text:
Conflict of Interest Alert! My daughter plays violin in the orchestra at Coker United Methodist Church. But, despite this conflict of interest, here is some interesting information that Dave Collett sent me about their upcoming pops concert. It sounds like a really fun event.
Patriotic Pops Concert & Ice Cream Social
Thursday, July 1 at 7:30 pm
Coker United Methodist Sanctuary
231 East North Loop Road
San Antonio, Texas 78216
The Coker Chancel Choir, Coker Orchestra, and special guest Celia Whitler
Dave Collett, Conductor
Duane Hoff, Conductor
Bill Mitchell, Narrator
Stand and cheer American heroes past and present, come along on a trip 'cross the wide Missouri, Skip to my Lou, tap your toe and sing along to American classics like Stars and Stripes Forever, America the Beautiful, and Salute to the Armed Forces. The Chancel Choir, Coker Orchestra and special guest Celia Whitler present our sixth consecutive musical salute to America with favorite patriotic selections and rousing Americana favorites. Join us for an old-fashioned Ice Cream Social (donated by our friends at HEB) in the gym following the concert. The Patriotic Pops concert is always SRO (standing room only) and is a great way for your family to kick off the 4th of July weekend! Seating is available at 6:45 pm.
Celia Whitler Gets You Revved-Up As You Arrive for Patriotic Pops!
Join Nashville-based Singer/Songwriter Celia Whitler for a 45-minute foot stompin' celebration just prior to this year's Patriotic Pops Concert on July 1 beginning at 6:45 pm. As people are gathering for the 7:30 Pops Concert (doors open at 6:45 pm.) Celia will be entertaining our early guests with music including good ole Southern Gospel favorites, Americana classics by Louie Armstrong, Ray Charles, the Gaithers, and others as well as some of her uplifting original songs. This pre-concert opening to our Pops concert is an added bonus you'll want to come get a good seat for and bring the whole family along!
Here's Another Reason to Come Early for Pops This Year…
We're giving away FREE Celia Whitler CDs, FREE Cactus Pear Music Festival tickets and FREE vouchers to receive tickets to any San Antonio Symphony Classics or Pops performances in their 2010-2011 season! Drop your name along with your email address on the card we'll provide as you enter the sanctuary for the giveaways.
Our Adopted Cause- After expenses for this year's Pops program have been met, the remainder of the free-will offering will be directed toward the Center for the Intrepid…
Jack Fishman
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
For more blogs by Jack Fishman visit: www.sasymphony.org/blog
The SLL era begins October 2!


text:
|You do not have the latest version
of Macromedia Flash Player.
This website uses Macromedia®FlashTM software. You are running an old version of Macromedia Flash Player which can not display the contents of our website.
Do you wish to download and install the latest version now? It will only take a moment. Download it directly from here.
Macromedia and Flash are trade marks of Macromedia, Inc.
Accueil : Contact

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Brummer Yellow Label interior grade wood filler is ideal for repairing furniture, doors, skirting boards and wooden floors, picture frames and mouldings etc. It is heat proof (up to 90°C), works equally well on most metals and can be used under nearly all types of decorative finish including polish, lacquer, varnish and paint.
Highly versatile, it can be used outside if varnished or painted over and mixed with other Brummer wood filler colours of the same type. It can be drilled and sanded just like wood itself, or stained with a proprietary stain to achieve any desired shade.
Small Tin: 250g.
Additional Information
|Manufacturers Product Code


text:
Amazon's New Free-to-Play Store Challenges Steam for Game Distribution
Amazon made back-to-back videogame announcements last week, showing its dedication to moving beyond music, video and e-books in the digital content space.
The first piece of news was Amazon's new GameCircle, which allows gamers on the Kindle Fire to record and track their achievements and to save their game progress to the cloud — similar to features found in Apple's Game Center.
The second addition is called Game Connect, an e-commerce distribution system that lets customers discover and download free-to-play PC games. Amazon is also handling some of the back-end features for the developers, such as selling virtual goods and subscriptions.
Take, for instance, Uber Entertainment, a 16-person development shop in Kirkland, Wash., that started distributing its game, Super Monday Night Combat, through Game Connect last week.
John Comes, creative director at Uber Entertainment, said that, until now, the company distributed its games only through Steam, the Valve-owned-and-operated digital game distribution platform on the PC. With Amazon, it now has two points of distribution.
"We've been working with them for six months. We were talking to various people about getting the game to more people, but for us, they can bring a lot of users," he said.
Uber Entertainment's Super Monday Night Combat game is a free PC download that makes money through the sale of virtual goods, similar to games distributed on Facebook. Uber does not have the infrastructure to charge customers directly, which makes a partnership with Amazon sensible. The retailer has millions of credit cards on file, enabling customers to quickly link their game play to their Amazon account.
Once games are linked to Amazon, users can pay and shop for virtual goods on Amazon's homepage. For instance, Hippies in the game cost $9.99, a tank costs $4.49 and Captain Spark costs $7.49. Each character in the game has a landing page on Amazon's site, enabling all the sorts of features you would normally associate with a product for sale on the site — such as the ability to add it to your cart or add it to your wish list.
The wish list capability appealed to Uber. "A kid can say 'I really want this character for Super Monday,' and parents can buy it for them," he said.
This is not Amazon's first foray into the digital distribution of videogames.
In October 2010, the company launched its digital games store, which offers customers more than 3,000 titles, including free-to-play and massively multiplayer online games. But with Game Connect, it makes shopping for virtual goods much easier. It also makes it much more comparable to the Steam service, though that targets a much more hardcore gaming demographic.
Amazon said terms of the store will be similar to industry standards used by Facebook and Apple's App Store. It will share 70 percent of virtual good revenue with developers.
However, when it comes to price, Amazon will decide the cost of virtual goods, not the developer (although he or she will have some influence). Amazon will set a sales price for an app, and developers will set a list price. Amazon also uses this model on its Appstore for Android, where it distributes games and apps for developers.
It claims to have the resources to monitor sales across the board and come up with a strategy that will maximize sales much faster than a developer or publisher would normally be able to react.
In addition to helping with the payment process, Amazon says with Game Connect it will provide significant resources to the developer, including marketing, discovery, customer service and downloads. A spokesperson said in a statement, "We work hard to help customers find and discover great new games they never knew about and are focused on offering a great shopping experience along with fast and excellent customer service. We do provide a download service from the cloud for client-based games but provide a link to developer servers for browser-based games."
The one situation where payment terms could get a little sticky is when a player originally discovers a game on Steam's service, but then connects to Amazon to pay for the virtual goods. Amazon and Steam have likely figured out a way to compensate each other behind the scenes.


text:
Sunstone Management
Angel or VC Firm • Co-Working Space or Incubator
Sunstone Management is a private capital management and investment firm offering comprehensive wealth management solutions to its worldwide clients, focusing on investments in U.S. based small businesses and lower middle markets. Investment offerings range from short term senior debt products to equity, growth capital, and VC investment strategies.
17Local Employees
Long BeachLocation


text:
- Sales Home
Food & Cooking
**There are only a few spots left, register by October 31**
Bring the essence of Día de los Muertos into the kitchen by balancing the bitter with the sweet.
Día de los Muertos celebrates loved ones who have passed. An important part of this celebration is the creation of altars, filled with ofrendas that feature the loved ones' favorite earthly treats, such as sweets, fine cigars, chocolate, mezcal, beer and favorite foods.
Mole, a traditional food of Día de los Muertos, originated in the town of Oaxaca, Mexico, where it is still a huge part of the culture, and recipes are passed down throughout generations. Oaxaca's population is nearly 50% indigenous and its celebration of Día de los Muertos is renowned.
As loved ones make their way into the afterlife, those who are left behind remember them by cooking their favorite variation of a perfectly balanced mole. The secret to mole is to balance sweet and savory while incorporating flavors preferred by the person cooking the dish. Chef Sandoval's version of mole uses Latin American chocolate, spices and ripe plantains.
Chicken Mole Negro - inspired by a classic mole poblano, with a Honduran twist
Turmeric rice with aromatics
Cabbage slaw with citrus vinaigrette
Red bean puree with cilantro and olive oil
**Special Notes**
The cost of this program includes a take-home kit with the necessary ingredients, available for pick-up at Denver Botanic Gardens York Street location. Kit pick-up details will be sent to participants at least one week prior to the program.
The pick-up date is Sunday, November 1, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m..
Each kit includes enough supplies for two individuals.
This program takes place entirely online. Details on how to join the class will be emailed the day of the program.
Price: $120, $110 member
Instructor: Chef Edwin Sandoval
Honduras-born and Colorado-raised, Edwin Sandoval is a modern multicultural creator of food. Chef Sandoval spent the past 13 years moving through the ranks of professional kitchens in famed restaurants such as Le Grand Bistro & Oyster Bar, Spuntino, Beatrice & Woodsley, and Telegraph Bistro.
Recently, Chef Sandoval launched Xatrucho with the vision to become one of the premier private cooking concepts in Denver. With XATRUCHO, Chef Sandoval creates experiences allowing guests from different walks of life to come together through food.


text:
Report Ad
Expired! This ad has expired. WsDSji3A
$1587 Two bedroom Apartment for rent
- Price$0.00
Takoma Park, Montgomery
Maryland, USA
Sublet.com Listing ID 3527009 Welcome to Montgomery Gardens located in Takoma Park, Maryland. Check out this desirable one and two bedroom community, located near Washington D.C and just minutes from downtown Silver Spring.Did we mention location? At Montgomery Gardens, you are just a short walk from the Takoma Metro, old-town Takoma Park, Montgomery College, Montgomery County Schools, and Jessup Blair Park.
- Posted on: 2017-11-05 06:03:34
- Classified ad views: 1
- Item ID: 8972380
Map location: 20912, Takoma Park, Montgomery, Maryland, USA
Contact Seller


text:
The "Can Do" Kids go back to school in September. Some of them are looking forward to school starting and others, like Hector, wish summer would last all year round.
How do you feel about going back to school? Name three things you like about going back to school and three things you don't like about school.
Are these some of the things you need to buy for school? What else do you need?
- Shoes
- Notebook and pencils
- Ruler
- Crayons
Teacher Pat wants to know…did you finish all the books on your reading list ? Will your teacher ask you to write about what you read over the summer?
Have a great school year !


text:
COROT surprises a year after launch
The space-borne telescope, COROT (Convection, Rotation and planetary Transits), has just completed its first year in orbit. The observatory has brought in surprises after over 300 days of scientific observations.
Pioneering precision measurement over long periods of time COROT is observing a large number of stars, up to
The satellite measures variations in the light output of these stars down to one part in a million. This level of precision allows scientists to study the many ways in which stars vary. The pulsations are caused either due to unknown physical processes in the stellar interior, or by objects such as planets passing in front of the stellar surface.
A treasure trove of information for stellar seismology
To date, 30 stars have been observed as part of the study of stellar seismology, the study of the minuscule changes in light output from a star caused by acoustic waves travelling through the star. The pattern of the changes tells us a lot about what is happening deep inside the star. The stars observed by COROT range from objects similar to our own Sun to older or more massive stars. The observation period varies between 20 and 150 days of essentially uninterrupted study.
After a preliminary analysis, the measurements have revealed very exciting results
Research into solar-type oscillations is one of the mission's key objectives. Such oscillations have already been found in two stars that are very similar to our sun - first in HD49933 and then in HD181420. The variations are very weak in amplitude and given their short coherence time (the duration for which a particular wave persists on the stellar surface), they are very hard to detect and measure.
COROT's discovers its second exoplanet
As a planet passes in front of a star, there is a dip in the light output from the star, which is detected by COROT. Since many other processes can mimic the signature observed, to confirm the presence of a planet, a large confirmation programme with supplementary ground-based observations is necessary to prove the existence of a planet.
Although COROT observes thousands of light curves, the pace of discovery is governed by ground-based observations.
In the third sequence of COROT observations, a likely time for the transit of COROT-exo-2b in front of its star was worked out and an analysis of the light curve was carried out in real-time to confirm the find. Observations were carried out simultaneously at the observatory of Haute Provence in France, and at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, confirming the existence of the planet and its mass was measured.
COROT-exo-2b orbits a star similar to our Sun, somewhat more massive and cooler, but more active. It is located about 800 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Serpens. COROT-exo-2b is a giant planet, 1.4 times larger and 3.5 times more massive than Jupiter. Its average density of 1.5 grams per cubic centimetre is also somewhat higher than Jupiter's. This massive planet orbits its star in a little less than two days from a distance of about six times the stellar radius.
"Christmas is early this year," for ESA's COROT Project Scientist, Malcolm Fridlund. "The release of the first data set has already had the science team working hard. The quality of the data is fantastic and the results will change both, how we see exoplanets and how we understand stars."
Notes for editors:
During the spring of 2007, COROT discovered its first exoplanet, named COROT-exo-1b.
On 10 December 2007, the first set of data obtained by COROT was released to the Co-Investigators of the mission. These scientists hail from the member states of the COROT consortium (ESA, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain). The actual analysis of large amounts of data has just begun and is expected to speed-up with the release of the next data segment in February 2008.
In the data obtained, many light curves show signs of exoplanets in transit and are being followed-up from ground. Within this list of objects which is growing by the day, two candidates stand out as particularly interesting. One planet is half the size of Saturn, and another is the size of Jupiter, but with a very unusual density.
The discovery of COROT-exo-1b and COROT-exo-2b is described in three scientific papers that will be submitted to scientific journals in the next few days.
COROT has observed four regions so far:
- One zone in the direction of the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros) for 60 days
- Two regions in the opposite direction on the sky, towards the constellation of the Snake's tail (Serpens Cauda) – one short for 26 days and one long for 150 days.
- A new region in the direction of the Unicorn, where COROT will remain for at least 150 days
COROT was launched by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonour cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 27 December 2006. Settled in its almost-circular polar orbit ranging between 895 and 906 km above Earth's surface, the spacecraft was powered on 2 January 2007 and started its science observations on 3 February this year.
COROT is a CNES project with ESA participation. The other major partners in this mission are Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain.
For more information:
Malcolm Fridlund, ESA COROT Project Scientist
Email: Malcolm.Fridlund @ esa.int


text:
Monthly Archive for August, 2012
Sign Up to 'Trash Cancer' with Fran Drescher this September!
Did you know that in the U.S., 1 in 3 women (moms, wives, daughters and sisters), and every other man (dads, husbands, brothers and sons) will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime? Did you also know, according to Cancer Schmancer, 90% of cancer is environment and lifestyle related?
Most of us don't, and that's why I'm encouraging as many people as I can to 'Trash Cancer' this September 29.…


text:
Morning Brief: December 24
Those celebrating Christmas Eve tonight would be wise to celebrate with the classic Christmas song "Silent Night"—it's the song's 195th birthday, first performed in 1818 at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria. Not into it? Just stick with a Silent Night.
Partly cloudy skies, high of 40 degrees. Stays partly cloudy tonight, low of 24 heading into Christmas morning [Full forecast].
The White House has extended the deadline to apply for health insurance on Healthcare.gov after a last-minute swarm of sign-ups [NY Times].
Those close to the situation say New York City's finally settled the lawsuits over 2004 arrests at the GOP convention [NY Times].
De Blasio's named Alicia Glen as Deputy Mayor of housing and economic development, sure to be a big focus of the mayoralty [WNYC].
No games tonight
Knicks snuck by Orlando 103-98
And Nets fell to Indiana 103-86
Rangers beat Toronto in shootout 2-1
Islanders crushed Detroit 3-0
And Devils fell to Chicago 5-2
Baby Dee & Little Annie @ Joe's Pub
Harlem Gospel Choir @ B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
Soulfarm @ Highline Ballroom
On this day in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan was formed.
WFUV's Morning Brief is published each weekday morning at 5 a.m. Do you have an event or news item that should be included? Email firstname.lastname@example.com or leave a comment below.


text:
How NOT to Test Anti-Malware Products
Joe Wells
Chief Technology Officer
Lavasoft AB, Gothenburg Sweden
Back at the dawn of the scan age, when the first antivirus products crawled out of the primordial ooze, a model arose for the efficient detection of computer viruses.
File infecting viruses spread upon a system by infecting innocent files in a fairly chaotic confusion. So a virus could exist almost anywhere on the drive system. Often they existed all over the drive system.
As numbers increased, and antivirus companies battled it out by claiming they detected more viruses, a model arose for testing antivirus claims. The model correctly focused on testing how viruses really spread and how antivirus products actually scanned. And of course "big numbers" was construed as a good thing. However, the majority of viruses never actually infected users systems, and thus did not constitute a real world threat.
Then, in 1993, a system of cooperative reporting arose that enabled developers and testers to focus more on the actual threat. It was called the WildList and allowed testers to fine tune testing, by moving away from mere numbers and focusing on the reality of the virus threat.
Since the original WildList appeared, the nature of the actual threat to users has changed dramatically. Viruses (that is true viruses that infect files all over the system) are now nearly extinct. Recent WildLists have only a handful of true viruses. Most threats on the WildList today are actually worms. However in today's reality, viruses and worms are comparatively rare. They are a miniscule part of the real and present threats to users.
For example, at the time of this writing, the WildList (August 2007) says that 580 threats have been reported during the past six months. By contrast, at the time of this writing, the malware research lab at Lavasoft received 1500 new threats over the past weekend.
A New Age is Upon Us
Things have changed radically. Newer threats, current threats, have dramatically evolved in ways diametrically divergent to viruses. Thus, our reality has changed dramatically.
Where viruses could exist anywhere (or everywhere) on a computer, the majority of today's threats load specific files, keys, etc to specific locations on the system.
This is our new reality.
Unfortunately, however, many anti-malware product reviewers are still stuck back in the scan age. They seem to think the archaic antivirus model applies to today's reality. It does not apply, and fabricating it to apply yields inaccurate, and even deceptively misleading results.
To substantiate this claim, let us look at a recent example of a recent test based on outmoded scan age assumptions.
Case in Point
In a recent PC World test (20 August 2007), which was performed by AV-Test Org, a portion of the test involved "about 110,000 inactive" threats. In simple terms the reviewer tested products that were designed specifically to detect "active" against "inactive" threats. Their claimed justification was that "an inactive sample is like an application you've downloaded and haven't yet installed." This is not a valid.
Now, this is the point in our discussion where you should challenge me and ask why that isn't a valid claim.
In response, I will ask you the following questions:
- If a product is designed to actively block a downloaded file, or to prevent it from being run, that is a good design, is it not?
- If a product is designed to look for threats where they actually exist on an infected system, that is a valid reality check, is it not?
- If a product is tested in a manner in which it is not intended to work, and does not need to work, does that testing reflect reality?
If, then, testing does not represent reality, it is a fabrication. It is unrealistic. It can even be considered deceptive.
Let's look at a specific example from this PC World test.
NB. Since I have been associated with several antivirus, and anti-malware products (including two in this review), let us look for evidence of my claim that the testing methodology was flawed, by looking at a product with which I am not associated; namely, the well known anti-malware product called Spybot.
Blind Testers, or Uninformed Editors, or Both?
If you have ever run Spybot, then you know that (unlike products that list all the files on the system as they are scanned) it lists the threats as it looks for them. Specifically, as the product scans, the threat names appear in rapid succession in the GUI.
What, then, about the tester who was watching this test?
Did he or she notice that the threats in the database were being listed? Did that person assume (wrongly) that the whole drive was being scanned for each threat? Hopefully, the tester recognized the fact that Spybot was looking for each threat precisely where said threat would actually be located in a real infection. It was performing a reality check.
I think you would agree that a product which performs a reality check by looking for real threats where they are really found, is doing the right thing. Spybot looks for real infections.
Now imagine another product. A hypothetical product. A fabricated anti-malware product. Any mediocre programmer with a huge collection of threats could easily create a product that detected all 110,000 threats in a test, yet offer zero protection from real infections.
By contrasting Spybot and the hypothetical product, we can easily see the misleading and fabricated nature of this archaic test method.
On the one hand, the useless scanner would score high points for locating threats where they do not exist in real infections, and would thus be rewarded, while offering no real protection in the real world.
On the other hand, Spybot would be penalized for offering real protection from real threats as they really exist.
In this scenario, the testing methodology would reflect the exact opposite of reality. Bad product made to appear good. Good product made to look bad.
In fact, Spybot was penalized for their approach to scanning. Please note this fact.
The test summary makes the following claim:
"Spybot detected less than 2 percent of our inactive adware and spyware threats, indicating that its signature database of threats is insufficient. It also failed to detect all nine inactive root kits." [italics mine]
Since Spybot is obviously intended to look for real threats where they really exist in the real world, then this claim is unsubstantiated, demonstrably irrelevant, and therefore misleading to readers of the review.
The subheading for the Spybot evaluation states that the product "can't recognize and clean up many of today's threats." But does the method of testing actually substantiate that claim?
What do you think?
Was Spybot penalized because of a flawed test methodology? Should the product review have been designed to reflect the real world. If so, then this product review begs the question of whether or not this review misrepresented the true nature and comparative value of all the products tested. Including, by the way, the Ad-Aware product from Lavasoft, with which I am now associated. In this case, the magazine misinformed readers.
Such misapplication of archaic scan age test methodology to today's modern reality, and to the real world products that deal with that reality, is at best flawed, valueless, unrealistic, and misleading to users. At worst, they are deceptive and damaging.
NB. This is the first of at least two papers on the subject of correct anti-malware product testing.
November 21, 2007
Joe Wells


text:
in reply to Re^2: How scalars work (about numbers, text strings, and binary strings)
in thread How scalars work (about numbers, text strings, and binary strings)
Sorry, your browser is broken beyond what I personally care to work around. The post is a mere <pre> tag with text in it, no further formatting applied. If even this breaks, anything might, and we could wrap the entire internet in <readmore>... Please check and repair your setup.
The 80 characters width is a conscious conservative choice, and the diagram renders correctly on my computer in Firefox, Opera, Konqueror, Internet Explorer, Safari, w3m, Links2, Lynx, Dillo, ... That's all the major browsers and a few obscure ones.
I had reports of some monospace fonts being not-so-monospaced for unicode linedrawing characters (while especially there, it really matters), so I uploaded the screenshot at http://juerd.nl/files/perlvalues.png. I try my best, but I have to draw a line with regards to how far I want to go, and adding <readmore> tags to hide the most important part of this work is well beyond that line.


text:
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons strained fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1
- 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
- 1 3/4 teaspoons finely grated Meyer lemon peel, divided
- 1
- 1 cup frozen unsweetened blackberries, thawed
Recipe Preparation
Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, 5 tablespoons lemon juice, egg yolks, and corn syrup in small metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of boiling water; whisk until mixture is thick and fluffy and thermometer inserted into mixture registers 180°F, about 3 minutes. Place bowl with yolk mixture over larger bowl filled with ice and water until mixture is cool, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold cooled yolk mixture into cream in 3 additions. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
Mix berries and any accumulated juices, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel in small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Coarsely mash half of berries in bowl to thicken juices. Scoop lemon cream into small bowls. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoon berry sauce and serve.


text:
I will be going to Germany on business trip end of January, so I am pretty sure will not be planning any time for riding. Will be in the Heidelberg area and will have a few days vacation. Looking for suggestions for visiting:
- BMW dealers
- Assessory companies like Hornig or Wunderlich
- motorcycle museums


text:
@Jessica Fors - I lovelovelove that brown pinwheel. Will you tell us how you made it?
You are hereForums › Digital Scrapbooking › Digital Scrapbooking Discussion › Pixel Scrapper December Blog Train
Pixel Scrapper December Blog Train
Shuckclod! So many fun things in your kit! You inspire me to reach new goals.
well, here is a little peak of mine. i had to force myself not to keep making things lol
@Tina Anderson: I made it the old school way With real paper and then scanned
How you do a pinweel is: Cut out a squar of dubblesided paper and cut fron corner into almost the middle (leave as much as you like) and then take one edge to the middle, leave one, take the next and so on Finish with a brad or a button or something
Oh Shelly do i see white glittery snowflakes? Looks really good
I have a bit of a random question. I ran across some amazing artwork on the net that would lend itself perfectly to creating some amazing templates. The artwork is available for personal use only. I've emailed the artist to request that I be able to manipulate the art to make some elements and papers. I also asked if I would be able to use the creations on a site like this that allows commercial use. I'm guessing that he won't be keen on the idea. Is it possible to label those particular elements as personal use only and still have the rest of my kit be for commercial use?
Crossing my fingers that he'll be okay with using his stuff!!
I also have a question How and when do we set up the bloglist? Maybe start in your blog here Marisa? It's almost deadline
good question jessica, i was thinking the same thing. this will be my first time doing anything like this so i may need some tips lol and yes, there are glittery snowflakes
Wow, everyone's kits look awesome! I am still working on my preview and hope to have it done before I go to bed tonight.
Janet, if you are providing your kit on your blog and not here on the site, you should be able to label it anyway you like. It's best to keep it simple so I would offer the entire kit for personal use if you have elements that are not allowed for resale. Maybe you could offer a CU link to a file that excludes the items in question.
I'll be back to post a preview (I hope)
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3


text:
Getting Started
System Requirements
|ROBOTC requires basic system specifications to run properly. The development environment is not processor intensive, but the interactive debugger may slow down computer performance on older machines.
For more information on ROBOTC's Virtual World program, see our Computer Requirements and Performance page.
ROBOTC will not run natively in any other operating system other than Microsoft Windows. ROBOTC will run with a Virtualization client on a Apple Macintosh. ROBOTC has been tested with VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and Apple's Boot Camp. You will still need to download/install device drivers found on your purchased CD or on the ROBOTC website.
Downloading ROBOTC
|Before we start programming in ROBOTC, we need to first download and install the client. This can be done by navigating to ROBOTC's website ( http://www.robotc.net) and selecting the 'Downloads' tab.
|1) From the ROBOTC website, select the individual robotics platform you wish to program on. If you want to use multiple platforms or accidentally download the wrong version, you can manually activate and choose another platform thorugh the ROBOTC program. When you get to the correct platform page, click on the 'Download ROBOTC for X version x.xx' to start the download process:
|2) At this point click the 'Save' button to start downloading ROBOTC. You may get a warning pop-up from either Windows, your antivirus program, or both. This is to warn you that some programs downloaded from the internet can be malicious and to use care before running them; click allow to start the download.
Installing and Uninstalling ROBOTC
|1) Once the program is done downloading, navigate to the Downloads folder on your computer and start the ROBOTC installer. You may have to right click on the installer and select the "Run as Administrator" depending on individual computer restrictions; ROBOTC must be installed with administrator privileges.
|2) Before you can proceed, you must read over and accept the End User License Agreement. If you agree to the End User Agreement, check the "I accept" and then the "Next" button to continue the installation.
|3) Next, select where you would like ROBOTC to install to. The default location is C:/Program Files (x86)/Robomatter Inc/ROBOTC Development Environment.
|4) The installer will ask you to confirm your settings. If everything looks correct, click "Install" to being the installation process. The installer will then begin copying files from the installer to your computer. Please wait until this is complete.
|5) The installer will inform you of when the installation is complete. Click the "Finish" button to complete your install.
|6) Right-Click on the ROBOTC icon and select "Run as Administrator" to run ROBOTC as an administrator (assuming the user account has administrator privileges). You will only need to do this one time.
|Depending on which platform you are installing, ROBOTC may also install additional drivers unique to each platform. If for any reason the drivers are not downloaded and installed properly they can be downloaded and installed manually from the ROBOTC website.
Building Licenses
Activate Online
|To continue using ROBOTC past the 30 day trial period, you must purchase a ROBOTC license and then activate the license on each computer.
If you are Activating the ROBOTC license on computers with internet access, follow the Activation instructions below.
NOTE: ROBOTC must be activated on each individual computer. ROBOTC can no longer be activated offline; the computers must be activated with a working internet connection. Once activation is complete, the computers do not need to remain online to stay activated.
1) Open ROBOTC and navigate to the Help menu. From there, select 'Manage Licenses -> Add License'. If you do not already have a ROBOTC license, you may purchase one by clicking the 'Purchase License' option.
Select Platform Type
|Open the "Robot" menu in ROBOTC and hover your cursor over the "Platform Type" menu option. This will open up the platform select menu. Select the platform you wish you use with ROBOTC. You can change the platform type at any time.
ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS has support for five different platforms:
Before you use ROBOTC, make sure to select which platform you are currently using (in this example, the Lego Mindstorms/TETRIX/MATRIX platform is selected).


text:
All ports in windows 2008 is blocked by default.
For running an application needs specified port you should open it in firewall configuration .
In this post you will see how to open ports in windows firewall.
Also video of this post is available in the below.
Also if you need windows VPS you can buy windows vps from monovm .com
- go to Start > Administrative Tools > Windows firewall with Advanced Security
2. in this step select Inbound Rules and then New Rule .
3. In This step select Port .
4. In this step you can open all ports by selecting All local Ports or you can open specified port in specific local ports .
5. in this step select Allow the connection.
6. in this step select next and put fileds default.
7. in this step choose name for your rule and finish the configuration process.
Video of this Post :


text:
Posted by Alisa on Friday, May 16, 2014 / Comments: (0)
Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria were seen in the Hamptons town of Amagansett with their 9-month-old daughter Carmen on Friday (May 16). Alec is also dad to daughter Ireland, 18, with ex-wife Kim Basinger.
Posted by Alisa / Comments: (0)
Expectant mother singer Ciara shared a picture of her baby's room on instagram. The photo was captioned, This Is All Surreal. Everything About This Time And Process...Wow!!:)'
Ciara and her fiance rapper Future are expecting their first child together.


text:
Alabama's hospitalized COVID-19 patients Sunday at highest number since Sept. 2.
COVID-19 hospitalizations, new cases continue to rise
New unemployment claims decreased last week
Trump to visit Pensacola tonight
Interior Department designates new national recreational trail in Alabama
Trump Truck and boat parades this weekend
Opinion | Doug Jones's pathway to victory: Substance over lies
U.S. Supreme Court rules Alabama can ban curbside voting
Congressional candidate James Averhart endorsed by list of U.S. dignitaries, retired military leaders
Governor announces auto supplier IAC plans Alabama expansion
Aderholt fully supports Barrett's confirmation process
New unemployment claims increased last week
Governor announces $1.5 million grant to expand job training at Bevill State Community College
Sean Worsley, Black disabled veteran arrested for medical marijuana, gets parole
Lawsuit alleges "religious test" on Alabama voter registration form
Vestavia doctor sentenced to 30 years for producing child porn
Roy Moore sues state challenging COVID orders
Alabama parole officers seize firearms, ammunition and drugs in Enterprise
Alabama inmate dies after inmate-on-inmate assault
28th Alabama inmate dies after testing positive for COVID-19
Attorney general opposes motion to reconsider Hubbard's prison sentence
SPLC report: Despite COVID-19 deaths, Alabama isn't releasing older, at-risk inmates
SPLC files complaints in Pike County over suspension of two Black students
Report: Alabama is fourth-least politically engaged state in 2020
ASU strips Bibb Graves name from campus building
"Worst fear come true:" Two Alabama public school teachers lose parents to COVID-19
UA partners with Alabama Power and Techstars on energy-focused accelerator
Former Barbour County sheriff arrested, charged with taking money from sheriff's office
Former State Sen. David Burkette pleads guilty, avoids jail
Mike Hubbard's attorney asks court to reconsider prison sentence
Mike Hubbard booked into jail more than four years after conviction
State shuts down flounder harvest in November
ADEM director weighs-in on coal ash pond closures
Bow season begins today
Gov. Kay Ivey declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Delta
Mark McDaniel reappointed to NASA Human Exploration and Operations Advisory Committee
Jones bill aimed at bringing jobs back from China included in Senate NDAA
Byrne praises House passage of NDAA authorizing additional Austal ship
Aderholt critical of Democrats' NASA budget proposal
Sen. Jones: Millions for Alabama priorities in annual defense bill
Barry Moore: Trump is right when he says that Biden is "all talk and no action"
Last presidential debate is tonight
Opinion | Former Sen. Brewbaker supports Montgomery tax referendum
Opinion | Counting on good Neighbors
Opinion | Voter suppression is the only hope for Republicans
Opinion | Election less than two weeks away
Opinion | Prisons, justice reform and the art of the possible
Opinion | Amendment 4: Stairway to heaven or highway to hell?
Opinion | Gov. Kay Ivey didn't cave
Opinion | In Alabama, the past is prologue
Opinion | Hubbard did the crime; he should do the time
Opinion | Electing Tuberville could cost Alabama billions
Opinion | Doug Jones believes in Alabama voters, even if they don't deserve it
Opinion | New AUM poll: We're all losing
Opinion | The laziest man in politics
Opinion | Laura Casey offers sunshine for the PSC
Opinion | A rubber stamp or a thinker? Pick the thinker
Opinion | Not sure what it was, but it was no debate
Opinion | For Coach Tub, no thinking required
Opinion | GOP control of U.S. Senate critical for Alabama
Opinion | The story of the Dixiecrats and 1948 Truman election as president
Opinion | Alabama's budget year begins this week. COVID-19 has played havoc
Opinion | All politics is local. All of Alabama's mayors races this year
Opinion | FEMA's Hurricane Sally response
Opinion | An inspirational pick
Opinion | Hearings give public opportunity to weigh in on coal ash plans
Opinion | Now is the perfect time for upskilling into a high-demand job
The 2020 college football season that many said would never be played began Thursday night at Birmingham's historic Legion Field. UAB defeated Central Arkansas from the...


text:
There has been a longstanding debate over the most appropriate age to begin mammography screening and the frequency of screening examinations. As with all screening tests, the decision to perform a mammogram must include an evaluation of the benefits and the risks of the screening tool, as well as a consideration of patient preference.
The recent controversy about mammography should not suggest that there is debate about the most important issues. Most breast cancer experts agree far more than they disagree. For example, there is no debate that mammography reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. As stated in the new USPSTF recommendations, extensive scientific evidence demonstrates that mammography reduces breast cancer mortality both among women aged 50 and older, as well as among women aged 40 to 49.
Because breast cancer false positive results are more common in women under 50, some argue for a different screening approach in women 40-49 than in those over 50. The USPSTF suggests that women 40-49 consider their individual risk of developing breast cancer before making a decision about screening mammography. They further suggest that those women at increased risk should strongly consider regular mammography screening. Women at lower risk, who wish to initiate screening in their 40s should recognize that the benefits of screening are less than in older women.
As to the timing of mammography, the USPSTF also suggests that screening every other year is likely to be as effective as annual screening, and that this approach would decrease false positives. Biennial screening is already practiced in many countries. Different organizations, based on a review of the same data, may recommend either yearly or every other year screening for women at average risk of breast cancer between the ages of 40-75. We believe that the timing of assessment is best left to a woman and her health care provider. We call upon third party payers to fund annual mammography if a woman and her health care provider opt for this approach. There are no studies that directly address the role of mammography in women over the age of 75. We recommend that older women, particularly those in excellent health, discuss the role of ongoing screening with their health care provider.
One-third of all American women do not undergo regular screening. The failure of age appropriate women to undergo mammography costs lives and reflects problems with access to care and breast cancer education. We need to work as rapidly as possible to correct these deficiencies, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure continues to fund research and education designed to eliminate health care disparities.
We want to eliminate any impediments to regular mammography screening for women age 40 and older. It is our view, however, that the exact timing of assessments is less important than guaranteeing access to screening. New screening approaches and more individualized recommendations for breast cancer screening are urgently needed. Susan G. Komen for the Cure supports research initiatives designed to improve screening, and we believe that it is imperative that this research move forward rapidly.


text:
Verizon Wireless is offering discounts of at least $10 a month for subscribers who buy their phones through the company's installment plan.
Before, customers who opted for Verizon's Edge plan had essentially been paying for their phones twice — through the installments and again as part of monthly service bills that include the costs of phone subsidies that Edge customers weren't taking advantage of.
The discounts announced Thursday do not fully cover the installments on high-end phones. Verizon charges about $27 a month for an iPhone 5S, for instance. By participating in Edge, customers on data plans of up to 8 gigabytes get $10 a month off, while those on higher plans get $20.
That said, Edge doesn't charge a $200 up-front fee for the typical high-end phone, as subsidized plans do. That's a savings of more than $8 a month over two years, meaning customers who get the $20 discount are slightly ahead overall.
AT&T Inc. has already offered discounts for people on its Next installment plan, starting at $15 a month. Those with 10 gigabytes or more of data get $25 a month off. Meanwhile, T-Mobile US Inc. did away with subsidies entirely and reduced all service charges accordingly last March.
In both cases, customers also save if they buy their own device elsewhere and don't participate in the carrier's installment program. Verizon's discounts apply only to its installment customers. As the No. 1 wireless provider, it doesn't face the same competitive pressures that other wireless carriers do.
Verizon spokeswoman Debra Lewis said that while Verizon's discounts apply only to Edge customers, other plan changes will benefit subsidized customers as well.
Verizon is increasing the data allotment for some customers, while creating two lower-priced plans with less data. These buckets of data can be shared among several devices. Under these shared plans, customers pay a monthly base fee depending on the amount of data needed. A monthly fee is then added for each device sharing that data.
Under the new plans, Verizon is also offering free texting with phones abroad while the customer is in the U.S., but it isn't matching T-Mobile's offer of free text and data roaming while traveling to other countries.
The discounts and pricing changes will be automatic for those already on one of Verizon's shared plans. Those currently on 500 megabyte, 1 gigabyte or 2 gigabyte plans will see their data allotments increase to 1 GB, 2 GB or 3 GB. They will have to contact Verizon if they want to keep their current allotment and save an additional $10 a month instead.


text:
Welcome to Durdles Books
We are really pleased that you have chosen to visit our book shop.
We have excellent stock to browse or search, we specialise in Science Fiction and Fantasy, have good selections of Modern Firsts, extensive collections of mainstream hardback fiction, non-fiction, and children's illustrated books. We are sure that you will find something of interest amongst our delectable offerings ....
We are proud to be members of the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA). You are welcome to follow us on twitter or like us on Facebook or check out our instagram feed. We are always keen to buy books individual titles or collections let us know if you have books to sell - Cheers! - Ian
Our new catalogue is now available
Durdles Books Catalogue 005 (PDF 4mb)
April 2018 New Listings Spring 2018


text:
Skype For Business
Skype For Business - Professional Meetings and Collaboration
Skype for Business, the latest version of Microsoft Lync, provides an all-in-one Unified Communication solution to cover all business needs, from messaging and meetings, to screen sharing.
This paid version of Skype allows integration with Office 365, Outlook, and enterprise PBX. It also offers better security for Skype for Home in comparison to the free version.
Key Features:
VoIPon has Skype for Business compatible phones, gateways, and Session Border Controllers, helping businesses make the most of Skype's all-in-one Unified Communication.


text:
Property Location
Located in Plymouth, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Plymouth is in a rural location and convenient to Price Memorial Park and Marshall County Historical Museum. This hotel is within the region of Tri-Way Golf Club and Potato Creek State Park.
Make yourself at home in one of the 72 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and complimentary newspapers, as well as phones with free local calls.
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities including an indoor pool and a fitness center.
Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is included.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. Planning an event in Plymouth? This hotel has facilities measuring 484 square feet (44 square meters), including a meeting room. Free self parking is available onsite.


text:
Posted by Arnold Plotnick, DVM on 12/18/2007 in Scratching Post Articles
Cats are living longer and better quality lives than ever before, thanks to improved nutrition, veterinary care and educated owners. This increased longevity means that more owners will be faced with the special demands and problems that become apparent with geriatric cats. Understanding aging is the first step in providing the best possible care to your cat in her golden years.
First, realize that aging itself is not a disease – it is simply a stage of life. Increasing age causes a gradual decline in the body's ability to repair itself, maintain normal body functions and adapt to the stresses and changes in the environment. Many changes occur. For example, metabolism changes, so less food is required. Older cats, in general, have a more sedentary life style, so weight gain and obesity are common problems.
Changes in a cat's environment or routine may actually contribute to behavioral changes or even illness. With time, cats begin to have a gradual decline in their hearing, sense of smell, vision and taste. Older cats tend to sleep more and have more difficulty being roused. Metabolic and endocrine problems, organ dysfunction and cancer are all seen with increased frequency in the elderly cat.
Proper care, nutrition, medical attention and a safe, stimulating environment are important factors that can improve a cat's quality of life and longevity dramatically. Genetics also plays a part. Siamese tend to have longer life expectancies, but Persians usually have shorter life expectancies.
Cats reach senior status by age 7 or 8 – the perfect time to begin a geriatric health plan so that disorders can be detected early enough to provide medical or surgical intervention.
A complete geriatric health plan includes these eight veterinary procedures and tests:
A complete medical history. Some veterinarians have specific geriatric health history questionnaires that can be filled out by the owner. Any problems or concerns that owners have about their pet should be discussed.
A complete physical examination. Eyes and ears are examined for signs of infection or allergies. The mouth, gums and teeth are evaluated, with dental disease and gingivitis being common findings. Lymph nodes and the thyroid gland are evaluated for enlargement. The skin and quality of the hair coat are observed. Skin tumors or swellings are noted. A poor hair coat or a lack of grooming may be signs of allergies, parasites, infections or systemic illness. The heart and lungs are evaluated with the stethoscope and any abnormalities or murmurs are noted. The abdomen is palpated for any masses or organ enlargements. Finally, the general body condition and weight are recorded.
Complete blood count. In geriatric cats, anemia is common. It may be necessary to determine if the anemia is acute, chronic or related to a cancer.
Biochemical profile. Information about the liver, kidneys, blood sugar, and electrolytes is obtained through this important test.
Thyroid testing. Hyperthyroidism is a very common problem in older cats. The most common signs of hyperthyroidism are increased appetite and weight loss. The disorder is very treatable, and in most cases is easily diagnosed through this simple blood test.
Urinalysis. Analysis of the urine can help detect underlying urinary tract infection, kidney problems and diabetes. If necessary, a urine culture may be recommended.
Fecal examination. Since gastrointestinal parasites may be more debilitating in geriatric animals, a yearly fecal exam is recommended.
FIV and FeLV (feline leukemia virus) testing. Both of these viral diseases may cause suppression of the immune system and can contribute to many other systemic illnesses. Cats who have previously tested negative and have had no possible exposure to other cats may not need this test.
The proper diet is very important in the care of a geriatric cat. There is no "best" food to feed a geriatric cat as the choice depends on the specific problems or nutritional requirements of the particular cat. Consult your veterinarian.
Final senior strategy: enroll your cat in a geriatric wellness program at your veterinary clinic so you can maximize the chances of detecting disorders early, allow for appropriate treatment and promote the health and longevity of your cat.
By Arnold Plotnick, DVM, board-certified in feline medicine and internal medicine. He operates the Manhattan Cat Specialists practice in New York City and can be reached through his website: www.manhattancats.com.


text:
I'm currently building a prototype WiFI module to add both WiFi and an application platform to a client's existing product range.
This lets us add things like MQTT, a web browser, Bluetooth, internet radio and remote firmware updates to the product.
I'm currently prototyping using Intel Edison because:
1. It's powerful. Running Linux with 1GB Ram and 4GB eMMC
2. It's small! Nice small form factor.
3. It's easy to use and integrate into existing products.
4. It looks professional.
However it is expensive at £40 a shot.
Can anyone recommend a similar embedded linux module? It must run linux, have WiFi and Bluetooth (A2DP at a minimum).
It must also look professional on a daughter board inside a product.
I could just chuck an R-PI in there, but that wouldn't look great! Not a professional finish!
There's r-PI Compute moule as well, but it's big and doesn't include WiFI or Bluetooth.
Then there's R-PI Zero - it's smaller but it still has things like HDMI connector which is pointless in my application.
So is there anything to compare with the Intel Edison for power and form factor?


text:
Services on Demand
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in Google
South African Journal of Education
On-line version ISSN 2076-3433
Print version ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.31 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2011
Teachers' use of questioning in supporting learners doing science investigations
Umesh Ramnarain*
I examine how teachers employ a questioning strategy in supporting Grade 9 learners doing science investigations in South African schools. A particular focus of this study was how teachers use questioning in contributing towards the autonomy of these learners. The research adopted a qualitative approach which involved the collection of data by means of classroom observations and interviews with five teachers at schools resourced for practical work. The analysis of transcript data revealed that teachers support learners by asking probing questions at all stages of the investigation. The teachers used a questioning strategy in enabling the learners to understand more clearly the question or hypothesis they intended investigating, to review and reconsider their planning, to rethink some of their actions when collecting data, to make sense of their data, and to revisit and amend their plan after generating incorrect findings. The significance of this study, in making explicit teacher questioning at the stages of the investigation, is that it provides a guideline for teachers on how to support learners attain greater autonomy in doing science investigations.
Keywords: learner autonomy; questioning; science investigation
Practical work in the school science curriculum has formed the focus of curriculum reform initiatives which have taken place worldwide (Gott & Duggan, 2007:271). In South Africa, a cornerstone of reform of the school science curriculum is the introduction of science investigations in practical work. A science investigation is described as a process which takes place in stages. These stages as identified by the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) (Department of Education, 2002:17) for Natural Sciences include:
Planning investigations
Conducting investigations and collecting data
Evaluating data and communicating findings
Although this curriculum is expected to undergo revision, the proposed changes reaffirm the pivotal role of science investigations in the teaching and learning of science, and learners developing competence at each of these stages of an investigation. When planning the investigation, learners identify the materials to be used, identify the type of variables involved (control, independent, dependent), formulate a question or hypothesis, and determine how the variables can be manipulated,controlled, and measured (Chin, 2003:35). In conducting the investigation, learners manipulate apparatus and materials to make observations and measurements (Corry, 2005:64). The learner then evaluates the collected data by seeking patterns and trends, and generalises in terms of simple principles. At this stage learners also consider the extent to which the conclusions reached are reasonable answers to the focus question of the investigation (Department of Education, 2002:17).
This new emphasis on the investigative approach is in stark contrast to the traditional 'cookbook' approach to practical work where learners followed 'recipes' for the execution of procedures handed down by the teacher without much thought and purpose (Anderson, 2007; Kim & Tan, 2010). Many of the practical activities carried out by learners merely confirmed or illustrated theory. The educational value of this approach was questionable, as when the findings disagreed with the theory provided by the textbook, learners often fudged their data in order to get the expected results (Viechnicki & Kuipers, 2006:115).
The investigative approach to practical work advocates greater learner autonomy, a notion that is promulgated in the South African curriculum (Department of Education, 2002:1). The literature on learner autonomy is abundant, but there is not a general consensus on what this term means or implies (Black & Deci, 2000:741). However, in the context of this study, learner autonomy is synonymous with independent learning where learners are able to work on their own with some guidance from the teacher. Granting the learners autonomy in doing investigations would therefore require that teachers surrender much of the control of the learning situation. According to Billings (2001:2), if a "sage-on-the-stage" is the metaphor for the traditional passive learning environment, then "learner-on-stage, and support staff as stage hands, with the teacher directing it all" is the metaphor for learner-centred learning. In this autonomous learning environment the role of the teacher when learners are doing investigations is re-defined as he/she supports learners. This study focuses on the teacher in this new environment in exploring how he/she uses questioning as a support strategy.
In recent years there has been increasing research interest in the implementation of science investigations, with a focus on how much autonomy learners have in doing investigations. The studies cited below have revealed that despite curriculum imperatives for students to have more autonomy when doing investigations, they remain largely teacher controlled. In a survey of science education in the United States conducted in 2000 by Horizon Inc. for the National Science Foundation (NSF) it was shown that only 12% of teachers indicated students were asked to design or implement their own investigation (Smith, Banilower, McMahon & Weiss, 2002:42). Science investigations continue to be presented in teacher scripted labs where learners follow directions to merely confirm textbooks answers (Trumbull, Scarano & Bonney, 2006:1718). In South Africa, two relatively recent studies (Seopa, Laugksch, Aldridge & Fraser, 2003; Rogan & Aldous, 2005) have highlighted the lack of learner autonomy in science practical work as practical work was still dominated by teacher demonstrations and a cookbook approach where learners merely followed the teacher's directions.
If learners doing investigations is to become widespread in South African classrooms the nature of the support the teacher offers to learners has to be properly defined so that learners retain autonomy over the investigations. According to Onwu and Stoffels (2005:80) teachers need to possess "the necessary pedagogical skills and resources to guide and facilitate inquirybased learning through an outcomes-based education (OBE) teaching approach". Our knowledge about how to promote a learner-centred environment of scientific investigations is limited (Fradd & Lee, 1999:14). Research that has been conducted on investigations has identified role modelling, questioning, teacher feedback, teaching experimental techniques as support strategies that teachers can provide for students (Haigh, 2001; Howe, 2002; Villanueva-Hay & Webb, 2007; Wu & Hsieh, 2006). Such strategies describe the guidance the teacher gives learners in order to facilitate their progress when doing investigations. The form that this support assumes is critical and must not be confused with teacher control. Teacher control describes the degree to which a teacher determines what is done and how it is done. Teacher questions in particular form an important component of classroom discourse (Chin, 2007:816), and the types of questions are important indicators of the classroom environment. My study therefore examines how teachers employ a questioning strategy in supporting learners who are doing scientific investigations. The type of questions posed by the teacher in supporting the learners' progress through the stages of the investigation is different from that in a traditional teacher-dominated classroom where the teachers' questions have the purpose of controlling the social situation (Lemke, 1990:19). In such an environment the teacher asks closed questions that are information-seeking, and students are discouraged from articulating their thoughts (Chin, 2007:818). In an activity which is more learner-centred with aspects of learner autonomy, the teacher is encouraged to ask a "productive" type of question which calls for reflection and analysis that promote a view of science as a dynamic search for answers. Such questions by the teacher provoke thought and encourage learners to justify their actions (King, 1994).
The theoretical underpinning of this supportive approach is Vygotsky's (1978) notion of learning in the zone of proximal development (ZPD) and the related apprenticeship model of Rogoff (1990). Vygotsky's model for the mechanism through which social interaction facilitates cognitive development resembles apprenticeship, in which a novice works closely with an expert through dialogic discourse in the zone of proximal development. The novice is thereby able to receive support in participating in the activities beyond those that he or she is independently capable of handling (Rogoff, 1990). The apprenticeship model described by Rogoff (1990:7) considers children as apprentices who develop skills and understandings from participating with more skilled members of their society within the context of sociocultural activity. In the science class the more knowledgeable and skilled teacher guides learners through the stages of the investigation while they are doing the investigations working with their peers. My study, informed by this framework, examined how in classes where learners are doing science investigations teachers use a questioning strategy in supporting them through the stages of the investigation. The research was therefore guided by the following question:
How do teachers at schools resourced for practical work use a questioning strategy in supporting learners through the stages of science investigations?
A case study method was followed using a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of how teachers use questioning in supporting learners when doing science investigations. The cases were five teachers who taught Grade 9 Natural Sciences. Grade 9 was considered significant as it is the first grade in the South African school science curriculum where learners are expected, apart from conducting investigations, to also plan their investigations.
The teachers were purposively selected from a sample of 55 teachers who had responded to a questionnaire that had been sent to 150 schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The questionnaire sought information on the implementation of science investigations at schools. In particular, the questionnaire survey sought to establish the extent to which learners had autonomy in doing science investigations. The content validity of the questionnaire was established by having it reviewed by two researchers in science education at Michigan State University, which I visited as a result of collaboration between the National Research Foundation of South Africa and the National Science Foundation of the United States. Thereafter, the content validity was confirmed by three researchers in science education at a South African university. The five teachers in this study had indicated that learners in their classes had autonomy in all three stages of the investigation process as described earlier. This was an overriding criterion in their selection for this study as I wanted to understand how teachers used questioning in supporting learners who were autonomous in doing investigations. The location of the schools where they taught was convenient as they were accessible to me in terms of travelling distance. Table 1 summarises the profiles of these teachers and the context in which they worked. The names used are all pseudonyms. In this profile, a well-resourced laboratory is considered to have water, electricity and gas connections; a supply of apparatus and chemicals for all learners to do practical work; and work benches for all learners. An adequately resourced school has a reasonable supply of apparatus and chemicals, but these are not sufficient for all learners to do practical work.
I observed 15 lessons in total, with three observations for each teacher. I also interviewed each teacher on four occasions. The classroom observations focused on the questioning used by the teacher in supporting learners. I made written field-notes on the actions of the teacher and learners, and the teacher-learner interactions which took place. A permanent record of this observation was obtained by video- and audio-recording the classroom observation. Follow-up interviews with these teachers provided in-depth information on howteachers used questioning to support learners doing investigations.
The transcript data collected from the interviews and observations were analysed qualitatively using the NVIVO computer programme (Bazeley & Richards, 2000). The data were coded by means of nodes which were operationally defined as teacher questioning taking place at each stage of the investigation. The nodes were called 'teacher questioning in planning' and 'teacher questioning in conducting' and 'teacher questioning in evaluating data'. The data were then chunked together according to these nodes. Following inter-reliability checks with other researchers in science education, the coding was revised and each node was turned into a tree node with the role of questions at each stage as its children. Three researchers in science education were asked to independently identify the roles of teacher questioning evident in excerpts of the interview and observation data. There was a high inter-coder agreement between the researchers and myself. The consolidated coding scheme described the categories of questions at each stage which encouraged learners to articulate, reflect on, clarify and review their thinking and actions. The chunks of data representing words were then clustered, sorted and systematically arranged into categories of questions at each stage of the investigation.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, as well as the principals and participating teachers and learners of the five schools gave consent for conducting the study. The research design was also approved by the ethics committee of the university which funded this project. Both teacher and learner participants were informed that their participation would be voluntary and they could withdraw at any time. However, no participant withdrew.
Arising from the analysis of the interview it became evident that teachers saw questioning as an important strategyin supporting learners doing investigations. The following comment from Ms Essop expressed this well:
I know they must do it but I will be there for them. I do not tell them what to do, but I ask certain questions which make them think about it. It helps because they change their mind on their own.
The asking of questions was a dominant support strategy, and it was evident teachers use different types of questioning in supporting students through the stages of the investigation. I will now examine the types of questions used by teachers at each stage of the investigation and how learners responded to these questions.
Questioning at the planning stage
The teachers often asked clarifying questions at the planning stage in supporting learners when formulating the investigation question. Good science investigations begin with a clear and well formulated question which will enable the investigator to plan a procedure to be followed. The investigation question often asks "what if", "how" or "what effect will something have" and involve the identification of variables which need to be measured. Such questions often stem from the natural curiosity of the learners on a physical phenomenon, and are often poorly formulated. In the interview, Mr Botha explained that he supports learners in formulating the investigation question by asking them to "spell out exactly what these variables are" and when necessary he would "intervene and ask them to rethink it".
The focus on the need to clarify variables under investigation also arose during one of the class observations. The excerpt below is from an exchange which took place in Ms Essop's class where a practical on pulse rate was observed, and provides an example of how the teacher, by employing probing questions, enabled the learners to think through more clearly the relationship between the variables under investigation.
|Ms Essop:
|Okay, tell me what your hypothesis is?
|We want to investigate the effect of drinking coffee on the pulse rate.
|Ms Essop:
|Yes, but is this your hypothesis. Do you remember the hypothesis?
|It is a something you say which may be true. That's what you want to investigate.
|Ms Essop:
|Good. Now, can we try again. Yes, Smith.
|Coffee causes the pulse rate to increase
|Ms Essop:
|Can we identify the variables in this hypothesis?
|The independent variable is the amount of coffee and the dependent variable is the pulse rate.
|Ms Essop:
|I need you to explain to me how you will investigate this.
|We will choose a group of people. We will take their pulse before and after the coffee.
|Ms Essop:
|In making the coffee will you add different quantities of instant coffee to the water?
|No, it will be two teaspoons for all.
|Ms Essop:
|Then I want you to have a look at your independent variable. You said it is the amount of coffee. That doesn't seem right does it?
|No, we will need to change that to drinking coffee.
|Ms Essop:
|So, what is the control variable?
|The number of spoons of coffee.
By intervening, the teacher encouraged the learners to articulate and clarify their thinking. Furthermore, the probing questioning forced learners to reflect on what they had said and rethink the hypothesis they had formulated. This was crucial since a hypothesis which is misinterpreted or poorly formulated will lead to invalid results.
Questioning as a support strategy is also used by teachers in guiding learners when planning how to conduct the investigation. This often results in learners rethinking their plan. This is illustrated in the following excerpt from an experiment in Ms Reuben's class to show that one of the products of combustion of a candle is carbon dioxide. The teacher used a series of probing questions to influence students to rethink their plan.
|Ms Reuben:
|Guys tell me what you will do.
|Ma'am, we will burn the candle. This gives CO2. We then take something burning like a match. If it goes off it proves the candle gave CO2.
|Ms Reuben:
|Okay so will you hold the burning match close to the candle flame?
[The learners all answered 'yes ma'am'.]
|Ms Reuben:
|Okay, I want you to think about this before you conduct your experiment. How do things burn and what is needed for burning?
[The learners reflect on this question and engage in a group discussion. Thereafter teacher returns to the group.]
|Ms Reuben:
|Have you thought about this?
|Ya, we know that oxygen is needed for burning.
|Ms Reuben:
|Good. You are saying that the match that's burning will go off in air when held near the candle?
|Ms Reuben:
|Think about this ... in air. Yes, Suren?
|I am not sure ... but with the oxygen in the air it will carry on burning.
|Ms Reuben:
|Good. So what do you think you need to do?
|Collect the gas in a container.
|Ms Reuben:
|Yes, now I want you to design this and show me what you will do.
[After a discussion, the group leader calls for the teacher.]
|Ms Reuben:
|Okay Trevor what's your plan?
|We think we need to have a bottle to store the CO 2. We can put the candle in the bottle ... light it and then quickly put the match there.
The above excerpt reflects that although the teacher was deliberate and focused in her questioning, the learners ultimately realised they had to reconsider their original plan.
Conducting stage of the investigation
Teachers also question the learners about what they are doing while they are busy conducting the investigation. This is illustrated in the following excerpt from an investigation described in Mr Pillay's class where learners investigated the relationship between current strength and potential difference across a light bulb in a circuit.
|Mr Pillay:
|Okay, what seems to be the problem here?
|The bulb is off.
|Mr Pillay:
|Have you checked to see that your circuit is complete? Are there any gaps in your circuit? Is your circuit closed?
[The learners answer, 'yes sir' in unison.]
|Mr Pillay:
|Okay, I want you to look closely at your connection of the voltmeter. What is the voltmeter doing in this circuit?
|Measuring volts.
|Mr Pillay:
|What do you mean by that?
|The voltage.
|Mr Pillay:
|What is voltage?
[The learners are unable to answer.]
|Mr Pillay:
|I want you to get out your notebooks and look up what voltage is.
[The learners page through their notebooks and then Johnson answers.]
|It is the energy transfer per Coulomb of charge.
|Mr Pillay:
|Explain this to me in your own words.
|How much energy the current supplies to the circuit?
|Mr Pillay:
|Good. Now let's go back here. Why do we have this voltmeter in the circuit?
|To measure the energy transfer across the bulb.
|Mr Pillay:
|Now to measure this energy transfer across the bulb, how should the voltmeter be connected. In series or parallel? Yes, Vishalan?
|I think in parallel?
|Mr Pillay:
|Good. Now look at what you have done here.
[The learners then make the changes to the circuit and the bulb glows.]
This exchange between the teacher and learners shows how the teacher, by redirecting the learners to a concept already studied, is able to get them to reflect on and rethink their connections in the circuit. The teacher did not tell or show the learners what to do. Instead, the teacher checked on the conceptual understanding of the students by asking the learners to explain in their own words the concept of 'electrical potential difference'. This was crucial in deciding whether a series or parallel connection of the voltmeter would be correct.
A similar exchange took place in Ms Zulu's class where learners were investigating the floating and sinking of objects. The learners who had previously been instructed on the use of the measuring cylinder were using it to measure the volume of a sample of water. On one occasion Ms Zulu had observed that a group of learners had used an incorrect technique in measuring the volume of water. Through the use of focused, probing questions she was able to direct the learners to the error and get them to reconsider measuring the volume using the technique they had been instructed on.
Evaluating data and communicating findings
Teachers asked questions to guide learners in analysing the data and drawing a conclusion. In Ms Zulu's class the learners after taking and recording mass and volume measurements of materials were trying to formulate a rule on the flotation and sinking of objects. The teacher used questions to guide a group of learners who were having difficulty in analysing these
results in working out the rule. This is illustrated as follows:
|Ms Zulu:
|We have three things. We have the mass, volume ... what else?
|We found the density.
|Ms Zulu:
|Good so we have calculated the density. Now some object float and other sink. What do you think determines this?
|It must be the size.
|Ms Zulu:
|What do you mean by size?
|The mass.
|Ms Zulu:
|Now look at your table. Compare the glass and the piece of wood. Which has the bigger mass?
|The wood.
|Ms Zulu:
|But did this sink?
|Ms Zulu:
|So what makes an object sink?
|The density.
|Ms Zulu:
|When will the object sink in water? Remember water has a density of 1 g/cm 3. Yes, Natalie?
|If the density is bigger.
|Ms Zulu:
|That's right.
Through this guiding questioning the learners were able to make sense of their data and arrived at the conclusion that "if an object is more dense that water, it will sink".
Teachers also ask probing questions when asking learners to review their plan if the findings are incorrect. An example of this support strategy was evident in the observation which took place in Mr Botha's class. A group of learners who had investigated the effect of temperature on the resistance in the circuit had erroneously concluded that resistance in a circuit is lower at a higher temperature. Upon using probing questions about the procedure they had followed, the learners were led to discover the flaw in their plan. During the experiment the learners had failed to control other variables such as the length of the conductor and its thickness. By reviewing their plan, the learners were able to redo the investigation and control the variables correctly.
Mr Pillay explained why it is necessary to intervene at such a stage, by stating that incorrect findings should not be allowed to hang in suspension. He explained that through probing questions, the learners should be made to review what they have done wrong:
The teacher should not accept an incorrect finding. This will lead to misunderstanding in science. He must quiz them about their plan. They need to see where they had gone wrong. If there is time they must go back and do the investigation again (Mr Pillay interview).
In general the data gathered showed that teachers used a questioning strategy in enabling the learners to understand more clearly the question or hypothesis they intended investigating, to review and reconsider their planning, to reflect on and rethink some of their actions when collecting data, to make sense of their data in arriving at a conclusion, and to review their plan after generating incorrect findings.
Discussion of findings
The study reveals that although autonomy may be transferred to learners in doing practical investigations, teachers believe that they have a pivotal role to play in supporting these learners through the investigative process. The types of questions employed by the teachers in supporting learners were consistent with the "productive" type of question described by Chin earlier which enables learners to reflect upon their actions and decisions, and when necessary to reconsider them. The teachers' use of questioning invokes Vygotsky's notion of mediated learning in the ZPD as learners appropriated knowledge and skills through this interaction during the stages of an investigation.
When formulating their own questions, the teacher supports them in ensuring that the question they pose is clear and investigable. Support at this initial phase is particularly important as identifying a question plays such a powerful role because it gives meaning and direction to what follows (Kuhn, 2007; Howes, Lim& Campos, 2009). Investigation questions, although having their roots in the curiosity of learners, do not emerge spontaneously from learners and teachers have to employ strategies to elicit them (Chin & Osborne, 2008). The findings of this study show that teachers intervene in particular where learners are formulating a question for an investigation involving the relationship between variables. Brook, Driver & Johnston (1989) observe that in formulating an investigative question, learners need to have a good grasp of the notion of a variable. Setting up an experiment requires explicit definition of the variable or variables which form the focus of the investigation and of other variables which need to be controlled.
The teacher also asked questions in supporting the learners when they are conducting the investigation by manipulating apparatus to collect data. Learners maintain control over this stage of the investigation, but the teacher intervenes only when necessary. When the teacher observed an error or suspected a reading was in correct, the teacher asked them questions so that they reviewed what they had done.
Once learners had collected and recorded their data, difficulty arose in analysing the data to answer the question or address the hypothesis posed initially. The difficulty arises when learners are unable to see a pattern or relationship. The teachers supported the learners without telling by asking questions which enabled them to focus on aspects of the data. There were occasions when learners arrived at a finding which was not correct. The teachers asked probing questions which forced learners to review their plan and also to reflect on how they conducted the investigations. As a result of this they were able to identify the source of the error, and go back to an earlier stage of the investigation.
The questioning employed by teachers, apart from supporting the learners to do the investigation, also developed in learners the habit of reflection and self-criticism of what they were doing (Harlen, 2001). It is envisaged that when learners become used to reviewing their work, they will not require someone else to help them reflect on what they did, but will do so spontaneously.
The implementation of science investigations at schools presents a new challenge to teachers as it signals an opportunity to shift from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred approach in practical work. Teachers are now faced with a situation of relinquishing their traditional control in the classroom and using support strategies in facilitating the learners' progress towards greater autonomy. I have attempted in this paper to understand and describe how questioning, which is directed at encouraging learners to articulate, reflect on, clarify and review their thinking and actions, can support learners through the stages of the investigation. As described earlier despite curriculum imperatives for learner to do open investigations where they have autonomy over all stages of the investigation, research conducted both locally and internationally shows that learners have only limited autonomy when doing investigations. The discussion and examples of questioning as a support strategy can perhaps provide guidance to science teachers in honing their questioning skills when supporting learners towards greater autonomy in science investigations. Thus, the significance of this study is in making explicit how questioning can be used at each of the stages of a science investigation in facilitating productive learner thinking. This questioning stands in constrast to that which prevails in a teacher-controlled environment where closed questions pitched at a lower order of cognitive level dominate.
It should be emphasised that the teachers involved this study were all well qualified to teach Natural Sciences, were teaching at schools with adequate laboratory facilities and where class sizes did not exceed 40 learners. It is recommended that further research on teacher questioning during investigations be done with teachers and schools that have different profiles as those described in this paper, so that the possible influence of contextual factors on teacher questioning may be investigated.
Anderson RD 2007. Inquiry as an organizing theme for science curricula. In: Abell KS & Lederman NG (eds). Handbook of Research on Science Education. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. [ Links ]
Bazeley P & Richards L 2000. The NVivo Qualitative Project Book. London: SAGE. [ Links ]
Billings RL 2001. Assessment of the learning cycle of inquiry-based learning in high school physics education. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing. [ Links ]
Black AE. & Deci EL 2000. The effects of instructors' autonomy support and students' autonomous motivation on learning organic chemistry: A self-determination theory perspective. Science Education, 84:740-756. [ Links ]
Brook A, Driver R & Johnston K 1989. Learning process in science: a classroom perspective. In: Wellington J (ed.). Skills and processes in science education: A critical analysis. London: Routledge. [ Links ]
Chin C 2003. Success with investigations. The Science Teacher, 70:34-40. [ Links ]
Chin C 2007. Teacher questioning in science classrooms: Approaches that stimulate productive thinking. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44:815-843. [ Links ]
Chin C & Osborne J 2008. Students' questions: a potential resource for teaching and learning science. Studies in Science Education, 44:1-39. [ Links ]
Corry A 2005. Mentoring students towards independent scientific inquiry. In: Alsop S, Bencze L & Pedretti E (eds). Analysing exemplary science teaching. Berkshire: Open University Press. [ Links ]
Department of Education 2002. Policy: Revised National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-9 (Schools), Overview. Pretoria: Government Printer. [ Links ]
Fradd SH & Lee O 1999. Teachers' roles in promoting science inquiry with students from diverse language backgrounds. Educational Researcher, 28:14-20. [ Links ]
Gott R & Duggan S 2007. A framework for practical work in science and scientific literacy through argumentation. Research in Science & Technological Education, 25:271-291. [ Links ]
Haigh M 2001. Supporting student investigations. New Zealand Science Teacher, 96:39-41. [ Links ]
Harlen W 2001. Primary science taking the plunge. Portsmouth: Heinemann. [ Links ]
Howe AC 2002. Engaging children in science. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall. [ Links ]
Howes EV, Lim M & Campos J 2009. Journeys into inquiry-based elementary science: Literacy practices, questioning, and empirical study. Science Education, 93:189-217. [ Links ]
Kim M & Tan A 2010. Rethinking Difficulties of Teaching Inquiry-Based Practical Work: Stories from elementary pre-service teachers. International Journal of Science Education. [ Links ]
King A 1994. Guiding knowledge construction in the classroom: Effects of teaching children how to question and to explain. American Educational Research Journal, 31:338-368. [ Links ]
Kuhn D 2007. Reasoning about multiple variables: Control of variables is not the only challenge. Science Education, 91:710-726. [ Links ]
Lemke JL 1990. Talking science: Language, learning and values. Norwood: Ablex Publishing. [ Links ]
Onwu G & Stoffels N 2005. Instructional functions in large, under-resourced science classes: perspectives of South African teachers. Perspectives in Education, 23:79-91. [ Links ]
Rogan JM & Aldous C 2005. Relationships between the constructs of a theory of curriculum implementation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42:313-336. [ Links ]
Rogoff B 1990. Apprenticeship in thinking. New York: Oxford University Press. [ Links ]
Roth W -M 1994. Experimenting in a constructivist high school laboratory. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31:197-223. [ Links ]
Seopa MA, Laugksch RC, Aldridge JM & Fraser BJ 2003. Development of an instrument to monitor the success of outcomes-based learning environments in science classrooms in South Africa. Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, East London, South Africa. [ Links ]
Smith PS, Banilower ER, McMahon KC & Weiss IR 2002. The national survey of science and mathematics education: Trends from 1977 to 2000. Chapel Hill: Horizon Research. [ Links ]
Sund RB & Trowbridge LW 1973. Teaching science by inquiry in the secondary School. Ohio: Merrill. [ Links ]
Trumbull DJ, Scarano G & Bonney R 2006. Relations Among Two Teachers' Practices and Beliefs, Conceptualizations of the Nature of Science, and their Implementation of Student Independent Inquiry Projects. International Journal of Science Education, 28:1717-1750. [ Links ]
Viechnicki GB & Kuipers J 2006. It's all human error!": When a school science experiment fails. Linguistics and Education, 17:107-130. [ Links ]
Villanueva-Hay MG & Webb P 2007. Science notebooks: a useful strategy for scientific investigations? Proceedings of epiSTEME 2 February 12-15, 2007, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, HBCSE, TIFR, Mumbai. Accessed from http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/episteme/episteme-2/e-proceedings/hay [ Links ]
Vygotsky LS 1978. Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. [ Links ]
Wu H-K, & Hsieh C-E 2006. Developing sixth graders' inquiry skills to construct scientific explanations in inquiry-based learning environments. International Journal of Science Education, 28:1289-1313. [ Links ]
Umesh Ramnarain is Lecturer in science education at the University of Johannesburg and has over 16 years' teaching experience in Physical Sciences. His research interest includes practical work in school science, with particular focus on the development of support systems.