Rediseñar el sistema, pero ¿cómo?

Dentro del contexto Wikipedia o 2.0, se plantea la necesidad de una explosión innovadora del sistema educativo, que incremente la diversidad entre centros, convirtiéndolos en verdaderas comunidades de aprendizaje. Se plantea la posición del gobierno central en el rediseño de este sistema, así como la de los agentes educativos para liderar este cambio.

Infancia y educación artística.

Contiene tabla del sistema educativo británico y tablas comparadas de los sistemas educativos de Estados Unidos y España

Reforma educativa, profesionalización e intensificación del trabajo docente en educación infantil.

Resumen tomado del autor. Resumen en castellano e inglés. Notas a pie de página. Este artículo se incluye en el monográfico 'El aprendizaje: nuevas aportaciones'

Estrategias de cambio y mejora en educación caracterizadas por su relevancia, difusión y continuidad en el tiempo.

Número monográfico con el título: Asesoramiento y apoyo comunitario para la mejora de la Educación. Resumen tomado de la publicación

Culturas de enseñanza y absentismo escolar en la Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria: estudio de casos en la ciudad de Barcelona.

Resumen tomado de la publicación. Número monográfico con el título: Educación no formal.

El tiempo y el espacio en el trabajo del profesor.

Se identifican y analizan diferentes dimensiones del tiempo y sus implicaciones en el trabajo del profesor. El análisis teórico del tiempo y del trabajo del profesor forma un proyecto para estudiar las percepciones de directores y profesores, y utilizar la preparación o la planificación del tiempo en el día escolar. Se estudia y se presenta una comprensión teórica de la relación del tiempo con el trabajo del profesor. Se presentan cinco dimensiones del tiempo interrelacionadas entre sí: el tiempo técnico-racional, el micropolítico, el fenomenológico, el físico y el sociopolítico.

La investigaci??n educativa en la era postmoderna

En todas partes existe la sensaci??n de que la escolaridad y la sociedad est??n cambiando profundamente y que cambiar??n o deber??an cambiar todav??a m??s en el pr??ximo siglo. Sin embargo, en el ??mbito de la educaci??n algunos autores, en especial los historiadores, est??n menos convencidos de estos cambios. Sean cuales sean los desaf??os educativos de la era postmoderna, si el profesor no ha desarrollado la capacidad de darle respuesta de forma efectiva, entonces no hay esperanza para un cambio educativo positivo que establezca una diferencia en el aula. La ense??anza ha sido siempre un trabajo exigentes. Incluso al principio de la educaci??n de masas. Nunca se pod??a ense??ar y aprender sin referirse a las necesidades de control de la clase, y el ??xito y la supervivencia del profesor depend??a de su capacidad para conseguir un equilibrio entre ambas circunstancias. Durantes el ??ltimo cuarto de siglo ha seguido siendo exigente y ha aumentado su grado de complejidad t??cnica. El profesor ha asumido los cambios experimentando una reciente expansi??n y difuminaci??n de su rol sin tener claro sentido de donde deber??an acabar sus obligaciones y responsabilidades ??Desprofesionalizaci??n o aumento de su profesionalizaci??n? Su finalidad es dirigir la atenci??n hacia la capacidad de la gente para actuar de forma constructiva e implicarse cr??ticamente en los complejos cambios sociales y educativos de la era postmoderna, de forma de aumentar los logros, la implicaci??n de todos los estudiantes e igualar las oportunidades y resultados entre ellos, independientemente del color, g??nero, clase o las incapacidades. Pero los cambios son reales y nuestra lucha debe consistir en implicarnos en ellos de forma que logremos con cuidado y justicia social el cambio educativo.

Trabalho colaborativo : alavanca do desenvolvimento profissional docente

Longe vão os tempos em que a formação inicial dos docentes era tida como suficiente para o desempenho da profissão. Hoje, a sociedade e o poder político requisitam aos professores maior abrangência nas suas competências profissionais, no sentido de estes serem capazes de responder adequadamente às exigências que enfrentam. A tutela, por seu turno, responde com programas de apoio do tipo TEIP (Território Educativo de Intervenção Prioritária) à enorme variedade de alunos e contextos socioeconómicos. É no seio desta realidade que se coloca a questão: como implementar práticas colaborativas, potenciadoras do desenvolvimento profissional dos professores do Departamento de Matemática e Ciências Experimentais, numa escola TEIP? Fullan e Hargreaves (2001) defendem que só a existência de um trabalho conjunto, a responsabilidade partilhada, o empenhamento e o aperfeiçoamento coletivos, a maior disponibilidade para participar na difícil atividade de reflexão crítica, acerca do trabalho realizado, e uma cultura colaborativa é que poderão conduzir a progressos significativos, na melhoria dos resultados e, consequentemente, no real desenvolvimento profissional docente. Contudo, quer a abertura das salas de aula ao exterior, quer a inclusão de todos os alunos nas mesmas, representam ainda, e em geral, um desafio para muitos docentes. É neste contexto que se apresenta um projeto de formação que tem, como campo de análise, a formação de professores, centrada na escola e ancorada na colaboração e supervisão interpares. A formação referida visa: desenvolver uma cultura de positividade e propositividade; criar, promover, analisar e partilhar experiências e inovações realizadas em contexto; desenvolver experiências consequentes sob o ponto de vista do desenvolvimento profissional docente, ao nível da sala de aula; refletir, em conjunto, sobre estratégias exequíveis e indutoras da melhoria do comportamento e das aprendizagens dos discentes. Com estes propósitos, ancorar-se-á a oficina de formação na criação de tarefas a serem experimentadas em contexto, na observação de aulas e na experiência dos intervenientes, baseada na reflexão sobre as práticas e focalizada nos problemas correntes. A expectativa sobre os resultados a obter com esta formação é grande e alicerça-se no trabalho empírico levado a cabo, tendo os principais resultados apontado, claramente, no sentido da necessidade e disponibilidade, por parte dos docentes, para participarem numa oficina de formação cujos objetivos fossem os citados.

Measuring root traits in barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp vulgare and ssp spontaneum) seedlings using gel chambers, soil sacs and X-ray microtomography

Root characteristics of seedlings of five different barley genotypes were analysed in 2D using gel chambers, and in 3D using soil sacs that were destructively harvested and pots of soil that were assessed non-invasively using X-ray microtomography. After 5 days, Chime produced the greatest number of root axes (similar to 6) and Mehola significantly less (similar to 4) in all growing methods. Total root length was longest in GSH01915 and shortest in Mehola for all methods, but both total length and average root diameter were significantly larger for plants grown in gel chambers than those grown in soil. The ranking of particular growth traits (root number, root angular spread) of plants grown in gel plates, soil sacs and X-ray pots was similar, but plants grown in the gel chambers had a different order of ranking for root length to the soil-grown plants. Analysis of angles in soil-grown plants showed that Tadmore had the most even spread of individual roots and Chime had a propensity for non-uniform distribution and root clumping. The roots of Mehola were less well spread than the barley cultivars supporting the suggestion that wild and landrace barleys tend to have a narrower angular spread than modern cultivars. The three dimensional analysis of root systems carried out in this study provides insights into the limitations of screening methods for root traits and useful data for modelling root architecture.

Sources of multi-decadal variability in Arctic sea ice extent

The observed dramatic decrease in September sea ice extent (SIE) has been widely discussed in the scientific literature. Though there is qualitative agreement between observations and ensemble members of the Third Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3), it is concerning that the observed trend (1979–2010) is not captured by any ensemble member. The potential sources of this discrepancy include: observational uncertainty, physical model limitations and vigorous natural climate variability. The latter has received less attention and is difficult to assess using the relatively short observational sea ice records. In this study multi-centennial pre-industrial control simulations with five CMIP3 climate models are used to investigate the role that the Arctic oscillation (AO), the Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation (AMO) and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) play in decadal sea ice variability. Further, we use the models to determine the impact that these sources of variability have had on SIE over both the era of satellite observation (1979–2010) and an extended observational record (1953–2010). There is little evidence of a relationship between the AO and SIE in the models. However, we find that both the AMO and AMOC indices are significantly correlated with SIE in all the models considered. Using sensitivity statistics derived from the models, assuming a linear relationship, we attribute 0.5–3.1%/decade of the 10.1%/decade decline in September SIE (1979–2010) to AMO driven variability.

A copyright exception for private copying in the United Kingdom

This paper discusses the proposed copyright exception for private copying in the UK in the aftermath of the Hargreaves Review. It explores the options by which the exception shall retain a realistic scope without significantly impacting on the interests of the rightholders and addresses the concept of possible harm that may arise due to private copying. It concludes that an exception for copying of content legally owned by an individual to another medium or device for private use corresponds to consumers’ reasonable expectations without causing more than minimal harm to the rightholders’ interests and without requiring an accompanying introduction of a fair compensation scheme.

Using paleo-climate comparisons to constrain future projections in CMIP5

We present a description of the theoretical framework and "best practice" for using the paleo-climate model component of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (Phase 5) (CMIP5) to constrain future projections of climate using the same models. The constraints arise from measures of skill in hindcasting paleo-climate changes from the present over 3 periods: the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (21 thousand years before present, ka), the mid-Holocene (MH) (6 ka) and the Last Millennium (LM) (850–1850 CE). The skill measures may be used to validate robust patterns of climate change across scenarios or to distinguish between models that have differing outcomes in future scenarios. We find that the multi-model ensemble of paleo-simulations is adequate for addressing at least some of these issues. For example, selected benchmarks for the LGM and MH are correlated to the rank of future projections of precipitation/temperature or sea ice extent to indicate that models that produce the best agreement with paleoclimate information give demonstrably different future results than the rest of the models. We also find that some comparisons, for instance associated with model variability, are strongly dependent on uncertain forcing timeseries, or show time dependent behaviour, making direct inferences for the future problematic. Overall, we demonstrate that there is a strong potential for the paleo-climate simulations to help inform the future projections and urge all the modeling groups to complete this subset of the CMIP5 runs.

Molecular and phenotypic characterization of a mouse model of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy reveals severe muscular atrophy restricted to fast glycolytic fibres

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an adult-onset disorder characterized by ptosis, dysphagia and proximal limb weakness. Autosomal-dominant OPMD is caused by a short (GCG)8–13 expansions within the first exon of the poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1 gene (PABPN1), leading to an expanded polyalanine tract in the mutated protein. Expanded PABPN1 forms insoluble aggregates in the nuclei of skeletal muscle fibres. In order to gain insight into the different physiological processes affected in OPMD muscles, we have used a transgenic mouse model of OPMD (A17.1) and performed transcriptomic studies combined with a detailed phenotypic characterization of this model at three time points. The transcriptomic analysis revealed a massive gene deregulation in the A17.1 mice, among which we identified a significant deregulation of pathways associated with muscle atrophy. Using a mathematical model for progression, we have identified that one-third of the progressive genes were also associated with muscle atrophy. Functional and histological analysis of the skeletal muscle of this mouse model confirmed a severe and progressive muscular atrophy associated with a reduction in muscle strength. Moreover, muscle atrophy in the A17.1 mice was restricted to fast glycolytic fibres, containing a large number of intranuclear inclusions (INIs). The soleus muscle and, in particular, oxidative fibres were spared, even though they contained INIs albeit to a lesser degree. These results demonstrate a fibre-type specificity of muscle atrophy in this OPMD model. This study improves our understanding of the biological pathways modified in OPMD to identify potential biomarkers and new therapeutic targets.