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A community-based participatory research study with Ecuadorian women about childbirth experiences during the first wave of COVID-19: A critical pedagogical analysis
No full textThe present study provides an understanding of vulnerable Ecuadorian women's childbirth experiences, including their perceptions of skin-to-skin contact and immediate breastfeeding during the first wave of the COVID-19 emergency of public health services in Ecuador (March 15th - July 15th, 2020). The study was informed by critical pedagogy and feminism theory, critical health literacy, and COVID-19 recommendations on respectful maternity and newborn healthcare. The methodology was Community-Based Participatory Research, using a critical pedagogy approach and an educational tool facilitating a critical self-reflective attitude. Twenty-six women from Conocoto, Ecuador, who gave birth in a public health facility during the first wave of the pandemic participated in the study. The findings showed that health inequity affected women and newborns, which prevented them from having a positive childbirth experience, denying their fundamental rights. The critical discussion exposed the effects of the intersectionality of women, perceived through the social and economic environments and the public health system resources. The women reflected on their lifelong learning and resilience protective factors when shared in their recollections. The study aimed to promote dialogue on the rights of marginalized women, challenge oppression within the public health system, and contribute to the scholarship on critical feminist research and pedagogy. The study provided important information for healthcare systems seeking to improve women's healthcare equity, especially during times of crisis. The study's recommendations highlighted eliminating health inequity and promoting social change by enforcing social and health policies in Ecuador
Teaching in a good way: An instrumental case study exploring the indigenization and decolonization of post-secondary teaching and learning at Canada's northernmost university
No full textThe reconciliation of education in Canada requires both the critical work of deconstructing structures and practices that privilege Eurocentric worldviews and elevating Indigenous Knowledges and participation. In teaching and learning, this work requires the participation of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous instructors. This small- scale qualitative case study explores the experiences of eight post-secondary instructors applying the concepts of Indigenization and decolonization to their practice at Yukon University. Interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis of the data revealed patterns in the responses. Participants defined Indigenization as a concept that is self- determined by Indigenous people and communities, has Indigenous knowledge at its core, involves bringing Indigenous perspectives into the classroom, and requires Indigenous representation. Decolonization was articulated as a critical examination of colonial structures and processes in academia and the action of actively exposing and deconstructing these. Instructors shared a diversity of Indigenized and decolonized approaches to curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. Identity and representation were consistently brought to the forefront throughout the study as participants explored positionality and the various roles and boundaries for Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators in this work. Perspectives on strengths and challenges were shared, along with requests for support going forward. The lack of Indigenous voice captured in the study is a significant limitation and is indicative of the lack of Indigenous representation at the institution of study. Findings are connected to the perspectives of Indigenous scholars through literature and further research is recommended. The study does realize the importance and contributions of settlers to this work and provides a glimpse toward the frontlines of post-secondary education, offering important entry points for instructors to consider in the reconciliation of post-secondary education
The high-order affinity propagation clustering based on multiple similarity measurements
No full textAffinity propagation (AP) clustering method has garnered significant attention in the domain of data mining. The attractiveness of AP lies in its efficiency, insensitivity to initialization, and ability to generate clusters with a reduced error rate compared to alternative clustering methods. Despite the huge progress that has been made in recent years, there still exists a challenging issue. Nowadays, there is a growing quantity of big data being generated by various services, applications, and platforms. When dealing with big data, current modified AP clustering methods are not ideal. To better address big data, the technique of multi-view is used to deal with the data from multiple sources or “view”. The main goal of multi-view clustering is to utilize the complimentary information provided by several views in order to attain improved clustering outcomes compared to those achievable by any single view. However, existing general approaches on how multi-view clustering can be applied do not handle high-order data very efficiently and accurately. Besides, there is no research that combines multi-view clustering and AP method at this stage. Thus, this thesis presents a novel AP clustering method called the high-order AP clustering based on multiple similarity measurements. This method is tensor-based clustering, which is analyzed by correlating multiple similarity metrics among features. Several common benchmark datasets are compared to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method
Exploring teachers' and their students' experiences of a school-based yoga program in the elementary classroom
No full textThe implementation of school-based yoga programs can ensure that all students have access to the physical, mental, and social-emotional benefits that yoga has to offer. This is particularly important today, as the COVID-19 pandemic has added increased stress and anxiety for both teachers and students, creating the need for tools and resources to help build resilience. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the impact of a yoga program at the elementary level. The experiences of two elementary school teachers (Primary and Grade 1) and their students were explored as they participated in a school-based yoga program. Teachers and students participated in an online daily yoga program (Breathe.Read.Yoga.) for 12 weeks. The research examined how a consistent yoga practice impacted their physical, mental, and social-emotional development when incorporated into classroom routines. Narrative inquiry was the methodology, using metaphors, images, and examples to best understand participants’ experiences of a daily school-based yoga program. The three commonplaces of temporality, sociality, and place (Clandinin, 2007) were used to describe participants’ experiences. Teachers and students identified the COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling challenges once restrictions were lifted as challenges of a daily yoga practice. However, feeling calm, present, and balanced were positive impacts of the practice. Teacher and student participants identified the use of story as an integral aspect of a yoga class. Further research may explore yoga in high priority schools, upper elementary, as well as further understanding of the impact of using story and yoga
Michael Joseph Franklin Wright
No full textposted: SaltWire, Feb. 12, 2022; funeral arrangements by Dennis Haverstock Funeral Homes; "Frank"; raised in Point Tupper, Richmond; veteran of W.W. II; joined the Canadian Army (1944-1946); returned to Camp Borden, Ontario briefly in the 1950s, achieving the rank of Second Lieutenan
Mary Martha (Diaz) Lafford
No full textposted: SaltWire, Feb. 10, 2022; funeral arrangements by C. L. Curry Funeral Services; name in SaltWire is listed as Mary Martha Diaz (Lafford); formerly of Boston; also of Sherbrook
Howard Irvin MacKinnon
No full textposted: SaltWire, Feb. 23, 2022; funeral arrangements by Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home
Catherine Ann MacIsaac
No full textposted: SaltWire, Feb. 1, 2022; funeral arrangements by C. L. Curry Funeral Services; "Cathy the Cook"; raised in Foxbrook Road, Westvill
Being the Boss: A Self-Study on the Lived Experiences of a Novice Female Principal in Rural Nova Scotia
No full textThis self-study retrospectively examines my lived experiences as a novice female principal in a rural Nova Scotia high school during the 2019-2020 school year. Exploring my experiences retrospectively provided the necessary distance between living the experiences and reflecting upon them. The data collected were derived from self-interviews, reflective writing, and the examination of public and private documents. In my quest to explore and further understand what impact, if any, gendered experiences had upon my interpretation of my role as a high school principal, feelings of judgment, lack of professional support, and the role unearned privilege played in my determination to lead were identified as fundamental themes of my experience. Specifically, the data revealed that the judgment and lack of professional support I felt in both applying for, and holding, a high school principalship created barriers to developing confidence in my ability to lead. The unearned privileges that came from growing up in a white, middle-class family of educators and having a strong personal support system were what supported my determination to lead. Because not all aspiring and new womxn leaders in rural Nova Scotia have such privilege, it is imperative steps are taken to support their leadership and the structure in which they lead. Personal plans to help improve the experiences of aspiring and new womxn administrators in my school and family of schools are identified as well as recommendations for improvement at the RCE level
Sharon Hazel (Smith) McLean
No full textposted: SaltWire, Jan. 24, 2022; funeral arrangements by Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home