Partnership for arts integration : exploring the experiences of teachers and artists working with integrated arts programs

This research acknowledges the difficulties experienced by teachers presenting integrated arts curricula. Instructional support is offered by arts organizations that provide arts partnerships with local schools boards. The study focuses on the experiences of 8 teachers from a Catholic school board in southern Ontario who participated in integrated arts programs offered by The Royal Conservatory of Music's Learning Through the Arts™ (LTTATM) program and a local art gallery's Art Based Integrated Learning (ABIL) program and examines their responses to the programs and their perception of personal and professional development through this association. Additionally, questions were posed to the . "aftisfs"from-tneSe]Jfograrrrs;-and"they liiscus·sed·how"participating in-collaboration with teachers in the development of in-school programs enabled them to experience personal and professional development as well. Seven themes emerged from the data. These themes included: teachers' feelings of a lack of preparedness to teach the arts; the value of the arts and arts partnerships in schools; the role of the artists in the education of teachers; professional development for both teachers and artists; the development of collegiality; perceptions of student engagement; and the benefits and obstacles of integrating the arts into the curriculum. This document highlights the benefits to both teachers and artists of arts partnerships between schools and outside arts organizations.

Opening a can of worms : perceptions and practices of teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador incorporating the role of a therapist

Educational trends of inclusion and collaboration have led to changing roles of teachers, including an emphasis on personal support. To provide for social, emotional, and behavioural needs, teachers may adopt a therapeutic role. Many models for such support are proposed, with most models including the importance of student-teacher relationships, a focus on social, emotional, and behavioural development, and direct instruction of related skills. This study includes 20 interview participants. In addition, 4 of the 20 interview participants also took part in a case study. It examines whether participants adopt a therapeutic role, their beliefs about student-teacher relationships, whether they provide interventions in personal issues, and instructed social, emotional, and behaviour skills. Findings show that teachers adopt an academic role as well as a therapeutic role, believe student-teacher relationships are important, are approached about personal issues, and instruct social, emotional, and behavioural skills. Talking and listening are commonly used to provide support, typically exclusive of formal curricular goals. The challenges in providing front-line support issues that may be shared within an established student-teacher relationship are considered. Support in turn for teachers who choose to provide support for personal issues in the classroom within a therapeutic role are suggested, including recommendations for support and referral related to specific social, emotional, or behavioural scenarios that may arise in the school community.

Exploring the personal and professional lives of teachers in the search for authenticity /

"We teach who we are" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2). This simple, yet profound, statement was the catalyst that began my thesis journey. Using a combination of self-study and participant narratives, Palmer's idea was explored as search for authenticity. The self-study component of this narrative was enhanced by the stories of two other teachers, both women. I chose to use narrative methodology to uncover and discover the relationship between the personal and professional lives of being a teacher. Do teachers express themselves daily in their classrooms? Do any lessons from the classroom translate into teachers' personal lives? The themes of reflection, authenticity, truth, and professional development thread themselves throughout this narrative study. In order to be true to myself as a teacher/researcher, arts-based interpretations accompany my own and each participant's profile. Our conversations about our pasts, our growth as teachers and journeys as individuals were captured in poetry and photographic mosaics. Through rich and detailed stories we explored who we are as teachers and how we became this way. The symbiotic relationship between our personal and professional lives was illustrated by tales of bravery, self-discovery, and reflection. The revelations uncovered illustrate the powerful role our past plays in shaping the present and potentially the friture. It may seem indulgent to spend time exploring who we are as teachers in a time that is increasingly focused on improving student test scores. Yet, the truth remains that, "Knowing myself is as crucial to good teaching as knowing my students and my subject" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2).

Invisible disability, visible people: a closer look at the experiences of teachers with learning disabilities /

Throughout their schooling experiences, students with learning disabilities (LD) face numerous academic and socioemotional challenges. Some of these individuals rise above these obstacles to obtain a postsecondary education and become professionals. Recently, there have been a number of individuals with learning disabilities who have chosen a career in teaching. There is a lack of research that documents the experiences of teachers with learning disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain an understanding of the challenges that the teachers with learning disabilities strive to overcome and the supports that they receive ^^^ch facilitate their inception into teaching. Four teachers with learning disabilities were the participants in this collective case study research. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. These data were coded, collapsed into themes, and the results were presented in a narrative form. The resultant 9 themes are: (a) Perspectives on School Experiences, (b) Identification and Effective Accommodations, (c) Isolation, Frustration, and Support, (d) Awareness of Learning Disability at Age 18, (e) Disclosure of Learning Disability, (f) Negative Impact of the Learning Disability Label, (g) Desire, Drive, and Obstacles, (h) Empathy, Compassion, and Self-Concept, and (i) Critical Views of Colleagues. The themes reflect the common experiences among participants. The discussion brings forth new information that is not found in other research. The impHcations of this research will interest teacher federations, parents of students with LD, teachers, and educational researchers.

The design, synthesis and characterization of new building blocks for the preparation of molecule-based magnetic materials /

Two new families of building blocks have been prepared and fully characterized and their coordination chemistry exploited for the preparation of molecule-based magnetic materials. The first class of compounds were prepared by exploiting the chemistry of 3,3'-diamino-2,2'-bipyridine together with 2-pyridine carbonyl chloride or 2-pyridine aldehyde. Two new ligands, 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-[2-pyridinecarboxamide] (Li, 2.3) and N'-6/s(2-pyridylmethyl) [2,2'bipyridine]-3,3'-diimine (L2, 2.7), were prepared and characterized. For ligand L4, two copper(II) coordination compounds were isolated with stoichiometrics [Cu2(Li)(hfac)2] (2.4) and [Cu(Li)Cl2] (2.5). The molecular structures of both complexes were determined by X-ray crystallography. In both complexes the ligand is in the dianionic form and coordinates the divalent Cu(II) ions via one amido and two pyridine nitrogen donor atoms. In (2.4), the coordination geometry around both Cu11 ions is best described as distorted trigonal bipyramidal where the remaining two coordination sites are satisfied by hfac counterions. In (2.5), both Cu(II) ions adopt a (4+1) distorted square pyramidal geometry. One copper forms a longer apical bond to an adjacent carbonyl oxygen atom, whereas the second copper is chelated to a neighboring Cu-Cl chloride ion to afford chloride bridged linear [Cu2(Li)Cl2]2 tetramers that run along the c-axis of the unit cell. The magnetic susceptibility data for (2.4) reveal the occurrence of weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the copper(II) ions. In contrast, variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements for (2.5) reveal more complex magnetic properties with the presence of ferromagnetic exchange between the central dimeric pair of copper atoms and weak antiferromagnetic exchange between the outer pairs of copper atoms. The Schiff-base bis-imine ligand (L2, 2.7) was found to be highly reactive; single crystals grown from dry methanol afforded compound (2.14) for which two methanol molecules had added across the imine double bond. The susceptibility of this ligand to nucleophilic attack at its imine functionality assisted via chelation to Lewis acidic metal ions adds an interesting dimension to its coordination chemistry. In this respect, a Co(II) quaterpyridine-type complex was prepared via a one-pot transformation of ligand L2 in the presence of a Lewis acidic metal salt. The rearranged complex was characterized by X-ray crystallography and a reaction mechanism for its formation has been proposed. Three additional rearranged complexes (2.13), (2.17) and (2.19) were also isolated when ligand (L2, 2.7) was reacted with transition metal ions. The molecular structures of all three complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The second class of compounds that are reported in this thesis, are the two diacetyl pyridine derivatives, 4-pyridyl-2,6-diacetylpyridine (5.5) and 2,2'-6,6'-tetraacetyl-4,4'-bipyridine (5.15). Both of these compounds have been designed as intermediates for the metal templated assembly of a Schiff-base N3O2 macrocycle. From compound (5.15), a covalently tethered dimeric Mn(II) macrocyclic compound of general formula {[Mn^C^XJCl-FkO^Cl-lO.SFbO (5.16) was prepared and characterized. The X-ray analysis of (5.16) reveals that the two manganese ions assume a pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry with the macrocycle occupying the pentagonal plane and the axial positions being filled by a halide ion and a H2O molecule. Magnetic susceptibility data reveal the occurrence of antiferromagnetic interactions between covalently tethered Mn(II)-Mn(II) dimeric units. Following this methodology a Co(II) analogue (5.17) has also been prepared which is isostructural with (5.16).

Preparing to teach : learning from an exploration of teachers' experiences of teaching in classrooms of difference

This qualitative study explores practicing teachers' experiences of teaching in classrooms of diversity, that is, classrooms where students represent a variety of differences including race, culture, ethnicity, and class. More specifically, this study investigates the types of curricular and pedagogical practices teachers employ in their classrooms. This study attempts to make a contribution to the scholarship of critical pedagogy by drawing upon the works of critical pedagogues to make sense of participants' descriptions oftheir curricular and pedagogical practices. Four participants were involved in this study. Participants were elementary teachers in classrooms of difference in Ontario who contributed the primary sources of data by engaging in 2 individual interviews. Additional sources of data included a focus group meeting that 2 ofthe participants were able to attend, school board curriculum resource documents assisting teachers in teaching critically, as well as a research journal which the researcher kept throughout the study. The scholarship of critical pedagogy (Ellsworth, 1992; Giroux, 1993; McLaren, 1989) informs the analysis of participants' descriptions of their teaching experiences. Many of the participants did not engage in a practice of critical pedagogy. This study explores some of the challenges and possibilities of using critical pedagogy to create spaces in classrooms where teachers can build connections between the curriculum mandated by the government and the multiple identities and experiences that students bring into the classroom. This study concludes with a discussion on what teachers need to know to be able to begin creating equitable and educational experiences in classrooms of difference.

The transformation of teachers: an adult learning approach

The study focused on the teacher as an adult learner rather than an instructor. A sample of three hundred and three elementary school teachers completed a two-part Likert survey questionnaire. The instrument was developed by the researcher in an attempt to operationalize Mezirow's Theory of Perspective Transformation. The four sub-scales collected information about teachers as they perceived themselves as adult learners and the way they conceptualize critical SelfReflection, Meaning perspectives and New Insights (Mezirow, 1978, 1981, 1989, 1990) within a framework of Mezirow's concept of Transformative Learning. Survey research methodology was used. Frequency distributions, means, and standard deviation were calculated. Reliability analysis and Pearson 'r' correlations established the internal consistency of items It Cross tabulations to describe differences in responses across demographic valuables were computed. The survey results indicated that teachers perceived themselves as self-directed learners. The findings support the need for a better understanding of the teacher as an adult learner so that teacher inservice programs and teacher supervision and evaluation can provide a viable learning alternative to the existing models used in practice.

Preparation of SrMgx-Ru1-xO3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition /

SrMg^Rui-iOa thin films were made by using pulsed laser deposition on SrTiOa (100) substrates in either O2 or Ar atmosphere. The thin films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis, dc resistivity measurement, and dc magnetization measurement. The effect of Mg doping was observed. As soon as the amount of Mg increased in SrMg-cRui-iOa thin films, the magnetization decreased, and the resistivity increased. It had little effect on the Curie temperature (transition temperature). The magnetization states of SrMgiRui-iOa thin films, for x < 0.15, are similar to SrRuOs films. X-ray diffraction results for SrMga-Rui-iOa thin films made in oxygen showed that the films are epitaxial. The thin films could not be well made in Ar atmosphere during laser ablation as there was no clear peak of SrMg^Rui-iOa in x-ray diffraction results. Substrate temperatures had an effect on the resistivity of the films. The residual resistivity ratios were increased by increasing substrate temperature. It was observed that the thickness of thin films are another factor for film quality: Thin films were epitaxial, but thicker films were not epitaxial.

The expression and development of teachers' capacities within two learning communities : a participant-observer case study

The learning community model has been an integral component of teacher development in Ontarian schools and beyond. This research was conducted to understand how teachers' personal capacity and professional, interpersonal, and organizational competencies are developed and expressed within this context. Nineteen elementary teachers and administrators participated in the study from November through January 2007. A qualitative case study methodology was used to investigate the role ofteachers' capacities and competencies in learning communities. Combined data sources from semistructured interviews, research journals, and document review were used to gather data about teachers' capacities and competencies. The study included 3 phases of analysis. In the final phase the analysis provided 3 qualities of the teachers at Jude and Mountain Schools (pseudonyms): identification as professionals, investment in others, and institutional affiliation that may explain how they differed from other educators. The data revealed these three themes, which provided an understanding of educators at Jude and Mountain Schools as dedicated professionals pushing practices to contribute to school life and address student learning needs, and as teachers who reflected on practices to continue expanding their skills. Teachers were heavily invested in creating a caring culture and in students' and team members' learning. Educators actively participated in solving problems and coplanning throughout the school levels and beyond, assumed collective responsibility for all pupils, and focused on generating school-wide consistent practices. These qualities and action patterns revealed teachers who invested time and effort in their colleagues, who committed to develop as professionals, and who affiliated closely with every aspect of school living.

Synthesis and utilization of guanidine catalysts for applications directed towards the preparation of butenolide and modified amino acid derivatives

Development of guanidine catalysts is explored through direct iminium chloride and amine coupling, alongside a 2-chloro-l,3-dimethyl-IH-imidazol-:-3-ium chloride (DMC) induced thiourea cyclization. Synthesized achiral catalyst N-(5Hdibenzo[ d,t][1,3]diazepin-6(7H)-ylidene)-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) aniline proved unsuccessful towards O-acyl migrations, however successfully catalyzed the vinylogous aldol reaction between dicbloro furanone and benzaldehyde. Incorporating chirality into the guanidine catalyst utilizing a (R)-phenylalaninol auxiliary, generating (R)-2-((5Hdibenzo[ d,t] [1,3 ]diazepin-6(7H)-ylidene ) amino )-3 -phenylpropan-l-ol, demonstrated enantioselectivity for a variety of adducts. Highest enantiomeric excess (ee) was afforded between dibromofuranone and p-chlorobenzaldehyde, affording the syn conformation in 96% ee and the anti in 54% ee, with an overall yield of30%. Attempts to increase asymmetric induction were focused on incorporation of axial chirality to the (R)phenylalaninol catalyst using binaphthyl diamine. Incorporation of (S)-binaphthyl exhibited destructive selectivity, whereas incorporation of (R)-binaphthyl demonstrated no effects on enantioselectivity. Current studies are being directed towards identifying the catalytic properties of asymmetric induction with further studies are being aimed towards increasing enantioselectivity by increasing backbone steric bulk.

Lived Experiences: An Exploration of Teachers' Thoughts and Feelings While Implementing an Antibullying Initiative

This qualitative case study explored elementary school teachers' lived experiences and perceptions surrounding the implementation of an antibullying program within the public school system. The purpose of this study was to share the individual stories of teachers who have implemented an antibullying initiative and how their journey into the bullying phenomenon changed their personal beliefs, their students, and their school climate. Five elementary school teachers (3 female, 2 male) from 5 different public schools in a southwestern region of Ontario completed 8 closed-ended questions and participated in l-on-l semistructured interviews. All 5 teachers had implemented the "Imagine ... A School Without Bullying" initiative or were involved with its predecessor the "Good Kid Sid" pilot project. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The data were coded, and broad themes were reduced to a smaller number of topics where a more in-depth analysis occurred. Findings showed that reports of bullying existed at each of the schools. All 5 teachers felt their initiative was making a positive difference in their school; however this did not come without some resistance from staff. A common finding heard from all of their stories was the need for more time. Implications for antibullying initiatives are discussed, and advice to anyone beginning an antibullying initiative is offered by each of the 5 teachers involved in this study.

The Synthesis and Coordination Chemistry of Two Families of Polydentate Ligands - Exploring Their Potential for the Preparation of Molecule-Based Magnets

The synthesis and studies of two classes of poly dentate ligands are presented as two projects. In project 1, four new carboxamide ligands have been synthesised via the condensation of 2,2',6,6'-tetrachloroformyl-4,4'-bipyridine or 2,6-dichloroformyl pyridine together with heterocyclic amines containing pyridine or pyrazole substituents. The coordination chemistry of these ligands has been investigated and studies have shown that with a Cu(II) salt, two carboxamide ligands LJ and L2 afford large clusters with stoichiometries [Cu8(L1)4Cl16].CHCl3.5H2O.7CH3OH (I) and [Cu9(L2)6Cl6].CH3OH.5H2O.(C2H5)3N (II) respectively. [molecular diagram availabel in pdf]. X-ray diffraction studies of cluster (I) reveal that it has approximate S4 symmetry and is comprised of four ligands and eight copper (II) centers. Here, coordination takes place via amide 0 atoms, and pyrazole nitrogens. This complex is the first reported example of an octanuclear copper cluster with a saddle-shaped structure. The second cluster comprises nine copper ions that are arranged in a cyclic array. Each ligand coordinates three copper centers and each copper ion shares two ligands to connect six ligands with nine copper ions. The amide nitrogens are completely deprotonated and both amide Nand 0 atoms coordinate the metal centres. The cluster has three-fold symmetry. There are six chloride ions, three of which are bridging two neighbouring Cu(II) centres. Magnetic studies of (I) and (II) reveal that both clusters display weak antiferromagnetic interactions between neighbouring Cu(II) centers at low temperature. In the second project, three complexes with stoichiometries [Fe[N302](SCN)2]2 (III), R,R-[Fe[N3O2](SCN)2 (IV) and R,R-]Fe[N3O2](CN)2] (V) were prepared and characterized, where [N302] is a pentadentate macrocycle. Complex (III) was prepared via the metal templated Schiff-base condensation of 2,2',6,6'-tetraacetyl-4,4'-bipyridine together with 3,6-dioxaoctane-I,8-diamine and comprises of a dimeric macro cycle where the two Fe(II) centres are in a pentagonal-bipyramidal environment with the [N302] ligands occupying the equatorial plane and two axial NCS ligands. Complexes (IV) and (V) were prepared via the condensation of 2,6-diacetylpyridine together with a chiral diamine in the presence of FeCh. The synthetic strategy for the preparation of the chiral diamine (4R,5R)-4,5-diphenyl-3,6-dioxa-I,8-octane-diamine was elucidated. The chirality of both macrocycles (IV) and (V) was probed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The crystal structure of (IV) at 200 K contains two independent molecules in the unit cell, both of which contain a hepta-coordinated Fe(II) and axial NCS ligands. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility and structural studies are consistent with a high spin Fe(II) complex and show no evidence of any spin crossover behaviour. In contrast, the bis cyanide derivative (V) crystallizes with two independent molecules in the unit cell, both of which have different coordination geometries consistent with different spin states for the two Fe(II) centres. At 250 K, the molecular structure of (V) shows the presence of both 7- and a 6-coordinate Fe(II) complexes in the crystal lattice. As the temperature is lowered, the molecules undergo a structural change and at 100 K the structural data is consistent with a 6- and 5-coordinate Fe(II) complex in the unit cell. Magnetic studies confirm that this complex undergoes a gradual, thermal, spin crossover transition in the solid state. Photomagnetic measurements indicate this is the first chiral Fe (II) sea complex to exhibit a LIESST.

A Qualitative Study of the Professional Experiences of Teachers With Mobility Challenges and Their Self-Perceptions of Professional Success

This qualitative investigation explored the professional experiences of 3 Ontario teachers who have mobility challenges. The study’s participants (2 male and 1 female) were Ontario teachers who have permanent physical disabilities that challenge their means of mobility. Each participant has an Ontario Certified Teaching License and has either taught or is currently teaching in an Ontario school. My primary source of data collection was a semi-structured face-to-face interview with each participant. The focus of the interview was participant perspectives. Data analysis was accomplished in 3 phases. Data analysis generated 5 prominent themes of commonality among participants: (a) independence and sacrifice, (b) living with pain, (c) barriers and obstacles, (d) the importance of communication, and (e) professional benefits and personal rewards.

Automatic Preparation of ETD Material from the Internet Archive for the DSpace Repository Platform

A big challenge associated with getting an institutional repository off the ground is getting content into it. This article will look at how to use digitization services at the Internet Archive alongside software utilities that the author developed to automate the harvesting of scanned dissertations and associated Dublin Core XML files to create an ETD Portal using the DSpace platform. The end result is a metadata-rich, full-text collection of theses that can be constructed for little out of pocket cost.

Perturbing the impulse activity of a single identified neuron augments the formation of long-term memory in a molluscan semi-intact preparation /

The aim of this study was to investigate the neural correlates of operant conditioning in a semi-intact preparation of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Lymnaea learns, via operant conditioning, to reduce its aerial respiratory behaviour in response to an aversive tactile stimulus to its open pneumostome. This thesis demonstrates the successful conditioning of na'ive semiintact preparations to show learning in the dish. Furthermore, these conditioned preparations show long-term memory that persists for at least 18 hours. As the neurons that generate this behaviour have been previously identified I can, for the first time, monitor neural activity during both learning and long-term memory consolidation in the same preparation. In particular, I record from the respiratory neuron Right Pedal Dorsal 1 (RPeD 1) which is part of the respiratory central pattern generator. In this study, I demonstrate that preventing RPeDl impulse activity between training sessions reduces the number of sessions needed to produce long-term memory in the present semi-intact preparation.