ACET, Inc. Blog

This week, ACET staff were invited to talk about what they’re currently reading, off or online, for work or for pleasure. Feel free to add to our discussion with your own readings in the comments below!

“I began reading Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy with the hope it would lend a new perspective to my master’s project. Hrdy examines topics like gender roles, maternal ambition, reproductive rights, child care, and parenting, citing her own experiences as a primatologist and mother as well as others’ research in the fields of psychology, anthropology, sociology, and biology. Mother Nature takes a long, hard look at society’s view of motherhood and maternal instincts, as well as how primate mothers juggle their own needs, desires, health, and ambition with the demands of successfully raising offspring; despite its long list of references, it is an enlightening, engaging, easy to follow text.”

Elizabeth

“Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan. My first KV book (surprisingly, given my tastes) and it is very strange and equally interesting so far. Vonnegut is known for his science fiction with a twist on human social commentary and Sirens of Titan has not disappointed in either category.”

Joseph

“I’m currently reading Seeds of Change: Six Plants That Transformed Mankind by Henry Hobhouse. His position is that people didn’t change the world, plants did. So he’s talking about this history, and importance, of what he sees as the five most important plants to world history – quinine, sugar, tea, cotton, and potatoes.”

Kirsten Rewey

“Lately I’ve been reading up on information from ADARA (formerly known as the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association). ADARA is a professional organization that works to improve the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States. In preparation for their Minneapolis conference in May 2013, I’ve recently become engrossed with their newsletters discussing what’s new and innovative in the field.”

Dan

“Right now I’m in the middle of Jonah’s Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston. I just finished Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, which was especially awesome.”

Kirsten Anderson

“I am currently working on Volume 4 of The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi (actually the pen name of a brother-and-sister writing team). The Drops of God is a manga (Japanese comics) series about the prodigal son of a famous wine critic who must enter into a wine-tasting contest in order to secure his father’s estate from his adopted brother, a wine critic eager to avail himself of the estate’s massive, expensive wine collection. This volume continues in the educational and sentimental tones of the first three, which have had an interesting impact on the actual world of wine.”

Mary

The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education has issued the final call for research to present at their world conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Educators and other professionals are invited to “attend E-Learn 2010 and submit proposals for papers, panels, best practices, roundtables, tutorials, workshops, posters/demonstrations, and corporate showcases/demos…related to e-Learning in the Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education sectors.” Submissions are due August 31st.

Click here for details!

As you may know, organic food has become a craze in our culture. Organic food has gotten a lot of attention in recent years – for good reason. Some studies, such as the 97 studies reviewed by the Nutrition Research Center, have shown that food that has been produced organically often has higher amounts of nutrients. Other studies, such as reported in Science Daily, have found little difference between organic food and non-organic foods. Mayo Clinic states that the answer remains unclear.

Just how does a product become classified as “organic?” Organic products have some strict agricultural requirements that must be met. To meet organic requirements for crops, products be grown in safe soil and have no modifications. Farmers cannot use any synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes (GMOs), petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers to help the crops grow or sustain. For organic livestock, the animals must have access to the outdoors and be fed with organic feed. As with the crops, the animals cannot be given antibiotics, growth hormones, or any animal-by-products. Bear in mind, however, that “organic” means that the product only has to be 95% organic, whereas “100% organic” requires all products to be made by natural means alone.

I’m a budget-conscious shopper, but there are certain items that I prefer to spend the extra money and buy organic. For example, I buy organic milk, which is at least double the price of non-organic milk. I choose to spend more on this because organic milk is one of the foods that has been found to have significant health benefits. In 2008, Newcastle University released a study that found that organic milk had higher amounts of beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. In fact, one beneficial fatty acid was found to be 60% higher in organic milk than in non-organic milk. I also find that I prefer the taste of organic milk.

Not all products, however, are worth buying organic. You may have heard of the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen.” According to the Environmental Working Group, there are certain foods that contain higher amounts of pesticides than others. Certainly it is worth taking the time to investigate which foods would be better for you to purchase organically and which foods are not worth the extra effort. Check out the list here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-of-produce/616/

What’s your take on organic foods?

Cassie

ClearWay Minnesota℠ and the Minnesota Department of Health recently released results of the 2010 Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS). Overall, news about tobacco use appears positive: adult smoking rates have continued to decline from 22.1% in 1999 to 16.1% as reported in the latest survey; exposure to secondhand smoke has decreased from 56.6% to 45.6% since 2007; and 87.2% of homes have gone smoke-free – up from 83.2% in 2007.

The results of the survey also pointed to areas of concern, such as a drastic increase in the use of smokeless tobacco products in both cigarette smokers and non-cigarette smokers. In fact, smokeless tobacco use for cigarette smokers has more than doubled since 2007, rising from 4.4% to 9.6%.

To view the full report and a fact sheet, click here: http://www.mnadulttobaccosurvey.org/

Cassie

Every three years, several Minnesota state departments (Education, Employment and Economic Development, Health, Human Services, and Public Safety) collaborate to administer the Minnesota Student Survey. The survey was last administered in 2010 to primary and secondary students (grades 6, 9, and 12) to assess their attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors on a variety of topics. The survey covers areas such as students’ background, school, activities, heath, and behavior. A total of 335 school districts participated in the survey with a total of 130,908 students taking the survey across the state.

Results are reported by grade and the corresponding trends between grades are very similar; students appear to be changing attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors nearly simultaneously. Many positive changes can be seen between recent years. For example, when comparing twelfth graders’ answers on the 2010 administration with the 2007 responses, several positive differences can be seen:

• More twelfth graders reported they were planning to attend college (88.9% in 2010 compared to 85.8% in 2007)
• More twelfth graders reported being physically active on five or more days in the past week (43.4% compared to 41.4%)
• Less twelfth graders reported alcohol usage in the past year (55.3% compared to 62.5%)
• Less twelfth graders reported binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks; 23.4% compared to 29.0%)
• Less twelfth graders reported driving a motor vehicle after drug or alcohol usage (18.0% compared to 23.9%)
• Less twelfth graders reported smoking in the past 30 days (19.2% compared to 22.8%)

For more information follow the links below.

Select trends: http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dDocName=019017&RevisionSelectionMethod=latestReleased&Rendition=primary

2010 complete data tables: http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dDocName=019009&RevisionSelectionMethod=latestReleased&Rendition=primary

Joseph

The November 2010 issue of the Educational Researcher included an article titled “Attribution Error and the Quest for Teacher Quality.” The author discusses how traditional research has tried to link student achievement with teacher quality, but what may be missing is examination of the impact of teaching quality. For example, studies have focused on labeling teachers based on personal qualities (e.g., engaging, efficient, caring) and linking those qualities with student academic performance on standardized tests. Visually, the traditional map is:

Teacher personal characteristics → Teaching practices → Student learning

The author, Mary Kennedy, points out several things that cast doubt into this strict model. First, studies that have focused on personal qualities of teachers have generally had low correlations with outcomes. In other words, in classrooms with highly engaging, efficient, and caring teachers, there isn’t always an improvement in student academic achievement. Second, the statistical models used to make inferences about personal qualities in teachers and student achievement rates can generally only be attributed to small amounts of student achievement at best. That is, there are a lot of differences in student achievement that aren’t attributable to teacher personal qualities (there is a lot else that is influencing achievement). Lastly, the observed effects of teacher personal characteristics are not stable across years; just because a teacher’s personal qualities may show an effect on student achievement one year does not mean the same effect will be shown in subsequent years. Thus, instead of emphasizing teacher quality, Kennedy suggests we think about teaching quality as it impacts student learning:

Teacher personal characteristics + Situational characteristics → Teaching practices → Student learning

The main difference between this model and the traditional model is the addition of “situational characteristics.” Situational characteristics are external to the teachers (not a personal characteristic) but have an impact on teaching practices, overall teaching quality, and student learning. Examples are broad and would include:

• Availability of time (e.g., for lesson planning, for specific subject areas, to fulfill state requirements)
• Availability of materials for teaching (e.g., materials helpful/necessary for science and math education)
• Differences in work assignments (e.g., other job responsibilities outside of the classroom)
• Student influence (e.g., student cooperation, student motivation, student influence on teacher practices)

The main conclusion of the article is that situational characteristics may actually be more impactful than teacher personal characteristics on student academic achievement.

For the full article see the “Attribution Error and the Quest for Teacher Quality” by Mary M. Kennedy in the Educational Researcher, November 2010, Volume 39, Number 8, pages 591-598.

Joseph

The Minnesota Department of Administration recently released their Joint Availability and Disparity Study, which affects minority- or women-owned (M/WBE) and targeted group business enterprises. The Commissioner of Administration in Minnesota contracted with an outside agency to conduct the study, who examined barriers that resulted in disparity for targeted groups and recommended solutions to remedy the effects of any disparity identified.

The latest evaluation of M/WBE programs has shown that some targeted group business enterprises have changed status in the communities, and therefore, their eligibility for preferences or subcontracting has changed (see 1-page summary from the Department of Administration). The report identifies target groups in set business areas and includes tables to show disparity rates.

The report also details the history of disparity studies and introduction of M/WBE programs in Minnesota, as well as gives many nationwide examples of programs set in place to alleviate M/WBE discriminations and prevent future abuses.

To view the targeted group business eligibility table, please click here: TG Eligibility Table

To view the full study, please click: http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/disparity/Revised2009AdminDisparityStudy.pdf

Cassie

The Children’s Bureau has created some new online resources on parental mental health and the child welfare system. Research has indicated that children of parents or caregivers with mental health needs have higher rates of involvement in the child welfare system. The resources were developed by Kim Halfgott and the team at the Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health, which is part of the Children’s Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network. The resources include promising practices for screening and treatment, tools and training, fact sheets, web sites, and research to better understand how the mental health and the child welfare systems can work together to support parents and caregivers with mental health needs.

The resources can be found on a new section of the Technical Assistance Partnership website: http://www.tapartnership.org/content/childWelfare/publications.php?id=topic17