Professional identity and pedagogical space : negotiating difference in teacher workplaces

This paper explores ‘spatial struggle’ in the formation of professional identities of overseas born teachers. The basis of this struggle arises from a limited number of subject positions available for them in pedagogical spaces of the Australian system of education. We argue that relations of power/professional knowledge in teacher workplaces as well as the binary strategy of ‘us’ and ‘them’ generate marginal locations for overseas born teachers within schools. This construction of marginality is informed not only by discourses of what counts as being a professional but also by the conception of workplace – spaces of the school, staffroom and classroom – as monocultural, pre-given and bounded entities (McGregor, 2003). By rethinking workplaces as relational, as spaces that are connected to other sociocultural places as well as spaces of semiotic flows, we can also rethink the professional becoming of overseas born teachers. This involves a critical understanding of their positionality, which can be conceptualised as a struggle for voice within “a cacophony of past and present voices, lived experiences and available practices” (Britzman, 1991, p.8). It is because of this polyphony of voices and multiplicity of experiences that the process of professional identity formation for ‘alien’ teachers should be seen as becoming in continual negotiation of power/knowledge relations within workplaces. Recognising this dynamic is important for re-constructing our pedagogical spaces and, in turn, for a more equitable workplace practices.

Humanoid traffic control robot

A traffic control device in the form of a humanoid character robot, doll or dummy is used to warn driver of danger ahead on the road. The device can be used on roads, streets and in other sites where there are moving vehicles. The robotic device informs drivers of impending danger by moving its arms and sounding an acoustic alarm. In this way the robot can simulate a policeman or road flagging operator. The device may also include speed detection and preferably speed indication means. The robot may make decisions based on the detected speed of a vehicle and the limit for the area in operating the arms and sound warning means. The robot may also be equipped with a camera or video. The robot may also be controlled wirelessly.

Immigration detention in Australia

This thesis explains why immigration detention persists as part of Australia's immigration policy. It argues that this form of incarceration has a long history in Australia, and that it fulfils specific social and political functions. The thesis also demonstrates that immigration detention is punitive and therefore breaches Australia's constitution.

(Joyful pop-rock) heaven (mandolin rock)

A short and uplifting composition that is joyful in tone. Heaven is a track that is predominantly played on a real electro-acoustic mandolin - a versatile and sweet sounding instrument that punches above its weight to create a modern pop rock sound. The other sounds are a sampled bass, drums and a synth pad.

(Joyful pop-rock) heaven (mandolin rock) LOOP

A short and uplifting composition (looped) that is joyful in tone. Heaven is a track that is predominantly played on a real electro-acoustic mandolin - a versatile and sweet sounding instrument that punches above its weight to create a modern pop rock sound. The other sounds are a sampled bass, drums and a synth pad.

(Joyful pop-rock) heaven (mandolin rock) no intro hits

A short and uplifting composition that is joyful in tone. Heaven is a track that is predominantly played on a real electro-acoustic mandolin - a versatile and sweet sounding instrument that punches above its weight to create a modern pop rock sound. The other sounds are a sampled bass, drums and a synth pad.

How many of Australia's ground-nesting birds are likely to be at risk from the invasive Cane Toad (Rhinella marina)?

Cane Toads (Rhinella marina; hereafter 'toads') are large, toxic American anurans that were introduced to Australia in 1935. Research on their ecological impact has focussed on the lethal ingestion of toxic toads by native frog-eating predators. Less attention has been paid to the potential impacts of Cane Toads as predators, although these large anurans sometimes eat vertebrates, such as nestling birds and bird eggs. We review published and unpublished data on interactions between Cane Toads and Australian ground-nesting birds, and collate distributional and breeding information to identify the avian taxa potentially at risk of having eggs or chicks eaten by Cane Toads. Cane Toads are currently sympatric with 80 ground-nesting bird species in Australia, and five additional species of bird occur within the predicted future range of the toad. Although many species of bird are potentially at risk, available data suggest there is minimal impact of Cane Toads on ground-nesting species. Future research could usefully address both direct and indirect impacts of the invasion by Cane Toads, ideally with detailed field observations of these impacts on nesting success and of changes in bird breeding success as a function of invasion by toads.

Aquaculture : a newly emergent food production sector-and perspectives of its impacts on biodiversity and conservation

The fisheries sector in the course of the last three decades have been transformed from a developed country to a developing country dominance. Aquaculture, the farming of waters, though a millennia old tradition during this period has become a significant contributor to food fish production, currently accounting for nearly 50 % of global food fish consumption; in effect transforming our dependence from a hunted to a farmed supply as for all our staple food types. Aquaculture and indeed the fisheries sector as a whole is predominated in the developing countries, and accordingly the development strategies adopted by the sector are influenced by this. Aquaculture also being a newly emerged food production sector has being subjected to an increased level of public scrutiny, and one of the most contentious aspects has been its impacts on biodiversity. In this synthesis an attempt is made to assess the impacts of aquaculture on biodiversity. Instances of major impacts on biodiversity conservation arising from aquaculture, such as land use, effluent discharge, effects on wild populations, alien species among others are highlighted and critically examined. The influence of paradigm changes in development strategies and modern day market forces have begun to impact on aquaculture developments. Consequently, improvements in practices and adoption of more environmentally friendly approaches that have a decreasing negative influence on biodiversity conservation are highlighted. An attempt is also made to demonstrate direct and or indirect benefits of aquaculture, such as through being a substitute to meet human needs for food, particularly over-exploited and vulnerable fish stocks, and for other purposes (e.g. medicinal ingredients), on biodiversity conservation, often a neglected entity.

Invaders at the door : science fiction film invasion narratives of the 1950s

Public talk Warrnambool city centre campus in association with the arts centre

Element of romanticization : sensory and spatial locations in the narratives of Indian diaspora in Australia

The “element of romanticization” or the constant yearning for ones roots—sensory and spatial locations—has become a phenomenon for different immigrant groups. As it is the politics of sensory and spatial locations that act as one of the core features that join Indian Diaspora across continents. The short stories analysed in this paper attempt to provide an understanding of the variety of interpretations of the sensory and spatial locations. We can note that in most of these stories the immigrants try to bring the Indian subcontinent to Australia with them by using myths, legends, historical facts, etc. These immigrants besides using myths also display a proudest possession, which reminds them constantly of home. These objects or icons or elements from the past, which the immigrants carry with them as cultural products are used as helpers in making a sense out of the alien situation presented before them. The paper concludes with the assertion that Indian-Australian short stories act as an important expression of the Indian way of life in Australia and may also effectively help in removing misconceptions and better understandings of local conditions thus encouraging fellow Australians to see differently within the cultural context of India and Australia.

Invader impact clarifies the roles of top-down and bottom-up effects on tropical snake populations

Disentangling the effects of prey limitation (bottom-up) and predation (top-down) processes on natural populations is difficult, but the perturbations introduced by an invasive species can provide pseudo-experimental evidence on this issue.

The teaching contest as a professional development activity to promote classroom instruction excellence in China

Teaching contests might be alien to many readers outside of China mainland, but as one of professional development activities, it is well known by most of Chinese school teachers. This chapter, based on the data collected by mail surveys to the contest organizers, evaluation panel members, contest winners, and ordinary participating teachers, and detailed notes taken from various meetings of the evaluation committee, as well as a lesson video of one of the three contest winners, we aimed to the 2011 national high school teachers' teaching contests carefully, to examine the aims and processes of teaching contests, their possible merits or weaknesses for teachers’ professional development, and features of exemplary lessons demonstrated during the national teaching contest. It was found that the aim of the teaching contest was totally not the competition per se., to promote curriculum development and teachers' professional development, to provide a big platform for those teachers who pursue excellence in teaching to display, discuss, explore, and share with others about mathematics instruction were real intentions of the organizers.

Addressing the “Muslim question”

 The question of whether Islam and Muslims belong in the West has been the subject of considerable political “debate” well before the events of 9/11. Indeed, subsequent events, though different but connected, have unfolded on the international scene as the “War on Terror”. This question has undoubtedly attracted public attention and the answers are more polarised nowadays as we live in the highly mediatised shadow of Al-Qa’eda and its more violent incarnation, the Islamic State (IS). Indeed, the clash of civilisation thesis advanced by Samuel Huntington had at its core a philosophical and practical assumption that Islam and the West are on a collision course because of their divergent cultural and value systems. In other words the cultural fault line that divides the Muslim world from the West is not only about democracy but also about ethics and values. The excessive securitisation of Islam and its public construction as “alien”, “foreign”, “threatening” and altogether “incompatible” with Western democratic values adds weight to the self-fulfilling prophecy that sees nothing but violent clashes in history that stretch from the Crusades to the War on Terror.

Semantic shock: David Bowie!

David Bowie embodies certain identity positions that are alien, alternative, and transgressive via metaphor and alter-egos that render him essentially strange. This chapter argues that by using metaphor and metonym throughout his visual and sonic creations, David Bowie has been largely freed from the constraints of merely describing the world; his use of metaphor and metonym have afforded possible reevaluations of the world, in new ways, by breaking the association between language and things. His own sonic and visual assemblage have allowed fissures to be created; new and multiple meanings rendered possible and valid, with his work going beyond both the creator and viewing/listening-body. Using Sara Ahmed’s (2004) social philosophies of trauma and scarring, the chapter argues that what David Bowie’s work frequently does is ‘re-open wounds’ and reminds us of the scars; asking us to notice their existence, to become more aware, in the first instance. But then, offers a means to negotiate their healing.

Nanomídia(s): legitimidade e interdisciplinaridade face ao antropoceno

New media epistemologies are emerging and might be considered illegitimate not because of plain rejection or criticism, but because of their alien origins and inter/ transdisciplinary implications. This article tells the story of a nano, tiny world within the world of media studies: the world of the term ‘nanomedia’ and its hyphenated sister ‘nano-media’. It narrates the different uses of this term as an illustration of the way in which disciplinarity determines the level of legitimacy or illegitimacy of an emerging term. We present another possible use of the term nanomedia in the field of media studies, one that is more closely aligned with its scientific origins. The importance and relevance of this proposition is connected to the present challenges we face in the anthropocene.