text:
- Research article
- Open Access
Learning design as a vehicle for developing TPACK in blended teacher training on technology enhanced learning
- Kyparisia Papanikolaou1Email author,
- Katerina Makri1 and
- Petros Roussos2
© The Author(s) 2017
- Received: 20 December 2016
- Accepted: 3 August 2017
- Published: 18 September 2017
This paper presents a framework for constructivist pre-service teacher training in Technology Enhanced Learning, adopting a view of teachers as designers of innovative content, working individually and/or collaboratively, discussing and interacting with the instructor, technology and their peers. In such a context, a challenging issue is the content and structure of appropriate activities for cultivating various types of synthetic knowledge combining technology, pedagogy and content through asynchronous collaboration. In this paper, we elaborate on the social orchestration of a training course around collaborative design activities and on the emerging challenges from two successive cycles of implementation. We highlight the elements used to expand and augment online interaction, drawn from two known approaches in teacher training and online learning, the TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) framework and the CoI (Community of Inquiry) model. We specifically examine a) the impact of synthetic design activities to the development of pre-service teachers' synthetic knowledge (of Technology, Pedagogy and Content) and b) the relationships among specific elements of TPACK and CoI. Findings drawn from the examination of pre-service teachers' perspectives through two structured questionnaires reveal important potential of synthetic activities for teachers' TPACK development and highlight specific connections among elements of the TPACK and CoI frameworks.
- Teacher training
- Technology enhanced learning
- Technological pedagogical content knowledge
- Learning design
- Community of Inquiry
Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) design by teachers is an inherently challenging task (Mor & Winters, 2008) addressing realistic workplace needs whilst simultaneously revealing several complex design preoccupations. Ruthven (2007) identifies key structuring features in TEL integration, requiring from teachers to shape their craft knowledge accordingly: working environment, resource system, activity format, curriculum script and time economy. Digital media integration, thus, goes beyond traditional lesson planning, or even instructional design models. An overview of these traditional models brings to surface a common underlying schema: objectives - selection of appropriate content, materials and method - implementation - outcomes. The focus on application of generalizable results and measurement is obvious (Pinar, 2014). Designing for TEL though, demands "thinking out of the box" with regards to emerging learning environments shaped by digital media, as the latter integrate new kinds of learning activities, new ways of digital expression, new social orchestration patterns and spatial arrangements (Kynigos, 2003, our emphasis).
The above challenges are expressed in the field of TEL teacher education as a growing concern on the inadequacy of teacher preparation programs treating technological, pedagogical and content knowledge in isolation (Angeli & Valanides, 2009). Technological knowledge -in the sense of ICT literacy or basic computing skills-, seems to be the primary focus of the prevailing paradigm in teacher preparation programs (Angeli & Valanides, 2005). The main point of criticism on this rationale lies on the fact that it does not suffice to equip teachers with adequate knowledge to naturally synthesize their technology skills with teaching methods and their knowledge of their subject matter (Angeli & Valanides, 2005; Jang, 2008; Koehler, Mishra, & Yahya, 2007; Wilson, 2003). As Ruthven (2009) suggests: "Understanding the challenges of incorporating new technologies into classroom practice calls for the development of naturalistic perspectives that situate their adoption and use within the everyday work of teaching" (Ruthven, 2009:131).
In this line of thought, several approaches have emerged in the field, legitimizing design as a valued professional activity in the teaching profession and calling for a repositioning of teachers from conveyors of knowledge to designers of learning (Mor, Warburton, & Winters, 2012). Some of these are: "design thinking in pedagogy" (Luka, 2014), "learning by design" (Kalantzis & Cope, 2012) and "universal design for learning" (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014). Alongside these approaches evolves the strong tradition of "learning design" envisaging teaching as a design science (Laurillard, 2012; Beetham & Sharpe, 2013; Mor & Winters, 2008) and the "teachers as designers" view of Mishra and Koehler (2006), introducing the synthetic teacher knowledge of technology, pedagogy and content, widely known as Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK).
In line with the aforementioned approaches highlighting the role of trainee-teachers as active designers of lessons, related literature also includes several models, tools and frameworks focusing on (a) the organisation of the design process and/or (b) building a sense of community by cultivating the social dimension of a course on learning design.
Organisation of the design process. At first, MAGDAIRE (abbreviated form Modeled Analysis, Guided Development, Articulated Implementation, and Reflected Evaluation, Chien, Chang, Yeh, & Chang, 2012) proposes a 4-phase cyclic framework for promoting pre-service teachers' technology competency in order to customize technology-integrated materials for science instruction. It also aims at constructing an authentic context in which pre-service teachers work in groups and adopt multiple roles, including technology designer and developer, content provider and course instructor. This framework builds on the tradition of cognitive apprenticeship and focuses on science teaching and the development of specific type of content, i.e. Online Science Courseware (OSCs). Also, the Learning Design Studio (LDS) is a course format, which gradually guides student-teachers to address and formulate a learning design challenge by inventing a techno-pedagogical innovation (Mor & Mogilevsky, 2013). Inquiry is at the core of this proposal. Although the idea is promising, further elaboration on the needs of pre-service teachers is necessary in order to provide a solid framework for teacher training. Technology mapping is an instructional design model, deeply rooted and situated in teachers' practices, aiming to guide their thinking in technology design problems (Angeli & Valanides, 2009). It emphasizes on the situated nature of teachers' thinking and the critical role of teachers' understanding of their students and context (i.e., affordances of technology, content, pedagogical strategies, setting) in their instructional decisions. This approach is more well-suited to the needs of experienced teachers having shaped their own practices. Pre-service teachers are a special target group that poses a set of different challenges that need further exploration.
Building a sense of community. As regards the social dimension of teacher training, a proposal is to evolve a community of practice in which pre-service teachers collaboratively work on generating applicable Online Science Coursewares (OSCs) with peers and instructors. In this framework, interaction takes place face to face in classroom settings (Chien et al., 2012). Moving online, in search of ways of shifting teaching practice to a culture of sharing learning ideas, Conole and Culver (2010) created and maintained Cloudworks, a social networking site for learning design, based on the notion of "social objects", which are learning designs understandable and shareable by teachers online, using a Web 2.0 philosophy. Also, the Learning Designer environment (Laurillard et al., 2013) supports lecturers and teachers in capturing their pedagogical ideas, testing them out, revisiting them, allowing them to build on others' ideas, and share them with the community. The Integrated Learning Design Environment (ILDE) (Hernández-Leo, Asensio-Pérez, Derntl, Prieto, & Chacón, 2014; Asensio-Pérez et al., 2017) provides support to communities of educational designers (such as teachers and professional instructional designers) in the process of co-creating and sharing learning designs. Lastly, PeerLAND (Papanikolaou, Gouli, Makri, Sofos, & Tzelepi, 2016a) is a web-based environment that supports the development and peer evaluation of learning designs on the basis of TPACK. Users are supported to act as reviewers and participate in peer-evaluation tasks of scenarios authored by specific user-authors. The above approaches either include f2f collaboration or provide a technological solution mainly allowing sharing of designs, peer review of complete learning designs, and collaborative construction of designs based on specific pedagogical perspectives. However, the way these approaches and tools can be incorporated in teacher training to support the development of common understanding on learning design issues among pre-service teachers lacking teaching experience, remains a challenging issue.
Thus, despite these initiatives, the field of teacher education is still in need of ideas for meaningful experiences of using TEL, specifically addressed to pre-service teachers. These experiences are expected to support a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay of technology with teaching, learning and content/subject matter representation and its communication to students (Chien et al., 2012). Furthermore, research on the implementation and validation of the TPACK framework in higher education remains limited, while the challenge of sustaining meaningful collaboration online is an ongoing research pursuit (Brindley, Walti, & Blaschke, 2009). This is the focus of our work which proposes a course format organizing TEL training around learning design tasks gradually preparing pre-service teachers to face the challenges of combining technology, pedagogy and content, in a way that promotes the sense of community through online collaboration. In the following sections, we structure the presentation of our work as follows: first we argue on the need to synthesize TPACK and Community of Inquiry (CoI) (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2001) frameworks and explain how such a synergy would promote research and practice in the field of online and blended learning for pre-service teachers. We then elaborate on the way this synergy actually took place, in our empirical research spanning two cycles, the first informing and guiding the next. The two research questions we articulate relate to the activities and curricular decisions we made in each cycle and focus on a) the effects of synthetic design activities (individual/collaborative, online/f2f) on synthetic types of teacher knowledge and b) the relationship among specific elements of CoI and TPACK. Our findings reveal particular aspects of this synergy and point to areas needing further elaboration.
Synthesizing two frameworks on a teacher training course on TEL design
Summarizing the problematique of the introductory section, a TEL design course "for beginners" should aim at synthesizing different areas of teacher knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and at integrating meaningful ways to engage pre-service teachers with design tasks in a natural way (Angeli & Valanides, 2009). In particular, the pedagogical engineering underlying a course design framework for pre-service teachers needs to target complex, synthetic fields of knowledge following the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), such as Technological, Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) and TPACK instead of focusing on simpler, separate constituents (such as Technological Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge and Content Knowledge). To this end, constant interaction between teachers' understanding of technologies and pedagogical content knowledge is a prerequisite. But how can these pursuits be translated in meaningful activities which lead to new experiences for pre-service teachers in an authentic and interactive blended learning context?
As a contribution to this line of research, we propose a framework for constructivist pre-service teacher training on TEL, based on a synthesis of TPACK and CoI frameworks. Whilst both models are widely recognized as influential, there is scarce evidence on how a synergy between the two could promote research and practice in the field of online and blended learning. More specifically, the TPACK framework has been widely used in online and blended learning settings (Clark-Wilson, Robutti, & Sinclair, 2014), so its use would also be expected in teacher education. This is hardly the case, as dominant eLearning and blended learning designs still remain teacher or content-centered (Tømte, Ann-Britt Enochsson, & U., & Kårstein, A., 2015). Recent research calls for a more robust theoretical grounding of the framework (Angeli & Valanides, 2009; Archambault & Barnett, 2010; Jimoyiannis, 2010; Tzavara & Komis, 2015). In particular, a sound theoretical grounding guiding practical uses of TPACK is an emerging need, due to the following reasons: TPACK still doesn't address evaluation in a consistent way (Chai, Koh & Tsai, 2013; Koehler, Rosenberg, Greenhalgh, Zellner, & Mishra, 2014; Schmidt et al., 2009), it has not been directly related to specific disciplinary areas (Jimoyiannis, 2010; Tzavara & Komis, 2015; Voogt, Erstad, Dede, & Mishra, 2013) and finally, proposed research pursuits call for the implementation of the framework in a larger scale in higher education (and other) settings (Rienties, Brouwer, & Lygo-Baker, 2013; Niess, 2011).
On the other hand, the CoI model has been submitted to extended empirical testing for almost two decades, gaining a significant degree of validity. It has also been extensively employed as a design blueprint for online and blended learning programs worldwide (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2010). However, focusing on the cognitive dimension of the framework, a persistent issue is the difficulty of participants in online conversations to proceed to common understanding and joint construction of meaning. Research on this problem highlights important aspects in the design of online interaction: the nature of the triggering event or problem under question (Luebeck & Bice, 2005), the design of appropriate tasks (Murphy, 2004), the use of appropriate techniques by the moderator for organizing –but not eliciting- discussion and finally, the focus on group dynamics (Pawan, Paulus, Yalcin, & Chang, 2003). A function with added value for the evolution of the CoI model would be that of a framework for predicting and evaluating the construction of knowledge in online and blended learning settings (Shea & Bidjerano, 2012).
Synergies between TPACK and CoI have begun to take shape in related literature, they are, however, still nascent and premature, either drawing separate elements from the two frameworks in design models (Hokanson, Clinton, & Tracey, 2015; Bath & Bourke, 2011), or attempting to propose a synthesis not yet fully articulated (Otrel-Cass, 2015).
In this paper we present a synthetic framework combining elements of TPACK and CoI, having been gradually shaped throughout a 5-year iterative process of empirical testing with different audiences of pre-service teachers in blended learning settings (Papanikolaou & Gouli, 2013; Papanikolaou, Gouli & Makri, 2014; Kounenou, Roussos, & Yotsidi, 2014; Makri, Papanikolaou, Tsakiri, & Karkanis, 2014). The framework is guided by three principles: (a) interaction with state-of-the-art, accessible and teacher-friendly technology such as Web 2.0 tools and dedicated learning design environments, stimulating pre-service teachers' reflection on their own pedagogical perspective in course design and experimentation with new ones (Papanikolaou et al., 2016b), (b) active involvement in TEL design aiming to cultivate synthetic knowledge of TPACK, and (c) collaboration with peers to design TEL artefacts through successive cycles of practical inquiry. These cycles are organized around specific design challenges triggering reflection on the principles underlying the matching of appropriate pedagogical and technological tools.
The theoretical grounding of this work builds upon the cognitive dimension of the CoI model (Garrison et al., 2010; Garrison, 2011), as a basis for the design of a progression of synthetic knowledge of TPACK. This is the cross section of TPACK with CoI. TPACK provides a blueprint for designing activities (collaborative design tasks) to cultivate appropriate synthetic types of knowledge, whilst CoI functions as a mechanism for organising teacher-trainees' interaction around design goals that incrementally lead them to develop their cognitive presence and jointly construct meaning.
This framework was tested in two successive cycles that provided adequate experience to evaluate and optimize the intersection of TPACK with CoI and the way both could support the design of a pre-service teacher training course with a collaborative design-centered perspective. In both cycles, pre-service teachers worked individually and in groups based on their personality traits (based on the five-factor personality model) and other psychological variables, such as self-efficacy, anxiety and attitudes (Kounenou et al., 2014).
Cycle 1 represents our first attempt to map individual and collaborative activities and tasks to specific types of knowledge from TPACK.
Cycle 2 represents our pursuit to synthesize TPACK and CoI, through augmenting the synthetic view in tasks and activities, and aligning these to specific types of TPACK elements and related online presences.
- 1.
What is the effect of synthetic design activities (individual/collaborative, f2f/on-line) both on simpler and more synthetic types of knowledge?
- 2.
What relationships can be drawn among TPACK and CoI elements?
Cycle 1: Separating technology from pedagogy and content
During Cycle 1, at an early stage pre-service teachers worked individually on activities focusing separately on either technology or pedagogy. Then participants were organized in groups, in order to collaboratively design and author an educational scenario.
- 1.
Initially pre-service teachers worked individually with various Web 2.0 technologies and web resources in order to cultivate their Technological Knowledge (TK). Then they were asked to (a) reflect on the added value of these technologies for their particular discipline in order to cultivate their Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) (see Table 1, Rows 1 & 2) and (b) elaborate on a pedagogical framework for designing learning activities aiming at cultivating their Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) (see Table 1, Row 3),
- 2.
Then, pre-service teachers were familiarised with learning design environments such as Learning Designer, INSPIREus, LAMS, which are content free but they have a strong pedagogical orientation addressing their Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK). Later on, they worked in groups of three (3) that were formulated on the basis of specific psychological characteristics, with these environments in order to collaboratively design a course and author appropriate content aiming at cultivating their TPACK i.e. synthesizing Technological with Pedagogical knowledge in order to teach particular Content (see Table 1, Row 4).
Curriculum organized around activities cultivating solid types of knowledge, starting from TK, PK and incrementally combining them in TCK, TPK and TPACK
Type of knowledge
Educational & multimedia resources on the Internet
F2F workshop on educational & multimedia resources on the Internet.
Individual Assignments: Find and evaluate web resources for their discipline and share with peers through the class forum commenting on the usefulness of such resources in their discipline.
Web 2.0 tools for graphical representations (word clouds, timelines, mind maps), digital story telling (prezi, comics, interactive posters, video), assessment (rubrics, crossword, puzzles)
F2F workshops on the use of various categories of Web 2.0 tools
Individual Assignments: Develop artefacts using specific tools such as prezi, glogster, pixton, video authoring, and comment on the usefulness of the specific tools for their discipline in the class forum
Pedagogical framework, Teaching/Didactic techniques
F2F workshop on designing activities based on the Learning by Design (LbyD) framework using appropriate teaching/didactic techniques
Learning Design tools for Course Authoring
F2F workshop on LAMS as an authoring environment for technology enhanced learning courses
Collaborative Assignment: Develop and author a learning design based on the LbyD framework, working in groups synchronously / asynchronously and using a system such as LAMS, INSPIREus or Learning Designer (a choice depending on the target group's technical expertise)
Cycle 1 revealed two main issues guiding the design of Cycle 2: the first issue was a difficulty in maintaining participation and communication flow in asynchronous discussions; this was attributed to (a) the blended character of the course and the fact that most issues were resolved in f-2-f seminars and (b) pre-service teachers' inexperience with asynchronous collaboration. The second issue had to do with the lack of achieving a gradual progress, starting from activities targeting simpler knowledge areas (such as TK, TCK or PK) and coming to more complex ones (such as TPK and TPACK) needed for scenario design. Pre-service teachers faced serious difficulties in synthesizing TP, TCK and PK while designing a course during the last phase of the TEL course.
Cycle 2: Learning design tasks that promote the synthesis of technology, pedagogy and content
The issues acknowledged during the first cycle of the implementation led to significant changes in the course curriculum at the second cycle. The core idea guiding the second cycle was to put emphasis on activities that cultivate synthetic types of knowledge such as TPK, TCK and TPACK, almost from the beginning of the course. This was realized by functionally integrating CoI in the course format and deploying TPACK through cycles of practical inquiry on various collaborative learning design tasks. This is in accordance with the view of TPACK as a holistic and transformative form of knowledge suggesting that growth in just one of the three knowledge bases, i.e., technology, content, and pedagogy, does not readily bring about progress or growth in TPACK as a whole (Angeli & Valanides, 2009).
Individual work at the 2nd cycle had a limited duration and aimed at allowing participants to acquaint themselves with the online environment; it gave its place, at an early stage, to collaboration in small groups working on the design and authoring of a technology enhanced course. Group interaction took place through the forum. Thus, the forum functioned as a transcription of the evolution of each group's design choices. It was organized in topic-threads, labeled with the name of each group. This way the group area was also accessible by the whole class, allowing for peer assessment activities. The forum was the main place for group communication and online interaction. This key role created the need to align online communication with the course content and the organization of design activities. Thus, close collaboration of multiple levels of expertise was an emerging need: online communication was monitored by two online moderators/online learning experts and the content was organized in collaboration with the content expert.
In particular, emphasis was put on the gradual collaborative development of a technology-enhanced course (learning design) throughout the course. Pre-service teachers' collaboration was organized in successive stages around three specific design challenges. Each challenge initiated cycles of practical inquiry which would gradually lead to the integration of separate elements into a more integrative course structure, cultivating various synthetic types of knowledge. To this end, several triggering events were proposed leading to cycles of the practical inquiry process. This process comprises of four stages (Garrison et al., 2001): (a) an initiation phase, which is considered a triggering event, (b) an exploration phase, characterized by brainstorming, questioning, and exchange of information, (c) an integration phase, characterized by constructing meaning and (d) a final phase, characterized by the resolution of the problem created by the triggering event.
In summary, pre-service teachers working in groups of three had to address three particular design challenges, seriatim (see Table 2):
1st design challenge: initially they had to discuss and decide on the roles they would undertake (choosing among "the teacher", "the researcher" and "the computer scientist"), the target group, the topic of the course they would develop (interdisciplinary in the case of mixed-discipline groups), taking in mind areas and subjects suggested by the Greek national curriculum (1st triggering event).
2nd design challenge: then they were assigned to design a learning activity for the selected topic, focusing on a specific knowledge process involving Web 2.0 tools and web-based resources (2nd triggering event). In particular, they had to (a) define learning objectives, (b) select appropriate Web 2.0 tools to integrate in the learning activity, (b) develop digital learning objects with the Web 2.0 tools, (c) connect the objects with a knowledge process using the New Learning – Learning by Design framework (Kalantzis & Cope, 2012) framework, matching with their learning objectives.
Curriculum organized around design challenges cultivating synthetic types of knowledge and prioritizing specific types of online presences
Type of Knowledge
CoI Presence
Introduction to the Moodle VLE. Learning design for technology enhanced lessons: pedagogical & technological challenges
F2F workshop on the use of Moodle
Creation of individual profiles.
Introduction to learning design: structure of learning scenarios of various disciplines
Online: forum discussion: individually commenting on learning design examples
1st design challenge: Selecting the theme of the learning design and orchestrating group roles
F2F workshop: Web search on theme-related resources following the Greek curriculum
Online: Small group forum discussion aiming at role allocation and a first draft of their learning design
Peer and instructor feedback on first drafts
Educational & multimedia resources on the Internet. Editing multimedia resources and integrating them in the learning design
F2F workshop: Web search on educational & multimedia resources on the Internet to be used in the learning design project
F2F workshop on multimedia editing (picture, sound and video) for the learning design project
2nd design challenge:
Development of an activity (using the LbD framework) integrating the use of one or more Web 2.0 tools and web resources
F2F workshop on designing activities based on the LbyD framework using appropriate teaching techniques
F2F workshop on designing Web 2.0 objects for the learning design project
Online: Small group forum discussion aiming at the collaborative development of an artifact using Web 2.0 tools (such as prezi, glogster, pixton, video authoring) using the LbyD framework
3rd design challenge: Development of a learning design as a set of activities using the LbD framework and integrating the use of several Web 2.0 tools and web resources
Authoring and development of a full learning design using a dedicated learning design tool (Learning Designer, INSPIREus or LAMs)
Reflecting on learning designs
Online: inter-group peer evaluation of learning designs
Cognitive Social
Final presentation
F2F workshop: presentations of final learning designs by groups
The core idea behind the design challenges is to promote pre-service teachers at cultivating synthetic types of knowledge giving each time emphasis to different types of TPACK knowledge necessary for the goal of gradually designing a complete course design. Meanwhile, the integration of a strong element of online communication through the forum dictated a more demanding role for the instructor/moderator. Thus, the types of TPACK knowledge addressed in each task were complemented with types of online presence (cognitive, social, teaching) (see Table 2, columns 2 and 3).
Empirical research
The study was performed in the context of one semester TEL courses for two subsequent academic years where the blended learning scenarios of Cycles 1 and 2 were implemented. The first year, a pilot study was performed with pre-service Civil Engineering Educators of the Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (ASPETE) (Cycle 1). The second year the main study (Cycle 2) was performed with three categories of 207 pre-service teachers: (a) students of a 1-year postgraduate certificate in education of ASPETE and postgraduate students of the department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Athens, (b) undergraduate students of the department of Civil Engineering Educators of ASPETE, (c) undergraduate students of the department of Informatics of the Technological Educational Institute of Central Greece.
In this paper, we consider the three groups as one, since they belong to the broad category of pre-service teachers, coming, however, from different disciplinary areas. Furthermore, the scores of the three groups for the study variables (TPACK and CoI) were tested for heterogeneity and mean differences; none of them was found to be significant. Thus, the data we use in this research, for the first research question, come from the last group and for the second research question, come from all the three groups since the framework we propose as well as the scope of this empirical research doesn't focus on tools and didactic approaches of any specific discipline or degree, but rather exploits the complementary expertise, skills and preferences of pre-service teachers.
All the courses used Moodle for class administration, content delivery, and communication/collaboration, beyond the regular f-2-f meetings/workshops. In this study asynchronous discussions are valuable resources for assessing the learning and design process. Moreover, through the second cycle of the course, the trainees completed two questionnaires (a) the TPACK instrument measuring pre-service teachers' self-assessment of the seven knowledge domains included within TPACK (Schmidt et al., 2009) and (b) the CoI questionnaire, an instrument assessing students' perceptions on the development of the teaching, social and cognitive presences (Arbaugh et al., 2008).
Data analysis & results
In this section we provide initial evidence for the effectiveness of the activities employed based on the pre-service teachers' perspective. To this end, we analyzed their answers to the TPACK and CoI questionnaires collected during the 2013–2014 academic year (when cycle 2 took place) to assess their perceptions about the type of knowledge they developed (Research Question 1) as well as their collaborative experience and then we examined the relationships among TPACK and CoI elements (Research Question 2).
What is the effect of synthetic design activities (individual/collaborative, f2f/on-line) both on simpler and more synthetic types of knowledge?
Descriptive and inferential statistics for TPACK mean differences before and after the training course of (N = 98) ASPETE undergraduates
Pre-Post Mean Dif.
Technological Knowledge
t(97) = −8.68, p < .001, d = .94
Content Knowledge
t(96) = −4.12, p < .001, d = .43
Pedagogical Knowledge
t(96) = −4.27, p < .001, d = .50
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
t(96) = −2.95, p-.004, d = .41
Technological Content Knowledge
t(96) = −3.87, p < .001, d = .51
Technological Pedagogical Knowledge
t(96) = −5.29, p < .001, d = .67
t(96) = −4.43, p < .001, d = .54
What relationships can be drawn among TPACK and CoI elements?
Pearson's correlation coefficients between TPACK and CoI elements (N = 217)
TPACK elements
CoI elements
Teaching Presence
Social Presence
Cognitive Presence
Technological Knowledge
Content Knowldege
Pedagogical Knowledge
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Technological Content Knowledge
Technological Pedagogical Knowledge
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Almost all coefficients were statistically significant, but it should be noted that statistical significance mainly depends on the sample size (N = 207). Coefficients were mostly small (15 of them were under .30) and only the Cognitive Presence element of CoI exhibited five coefficients with the TPACK elements larger than .30, i.e. Pedagogical Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technological Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge.
Correlation coefficients under .30, even when they are statistically significant, are too low to be considered. However, Cognitive Presence has low to moderate coefficients with the TPACK elements. Therefore, it can be argued that Cognitive Presence and TPACK have moderate linear relationships between each other.
Conclusions and future plans
As regards the effect of design activities, it is interesting to point out that synthetic, intellectually provocative design activities seem to address, to a great degree, Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge as well as synthetic types of knowledge including technology (TCK, TPK, TPACK), a finding which confirms the need for viewing teacher digital literacy in an integrative way (Angeli & Valanides, 2005; Jang, 2008; Koehler et al., 2007; Wilson, 2003, Ruthven, 2009). On the other hand, Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Content Knowledge are less affected, a finding pointing a) to the need to address audiences with no perceived gaps in these two types of knowledge and b) to the potential of this design for in-service teacher training, as in-service teachers are an audience in constant interaction with PCK and CK through their everyday teaching practice. The most important finding however is the one confirming the increase of synthetic types of knowledge (TCK, TPK and TPACK), as it aligns both with the stated aims of this research and with expressed concerns in the field (Chien et al., 2012).
As regards the relationships among TPACK and CoI elements, the statistically significant difference of coefficients, despite being relatively small, reveals the connection between TPACK and Cognitive Presence as well as the potential for further refining the CoI elements of Teaching and Social presence. Cognitive presence, which was at the centre of the engineering of design challenges exhibited a greater degree of association with TPACK, a finding in line with the need for integration of the two frameworks a) for further elaborating TPACK in different settings and with different audiences (Niess, 2011) and b) for using the CoI model as a tool for predicting and evaluating the joint construction of meaning in online learning settings (Shea & Bidjerano, 2012).
The process of expanding and transforming the existing curriculum revealed a number of issues. The augmented degree of online engagement achieved during the 2nd cycle created the need for constant and sustained moderation, a need not so evident during the 1st cycle. Thus, blended learning including a significant element of online interaction is evidently more demanding, as it calls for the collaboration of the content expert (the course instructor) with an online learning expert (who can also be a f2f instructor, or at least have knowledge of the target group).
Challenging future goals are to compare the pre-service teachers' perceptions with the evaluation of the group product as a more objective measure, as well as to trace the development of their knowledge through their contributions to the forum, using also qualitative measures to detect critical episodes in their interaction and the effect of these on both TPACK and Cognitive presence. Finally, qualitative content analysis of participants' contributions in terms of the type of knowledge they represent, in relation to the stage of cognitive presence they develop could further elaborate the relationship between CoI and TPACK.
The research "Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Blended Learning Scenarios in a Teacher Training Context Accommodating their Individual Psychological Characteristics (BleSTePsy)" is implemented through the Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning" and is co-financed by the European Commission (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds.
Authors' contributions
KP conceived the rationale and research questions of the study, participated in the design of empirical work and coordinated the whole project. KM participated in the design and implementation of the courses and the articulation of the proposed challenges. PR performed the statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
Authors' Affiliations
- Angeli C., & Valanides N. (2005). Preservice elementary teachers as information and communication technology designers: an instructional systems design model based on an expanded view of pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21, 292–302. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Angeli C., & Valanides N. (2009). Epistemological and methodological issues for the conceptualization, development, and assessment of ICTeTPCK: advances in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). Computers & Education, 52(1), 154–168.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Arbaugh J. B., Cleveland-Innes M., Diaz S. R., Garrison D. R., Ice P., Richardson J. C., & Swan K. P. (2008). Developing a community of inquiry instrument: Testing a measure of the community of inquiry framework using a multi-institutional sample. Internet and Higher Education, 11, 133–136.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Archambault L. M., & Barnett J. H. (2010). Revisiting technological pedagogical content knowledge: Exploring the TPACK framework. Computers & Education, 55(4), 1656–1662.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Asensio-Pérez J. I., Dimitriadis Y., Pozzi F., Hernández-Leo D., Prieto L. P., Persico D., & Villagrá-Sobrino S. L. (2017). Towards teaching as design: exploring the interplay between full-lifecycle learning design tooling and teacher professional development. Computers & Education, 114 (November 2017), 92–116 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.06.011.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Bath, D. & Bourke, J. (2011). The blending of blended learning: An experiential approach to academic staff development. ASCILITE 2011 Proceedings, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 4–7/12/2011, pp. 123–138.Google Scholar
- Beetham H., & Sharpe R. (2013). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Designing for 21st century learning (). Oxon: Routledge.Google Scholar
- Brindley, J. E., Walti, Ch. & Blaschke, L. M. (2009). Creating effective collaborative learning groups in an online environment. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL), 10, 3. Retrieved from: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/675/1271 14/12/2016.
- Chai C. S., Koh J. H. L., & Tsai C. C. (2013). A Review of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Educational Technology & Society, 16(2), 31–51.Google Scholar
- Chien Y. T., Chang C. Y., Yeh T. K., & Chang K. E. (2012). Engaging pre-service science teachers to act as active designers of technology integration: A MAGDAIRE framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(4), 578–588.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Clark-Wilson A., Robutti O., & Sinclair N. (2014). The mathematics teacher in the digital era: an international perspective on technology focused professional development (vol. 2). Dordrecht: Springer.MATHGoogle Scholar
- Cohen J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.MATHGoogle Scholar
- Conole G., & Culver J. (2010). The design of cloudworks: applying social networking practice to foster the exchange of learning and teaching ideas and designs. Computers & Education, 54(3), 679–692.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Dillenbourg P., & Hong F. (2008). The mechanics of CSCL macro scripts. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 3, 5–23.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Garrison D. R. (2011). E-learning in the 21st century: A framework for research and practice (). Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
- Garrison D. R., Anderson T., & Archer W. (2001). Critical thinking, cognitive presence, and computer conferencing in distance education. American Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 7–23.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Garrison D. R., Anderson T., & Archer W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1–2), 5–9.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Hernández-Leo D., Asensio-Pérez J. I., Derntl M., Prieto L. P., & Chacón J. (2014). ILDE: Community environment for conceptualizing, authoring and deploying learning activities. In Proceedings of the 9th European conference on technology enhanced learning (EC-TEL 2014) (pp. 490–493) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11200-8_48.Google Scholar
- Hokanson B., Clinton G., & Tracey M. (Eds.) (2015). The Design of Learning Experience: the future of educational technology. New York: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
- Jang S. J. (2008). The effects of integrating technology, observation and writing into a teacher education method course. Computers & Education, 50, 853–865.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Jimoyiannis A. (2010). Designing and implementing an integrated technological pedagogical science knowledge framework for science teachers professional development. Computers & Education, 55(3), 1259–1269.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Kalantzis M., & Cope B. (2012). New learning: elements of a science of education (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Koehler M. J., Mishra P., & Yahya K. (2007). Tracing the development of teacher knowledge in a design seminar: Integrating content, pedagogy, and technology. Computers & Education, 49, 740–762.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Koehler M. J., Rosenberg J., Greenhalgh S., Zellner A., & Mishra P. (2014). Can portfolio-based assessments demonstrate teachers' TPACK? Part of the symposium: Artifacts demonstrating teachers' technology integration competencies, Presented at the Society for Information Technology & teacher education international conference 2014. Jacksonville.Google Scholar
- Kounenou K., Roussos P., & Yotsidi V. (2014). Teacher training in technology based on their psychological characteristics: Methods of group formation and assessment. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 3536–3541.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Kynigos C. (2003). Teacher education and the teaching profession, in learning and teaching in the communication society, theme 1 – Teacher training and the role of teaching in the communication society, CD-ESR-GT2 (2003) 1, Council of Europe (pp. 35–59).Google Scholar
- Laurillard D. (2012). Teaching as a design science: Building pedagogical patterns for learning and technology (). New York and London: Routledge.Google Scholar
- Laurillard D., Charlton P., Craft B., Dimakopoulos D., Ljubojevic D., Magoulas G., Masterman E., Pujadas R., Whitley E. A., & Whittlestone K. (2013). A constructionist learning environment for teachers to model learning designs. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1), 15–30.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Luebeck J. L., & Bice L. R. (2005). Online discussion as a mechanism of conceptual change among mathematics and science teachers. Journal of Distance Education, 20(2), 21–39.Google Scholar
- Luka, I. (2014). Design Thinking in Pedagogy. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 2, 63–74. Retrieved from: http://nowadays.home.pl/JECS/data/documents/JECS=202014=20=282=29=2063.74.pdf (7/12/2016) doi:10.15503/jecs20142.63.74.
- Makri K., Papanikolaou K., Tsakiri A., & Karkanis S. (2014). Blending the Community of Inquiry Framework with learning by design: towards a synthesis for blended learning in teacher training. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 12(2), 183–194.Google Scholar
- Meyer A., Rose D. H., & Gordon D. (2014). Universal design for learning: theory and practice (). Wakefield: CAST Professional Publishing.Google Scholar
- Mishra P., & Koehler M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Mor Y., & Mogilevsky O. (2013). The learning design studio: collaborative design inquiry as teachers' professional development. Research in Learning Technology, 21, 22054.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Mor Y., & Winters N. (2008). Participatory design in open education: a workshop model for developing a pattern language. Journal of Interactive Media Special Issue. Available at: https://www-jime.open.ac.uk/articles/10.5334/2008-13/.
- Mor, Y., Warburton, S. & Winters, N. (2012). Participatory pattern workshops: a methodology for open learning design inquiry, Research in Learning Technology 20. DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v20i0.19197.
- Murphy E. (2004). Recognizing and promoting collaboration in an online asynchronous discussion. British Journal of Educational Technology, 35(4), 421–431.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Niess M. L. (2011). Investigating TPACK: Knowledge growth in teaching with technology. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 44(3), 299–317.MathSciNetView ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Otrel-Cass K. (2015). Theorizing technological pedagogical content knowledge to support networked inquiry learning in science : Looking back and moving forward. In C. Angeli, & N. Valanides (Eds.), Technological pedagogical content knowledge: Exploring, developing, and assessing TPCK (vol. IV, pp. 193–207). New York: Springer Publishing Company.Google Scholar
- Papanikolaou K., & Gouli E. (2013). Challenging pre-service teachers' on collaborative authoring of learning designs in a blended learning context. In 12th European conference on e-learning (ECEL 2013), 30–31 October (). France: Sophia Antipolis.Google Scholar
- Papanikolaou, K., Gouli, E., Makri, K., (2014). Designing pre-service teacher training based on a combination of TPACK and Communities of Inquiry. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 3437–3442.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Papanikolaou, K., Gouli, E., Makri, K., Sofos, I., Tzelepi, M. (2016a). A peer evaluation tool of learning designs, In M. Sharples, K. Verbert, T. Klobucar: European conference on technology enhanced learning (EC-TEL) 2016, LNCS 9891, 193–206. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-45153-4_15.Google Scholar
- Papanikolaou K. A., Makri K., Magoulas G. D., Chinou D., Georgalas A., & Roussos P. (2016b). Synthesizing technological and pedagogical knowledge in learning design: a case study in teacher training on technology enhanced learning. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 7(1), 19–32 IGI Publishing.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Pawan F., Paulus T. M., Yalcin S., & Chang C. (2003). Online learning: patterns of engagement and interaction among in-service teachers. Language Learning & Technology, 7(3), 119–140.Google Scholar
- Pinar W. F. (Ed.) (2014). International handbook of curriculum research (2nd ed., ). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
- Rienties B., Brouwer N., & Lygo-Baker S. (2013). The effects of online professional development on higher education teachers' beliefs and intentions towards learning facilitation and technology. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 122e131.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Ruthven, K. (2007). Teacher, technologies and the structure of schooling. In D. Pitta – Pantazi & G. Philippou, Proceedings of the fifth congress of the European Society for Research in mathematics education, Larnaca (pp 52–67), ISBN - 978-9963-671-25-0.Google Scholar
- Ruthven, K. (2009). Towards a Naturalistic Conceptualisation of Technology Integration in Classroom Practice: the example of school mathematics. Éducation et didactique [Online], 3, 1 (Mars 2009), Retrieved from: http://educationdidactique.revues.org/434; DOI : 10.4000/educationdidactique.434.
- Schmidt D. A., Baran E., Thompson A. D., Mishra P., Koehler M. J., & Shin T. S. (2009). Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK): the development and validation of an assessment instrument for Preservice teachers. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42, 123–149.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Shea P., & Bidjerano T. (2012). Learning presence as a moderator in the community of inquiry model. Computers and Education, 59, 316–326.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Tømte, K., Ann-Britt Enochsson, A., B., Buskqvist, U. & Kårstein, A. (2015). Educating online student teachers to master professional digital competence: the TPACK-framework goes online. Computers & Education, 84, 26–35, ISSN 0360–1315, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.01.005.
- Tzavara A., & Komis V. (2015). Design and implementation of educational scenarios with the integration of TDCK: a case study at a department of early childhood education. In C. Angeli, & N. Valanides (Eds.), Technological pedagogical content knowledge: Exploring, developing, and assessing TPCK. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
- Voogt J., Erstad O., Dede C., & Mishra P. (2013). Challenges to learning and schooling in the digital networked world of the 21st century. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29, 403–413.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Wilson E. K. (2003). Preservice secondary social studies teachers and technology integration: What do they think and do in their field experiences. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 20(1), 29–39.Google Scholar


text:
In retrospect there is no doubt that Helen Zille´s tweets were imprudent and completely unnecessary. But there is equally no doubt that they were not incorrect with regard to the facts. Nor do they contain any appraisal or exculpation whatsoever of the former system of oppression as a whole. And as these comments came from a person rightly renowned as a proven anti-colonialist fiercely opposed to apartheid it appears all the more malicious to qualify them as racist, though I am fully aware that this sledgehammer argument meanwhile has become current coin in South Africa in want of logical arguments. Still, Mrs Zille has clarified her intentions and expressly apologized to everyone who might have been offended by her remarks.
Notwithstanding the Democratic Alliance (DA), led by resentful and begrudging opponents pepping up the public frenzy and in the wake of a disputable judicial process, has stripped its merited former leader of all her party functions.
This, I am convinced, is evidence of shameful inadequacy and proof of lack of self-assurance as well as common sense on behalf of the DA. Apart from the absence of Helen Zille´s experienced advice this fatal action will probably result in an inner division of the DA at a moment when strong united opposition in the political arena is more than ever needed. That is what affects the DA adversely rather than the tweets. And furthermore this inner conflict and its outward appearance can well be interpreted as weakness and soapiness towards the African National Congress (ANC), all the more so, when one of the reasons cited by the DA is that the ANC has taken advantage of those tweets against Mrs. Zille and the DA.
As a foreigner passing considerable time in South Africa and caring for the country and its future I have had and shown a lot of sympathy for the DA. Now, being thoroughly disappointed, I am afraid I have to desist.
Guest comment by Klaus Stadtmüller

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hello folks and a very happy Saturday afternoon to you all
Now today's card is completely different for me. Whenever I am asked what style cards I like to make my reply is always "cute" because that is the type of stamps I am drawn too. So you can imagine my surpise when I saw the Day of the Dead collection from Sheena Douglass and fell in love with it. No idea why; it is completely opposite to my normal style but love it I do. It was really difficult to choose which of the stamps and dies I prefered so I bought the complete set! This is the first card I made -
I have used a combination of stamps for this card but the main focal point is sugar skull stamp set which I cut first using the sugar skull die from watercolour card and then stamped with Stazon ink. I then stamped the flowers (from the stamp set) randomly over the skull and coloured the whole thing with my Spectrum Aqua blend pencils -
- plum red, wild orchid, crocus and gunmetal
To make the background I dampened a piece of Sheena's stamping card with water and then applied the aqua pencils with a paintbrush directly onto the card. I then flicked some of the colour onto the card using a wet paintbrush. This was very trial and error but I am very pleased with the results. After watching Sheena's shows I think I really need the Aqua tints too. (Oh no more spending, my hubby will kill me!!)
When the card was dry I then stamped the corner and edging stamp (from Dancing skeleton stamp set) in Memento grape jelly ink. I then added a sentiment from Danse Macabre stamp set.
Products used -
- sugar skull stamp set )
- sugar skull die set ) All from Sheena's Day of the
- dancing skeleton stamp set ) dead range
- Spectrum Aqua blend pencils
- watercolour card
- Sheena's stamping card
- matt black card
- purple core'dinations
- memento grape jelly ink pad
- sentiment from Danse Macabre stamp set (from Sheena's Day of the dead range).
A little long winded blog post today but I wanted to explain the techniques I had used.
Thank you for stopping by.
Crafty hugs


text: I, too, love olives, Donna!! Unfortunately, we grow up (especially those of us in the Midwest! <G>) eating only those black olives we stick on our fingers, and green, stuffed olives. That's all we know, so we tend to think that's all there is! Remember learning there were more kinds of mustards than French's? I'm sure Donna would agree with me that there's nothing like beautiful cracked olives, or tangy calmata olives. An olive in a red sauce adds punch, where an olive in a salad with sun dried tomatoes or sweet red roasted pepper would offer another. Then there's just some olives with good, fat, Italian bread and a class of wine. MMMmmMmmMmMmMM. Olives can be fearful, because they're definitely strong in taste -- if they're not the pasteurized black things we get in cans in America. But take a nibble. Then have a bite of bread, or a delicious cracker with some hummus or a tad of gorgonzola cheese. No one said you have to stick the whole thing in your mouth at ones, either! <LOL> Start small and experiment with the different types. Buy a couple of calmattas, dice the meat and try those on the pizza at home. Olives don't have to be a big investment, either. But I'll bet you'll become addicted. :) an olive bar... Donna, you lucky soul! Christine (A Born & Raised -- but exported -- Michigander)


text:
Ali Amiri
To the Periphery and Beyond
Andrew Brill
Do you see what I see? Tools for surgical mentoring.
Alan DeCherney
What Consitutes Innovation in Surgery?
Ellis Downes
What the Patient Should Expect from a Gynecologist
Amy Garcia
Building a Community: Lessons Learned from Peace, Love and Janice
Linda Griffith
Move Over Mice
Keith Isaacson
Teach A Surgeon to Fish
Grace Janik
Endometriosis: 9 years, 5 doctors, 3.2 surgeries later
Charles Koh
Serendipity, Sensibility, Sense – on tha way to laparoscopic surgery
Charles Miller
State of Affairs in Reproductive Medicine – From Innovation to Wall Street
Ceana Nezhat
We Are All Different and That is a Good Thing
Kate O'Hanlan
Establishing Standards for Laparoscopic Approaches in Gynecologic Surgery
David Olive
Building Better Surgeons With Childrens's Books
Paya Pasic
From Refugee to the World: Whatever Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
Peter Rosenblatt
The End of Innovation in Gynecologic Surgery
Warren Volker
Dr. Google: Medical consumerism in the age of the internet
Paul Wetter
Medical Apps – How they will change your practice
Errico Zupi
Art and Wine: Two Italian Miracles
Richard Gimpleson
I Am The Next Thomas Edison
Harry Reich
The Rule of Common Sense Should Prevail In Gynecologic Surgery But Rarely Does!
Keith Isaacson
Closing the First Open Endoscopy Forum


text:
This article focuses on a very critical and urgent, question how to quit drinking. Here we will talk about that, how to quit drinking forever and do it yourself. I'm not going to talk about emergency measures, such as coding: This post is dedicated to those who want to cope with this disease on their own and never to come back to alcohol.
The primary purpose of this article, do not just help you to get rid of alcohol addiction, and to show how to achieve such a psychological state in which, alcohol is not needed! This then is a qualitative difference between my methods from many others: I will tell you how to live and enjoy life without alcohol, instead of saying, as under the influence of external stimuli, including negative (such as encryption) to stop drinking for some time risk having to return to the bottle in the future.
how to quit drinking forever
This article focuses more on young people who do not have the most advanced stage of alcoholism and there is power and the ability to fight. But, nevertheless, I advise you to read it all, no matter how strong dependence have not been — the conclusions of this paper will be useful to you, anyway.
Even if you think that you do not have a problem with alcohol, it is still advised to refer to the conclusions set out here how to quit drinking. Very often it happens that no problem — an illusion, which appeared due to prevailing social stereotypes: in fact in the Russian realities drink from time to time is normal, and no one thinks as long as this habit will not go into the terminal phase. Although, according to all the evidence, you need to think a lot before.
If you drink «on holidays», «having a reason», «to relax», you still are at risk: almost all alcoholics so began, very few people sharply and suddenly fell to the bottom of the abyss of alcohol.
This is a great article, you may be more comfortable to read it several times. But I assure you, the volume of the text, this is the least of the volume, which needs consideration — how to quit drinking.
Think it cost if
You drink more often than once a month
If you drink, you bring themselves to drunken state (it is not limited to one glass of wine)
Without alcohol, you can not relax, have fun or relax
The presence of at least some of the above factors speaks about the dangers and risks of alcohol (if it has not occurred). The alcoholic is not only a man wallows drunk in the street, who plaintively asking for money for a bottle. Alcoholism occurs much earlier this stage, and the preconditions for it are formed even earlier.
The phenomenon of alcohol enveloped many myths and misconceptions within our culture. I'll break these myths, so many of my conclusions may seem radical and even, in some way, insulting, because they do not correspond to the usual ideas about alcohol. But if you want to stop drinking, you had better know about it — how to quit drinking.
My personal experience of alcohol is approximately five years. During this period, I drink, almost every day, including the morning. And every time I bring themselves to drunk state. Many people with many years of drinking will say that this is not such a long time. But believe me, that was enough for me to realize on their own experience all the features of alcohol dependence, to understand what is the psychology of the alcoholic. And I was able to get out and learn how to quit drinking.
Over the past year I have been drinking alcohol a few times (but I still think this is not the best result), in the future, I'm sure I will not drink at all. I do not drink at all in the New Year 2013. I consider myself a person who does not drink. Non-drinker, not only because I do not drink, but because they do not feel the urge for alcohol: I feel good without it, no matter where I was, at home or at a noisy party in drinking company. I do not feel some sense of loss, I do not think I'm missing some special fun or relaxation, refusing to drink, because I already feel comfortable and relaxed.
(Anticipating possible questions, I just say that the other drugs I do not use, that is, the absence of alcohol is replaced with nothing.)
In short, «teetotal» — a state of mind, coupled with the fact that a complete renunciation of alcohol. How to achieve this state, and will be discussed in this article. Let's start with the destruction of the myths that surround the culture of consumption of booze and the perception of this disease and how to quit drinking
Myth — how to quit drinking and alcohol — not a drug
«According to the observations from 1990 to 2001. More than half of Russians male aged 15 to 54 years died from causes directly related to alcohol abuse. »
No, my friends, alcohol — drugs, one of the most dangerous in the world. Based on a survey of leading drug treatment specialists, medical journal, put alcohol in fifth place among other drugs, ranking them according to the degree of harmful effects on the body and on the dangers of addiction. «Leading» in this list heroin, cocaine, methadone (opiate like morphine and heroin) and barbiturates (any type of sedation). After the alcohol in the list you can see ketamine, amphetamines (CNS stimulants) and tobacco.
It does not matter that alcohol is legal, and that drinking beverages from the beautiful glasses are much more aesthetic intravenous injection, you know that, emptying the kitchen fourth bottle of beer, according to the daily rituals, you are not much different from heroin addict, is pumped into a vein yourself another dose solution powder. Yes, addiction to heroin, like, faster (but it is also not immediately, the belief that after the first injection, you will immediately run into a pawn shop to sell their stuff to get a dose — a myth. Also, it takes time to form a physical dependence) and addiction is, in its consequences, more destructive, though not by much.
You've seen the finished alcoholics who will stop at nothing to drink, because the desire to become unbearable, it can be stronger than the need for sleep and food! You know about the destruction of families of murder on the basis of alcohol. How to quit drinking, why do you think that this will not affect you because you supposedly know the measure? Do you believe that the young man who buys his first dose of heroin has just dreaming about how he starts to steal and commit all sorts of humiliating actions because of drugs? Of course not! He is convinced that all these horrors, which all say it bypassed, because he is a smart, self-controlled, and will never allow trouble. The funny thing is that people think so almost all novice addicts, and that the majority of this going on, you know …
Of course, alcohol, so fast this will not lead: the one who started drinking a better chance than the one who started using opiates. But, according to statistics, alcoholism in 76% of cases begins at the age of 20! Existing alcoholics is not just some social elements that have always been anti-social and cultural constraints and therefore started to drink. Many of them are also started with a «harmless» beer on weekends and Fridays. Especially alcoholism begins much earlier than the time when you lie drunk in the street. It can not last more «moderate», «civilized» phase when you are not on the social bottom, but still quite often drink.
Alcohol is a legal heroin
Amateur alcohol slightly different from heroin addict. In terms of its relationship to the pleasure, certainly nothing! Both are ready to sacrifice their health, comfort their loved ones, children for the sake of momentary pleasure and a sense of comfort! At the heart of any addiction is an acute self-interest: «I do not care about anything except their own pleasure!»
Between alcohol and heroin, there is much in common. This conclusion I drew from his experience of alcohol and other people's experience of heroin dependence. One man who used heroin and was dependent on him told me, how is it that decent, intelligent people suddenly slide down to the very bottom of the social and moral, being under the influence of addiction.
The greatest deceit habituation is that it does not come directly, but is formed gradually and smoothly, and therefore — by. After the first drug tests a person usually does not feel the so-called «break-up» and addiction. Everything is much easier than what he had been promised all sorts of fighters with the drug on TV. This gives a false optimism about their drug of the future, and he confidently embarks on a new adventure heroin.
Then, as a result of dependence, gradually begins to fade some awareness, critical understanding of themselves and others things: what once seemed immoral, unacceptable, now seems self-evident. A dependent can not remember a time when he began to constantly ask to borrow money from friends. It passed unconsciously, as if by him, and he did not see how to stop to see something reprehensible to be constantly in debt: need money and all, though earlier of such could not even think. This then is the most dangerous moment!
Dependent thinks everything is fine, although everything is not okay! He feels that he is in control, even though he had used drugs every day! And all this is due to the fact that addiction is transparent to consciousness. It was not accompanied by repentance: «Oh what do I do, it's time to stop!». Although such repentance would be very helpful.
The same effect I have noticed in myself and other people from the systematic use of alcohol. If before his strong alcoholic hobbies I drank, then did not do it more than once a month. And how to drink every weekend and out of the question! But after a while I began to think, what to drink every Friday and Saturday it's not something that is not often, it's just something that God himself ordered! This count, do not drink! (Psychological effects associated with incorrect perception frequency of the use of alcohol etilovgo I still tap.)
I did not notice, I stopped to see something very bad that I drink every day. I did not notice how much I stouter beer, my face swollen. It seemed normal. It seemed normal that I do every night, and even in the morning, drunk, I'm his indecent behavior straining their friends and people close to me. I just do not even thought about what is normal or not. All my physical, mental, moral metamorphosis, walking along the path of degradation eluded my mind! The process of self-development proceeds consciously, in contrast to the degradation of man notices how to get better. But when you get worse, do not notice!
What is the pleasure of alcohol and how to quit drinking?
There is another similarity between heroin and alcohol addiction. The fact is that, contrary to popular belief, the effects of heroin brings a sense of unearthly pleasure, unrestrained buzz, which was being chased by drug addicts, wanting every day to get a new dose. Judging by the reviews of former associates, the whole effect is reduced to some mind-numbing sense of animal comfort, which many even no pleasure, when the first experiments use. What is the secret, you ask. Why do people continue to eat and die from it?
The secret lies in the strong dependence and its attendant brittle. Man gets a thrill not from the heroin, and the satisfaction of intense desire and instant withdrawal symptoms dramatic physical and psychological discomfort (breaking). Imagine that you have a bad headache, straight intolerant. Suddenly you introduce some harmless painkiller intravenously, the effect of which is in itself no pleasure. But you instantly goes head! What do you feel? Pleasure!
Only from heroin addict hurts not only the head and the body, and the desire to get a dose of intense thirst and hunger! In short, the «high» of heroin comes only when people have it «podsyadut» and they will remove the pain caused by brittle and satisfy your strongest desire.
So it is with alcohol. Think about your first experiences of drinking. Lots of fun you get? Perhaps you managed to call for the first time unusual sensations of altered consciousness, you probably pulled on adventures that you then had a long discussion with friends, so that this experience you will surely remember. But I'm not talking about that, but about the effect of the narcotic substance called ethyl alcohol. So whether you are enjoying much effect? As for the physical symptoms you experience dizziness, loss of coordination, heaviness in the head, and the psychological effect was limited to the appearance of familiarity in communication, confusion, blunting some senses, improve mood …
Tell me, is it a lot of buzz about this? I do not think, especially when compared with the effects of pleasure. The pleasure of alcohol people get when satisfy the already developed dependency or other desires (for example, to remove nervousness, emotional pain, etc.). The effect of alcohol is actually mind-numbing and uninteresting, but when you want to drink, as you are used to drinking, you're on edge, nervous, then emptying a few bottles of beer brings a real treat. Or maybe you are experiencing alcohol breaking (hangover) and feel relieved when shooting his glass.
In the alcohol is no big buzz. To get this buzz, it is necessary to alcohol «hooked».
Unfortunately, many drinkers miss this moment and so they can be difficult to stop drinking. They think just alcohol brings a sense of pleasure and relief, how am I going to live without these feelings?
Many people can not stop drinking, not because they lack the willpower to stop and take it, but because they fear is when they try to imagine a future without alcohol. But these feelings are caused by only the most dependent, both psychological and physical. It is necessary to get rid of dependence, alcohol is no longer fun, on the contrary, its use will be accompanied by a sense of discomfort and wasted time, health and strength. It is necessary to keep in mind is mandatory if you want to stop drinking.
Alcohol and heroin — one of the most dangerous drugs that known to mankind! They are highly addictive and brittle and lead to severe personal degradation!
A strong desire to make of a man obedient animal who meekly obey their instincts, without the right choice. Information about the features of heroin addiction firsthand affected me much stronger than any anti-drug propaganda, in terms of the formation of disgust to heroin and understanding that people drinking is not much different from addiction to opiates.
So I think that people want the truth about drugs, but not exaggerated the truth. The real truth is always more frightening because it is more logical, more corresponds to the realities of life. And it is true not only in the fact that heroin addiction is formed immediately, but even that did not last much more dangerous than alcohol, which, in turn, is extremely dangerous and is also a drug! This fact, our brave media, for some reason, do not touch. Maybe it comes from the fact that with the sale of heroin do not pay taxes, while a value of sales of alcoholic beverages huge rents paid by the state.


text:
Hey, I just wanted to let you guys know my thoughts on the test. I thought that this test was not hard at all, but I have to admit that it was a little bit tricky on some questions. I was expecting the test to be harder-er than what it actually was. I think that the review or practice problems that Professor Okafor provides us are very helpful, it is an excellent review for the tests. I would like to hear opinions on the test from other people in the class. Thankyou very much.
Yasiel Hernandez
Test on Chapter 4
Posted by chemistry 1045 at 5:41 AM
1 comment:
- chemistry 1045 said...
I agree that the exam was easier than expected. I am disappointed that I missed some pretty simple questions which hurt my grade though. It really is about how much you practice the material. With more individual and class effort, I know we can all help each other do well.
Manuel Contreras
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Lacey Seigel
Andy Azzarello
Gift Registries
Please join us for our wedding celebration on
August 11, 2018
Our Story
It all began the summer of 2012 at Camp Keystone, where the both of us worked during our summer vacation from college. What started out as "just hanging out and having fun" turned into almost two years of a long distance relationship traveling back and forth from each others college town, in Santa Clara and Tucson, to eventually both ending up back in Los Angeles near our families. After a year or so of finally living in the same area code, we decided to take the next step and move into an apartment together... and here we are, over three years later engaged to be married, and we cannot wait to celebrate with you all in Santa Barbara!
Fig and Cotton


text:
|Design by Jennifer Logan/NEDT
As a writer, I spend many hours in front of my computer and living in my head that when I finally send a book or short story out to others for feedback, I want to crawl into a hole and eat Fritos.
As a teacher, I create dance on a regular basis and see nearly immediately whether something works or not, if a student can't handle the material or the combination is too awkward.
But as a choreographer (and I'm a newbie to the modern/contemporary ballet world), you have to wait until the show, when lighting and music and costumes all come together to support your choreography. You watch the audience for their response: do they laugh when they should or shouldn't? do they think your choreography is interesting or pedestrian? do they understand the story or are they confused by what's happening? All dance is a work in progress, so when the audience gives you feedback, you can makes changes for next time.
So how does crowdfunding fit in? Well...it's somewhere in between. It's not a performance so your audience can only see bits and pieces of what you're doing. In this case, it's costume sketches, a written description of the project, and some cool photos from a previous performance. You tell people what you need, what you hope to do, what you want to provide and then you wait.
It's nerve-wracking. Did I mention that?
A little history:
|Me with the Zombies of 2013
I realized there was a much bigger story to this. I came up with the backstory to the piece and then fleshed it out (so to speak) until it was a full-length ballet. Then I wrote a novel.
|Courtesy Cortney Armitage
|Courtesy Karina Jones
The ultimate goal is a full-length ballet, which we hope to put on next Spring. Whaaaaat? That's crazy! And super exciting.
To support the May performance, NEDT has launched an IndieGoGo campaign. We're trying to raise $10K to fund the production of the show, including costumes, marketing, dancer pay, and so on. If you can donate, fantastic! If you can share the link with others, awesome! If you can attend the show in May, wonderful! Any contribution of any kind will be immensely helpful.
So please help get the word out and bring Zombie Ballet to life! Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my Undead Heart.


text:
Friday, February 18, 2011
Church with the Governor
Though Governor Branstad is a Catholic, I have not seen him at any church service that I have attended nor have I heard if he goes to a certain church regularly, something that we always seem to hear about our national leader. I contemplated this as he sat down and started chatting with his neighbors when I noticed that there were reserved signs on several pews including the one he was in. Not sure what this meant, it soon became clear when mass started and the priest mentioned that a baby was going to be baptized later and that the mother was the daughter of Governor Branstad. Thinking back, I have seen more U.S. Presidents in person, (the current one whom I shook hands with during his campaign) than I have Iowa governors. I guess I don't get out much politically.
Brandstad has pretty much been governor during my lifetime. As a kid growing up, I knew no other governor until I had left the state to work in the northern frozen tundra. I came back to the state at the end of his successor's term in office and lived here during the brief tenure of the last governor who recently got the boot and was replaced by none other than Governor Branstad again.
Though he has been Governor of Iowa most of my life, I know little about him politically. During my youth when I wasn't interested in politics, my only impressions of him were from my staunchly Democratic parents. Lets just say that their views on him weren't very flattering. But somehow my Democratic parents raised two sons, my brother becoming a staunch Republican and me, a conservative Independent. I helped elect Branstad with a vote last fall so I guess I am looking forward to see how he leads our state again after his previous four terms. My hope is that the size of Iowa's government is reduced to the point where our current tax levels can be maintained throughout my lifetime or perhaps even reduced. Since he is just in his infancy of this term anyway, it is too soon to say but I am at least happy that he is taking a hard look at the budget and making necessary cuts by reducing entires areas of the government instead of taking the 'yellow' route that our past governor took by just doing an across the board cut which did nothing but raise taxes and costs to us the individual citizens of the state. It is much easier to pass 10% cuts onto the consumer when you still exist as a tax supported entity.
8 comments:
- R. Sherman said...
Let's hope the good citizens of Iowa are better behaved than those in Wisconsin at the moment.
- February 18, 2011 at 7:57 AM
- sage said...
Did you sneak a peek at what he added to the plate? :)
- February 18, 2011 at 9:35 AM
- Ed said...
R. Sherman - So far we do.
Sage - I was too far away for that but I'm sure he was covered in the check to pay for the baptism.
- February 18, 2011 at 11:56 AM
- Murf said...
Weren't you suppose to be listening to the day's message and not staring at a politician? ;-)
- February 18, 2011 at 3:23 PM
- Ed said...
Murf - Before the service begins, looking at politicians is open game.
- February 19, 2011 at 7:02 AM
- malor said...
I hope he can fix things. We did not support him last election but we give our conditional support for the betterment of the State.
- February 19, 2011 at 9:02 PM
- malor said...
i just to share something a patient's wife told me about branstad. his mother is actually jewish but he was raised catholic....
- February 21, 2011 at 12:22 AM
- Ed said...
Malor - There are certainly a lot of people who didn't support him and still don't according to polls. But I'm like you, I give them my attention even if I don't vote for them and then let them know how I feel every four years.
- February 21, 2011 at 7:58 AM


text:
Apple issues Xcode 4.4 Developer Preview 3Apple on Wednesday included a beta version of Xcode 4.4 for developers alongside releases of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 and Safari 5.2
The preview of Xcode 4.4 includes an updated Apple LLVM Compiler version 4.0. According to the release notes for the software, enhancements include:
- Objective-C language features
- Improved support for the 2011 C++ standard
- Major improvements to Xcode's static analyzer
- New interface builder support for AppKit features
- A viewer and editor for 3D files as .DAE documents
- Improvements to the Find Bar and Search Navigator
- Integrated QuickHelp in code completion
- Tweaks to the source editor jump bar popup
Known issues with the release include possible difficulty downloading earlier versions of Xcode from the App Store, scheme editing problems and several minor issues with linker and new load commands, DYLD_* environment variables and the network link conditioner. Additionally, non-admin users debugging or running Instruments will need to authenticate each time.
The notes also cautioned that performance of ATS APIs will suffer in OS X 10.8 because the ATS.framework is being deprecated. Developers are instructed to replace all their ATS code with CoreText as it will be removed in future OS X releases.
Xcode 4.4 Developer Preview 3 requires OS X Lion 10.7.3 or Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3. Apple released the third developer preview for its upcoming OS X update to developers on Wednesday. Developers also received a prerelease version of Safari 5.2.
Apple outed its plans for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion with the first developer preview in February. Since then, releases have come roughly a month apart, as Developer Preview 2 was seeded in mid-March.
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion is scheduled to arrive this summer with more than 100 new features, including the Messages app, tighter integration with iCloud and new Gatekeeper security controls.


text:
Key West Trip Release Link Required*
Key West Sign Up is on the Events Page, or by Mail
Must be a member to travel with the Birmingham Ski Club
2019 Ski Trips
Crested Butte, Colorado $1330
Jan. 13 - 20
Val Di Fassa, Italy $2185
Jan.26 - Feb. 2
Taos, New Mexico $1245
Feb. 9 - 16
Park City, Utah $1320
Feb. 23 - Mar.2
Cottonwood Canyon, Utah $1130
Mar. 8 - 15
Big Sky, Montana $1680
Mar. 23 - 30
Additional Pricing on TRIPS PAGE
If you are skiing two or more of these trips this year with
COTTONWOOD CANYONS: Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude
PARK CITY: Deer Valley only
You will want to purchase an
It will be your best value for lift tickets, but there are some restrictions of 5 days only on some mountains, so read carefully. But even if you need to purchase a single day to get six days, it is still most likely your best deal. A special website just for our club has been set up by SkiGroup.net just for our members that includes a $50 trip credit. Follow the link below:


text:
Knockin' on Barren Nothingness' Door
I don't waste my time arguing about the existence of God for the same reason I don't sit around arguing about the existence of Santa Clause. Because I am a man of results. And back when I was still a believer, I asked Santa for a Lamborghini with my name on the license plate, just like the poster I had in my bedroom. And he got me a hot wheels. Real funny. So instead I asked God for the Lamborghini, figuring I might as well cut out the middle man. The next day at school (the very next day!) I find out that Christine Aguiar won the science fair competition because my Plexiglas display on the workings of series and parallel circuits looked like "my dad helped too much," even though I drew the entire poster board myself.
That's when I first knew that I was all alone in this world, and that if you want something you have to go out and get it for yourself. Or just dial down your expectations and shoot for something more attainable, like a 4-door Saturn or a new TV. Or, better yet, just stop wasting your time on with ambition – because you can't fail if you don't try.
But I understand that it's a touchy subject, which is why I keep my opinions to myself.
And contrary to popular belief, a Godless life isn't all that bad. When other people cheat on their taxes, they're all, "I'm going to hell," and you're like, "Eh, I'll just pay the fine if I get audited." Or if they stub their toe, they shout, "Jiminy Christmas!" and you shout, "You're a fag." It's just easier, in a way, to not constantly have the holy spirit looking over your shoulder. Right now, for instance, there is a father kissing his baby daughter on the cheek at the table next to me in Starbucks. And it would be cute, if he wasn't making these obnoxious puckering noises while he does it over and over and over and over and finally you're just like, "Why don't you just eat her!" And if the holy spirit was over my shoulder I would have to feel sorry for such a mean-spirited reaction, but instead I'm kind of happy with myself because now every time I look over I picture the father like a preying mantis sprinkling salt on his daughter's head before taking another bite. And that's kind of amusing.
But then the other day, I was coming back from a walk with Puppy and as we approached our car parked out front of our apartment, I noticed a piece of paper in the windshield. My first thought was, "YOU COCKSUCKER PIGS, I'M GETTING THE FUCKING LICENSE PLATES TOMORROW." But as I got closer, I noticed it wasn't a ticket. So my second thought was that some beautiful woman had seen me exiting the car earlier in the day, and now she left me a note saying something coy like, "Ur cute!" or "Do you like to be choked?" But then I unfolded the paper and saw this:
So first I thought, "Wow, she's really wordy. And her handwriting is awful." Then I realized that it's not that her handwriting sucked, it's that the note was in Spanish. And even my high school Spanish was enough to translate "Santo apostal San Judos, amigo de Jesus." (Translation: Stupid apostle Saint Judas was a pal of Jesus."
Right away, I'm thinking that this flirtatious note is getting off on the wrong foot. But, you know, the whole "revirgin" thing is big right now so what the heck. But the more I study the note the more I realize that it is, in fact, a full on prayer. Not like a prayer to get into my pants. Just a straight-up prayer for the salvation of my soul.
I wonder: Why was this left on my car? I scan the other 20 or so cars parked on the street, and there are no notes on their windshield. For some reason, whoever left this note decided to leave it for me. Most nonbelievers would chalk this up to dumb luck, but for some reason (maybe it was the way Puppy cocked his head staring up at me, or the stiff vodka tonic I had before I left) I took it as a sign. Of all the cars in all the world, you had to leave a Spanish prayer on mine.
Since then I've been trying to live better. Being nicer to people, a calmer driver, more tolerant when I'm standing at the counter in CVS and the girl who is supposed to be ringing me up is carrying on a conversation with a co-worker about how her underwear is riding up her butt so much, and then she excuses it all by shooting me a look like, "When did you get here?" meanwhile she's been price scanning my toilet paper for 30 seconds now. And you know what? It's felt good. Real good, in fact. I even tipped the waitress when picking up a take-out order the other day. And when I did, I looked over my shoulder and winked at the holy spirit that I'm sure was smiling down with a tear in its eye at how another one had been saved from the eternal damnation of hell.
Then yesterday Brooke came home after running some errands and we had this conversation:
Brooke: "I jut ran into our neighbor. She was telling me about this crazy Spanish prayer that someone left on her car."
Me: (trying to act surprised while my faith crumbles) "Oh, really?"
Brooke: "Yeah, she said like five cars on the block had them stuck in their windshield."
Me: "Well I guess that means that no one's special."
Brooke: What?"
Me: (running to the bedroom and slamming the door) "Never mind!"
So now I'm back to a soulless existence, which is totally fine. Because being holy was hard work, and it got in the way of lots of things I had to get done. Like picking up my new license plates. So yesterday when I went out to the car and saw another piece of paper on my windshield, I wasn't surprised that it was a ticket; I was just happy things are back to normal.


text:
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Never Mind
5 comments:
Sorry it was postponed. It's hard for me when things are out if my control and are based on others schedules. It must have been so disappointing. It WILL happen! :). I was just reading a post from Nov 2011 about being disappointed we had not matched yet and baby girl was born jan 25th. It WILL happen! I swear!ReplyDelete
I'm glad that you'll still have an opportunity to meet on neutral ground on Monday - the first time we met our social worker I was a bundle of nerves! The second time was much, much easier.ReplyDelete
Hange in there - you're getting closer. The process is excruciating though, isn't it? So much is out of our control.... the only advice I can offer is that the timing is meant to be - fate will bring you the perfect baby for your family at the perfect time, and believe me, it will all make sense then. :)
So sorry to hear about the delay for your homestudy. I hope the rest of your adoption journey is smooth and uncomplicated.ReplyDelete
ICLW #66 Dragondreamer's Lair
I'm sorry your home visit was postponed. It is so hard to change plans once you have started to get emotionally (and physically) prepared for something like that.ReplyDelete
Good luck in your appointment today.
- AnonymousApril 22, 2013 at 7:10 AM
Hi from ICLW...sorry that the visit got postponed but good luck at the agencyReplyDelete


text:
Yes, the new 2015 Ford F-350 is one powerful truck. Yes, it can tow up to 26,500 pounds when properly equipped. And yes, the available 6.2-liter V8 engine produces a no-if--and-or-buts 440 horsepower and a heart-pounding 860 pound-feet of torque. This Super Duty truck is also fully customizable with the most configurations of any truck in its class. The 2015 Ford F-350 is sure to come with all the options you'll need to get the job done. You can test-drive a 2015 Ford F-350 in Bedford, VA, at Berglund of Bedford Ford Buick GMC, serving customers in Roanoke and Lynchburg, VA. We pride ourselves on being the most reliable dealer in the area with thousands of satisfied customers!
- 6.2-liter two-valve V8 gas engine (up to 385 hp) or 6.7-liter Power Stroke™ V8 Turbo Diesel engine (440 hp)
- TorqShift® six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission
- 35-gallon capacity (Regular Cab gas engine) / 26-gallon capacity (Super Cab diesel engine) / 37.5-gallon capacity (Crew Cab diesel engine)
- Cargo tie-down hooks
- Under hood service lamp
- Seven-pin or four-pin trailer tow connector and trailer brake wiring kit
- Assist and ride handles
- Flip-open rear quarter windows (Super Cab)
- Overhead console with garage door opener storage (Super Cab and Crew Cab)
- MyKey® security system (XL and higher)
- Single-CD player with MP3 capability (XLT)
- AM/FM stereo with two speakers (XL, four speakers XLT)
- SOS Post-Crash Alert System™
- SecuriLock® Passive Anti-Theft System
- Safety Canopy® System with roll-fold side-curtain airbags
- Power windows with front one-touch-down feature (XLT)
- 60/40 split flip-up/fold-down rear bench seat (Crew Cab only) (XL and higher)
- Ford SYNC®voice-activated, in-vehicle connectivity system with SYNC AppLink™ (XLT)
When your 2015 Ford F-350 needs scheduled maintenance or repairs, look no further than Berglund Ford, where our expert technicians are happy to handle your service needs quickly and affordably. From oil changes and tire rotations to more major repairs, Berglund Ford has you covered. Our Service Department employees are dedicated to maintaining top-tier customer service while getting you behind the wheel in a timely manner.
If you're looking to customize your new 2015 Ford F-350, Berglund Ford can help you with parts and aftermarket accessories. Our Parts Department keeps a comprehensive inventory of OEM auto parts, and if we don't have a part or accessory you need on hand, we will be more than happy to order it for you.
If you'd like to purchase or lease the 2015 Ford F-350 in Salem, VA, drop by Berglund Ford at 834 E Main St., Salem, VA 24153 for a test-drive. We look forward to seeing our customers from Roanoke, Lynchburg and Christiansburg, VA, here at Berglund Ford, where we treat the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern.
*Based on 2015 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.


text: Our selection of Georgia Bulldogs Mens, Womens and Youth Watches is second to none with over 5000 NCAA Timepieces available. From Bulldogs Men's Sport Watches and Ladies Rhinestone Watches to Youth Adjustable Wrist Watches, we have a time piece that is perfect for every occasion. We carry UGA Men's Alumni Watches, Two Tone Watches, Pocket Watches and Dress Watches. We also have Georgia Women's Stainless Steel and Gold Watches, Ladies Bracelet Watches, Leather Watches and Ladies Gold Watches available in our UGA Store. Our Kids collection of Youth Watches includes Adjustable Hook and Loop Straps and Water Resistant Watches and are all available in our Georgia Bulldogs Store. Shop now for Free Shipping on your Georgia Bulldogs Watch purchase. Go Dawgs


text:
The Legacy of Colorism Reflects Wounds of Racism That Are More Than Skin-Deep
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Colorism is the crazy aunt in the attic of racism.
It's best not to mention her in polite company. Or if you find it necessary to talk about her at all, do it in whispers among relatives and people who already know about her.
On June 25, when Michael Jackson died, there she was again: colorism, that sub-category of racism and prejudice based on skin color, staring us right in the face.
By the time Jackson died, he was perhaps whiter than any white man that you know. Those who looked at the constant stream of replayed televised interviews, at the pale skin, the thin lips painted red, the straight hair, saw in his face the psychological wound that has scarred so many in the black community.
You line up his album covers, from "Got to Be There" when he was 13 and brown with a big-tooth grin, to "Off the Wall," when he still had a beautiful nose and a big Afro, to "Thriller," when his skin was still beautiful brown, but his nose was smaller, to "Bad," when his nose was even thinner and his skin was white. You trace your finger over the transformation, looking for a clue as to why the lips changed, the nose became more upturned, the brown skin faded until it was bleached beyond recognition.
"He is an over-the-top manifestation of that undercurrent in the black community," says Alice M. Thomas, associate professor of law at Howard University. "If you are light, you are all right. If you are brown, you can stick around. If you are black, get back."
Jackson has insisted that his skin faded as the result of vitiligo, a condition that damages the skin's pigment. But experts say that condition leaves the skin spotted and blotchy. To the outer world, Jackson's skin appeared consistently white. And before-and-after photos of Jackson tell a deeper story about color discrimination, also known as colorism -- an intra-racial discrimination among African Americans.
Colorism began during slavery when darker-skinned blacks were relegated to field work and lighter-skinned blacks, often the children of slave masters, were given housework. For years after, many blacks, some say, internalized the declaration that the lighter one was the better one.
Nobody wants to talk about colorism. And yet everybody talks about it.
"Colorism was venomous because it did so much damage to the psyche," says Alvin F. Poussaint, media director at the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "There was nothing like walking around feeling you are a rejected person, a wretched person, as Frantz Fanon put it in 'The Wretched of the Earth.' "
The attitudes toward dark skin have progressed as a result of discussion and the civil rights movement. But those attitudes have not been completely corrected. They linger in the recesses of human culture. Though circumstances differ, colorism is an issue in countries all around the world: Vietnam, Brazil, India, Japan and Mexico, for instance.
"It's still here, but I think we are moving forward," says Poussaint. "A big ingredient in this was the black-consciousness movement, when we stepped back and said, 'We are not taking this stuff anymore.' 'Black is beautiful! I'm black and I'm proud!' made a huge difference. The black-consciousness people wanted to make 'black' a positive term.


text:
With most of our music now in a digital format, neatly contained on our mobile phones and iPods, many of us have no doubt got lots of old CDs stacked up in garages, waiting to become miniature frisbees or coffee coasters or museum relics from a bygone era. But rather than letting them lie there in their boxes, unloved and gathering dust, why not put them to good use by smashing them up and turning them into attractive animal sculptures?
Artist Sean Avery has done exactly that and created a series of sculptures—from bears to peregrine falcons and even the Loch Ness monster—using the reflective splinters of what was once, possibly, a cherished music collection.
Monday, May 07, 2012