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Workforce Housing Summit 3.23.23
Get PDFCity administrators, government agencies, major employers, non-profit organizations, students, and concerned citizens alike gathered on the campus of St. Cloud State University to start the conversation: We have an affordable housing shortage for people making $15-30 per hour. What can we do about it?Workforce Housing Summit, was a co-collaboration with United Way Central Minnesota, Minnesota Builders Association, CentraCare, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, and Initiative Foundation.https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/sopa_seminars/1007/thumbnail.jp
AN ESL WRITER’S DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MODAL VERB
Get PDFModal verbs present ESL writers with a paradox. They are both easy and difficult to use. In this paper, we investigate how a college-bound L2 writer succeeds and fails in using the modal verb in an essay. Though the analysis is based only on one writer’s mistakes, those who have studied ESL writers’ usage of modal verbs concur that the mistakes made by this student are representative of the struggles that other L2 writers face when using . The writer also has issues with deleting the grapheme when it occurs in the coda of consonant clusters. We examine this orthographic issue quickly but spend most of the time on the erroneous uses of . Pedagogical implications are drawn that can help ESL students and their teachers tackle the pesky issue of
Variation and Sexual Dimorphism in Color and Head Morphology in American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus)
Get PDFThere are few published studies that have examined sexual dimorphism of either color or head morphology in temperate anurans. This has resulted in large gaps in our knowledge. In this study I ask whether there achromatic color, chromatic color, and head morphology are sexually dimorphic in American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus). Additionally, I ask whether achromatic and chromatic color vary seasonally and between the dorsal and lateral surfaces. To answer these questions I photographed the dorsal and lateral surfaces of 134 American Toads from populations at Lake Maria State Park, Wright Co., Minnesota (76 phenotypic females, 58 phenotypic males). I photographed these toads during the peak and the post-breeding seasons. I collected chromatic data including normalized red, green, and blue reflectance values, average Chroma, and average Hue, from multispectral images. I also collected achromatic data including average brightness, mean mottling score, and percent area covered by dark pigment. Chromatic and achromatic data were analyzed with multiple linear regression models that included phenotypic sex, season, and the interaction of phenotypic sex and size (SVL) as predictor variables. To examine head morphology, I placed 25 landmarks on the dorsal surface of phenotypic females and males. I used a Procrustes Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to compare the average head shape of phenotypic females with that of males. I also compared the distribution of head shapes with a principal component analysis and calculated the lengths and widths of paratoid glands. There was no evidence of sexual dichromatism of achromatic or chromatic color on either the dorsal or lateral surfaces. Larger toads, regardless of sex, had higher mottling scores and thus more complex dorsal patterns. There is evidence of seasonal variation in achromatic color on the dorsal surface. Toads inside the breeding season are brighter and have less percent area covered by dark pigment. There is an interaction between snout-vent length (SVL) and achromatic variables on the lateral surface. Larger toads are less bright and have a greater proportion of their lateral surface covered by dark pigment compared to smaller toads. Although these surfaces were not dimorphic in color, head morphology was sexually dimorphic. Phenotypic females have longer and wider paratoid glands compared to males, and phenotypic males have more pointed rostrums. There are multiple hypotheses which could explain the patterns observed in these data. The variation observed in dorsal and lateral patterns may help individuals avoid predation, identify conspecifics, or have better visual perception in certain environments. Sexual dimorphism of head morphology may be due to niche partitioning or male to male competition. My studies were not designed to identify the causal factors behind these patterns, and each of these potential explanations warrants further study. This is one of the first studies to test for sexual dimorphism of color on the lateral surface of a toad. It is also one of few which examines sexual dimorphism of head shape in a temperate bufonid. This study lays the groundwork for future investigators to address questions related to variation in achromatic and chromatic color, as well as head morphology, in temperate anurans
Play-Based Learning in the Kindergarten Classroom
Get PDFThe purpose of this research study was to explore the influence of teacher preparation, in-service professional development opportunities, and school climate /culture on kindergarten teachers\u27 beliefs and ability to implement play-based pedagogy in the classroom. A descriptive electronic survey was distributed to two central Minnesota school districts where play-based learning is not mandated. The descriptive survey was used to determine how Kindergarten teachers defined play and what influential factors supported this belief and definition. Additionally, the survey had Kindergarten teachers self-report how additional factors such as school climate, culture, funding, and colleague support impacted their ability to implement play-based learning in the kindergarten classroom.
Twenty-three eligible kindergarten teachers were contacted to participate in the survey, with eight completing the survey for a return rate of 35%. The survey results indicated all teachers valued play in kindergarten, but their licensure preparation may influence how they value and define play. All teachers licensed in early childhood education showed agreement (agree =3/ strongly agree=4) that children should have choice and control over play. Teachers with a K-6 elementary teaching license varied in their responses, with some disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that children should have choice and control over play. Teachers were equally divided (50% agreeing, 50% disagreeing) on whether their pre-service experience emphasized play and learning in coursework and was part of the course content and assignment. All teachers expressed dissatisfaction (87.5% somewhat dissatisfied, 12.5% completely dissatisfied) with the college preparation education they received on play-based learning.
The study found teachers did not receive training on play-based learning from their employing school districts but sought out the training independently. While college preparation and ongoing professional development are essential, when teachers were asked to indicate the factors most influential to their beliefs and definitions of play-based learning, the top three factors identified by mean were: teaching colleagues (4.5), personal experiences (4.38), and mentor teachers (4.0). When it came to implementing play-based learning in the classroom, teachers revealed administrative support, preparation time, and class time (mean =4.5) were the most influential in their ability to implement play-based learning.
The study findings showed that teacher licensure and preparation influences teacher’s beliefs and values regarding play-based learning. The study also revealed that college preparation for kindergarten teachers does not offer satisfactory education regarding play-based learning and that teachers often seek professional development independently. Mentors and colleagues play an influential role in shaping teacher beliefs and values, while administration support, class time, and preparation time are critical to implementing play-based learning
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Impact on Incarceration & Recidivism: Benefits of Treating the Trauma
Get PDFThis paper examined the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and, if treating childhood trauma of the incarcerated, lowered the rates of recidivism. I examined not only whether ACEs influenced incarceration rates but also, the benefits of trauma treatment programming among the incarcerated. Three primary studies were compared, using Cooper’s Integrative Research Review. The Kaiser original ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) study, a replica study completed by Finkelhor and Associates, and The Philadelphia Expanded Study were included in this paper. I relied on other research articles to back up my findings that included a connection between ACEs and recidivism. Recommendations were also made for further research
A Study on Security Attributes of Software-Defined Wide Area Network
Get PDFFor organizations to communicate important data across various branches, a reliable Wide Area Network (WAN) is important. With the increase of several factors such as usage of cloud services, WAN bandwidth demand, cost of leased lines, complexity in building/managing WAN and changing business needs led to need of next generation WAN. Software-defined wide area network (SD- WAN) is an emerging trend in today’s networking world as it simplifies management of network and provides seamless integration with the cloud. Compared to Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) majorly used in traditional WAN architecture, SD-WAN incurs less cost, highly secure and offers great performance. This paper will mainly focus to investigate this next-generation WAN’s security attributes as security plays a crucial role in SD-WAN implementation. The goal of the paper is to analyze SD-WAN security by applying principles of CIA triad principle. Comparison of SD-WAN products offered by three different vendors in SD-WAN market with respect to its security is another important area that will be covered in this paper
Attacks On Near Field Communication Devices
Get PDFFor some years, Near Field Communication (NFC) has been a popularly known technology characterized by its short-distance wireless communication, mainly used in providing different agreeable services such as payment with mobile phones in stores, Electronic Identification, Transportation Electronic Ticketing, Patient Monitoring, and Healthcare. The ability to quickly connect devices offers a level of secure communication. That notwithstanding, looking deeply at NFC and its security level, identifying threats leading to attacks that can alter the user’s confidentiality and data privacy becomes obvious. This paper summarizes some of these attacks, emphasizing four main attack vectors, bringing out a taxonomy of these attack vectors on NFC, and presenting security issues alongside privacy threats within the application environment
Why Belonging Matters: An Investigation into the Effects of Belonging on Organizational Commitment, Engagement, and Intention to Stay
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational belonging, organizational commitment, engagement, and intention to stay among employees in various organizations in the US. The research employed a quantitative approach to collect data from a sample of employees. The study found that organizational belonging has a significant positive impact on employee engagement and affective commitment. This suggests that when employees feel a sense of belonging within their organization, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. The results of the mediation analysis indicate that employee engagement partially mediates the relationship between organizational belonging and affective commitment. This means that the positive effect of organizational belonging on affective commitment is partly explained by the mediating role of employee engagement. Furthermore, affective commitment partially mediates the relationship between organizational belonging and intention to stay. This implies that the positive impact of organizational belonging on employees\u27 intention to stay is partly due to the effect of affective commitment. These findings have important implications for organizations, as they suggest that creating a sense of belonging among employees can lead to increased levels of engagement, affective commitment, and retention
Academic Accommodations and Support Services Desired by Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders During their Postsecondary Educational Careers
Get PDFHistory and definitions of Autism Spectrum Disorders and what services and accommodation students in a postsecondary career prefer
