ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
A Module-Based Environmental Science Course for Teaching Ecology to Non-Majors
Author: Smith, Geoffrey R.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Environmental Education,Ecology,Nonmajors,Undergraduate Students,Relevance (Education),Biodiversity,First Year Seminars,Natural Resources,Population Growth,Climate,Units of Study,Science Activities

Using module-based courses has been suggested to improve undergraduate science courses. A course based around a series of modules focused on major environmental issues might be an effective way to teach non-science majors about ecology and ecology's role in helping to solve environmental problems. I have used such a module-based environmental science course for non-majors. The course is divided into 5 modules, with each module addressing a key environmental issue, specifically global climate change, human population growth, sustainable use of natural resources, habitat loss, and the value of biodiversity. Each module follows the same basic structure: 1) an introduction to the question, 2) an investigation of the basic science underlying the question, and 3) an investigation and discussion of the human aspect of the question (i.e., what can we do?, what are the costs and benefits of addressing the question?, are there any social, economic, or cultural factors that affect our ability to address the issue?, etc.). Each module has associated laboratory exercises that culminate with field-based student-designed surveys of biodiversity on the Denison University Biological Reserve. The module-nature of the course allows for the integration of science and non-science disciplines around basic environmental questions, and appears to be an effective means of teaching environmental science and ecology to non-majors. (Contains 2 tables.)
Examining Correlates of Methamphetamine and Other Drug Use in Pregnant American Indian Adolescents
Author: Barlow, Allison
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Prevention,American Indians,Alaska Natives,Drug Abuse,Pregnancy,Stimulants,Marijuana,Alcohol Abuse,Cocaine,Adolescents,At Risk Persons,Early Parenthood,Cultural Influences,Reservation American Indians,Interviews,Questionnaires,Family Relationship,Geographic Location,Age Differences,Marital Status,Educational Attainment,Welfare Services,Family Structure,Suicide,Family Influence,American Indian Culture

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adolescents have high rates of pregnancy, as well as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and, increasingly, methamphetamine (meth) use. The progression of adolescent drug use to meth use could have devastating impacts on AI communities, particularly when youth are simultaneously at risk for teen childbearing. In order to inform future prevention efforts, this study explores correlates of meth use in a sample of pregnant AI teens, with a focus on sociodemographic, familial, and cultural factors and use of other drugs. (Contains 4 tables.)
Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in Northern Plains American Indians: Prominence of Physical Activity as a Health Behavior
Author: Poltavski, Dmitri
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Activities,American Indians,Quality of Life,Health Behavior,At Risk Persons,Physical Activity Level,Surveys,Mental Health,Physical Health,Diseases,Rural Areas,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Educational Attainment,Marital Status,Family Income,Body Composition,Substance Abuse,Eating Habits

Associations of behavioral health risks and healthy behaviors with self-reported health-related quality of life measures were investigated in a Northern Plains American Indian sample. Participants were surveyed in person using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The results showed that regular physical activity was significantly associated with better self-reported overall health, fewer mentally unhealthy and activity limitation days in the past 30 days, and with a greater number of good health days. (Contains 6 tables.)
Urban Indian Voices: A Community-Based Participatory Research Health and Needs Assessment
Author: Johnson, Chad V.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Participatory Research,Needs Assessment,American Indians,Health Needs,Program Development,Urban American Indians,Urban Areas,Surveys,Attitude Measures,Community Resources,Financial Support,Models,Delivery Systems,Disadvantaged,Access to Health Care,Cultural Relevance,Family Structure,Tribes,Family Income,Transportation,Telecommunications,Religion,Volunteers,Wellness,Physical Health,Mental Health,Youth Programs,Cultural Influences,At Risk Persons,Neighborhoods,Life Satisfaction,Diseases,Substance Abuse,Pregnancy,Unemployment,Safety

This community-based participatory research (CBPR) project utilized a mixed-methods survey design to identify urban (Tulsa, OK) American Indian (AI) strengths and needs. Six hundred fifty AIs (550 adults and 100 youth) were surveyed regarding their attitudes and beliefs about their community. These results were used in conjunction with other community research efforts to inform program development, support proposals for external funding, and develop a comprehensive service system model to be implemented in the community. (Contains 3 tables.)
The Source of Child Care Center Preschool Learning and Program Standards: Implications for Potential Early Learning Challenge Fund Grantees
Author: Ackerman, Debra J.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Child Care Centers,Child Care,Academic Standards,Grantsmanship,Grants,Barriers,Telephone Surveys,Educational Improvement,Program Improvement,Administrator Attitudes,Proposal Writing,Educational Finance,Primary Sources,Educational Practices

The proposed federal Early Learning Challenge Fund (ELCF) aims to improve the quality of early care and education programs by promoting the integration of more stringent program and early learning standards than are typically found in child care centers. ELCF grantees also must outline their plans for professional development and technical assistance to support these efforts. With the aim of informing potential ELCF grantees, this article reports the results of a statewide survey of 391 child care center directors focusing on the source of their preschool learning expectations and program standards. The majority of surveyed directors report that the state's child care licensing standards are used. Additional directors report that the state's prekindergarten program standards or early learning standards serve as their current source. However, other responses indicate that the terms "program standards" and "learning standards" themselves may not even be part of the current child care vocabulary. These results suggest that potential ELCF grantees might be better positioned to help child care centers incorporate stricter program and learning standards if they design varying levels of training and technical assistance based on the variety of child care quality "starting points." (Contains 5 tables.)
Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Poor and Vulnerable Children in Early Care and Education Programs
Author: Azzi-Lessing, Lenette
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Health Needs,School Readiness,Poverty,Mental Health,Young Children,Child Care,Early Childhood Education,Access to Health Care,Disadvantaged Youth,Consultants,Agency Cooperation,Faculty Development,Family Programs,Physical Health,At Risk Persons,Depression (Psychology),Substance Abuse,Family Violence,Student Needs

Across the United States, policy makers and early childhood experts are focusing on implementing and evaluating a range of interventions designed to improve school readiness for young children living in poverty. This article provides an overview of the various factors that threaten optimal development of young children living in poverty and that place them at risk for emotional and behavioral problems. The article then addresses the challenges to meeting the needs of these children and their families in early care and education settings. Four key strategies for improving the capacity of early care and education programs for preventing and addressing mental health problems in young children in poverty are outlined: (1) expanding use of early childhood mental health consultants, (2) building effective partnerships with mental health and other community-based systems, (3) providing support and training for teachers, and (4) establishing family-based supports such as those provided by Head Start and Early Head Start. The article concludes with suggestions for research and policy changes to remove barriers and support this work.
Perspectives of Play in Three Nations: A Comparative Study in Japan, the United States, and Sweden
Author: Izumi-Taylor, Satomi
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Play,Foreign Countries,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Education,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Early Childhood Education,Credentials,Educational Practices,Questionnaires,Mail Surveys,Educational Strategies

This reflective paper discusses findings about differences and similarities in perspectives on play among early childhood educators in Japan, the United States, and Sweden. Analysis of survey data collected from educators in those nations yielded six themes regarding the meanings and uses of play: (1) process of learning, (2) source of possibilities, (3) empowerment, (4) creativity, (5) child's work, and (6) fun activities. Processes of learning, fun activities, and creativity were the universal themes of play that emerged during analysis. Japanese and Swedish teachers related play to the theme source of possibilities, but American teachers did not. The theme play as child's work was represented in the American and Swedish teachers' notions of play but not in those of the Japanese teachers. The theme of play as empowerment differentiated Japanese teachers from the others. Japanese and Swedish teachers reported offering unstructured play to children, while their American counterparts did not. Two themes emerged in the participants' responses regarding adult play: &quot;state of heart&quot; (state of mind) and positive feelings. Although American and Japanese teachers associated playfulness with a &quot;state of the heart/mind,&quot; their Swedish counterparts did not indicate such associations. Teachers from all three nations did, however, agree that playfulness involves and promotes positive feelings.
Pathways to Bilingualism: Young Children's Home Experiences Learning English and Spanish
Author: Rodriguez, M. Victoria
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Young Children,Hispanic Americans,Bilingualism,Family Characteristics,Family Life,English,Spanish Speaking,Followup Studies,Interviews,Language Attitudes,Family Influence,Early Experience,Family Environment

Nowadays, more and more young children in the United States have the experience of speaking a language other than English at home, and many parents choose to educate their children bilingually. This study explored the home-language experiences, in English and Spanish, of three young Latino girls ages 15 months, 16 months, and 30 months, respectively, when the study began. They were observed at home between 40 and 70 hours for 30 months. Three questions guided the study: (1) What languages are used at home and for what purposes? (2) Who addresses the participant children in English and Spanish? and (3) How do the participants express themselves in English and Spanish? The data suggest that the three participants received input in English and Spanish based on the bilingual characteristics of the families. However, as they grew older and their proficiency in English improved, the input in Spanish diminished, as well as their ability to speak Spanish. At the end of the study, the three participants understood English and Spanish, one spoke English and Spanish when prompted, one spoke only in English, and another one spoke in both languages without being prompted. This study suggests that raising children bilingually may require support of the minority language outside the home, with collaboration among the schools, the families, and the community.
A Valuable Experience for Children: The Dim Sum and Chinese Restaurant Project
Author: Ha, Yuen Lai
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Projects,Active Learning,Foreign Countries,Kindergarten,Dining Facilities,Teaching Methods,Student Interests,Writing Assignments,Freehand Drawing,Newsletters,Learning Activities,Interdisciplinary Approach,Student Centered Curriculum,Relevance (Education),Parent Participation

This article describes the Dim Sum and Chinese Restaurant Project undertaken by 6-year-old kindergarten children in Hong Kong. The article discusses the importance of listening, observing, and documenting children's actions to meet their needs and interests. The kindergarten program that participated in this project is a nonprofit kindergarten organized by a Christian church. Parents and teachers agreed to try a project-based learning approach wherein the children would direct their own learning based on their interests and would search for relevant information and materials to support their explorations. In addition, the children were encouraged to integrate drawing and writing daily newsletters to communicate to their parents what they needed and how their parents could help them. Thus, the classroom activities shifted away from teacher-centered lessons toward an emphasis on learning activities that were interdisciplinary, student centered, and integrated with real-world issues and practices. (Contains 24 figures.)
Social-Emotional Environments: Teacher Practices in Two Toddler Classrooms
Author: Gloeckler, Lissy
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Toddlers,Emotional Development,Teacher Influence,Emotional Response,Self Control,Classroom Techniques,Teacher Student Relationship,Student Behavior,Observation,Comparative Analysis,Classroom Environment

This descriptive qualitative report is taken from a larger U.S. study on the influences of teacher practices on the early development of emotion regulation in toddlers. This report focuses on the classroom practices of two teachers in separate toddler classrooms. During a week of observations in each setting, the authors collected data on how the teachers spoke to the children, how they positioned themselves physically in relation to the children, and how they acted when children showed distress or challenging behaviors. Children's behaviors were also observed in relation to the teachers' practices. The authors provide a brief comparative discussion of observations made in the two classrooms. They recommend additional research to address how teachers' daily practices create the classroom social-emotional environment and how those practices may influence child outcomes, especially the early development of emotion regulation.
Confronting the Baby Blues: A Social Constructivist Reflects on Time Spent in a Behaviorist Infant Classroom
Author: McMullen, Mary Benson
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Infants,Constructivism (Learning),Observation,Child Care,Selection,Criteria,Evidence,Infant Behavior,Crying,Behaviorism,Reflection,Cognitive Structures,Developmentally Appropriate Practices,Play,Training Objectives,Sociolinguistics,Beliefs,Perspective Taking,Tactual Perception,Attribution Theory,Caring,Social Development,Emotional Development,Best Practices,Conflict,Researchers,Responsibility,Advocacy

This reflective essay describes the author's experiences as an observer in a behaviorist infant classroom. The author developed four categories of practice to describe what happened in the behaviorist infant room: (1) curricular focus on training typically developing infants to meet typical developmental milestones, (2) the use of highly structured play by staff as the means for meeting their training goals for the babies, (3) particular uses of language by staff in the behaviorist classroom, and (4) ways in which the staff's adherence to core beliefs in behaviorism led to a lack of recognition of infants' individual expressions of needs and wants. The article concludes with the author's reflections on researchers' ethical responsibilities when faced with an environment that they consider inappropriate and potentially harmful to children. (Contains 4 figures and 1 note.)
Are Early Intervention Services Placing Home Languages and Cultures "At Risk"?
Author: Puig, Victoria I.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Maintenance,Early Intervention,Young Children,Cultural Context,Special Needs Students,Disabilities,Cultural Maintenance,Language Usage,Family School Relationship,Second Language Learning,Family Environment,Infants,At Risk Students,Cultural Influences

This position statement considers family languages, family cultures, and partnerships between family members and early intervention (EI) professionals as intimately interconnected and resources to be accessed when serving young children with special needs and their families. It presents theory and an overview of works that examine the impact of early exposure to a second language, issues of home language maintenance, disability within a cultural context, and cultural models for serving young children and their families. It explores the ways that EI programs intended to nurture the optimal development of infants and toddlers and their families may be placing home languages and cultures "at risk."
Reading the Intentionality of Young Children
Author: Forman, George E.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Play,Young Children,Cognitive Processes,Thinking Skills,Social Development,Video Technology

Through six video clips and accompanying commentary, the author argues that by carefully observing how very young children play, adults can gain insight into their high-level thinking and their knowledge, as well as the implications that their strategies hold for their assumptions, theories, and expectations. Adults can then become more protective of children's time during play, more skillful in making a parallel entry into their world, and more effective in helping them extend or reconsider their assumptions about how the social and physical world works. Suggestions for video documentation in classrooms are included.
The Canada Goose Project: A First Project with Children under 3
Author: Brewer, Ruth A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Preschool Children,Reggio Emilia Approach,Child Care,Infants,Toddlers,Animals,Journal Writing,Video Technology,Thinking Skills,Reflection,Student Projects,Teaching Methods

This project report describes how five children (an infant, three toddlers, and a preschooler) enrolled at a private day care home engaged in their first journey into project work through a study of Canada geese living on a nearby body of water. Prior to the experience described in this paper, the author had used the Project Approach only with children over age 3. The author has been caring for children for 20 years, the last several years using the Project Approach as defined by Lilian Katz, Sylvia Chard, and Judy Harris Helm. The author's curriculum is also inspired by the approach to early childhood education and care in the preprimary schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, which she has studied extensively. Through her reflective journal, videos, and samples of the children's work, the author describes how the children responded to a number of provocations to think more deeply about and make representations of the things they observed during their project. (Contains 30 figures.)
Sense of "Calling": An Organizing Principle for the Lives and Values of Young Women in University
Author: French, Jared R.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Females,College Students,Interviews,Counseling,Values,Religious Factors,Student Motivation,Influences,Goal Orientation,Christianity,Religious Cultural Groups

This qualitative study examined the experience of "life calling" in a sample of female Christian university students who felt a strong sense of calling. Participants were interviewed about the meaning and their experiences of life calling, with thematic analysis revealing the conception of life calling as an organizing and guiding force in these students' lives, the nature of that calling, the process by which it emerged, and several salient attributes that these individuals had in common. The findings suggest that life calling is a distinct, identifiable phenomenon for some students and may be useful to consider in counselling with these clients.
Why Do Post-Secondary Students Seek Counselling?
Author: Cairns, Sharon L.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Severity (of Disability),Program Development,Depression (Psychology),Policy Formation,Professional Development,Foreign Countries,Counseling,Student Personnel Services,Student Problems,Stress Variables,Help Seeking,Student Needs,College Students

The purpose of this study is to document reasons that Canadian postsecondary students seek counselling and to report counsellor ratings of the severity and complexity of presenting concerns. For over three academic years, counsellors at a large Canadian university completed a Presenting Issues Form on all clients (N = 2,943) following the initial session. The most frequent presenting issues were (a) relationship concerns, (b) anxiety/stress, (c) depression/grief, (d) academic, and (e) career. Global severity ratings indicated high degrees of distress. The severity of presenting concerns has implications for program development, policy development, and professional development of counsellors working in postsecondary institutions.
Girls Are So Complicated! Re-Imagining Addiction Support in Context
Author: Newbury, Janet
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Photography,Substance Abuse,Females,Addictive Behavior,Behavior Change,Counseling Techniques

Addiction research traditionally focuses on changing the behaviours of addicted individuals, often by locating deficits within them. This study, with 5 adolescent girls who use methamphetamines, demonstrates how photograph elicitation is used as an entry point into rich dialogue. In engaging with the photographs, narratives emerge from which researchers, teachers, practitioners, and adolescent girls can learn. This contextualized approach not only highlights the potential of a strength-based perspective, but also disperses the onus for change among helping professionals and the community at large, rather than placing responsibility for change on individuals struggling with addiction.
The Roles of Negative Career Thoughts and Sense of Coherence in Predicting Career Decision Status
Author: Austin, R. Kirk
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Decision Making,Predictor Variables,Career Choice,Measures (Individuals),Correlation,Psychological Characteristics,Career Counseling,Negative Attitudes

The relationship between sense of coherence and negative career thoughts was investigated in a non-college-based population to determine the relationship and predictive value of these factors toward career decision status. Participants completed the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Career Thoughts Inventory, and Career Decision Profile's decidedness and decisiveness subscales. Results indicated strong inverse relationships between sense of coherence and negative career thinking. Regression analysis indicated that sense of coherence and negative career thoughts together accounted for 15% of the variance of career decidedness but 38% of the variance of decisiveness. Implications for counselling are discussed.