Sermons to young women /

Mode of access: Internet.

Investigating global practices in teaching young learners

This project investigated global practices in TEYL. Key aims were to: discover what policy/syllabus documents inform practices globally; investigate major pedagogies used; better understand teachers’ perceptions of their roles and responsibilities, including challenges faced; identify how local solutions to pedagogical issues can be effective and how these may resonate globally.

A longitudinal exploration of the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension achievement among a sample of diverse young learners

Exploring the relationship between early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement among an ethnically and racially diverse sample of young learners from low-income families, attending elementary school within a large public school district in southeast Florida is the purpose of this longitudinal study. Although many studies have been conducted to address the relationship between oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement, most of the existing research failed either to disaggregate the data by demographic subgroups or secure a large enough sample of students to adequately represent the diverse subgroups. The research questions that guided this study were: (a) To what extent does early oral reading fluency ability measured in first, second, or third grade correlate with reading comprehension achievement in third grade? (b) To what extent does the relationship of early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement vary by demographic subgroup membership (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status) among a diverse sample of students? A predictive research design using archived secondary data was employed in this nonexperimental quantitative methods study of 1,663 third grade students who attended a cohort of 25 Reading First funded schools. The data analyzed derived from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Oral Reading Fluency (DIBELS ORF) measure administered in first, second, and third grades and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test of the Sunshine State Standards (FCAT-SSS) Reading administered in third grade. Linear regression analyses between each of the oral reading fluency and reading comprehension measures produced significant positive correlations. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the predictive potential of all three oral reading fluency ability measures toward reading comprehension achievement, with the first grade oral reading fluency ability measure explaining the most significant variance in third grade reading comprehension achievement. Male students produced significant overall differences in variance when compared to female students as did the Other student subgroup (i.e., Asian, Multiracial, and Native American) when compared to Black, White, and Hispanic students. No significant differences in variance were produced between students from low and moderate socioeconomic families. These findings are vital toward adding to the literature of diverse young learners.

A proposal to teach english to eighth graders in a public school in Cali through curriculum contents [recurso electr?nico]

This monography seeks the improvement of the teaching of English in an eighth grade from a public school in Santiago de Cali, INEM Jorge Isaac, through the implementation of a proposal based on the integration of this language with some disciplinary fields that are part of the curriculum; and to design, plan, prepare and evaluate a unit of teaching founded on Content-Based Instruction (CBI), through the Communicative Approach, some Task Based Learning procedures, Project Work, and Cooperative Work.

A Longitudinal Exploration of the Relationship Between Oral Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension Achievement Among a Sample of Diverse Young Learners

Exploring the relationship between early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement among an ethnically and racially diverse sample of young learners from low-income families, attending elementary school within a large public school district in southeast Florida is the purpose of this longitudinal study. Although many studies have been conducted to address the relationship between oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement, most of the existing research failed either to disaggregate the data by demographic subgroups or secure a large enough sample of students to adequately represent the diverse subgroups. The research questions that guided this study were: (a) To what extent does early oral reading fluency ability measured in first, second, or third grade correlate with reading comprehension achievement in third grade? (b) To what extent does the relationship of early oral reading fluency ability and reading comprehension achievement vary by demographic subgroup membership (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status) among a diverse sample of students? A predictive research design using archived secondary data was employed in this nonexperimental quantitative methods study of 1,663 third grade students who attended a cohort of 25 Reading First funded schools. The data analyzed derived from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Oral Reading Fluency (DIBELS ORF) measure administered in first, second, and third grades and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test of the Sunshine State Standards (FCAT-SSS) Reading administered in third grade. Linear regression analyses between each of the oral reading fluency and reading comprehension measures produced significant positive correlations. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the predictive potential of all three oral reading fluency ability measures toward reading comprehension achievement, with the first grade oral reading fluency ability measure explaining the most significant variance in third grade reading comprehension achievement. Male students produced significant overall differences in variance when compared to female students as did the Other student subgroup (i.e., Asian, Multiracial, and Native American) when compared to Black, White, and Hispanic students. No significant differences in variance were produced between students from low and moderate socioeconomic families. These findings are vital toward adding to the literature of diverse young learners.

TRAILER Project (Tagging, Recognition, Acknowledgment of Informal Learning Experiences) a methodology to make learners' informal learning activities visible to the institutions

The application of information technologies (specially the Internet, Web 2.0 and social tools) make informal learning more visible. This kind of learning is not linked to an institution or a period of time, but it is important enough to be taken into account. On the one hand, learners should be able to communicate to the institutions they are related to, what skills they possess, whether they were achieved in a formal or informal way. On the other hand the companies and educational institutions need to have a deeper knowledge about the competencies of their staff. The TRAILER project provides a methodology supported by a technological framework to facilitate communication about informal learning between businesses, employees and learners. The paper presents the project and some of the work carried out, an exploratory analysis about how informal learning is considered and the technological framework proposed. Whilst challenges remain in terms of establishing the meaningfulness of technological engagement for employees and businesses, the continuing transformation of the social, technological and educational environment is likely to lead to greater emphasis for the effective exploitation of informal learning.

Ensino do inglês no 1º ciclo: perceções dos professores de inglês do 1º e 2º ciclos e alunos do 2º ciclo

Sendo a escola uma instituição concebida para a formação académica e social da criança, a aprendizagem duma língua estrangeira torna-se crucial para que a criança desenvolva uma atitude positiva perante outras línguas e culturas. É, portanto, necessário que a escola encontre formas de ensinar línguas estrangeiras que sejam adequadas ao 1º ciclo do Ensino Básico. O presente projeto de mestrado, intitulado Ensino do Inglês no 1º ciclo: perceções dos professores de Inglês do 1º e 2º ciclos e dos alunos do 2º ciclo reflete uma investigação baseada nas opiniões e perceções de profissionais e alunos de escolas públicas portuguesas que, direta ou indiretamente, estão envolvidos com o Inglês no 1º ciclo. Inicialmente apresenta-se um enquadramento legal que permite perceber quais as normas e orientações existentes na Europa e em Portugal, em termos de ensino precoce de línguas estrangeiras. A introdução do Programa de Generalização do Ensino de Inglês em 2005 começou por refletir um caminho de convergência com as políticas educativas europeias. No entanto, muitas das vitórias conseguidas por este Programa, pertencem ao passado. Os profissionais no ensino das línguas estrangeiras questionam-se acerca de muitos aspetos, originados pela forma como se cumpre atualmente o Ensino do Inglês, enquanto Atividade de Enriquecimento Curricular no 1º ciclo. Os questionários aplicados neste projeto pretendem dar voz às perceções e opiniões destes mesmos profissionais.

Administering brief motivational interventions to young men: Results from a pilot census transmissible study among 19 year-old francophone Swiss men.

AIMS - To pilot the implementation of brief motivational intervention (BMI) among conscripts, and to test the effectiveness of BMI in young men voluntarily showing up for a single face-to-face alcohol BMI session. Participants were conscripts attending the army recruitment process in Lausanne. This process is mandatory for all Swiss males at age 19 and Lausanne serves all francophone Swiss men. METHODS - Of 3'227 young men that were seen during the army recruitment procedures, 445 voluntarily showed up for a BMI and 367 were included in the study (exclusions were random and unsystematic and related to organizational aspects in the recruitment center). After an initial assessment, subjects were randomized into two groups: an immediate BMI and a 6-month delayed BMI (waiting list design). A 6-month follow-up assessment was conducted in both groups. BMI was a face-to-face 20 minutes counseling session with a psychologist trained in motivational interviewing at baseline and a telephone session for the control group at follow-up. Strategies of BMI included the exploration and evocation of a possible behavior change, importance of future change, readiness to change, and commitment to change. A filmed example of such an intervention is available in French at www.alcoologie.ch. RESULTS - All procedures are now fully implemented and working and the provision of preventive efforts found general approval by the army. 3'227 were eligible for BMI and 445 of them (13.8%) showed up for receiving a BMI. 367 were included in the study, 181 in the BMI group and 186 in the control group. More than 86% of those included were reached at follow-up. With one exception all findings on alcohol use went in the expected direction, i.e. a stronger decrease in alcohol use (or a smaller increase as for usual weekly drinking amount) in the BMI group. The risk for risky single occasion drinking (RSOD) decreased from 57% at-risk users at baseline to 50.6%, i.e. a 6.4% point decrease in the BMI group, while there was only a 0.6% point decrease (from 57.5% to 56.9%) in the control group. Moreover, the study showed that there was a likelihood of crossover effects for other substances like tobacco smoking and cannabis use. Despite these encouraging and consistent positive findings, none reached significance at conventional levels (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION - Data suggest a beneficial impact of BMI on alcohol use outcomes and potential effect on other substance use in 19-year old men attending the army recruitment and showing up voluntarily for BMI. As the main aim was to implement and test feasibility of conducting BMI in this setting none of our findings reached statistical significance. The consistency of findings across measures and substances, however, raises hope that non-significance in the present study does not mean no effect, but mainly insufficient power of this pilot study. [Authors]

"I hadn't a penny": A review of State Income Supports Available to Young Parents

As Minister for Children, I am pleased to publish this paper which provides an overview of the income supports available for young parents. This paper has been commissioned as part of the evaluation of the Teenage Parents Support Initiative (TPSI) funded by the Department of Health and Children.The objective of this paper is to discuss the degree to which existing provision within the Irish welfare system meets the financial support needs of teenage parents, in particular, the level to which it meets the needs of different subgroups within the overall population of teenage parents. Download document here

Why did Swiss citizens refuse to ban tobacco advertising?

A ban on tobacco advertising is one of the major tools to promote tobacco control. Swiss citizens recently refused to modify the Swiss Constitution to ban tobacco advertising. This case study shows how a strong alliance among the tobacco industry, the state, the media, and sports and cultural activities planners made it difficult for people to make an informed decision. The promoters of the ban were unable to provide counter-arguments to the mostly fallacious claims made by the opponents regarding the likely health and economic impact of this ban. A comparison to successful campaigns in Canada and New Zealand provides insight regarding factors missing in the Swiss campaign which might have been useful in obtaining support from Swiss citizens.

Keep on moving from English to Catalan : El determinisme lingüístic en la traducció del moviment

El propòsit d'aquest treball és fixar, basant-nos en l'anàlisi tipològica, les diferències lingüístiques en la construcció de les expressions de moviment de l'anglès i el català. Partim de la hipòtesi que en funció de l'origen de la llengua, s'apliquen solucions diferents a determinats problemes lingüístics que apareixen a l'hora de traduir un discurs. Analitzarem, doncs, el grau de fidelitat de la traducció quant a l'expressió del trajecte i de la manera. Per consegüent, estudiarem si hi ha cap pèrdua d'informació, de qualitat o de genuïnitat en relació amb el text original servint-nos de la comparació d'ambdós estils narratius.

Responding to Young People's Health Risks in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomised Trial of Training Clinicians in Screening and Motivational Interviewing.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention implementing best practice guidelines recommending clinicians screen and counsel young people across multiple psychosocial risk factors, on clinicians' detection of health risks and patients' risk taking behaviour, compared to a didactic seminar on young people's health. DESIGN: Pragmatic cluster randomised trial where volunteer general practices were stratified by postcode advantage or disadvantage score and billing type (private, free national health, community health centre), then randomised into either intervention or comparison arms using a computer generated random sequence. Three months post-intervention, patients were recruited from all practices post-consultation for a Computer Assisted Telephone Interview and followed up three and 12 months later. Researchers recruiting, consenting and interviewing patients and patients themselves were masked to allocation status; clinicians were not. SETTING: General practices in metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: General practices with at least one interested clinician (general practitioner or nurse) and their 14-24 year old patients. INTERVENTION: This complex intervention was designed using evidence based practice in learning and change in clinician behaviour and general practice systems, and included best practice approaches to motivating change in adolescent risk taking behaviours. The intervention involved training clinicians (nine hours) in health risk screening, use of a screening tool and motivational interviewing; training all practice staff (receptionists and clinicians) in engaging youth; provision of feedback to clinicians of patients' risk data; and two practice visits to support new screening and referral resources. Comparison clinicians received one didactic educational seminar (three hours) on engaging youth and health risk screening. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were patient report of (1) clinician detection of at least one of six health risk behaviours (tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use, risks for sexually transmitted infection, STI, unplanned pregnancy, and road risks); and (2) change in one or more of the six health risk behaviours, at three months or at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were likelihood of future visits, trust in the clinician after exit interview, clinician detection of emotional distress and fear and abuse in relationships, and emotional distress at three and 12 months. Patient acceptability of the screening tool was also described for the intervention arm. Analyses were adjusted for practice location and billing type, patients' sex, age, and recruitment method, and past health risks, where appropriate. An intention to treat analysis approach was used, which included multilevel multiple imputation for missing outcome data. RESULTS: 42 practices were randomly allocated to intervention or comparison arms. Two intervention practices withdrew post allocation, prior to training, leaving 19 intervention (53 clinicians, 377 patients) and 21 comparison (79 clinicians, 524 patients) practices. 69% of patients in both intervention (260) and comparison (360) arms completed the 12 month follow-up. Intervention clinicians discussed more health risks per patient (59.7%) than comparison clinicians (52.7%) and thus were more likely to detect a higher proportion of young people with at least one of the six health risk behaviours (38.4% vs 26.7%, risk difference [RD] 11.6%, Confidence Interval [CI] 2.93% to 20.3%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.7, CI 1.1 to 2.5). Patients reported less illicit drug use (RD -6.0, CI -11 to -1.2; OR 0·52, CI 0·28 to 0·96), and less risk for STI (RD -5.4, CI -11 to 0.2; OR 0·66, CI 0·46 to 0·96) at three months in the intervention relative to the comparison arm, and for unplanned pregnancy at 12 months (RD -4.4; CI -8.7 to -0.1; OR 0·40, CI 0·20 to 0·80). No differences were detected between arms on other health risks. There were no differences on secondary outcomes, apart from a greater detection of abuse (OR 13.8, CI 1.71 to 111). There were no reports of harmful events and intervention arm youth had high acceptance of the screening tool. CONCLUSIONS: A complex intervention, compared to a simple educational seminar for practices, improved detection of health risk behaviours in young people. Impact on health outcomes was inconclusive. Technology enabling more efficient, systematic health-risk screening may allow providers to target counselling toward higher risk individuals. Further trials require more power to confirm health benefits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN.com ISRCTN16059206.

Cómo enseñar matemáticas en las primeras edades a partir de contextos de vida cotidiana = How to teach mathematics to young students based on everyday contexts

This paper stresses the importance of developing mathematical thought in young children based on everyday contexts, since these are meaningful learning situations with an interdisciplinary, globalised focus. The first part sets out the framework of reference that lays the theoretical foundations for these kinds of educational practices. The second part gives some teaching orientations for work based on everyday contexts. It concludes with the presentation of the activity 'We’re off to the cinema to learn mathematics!'

Trinexapac-Ethyl and Sulfometuron-Methyl Selectivity to Young Eucalyptus Plants

Trinexapac-ethyl and sulfometuron-methyl are the most widely used ripeners in sugarcane. The application is performed by airborne spraying. Thus, if weather conditions are unfavorable, spray drift to neighboring areas may occur. The objective of this study was to assess the selectivity of the plant growth regulators trinexapac-ethyl and sulfometuron-methyl, used as sugarcane ripeners, to eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urograndis) young plants. The experiment was installed in an eucalyptus commercial yield area, in the municipality of Tambaú, state of São Paulo, Brazil, and arranged in a 2 x 8 factorial design in randomized blocks with four replications. The treatments studied were trinexapac-ethyl and sulfometuron-methyl, sprayed in eight doses, 0; 1.0; 2.5; 5.0; 10; 25; 50 and 100% of the dose used in sugarcane as ripeners (200 g ha-1 of trinexapac-ethyl and 15 g ha-1 of sulfometuron-methyl). Chemical ripeners were applied on eucalyptus plants with 48 cm in height on average; 10.1 branches; 4.5 mm of stem diameter and 44.3 cm of crown diameter, at 46 days after seeding. Trinexapac-ethyl was selective to eucalyptus and stimulated crown diameter growth. At higher doses, sulfometuron-methyl promoted severe noticeable injuries in eucalyptus plants, such as apical bud death. However, during the assessment period the plants recovered and the visual symptoms of phytotoxicity and growth alterations were not observed at 60 days after application. The plant growth regulators trinexapac-ethyl and sulfometuron-methyl were selective to eucalyptus young plants.