the first week of entry to cadavers. This early exposure makes it imperative that issues surrounding death and donor remains are explored early on within the main structure of the curriculum.Context: The School of Medicine began a programme of Medical Humanities student‐selected modules (SSMs) in 2010, and the opportunity to offer a module on medical ethics regarding death and dignity was taken.Innovation: A course was devised that touched only lightly on subjects such as palliative care and the concept of a good death. The course focused much more strongly on the reality of death as part of cultural and societal identity and plac...

An educational conference in a general hospital

The Clinical Teacher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:31:32 +0100

SummaryBackground: Western Sussex Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Trust comprises the District General Hospitals of Worthing and Chichester. Both hospitals have successful postgraduate medical education centres, providing training for junior doctors and continuing professional development for senior doctors. Until now, there have been limited multi‐professional teaching and learning activities available.Context: The two hospitals have recently merged. The education executive felt that workplace learning had become undervalued since the implementation of Modernising Medical Careers in the UK. The executive wanted to provide a multi‐professional conference on Workplace Learning, both to support the merger and to promote the value of workplace and multi‐professional learni...