title: The development of a whole school approach to education for sustainability

authors: Kalnins, Tatiana Irina

subjects: education for sustainability

abstract: To address environmental and sustainability problems we need a new way of educating our young people; one that provides them with the capabilities and skills to find and examine their own frameworks for solving these problems in the future.  Thus, it has been argued that we urgently need to find new models and approaches to education that reflect and contribute to sustainable practices, as traditional educational systems have contributed to the unsustainable conditions we now face.  A whole school approach to education for sustainability (EfS) supports the notion that children learn both through an enacted curriculum and informally through the messages and meanings inherent in their surroundings. A whole school approach to EfS involves transforming the system rather than reforming it or simply accommodating change. One school-focussed programme that has been fostering such whole school approaches in New Zealand is the Enviroschools programme.  The Enviroschools programme supports a whole centre/school approach to EfS, and describes four key areas of schooling life that have an effect on sustainability and student learning:  (1)  People (and Participation); (2) Programmes; (3)  Practices; and (4) Place.  
 
This thesis has examined the development of a whole school approach to EfS by investigating the planning, implementation and outcomes of such an approach in a New Zealand primary school.  An interpretive methodology was used to guide data collection through observations, interviews and analysis of student work as an Enviroschools facilitator worked with the staff and students of the school during their first year of integrating EfS into their school. An analytical framework, based on themes emerging from the ‘People, Programmes, Practices and Place’ dimensions of a whole school approach to EfS, was used to interpret the data arising from this single, case study school. 
 
 
This study found that the school leader(s), such as the Principal, have a profound effect on the success of the integration of the whole school approach to EfS. It also found that teacher knowledge and understanding of the complexity of EfS is key to successful integration into the curriculum, with particular emphasis on its transdisciplinary nature. In addition, special attention needs to be paid to the nature of EfS Facilitation and the interface between EfS theory and practice, for example, how to practically involve the ‘whole school’ in EfS participation. 
 
This research may assist schools in their own EfS journeys by providing insight and clarity around the process of development of a whole school approach to EfS. Detailing the factors that enable and inhibit the development of a whole school approach may provide schools with the direction needed to avoid possible pitfalls, and focus on factors that progress the development of EfS in their school.

text: The development of a whole school approach to education for sustainability To address environmental and sustainability problems we need a new way of educating our young people; one that provides them with the capabilities and skills to find and examine their own frameworks for solving these problems in the future.  Thus, it has been argued that we urgently need to find new models and approaches to education that reflect and contribute to sustainable practices, as traditional educational systems have contributed to the unsustainable conditions we now face.  A whole school approach to education for sustainability (EfS) supports the notion that children learn both through an enacted curriculum and informally through the messages and meanings inherent in their surroundings. A whole school approach to EfS involves transforming the system rather than reforming it or simply accommodating change. One school-focussed programme that has been fostering such whole school approaches in New Zealand is the Enviroschools programme.  The Enviroschools programme supports a whole centre/school approach to EfS, and describes four key areas of schooling life that have an effect on sustainability and student learning:  (1)  People (and Participation); (2) Programmes; (3)  Practices; and (4) Place.  
 
This thesis has examined the development of a whole school approach to EfS by investigating the planning, implementation and outcomes of such an approach in a New Zealand primary school.  An interpretive methodology was used to guide data collection through observations, interviews and analysis of student work as an Enviroschools facilitator worked with the staff and students of the school during their first year of integrating EfS into their school. An analytical framework, based on themes emerging from the ‘People, Programmes, Practices and Place’ dimensions of a whole school approach to EfS, was used to interpret the data arising from this single, case study school. 
 
 
This study found that the school leader(s), such as the Principal, have a profound effect on the success of the integration of the whole school approach to EfS. It also found that teacher knowledge and understanding of the complexity of EfS is key to successful integration into the curriculum, with particular emphasis on its transdisciplinary nature. In addition, special attention needs to be paid to the nature of EfS Facilitation and the interface between EfS theory and practice, for example, how to practically involve the ‘whole school’ in EfS participation. 
 
This research may assist schools in their own EfS journeys by providing insight and clarity around the process of development of a whole school approach to EfS. Detailing the factors that enable and inhibit the development of a whole school approach may provide schools with the direction needed to avoid possible pitfalls, and focus on factors that progress the development of EfS in their school.

year: 2018

title: The Association of Outer Ear Commensal Bacteria with Otitis Media in Children

authors: White, Rebecca Katharine

subjects: Otitis media

abstract: Background:
Middle ear infections (otitis media) are a significant burden on children’s health. They are one of the more common childhood ailments and are responsible for about a third of children’s general practitioner visits. Three bacteria of the nasopharynx have been well documented as true pathogens of otitis media. These are Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. A newer bacterium, Alloiococcus otitidis, which is more difficult to culture than the initial three pathogens, was discovered in 1989 by Faden & Dryja. 
The pathogenicity of A. otitidis in otitis media is controversial, as is the association of two other bacteria, Turicella otitidis and Corynebacterium auris. These three bacteria are regarded as commensals of the outer ear canal, and how they move into the middle ear is subject to much debate. My hypothesis is that during a primary middle ear infection, commensal bacteria of the external ear canal may be able to move through the inflamed tympanic membrane and into the middle ear where they act as opportunistic pathogens. This may create a more persistent bacterial infection, with greater resistance to antibiotic therapies. 
Methods:
DNA was extracted directly from swabs of the outer ear canal and nasopharynx of children with otitis media and otitis-free controls, and from the middle ear exudates of the otitis media study group. This DNA was then amplified using primers specific for each of the organisms of interest. The presence of a specific PCR product, confirmed by DNA sequencing, indicated a positive result.
Swabs from each of the sites of interest were also grown on 10% Columbia blood agar, 10% Columbia chocolate agar and in BHI broth supplemented with foetal calf serum. These results gave further information on bacterial presence in New Zealand children beyond the six studied. 
Sau-PCR microbial community profiling was used to demonstrate the diversity of species present in the polymicrobial samples. DNA was restriction digested and the resulting banding patterns were compared between study sites, and study groups.
Results and Conclusions:
Moraxella species colonised the outer ear canal of control participants more regularly than the outer ear canal of otitis media patients (58% vs. 33%). This difference was found to be statistically significant (p= 0.0023). Differences between the colonisation of the outer ear canal and nasopharyngeal body sites were found at a statistically significant level in control participants with A. otitidis (p=0.0433), C. auris (p=0.0000), T. otitidis (p=0.0050) and Moraxella spp. (p=0.0005). Of the same body sites in otitis media patients, only the colonisation of C. auris (p=0.0002) and T. otitidis (p=0.0004) were found to be statistically significant. This shows that four of the six studied bacteria colonise both anatomical sites in otitis media patients in a similar manner (without statistical significance), as opposed to only two in the control participants.
Of the six bacterial species analysed using non-culture techniques, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and C. auris failed to be cultured. This may show that storage prior to analysis made samples less suitable for culture based research. A number of other species were cultured, with subsequent sequencing identifying them. This included species thought to be associated with a decreased risk of developing otitis media, found in both of the control participant nasopharynxes that were studied, and in only one nasopharynx from the otitis media group. A. otitidis was cultured regularly in outer ear samples, and one middle ear effusion.
Sau-PCR microbial profiling was an effective but crude indication of microbial diversity. Otitis media patient nasopharyngeal profiles resembled each other, with resemblance extending to the middle ear effusion profile. Control participant banding patterns within sites were similar, but this resemblance did not extend to the otitis media group profiles. Comparisons between the banding patterns from known bacterial species to those of unknown polymicrobial species were useful if the identifying species had a unique banding pattern, as with A. otitidis. Sau-PCR therefore proved useful in analysing the complexities that are polymicrobial samples, however identifications of these species by cloning proved unsuccessful.
Further research using all the techniques above with increased numbers of participants is necessary to substantiate results of this study. Information on antibiotic resistance, viral presence, and biofilm status could prove useful information in helping treat infection.

text: The Association of Outer Ear Commensal Bacteria with Otitis Media in Children Background:
Middle ear infections (otitis media) are a significant burden on children’s health. They are one of the more common childhood ailments and are responsible for about a third of children’s general practitioner visits. Three bacteria of the nasopharynx have been well documented as true pathogens of otitis media. These are Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. A newer bacterium, Alloiococcus otitidis, which is more difficult to culture than the initial three pathogens, was discovered in 1989 by Faden & Dryja. 
The pathogenicity of A. otitidis in otitis media is controversial, as is the association of two other bacteria, Turicella otitidis and Corynebacterium auris. These three bacteria are regarded as commensals of the outer ear canal, and how they move into the middle ear is subject to much debate. My hypothesis is that during a primary middle ear infection, commensal bacteria of the external ear canal may be able to move through the inflamed tympanic membrane and into the middle ear where they act as opportunistic pathogens. This may create a more persistent bacterial infection, with greater resistance to antibiotic therapies. 
Methods:
DNA was extracted directly from swabs of the outer ear canal and nasopharynx of children with otitis media and otitis-free controls, and from the middle ear exudates of the otitis media study group. This DNA was then amplified using primers specific for each of the organisms of interest. The presence of a specific PCR product, confirmed by DNA sequencing, indicated a positive result.
Swabs from each of the sites of interest were also grown on 10% Columbia blood agar, 10% Columbia chocolate agar and in BHI broth supplemented with foetal calf serum. These results gave further information on bacterial presence in New Zealand children beyond the six studied. 
Sau-PCR microbial community profiling was used to demonstrate the diversity of species present in the polymicrobial samples. DNA was restriction digested and the resulting banding patterns were compared between study sites, and study groups.
Results and Conclusions:
Moraxella species colonised the outer ear canal of control participants more regularly than the outer ear canal of otitis media patients (58% vs. 33%). This difference was found to be statistically significant (p= 0.0023). Differences between the colonisation of the outer ear canal and nasopharyngeal body sites were found at a statistically significant level in control participants with A. otitidis (p=0.0433), C. auris (p=0.0000), T. otitidis (p=0.0050) and Moraxella spp. (p=0.0005). Of the same body sites in otitis media patients, only the colonisation of C. auris (p=0.0002) and T. otitidis (p=0.0004) were found to be statistically significant. This shows that four of the six studied bacteria colonise both anatomical sites in otitis media patients in a similar manner (without statistical significance), as opposed to only two in the control participants.
Of the six bacterial species analysed using non-culture techniques, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and C. auris failed to be cultured. This may show that storage prior to analysis made samples less suitable for culture based research. A number of other species were cultured, with subsequent sequencing identifying them. This included species thought to be associated with a decreased risk of developing otitis media, found in both of the control participant nasopharynxes that were studied, and in only one nasopharynx from the otitis media group. A. otitidis was cultured regularly in outer ear samples, and one middle ear effusion.
Sau-PCR microbial profiling was an effective but crude indication of microbial diversity. Otitis media patient nasopharyngeal profiles resembled each other, with resemblance extending to the middle ear effusion profile. Control participant banding patterns within sites were similar, but this resemblance did not extend to the otitis media group profiles. Comparisons between the banding patterns from known bacterial species to those of unknown polymicrobial species were useful if the identifying species had a unique banding pattern, as with A. otitidis. Sau-PCR therefore proved useful in analysing the complexities that are polymicrobial samples, however identifications of these species by cloning proved unsuccessful.
Further research using all the techniques above with increased numbers of participants is necessary to substantiate results of this study. Information on antibiotic resistance, viral presence, and biofilm status could prove useful information in helping treat infection.

year: 2012

title: Wearable technology for hazardous remote environments: Smart shirt and Rugged IoT network for forestry worker health

authors: Hinze, Annika

subjects: software engineering

abstract: This paper introduces the architecture and details of our wearable IoT solution for workplace health and safety in rugged outdoor environments. We focus on the specific requirements defined by the New Zealand forestry environment as it is the industry with the most fatalities and highest accident rate in New Zealand. Neither consumer-level products nor professional wearables have been found to be suitable for forestry conditions. Furthermore, forestry workplaces cannot rely on existing networking infrastructure, and due to their remote and rugged nature, no permanent setup is possible.

We describe the Hakituri project in which we integrate wearable devices, networking, data analytics, and a buddy system into a novel monitoring solution for worker health and safety. Our wearable IoT solution includes a dynamic network set-up, wearables suitable for forestry conditions, contextual rule-based data analytics, and real-time alerts. A wearable smart shirt carries sensors for collecting personal data from forestry workers, while further environmental sensors capture contextual data. The IoT network is set up for communication in unreliable and rugged outdoor environments. We explore a variety of setups to achieve the best quality outcomes for health and safety in the forestry domain.

text: Wearable technology for hazardous remote environments: Smart shirt and Rugged IoT network for forestry worker health This paper introduces the architecture and details of our wearable IoT solution for workplace health and safety in rugged outdoor environments. We focus on the specific requirements defined by the New Zealand forestry environment as it is the industry with the most fatalities and highest accident rate in New Zealand. Neither consumer-level products nor professional wearables have been found to be suitable for forestry conditions. Furthermore, forestry workplaces cannot rely on existing networking infrastructure, and due to their remote and rugged nature, no permanent setup is possible.

We describe the Hakituri project in which we integrate wearable devices, networking, data analytics, and a buddy system into a novel monitoring solution for worker health and safety. Our wearable IoT solution includes a dynamic network set-up, wearables suitable for forestry conditions, contextual rule-based data analytics, and real-time alerts. A wearable smart shirt carries sensors for collecting personal data from forestry workers, while further environmental sensors capture contextual data. The IoT network is set up for communication in unreliable and rugged outdoor environments. We explore a variety of setups to achieve the best quality outcomes for health and safety in the forestry domain.

year: 2022