title: Conceptions of the Nature of Technology in the global pandemic: Implications for practice in a digital space

authors: Doyle, Andrew

subjects: COVID-19 Pandemic

abstract: With the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature of teaching and learning shifted emphasis from classroom-situated learning to learning in a digital environment. This was a significant challenge for teachers and learners across the globe. It might be assumed that technology education teachers would be well-positioned to manage this shift because of how the subject is described. Technology education is often characterized as a subject where contexts for learning are variable, and teachers and learners can have significant autonomy in guiding learning. This is frequently represented as a unique strength of the subject area. Furthermore, with an explicit focus on Digital Technologies, the Technology Education curriculum of Aotearoa New Zealand should better prepare teachers for enacting curriculum in various ways (for example, in a remote context). This research investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shift to remote learning on practices in Technology Education. Through an analysis of technology educators' reflections on practice during the lockdowns, conceptions of practice in technology education and the nature of technology are analysed. Initial data analysis highlights a disparity of conceptions of the nature of technology, which leads to different manifestations of practice in a remote learning context. Technical and Technological perspectives on practice are used as lenses to describe the different conceptions of the nature of technology observed, and implications for learning post-lockdown are drawn.

text: Conceptions of the Nature of Technology in the global pandemic: Implications for practice in a digital space With the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature of teaching and learning shifted emphasis from classroom-situated learning to learning in a digital environment. This was a significant challenge for teachers and learners across the globe. It might be assumed that technology education teachers would be well-positioned to manage this shift because of how the subject is described. Technology education is often characterized as a subject where contexts for learning are variable, and teachers and learners can have significant autonomy in guiding learning. This is frequently represented as a unique strength of the subject area. Furthermore, with an explicit focus on Digital Technologies, the Technology Education curriculum of Aotearoa New Zealand should better prepare teachers for enacting curriculum in various ways (for example, in a remote context). This research investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shift to remote learning on practices in Technology Education. Through an analysis of technology educators' reflections on practice during the lockdowns, conceptions of practice in technology education and the nature of technology are analysed. Initial data analysis highlights a disparity of conceptions of the nature of technology, which leads to different manifestations of practice in a remote learning context. Technical and Technological perspectives on practice are used as lenses to describe the different conceptions of the nature of technology observed, and implications for learning post-lockdown are drawn.

year: 2022-12

title: Characterisation of bacterioplankton communities in the meltwater ponds of Bratina Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica

authors: Archer, Stephen David James

subjects: Antarctic

abstract: A unique collection of Antarctic aquatic environments (meltwater ponds) lies in close proximity on the rock and sediment-covered undulating surface of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, near Bratina Island (Victoria Land, Antarctica). During the 2009–10 mid-austral summer, sets of discrete water samples were collected across the vertical geochemical gradients of five meltwater ponds (Egg, P70E, Legin, Salt and Orange) for geochemical and microbial community structure analysis. Bacterial DNA fingerprints (using Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis) statistically clustered communities within ponds based on ANOSIM (R = 0.766, P = 0.001); however, one highly stratified pond (Egg) had two distinct depth-related bacterial communities (R = 0.975, P = 0.008). 454 pyrosequencing at three depths within Egg also identified phylum level shifts and increased diversity with depth, Bacteroidetes being the dominant phyla in the surface sample and Proteobacteria being dominant in the bottom two depths. BEST analysis, which attempts to link community structure and the geochemistry of a pond, identified conductivity and pH individually, and to a lesser extent Ag109, NO2 and V51 as dominant influences to the microbial community structure in these ponds. Increasing abundances of major halo-tolerant OTUs across the strong conductivity gradient reinforce it as the primary driver of community structure in this study

text: Characterisation of bacterioplankton communities in the meltwater ponds of Bratina Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica A unique collection of Antarctic aquatic environments (meltwater ponds) lies in close proximity on the rock and sediment-covered undulating surface of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, near Bratina Island (Victoria Land, Antarctica). During the 2009–10 mid-austral summer, sets of discrete water samples were collected across the vertical geochemical gradients of five meltwater ponds (Egg, P70E, Legin, Salt and Orange) for geochemical and microbial community structure analysis. Bacterial DNA fingerprints (using Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis) statistically clustered communities within ponds based on ANOSIM (R = 0.766, P = 0.001); however, one highly stratified pond (Egg) had two distinct depth-related bacterial communities (R = 0.975, P = 0.008). 454 pyrosequencing at three depths within Egg also identified phylum level shifts and increased diversity with depth, Bacteroidetes being the dominant phyla in the surface sample and Proteobacteria being dominant in the bottom two depths. BEST analysis, which attempts to link community structure and the geochemistry of a pond, identified conductivity and pH individually, and to a lesser extent Ag109, NO2 and V51 as dominant influences to the microbial community structure in these ponds. Increasing abundances of major halo-tolerant OTUs across the strong conductivity gradient reinforce it as the primary driver of community structure in this study

year: 2014

title: Bones | Iwi

authors: Apiata, Hāwea

abstract: Poetry written at Kāwhia featured in Issue 6 of The Quick Brown Dog Journal published by Hagley Writers' Institute, Christchurch, NZ.

text: Bones | Iwi Poetry written at Kāwhia featured in Issue 6 of The Quick Brown Dog Journal published by Hagley Writers' Institute, Christchurch, NZ.

year: 2024-03-08