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Analysis of NOx Levels in Ambient Air Using Passive Sampling
No full textNitrogen oxides (NOx) are gas phase precursors that can lead to excess tropospheric ozone (O3). These pollutants are detrimental to human health at concentrations in ambient air. Measurement of these pollutants is generally performed by active sampling. However, this leaves for costly procedures and sparse monitoring networks. Passive sampling is a cost-efficient technique that allows for greater dispersion of sampling networks. In this study, a passive sampling technique developed by Ogawa & CO., USA, Inc. is utilized to study levels of NOx on the Concordia University campus in an undergraduate laboratory setting. The same technique is also employed in a field study in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Hermiston, OR is a rural town in the Columbia River Gorge that has experienced elevated O3 precursor levels, such as NOx, in previous years. The undergraduate laboratory resulted in a better understanding of critical elements of chemistry vital to the major itself. The field experiment results indicated concentrated NOx due to complicated emissions, topographical, and meteorological patterns. This thesis demonstrates the viability of monitoring NOx in ambient air in a research setting, as well as an educational setting
Living Water Church: Emergency Action Plan
No full textFires, lockdowns, and active shooters are all too common in today’s world. In June 2017, a house in Waterbury Connecticut caught on fire while service was being held in the church adjacent to it (Stewart, 2017). In March 2018, a church in Mississippi was placed on lockdown while law enforcement officials used the grounds as a staging area during an active investigation (WAPT News, 2018). And in November 2017, a gunman opened fire inside First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Twenty-six people lost their lives, and many more were gravely wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in an American place of worship in modern history (KY3, 2017). It has become abundantly clear that churches are not immune to tragedy and violence. In order to protect those who spend their time there, Living Water needs to become resilient against fires, lockdowns, and active shooters. An Emergency Action Plan, “a written document used to facilitate and organize actions during various emergency situations” (United States Department of Labor, n.d.) can be implemented to help Living Water Church become more resilient than they are now, ready and capable to mitigate disasters that might otherwise be catastrophic. Living Water Church’s highest aim is to, “see the hurting find hope and peace, the lost find purpose and direction, the struggling to find encouragement and passion, to see those who don\u27t like church actually enjoying church, and for those not yet following Jesus to find forgiveness and freedom in His name” (Living Water Church, n.d.). Implementing this EAP will allow the church to become an even better and safer source of hope, peace, purpose, direction, encouragement, passion, enjoyment, and freedom in the town of Lewisville and beyond
The Influence of Social Context on Perceptions of Racism
No full textThis study explored how accurate people’s perceptions of racism are compared to the reality of experiences of racism and how social context influences those perceptions, specifically looking at the variables race, highest level of education, socioeconomic status, racial identity relevance, and neighborhood intergroup contact. The research design followed Graham, Nosek, and Haidt’s (2012) quantitative model. Participants were randomly assigned to complete two out of three possible surveys: Landrine, Klonoff, Corral, Fernandez, and Roesch’s (2006) General Ethnic Discrimination Scale (GEDS) answered as oneself, answered as a “typical white person,” or answered as a “typical person of color.” Participants also responded to measures on the other social context variables to allow for an analysis of how the social context factors influenced people’s perceptions of racism as a problem. Due to a sample that was not fully representative of non-white participants, conclusions were only discussed for white participants. Thirty-five percent of white participants predicted people of color are never treated unfairly because of their race, and that perception was influenced exclusively by whiteness. Eighteen percent of white participants predicted that white people are treated unfairly because of their race, and both whiteness and level of education influenced that perception
Project Proposal: The Jentay Group
No full textThe following document contains material that connects to the emergency preparedness side of homeland security. The Jentay Group is a small company that brings advanced composites to the industrial market. Their work can be seen in the aerospace and unmanned vehicle industry, the automotive industry and the medical industry (Jentay, 2018). The team of 11 works out of a 4500 ft2 building located in Beaverton, Oregon. Beaverton is located in the Portland metropolitan area, which boasts a population of approximately 2.4 million (Beaverton Oregon, 2018). These statistics place the headquarters in a heavily populated area, which could bring good business or trouble
Pre-Service Teacher Perception of Instructor Emotional Intelligence
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how pre-service teachers perceive instructor EI in a state college teacher education environment. An operational construct sampling of 12 pre-service teachers investigated the real-time experiences of pre-service teachers in a state college teacher preparation program specifically in exploring instructor EI and EI awareness of self and others. Instrumentation and data collection was accomplished by semi-structured interview, observation, and an online EI survey. Themes identified include: emotional connection through instructor support and empathy, emotional awareness through use of and facilitation of emotions, and emotional engagement through instructional attributes. Teaching practices observed that strongly support high academic engagement includes: safe, respectful classroom environment, empathetic listening and positive connections, stress validation, and meaningful, relevant work. Limitations to this study include the lack of generalizability of the study results, as this study was conducted at one unique state college location. The results of this study have the following implications for the practice of teaching and pre-service teacher education. In the workplace, understanding, negotiating, and monitoring the intense emotionality is a primary dimension of teachers’ work which places elevated stress on teachers’ EI. Emotional intelligence may be beneficial for teachers’ psychological well-being and may have a protective effect in reducing burnout. It is suggested that pre-service education programs incorporate emotional intelligence competency building to enhance teachers’ expertise and improve their ability to perceive and regulate the emotions of themselves and others
Case Study: Exploring the Implementation of an Integrated STEM Curriculum Program in Elementary First Grade Classes
No full textThis study explored the implementation of Project Lead The Way (PLTW) integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in four first grade classrooms. Data was collected from four teachers and two media specialists via interviews and student PLTW Light and Sound unit assessment scores. A self-efficacy survey was administered to all first grade teachers in the studied district to measure teacher beliefs about their ability to teach science. Teacher responses indicated that teachers were relatively confident implementing science curriculum. Interviews, however, revealed that teachers required more training designed to increase teacher science background knowledge to properly teach an integrated science unit. Although there were issues with implementation involving materials and scheduling, the benefits for student learning through the PLTW curriculum were substantial. The most important finding of this study was the fact that integrated STEM curriculum, such as PLTW, has the innate ability to reach and challenge students at all levels, from gifted learners to at-risk students. Using the hands-on approach, students can experiment and find solutions. Students, through the process, develop an understanding of the concept and can apply their learning. However, to implement integrated STEM effectively, teachers need support from their administrators and dedicated training in the PLTW program
Student Achievement and the Career and Technical Education Medical Career Academy: A Quantitative Study
No full textThe researcher investigated the benefits of enrolling in a career and technical medical career academy at the secondary school level. It was unknown if there is a significant difference in the student achievement of career and technical education medical career academy participants versus the student achievements of their non-academy participant peers. This study was guided by the following research questions: (a) Is there a significant difference in scores on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test of students in a medical career academy when compared to their non-medical career academy peers? (b) Is there a significant difference in the attendance rates of the students in a medical career academy when compared to their non-medical academy peers? (c) Is there a significant difference in the progress to graduation of eleventh grade students in a medical career academy when compared to their non-medical academy peers? This quantitative, causal-comparative study used archival data from the 2016-2017 school year from one secondary school to compare the medical academy student records to the non-medical academy students’ records. The data analysis found that there is a significant difference in the progress toward graduation of the eleventh grade students in a medical career academy. There are no significant differences in the SBAC scores or attendance rates. The findings demonstrate that participating in career and technical education courses, and more specifically, a medical career academy, does not hinder a student’s academic achievement: it complements academic achievement
Critical Reflection and Mainstream Teachers’ Implementation of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol for English Language Learners: A Case Study
No full textThe researcher in this study investigated questions that explored (a) what are the frames of reference of mainstream teachers who instruct English learners in the mainstream classroom, (b) how the use of critical reflection and implementation of sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) influence mainstream teachers’ efficacy of instructional delivery, and (c) how do mainstream teachers construct meaning and encourage their professional growth through their use of critical reflection and sheltered instruction observation protocol. Using a case study methodology, the researcher sought to answer these questions using relative literature and theories that exist within the field of education. The goal of the research was to add to the body of literature regarding teachers’ professional growth through the use of critical reflection and sheltered instruction observation protocol. The findings of the study indicated participants used strategies similar to SIOP-based strategies, although they had no previous knowledge or formal training in the SIOP method. The findings also indicated participants held similar frames of reference associated with instructing English learners (ELs) in the mainstream classroom. Participants indicated inconsistency in the understanding of critical reflection as a concept and how to use it as an instructional habit efficaciously.
Collaborative working environments for teachers of ELs is necessary in the process of critical reflection. Mainstream teachers’ professional growth can be supported by using rational discourse to learn and share quality teaching practices. Professional development can support the practice of critical reflection and sheltered instruction observation protocol among mainstream teachers of ELs to influence mainstream teachers’ critical examination of instructional habits
Teachers Learning to Teach: A Phenomenological Exploration of the Lived Experience of Cognitive Load for Novice Teachers
No full textCognitive load is a relevant phenomenon experienced by novice teachers moment-to-moment in complex classroom environments. Teachers learning to teach within the classroom daily encounter mental workload, but the latter has played little part in learning design for teachers, although other professions demanding complex performanes have made use of Cognitive Load Theory and Cognitive Task Analysis for learning design and for the reduction of cognitive load. Exploration of the lived experience of cognitive load was the focus of this study. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the limits of mental capacity and the mental liberty experienced by teachers who undergo different levels and types of cognitive load. The researcher exposed the multiple directions of awareness that result from looking at learning to teach through this lens, how teachers perceive the availability and immediacy of mental resources, and reconstruct lived experiences in the moment of classroom teaching. The consequenes of cognitive load, the resulting experiences from having undergone it, are explored as automaticity and higher levels of load reveal various levels and types of learning. New directions of learning design for teachers based on expertise transfer and complex learning models are proposed
Understanding the Academic Achievement of African American Scholars: An Intrinsic Case Study of an Urban High School
No full textThis qualitative intrinsic case study focused on the academic achievement and success of African American alumni students in an urban school district in New York City. The researcher sought to answer the following research questions: (a) How do urban, African American high school alumni perceive and describe the quality of education they received as impacting their studies and their success?; (b) How do alumni describe the social and cultural factors that contributed to and influenced the quality of education they received?; and (c) How do social and cultural factors influence their trajectory towards high academic achievement and/or success? Data were gathered utilizing three sources: semistructured interviews with eight alumni students from 2007 to 2016, high school transcripts, and personal artifacts that were impacted by the students’ experience at Woodbine Academy High School (WAHS), a pseudonym approved to maintain the confidentiality of the alumni and the institution used in the study. Information was gathered to determine the social and cultural factors that contributed to the high success rates of African Americans as lived and experienced by the alumni. Data analysis captured and documented the alumni participants’ voices, which presented the counter-narrative to the deficit model. This descriptive case study of eight alumni participants revealed four themes that resonated throughout the data analysis. Alumni participants perceived the social and cultural factors that impacted their success were passion as reflected by the teachers’ content knowledge and interaction, belonging, access and opportunity, and expectations