title: Towards a model for teacher development in technology education: From research to practice

authors: Jones, Alister

subjects: implementation

abstract: This paper reports on a series of interventions in New Zealand schools in order to enhance the teaching of, and learning in, technology as a new learning area. It details the way in which researchers worked with teachers to introduce technological activities into the classroom, the teachers' reflections on this process and the subsequent development of activities. These activities were undertaken in 14 classrooms (8 primary and 6 secondary).
The research took into account past experiences of school-based teacher development and recommendations related to teacher change. Extensive use was made of case-studies from earlier phases of the research, and of the draft technology curriculum, in order to develop teachers' concepts of technology and technology education. Teachers then worked from these concepts to develop technological activities and classroom strategies. The paper also introduces a model that outlines factors contributing to school technological literacy, and suggests that teacher development models will need to allow teachers to develop technological knowledge and an understanding of technological practice, as well as concepts of technology and technology education, if they are to become effective in the teaching of technology.

text: Towards a model for teacher development in technology education: From research to practice This paper reports on a series of interventions in New Zealand schools in order to enhance the teaching of, and learning in, technology as a new learning area. It details the way in which researchers worked with teachers to introduce technological activities into the classroom, the teachers' reflections on this process and the subsequent development of activities. These activities were undertaken in 14 classrooms (8 primary and 6 secondary).
The research took into account past experiences of school-based teacher development and recommendations related to teacher change. Extensive use was made of case-studies from earlier phases of the research, and of the draft technology curriculum, in order to develop teachers' concepts of technology and technology education. Teachers then worked from these concepts to develop technological activities and classroom strategies. The paper also introduces a model that outlines factors contributing to school technological literacy, and suggests that teacher development models will need to allow teachers to develop technological knowledge and an understanding of technological practice, as well as concepts of technology and technology education, if they are to become effective in the teaching of technology.

year: 1998

title: A flow-through enzyme-linked immunoassay for progesterone

authors: Orchard, Robert Graham

subjects: progesterone

abstract: Bovine reproductive performance is one of the most important factors influencing dairy farm profitability. Present-day techniques for oestrus- and pregnancy-detection are unreliable and labour-intensive. Although measuring milk-progesterone at regular intervals allows the fertility status of a cow to be determined reliably, the labour cost of collecting and analysing samples is prohibitive.
This project aimed to develop a progesterone sensing system that could be automated and integrated with the milking unit, thus minimising labour costs. The proposed system involved mixing the milk sample with an enzyme-antibody conjugate and then passing the sample through a column containing immobilised progesterone. Any progesterone in the milk would inhibit conjugate binding to the column. An enzyme substrate would then flow through the column and bound conjugate would be detected as a colour change at the column's outlet.
Periodate-coupling was used to attach horseradish peroxidase enzyme to anti-progesterone antibody, and progesterone-3-carboxymethyloxime was immobilised on the polystyrene bead surface using amine-coupling. Both techniques are widely used. Initial experiments attempted to verify the success of these two reactions simultaneously, whereas later experiments focused on the bead-coating. Beads were suspended in a specially-constructed syringe and the antibody activity of the eluted solution was measured by SPR. However, a combination of non-specific binding and antibody stability and activity issues meant neither reaction was conclusively verified. Many trials were done to investigate how to overcome the problems encountered but a suitable, workable procedure was not developed.
Despite poor progress, the problems encountered did not undermine the project's potential. There remains optimism of developing an on-line method if research were to continue.

text: A flow-through enzyme-linked immunoassay for progesterone Bovine reproductive performance is one of the most important factors influencing dairy farm profitability. Present-day techniques for oestrus- and pregnancy-detection are unreliable and labour-intensive. Although measuring milk-progesterone at regular intervals allows the fertility status of a cow to be determined reliably, the labour cost of collecting and analysing samples is prohibitive.
This project aimed to develop a progesterone sensing system that could be automated and integrated with the milking unit, thus minimising labour costs. The proposed system involved mixing the milk sample with an enzyme-antibody conjugate and then passing the sample through a column containing immobilised progesterone. Any progesterone in the milk would inhibit conjugate binding to the column. An enzyme substrate would then flow through the column and bound conjugate would be detected as a colour change at the column's outlet.
Periodate-coupling was used to attach horseradish peroxidase enzyme to anti-progesterone antibody, and progesterone-3-carboxymethyloxime was immobilised on the polystyrene bead surface using amine-coupling. Both techniques are widely used. Initial experiments attempted to verify the success of these two reactions simultaneously, whereas later experiments focused on the bead-coating. Beads were suspended in a specially-constructed syringe and the antibody activity of the eluted solution was measured by SPR. However, a combination of non-specific binding and antibody stability and activity issues meant neither reaction was conclusively verified. Many trials were done to investigate how to overcome the problems encountered but a suitable, workable procedure was not developed.
Despite poor progress, the problems encountered did not undermine the project's potential. There remains optimism of developing an on-line method if research were to continue.

year: 2007

title: Talking together: The effects of traditional Māori Pedagogy on children’s early literacy development

authors: Derby, Melissa

abstract: This article presents findings from a project that sought to determine the effects of a home-based literacy intervention on bilingual (English and Te Reo Māori) preschool children’s early literacy skills. The culturally responsive intervention, which was adapted from Tender Shoots, incorporated traditional Māori teaching and learning approaches, such as the use of storytelling, songs, games, and reminiscing about the past, as practices for supporting key cognitive skills crucial to foundational literacy, specifically phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. Over a 12-week period, during which the intervention was conducted, data were gathered from eight Māori preschool children and their families. The study utilised a crossover design. Four children and their families participated in the Rich Reading and Reminiscing (RRR) component of the intervention, which ran for six weeks, followed by the Strengthening Sound Sensitivity (SSS) portion of the intervention. The remaining four children completed the intervention in the reverse order of delivery. The crossover approach established a control in the study and allowed the effects of each part of the intervention on the aforementioned cognitive skills to be more clearly revealed. Overall, the data indicate that traditional Māori pedagogical practices helped to strengthen the early literacy skills of the children participating in the study.

text: Talking together: The effects of traditional Māori Pedagogy on children’s early literacy development This article presents findings from a project that sought to determine the effects of a home-based literacy intervention on bilingual (English and Te Reo Māori) preschool children’s early literacy skills. The culturally responsive intervention, which was adapted from Tender Shoots, incorporated traditional Māori teaching and learning approaches, such as the use of storytelling, songs, games, and reminiscing about the past, as practices for supporting key cognitive skills crucial to foundational literacy, specifically phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. Over a 12-week period, during which the intervention was conducted, data were gathered from eight Māori preschool children and their families. The study utilised a crossover design. Four children and their families participated in the Rich Reading and Reminiscing (RRR) component of the intervention, which ran for six weeks, followed by the Strengthening Sound Sensitivity (SSS) portion of the intervention. The remaining four children completed the intervention in the reverse order of delivery. The crossover approach established a control in the study and allowed the effects of each part of the intervention on the aforementioned cognitive skills to be more clearly revealed. Overall, the data indicate that traditional Māori pedagogical practices helped to strengthen the early literacy skills of the children participating in the study.

year: 2023-02