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The United States is becoming more multilingual with globalization. Public schools continue to enroll increasing numbers of students who speak a language other than English. This adds to the rich diversity of classrooms while at the same time offers challenges for educators. This collaborative-ethnographic style research study investigates the ways in which identities are constructed for and by an English language learner (ELL) as she uses language at school. The author explores classroom reading events and the ways one ELL negotiates these events with her peers in an English dominant classroom. Results reveal the fluidity of identities across classroom curricular structures at school.

In this article, three educators share case studies describing racial biases and segregationist practices in early schooling. The authors draw upon critical race theory as a lens and employ critical discourse analysis to uncover classed and raced biases within and across three early childhood contexts. While the cases are situated in specific public school settings--a parent teacher association (PTA) fundraiser, a mandated literacy program, and a read-aloud--they shed light onto a variety of contexts as these are all common phenomena in many American elementary schools. Together, the cases illustrate how racism has been normalized through familiar practices in early childhood settings. Through description and reflection, the authors suggest ways to start seeing the strange in the familiar, unpacking racialized practices across three settings, and advocating new ways of thinking about these common practices leading to change and transformation. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)

Examines Scotland's increasingly standardized national curriculum and testing reforms. Discusses centrally determined innovations, relationships between curriculum and assessment, reforms' effects on classroom, and teachers' role. Compares elements of encroaching "market model" reforms in England, Wales, and United States, suggesting that Scotland's more enlightened educational features should be retained. (TES)

This article documents an extended Mexican family’s social practices surrounding literacy as they engage with bilingual children’s literature in a unique context that draws from both home and school without the pressures of curriculum mandates. The research is situated within the southeastern United States where English-dominant practices permeate the school and community. Sociocultural and third space theories provide a framework for understanding the complexities surrounding language use and literacy development. Findings indicate the new space, Story Nights, provides for the development of connections to Mexican culture and a notion of community-based literacy learning. The author makes recommendations for classroom teachers, teacher education programs, and educational policy to be more inclusive of Latino/Latina English learners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Urban agriculture is growing in cities across the United States. It has the potential to provide multiple benefits, including increased food security. Concerns about soil contamination in urban areas can be an impediment to urban agriculture. Lead is the most common contaminant in urban areas. In this paper, direct (soil ingestion via outdoor and indoor exposure) and indirect (consumption of food grown in Pb-contaminated soils) exposure pathways are reviewed. It is highly unlikely that urban agriculture will increase incidences of elevated blood Pb for children in urban areas. This is due to the high likelihood that agriculture will improve soils in urban areas, resulting in reduced bioavailability of soil Pb and reduced fugitive dust. Plant uptake of Pb is also typically very low. The exceptions are low-growing leafy crops where soil-splash particle contamination is more likely and expanded hypocotyl root vegetables (e.g., carrot). However, even with higher bioaccumulation factors, it is not clear that the Pb in root vegetables or any other crops will be absorbed after eating. Studies have shown limited absorption of Pb when ingested with food. Best management practices to assure minimal potential for exposure are also common practices in urban gardens. These include the use of residuals-based composts and soil amendments and attention to keeping soil out of homes. This review suggests that benefits associated with urban agriculture far outweigh any risks posed by elevated soil Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author shares examples of reading conferences with 10 English learners over the course of a semester. The reading conferences are conducted by four monolingual, European-American teachers at a primary school in the Southeastern United States. Sociocultural and identity theories are used as a theoretical frame for the research study. Observations of the reading conferences reveal several themes inhibiting the literacy learning of English learners: lack of self-correction opportunities, unbalanced instruction, metalanguage, text difficulty, and book levels. In addition, the conferences with English learners are compared to native-speaking students in a cross-case analysis. Transcripts illustrate the complex factors affecting the learning and identity formation process for English learners. The author offers suggestions for reframing reading conferences with English learners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The United States is becoming more multilingual with globalization. Public schools continue to enroll increasing numbers of students who speak a language other than English. This adds to the rich diversity of classrooms while at the same time offers challenges for educators. This collaborative-ethnographic style research study investigates the ways in which identities are constructed for and by an English language learner (ELL) as she uses language at school. The author explores classroom reading events and the ways one ELL negotiates these events with her peers in an English dominant classroom. Results reveal the fluidity of identities across classroom curricular structures at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the United States, deficit perspectives contribute to Latino students' failure in terms of school success. This happens because many educators still regard bilingualism as a deficit. We examined the discourse of one family to better understand how deficit, assimilationist discourse affected them and their two children. We came to understand that, influenced by deficit messages, parents celebrated accelerated English acquisition. Implications for teachers include the recognition and support of linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom. We suggest a sociocultural perspective that embraces the culture and humanity of every student and helps support the maintenance of multiple cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a considerable growth in the volunteer vacation concept in the U.S. since around the mid-1980s. The increased demand has been attributed to an increased sense of global awareness among the Baby Boom generation, along with a growing willingness to make a contribution to other societies while on vacation. This study consisted of two parts, the first of which was an identification and description of some of the major organizations in the U.S. providing volunteer vacation opportunities. Next the concept of the mini-mission or `mission lite' was described as a potential means for tour operators to build volunteering into itineraries. An exploratory study was conducted to determine the potential demand for the mission lite concept, which could be instrumental in significantly expanding participation in volunteer vacations in the future. A survey was conducted among a sample of members of the Ambassadair Travel Club, the largest organization of its type in the U.S. The study's results indicated considerable potential demand for adding a volunteer component as part of the overall vacation experience. The activities in which the respondents had the greatest interest in participating on volunteer vacations were arts and crafts, chaperoning orphans, educational activities, building projects, physical fitness activities, and medical assistance. There appeared to be certain characteristics of those who are likely to be more interested in volunteer vacation participation. These included people who volunteer in theft home communities, and those with higher levels of education, especially postgraduate degrees. Additionally, those who vacation more frequently and with higher household incomes may be more likely to participate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a collaborative action research project between a classroom researcher and a university researcher, designed for 7- and 8-year-old second graders in the U.S. to improve English teaching and learning especially with English language learners. The researchers videotaped and audio-recorded classroom events related to literacy development and identified existing curricular structures. The district-mandated phonics/spelling program, data examples from two Latino English language learners, and instructional changes are also analyzed.

The article discusses the move by first- and second-grade teachers in the U.S. to revise their curriculum to meet the requirements of English learners from homes where such languages as Spanish, Portuguese and Tagalog are spoken. It presents several ways in which the teachers can accomplish the goal by basing on the students' cultures and strengths. The suggestions include the use of artifacts from home as writing resources, including the first and second languages into the writing process and employing culturally relevant integrated projects.

This article provides information on efforts taken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce children's risk from lead in soil. Lead poisoning is the most common and serious environmental disease affecting young children, according to the CDC. During the past 25 years, researchers have gathered extensive information that verifies the adverse effects of elevated levels of lead in the blood on cognitive development. CDC recognized this research and lowered the definition of elevated blood lead level for children under age 6 from 25 to 10 micrograms lead per deciliter.

Current wastewater worker guidance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) aligns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommendations and states that no additional specific protections against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 infections, are recommended for employees involved in wastewater management operations with residuals, sludge, and biosolids at water resource recovery facilities. The USEPA guidance references a document from 2002 that summarizes practices required for protection of workers handling class B biosolids to minimize exposure to pathogens including viruses. While there is no documented evidence that residuals or biosolids of any treatment level contain infectious SARS-CoV-2 or are a source of transmission of this current pandemic strain of coronavirus, this review summarizes and examines whether the provided federal guidance is sufficient to protect workers in view of currently available data on SARS-CoV-2 persistence and transmission. No currently available epidemiological data establishes a direct link between wastewater sludge or biosolids and risk of infection from the SARS-CoV-2. Despite shedding of the RNA of the virus in feces, there is no evidence supporting the presence or transmission of infectious SARS-CoV-2 through the wastewater system or in biosolids. In addition, this review presents previous epidemiologic data related to other non-enveloped viruses. Overall, the risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2, or any pathogen, decreases with increasing treatment measures. As a result, the highest risk of exposure is related to spreading and handling untreated feces or stool, followed by untreated municipal sludge, the class B biosolids, while lowest risk is associated with spreading or handling Class A biosolids. This review reinforces federal recommendations and the importance of vigilance in applying occupational risk mitigation measures to protect public and occupational health., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An international inter-laboratory research program investigated the effectiveness of in situ remediation of soils contaminated by cadmium, lead and zinc, measuring changes in soil and soil solution chemistry, plants and soil microbiota. A common soil, from mine wastes in Jasper County MO, was used. The soil was pH 5.9, had low organic matter (1.2 g kg(-1) C) and total Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations of 92, 5022, and 18 532 mg kg(-1), respectively. Amendments included lime, phosphorus (P), red mud (RM), cyclonic ashes (CA), biosolids (BIO), and water treatment residuals (WTR). Both soil solution and NH4NO3 extractable metals were decreased by all treatments. Phytotoxicity of metals was reduced, with plants grown in P treatments having the highest yields and lowest metal concentration (0.5, 7.2 and 406 mg kg(-1) Cd, Pb, and Zn). Response of soil micro-organisms was similar to plant responses. Phosphorus addition reduced the physiologically based extraction test Pb from 84% of total Pb extracted in the untreated soil to 34.1%.