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Based in Shulman's idea of Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) has emerged as a useful frame for describing and understanding the goals for technology use in preservice teacher education. This paper addresses the need for a survey instrument designed to assess TPACK for preservice teachers. The paper describes survey development process and results from a pilot study on 124 preservice teachers. Data analysis procedures included Cronbach's alpha statistics on the TPACK knowledge domains and factor analysis for each domain. Results suggest that, with the modification and/or deletion of 18 of the survey items, the survey is a reliable and valid instrument that will help educators design longitudinal studies to assess preservice teachers' development of TPACK. (Contains 9 tables and 1 figure.)

Aims Evaluate the in vitro efficacy of the essential oils derived from Aloysia citrodora (Verbenaceae), Cymbopogon winterianus (Poaceae), and Ocimum gratissimum (Lamiaceae) against Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites. Additionally, microemulsions formulated with these essential oils, along with their major components, were analyzed. Methods and results The prepared microemulsions were characterized using polarized light microscopy and rheological techniques. The amoebicidal activity was determined by measuring the inhibitory concentration (IC50). Flow cytometry was employed to detect membrane damage and alterations in trophozoites size. The results revealed transparent and thermodynamically stable microemulsions. The essential oil from O. gratissimum exhibited a lower IC50, with values of 280.66 and 47.28 µg ml−1 after 24 and 48 h, respectively. When microemulsions containing essential oils were tested, the IC50 values exhibited a reduction of over 80% after 24 h. Particularly, eugenol, a constituent of the O. gratissimum essential oil, displayed higher amoebicidal activity. The essential oils also caused damage to the cell membrane, resulting in the subsequent death of the trophozoites. Conclusions The EOs of A. citrodora, C. winterianus , and O. gratissimum and their microemulsions showed antiparasitic effect against A. polyphaga trophozoites, representing promising alternatives for the treatment of diseases caused by this protozoan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of this study is to investigate the use of the sentence completion technique (SCT) as a user experience (UX) research method. We conducted an online experiment (N  = 400) to test the effect of sentence stem variations on sentence completion outcomes. Using a between-subjects design, half of the participants were exposed to impersonal sentence stems that did not include pronouns while the other half were exposed to stems formulated using first-person pronouns (PR). Additional hypotheses around stem formats (use of redundant stems, imaginative stems, two blanks stems, generic stems, stems prompting others' perception) were tested using a within-subject design. The results do not support hypothesized differences between the pronoun and no pronoun condition. Findings however show that varying the format of the stem influences response behavior, as measured by variety, quantity and novelty of ideas, as well as the length of response. This study contributes to consolidating the use of SCT as a user research method and proposes actionable recommendations on how to create optimal sentence completion surveys in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry cultivation possesses unique features, including the need for high-quality seedlings adapted to the cultivation environment and proper fertigation management. These elements influence plant growth and production. This study evaluated the growth and dry matter partitioning of strawberry plants of the cultivar "Albion" at different seedling ages (0, 14, 28... 196 DAT) using two fertigation methods: open-loop and closed-loop systems. Fifteen evaluations occurred throughout the cultivation cycle, spanning from planting to 196 days after transplanting (DAT), with the study replicated over two consecutive years. We evaluated dry matter partitioning among roots, stems, leaves, senescent leaves, flowers, commercial fruits, and non-commercial fruits. We also measured root volume and length, besides counts of leaves, flowers, and both commercial and non-commercial fruits. Despite no significant differences between fertigation systems for most variables, the closed-loop system shows promise, contingent on proper nutrient solution management. The partitioning analysis revealed that fruits, followed by leaves, were the primary consumers of photoassimilates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Story problems are a part of most mathematics curricula and are sometimes used as writing exercises in mathematics classrooms. Such writing exercises may include requiring students to rewrite story problems in their own words, using language that is familiar to them, or rewriting story problems using simpler number facts. The current emphasis on rigor and relevance in classrooms places even more significance on connecting such problems to real-life situations and solutions in relationship to mathematical thinking. In this article, the authors describe a digital storytelling project that allows high school students to create digital story problems about real-life situations and then apply trigonometric functions to solve these problems. This digital storytelling project provides students with a learning opportunity that connects mathematical concepts to their real-world experiences. The real-life settings and the stories told have captured students' attention and held it. (Contains 2 figures.)

The three cases presented in this article compose the stories of how, beginning in 1999, these institutions took up the challenge to systematically integrate technology into their core teacher education programs. Each college of education received funding from the U.S. Department of Education PT[superscript 3] (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology) grant program and private support from foundations such as Atlantic Philanthropies. Yet the question always remains whether work such as this can sustain itself when the funding period is completed. In each of these cases, there seems to be an indication that work with technology has found its way to the core of the institution's mission and that the integration of technology will be sustained. An overview has been developed to help us better understand the factors that are shared across the three cases and to identify pressing issues that exist in teacher preparation related to technology integration. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

Effective communication between homes and schools can be essential in helping students experience success in the classroom. Unfortunately, the topic of establishing mechanisms for meaningful parent-teacher communication is often slighted during the preparation of teachers. New teachers entering classrooms need the opportunity to interact and communicate with parents during their preparation program. This article examines how one reading tutor used technology to communicate with parents about their child's literacy growth while the child was enrolled in a university-based tutoring program called the Reading Improvement Clinic. Specific examples illustrate how this technology-based approach enhanced the communication process with parents while sharing tutoring information, student progress reports, and tutoring artifacts. Several advantages of using such an approach include easy access to student materials and assessments, timely postings of the child's work and tutor comments, and a secure environment for sharing confidential documents.

Describes the Technology Collaborative for Simultaneous Renewal in Teacher Education project, based in John Goodlad's theory of simultaneous renewal, which is a systemic approach to using technology to help facilitate renewal in both teacher education and elementary and secondary schools. Evaluation results suggest changing attitudes and capabilities of preservice teachers. (Author/LRW)

Describes the outcome of an innovative mentoring program that paired technology faculty and methods faculty in order to form partnerships to facilitate the modeling of technology for preservice teachers. Discusses the creation of useful applications for enhancing poetry writing through technology for elementary school students. (SG)