Digital Commons Network^™

Community Of Practice Mentoring To Retain Middle School Teachers, Karen Weller Swanson, Micki M. Caskey

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The purpose of this article is to describe and explain a mentoring initiative for supporting and retaining middle school teachers. First, we examine the persistent problem of teacher retention in U.S. schools, particularly in middle schools. Then, we describe a mentoring initiative—a community practice mentoring model that is well-suited for facilitating professional learning and addressing the retention issue. We define community of practice and note how communities of practices work in schools. We argue that a community of practice model is both a powerful conceptual framework for mentoring teachers and a practical approach to supporting middle school teachers’ practice. Next, …

Lecture Xvi: Appendix: Additional Materials, Earl Clement Davis, Davis Baird

Lectures on the Origin and History of the Bible

Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

This Appendix assembles the six remaining manuscripts following Davis Baird's organization of his grandfather's Bible lectures. They are not part of the official lectures, but do add some information on the “origin and history of the Bible.”

They include:
(1) “Outline of Talk on Bible.”
(2) List of people at the November 21, 1950 talk–item #1
(3) “Second Evening. November 28, 1950.” Another outline
(4) “Notes on Third Evening of Bible Study.” Another outline, likely …

Avoiding Stereotypes: Utilizing A Flipped Framework Of Hofstede’S Cultural Dimensions For Teacher-Student Intercultural Awareness, Maha Azzazi

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Cultural differences are increasingly being analyzed in a globalized world to minimize conflict and optimize successful intercultural interactions. Among the most used cultural frameworks is Hofstede's cultural dimensions. This framework has, however, been criticized as stereotyping nations and individuals from different countries instead of raising awareness and minimizing cultural conflicts. The paper will utilize Hofstede's cultural dimensions to discuss the differences and similarities of cultural behavior within these dimensions. Therefore, a framework will be developed to outline differences in cultural behaviors for educators and students, which can be analyzed on a case-by-case basis without intersecting with nationality and country of …

Participatory Community Action Research In Homeless Shelters: Withstanding The Pandemic And Flourishing Beyond It With New Interventions, Kathryn E. Hurley, Roger N. Reeb, Sarah M. Clark, Tia N. Turner, Greg Elvers

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

This article tells the story of a long-term (12-year-old) and ongoing participatory community action research in homeless shelters – the Behavioral Activation Research Project in Homeless Shelters (the project), which represents a long-term collaboration between Roger N. Reeb, PhD (Professor of Psychology) and St. Vincent de Paul (Dayton, Ohio). The first section of this article provides a grand overall description of the project, summarizes past research, and explains how we sustained the project during the COVID-19 pandemic. To demonstrate the project’s ongoing nature, the second section reports an honors thesis completed within the context of the project, accompanied by a …

Marianist Holistic Education: Bridging Divides For The Common Good, Katrina Kelly Wicker

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Bridging Divides for the Common Good seeks to rediscover and redefine the essence of holistic education within the Marianist tradition, with a steadfast commitment to understanding what a holistic Marianist education is. Key objectives include benchmarking perspectives of both students and staff on the facets of holistic education imbued with the Marianist spirit and integrating pedagogical strategies that incorporate ongoing assessments and dialogues to uphold these principles effectively. The article explores building cultural competence to create an educational environment that is inclusive and safe. The article highlights the importance of incorporating the Five Characteristics of a Marianist education into curricula …

Innovative Pandemic Community-Based Student Learning: Development Of Remote Experiential Learning, Amy Christopher

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Objective: Review and reflect upon innovative experiential learning and student volunteer hours during remote isolation of pandemic times.

Introduction: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, experiential learning for U.S. university graduate-level health care professional programs struggled to find clinical rotation sites and provide students in the didactic curricular phase opportunities to apply health education outside of the classroom. Many healthcare sites and community health screening events were prohibited during an extended period of time due to pandemic isolation. As a health educator, exploration of remote, independent, and virtual experiential learning took creative planning to ensure students were able to apply …

Diversifying Community Connections, Courtney Belt

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

The focus of this reflective commentary is building authentic relationships with a wider variety of community partners toward greater collective impact and equity in community experiential learning. During my time as Clinical Coordinator in the University of Dayton undergraduate music therapy program, we have added 11 new practicum placement sites with one additional starting Spring 2024. The addition of several of these sites stemmed from music therapy faculty discussions about the desire to serve a greater diversity of clientele in our music therapy practicum courses and expand learning opportunities for music therapy students. In this paper, I describe our decision …

Cover And Front Matter

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Cross-Curricular Opportunities Through Libraries, Librarians, And Instruction, Elizabeth Grauel, Erik Ziedses Des Plantes

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

The changing landscape of higher education and increasing demand for multi-skilled employees in today’s workforce have exposed opportunities for cross-disciplinary and cross-curricular engagements in university classrooms. At the same time, budgetary constraints and shifting institutional structures present challenges to adopting and integrating such holistic approaches to research, teaching, and learning. This paper explores the connective function of academic libraries on university campuses, describing librarians’ roles as curricular and pedagogical partners to teaching faculty and facilitators of interdepartmental research. Through a review of literature and the presentation and analysis of a case study on co-taught library instruction sessions, librarians and teaching …

Lecture Xv: Bibliography, Earl Clement Davis, Davis Baird

Lectures on the Origin and History of the Bible

Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here. Lecture XV is a Bibliography covering the collection of lectures.

Davis left a single sheet with seven books under the title, “A Few Books Worth Reading.” This is included here along with a compiled list of references used in the earlier lectures, nearly 60 of them. This latter list has been created by Earl's grandson Davis Baird.

The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page …

Shipping Container Retention System

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed is a shipping container retention system for retaining a shipping container relative to a deck of a vessel. The shipping container retention system comprises a deck socket for fixing to 10 the deck of the vessel and a coupling piece for simultaneously coupling to a lower corner casting of the shipping container and to the deck socket to thereby retain the shipping container relative to the deck socket. The deck socket and the coupling piece are configured so that the coupling piece is couplable to the deck socket in a single orientation relative to the deck socket.

Method And System For Adaptive Lock Granularity Adjustment For Optimizing Performance Of Mysql Database, Alok Roy

Defensive Publications Series

Present disclosure provides a method and system for adaptive lock granularity adjustment system 100 for optimizing performance of MySQL database. The method includes monitoring the incoming queries initiated by one or more users at the end of the terminal via a user device installed with an application that establishes a connection with MySQL database. Monitoring module 102 continuously monitors query patterns and lock contention levels to dynamically adjust the granularity of locks (row-level, page-level, or table-level) in real-time. Upon monitoring, the data collected and analyzed is fed to the design engine 104. The design engine 104 utilizes advanced machine learning …

Leveraging Quick Response Code Markers As Anchors For Pattern-Based User Authentication Via Augmented Reality Glasses, Ramprasad Sedouram

Defensive Publications Series

Digital payments can be initiated easily by scanning a QR code using a smartphone or other device. The user can provide their authentication information to the smartphone, e.g., a biometric, a password, a pattern, etc. to authenticate payment. However, with devices such as AR glasses, it is not possible to authenticate in this manner. This disclosure leverages physical markers on a QR code as authentication anchors. When a user wearing augmented reality glasses looks at a QR code, such anchors are recognized. The user can then use their eye gaze or a finger gesture to draw an authentication pattern with …

Audio Content With Embedded Recommended Playback Volume Level, Alessio Centazzo

Defensive Publications Series

While a user can select a preferred audio playback level, when different audio content has different recording levels, the output volume can be unsatisfactory. This disclosure describes techniques to automatically adjust the output volume for a user of an audio playback application or device using information embedded in the audio content. Providers of audio content include a recommended playback level for their content in the audio content. This information is used by the audio playback application or device in combination with the user’s preset volume level to dynamically adjust the volume level. Thus, louder content is automatically played at a …

Temple And Hinge Design For Self-Adjusting Smart Glasses, Shiblee Hasan

Defensive Publications Series

Poor ergonomics and lack of appropriate fit can cause the experience of wearing smart to be less than satisfactory. Many smart glass models suffer from fit issues, resulting in discomfort or distraction. This disclosure describes smart glasses designed to provide an improved fit on different face shapes thereby improving user comfort. The design integrates sensors, actuators, and software algorithms in a multi-layered architecture. This architecture makes use of adjustable frame components to perform automatic adjustments based on user actions, detected with user permission using on-board sensors. The adjustments optimize fit and display alignment and provide a more comfortable and personalized …

An Integrated Review: Faith Community Nurse Transitional Care Model Health Ministry, Youn Kyeong Cummings

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

The hospital readmission rate is highest among underserved communities, and providing a continuum of care to these populations can yield a greater reduction in the readmission rate. Church and faith-based clinics often help underserved communities, and equipping them with the transitional care model (TCM) and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with specialized training as a Faith Community Nurse (FCN) can implement whole-person care, improve the health of the community, and reduce hospital readmission.

California has a 14.5% readmission rate. There is uncertainty surrounding the presence of transitional care departments in California's community hospitals, with some of these facilities offering …

Equity And Diversity Minutes 10/08/2024, Equity And Diversity Committee

Equity and Diversity Committee

No abstract provided.

Lgbtqia2s+ Inclusive Language (Handout), Elizabeth Banks

Justice Festival at Morehead State University

A handout for the presentation, titled "LGBTQIA2S+ Inclusive Language," given by Elizabeth Banks at the Justice Festival held on the campus of Morehead State University on October 8, 2024.

The Promise Of Scriptural Reasoning, David F. Ford

The Mahle Lectures Journal

Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus in the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Selwyn College, Dr. David F. Ford OBE, one of the co-founders of Scriptural Resaoning, addresses ‘The Promise of Scriptural Reasoning’, in the context of 2024 Spring Mahle Lecture Series on ‘Interreligious Peacebuilding through Study.’ In what follows he does two things as part of this keynote lecture. First, he speaks about his experience of Scriptural Reasoning, its origins, its character, and its spread up to now. Second, he reflects on the future and promise of Scriptural Reasoning, culminating with an expansive vision of its potential.

An Interview With John Stevens, John Stevens

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

John Stevens is a retired PM/WRA Program Manager with extensive experience running multi-million-dollar conventional weapons destruction (CWD) programs in Vietnam, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, and Ukraine. Since December 2014, Stevens has been re-employed as a Senior CWD Advisor with PM/WRA. In this capacity, he conducted fresh CWD assessments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Guinea-Bissau, Lao PDR, Senegal, Serbia, and South Korea.

An Interview With Harry “Murf” Mccloy, Harry (Murf) Mccloy

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Harry “Murf” McCloy, is a retired US Marine Colonel who transitioned from military service to become a pivotal figure in humanitarian demining with PM/WRA in the US Department of State. Heading the US State Department’s first demining program in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996, McCloy became the State Department’s Senior Demining Advisor in 1998, holding this position until his retirement in 2007. He continues to work parttime in the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement and has played a crucial role in the strategic oversight and execution of mine action programs across forty-six countries, significantly enhancing safety and establishing essential …

Advancements In Mine Action: Enhancing Remote Reporting And Analysis Through Innovative Technologies, Rory Collins, Lionel Fragniere, Mateo Dulce Rubio

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This paper examines the innovative initiatives undertaken by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Peace and Security Cluster (PSC) in advancing humanitarian mine action (HMA) through remote reporting and analysis technologies. It provides an in-depth analysis of key initiatives, including the development of a mapping tool in Gaza, the application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) for efficient data management in improvised explosive devices (IED) threat mitigation globally, and the utilization of advanced remote sensing and machine learning technologies in Syria and Afghanistan. Through these use cases, we demonstrate how innovative technologies can be incorporated into HMA to increase …

Phase Ii Testing Of Uav/Sensor Systems For Humanitarian Mine Action In Ukraine, Edward Crowther, Natalia Shepel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducted the Phase II trials of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/ sensor systems for humanitarian mine action (HMA) in Ukraine in May 2024. Seven organizations participated, four of which were Ukrainian. Each organization brought systems with differing combinations of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platforms, sensors, and data processing, and were tested against a trial area set up in central Ukraine by UNDP. Run at the request of the Ministry of Economy, Phase II trials involving Ukrainian and international organizations yielded promising results. They demonstrated that combining technologies to detect both metal and plastic explosive remnants …

Dealing With Hidden Danger: Capacity Development Of Lao Pdr’S Unexploded Ordnance Sector, Kiengkay Ounmany

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) suffered from the heaviest bombing in its history during the Second Indochina War (1955–1975). Two decades after the war, the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Clearance Programme (UXO Lao) was established with financial and technical assistance from United Nations (UN) agencies and donor countries. The development of Lao PDR’s national UXO clearance capacity has been within the framework of multilateral and bilateral cooperation. The Lao PDR government is prepared to take ownership of the program, but additional capacity development is essential in the areas of strategic planning and funding mobilization if it is to meet …

Basic Identification Of Ammunition In Ukraine Guide: Version 6.0, Senior Lieutenant Perederii, Tony Salvo, Drew Prater

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ordnance identification is a critical tenet of any competent munition clearance operation, whether it be civilian or military. Ordnance identification information for first responders, especially safety procedures, is vital when shielding civilians from danger. This is even more important when the munitions being cleared are explosive remnants of war (ERW) from on-going conflict. To that end, Version 6.0 of the Basic Identification of Ammunition in Ukraine1 has been released and has some important updates to help ensure clearance personnel and first responders can help keep civilians safe.

The Explosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (Extracct): A Roadmap For Reducing Preventable Death Among Civilian Casualties Of Explosive Injury, Hannah Wild, Aparna Cheran, Abby Willging, Christelle Loupforest, Sebastian Kasack, Tim Gargan, Barclay T. Stewart, Adam Kushner

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In a previous issue of The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, we introduced the rationale underpinning the need for increased emphasis on point-of-injury care as well as enhanced engagement between humanitarian mine action (HMA) and emergency care services for civilian casualties of explosive ordnance (EO).1 The initial working group under which this conceptual foundation was developed was called the Mine Action Trauma Care Collaborative. In the intervening months, that initiative was reconceived as the Explosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (EXTRACCT) to encompass the broad range of EO and explosive weapons (EW) that inflict harm on civilians in conflict and post-conflict …

No Silver Bullet: Environment And Climate Funding In Mine Action, Christelle Mestre

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Funding requirements, needs, and models are evolving to reflect the growing focus on environment and climate considerations in the mine action sector. This article examines current funding practices for environmental considerations within the sector and beyond, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that looks at the broader impact of mine action. It underscores the importance of strategic partnerships, national mine action strategies, and awareness-raising efforts among donors and investors about the environmental and climate-related benefits of mine action. The article argues that while there’s no silver bullet, the integration of environmental and climate considerations into mine action can secure …

Innovative Finance For Mine Action: Needs And Potential Solutions, Danielle Payne, Camille Wallen, Chris Loughran

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Chronic underfunding has significantly impacted the mine action sector, undermining its stability and predictability. This funding shortfall hampers both the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. This trend is further compounded by the nature of today’s operating environment in mine action; as new conflicts emerge while others are characterized by their protracted nature, the demands on the sector are multiplying. These conflicts not only prolong the threat of landmines but also introduce new hazards, such as the rising use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by non-state armed groups. With the nature of conflicts evolving, the variety of threats grows, necessitating a …

Greening Mine Action In Armenia As A Component Of Sustainable Development In The Economy Of The Country, Vaghinak Sargsyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Contamination in Armenia stems from the long-term conflict with Azerbaijan, affecting four out of eleven regions in Armenia: Tavoush region, Syunik region, Gexarquniq region, and Vayots Dzor region. The contamination covers an area of more than 42 km2, with more than 10 km2 confirmed hazardous areas and over 31 km2 suspected hazardous areas. Land affected includes pasture (66 percent), arable (22 percent), and forest (12 percent). There are 805 registered victims of landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) incidents. Additionally, among the 120,000 displaced Karabakh Armenians, more than 700 are survivors of landmines and ERW, many of whom find …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes (10/8/2024), Csusb Faculty Senate

CSUSB Faculty Senate records

No abstract provided.