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Economic progress and growing wealth does have a cultural drawback. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, around 25 percent of the world’s languages are threatened. Currently, there are around 7,000 languages spoken across the world.
Some are heading towards extinction even today. Lead study author, Tatsuya Amano at the University of Cambridge singled out one in particular. “For example, Ainu, a language in Japan, is now seriously threatened, with only 10 native speakers left.”
At the UN, experts are warning that half of the world’s spoken languages face disappearing by the end of the century unless something is done. Saving the languages for cultural history is at the forefront of experts rushing to save the more endangered dialects.
The chief reason behind a language’s decline is directly tied to economic growth and progress. A society may see that a mainstream language offers more economic benefit, and teaching shifts towards it. Immigrants wish to assimilate into a new culture is another reason behind the decline in spoken languages.
Outside of economic growth, indigenous languages are often threatened due to the low numbers of people speaking it. If the area sees rapid economic expansion, it just hastens the declines that is already in place. Complex grammar is another reason why less-spoken languages decline and disappear.
Companies such as Rosetta Stone have already unveiled endangered language programs. For now, the program centers on dying Native American languages, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see them start to branch into other indigenous languages.
Nothing can stop the decline in some languages, but like art, we can certainly save the history of the languages for current and future generations.
Read the full study here. | https://www.newsledge.com/wealth-extinction-languages-threatened-economic-progress/ |
The film starts with the discovery of these unsung tongues through listening to the daily life of those who still speak them today. Buttressed by an exploration and creation of archives, the film allows us to better understand the musicality of these languages and reveals the cultural and human importance of these venerable oral traditions by nourishing a collective reflection on the consequences of their disappearance.
According to UNESCO, a language ceases to be spoken in the world every fifteen days. This is not only a language but also an identity that is greatly compromised by this disturbing phenomenon.
Canada and Quebec are not immune to the reality of eroding languages as all Indigenous idioms still spoken in this country are constantly threatened at various levels. In the past, they suffered great losses caused mainly by colonization and the residential school system that prevented First Nations, Inuit and Métis to speak their native languages and live within their cultures. The decline of these languages continues from generation to generation even today.
Despite these overwhelming facts, some Indigenous languages are doing well in the country and have excellent chances of passing through the ages. Decentralization and mobility are key words to understand these societies whose resilience is well established.
There is a whole history dating back several millennia that must be taken into account when considering these ancestral languages in an era of modernity. They are not merely used to communicate, but to express the entire cultural heritage which they represent. For cultures issuing from oral traditions, as is the case with Indigenous languages, all knowledge is preserved in memory rather than in writing.
Using an exploratory approach, Those Who Come, Will Hear proposes a portrait of the lived experience of select speakers who continue evolving within an increasingly weakening linguistic situation. By calling upon the poetry of these languages and the discovery of this sound garden – this film calls to meditate on issues related to endangered languages.
Hailing from Rouyn-Noranda, Simon Plouffe lives and works in Montreal. His experience as a sound mixer leads him to explore sonic universes both within creation and design. He made his first documentary Others’ Gold (2011), giving voice to the citizens of Malartic in Abitibi, who were faced with the installation of an open-pit gold mine in the heart of their city. Those Who Come, Will Hear (2017), is his second feature-length documentary. | http://www.f3m.ca/en/film/ceux-qui-viendront-lentendront/ |
As the world progresses towards globalization and draws towards a common platform where the issues of world politics, economy, trade and commerce are discussed, resolved and implemented, the old prediction of sociologists that the assimilation of humanity would be achieved and that assertions of strong identities would disappear, has however been belied.
It is at this juncture that IRDIS in partnership with the diverse ethnic peoples of the State of Assam, India, and through its research and documentation initiatives on indigenous studies, seeks to bring to light the rich ethnic cultures and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples across the State, the nation and worldwide.
IRDIS Objectives IRDIS’ initiatives are inter and multi disciplinary, collaborative and comparative. Its endeavour is to preserve the indigenous and traditional knowledge ,cultures and languages while incorporating measures to improve the social, cultural and economic status of the diverse ethnic groups and communities of Assam. The members of IRDIS work in partnership with the ethnic communities/tribes in the rural and semi-rural areas to train members from amongst the different communities in programs over a range of initiatives relevant to the communities themselves and for their benefit and empowerment. | http://www.irdis.org/ |
High rates of economic growth are a driving factor behind global language extinction, with one-quarter of all native tongues classified as "threatened," a new report has said.
"As economies develop, one language often comes to dominate a nation’s political and economic spheres," Tatsuya Amato, from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology. "People are forced to adopt the dominant language or risk being left out in the cold - economically and politically."
Out of around 6,000 languages around the globe, 1,705 fit the criteria for "threatened" status. When languages disappear, especially those of indigenous peoples, it represents a significant cultural loss for future generations.
Efforts to prevent the disappearance of these languages are thwarted by a lack of understanding of the threats to indigenous languages, according to scientists behind the report, published in the journal Proceedings of Royal Society B on Wednesday.
Drivers identified by researchers include small population size or number of speakers, small geographical range, and population aging or decline in speaker numbers. They added that languages in higher latitudes - including North America - are especially vulnerable and are strongly linked to economic growth and development.
Special attention must be paid to vulnerable languages in areas that fit these criteria, the study warned, if the languages are to be preserved.
Gregory Anderson, president of Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, told Al Jazeera that minority languages are disappearing at alarming rates.
The northwest region of North America was identified in the report as particularly vulnerable, and Anderson said his organization has worked to help some Native American tribes in Oregon State to preserve their language using scientific documentation, training programs and modern technology.
"We work with the Siletz tribe, and the non-federally-recognized Tillamook tribe. We’re building electronic resources with them and turning them into legacy materials as the languages have virtually no speakers left, so we maintain and further the recordings that do exist of speakers there," Anderson said.
When European colonizers arrived to the United States, there were more than 300 different native languages, and today only 175 remain, according to the MIT Indigenous Language Initiative. Forty-five percent of the remaining languages are almost extinct, with only a handful of elderly speakers.
Until the mid-1900s, Native American children in the U.S. were often sent to government-run boarding schools and prohibited from speaking their languages.
"There is a whole complex of historical and social factors, including discrimination and disenfranchisement behind communities who abandon their language," Anderson said. "It’s in many cases a response communities have to being mistreated and having their very identity devalued."
With the disappearance of language, especially indigenous ones, unique cultures and histories are also lost.
"As indigenous languages die, so too do integral parts of indigenous people’s cultures," United Nations Deputy Head of Humanitarian Affairs Kyung-wha Kang said in a statement.
"Without the appropriate linguistic terminology available to express indigenous philosophies and concepts, indigenous peoples lose some of their ability to accurately define themselves in accordance with their traditions and to convey these traditions to future generations." | https://nationalunitygovernment.org/content/language-diversity-threatened-areas-high-economic-growth-study |
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples welcomes Bill C-91, the Indigenous Languages Act, and the establishment of an Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages which promises to work toward meaningful solutions to the loss of indigenous language in Canada.
There is a great cultural diversity in Canada; there are 58 unique indigenous languages and some 90 dialects.
However, a House of Commons' report shows the number of people speaking these languages as their mother tongue is on the decline, and along with that, knowledge of them is lessening, as well.
CAP Chief Robert Bertrand commented on the cultural significance of language, and noted that urban and off-reserve indigenous peoples have unique challenges and must be considered in the maintenance and support of indigenous languages in Canada.
“Language is so important to culture," Bertrand said. ”It carries with it the essence and history of a people, and it must not be lost.
The Congress is particularly mindful of our indigenous peoples living off reserve and in cities, often separated from their ancestral homelands and communities," he added.
“Those people must be considered, too," he stressed. "We will fight for them.”
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, one of five national indigenous organizations, continues to advocate for the people it represents and their language rights, in particular status and non-status indigenous peoples living off-reserve.
The 2016 Supreme Court of Canada's unanimous decision in Daniels v. Canada was a landmark victory for CAP that confirmed Métis and non-status Indians fall under the federal government's jurisdiction.
As stated in the Daniels decision, “[Métis and non-status Indians] are deprived of programs, services, and intangible benefits recognized by all governments as needed.”
The CAP believes the government is responsible for supporting language programming and services for all indigenous peoples.
“We look forward to seeing government funds directed toward the support and promotion of indigenous languages across Canada, and enhanced support for indigenous peoples to create educational material that will allow for language preservation for future generations,” Bertrand said. | http://www.fftimes.com/news/local/news/preserving-indigenous-languages-priority |
As a newcomer to Canada, you may be looking forward to learning all about your new home. Our story begins with the Indigenous peoples and their traditional territories, in what we now call North America.
The terms Indigenous and Aboriginal peoples are often used interchangeably and refer to the first caretakers and inhabitants of, what some groups call, Turtle Island. Indigenous peoples are diverse, and cannot be reduced to a single group experience. Indigenous peoples each have unique histories, distinct languages, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs.
Today, more than 1.67 million people in Canada identify themselves as Indigenous and the Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups:
If you would like to learn more about issues facing Indigenous peoples today, from an Indigenous perspective, this free online course explores these issues from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.
Indigenous peoples have inhabited Canada since "time immemorial", which is a period of the very distant past that is not defined by strict historical dates. Indigenous peoples had their own social, political, cultural, and economic systems in place long before Europeans began arriving on the shores of North America.
Colonization began in North America as European powers began sending settlers to establish relationships with (and eventually control over) the inhabitants of the land. The French and British settlements operated relatively independently from each other and because Indigenous Nations themselves were each so unique, there is no universal “first contact” story. However, the colonization of Indigenous territories can still be defined as the process by which European powers assumed control of a territory that was not their own and enforced their own government, legal, and religious systems over Indigenous peoples and their land.
The consequences of colonization continue to be devastating for Indigenous people and their territories. Violence, forced displacement, forced starvation, and diseases carried by European settlers resulted in mass death, and even the disappearance of entire nations.
Colonization also meant that traditional ways of life were forever altered. Colonial policies, segregation, loss of land, and unequal access to public resources have had enduring and devastating impacts on the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples.
Resilience and resistance continue to be a foundation of Indigenous cultural identity. Indigenous peoples in Canada were never passive in the face of colonization. They continue to resist and challenge the policies that threaten their lives, land, and communities.
The Indian Act became federal law in 1876 and is the principal statute that still governs all matters relating to Indigenous affairs. The Indian Act consolidated a number of previous colonial policies and is part of a long history of assimilation practices. These policies were created with the intention to terminate the cultural, social, economic, and political identity of Indigenous peoples. It has been amended several times and is a complex and evolving document. It has been employed to different ends, often enabling gross human rights violations. Currently, the Indian Act is administered by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC).
The words we use relating to Indigenous peoples and affairs can be tricky to navigate. A term that might be acceptable to one group or generation, might be offensive to others. Indigenous peoples have often been identified with terms that were not of their own choosing and that were often derogatory and racist. This includes the term ‘Indian’ when referring to Indigenous peoples. Although it can be used in a legal context, like when referring to the Indian Act described above, this label was created by European settlers during the colonial era and is outdated and highly offensive.
The way Indigenous people are portrayed in media and film, you may be surprised to learn that the Indigenous peoples still live here at all. You will likely encounter misinformation about Canada’s Indigenous population. You may wish to seek out first-hand stories from the Indigenous communities in your area as this is the best way to clear up most misconceptions. The longest-standing stereotype is that Indigenous peoples receive "lots of assistance from the government” such as free housing, free post-secondary education and they do not pay any taxes.
However, the reality may surprise you. Many Indigenous communities still do not have access to clean drinking water, adequate access to health care or affordable fresh foods at their local stores, especially in more remote and Northern regions.
Your next steps may be to learn more about who's land you are on, what Nations surround you and what languages they speak. This can lead you to a better understanding of how to live and act in solidarity with Indigenous communities. We can all continue to collaboratively build a country that has embraced the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. Some Calls to Action, like Calls to Action 93 and 94, are even specific to newcomers to Canada like you, while the changes made to the Oath of Citizenship are an example of how these can be embraced. Other Calls to Action address issues like education, justice and culture.
Please Note: This article was written by settlers in what we know today as Canada. The aim of this article is to provide an information overview of Indigenous peoples and their traditional territories for newcomers to Canada who may not be familiar with this history. This is a work in progress that may change as our team continues to do the necessary work to engage respectfully with Indigenous peoples. We encourage our readers to seek out information and testimonies directly from Indigenous peoples and organizations. A list of relevant resources can be found in the ‘For More Information’ section above. | https://settlement.org/ontario/immigration-citizenship/citizenship/first-nations-inuit-and-metis-peoples/who-are-the-first-nations-metis-and-inuit-peoples/ |
A new language revitalization project led by the University of Victoria will bring new life and strength to Indigenous languages in Canada.
NEȾOLṈEW̱, which translates as ‘one mind, one people’ in SENĆOŦEN, will engage nine Indigenous-led partner organizations representing 42 distinct languages, forming a learning and research network to strengthen efforts to revive Indigenous languages. The six-year project, supported by a $2.5 million Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant, is led by Onowa McIvor, professor in UVic’s Department of Indigenous Education and linguist Peter Jacobs at Simon Fraser University.
The rapid decline of Indigenous first language speakers and the grave state of language loss in Canada due to forces of historic and on-going colonization is widely considered one of the foremost societal challenges today. The urgency for action was outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Calls to Action. Of its 94 recommendations, nine pertained directly to Indigenous Language Revitalization (ILR).
She says this project will contribute to the realization of these Calls to Action with such direct actions as: increasing Indigenous language audio resources for growing a radio and television presence of Indigenous languages in Canada; promoting post-secondary ILR programs; improving community networks and mechanisms for sharing the best cutting-edge language revitalization methods; and engaging other organizations in supporting Indigenous-led ILR programs.
A unique feature of the study is the focus on adult language learners, those who McIvor refers to as the “missing generation”—adults who had little opportunity to learn their ancestral language as children due to adoption, residential school, disconnection from their homelands and urbanization. The ILR movement has been mostly focused on school-based programs for children and youth. But in a previous study (2014-16) of the same name and funded by a SSHRC Partnership Development grant, co-leads McIvor and Jacobs identified adults as a “great untapped potential” and found evidence for the success of what they called a Mentor-Apprentice Program (MAP) model.
MAP apprentices in the previous study emphasized that learning to speak an Indigenous language is not just a book-learning exercise: the language needs to be spoken in everyday activities, such as speaking to children, praying, discussing the weather and how things are going, through to discussing history and philosophy, and conducting business and political matters.
A media kit containing photos/videos is available on Dropbox.
Skype or FaceTime interviews can be set up with Onowa McIvor by contacting Suzanne Ahearne.
The new Language Revitalization Pole, commissioned by the First Nations Education Foundation (FNEF), will be located at UVic as a centrepiece of UN International Year of Indigenous Languages and is also a significant point of reflection for UVic’s ongoing commitment to the work of decolonizing and Indigenizing the university. | https://www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2017+onowa-mcivor-indigenous-language+media-release |
Hilo Living Legacy mural celebrates landmarks in Hawaiian language revitalization.
“The breath of the people dies with the language.” This is how Dr. Keiki Kawai`ae`a, director of Ka Haka Ula O Keelikōlani (KH`UOK), UH Hilo’s College of Hawaiian Language, describes the cultural repercussions that come with the decline of a spoken language. With European colonization and American annexation, 'ôlelo Hawai`i (the Hawaiian language) suffered severe losses in the number of fluent speakers able to pass on traditions, perspectives, lessons, and many other facets of Hawaiian culture that make it unique.
But in the past several decades, significant strides have been made not only in preserving 'ôlelo Hawai`i, but in bringing it back as a spoken language. The Living Legacy Murals campaign, sponsored in part by UHH’s KH`UOK, seeks to celebrate that progress through the creation of ten murals throughout the state of Hawai`i that portray the mo`olelo, or story, of Kalapana. The project commemorates the 30th anniversary of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawaiian Immersion Schools and the 40th anniversary of 'ôlelo Hawai`i being recognized as an official state language.
The mo`olelo of Kalapana tells of his mother, Halepâkî from the island of Kaua`i, and his father, Kânepôiki from Kona, who is killed by Kalaniali'iloa, the chief of Kaua`i, after losing a ho'opâpâ, or strategy game of wit, challenge. Kalapana journeys to Kaua`i to avenge his father’s death and prevails over Kalaniali'iloa, defeating him by using his knowledge of `ai (tools), winds, rains, plants, and songs.
The installment in Hilo, which is the third in the Living Legacy series, is located at 51 Maka`ala St. and portrays Kalapana exercising his ho'opâpâ skills after finishing his training with Kalaoa and then travelling to Kaua`i. Each of the ten murals is painted by ' una Pâheona, a group of creatives led by graffiti artist John “Prime” Hina.
The state of Hawai`i offers an educational system with a complete pathway in Hawaiian immersion from pre-K to college. For 'ôlelo Hawai`i, this model is extremely important for language revitalization and is internationally recognized in successful indigenous language rehabilitation and development. In this model, younger generations are brought up in an environment that encourages consistent use of the language, strengthening the roots through which the language can continue to grow.
“We all aspire to prepare our children in their thinking and concepts, and hopefully through the process of immersion education, we will continue revitalization through families, in the workplace, and by building communities,” explains Kawai`ae`a, director of KH`UOK.
Language makes up the threads that bind a culture together, give it shape and substance, and allow for it to be handed down from one generation to the next. When a culture loses its traditional language, it’s not just the semantics and syntax that gets left behind, but the rich meanings, interpretations, and worldviews embedded in the language that are lost too.
Many indigenous languages around the world are in danger of extinction as global communication increasingly favors languages such as Mandarin Chinese, English, and Spanish. The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization estimates that if nothing is done, 43 percent of planet Earth’s 6,000 languages could disappear by the end of the century. The movement behind revitalizing 'ôlelo Hawai`i is indeed something to celebrate, and is precisely what the Living Legacy Series hopes to memorialize. | http://hilo.hawaii.edu/news/kekalahea/the-breath-of-the-people-2018 |
Held at the Durban Art Gallery on the evening of 15 July 2011, the second eThekwini Living Legends Seminar addressed the loss of indigenous languages and its impact on Africa’s culture and global competitiveness in the 21stcentury. A panel of language, arts and culture professionals, educationists, opinion leaders, activists and the general public shared their views on the status of indigenous languages in South Africa with a public audience. The discussion sought to capture the essence of why indigenous languages were under threat of extinction and what could be done to promote and preserve them in the globalising world of the 21st century.
On the panel were eThekwini living legend Gcina Mhlophe, trail blazer in the transmission of intangible heritage through storytelling; Thulani Mbuli, chairperson of IsiZulu National Language Board under the Pan South African Language Board; Zandile Radebe, educationist and writer in IsiZulu; Nceba Gqaleni, leader of the Traditional Medicine programme at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine and Chair of Indigenous Health Care Systems Research; poet Bongani Mavuso, producer and presenter for Ukhozi FM; and social and political commentator Nhlanhla Mtaka, a columnist with largely isiZulu print media.
Gcina Mhlophe offered a nostalgic account of how Africans used to connect with nature through language. She reminded the audience how, in African culture, imilolozelo (lullabies) and izinganekwane (folktales) signified the connection between humans and animals and highlighted the link between language and identity.
Mbuli asserted the need to contextualize South Africa as part of the African continent and to understand that no language can develop on its own. He lamented our reluctance to confidently express ourselves in our mother tongues and decried our negligence in developing indigenous languages into languages of scholarship; how we have become complacent in using foreign languages as languages of discourse.
Zandile Radebe called for parents to advocate for promotion of indigenous languages in schools and pointed out that communities should work in tandem with the Department of Education to give effect to language policy. The general view from both the panel and the audience was that despite policies which endorse and support equitable development of all official languages the owners of indigenous languages are not keen to take advantage of these policies and lobby for their recognition and development.
Gqaleni provided an instructive illustration of language as a transmitter of cultural identity and meaning within the medical context. He pointed out that medical systems have languages of their own and the mastery of the field depends on the understanding of the language used. To illustrate the point , he expanded on the concept ‘cure’ and how its meaning as understood in the bio-medical field compares with the isiZulu concept ‘ukwelapha’ and the meaning thereof as understood in the field of traditional medicine.
Mavuso posited language as a weapon of colonization, lamenting how languages of colonization have entrenched their hegemony across Africa. He echoed Radebe’s call for lobbying for recognition and development of indigenous languages.
Mtaka spoke of a dual identity dilemma and the concomitant loss of identity as observed in African communities with its apparent hankering after both Western and African cultural practices. He reiterated that indigenous languages are undermined and laid the blame at the doorstep of the speakers of these languages and pointed out that government has failed to ensure that indigenous languages are recognized and developed.
There was consensus regarding the urgency to promote, develop and preserve indigenous languages. The preference of indigenous language speakers to speak English was criticized and the pivotal role of government in indigenous language preservation stressed. Promotion of usage of indigenous languages at home was also emphasized and parents were discouraged from sending their children to English medium, former whites-only schools. | https://www.ulwaziprogramme.org/the-loss-of-indigenous-languages-and-its-impact-on-africa%E2%80%99s-culture-and-global-competitiveness/ |
Oig Tt O Mai G Et-Ñeo’okĭ: An Introduction to the O’odham Language of Ak-ChinThe Ak-Chin Indian Community has been facing a steady decline in the population of O’odham speakers over the past four decades that presents the community with a troubling dilemma; if nothing is or can be done to reverse this trend, the O’odham language faces whole scale replacement by English in all facets of society as the working communicative language of the community. The present work has been designed to add to an Ak-Chin O’odham dialect specific repertoire of learner centered language teaching materials to encourage a re- flourishment of O’odham as an everyday vernacular means of communication between members of the Ak-Chin Indian Community. The lessons presented in this document aim at streamlining the language acquisition process among adult heritage learners in such a way that pertinent language structures, vocabulary and grammatical information are provided without the use of technical or esoteric linguistic jargon that can sometimes overwhelm and alienate learners from instructional content. Learners are taken from the most basic and rudimental aspects of O’odham sentence structure and progress through the lessons in a scaffolded way to continuously build upon previously acquired linguistic skills. The lessons are supplemented by frequent practice exercises, an O’odham-English/English-O’odham glossary, quick reference grammar tables and explanations, as well as answer keys to each practice exercise. This work has been structured to be used either as a classroom teaching material or as an autodidactic resource for heritage learners. It is hoped that the work presented here will contribute in a positive way to the emergence of more O’odham speakers in the Ak-Chin community.
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Reconnection to Gila River Akimel O'odham History and Culture Through Development of a User-Friendly O'odham Writing MethodAt one time before European contact Indigenous groups flourished on the American continent and maintained their ideas of conveying knowledge, history, and beliefs through the oral tradition. It is widely concluded that hundreds of Native languages were spoken to convey the aspects related above, which were unique and specific to each individual tribe. With the colonization of the American continent by European peoples, came the beginning of the end of the Indian way of life. Because of this reality and circumstances that were yet to be endured by Indigenous groups, the destruction of many Native languages also occurred over time. Presently, only a few hundred Indigenous languages have survived. In the effort at preserving some of the remaining Indigenous languages, writing systems which often have a foundation in non-Native higher academia have been developed for some; O'odham being one. This paper examines developing a more grassroots O'odham writing system. | https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/595895/browse?type=subject&value=O%27odham |
Aiyana Twigg spent the last year and a half of her University of British Columbia undergrad studying the art of dictionary making. Not the physical compiling of the book, but the little-known research that goes into creating the vital resources.
The work is intensely personal for the 21-year-old Tobacco Plains Indian Band member. Twigg says there are only 20 known fluent speakers of her Ktunaxa language, despite the six bands and hundreds of people that make up the First Nation in Canada and the United States.
Similar losses are felt by hundreds of other Indigenous communities across both countries as a result of colonization and forced assimilation.
Dictionaries, Twigg believes, are integral to reversing this. Since January 2021, she’s been working with UBC anthropology professor Mark Turin, creating online resources to guide communities on how to create their own dictionaries.
“For a lot of communities that are under-resourced, they don’t have the funds to actually pay for linguists, or sometimes when linguists are creating the dictionaries for them it doesn’t really fit their values,” Twigg says.
The goal, instead, is to empower communities to be able to create them on their own.
The work is only one of multiple ways Twigg has been working to revitalize Indigenous languages, and one of numerous reasons she was awarded the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s medal for inclusion, democracy and reconciliation this month.
For her, language equals culture and rebuilding it equals healing.
“Language is at the heart of who we are,” she says.
She’s seen it first hand during the pandemic.
Wanting to create a space of connection and culture, Twigg started an Instagram page called KtunaxaPride. She used it to share fun language and history lessons, and was quickly taken aback by the number of people engaging with her videos.
Indigenous people from other nations and communities started reaching out to Twigg and telling her she had inspired them to start learning their own languages and reconnect with their own cultures.
“It kind of grew to actually be this safe space, I think, for people to connect back to their roots or learn these things,” Twigg says.
It also become a way for non-Indigenous people to engage with Indigenous culture and educate themselves, Twigg adds.
She graduated from UBC with a double major in First Nations and endangered languages and anthropology this month, leaving behind an impressive legacy of her efforts. Between her time at the Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, Twigg worked as host with Aboriginal Programs and Services, a co-facilitator with the Indigenous Living Learning Community, a peer advisor with Arts Indigenous Student Advising, and a main facilitator for the Indigenous Leadership Collective.
Twigg says she’s taking the next year off school to take part in an intensive language immersion program through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, work on curriculum development with her community members, and finish a research project identifying gaps in the Ktunaxa writing system.
From there, she plans to continue to follow her passion with a masters in Indigenous language revitalization. It is only when people have reclaimed their words and their voice that Twigg says she believes reconciliation can truly occur.
@janeskrypnek
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The mainstream education system has reduced home-based transmission of indigenous knowledge and instead promoted the process of assimilation of indigenous children into mainstream alien lifestyle.
The experiential learning of cultural practices and skills are about practical learning by young people on culture through participation and training by elders.
The strategy applies multiple approaches that are aimed at stimulating, promoting and encouraging culture club members to acquire cultural skills and be able to participate in the cultural practices and social economic affairs of their communities.
This is a new initiative by Kivulini Trust that nurtures young people to be the future leaders and custodians of their natural and cultural heritage in order to promote adaptive socio-cultural transformation.
Through documentation and publishing culture and indigenous knowledge, these centers aim to develop information knowledge banks from where current and future generations can retrieve their ancestral indigenous knowledge that, if necessary, will help them go back in their communities’ historical timeline and recreate their diminished or lost languages and cultural practices documented and archived in print and electronic formats.
Progressive societies that cherishes and celebrates their culture, respect their natural environment and enjoying social harmony and self-made prosperity.
Spontaneous birth of vibrant youth for culture movements where languages and indigenous knowledge can find space to shelter, germinate and prosper. | https://www.pawankafund.org/blog-and-news/2019/4/12/kivulini-trust-centres-for-culture-indigenous-knowledge-and-experiential-learning-in-northern-kenya |
(Version française disponible ici)
Canada’s policy of official bilingualism was designed to ensure equality and inclusion for francophones, and as a recognition of English and French as founding peoples. Of course, this narrative of the founding of Canada ignored the place of Indigenous Peoples, whose languages are under significant threat.
After centuries of forced assimilation and attempted Indigenous erasure, the number of speakers of Indigenous languages continues to decline, and UNESCO says approximately 75 per cent of Indigenous languages in Canada are endangered. To prevent the further degradation of these languages, aggressive action must be taken to protect and revitalize them.
A recent memo from a group of Indigenous public servants called for greater equity for public servants who use an Indigenous language as a second language on the job. Current policies allow public servants who speak both French and English on the job to receive annual bonuses of $800. Additionally, it allows unilingual official language speakers to apply for French-English bilingual positions in the public service, then receive training in English or French as a second language. The allocation of these bonuses has been labelled discriminatory because those who use any two Canadian languages on the job should be compensated equally for their skills, not just those who speak the two official languages.
Indigenous self-government in Yukon holds lessons for all of Canada
The public servants’ memo calls for several changes to these policies to make them more accessible and inclusive to Indigenous employees. It calls for blanket exemptions to French-English bilingual job requirements for employees or applicants who can speak one official language and at least one Indigenous one. Under this type of exemption, the employee/applicant could serve in a bilingual position without necessarily having to speak both French and English, as long as they speak an Indigenous language. The exemption would also provide the opportunity to learn an Indigenous language as a second language to fit the job requirements. However, Treasury Board has firmly rejected this proposal, stating that it “will never change the fundamental principle of bilingualism in the public service.”
Canada has, to some extent, acknowledged the harm done to Indigenous languages and has introduced legislation including the Indigenous Languages Act and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which contain protections for Indigenous languages and the promise of stable and predictable funding for revitalization efforts. What this approach fails to realize is that language revitalization is a multidimensional issue that requires much more than just funding. The long list of racist and assimilatory policies against Indigenous Peoples, including the Indian Act and residential schools, have had lasting effects on language and culture. These policies created stigma and shame around speaking Indigenous languages, and created a hierarchy where French and English have taken precedence over Indigenous languages in terms of protection, funding, job opportunities, and more.
This hierarchy does not pertain only to employees in the federal public service. The recent appointment of Mary Simon as Governor General sparked controversy among some francophones. Simon is an Inuk woman who is fluent in both English and Inuktitut but not in French. She has committed to learning French, but some francophones claim that her appointment violates Charter provisions that give English and French equal status in the country, and therefore call into question the validity of the appointment.
To do its part in repairing the damage it caused to Indigenous languages, Canada must make itself a more inclusive space that encourages and entices people to learn an Indigenous language. Offering higher compensation to government employees who use an Indigenous language in the course of their work and offering that training to those who do not is one way to incentivize people to learn an Indigenous language or teach it to others. For this reason, the federal government should re-evaluate its stance on the blanket exemptions and bonuses to public servants who speak an Indigenous language.
However, this remedy is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to making reparations for past and ongoing wrongs against Indigenous Peoples, specifically related to languages.
The federal government’s ability to develop policy that elevates the status of Indigenous languages is limited, as any deviation from official bilingualism would damage the fragile compact between English and French. While the rich diversity of Indigenous languages should absolutely be celebrated and viewed as a strength and asset, the sheer number of Indigenous languages also creates an administrative challenge at the federal level. With an estimated 70 Indigenous languages spoken in Canada, it is difficult to adopt blanket policies that give adequate attention to the individual needs of each language and community to meaningfully help revitalization efforts.
However, unlike the federal government, the provinces and territories have the scope to elevate the status of Indigenous languages within their areas of jurisdiction.
One avenue to explore is the designation of Indigenous languages as their own class of languages within Canada that have elevated status, accessible services, stable funding, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. This designation would ideally reflect the geographic distribution of Indigenous languages for practical reasons.
For example, each province and territory could act to recognize all the Indigenous languages spoken there as regional official languages. These languages could be funded in part by the federal government and administered on the provincial/territorial level so that they could be easily integrated into other provincial/territorial areas of jurisdiction such as education, health care, natural resource management, etc. Not only would this allow people to access services in Indigenous languages, it would also create job opportunities for people who speak them. However, it is essential that Indigenous nations play an active role in the allocation and administration of these funds, and that any related programs or initiatives be developed collaboratively with these nations.
This policy would elevate the status of Indigenous languages and make them more accessible across each province/territory. This type of policy would not require a constitutional amendment and therefore could be implemented relatively quickly, compared with an approach to grant them elevated status at the federal level. Additionally, this alternative would probably be more politically palatable because it would not explicitly change the bilingual status of the country, and would likely not face the type of resistance that the suggestions in the memo faced.
Similar legislation has already been drafted or enacted in some provinces/territories. The Northwest Territories’ Official Languages Act recognizes nine Indigenous languages as official languages in the territory, alongside the federal official languages. Nunavut’s Official Languages Act recognizes the Inuit language (i.e., Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut) as an official language of Nunavut, alongside the federal official languages. Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaw Language Act recognizes Mi’kmaw as the original language of the province.
In short, Canada needs to take a more active role in supporting Indigenous communities’ revitalization efforts. Without addressing the systemic discrimination against Indigenous Peoples and their languages, then providing an environment where these languages can grow and thrive, the limited funding that Canada provides to Indigenous nations and communities will not be as effective. Whatever path Canada takes toward addressing Indigenous language revitalization, a successful policy will require extensive consultation and continued partnerships with Indigenous communities; must ensure that these communities are acknowledged as the experts and authorities on their own languages; and the resulting policies must reflect their concerns and ideas.
This article won the op-ed writing prize for graduate students as part of the IRPP’s 2022 Knowledge Mobilizer Awards, established to help mark the institute’s 50th anniversary. | https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/november-2022/indigenous-languages-revitalizaiton/ |
Who observes Indigenous Peoples Day?
Who observes Indigenous Peoples Day?
Fourteen states – Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin – plus the District of Columbia and more than 130 cities observe Indigenous Peoples Day instead of or in addition to Columbus Day.
What can I do to help indigenous peoples?
So, Where do we begin?
- Donate. There are many Canadian charities and organizations serving and supporting northern Indigenous communities and True North Aid is one of them.
- Listen.
- Volunteer.
- Attend a First Nations traditional event like a Pow-wow.
- Attend a Kairos Blanket Exercise.
Why are indigenous people protected?
Indigenous peoples have the right to conserve, restore, and protect the environment and to manage their lands, territories and resources in a sustainable way.
How do we show indigenous respect?
How can I show my respect?
- Learn about Aboriginal culture, for example by reading texts written by Aboriginal authors.
- Resist the urge to propose solutions for Aboriginal issues, but rather listen deeply.
- Ask questions during workshops or cultural events you visit.
- Avoid stereotypes.
- Consult, consult, consult.
What is Canada doing to help indigenous?
On March 18, 2020, the Government of Canada announced $305 million for a new, distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF) through its COVID-19 Economic Response Plan to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
What benefits do First Nations get in Canada?
Registered Indians, also known as status Indians, have certain rights and benefits not available to non-status Indians, Métis, Inuit or other Canadians. These rights and benefits include on-reserve housing, education and exemptions from federal, provincial and territorial taxes in specific situations.
Why are indigenous disadvantaged Canada?
A history comprised of dislocation from traditional communities, disadvantage, discrimination, forced assimilation including the effects of the residential school system, poverty, issues of substance abuse and victimization, and loss of cultural and spiritual identity are all contributing factors.
What are the First Nations tribes of Canada?
The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians (more commonly referred to as First Nations), Inuit and Métis. These are three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.
What are the 6 First Nations in Canada?
Around the Great Lakes were the Anishinaabe, Algonquin, Iroquois and Wyandot. Along the Atlantic coast were the Beothuk, Maliseet, Innu, Abenaki and Micmac. The Blackfoot Confederacies reside in the Great Plains of Montana and Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
How many natives died in Canada?
4,000 Indigenous
How many Indian tribes live in Canada?
In 2016, more than 1.6 million people identified as Indigenous in Canada. Below is a list of separate entries on various Indigenous nations in Canada….List of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
|Abenaki||Innu (Montagnais-Naskapi)||Oneida|
|Dene||Mi’kmaq||Tagish|
|Denesuline (Chipewyan)||Mohawk||Tahltan|
How many natives were there before Canada?
By 1867, it is thought that between 100,000 and 125,000 First Nations people remained in what is now Canada, along with approximately 10,000 Métis in Manitoba and 2,000 Inuit in the Arctic. The Aboriginal population of Canada continued to decline until the early 20th century.
Do American Indians have facial hair?
Yes, they do have facial and body hair but very little, and they tend to pluck it from their faces as often as it grows. Concerning hair, American Indian anthropologist Julianne Jennings of Eastern Connecticut State University says natives grew hair on their heads to varying degrees, depending on the tribe. | https://janetpanic.com/who-observes-indigenous-peoples-day/ |
It is a struggle that virtually all parents face: the battle to get the little ones to eat more fruits and vegetables, and generally a healthier diet overall. While many children are happy to gobble down breakfast cereal and candy, chocolates, and ice cream, few at a younger age are inclined to show the same desire to consume greens and other plant-based forms of nutrition. On the contrary, in fact; so many kids put up a fight each time they are asked to finish their broccoli or have a small salad to accompany the main course.
Of course, as parents, we can’t simply acquiesce and allow our little ones to eat whatever they want. Instead, it is important that we get them to eat a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables.
Are you struggling to get your children to eat healthy throughout the day? If so, try these four ways to get your kids to eat more fruits and veggies that are fun for the whole family.
Do your children understand the hard work and dedication that goes into growing a single piece of fruit or vegetable? If not, then they may entirely lack an appreciation for these plants.
One of the best and most fun ways to get your kids to eat more fruits and veggies is by having them help out in a garden, either the one in your backyard, or a local community garden that asks for help from volunteers. Doing so will let your kids see what it takes to grow these greens and fruits, from the initial planting stages, to intermittent nurturing, and finally to the process of taking everything from the ground. This will hopefully instill in them a sense of appreciation for the food, and make them more inclined to eat.
Obviously, this may not be possible now with the season coming to an end. However, consider this way to get kids to eat more fruit and veggies for next year.
If your children are like most, then they are probably used to getting food served to them on the dinner table each and every night. And, as such, they again won’t necessarily have a sense of appreciation for the work it takes to make a meal nutritious and delicious.
Do you want your children to enjoy eating whatever food is in front of them? If so, then consider involving them in the preparation process whenever possible. You can put older children in charge of more advanced tasks, such as portioning and straining; younger kids can simply help out stirring and tasting. Doing this together as a family is a fun and favorable way to get kids to eat more vegetables and fruits on the table.
Children love visually stimulating designs, regardless of the medium. They are awed by bright colors that dazzle their eyes, interesting textures that feel funny and weird, and even bizarre patterns of all shapes and sizes.
And, fortunately, you can use this characteristic of your children to your advantage when attempting to get kids to eat more vegetables and fruits by bringing home fruits that come in a variety of different shapes, colors, and textures, and arranging them on the plate in a fun and exciting way. For example, while a simple plate of greens may not provide much for the imagination, a carefully designed collection of broccoli heads, asparagus, orange peppers, and eggplant provides a wide array of colors, and a bowl of kiwi, oranges, pineapple, and grapes adds an added sense of fun texture and taste.
In the beginning, it may seem as if your little ones will never eat an entire plate of vegetables during dinner. And, of course, it may take quite some time before this feat is ever achieved.
That shouldn’t act as a deterrent to your plans, however. Instead of looking only at the big picture, consider the smaller goals, such as a few bites each meal, and reward your child for this behavior. This, in turn, may lead your little ones to eating more and more fruits and vegetables over the years until you will no longer need to make this request any more at all. Focus on the small feats that you accomplish each day, and eventually you’ll reach the bigger goal you desire.
Are you trying to get your little ones to eat more fruits and vegetables for lunch or dinner? If so, don’t hesitate to try these four fun ways that will help ensure the entire family eats a healthy and nutritious diet. | https://www.imaginetoys.com/blog/4-Ways-to-Get-Your-Kids-to-Eat-More-Fruits-and-Veggies |
Please contact artist for purchases, commissions, etc.
Digital Art
Artist's Statement
From being a geologist and an educator, I sashayed into creating digital fractal art in 2006. Fractals are geometric figures generated from mathematical algorithms that create characteristic shapes over a large range of scales. Seeing mathematics transformed from abstract equations into abstract explosions of colors, textures, and intricate designs feeds my senses and appeals to my geek instinct. I also take courses in collage to make art using more traditional materials (and find homes for numerous preliminary fractal images!).
When I go to the computer to create a fractal image, I rarely know ahead of time what will emerge, but instead try to convert a mood or narrative into a visual representation. I’m inspired by ideas from science, principles of spatial arrangements from ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), and notions of dynamic stillness and balance from yoga. In honor of a lifelong observation of physical landscapes, I’m now motivated to create private spiritual spaces of balance, harmony, and creative play. | https://inliquid.org/artist/hoyle-blythe/ |
You can never underestimate the power of art. It can take on a multitude of shapes and forms depending on the creativity of the artist. Even mundane objects like logs, leaves, metal scarps and bottles can be turned into a form of art.
People who store wood for the cold winter months have come up with a clever idea of arranging huge piles of logs into beautiful art forms. These logs actually present quite an array of colors, shapes and textures depending on the type of wood and how it is cut.
A creative eye and a bit of patience is all that’s required to get going. Once you figure it out, even the most mundane jobs can become exciting or interesting. Dozens of people have now turned their jobs of arranging huge log piles into a hobby.
The below examples prove that human creativity never ceases to amaze. | http://cdn.relax.life/folks-show-even-log-piling-become-art.html |
I, Mark Roemer Oakland, believe that the best landscape architecture designs help enrich the human experience by combining beauty with functionality. When most people think of landscape designs, they usually think it consists of organic elements such as lawns and hedges. However, functional landscape designs include important non-organic elements such as fences, stones, and paved areas too.
The incorporation of built elements is especially important in public spaces for improving functionality since the grading and ground material affect site planning, site installations, and usability.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips you can follow to create functional landscape architectural designs:
1. Consider how the landscape design will affect user experience – When creating landscape architectural designs, it is important to consider how the space would be used by people. The primary objective should be to improve the visual appeal, ease of navigation, and comfort. It is a good idea to segment the requirements for hardscapes such as fences, paved areas, stones, and other hard-wearing materials, and softscapes such as lawns, trees, and other plant materials.
The existing site condition can also impact the final design of the project. For instance, you have to carefully consider how existing structures, climate, and features such as drainage, slopes, and utilities will affect the construction. That is why proper planning and organization are important.
2. Make use of strong lines to create impact – One of the easiest ways to guide how the users feel about a landscape and navigate through it is to make use of strong lines. For instance, horizontal lines are more appropriate for spas and other places that are intended for relaxation. Similarly, vertical lines are suitable in exterior landscapes that demand more interaction and a dynamic sense of interaction.
3. Create balance with symmetry – Creating balance and symmetry is crucial when designing landscapes since it helps to boost the aesthetic appeal of the property. In fact, these are integral elements in a functional landscape since poor symmetry can ruin the appeal of the property.
Generally, the best practice to create balance in a landscape property is to blend materials and forms. For instance, the focal points in certain areas should be tied with other features that help to unify the space. The goal is to ensure the design flows naturally and seamlessly to minimize unwanted distractions.
4. Experiment with scale – Experimenting with scale in a landscape can be exciting and one of the best ways to engineer the feeling of an area. However, when comparing the relationship with objects to improve visual appeal and drama, it is still necessary to maintain balance.
The best practice is to consider the total square footage of architectural components on the property, and the area that needs to be landscaped and enhance the design by incorporating a wide variety of materials and heights.
5. Use texture and color to create a strong emotional impact – Beautiful landscapes tingle your senses and evoke a range of emotions that compel you to visit the site frequently. It is only possible through the proper use of different textures and colors that create subtle psychological and emotional impacts.
For instance, natural earth colors including deep browns, blacks, grays, and greens pair well with grass lawns, garden soil, rock and concrete structures, and water features. But bright synthetic colors such as pinks, purples, reds, and yellows clash with the natural greenery.
In terms of texture, broad leaves often shimmer and rustle in the wind, and thus, they grab the most attention. Contrarily, trimmed compact shrubs with small leaves can look smooth from a distance.
6. Create harmony with consistency and repetition – Functional landscapes include careful planning that focuses on unity and cohesion to create harmony in the surrounding. This is essential to generate a sense of completeness that people can experience intuitively.
The key principles of creating harmony in a landscape include mixing different elements such as shapes, textures, and lines via repetition to create unity. For instance, it is recommended you feature attention-grabbing focal points such as unique tree species in the building entrances, leisure spaces, pathways, and other places of interest.
7. Understand when to use curved vs straight lines – You should carefully consider the use of curved and straight lines since they help to encourage movement and reinforce order. However, they are not suitable for every type of landscape setting or usage. Let us look at them in detail below:
- Curved-line landscapes – Curved lines encourage unplanned exploration and wandering since they emphasize asymmetric compositions and natural forms. You can study the use of curved lines by observing traditional Japanese gardens with free-form natural landscapes.
They are commonly featured around water elements to draw attention to ponds and fountains and reinforce natural water lines. They can also be used to create strong focal points that encourage radial movements.
- Straight-line landscapes – Straight lines are appropriate in urban settings such as busy downtown environments where pedestrians and vehicles need to move as efficiently and quickly as possible.
These complement the basic rectangular shapes of traditional office building structures as well. However, it is labor-intensive to maintain plant configurations that feature straight form. Plants require frequent pruning to maintain their intended forms.
8. Use form and shape to direct attention – The best way to direct attention in a landscape is to make use of different types of trees since they offer a flexible range of shapes and compositions.
For instance, you can use trees with high trunks to create canopies that provide shade for hammocks and benches. Column-shaped and conical trees help to direct attention upwards. And you can set trees and shrubs in a line to create barriers that help direct traffic and people,
Conclusion
I, Mark Roemer Oakland, suggest you always strive to enhance the quality of user experience when creating landscape architectural designs in order to make them functional. For instance, retail centers, plazas, transit stations, and college campuses should be able to accommodate both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. High-traffic urban locations will benefit from significant hardscape materials and designated areas for social interactions. And, natural greenspaces are more appropriate for parks, country clubs, and decorative courtyards. | https://markroemer.net/landscape-architectural-designs-that-add-functionality/ |
Repeated elements of art: shapes, color, textures, lines, forms, values.
Movement: how the elements are arranged to direct the viewers eye throughout the art. Could be in a "V" "X" "T" shape or an organic line.
Balance: refers to the ways in which the elements (lines, shapes, colors, textures, etc.) of a piece are arranged. | https://spark.adobe.com/page/1yJsXt77V7Tgj/ |
The Culinary II classes at Coffee County Central High School recently held a plate presentation competition and the students did an outstanding job.
Each team made chocolate and strawberry sauce from scratch. Then each student was able to use fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, maraschino cherries, fresh mint, whipped cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and Twinkies, as ingredients.
The students put into practice their new knowledge and skills to decorate a beautiful plate for a presentation competition. Ingredients and plates were also sent home for virtual learners to compete.
Becki Louden says that all the students had fun and did a terrific job.
She could tell they understood food plating techniques such as height, layers, horizontal, zig zag and tapering lines, textures, contrasting colors, balance, focal points, odd quantities, symmetrical spheres, half-moon push, sauce technique with dots and circular swirls, smallware equipment, portion sizes and food garnishing.
“These techniques are simple but attractive as they create magic on the plate. There was even one virtual student win as she picked up her ingredients from school, created the plate at home and submitted her entry on Google Classroom. Congratulations, to all the winners they get to make a shake using the sauces, whipped cream, cherries and fruit from the competition,” Louden said.
The top 5 winners are: | https://www.manchestertimes.com/living/education/culinary-holds-presentation-contest/article_04d469da-9c72-11eb-9a8a-8b7cdb63ba3b.html |
When assembling flowers into your vase, make sure you are maintaining a balance throughout the arrangement. For instance, if one side looks too crowded, you still have some arranging to do. Try placing a big bloom on one side and balance the other side with a cluster of smaller flowers.
Scale
One of the most important things to keep in mind when arranging flowers is scale. You want to ensure that your final product will suit the space. If you are working with a small surface, a dainty arrangement would be more appropriate than a large one.
Colour
Consider the feelings you are trying to capture with your floral arrangements since colours can have a considerable effect on a person’s overall mood. Taking time to think about the occasion and the feelings you want your arrangement to express will help you select the right colours.
Texture
Incorporate different textures into your arrangement. Textures, including flowers and foliage offer another visually interesting element and make your flowers look like they were arranged by a professional. | https://voixdestyle.com/lifestyle/4-basic-principles-of-flower-arrangements/ |
Chardin was born in Paris, the son of a cabinetmaker, and rarely left the city. Chardin painted humble scenes that deal with simple, everyday activities. He used blocky simple forms perfectly organized in space, and few colors, mostly earth tones. He was a master of textures, shapes, and the soft diffusion of light. Largely self-taught, he was greatly influenced by the realism and subject matter of the 17th-century Low Country masters. Today his paintings hang in the Louvre and other major museums. He is much admired for his still life work and portraiture in pastels. He was one of Henri Matisse's most admired painters.
Discussion and Activities
- What shapes do you find in this painting?
- Discuss the light and shadows.
- What is the predominant color?
- What is the contrasting color?
- What other colors do you find?
- What is the mood of the painting?
- Discuss the depth perception.
- How would the picture be different without the glass of water, the white carnations, the cherries and the peach.
- Is there anything like a horizon in this painting? Where is it?
- Create your own still life by arranging strawberries or other fruit. Select additional objects to display with the fruit. Draw or photograph your arrangement.
- Write a detailed description of this painting. | https://oklahoma.agclassroom.org/resources_classroom/art/chardin/ |
Powell's first mature series, the Teasers (1987–2003), demonstrates his mastery of the Italian technique of working with murrine (mur-een-ee). To create the murrine, or tiny bits of colored glass, Powell and his team fuse pieces of intensely colored glass, pull them into canes or rods, and then chop the canes into small segments. He arranges up to 2500 of these small pieces onto a plate in various patterns that, when heated or merged with hot glass, elongate into swatches of color that grow and transform from small buttons to long ribbons in the final piece.
The oversized blown glass vessel shapes of the Teasers share similarities with traditional vases. For instance, their patterning has roots in ancient Greek Geometric style pottery, (900–700 BCE). These vessels inspired Powell with their horizontal banding and decorative patterns. Yet, unlike the Greek pottery in which the additive shaping of clay builds the vessel upward, Powell utilizes gravity to produce his Teasers, and he found a new way to forge the forms he desired. While standing on a large platform more than four feet high with his team of assistants below, Powell creates the long neck of his piece, blowing the glass as his assistants shape and mold the large body of the Teaser into multiple lobes. These sculptures, with their elongated necks, bulbous and voluptuous bodies, and almost symmetrical structure, subvert conventional vessel shapes, instead becoming inventive plays on human body parts.
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Whackos
In contrast to the Teasers, which embody more traditional vessel shapes and more diffuse colors, Powell's Whackos series (2003–2005) are large, asymmetrical sculptures with intense color combinations. No longer resembling parts of the human body, these sculptures instead bring to mind animals such as aardvarks or anteaters. The upward thrust of the elongated necks of the Teasers now fold down on themselves, grounding the Whackos with a looping snout or base. The round, bulbous bodies balance, somewhat uneasily, on three points. For Powell, this body of work became more than just a shift in form. For him, the Whackos “abandon the security of the vessel and allow me to explore more challenging sculptural concerns.” In the Whackos, Powell includes clear glass at the base of the piece for viewers to see through the work as they move around the piece. This allows viewers, in his words, to "view the resulting changing color combinations from many different angles. While certainly the textures of the pieces are important, going past the surface to the interior is an added feature of the work.”
To create this series, Powell invented another new way of working with glass, partially as a result of a accident that left him with a cast on his wrist and unable to work the blowpipe as he had previously. Instead of using gravity to help shape the vessel, he and his team performed acrobatic feats as they worked in a horizontal format to pull, twist, and shape the body of each Whacko and its appendages.
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Screamers
Powell's Screamers (2006–2011) are an amalgamation of the Teasers, the Whackos, and his early glass prototypes. As he puts it, they "reflect a blend of the asymmetrical sculpture of the Whacko work with the vessel tradition I used for so long. The asymmetry is freeing and allows for more expressive forms—forms that suggest howling, twisting, snorting, contorting. Yet all this craziness is tempered by the order of the pattern and the physical balance of the piece."
Created in a similar fashion to the Whackos, Powell and his team work horizontally with the glass to blow swollen, puff-bellied bodies, and to pull and stretch long, fluted necks into elegant "S" shapes. The gentle sway of the Screamers conjures bird imagery rather than human forms or animals. Powell intends this reference, stating, “The postures of these pieces, hopefully, reflect a liveliness that references cranes, storks, and other long-necked creatures in nature. Also, I am concerned with natural bulbous and linear sculptural shapes that reflect growth or inflation.” And, while these large, graceful forms incorporate the same murrine techniques of Powell's earlier works the color combinations and patterns in the Screamers become even more tight and orderly.
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Echoes
With his most recent series Echoes, (2011–present), Powell creates stunning bowls that, in many ways, are the most conventional of all of his forms. However, while there are no humanistic or anthropomorphic allusions, these are far from ordinary bowls. For Powell, these works function less as vessels and more as an exploration of the refraction of light as it passes through the melted glass swirls of murrine to create patterns and colors on the surface beneath to “echo” the object itself. As such, the bowl appears to float and hover upon its mirror image.
Another key difference between the Echoes and Powell's previous series is the way he works with the murrine. In prior works, the artist incorporated the murrine into the exterior of his sculptures; in the Echoes, Powell highlights the various textures of the murrine on the inside of the bowl. The creation of form itself is also a feat for his team as he utilizes the Italian process of incalmo, the perfect joining of different glass bands of distinctive colors blown at the same width, which creates a seamless melding of multiple parts into one piece. Powell incorporates incalmo multiple times during the creation of a single Echo to form the solid bands that anchor the top and bottom of each bowl. Difficulties with carefully fusing these bands with the ring of murrine, along with Powell's desire to combine vibrant colors with different melting points, make each successful Echo a triumph of glassblowing. | https://www.mmfadocents.com/stephen-rolfe-powell.html |
1. Identify your style preferences: Start by assessing your personal style and the look and feel you want to achieve in your home. Do you prefer a modern, minimalistic aesthetic, or a more traditional and timeless style?
2. Research popular home décor styles: Get familiar with the various home décor styles available and find the one that best reflects your aesthetic. This can include styles such as mid-century modern, contemporary, traditional, eclectic, bohemian, and more.
3. Consider your home's architecture: Take into account the architecture of your home and the existing features when selecting a home décor style. For example, if you have an older home with traditional features, a more contemporary style may not be appropriate.
4. Utilize colors and textures: Incorporate colors and textures that work well with the style you have selected. For example, if you have chosen a mid-century modern style, use colors such as mustard yellow, olive green, and burnt orange. | https://blessberries.com/blogs/what-are-the-best-wall-clock-for-home-decoration/how-do-you-identify-different-styles-of-home-decor-and-select-one-that-works-best-for-your-own-home |
Whether I am drawing a plan, arranging some flowers, building a topiary sculpture, or staging a display, my first move is to determine the order of events. The big gesture comes first. In a landscape plan, I determine the center of interest, or organizing element, and place it. If it is a pool, that pool is assigned a size and a location; any other design is keyed to and in support of that initial decision. If the pool is centered in a space, I work from the middle to the edges of my paper. If that pool is located on a wall at the far end of my space, I would work from back to front, in tandem with establishing the views. As the topiaries that had spent the summer in these pots needed the shelter of a greenhouse, I had four empty pots in search of a reason to be. The idea of these pots overflowing with pumpkins squashes and gourds in some sculptural way had appeal. As these pots are large, a center of interest at a height pleasingly proportional to their width needed to be set first. I used a trio of medium sized pumpkins to get my big pumpkin with its giant stem at the right finished height.
When working with rounded forms, it rarely works to use a filler material for height. Someplace your filler will show, and give the impression your slip is showing. Trying to cover up a not for viewing interior structure invariably looks like a cover up. Whatever portion of these support pumpkins might show in the finished piece, that portion will look like part of the arrangement. I would not have the faintest idea about how to turn pie pumpkins into pie, but I do know how to use them to provide crooks and crannies to set my prized specimen gourds. I set these beginning pumpkins at an angle which makes their swooping stems part of the action of the sculpture. This helps to make the sculpture look graceful. Every stem set straight up risks that soldierly, grocery store display look.
As I am interested in placing the largest gourds next, and then, arranging with color in mind, I need to look at averything I have available all at once. This can be quite a nuisance when building a stone wall, but I would not know how to construct it otherwise. In designing a landscape, a lot of shapes, textures and volumes need to be available to your mind’s eye, all at once. I am only good for a random thought that might be pertinent when I am tired; it takes energy to concentrate enough to turn off the daily noise and design. This is easy-get the gourds out, and spread them around.
My big beautiful squashes get placed next. When I look at the four pots from the drive, I see that the pots furthest from my eye will need more emphasis than the pots close to my eye; bigger material is a good way to get what is far away to read better. A small pie pumpkin enables me to tilt the squash out over the edge of the pot, and feature the stem.
I finish placing all the large gourds, and stand back for a look. Though not so readily apparent in this picture, I have placed more of the pale or light colored gourds in the rear pots, and the darker colored gourds in the front pots. Dark colors do not read well at a distance, so placing them up front makes the detail of their shape and color read better. Pale colors read fine at a distance, and highlight dark colors placed in front of them. The pots are ready for the little bits-the smallest gourds finish and refine the shape of the overall arrangement. In a landscape, I might be planting roses at this stage, or groundcover as part of the finishing touches.
The idea is suggest a casual and not too fussy an arrangement. In fact, ordering the placement of sizes permits an arrangement where all the pieces are built sensibly from a large base supporting the fine detail-both visually, and physically. In a large flower arrangement, the interlocking big stems under water provide a framework that will hold the smaller stems where you want them. In a landscape, a long walk indicates how a garden is meant to be experienced-but it also provides weight and organization to the smaller elements you otherwise might not notice. All the elements of any composition need to interlock for a strong presentation of the whole. This front pot features dark and intense colors, with dashes of pale colors here and there.
This rear pot set in a much darker environment relies on the interaction of pale colored shapes for good visibility. The varying shapes and colors of all the little noisy gourds emphasize the mass and grace of the shape of my starring pumpkin.
Pots without much in the way of plants is a welcome change from the summer season. There is a celebration of permutations which have occurred as a result of cross-pollination going on here. The visual explanation – a little feast for the eye. | https://deborahsilver.com/blog/staging-a-display/ |
I’m a paper junkie. I collect bits and scraps of paper from anywhere to use in my art. My favorite recently has been the packing slips in Chinese from the lamps my wife bought. Tissue thin paper with oriental calligraphy. They’ll find a home someday.
When I’m feeling flush, though, I head to The Paper Place on Queen St. in Toronto. There, I can spend many dollars on many sheets of deliciously textured and colored paper.
The Lilies image here, one of several I’ve done recently, is a result of a paper cutting experiment I tried. I took several sheets of paper in various colors and textures and cut oval shapes from them. I then painted a 12″x36″ canvas and started arranging shapes. By cutting a few curved pieces of paper, the flowers just seemed to appear. I finished the design with some quick pastel embellishments and a spray of varnish. | https://bobpennycook.com/paper_cuts/ |
Instead of mixing up all of the ingredients for your wreath, attach them in bulk according to the rainbow to create a magnificent and unique wreath.
When I started playing with the idea of a rainbow wreath, it was because I had my color wheel out and was working with fabrics. They were set out in almost a circle, and the rainbow wreath was born.
Of course I didn’t want to cover the entire spectrum and get the thing looking too busy or playful, so I chose an autumn color palette and the wreath took shape immediately!
I do want to mention that it doesn’t necessarily follow a true spectrum for you color wheel experts out there. Since I didn’t use the entire ROYGBIV there would be a natural break anyway, so I played with the materials I had chosen until I found a pleasing flow. What you see here seemed to be the most pleasing flow. When you select your materials, do the same, create the circle and move things around. I also wanted to mix up the textures so there weren’t berries next to gourds, or leaves next to leaves. All in all for a first try I think it came out quite nice.
Materials List:
- Silks and greens of your choice
- Grapevine wreath
- Hot glue gun
- Floral wire
- Wire cutters
- Ribbon to hang
Instructions:
1. As I mentioned above, start by arranging your materials in a circle and determining whether you like the color and textural flow.
2. Some materials attach to the grapevine wreath more easily using floral wire. Pinecones can be wrapped tightly near the base so the wire doesn’t show.
3. Pull the wires down through the grapevines separately and then twist them tightly together underneath to hold the pinecone in place.
4. Start adding your materials in bunches, making sure to leave enough room to add all of your items. (I got carried away with one of the flowers and almost didn’t have enough room for the last item!)
5. Some materials need to be cut down. Once these stem were cut to about 6”, I was able to weave them into the grapevines and attaching them didn’t require the hot glue gun.
6. As you go, continue to consider the next material and how the colors and textures are changing. Here, after the leafy sunflowers, twigs and berries make sense.
7. In the end, the only area I wanted to beef up was the area of the gourds. Perhaps I could have chosen some that were a little larger.
Once I added the ribbon and hung the wreath outside, I decided that the irregularity of the circle gave my wreath some charm. It set it apart from all the other perfectly circular wreaths. (Hahaha!) Do you ever try to talk yourself into something? Well that’s exactly what I did! | https://mattandshari.com/crafts/wreaths-and-floral/arrange-by-color-to-make-a-rainbow-wreath/ |
Landscape design is the art of modifying the visible features of an outdoor area for the purpose of enhancing its aesthetic appeal. There are 7 principles of landscape design to follow in order to create attractive outdoor scenery.
1. Balance
A well-planned landscape design contains elements that have a visual weight that is either equal or in the right proportions. There are two ways to achieve balance in a landscape design, namely, symmetrical and asymmetrical. In symmetrical balance, you will have elements that are reflective from right to left and vice versa, like a mirror image. In asymmetrical balance, the visual weight of the elements from one side should be in the right proportions to the other but not necessarily identical. To aid this, you can make use of textures and patterns to visually balance the spaces.
2. Focalization
Creating a main point of interest is another principle that can make your landscape design memorable. A focal point is important because it creates a dominant visual interest that will urge the viewer to explore the other features of the design. Play with texture, form, size, or color in creating your focal point. It is critical that you do not create too many focal points, otherwise, it will defeat its purpose.
3. Simplicity
An effective landscape design is clean and easy to understand. If there are too many plant species, decors, textures, or colors, the landscape will look cluttered. Contrasting elements will make the design complicated. Remove any element, whether it is a plant or a decor that does not add value to the design. Once this principle is achieved, the landscape will bring a sense of calm to the viewer.
4. Sequence
The placement order of each element should follow a visually appealing pattern. Textures and sizes should be taken into consideration in arranging landscapes. Plants should be placed gradually according to size. Consider sequencing bigger plants behind the smaller ones. Any sudden change in size, shape, and texture, in the alignment, can cause the design to be chaotic. A well-sequenced landscape will give the viewer a smooth and ordered progression that’s pleasant to the eyes.
5. Unity
This principle will not only help entice but also retain attention. Unity refers to the interconnection of the different features in your landscape. If the individual feature complements the other feature in the design, then there is unity. Repetition and continuity are the basic concepts that you can play with to achieve unity. Elements such as plant species, texture, color, and form can create unity if they are repeatedly and harmoniously placed. It can also create a continuous flow of elements that are easy and pleasant to look at.
6. Variety
Variety is the principle that adds flavor to the landscape design. Adding diversity can create a healthy amount of contrast that will prevent your design from being bland or boring. Variety can be achieved by placing the lighter or darker plants together in a way that they stand out. Too much unity, balance, and simplicity will put your design in danger of being monotonous. Mend this by creating a variety that can make your design even more interesting.
7. Proportion
Proportion refers to how the sizes of each element are connected to the whole landscape. If there is a good connection between the elements in terms of size, then you can say that you have achieved proportion. It is an important element that helps you create a visually pleasing landscape. | https://www.outdoor-living-colorado.com/the-7-principles-of-landscape-design/ |
This November, in observation of the holiday, we decided to put together a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving for some friends, before the in-laws showed up. The architect of this dinner's tablescape, Melissa Ragonese, offers her comments below on assembling a simple and modern table setting that maintains touches of the traditional colors and textures of Thanksgiving. Read the recipes in Part 1 and view more photos on our Flickr.
I started with the Libeco Home Vence linen napkins, using them like color swatches to begin a color scheme for our table. picked gold, because I thought the color had a touch mustard-orange and was the start to a subtle, earthy twist on the conventional Thanksgiving color palette. From the napkins, I moved onto the tablecloth, selecting the Libeco Vence tablecloth in café noir, as a dark, simple, backdrop for our table. Linen offers so much more texture and character than your usual cotton tablecloth. I felt the Libeco Fjord celadon tablerunner's earthy green color contrasts well with the café noir tablecloth and make the table linen pop a bit. Libeco Home collections always mix together well and allow for more combinations of textures and colors than we can count. When choosing a placemat, I always default to Chilewich, for their robustness and the assortment of colors and textures they come in. The mica Chilewich lattice tablemat, along with the eggplant-colored candles I chose, brings out the tablecloth's dark brown coloring.
I wanted to let the food to speak for itself, so I picked out some white Simon Pearce Cavendish dinnerware for the plates, most of the serving bowls, and the platter for turkey. To give the place setting a touch of modern design, I paired the dinnerware with the David Mellor Classic flatware. I also picked out serving spoons from this collection that, perhaps more than any other of David Mellor's distinctively modern flatware collections, works well in a traditional setting.
To give the table some more character, I filled it with Simon Pearce glass bowls, like the Barre and the Woodbury, as well as the Match Pewter gravy boat, candlesticks, salt & pepper shakers, and butter dish. Match always jibes well with Simon Pearce in creating classic tablescapes where the luster of the pewter mingles with the fine, heavy, hand-blown glass of Simon Pearce. I scattered Simon Pearce Shelburne vases about the table filled with dried, trimmed wheat stalks with the goal of bringing some natural harvest colors and textures to the table. This simple arrangement meshes better with out clean, classic tablescape than a busier, more conventional flower arrangement, focussing all attention to our beautiful tableware and delicious food.
For the dessert setting, I decided to mix things up with some more color and fun, using Jars Vuelta sky gray dessert plates on top of Revol square slate plates. The Vuelta plates are some of my favorites off of Didriks' shelves for their beautiful glaze and idiosyncrasies. Each plate has its own character. I wanted to bring a lively change to the table while everyone enjoyed their coffee and pie. | https://blog.didriks.com/dinner-series/2010/11/dinner-6-thanksgiving-part-2 |
In the home economics room of Westminster High School, the smell of Brussels sprouts and charred food wafted through the classroom as 8- to 11-years-old chefs rushed around the three kitchen units, trying desperately to add the final touches to their dishes.
An instructor yelled out the countdown of five minutes remaining, adding to the frenzy.
This was Kids Chopped, a weeklong summer camp run like an episode from the Food Network television show, "Chopped," with mystery ingredients and a final taste-test from judges.
Following Kids Chopped is Chopped, a summer camp for teenagers ages 12 to 15. Both camps are two of the many on offer through the Carroll Community College's Summer! Kids@Carroll and Teen College.
Each day at Kids Chopped begins with a short lesson on a new cooking technique that can be used to prepare that day's dish, instructor Bill Holtz said. Holtz worked as a chef for 10 years and now teaches fourth grade at Westminster Elementary School.
On Wednesday, he taught the children how to use the oven and saute food on the stove top, both methods that the chefs could have used to cook their Brussels sprouts.
The children are very independent in the kitchen, but they also have the help of several kitchen aides, Holtz said.
"They're pretty good at fending for themselves, but every once in a while someone can't reach the top shelf or doesn't know what to do," 14-year-old Mikayla Maksym, one of the kitchen assistants, said as her attention was pulled away to help someone with the oven.
Just like on the show, the children were given ingredients that they were required to be integrated in their dishes and were also able to use any additional ingredients from the pantry.
Wednesday's mystery ingredients were small puff-pastry cups, tomato sauce, string cheese and Brussels sprouts.
"A lot of them are automatically thinking of pizza cups, but a lot of them are branching out and experimenting, too," Holtz said.
After Holtz called for his chefs to put down their food and utensils, they all sat around tables in front of a panel of judges who rated the dishes in terms of creativity, appearance and taste on a scale of 1 to 3.
At the end of the week, all of the points will be totaled for an overall winner.
One of the dishes that a chef brought to the judges was far from being a pizza. Swimming underneath the tomato and cheese sauce hid puff pastry shells and pasta. Sauteed slices of cucumber rimmed the red sea and the 2-inch butt of a cucumber protruded from the very middle.
Holtz commended 11-year-old chef Marcello Piccirilli's creative use of the cucumber, which he had never eaten sauteed before but said tasted great.
"The cucumber turned out better than I expected," Marcello said.
Another chef, 10-year-old Ben Cohn, called his dish Volcanic Activity because the tomato sauce represented lava bubbling out of the pastry-shell volcano and burning the Brussels-sprout trees.
An important aspect of the dish was also the story behind it, Holtz said. The creativity of the story also reflected their score.
"When you're personally invested in the food, you know it's going to come out better," Holtz told the class.
Grace Conaway, 11, explained to the judges that her puff pastries were houses floating on tomato sauce and the thin wafer of Brussels sprout on top of each house served as the roof.
The judges awarded Grace a perfect score of 3 in each of the three categories. As Holtz told Grace that he liked her story and dish, her face shone pink and her bright smile fought to climb all the way up her face.
"That's what it's all about — seeing the smiles on kids' faces," Holtz said.
Although the judge's deadpan expressions revealed nothing when they took a bite of each dish, they always gave honest criticism of what they did and did not like.
"So far nothing has been inedible, and they really want to impress us," Holtz said.
One dish made the judges eyes' widen in shock when they took a bite that lit their mouths on fire from the spiciness.
"Oh yeah, I can taste the chili powder," Holtz said as he reached for more water.
Overall, the dishes tasted good and some of the things the children have made have really impressed Holtz, he said.
One of the dishes from earlier in the week was so delicious that Holtz said he and the judges kept eating it after the children left.
The class is a mix of experienced and inexperienced chefs but it is all about teaching the children to think on their feet, Holtz said.
Sometimes when things go wrong or the food falls apart, they have to problem solve.
"They're really using their imagination and creativity," Holtz said.
410-857-7875
Twitter.com/CCTNews
If you go:
What: Carroll Community College offers more than 100 half-day and full-day summer camps for children ages 3 to 15 as part of the Summer! Kids@Carroll and Teen College summer camps. Camp subjects range from science, math, art, theater and culinary areas.
Where: Classes are either held at Carroll Community College, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster, or Westminster High School, 1225 Washington Road, Westminster.
When: June 22 to Aug. 7 with morning camps 9 a.m. to noon and evening camps 1:15 to 4:45 p.m.
Cost: Ranges from $125 to $160 depending on the class
More information: Visit http://www.carrollcc.edu or call 410-386-8100 for more information. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/ph-cc-community-college-summer-camp-20150715-story.html |
The winning dish at the Dublin City School District's third annual student chef cook-off was inspired by a love of Japanese culture.
This year's competition was held at Dublin Jerome High School teams from Jerome and Dublin Coffman High School participated.
Student Ethan Seifert, 17, said he spent a couple days searching for recipe ideas before realizing he really liked his girlfriend's yakisoba, a dish he described as flavorful and ingredient-filled and similar to lo mein.
Since Seifert and his cook-off teammate Raena Drotleff, 18, take Japanese for their language arts class, their group decided the dish would be a perfect fit, he said.
"We wanted to explore more Japanese culture," he said.
The trio, comprised of Jerome seniors Seifert, Drotleff and 17-year-old Zachary Ettrich, modified an online recipe, changing the portion size and using tofu instead of chicken. After a 30-minute prep time, their dish won.
Seifert, Drotleff and Ettrich's team -- named Emo Grandpa -- was one of four teams competing April 25 at Jerome High School.
The event is sponsored by the district's food service provider, Chartwells, and was designed to promote nutrition and food education.
The cook-off allows students to express their creativity and joy of cooking while learning new skills and engaging in friendly competition, said Todd Hoadley, Dublin's superintendent .
"I love this event," he said.
Two Jerome teams and two Coffman three-person teams squared off against each other, preparing food with guidance from mentor chefs.
In addition to Emo Grandpa's yakisoba, prepared dishes also included chicken parmesan, turkey burgers and chicken alfredo.
Two student judges and four celebrity judges evaluated the dishes on criteria including sanitation, creativity, taste, visual attractiveness, perceived healthiness and teamwork. Celebrity judges included Columbus Dispatch Food Editor Lisa Abraham, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Senior Vice President of Operations Charles Kline, City Barbecue Human Resources Director Jen Hamilton and WBNS 10TV News Anchor Jeff Hogan.
It was Hogan's second year judging the cook-off, and he said he most enjoys seeing the students' creativity, along with learning what they consider healthy and unique.
Hogan said he also enjoyed seeing how students' teamwork impacts the final product, and how the meal ultimately tastes.
"That's the best part," Hogan said.
Jerome senior Kamerin Cerrato, 18, made chicken parmesan with the help of her two teammates. She said she enjoyed the opportunity to choose her team members and make a dish of their choosing.
"I like that it's kind of like a surprise," she said. | https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20170502/dublins-top-chefs-japanese-dish-is-contest-winner-for-team-from-jerome-high-school |
Elle Ferguson, Bwog staff writer and person who gets hungry just thinking about food, reports on the second annual Battle of the Dining Halls.
The second annual Battle of the Dining Halls took place yesterday at Roone Arledge Auditorium in Lerner. All three Columbia dining halls – John Jay, Ferris, and JJ’s – made one special dish to present to student attendees and later a panel of judges, for the chance to win one or both of the prizes offered: the Students’ Choice Award and the Judges’ Choice Award. Each dish had a special theme, as well as an alternative vegan option (disclaimer: I ate none of the vegan options, but I’m told by the judges that they were also delicious). This year’s panel of judges, which tried and critiqued each dish in the latter half of the event, featured Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a judge from Chopped.
For the first half of the event students packed into the auditorium and lined up at the dining hall’s booths to try their food. After tasting each dish, they could go to a special link and vote for which dining hall they thought had the best dish.
JJ’s presented a “Bacon Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Dumpling.” This dish was made with a smoky tomato soup inside a dumpling wrap with grilled parmesan cheese on the bottom, topped with bacon jam and micro basil. The inspiration for the dish came from two favorite college student dishes, soup dumplings and grilled cheese.
John Jay crafted a “Herb Crusted Braised Lamb on Blue Cheese Polenta Bun.” Of all the dishes served, this one required the most preparation as the cooks let the lamb marinate for two days beforehand and hand-made each polenta bun. The new chef manager at John Jay said he was inspired by the concept of homecoming: “When you get home, what do you get from your mother? A hardy roast.” His staff added twists to the recipe of a classic roast by choosing lamb instead of beef, pulling the lamb instead of roasting it, and using polenta instead of potatoes.
Ferris prepared “Nonna’s Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs,” a classic, savory dish with spaghetti, beef and veal meatballs, parmesan cheese, and marinara sauce. The chef behind this creation said his primary inspiration was “love,” as a tribute to a grandmother’s home-cooked meal. “Everyone loves grandma’s cooking, and I hope you love our cooking today,” he said to students.
After the students had tried the food and voted for their favorite dining hall, it was time for the judges to critique the same dishes presented by Ferris, John Jay, and JJ’s.
The first dish that was served to the panel of judges was the spaghetti from Ferris. “It’s just delicious,” Guarnaschelli said, noting with a twist of humor that the spaghetti squash vegan option was also a pleasant surprise. “I hate when people say, ‘Oh, I made noodles out of spaghetti squash, they were just like spaghetti.’ No, they weren’t. Stop lying. You have those spaghetti squash noodles with lunch, then you come home and you make spaghetti.”
The judges’ panel then tried JJ’s tomato soup dumplings. Chef Guarnaschelli complimented the risk and creative agency taken by JJ’s staff, but would not say if it was risky in a good or bad way. Overall Guarnaschelli was more complimentary of the creativity and the structure of the dish than its taste, which she left out of her critique.
The third and final dish to be presented to the judges was the lamb and polenta from Ferris. From Chef Guarnaschelli this plate received the most praise for its thoughtfulness in the preparation process, taste, and presentation.
By the end of the event, the host announced the winners. Taking the Students’ Choice Award was JJ’s, followed by Ferris receiving the Judges’ Choice Award. | https://bwog.com/2019/02/battle-of-the-dining-halls-the-rematch/ |
How do our genes impact our food choices?
White paper exploring the role of genetics in taste perception, food preferences and health.
Variation in taste perceptions can be explained by nature and nurture. In this white paper, Silvia Peleteiro, focuses on the impact genetics play on our taste perceptions, in particular looking at the way we taste fat, and explores how this is impacting our food choices and ultimately our health and wellbeing.
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All our services exclusive to Leatherhead members including helplines, white papers and training courses. | https://www.leatherheadfood.com/white-paper/how-do-our-genes-impact-our-food-choices/ |
While the durian is a favored fruit for people in Southeast Asia, the uninitiated may describe the fruit’s odor as odd or unpleasant. In much the same way, the Swedish preparation of fermented herring is preferred by locals, not so much by those belonging to other regions.
Researchers in the field have long debated whether the sense of smell was affected by culture or the odorant molecule itself. “This has been an ongoing debate in the community,” said Johannes Frasnelli, a researcher at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, in Canada, who was not involved in the study.
In unexpected new findings, researchers report that culture may have very little to do with your preference for certain smells. Around the world, an individual’s personal taste, regardless of culture, and the molecular nature of the odorant were more important in deeming a smell pleasant or unpleasant.
While anthropological studies have shown that culture may be at play in odor perception, other studies have found odor pleasantness to be a feature of the odorant molecule. “We tried to bridge this divide between the literature from the hard sciences and social sciences by conducting this cross-cultural study while at the same time manipulating the molecular properties of odorants,” lead author Asifa Majid, a researcher at the University of Oxford, England, wrote in an email.
Working with collaborators around the world who strive to document the cultures of various communities, Majid put together a test easily conducted in the field. Participants in the study included hunter-gatherers, horticulturalists, subsistence agriculturalists and urban dwellers from nine geographically diverse regions:tropical rainforests and coasts, temperate highlands, coastal deserts as well as subtropical and savanna climates from Mexico, Ecuador, Malaysia and Thailand. The data was measured against an earlier data set on odor preferences from urban New York City dwellers.
The researchers presented each of the 225 participants with 10 Sniffin’ Sticks — marker pen-like devices filled with single-molecule odorants instead of ink. After randomly ordering the pens in front of the participants, Majid’s colleagues asked the subjects to sniff and rate the scents on a scale from pleasant to unpleasant. These smells covered the spectrum from sweet-smelling vanilla and peach to the rank odor of foot sweat.
Unsurprisingly, the participants liked the smell of vanilla best, followed by that of ethyl butyrate, which is reminiscent of peaches. The subjects most disliked the smell of isovaleric acid, an odorant found in stinky cheese and stinky feet.
“I think this is a first step towards our better understanding what determines odor preference,” said Frasnelli. Unlike the odorants used in the study, smells that you perceive in nature are often a complex thing, borne of varying odorants.
Culture seemed to have but a small role in the perception of smells. Statistical analyses revealed that culture accounted for only 6% of the variance in odor preference, with 54% being due to personal taste and 41% due to the molecular properties of the odorant.
“It was a little bit surprising to me that the effect of cultural differences was so negligible or small in size,” said Jonas Olofsson, a researcher at Stockholm University, in Sweden, who was not involved in the study. “So, it really emphasizes the impact of potentially universal features in olfactory perception.”
Olofsson and Frasnelli suggest testing these findings in other settings and with different odorants. Another complementary perspective would be “to look at developmental perspectives, comparing individuals of different ages, establishing how preferences are determined over the lifespan,” added Olofsson.
Researchers agree that individual variations in finding an odor pleasant or not may depend on biological differences between people. For instance, some people who like the smell and taste of coriander are known to possess a specific genetic signature. “We need to understand what drives those interindividual differences — if it’s not culture — but what else drives it,” said Frasnelli.
In the future, Majid would like to expand the study to include even more odors, different cultures, and possibly examine how these preferences evolve over the course of childhood. | https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/does-smell-preference-depend-on-culture/ |
We are thrilled to have Alison, Giovanna and Lorna joining us at Thame Food Festival this weekend.
The girls appeared on our screens as MasterChef 2017 finalists, impressing the judges with their skill, creativity and determination. They’re now great friends who love to cook together and have teamed up to create Three Girls Cook.
Since they joined forces they have become renowned for showcasing one ingredient three ways, across three dishes.
Seeing as our Pomegranate Molasses has just been awarded three Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Foods, we thought it was fitting that Three Girls Cook created three recipes (one for each star).
Over the course of the week we’ll be giving you a sneak peak of the dishes over our social channels and you can find Three Girls Cook making the dishes on the Belazu stand at Thame on Saturday at 12.15pm. | https://www.belazu.com/story/three-girls-cook/ |
The event focuses on excellence in coffee and the promotion of the barista profession. Duly qualified judges will assess each performance based on criteria including taste, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation. The signature beverage, enables baristas to draw on their imagination to ravish the palates and integrate their extensive knowledge of coffee into a creation that reflects their taste and individual experiences. | https://www.sirha.com/en/node/161 |
A team member at Wellmeadow Lodge is celebrating after winning an award at a national ceremony.
Anna Chwalek, second chef at Wellmeadow Lodge, stood out among the competition and took home the Chef of the Year award. Anna was nominated for the award because of her passion, culinary flair and creativity in the kitchen.
The Care UK Stars awards recognise and reward individual and team excellence across Care UK’s 119 care homes. The panel of judges were won over by Anna’s delicious dishes, including spicy pork fillet and a velvety coffee pudding.
Commenting on the award win, Anna said: “I joined Wellmeadow Lodge in 2008 and I can safely say that I have never felt happier in my life, I love my job and nothing gives me more joy than cooking for the residents.”
Catherine Brannan, home manager at Wellmeadow Lodge, said: “It was a truly inspirational evening and it was brilliant that Anna’s talent for creating meals that both look and taste delicious has been recognised. She is always experimenting with flavours from around the globe and often invites residents to sample her dishes, shaping menus that everyone enjoys. | https://www.careuk.com/care-homes/news/wellmeadow-lodge-scoops-national-award |
A Taste of Williamsburg will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. April 13 in the Virginia Room of the Williamsburg Lodge. Sponsored by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, the event is celebrating its 17th annual year. Guests can sample favorite dishes from more than 15 area restaurants. There's a cash bar as well.
As in past years, four awards will be handed out. A Critic's Choice Award is given by a panel of judges from the press and food industry. A Toast of the Taste Award is made by representatives from the major sponsors. The People's Choice Award is the "Overall Favorite" chosen by ballots cast by attendees of the event. Finally, the Chef William Swann Award for Best Themed Presentation is chosen by a panel of judges from the design and food industry.
Tickets are $35 and available through the chamber and tourism office, 421 North Boundary Street, Williamsburg, or by calling 229-6511. | https://www.dailypress.com/dp-mtblog-2010-03-taste_of_williamsburg-story.html |
Top Chef Seattle: And the Winner Is...Emily Caruso | Jelly Toast
Top Chef Seattle crowned its champion this week. Read on for a detailed analysis.
And then there were two.
We're down to the finale and it's Kristen and Brooke to battle it out for the title of Top Chef. I don't know if I've ever watched a finale of Top Chef and not had someone I was obviously pulling for, but this season, I just can't choose between these two.
Their creativity in the kitchen is inspiring; plus, I'm thrilled to finally have another woman be named Top Chef. Ultimately, I am hoping for a good match up in which both chefs do their best. It makes my stomach twist into a knot when a chef falls on their face during the finale.
The Finalists:
From the very beginning, there was something about Kristen that made her stand out from the crowd. An air of confidence - dare I say subtle arrogance - that can't be forced. She's both artistic and classic in her style of cooking and she just screams Top Chef material. Kristen has recently battled her way back into the competition through an impressive winning streak in Last Chance Kitchen to earn herself a spot in the finale.
Brooke, on the other hand, has been this quiet powerhouse in the kitchen. She delivers intense flavor and creativity time and time again. In fact, she's so consistent that she has won the most elimination challenges of any other contestant. She's known for her unusual and innovative pairings, like lamb stuffed squid and frogs legs and mussels surf and turf. It will be exciting to see what she brings out tonight.
For the first time, the Top Chef finale is taking place in front of a live audience. The chefs will be cooking for 68 people, including the judges and previous nine winners. It's like Iron Chef on steroids. This is bound to make things interesting, not to mention nerve-racking.
The Challenge:
The episode starts with the chefs entering into this giant, arena sized studio filled to the brim with judges, family members and previous Top Chef contestants and winners. Brooke looks visibly nervous after seeing the venue.
The Chefs have previously chosen their sous chefs, who are all chef coated up and ready to cook.
On Kristen's team are Sheldon, Lizzie and Josh. Not too bad considering they were all the most recently eliminated contestants. Kristen seems pleased that she has a hard working team and won't have to deal with any big egos. I couldn't agree more.
Brooke's team consists of CJ, Stefan and Kuniko. Not a bad line up, but a few of her team mates didn't make it too far in the competition, so I hope this doesn't place her at a disadvantage. She seems to think it's a great mix. I do wonder, though, how Stefan feels about battling against Kristen. They have always had a very flirty friendship and I think Stefan does carry a bit of a torch for her.
Both chefs will prepare their best five dishes and each course will be judged head to head. The first chef to have three winning dishes will claim the title of Top Chef.
The Dishes:
First Dish - Salads
Kristen: Chicken Liver Mousse with Frisee, Mustard, Prune, Hazlenuts and Pumpernickle.
Judges Comments: Emeril loved the mousse and Kristen's flavors and while Gail was complimentary of the mousse, she was confused about the greens covering the entire thing.
Brooke: Crispy Pig Ear and Chicory Salad, Six- Minute Egg, Apricot Jam & Candied Kumquats.
Judges Comments: Overall the judges loved her dish, but several of the pigs ears were burnt. The finger is pointed to CJ a bit on those burnt pigs ears, but Brooke takes all the blame. It's those little mistakes that will keep you from the win. Yikes.
Winner: Kristen sweeps the judges votes for the first dish.
Second Dish - Scallops
Kristen: Citrus & Lavender Cured Scallop with Bitter Orange, Meyer Lemon & Apple.
Judges Comments: The judges love the beautiful, light way she handled the scallop and feel this is a perfect representation of her style and skill. The dish is absolutely lovely to look at and with all the bright, fresh components, I'm sure it tastes even better than it looks.
Brooke: Seared Scallop with Salt Cod Puree, Crispy Speck, Black Currant and Mustard Seed Vinaigrette.
Judges Comments: The chefs love the combination of flavors that Brooke has played with, particularly the salt cod, and feel her scallop is cooked perfectly. The sear on the scallop alone was something to behold. Gorgeous.
Winner: Brooke eeks out the win over Kristen when Hugh breaks the 2 to 2 tie.
Third Dish - Chefs choice
Kristen: Celery Root Puree with Bone Marrow, Mushrooms, Bitter Greens & Radishes
Judges Comments: Emeril loves the earthy tones in Kristen's dish, but Tom seems uncertain. Padma wishes the dish was hot and makes sure to point out the fact that it isn't. While it's harsh, it sounds like the temperature is a problem.
Brooke: Vadouvan Fried Chicken with Sumac Yogurt-Tahini & Pickled Kohlrabi Fattoush
Judges Comments: The judges are a little thrown with her chicken wing; more with the choice to make it rather than the flavor. Plus, a few seem to be struggling with the messiness of the dish, although I find it amusing watching Gail and Padma lick their fingers while Tom is being kind of a baby about the whole thing. Emeril loves it. Atta boy, Emeril!
Winner: Kristen
The judges feel at this point in the competition, Kristen's dish was more interesting and I have to say that I agree. Don't get me wrong. I love amazing BBQ chicken wings and I find it intriguing when a chef will choose to cook an elevated version of what could be considered a "low brow" dish. However, I feel like Brooke didn't do that here, which seems uncharacteristic of her. Her chicken wing appeared pretty basic, and the Fattoush was a bit confusing.
With a few dishes under their belts, the chefs are beginning to show what they're made of. With Kristen's second win, Brooke is visibly shaken, but not defeated. Kristen seems to be struggling a bit with the amount of plates that need to be put out, commenting that on a normal night, she will only cook for 10 people. This finale is quite different.
Fourth Dish - Red Snapper
Brooke: Braised Pork Cheek & Crispy Red Snapper with Collard Green Slaw & Sorrel Puree.
Judges Comments: The judges and previous contestants commend her on her layers of flavors and textures.
Kristen: Red Snapper with Leeks, Little Gem Lettuce, Tarragon, Uni & Shellfish Nage
Judges Comments: Overall, the judges like her flavors and pairings. Gail loves how harmonious all of the components are, but is a bit thrown by the stringiness of her leeks.
The judging of this dish could determine the entire outcome. If Kristen wins this dish, she will be crowned with the title of Top Chef. If Brooke wins, the chefs will be tied and will battle it out over the last dish of the night: dessert.
In the end, it doesn't come down to dessert. Kristen's snapper says it all and earns her a clean sweep vote from the Judges.
Kristen Kish earns the title of Top Chef. The tenth chef and only second woman to ever earn the title.
While part of me is sad about Brooke not winning, an equal part of me is thrilled to have Kristen earn it. She is truly a dynamic and exciting chef. Plus, I love the idea of her using some of her winnings to travel back to her home country of Korea. I wish both chefs the best of luck to them in the future and thank them and all the contestants for a truly enjoyable season of Top Chef.
Congratulations, Kristen!
Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?
How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?
We’ve got you covered in our ever-growing Facebook group! If you’re not a member yet, why not?!
We’re chatting cooking techniques, dessert ideas, and everything in between. If you’re already a member, invite your friends to join us too! | https://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/02/top-chef-seattle-and-the-winner-is/ |
Bazaar is an all-day dining restaurant ideal for people who are specific about superior and fine quality of food, drinks, and service. The Casual Dining restaurant flaunts a modern and elegant ambience that is sure to make the diner's visit memorable. The restaurant offers an exclusive menu which serves North Indian and Continental delicacies prepared to the finest taste which is a result of the 24*7 efforts of the chef. The Premium menu is in line with people of varied tastes and preferences and serves a variety of dishes in the buffet menu, perfect for large groups. The kind and courteous staff adds on to the overall dining experience. Bazaar is located in New Town, 24 Parganas North, Kolkata. | https://www.dineout.co.in/kolkata/bazaar-new-town-24-parganas-north-54859 |
Cooking description:
Cooking green beans, stewed in cream, does not present any particular difficulties. And at the same time, the dish turns out to be very tasty, refined and mouth-watering, and crumbly rice is perfect as an addition to it.
Appointment: For lunch / For dinner / In a hurry
Main Ingredient: Vegetables / Legumes / Beans / Green Beans
Dish: Hot dishes / Side dishes
Ingredients:
- Green beans - 400-500 grams
- Cream (20, 30% fat) - 250-300 Milliliters
- Onion - 1 Piece
- Parsley Greens - 1 Bunch
- Garlic - 2-3 Cloves
- Water - 50 Milliliters
- Table salt - To taste
- Spices (paprika, hops-suneli) - To taste
Servings: 4-5
How to cook Green Beans Stewed in Cream
Prepare the listed ingredients. Peel the vegetables, rinse the greens. The set of spices for this dish can be made up according to personal preferences, and the fat content of the cream is selected in the same way.
Cut the onions into half rings or smaller, and then sauté until soft in a preheated pan with a small amount of sunflower oil.
Add the spices to the onion and cook for about a minute more, then add water and add small chunks of green beans.
Simmer vegetables over broken fire until the beans are soft (7-10 minutes), and then pour in the cream and stir, cook for another 5-7 minutes until the cream thickens.
At the end of cooking add salt and finely chopped garlic and parsley to the green beans stewed in cream. Stir and remove from heat.
Serve hot immediately after cooking with any side dish you want. | https://fooddiscoverybox.com/7925310-green-beans-stewed-in-cream-a-step-by-step-recipe-with-a-photo |
The SanDisk Best Photo Sequence Contest officially closed on Thursday after nearly 300 people entered, vying for the $5,000 cash prize, awarded to each a ski photo and a snowboard photo.
We’ve narrowed down those entries to just 10 ski shots and 10 snowboard shots. Our panel of judges — including FS Editor Matt Harvey, FS Photo Editor, Shay Williams, Snowbaord Editor Chris Owen, Snowboard Staff Photographer, Mike Basher and photographer extraordinaire, Chase Jarvis — is now going through the finalists with a fine-tooth comb, rating each photo in four different categories: technical execution, composition/creativity, action and overall impression. The winner will be announced by May 1, 2010.
Here are the ski sequence finalists, shown in no particular order: | https://freeskier.com/stories/finalists-announced-5000-best-photo-sequence-contest |
30 Days of Giving – Day 2: Erie CC Cook-Off for Kidneys
SUNY Erie Community College Culinary Arts students did their part to help out the Kidney Foundation of Western NY. This organization addresses the needs of community awareness and patient support in western NY centered on kidney disease. The Kidney Foundation hosts a variety of events through the year to raise funding and awareness.
This November, ECC students competed in the Great Western New York Kidney Bean Cook-Off. Here they were required to create recipes using kidney beans as one of the ingredients, with one catch – no chili! It was a challenge they were ready to take on. After a night filled with fun, creativity and tasty treats, celebrity guest judges awarded the teams for their fan favorite dishes! Overall, this was a unique service-learning challenge to benefit the Kidney Foundation of WNY and those suffering from kidney disease in the area.
30 Days of Giving 2017: | https://blog.suny.edu/2017/11/30-days-of-giving-day-2-erie-cc-cook-off-for-kidneys/ |
While watching “MasterChef” contestants tackle high-stakes challenges is about as entertaining as it gets, a lot of the time, fans are even more interested in what goes on behind-the-scenes of the cooking competition. Are the judges really that mean in real life? Are the dishes typically cold by the time the judges taste them? Aarón Sánchez answered all of those burning questions in his interview with Insider.
Regarding the contestant dishes, Sánchez reassured viewers that the food is, in fact, still hot when the judges taste it for the first time. “That ensures that we’re doing the right thing,” Sánchez explained. “there are many different mechanisms that make sure we’re doing everything legally and fairly.” The Food Network veteran also revealed what Gordon Ramsay is really like. And, as it turns out, the potty-mouthed chef is actually a huge practical joker on set. | https://healthtricktips.com/this-is-aaron-sanchezs-favorite-part-of-being-a-masterchef-judge/ |
How to cook zucchini delicious and healthy
Like any other product, zucchini requirescertain culinary knowledge, so that the dish prepared from it turned out to be very tasty, satisfying and, most importantly, useful. Cooking with the use of this vegetable can be throughout the year, but the special demand is a young fruit, which has not yet acquired seeds.
If you have wondered how to cook zucchini,then the choice of the recipe will depend on the purpose for which the dish will be prepared. If it is prepared for a small child, then this vegetable can become an integral part of a vegetable stew cooked for a couple. It is worth noting that some pediatricians with zucchini advise young mothers to start luring. To do this, you can prepare a monoplure, in which, in addition to the vegetable itself, you can add a small amount of vegetable oil. Many babies eat it with joy.
If we are talking about older children and adults, thenIt is already necessary to take into account the taste preferences of all members of the family. After all, it is from their preferences and will depend on how to cook zucchini will be this or that hostess. The choice of dishes in which this vegetable is applied is unlimited. But while every housewife spending a lot of time in the kitchen with the passage of time appears a lot of their own culinary secrets, although not everyone knows how delicious to cook zucchini. In turn, those who are just learning the basics of home economics, you can advise fry pancakes.
For this, the squash is rubbed on a grater orcrushed with a blender, added egg, salt to taste, flour (usually 1 to 2 tablespoons) until the desired consistency is achieved: the dough should be exactly the same as on the muffin. To pancakes were more gentle, pour a little bit of yogurt or sour cream. Many add carrots or dill to the dough, so that the finished pancakes have the appropriate shade. Fry pancakes better in a well-heated frying pan in vegetable oil. To the table you can serve both hot and coldly adding sour cream, sauce and even honey.
Now let's talk about how to cook zucchinifried. For this, it is better to use young fruits, which are cut into circles. If the vegetables are already large enough, then first they must be cleaned of seeds and peel, and then cut into round slices. Put the pan on the fire and pour the oil: it should warm up properly. Now is the time to start cooking pre-salted and sunken in flour squash. Fry each batch until the crust is formed on both sides. To the table, serve this dish in hot or cold form, first sprinkling it with chopped garlic and dill
Very often zucchini can be found in the compositionthe most varied ragout. The sequence of cooking ingredients (onions, carrots, cabbage, potatoes) in its composition largely determines the final taste of the prepared dish. If we talk about how to cook zucchini in stew stew, then you can simply mix all the vegetables included in its composition, pour a small amount of water and put it on a slow fire. You can also put together all the ingredients and cook them together. If you prefer more fatty foods, then it is possible to fry each vegetable separately in a frying pan until almost ready, while the onions can be fried with carrots, and cabbage with zucchini. Then put it all together and bring it to its fullest. If women, caring about their shape, prefer the first two ways of cooking this dish, most men prefer to see roasted stew on their table.
Now you know how to cook zucchini not only is useful, but also delicious. Be sure to please your family! | https://taylrrenee.com/eda-i-napitki/38191-kak-gotovit-kabachki-vkusno-i-polezno.html |
Today’s modern eating culture is fraught with a vast array of options, with around-the-clock access enabling consumers to make more autonomous choices that meet highly personal preferences and needs. What do I feel like? Do I feel like cooking at home, or should I go out? Should I pick something up or get it delivered?
The enormity of choice, unprecedented access and increased comfort with spontaneous decision-making has evolved our eating culture to the point where we give little deliberation or forethought to what we are going to eat. This impulsive behaviour is apparent when investigating shifting eating habits and practices at dinner.
The time investment in meal management is diminishing, as is an overall commitment to a weekly dinner plan. Increasingly, decisions about what to eat are made in-the-moment reacting to a craving or on a whim. More than half of all decisions (54 per cent) about what to eat for dinner are ‘day of’ verdicts, while an additional 14 per cent of decisions are made within an hour of the actual occasion.
Ipsos’ 2016 Canada CHATS Food and Beverage Trends Report investigates how today’s dinner planning behaviours, preparation habits and time investment stands in stark contrast to yesteryear’s traditional ways of engaging with food.
Back then, creation and execution of the weekly meal plan was the sole responsibility of one household member, typically Mom. Meals and snacks were most often sourced from well-stocked refrigerators, freezers and pantries that were emptied by week’s end, leading to the next major weekly grocery shop. Going to restaurants was often a treat or special event that was also written into the plan, but was definitely not part of the meal routine.
Fast forward to 2016. Today’s hectic schedules and shifting priorities, commuter culture and two working parents often renders a weekly meal routine too difficult and inefficient to execute. In today’s modern eating culture, dinner-on-demand is in demand.
When evaluating what we are most often consuming at dinner, chicken holds the top main dish spot, followed by beef. The third spot goes to vegetable dishes, which are also the fastest-growing main dish item. The inclusion of side dishes at dinner has held steady over the past two years. Top side dishes at dinner include vegetable dishes, salad, potatoes and rice.
Three-quarters of dinner main dish items (74 per cent) are prepared and cooked in 20 minutes or less, denoting that consumers opt for items that are easy and efficient to prepare with ingredients available on-hand.
In this on-demand dinner era, food manufacturers and retailers should seek to create dinner options that are targeted to spontaneous and unplanned occurrences, affirming convenience, ease and share-ability. Talk to consumers about time in terms of minutes and ease of preparation, while ensuring that recipes are created with ingredients that are most likely on-hand. Finally, ensure that the message is how these solutions are suitable to easily meeting varying individuals’ needs with a focus on unifying Canadians by bringing them together for dinner. | http://www.thechefalliance.com/how-dinner-is-changing-to-suit-today-s-hectic-lifestyles.html |
The Progressives’ Creative, Parasitic, and Unsustainable Constitutional Jurisprudence
Today, Professor Rappaport posted the aptly-titled “Originalism for Me, but not for Thee,” concerning Professor Peter Jaworski’s fascinating new article, Originalism All the Way Down: Or, the Explosion of Progressivism.
The article reminded me of the approach to constitutional interpretation that Professor Robert Scigliano at Boston College taught in his class on the American Judiciary: Judges should interpret the Constitution the way they would like their own writings to be interpreted.
Professor Scigliano’s maxim, however, is unworkable for the judge who undertakes to “creatively interpret” the Constitution, an approach expressly celebrated by future Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
As Professor Jaworski points out, a creative judge requires the cooperation of many uncreative persons. Judges, after all, have very little proximate power. They’re not very scary. They wear impressive robes, but they’re typically rather old, with only gavels for immediate weapons. They have a limited budget and at most, a tiny coercive force at their immediate direction. As Hamilton noted, the judiciary is the least dangerous branch, for judges depend, for the execution of their judgments, on the cooperation of others, especially the executive. And in establishing effective precedents, appellate judges also rely on the cooperation of the judges of the lower courts.
In order for their creative rulings to be effective, judges need the cooperation of at least some Dudley-Do-Rights.
Judicial creativity thus involves an implied but essential rule. “Do as I say, not as I do. Obey my rulings with fidelity, while I interpret the law with creativity.”
Human nature poses a problem with this ethic. The Dudley-Do-Rights won’t always be content with their assigned task. At the extreme, they will say, “Why should five Supreme Court justices have all the fun? Why should those five have the exclusive right to don not only the robe, but also the beret?”
As I suggested in a prior post, it was probably this persistent human phenomenon of self-love or pride that led progressive jurists to abandon judicial restraint in favor of judicial activism. Especially in the second and third generation, progressive jurists were not content with the subordinate and largely irrelevant role of getting out of the way, of not obstructing the movements of the democratic zeitgeist, and its scientific implementation by administrative experts. The judges wanted to the right to wear the robe, the beret, and the labcoat, all at the same time.
Such progressive, creative jurisprudence has a parasitic character. Every time the courts, especially the Supreme Court, engage in a manifest, even deliberate, abandonment of fidelity to law in favor of creativity, there is a parasitic effect on the culture of the rule of law. The enforcement of the creative, unfaithful judicial decision depends upon a faithful, and thus uncreative, implementation. But with each such ruling, the Court teaches, by prominent, authoritative example, a disregard for such fidelity and obedience.
And insofar as it is parasitic, creative jurisprudence is also unsustainable.
While the culture of obedience continues, the Supreme Court can wield enormous power. But at some point, judicial activism may consume so much of that virtue that the judiciary will become not only the least-dangerous but the impotent branch. At some point, the Dudley-Do-Rights will do otherwise; they will stop doing as the judge says, and start doing as the judge does.
Imagine, say, a President, in a time of national crisis, who will be popular both with the people and with military officers. How would the courts—and the rule of law—fare if such a President should undertake his own creative interpretation of the law, whether the Constitution, treaties, statutes, or judicial rulings? My bet is on the one guy with the Marine Corp instead of the nine, or even nine-thousand, with the gavels. | https://staging.lawliberty.org/the-progressives-creative-parasitic-and-unsustainable-constitutional-jurisprudence/ |
And then there were six — kind of like the number of glasses of wine I had last night. Sylva Senat is riding high off of his second win and also being the last remaining newbie. Everyone is getting settled post Judges’ Table in the stew room when Tom Colicchio surprises them and shows up. He tells them they’ve been doing a great job and he has a treat for them in the morning. They’re all supposed to meet him at a restaurant near the marina, so, it’s probably a boat. I’m excited about this because boats are very important.
In the morning the chefs arrive on the docks to, what else, but a boat. Sheldon Simeon is dressed in his finest Weekend at Bernie’s Hawaiian shirt and everyone is already uneasy about their time at sea. Shirley Chung and Brooke Williamson both get seasick, but they better get over it before their morning of shrimping. If I were on that boat I would have no problem with the waves and many problems with the giant pelican just chilling out behind Casey Thompson while they examine the shrimp.
The boat returns to the dock, where we find Padma Lakshmi in a halter neck acid washed denim jumpsuit with a makeshift kitchen set up behind her. She explains that the Quickfire Challenge should be no big surprise — make a dish featuring fresh-caught shrimp. The twist is that this is a Sudden Death Quickfire, so someone is getting off the boat and on a plane home.
Shirley is loopy on motion sickness pills and can’t seem to get it together. Sylva also seems scrambled as he uses a $400 knife to try and open a can, to no success. Casey is eager to make up for her last few critiques of under-seasoning her dishes, and John Tesar is doing the same.
Overall it’s a good challenge and the chefs do well. The one standout in the field is Sheldon for his tomato water poached roe shrimp with smoked pine and yuzu. Unfortunately, three of the chefs must face off in a sudden death challenge. The bottom contestants are Casey for her red curry shrimp, Shirley for her garlic shrimp with charred sea bean, and Sylva for his orange marinated shrimp in coconut broth.
To see who will be eliminated and hopefully not hurl themselves off the dock for going home over a Quickfire, the chefs are tasked with creating a dish using the bycatch from the morning’s excursion. Bycatch is the non-shrimp fish and wildlife in the net that’s dragged aboard. There’s shark and squid and some pretty good seafood in the coolers, so this isn’t like the trash fish challenge.
It’s a super high pressure challenge because elimination is on the line, and they are in makeshift stations on a dock after already going shrimping all morning and doing another challenge. And on top of all of that, there are dozens of pelicans circling and screaming. Who knew pelicans screamed?
The judges love all three of the dishes — no one made any mistakes. Shirley’s grilled squid with fennel and tomato in chile broth is bright and flavorful. Casey’s charred squid in mushroom soy broth is a tasty umami bomb, as Tom puts it. And Sylva’s redfish with tarragon butter, tomato, and cabbage is a refreshingly subtle creation. Of the three, sadly, it’s Casey who is sent home from the dock. It’s never easy to get eliminated this late in the competition, but it must be even tougher in a Quickfire.
Well, one elimination down, one to go in this episode, apparently. For the challenge, Padma welcomes culinary genius and creator of the Cronut, Dominique Ansel. If you don’t know what the Cronut is then you weren’t trying to walk down a sidewalk in Soho at any point over the last few years. This man is the absolute king of whimsical food mash-ups that leave you thinking: “Wait, if you can make a tiny shot glass out of a cookie, could you make me a Big Gulp sized cup out of one that I could casually snack on all day? Or would my coffee eventually dissolve it? Either way, I need an all day cookie beverage container SOMEONE GET ON THAT.”
Anyway, the Cronut is, of course, a Frankenstein pastry of a donut and a croissant that New Yorkers and tourists alike stand hours on line just to taste. But Mr. Ansel isn’t the only chef who has mastered the art of the tasty mash-up. Tom explains that his kitchen used to make a foie graffle, which is a foie gras waffle. Fun fact: The name of the dish sounds the same whether you are saying it normally or with food in your mouth. (Yes, I just tried; this loaf of bread isn’t going to eat itself.)
For the challenge, the chefs must take a page from Ansel’s creativity book and prepare a mash-up style dish for brunch. That’s right, it’s a brunch challenge. So put on your indoor aviators and double down on the watery mimosas while screaming, “Oh my god, he did NOT just text you.”
Brooke notes that the Cronut wasn’t invented in 10 minutes, so conceptualizing a creative and more importantly executable dish is a pretty tall order. With the challenge in mind, the chefs head to Whole Foods with $400 each. What are they supposed to get with that much money there? A chicken breast and four almonds?
Sylva knows French cuisine, so he feels extra incentive to impress Dominique Ansel in this challenge and really show off some of his technique. Brooke is anxious because her dish from the last challenge would have been the absolute perfect thing to serve, but she can’t repeat it. Not only does she feel the need to do something completely different, but she’s still creatively wiped out in this area.
Adding a wrinkle to the whole challenge is the fact that there is no pre-cook, so the chefs simply have two hours before service to prep, cook, and plate their dishes. Two hours isn’t much time. I mean, every time I go out I spend two hours just getting ready. Granted it’s 20 minutes of shower/hair/thinking about then abandoning the idea of makeup and then an hour and 40 minutes of staring at my closet saying, “Ugh, I hate everything,” but still, it’s not a ton of time.
A bunch of ladies in hats arrive, which is what I expect of brunch in Charleston, SC. Shirley is first up with her beef and cheddar dumpling with bacon tomato jam. Her idea was an Americanized version of dim sum. It’s a mash-up on top of a mash-up and the judges seem to really like it. The beef is a bit dry but the cheese crisps up in the dumplings nicely and the bacon tomato jam is an excellent addition. Overall it works and it’s a very fun and whimsical version of what Shirley does best.
Not everyone had an easy time in the kitchen, however. Oven problems leave Sylva forced to shift gears from frittata to scramble. So guests are disappointed when his arctic char frittata with fresh morels, beet sabayon, and pancetta turns out to be overdone scrambled eggs over a piece of fish. The execution is a big problem for most of the dining room, but even worse for the judges, the dish just lacked the excitement and inspiration they were hoping for.
On the heels of her sensational breakfast crepe from last week, Brooke shifts gears completely when it comes to brunch food and does something more on the sweet side. Like Sylva, she runs into problems in the kitchen and her plating is nothing like the more creative concept she originally wanted. She prepares a matcha and chia Greek yogurt with hibiscus strawberry broth and peanut butter crumble. She wanted it to be a beautiful take on a parfait with a peanut butter and jelly element, but it ends up being a plate of yogurt and overly sweet broth.
When you think of John, the first word you think of usually isn’t creativity. In fact, many other words come to mind first, and most of them are related to his personality. But he stretches himself to create an octopus hash with kimchi scramble, chorizo, and hollandaise. It has all of the elements of being a good dish, except the most important part of any hash: the crispiness. Hash without crispiness is like a Tom Hardy movie without a sex scene: disappointing!
Next up is Sheldon, who actually seems to embrace the idea of the challenge with his take on chicken and waffles. He serves Korean fried chicken with umami butter, waffle crumble, and maple drizzle. He takes the chicken and makes it the waffle by twice frying it and then sticking it in the waffle iron. The judges find it super flavorful and use the word “craveable,” which I would imagine is the best compliment a dish can get. Gail Simmons notes that it feels crazy to dip fried chicken in butter, but it works. Of course it works. It sounds like what they serve in heaven after telling you, “Calories don’t exist here.”
It’s an overall tough day for the contestants. No one really wows them with something creative and whimsical and also tasty. For a group of chefs that have survived this long in the competition--and four of the five of them being on the show for the second time--there are a lot of execution problems.
Based on reactions during the meal, it’s obvious Shirley and Sheldon are the top two. Both served clever and fun dishes that were well executed and tasted good. Though they each did a good job, the winner for the day is Shirley for her cheeseburger dim sum.
The bottom three of John, Brooke, and Sylva all had serious flaws in their dishes. It’s crazy because I have been convinced at least for the last few episodes that we would see a finale that includes Brooke and Sylva, and here they are both on the bottom so close to the end. John had some issues, but ultimately his octopus was cooked nicely and his hollandaise was good. So that means that either Brooke or Sylva is actually going home.
After what I assume was a long deliberation, and for sure with a heavy heart, the judges send Sylva to pack his knives and go. He was the last of the newbies in the competition and clearly a talented chef. I would put all my money on him making it through Last Chance Kitchen and returning for the finale. So, all of my money--anyone want to take a $26.18 bet on this show?
Alison Leiby is a writer and comedian. | https://www.eater.com/2017/2/3/14495942/top-chef-charleston-episode-10-recap-dominique-ansel |
The life patterns of these creatures are a telling sign of the river’s health, said Maia Singer, a scientist and project manager for Stillwater Sciences, which helped conduct the study.The work is meant to create a base of information researchers can use in the future. It’s about halfway done and should wrap up with a draft report for public comment in May. The final report is due in August.
The study will be finished near the official end date of the entire Merced River Alliance project — Sept. 30, said Nancy McConnell, project director. Those involved with the past three years would like to keep the river partnerships and nature education going, but will have to find another means to do it, she added.
Each of the three species has been studied since 2005 at about 40 different sites along 131 miles of the Merced River.
Results are separated by season and between the upper altitudes and lower parts of the river.
The summer of 2007 saw more mosquito fish, and the warmer, low-water fall season last year saw the population of sucker fish drop. However, there were more hardhead and pikeminnow.
The bug surveys so far have collected 385 samples — identifying 192,500 insects and 70 families. The most common aquatic bugs were mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. Scientists look at which species are more tolerant to poor water quality, Singer said.Back in October she explained to Snelling students at Henderson Park the importance of aquatic insects to the river.
Her photographic display chronicled where scientists find these bugs and collect them before they’re identified and sent to a lab for further study.
And in September bird watchers in the upper part of the Merced River, near El Portal, got to see how the bird surveys are being conducted.
The demonstration was led by Julian Wood, staff biologist for Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science, which is helping Stillwater and the Merced River Alliance with the bird part of the study.Singer presented this week what the bird surveys have discovered so far. There were 127 species found in the upper and lower river watersheds combined — 64 in the upper, and 80 in the lower (some species repeated in both locations).
Biologists picked 15 species to focus on. In riparian streamside habitat, which hosts dense shrub cover, willows and cottonwood trees, they will further examine the black-headed grosbeak, song sparrow, tree swallow and warbling vireo. In oak habitat they will look at the Nuttall’s woodpecker, oak titmouse and Western scrub-jay.
And in upland habitat where conifers grow, they will take a closer glance at the brown creeper and Oregon junco.
The results of these examinations will be posted online when the study is completed, Singer said. And it will be available to future scientists and river stakeholders for many seasons to come. | https://www.mercedsunstar.com/site-services/social-media/article3237143.html |
Cells don’t move and interact with each other in the way scientists have always believed, according to Australian researchers.
Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, a team from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) suggests that cell movement actually increases when there are more cells around.
“Scientists in the past have thought of cells like people. The more space you’ve got, the easier it is to move,” says co-author Matthew Simpson. “Turns out, it is more complicated than that. They need more cells before they move.”
The paper is currently available on the pre-print server bioRxiv.
Lead author Alex Browning says the team was surprised by the finding, in part, perhaps, because it wasn’t their aim. Their focus was on testing mathematical models they had developed, which happened to have applications in biology.
They applied modelling and statistical analysis to a scratch assay: in this common process, cells are placed in a well, then a scratch is made to create a large vacant region that separates them.
Scientists then observe how the cell population grows and cells move to fill up that space. In this particular research, the team used prostate cancer cells.
Browning and colleagues say they found that typical experimental protocols did not vary the initial cell density, or the initial number of cells used.
“We wanted to explore how cell density affected the dynamics of the experiment by quantifying this,” he says. “Our mathematical and statistical methods allowed us to identify the nature of cell to cell interactions in the experiments that might lead to density-dependent behaviour.”
Biologists and mathematicians alike have assumed that cell movement, or motility, is independent of density, and not affected by cell-to-cell interactions, Browning says, but “our results showed the opposite of what has always been assumed”.
“It turns out a higher density environment where there are more cell-to-cell interactions actually increased cell movement.”
Co-author Wang Jin, a mathematical biologist, says the results are significant because biologists regularly grow cells in the lab for experiments but there is no standard protocol that tells them how many cells they should put into the well each time.
“Our results show that it matters how many cells they use,” he says.
Equally, says Simpson, there are implications for mathematicians.
“The simplest thing we have done here is to change the initial number of cells. By changing some of the most fundamental features of these experiments, which is so basic that no one ever questions, we actually learn an awful lot,” he says.
Originally published by Cosmos as Cells like to move in crowds, it seems
Nick Carne
Nick Carne is the editor of Cosmos Online and editorial manager for The Royal Institution of Australia.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today. | https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/cells-like-to-move-in-crowds-it-seems/?noamp=mobile |
Interesting research topics unique to aging research include comparing the ''maximum lifespan'' for different populations or the examination of the effects of different treatments on lifespan. As mentioned previously, it is generally impractical or impossible to collect data from all of the individuals in the population of interest. As such, we collect data on samples taken from the population and attempt to generalize our sample-specific findings to the larger population. As a result, one can only observe the maximum lifespan of a sample which is sensitive to sample size (David and Nagaraja, 2003). Therefore, in practice, the phrase ''maximum lifespan'' is used to refer to upper percentiles, for example, the 90th percentile (Speakman et al., 2002). Seeking and evaluating interventions that can extend maximum lifespan is an exciting and active field in aging research. For instance, evidence that caloric restriction (CR) increases both the maximum and mean lifespan of many species has been accumulating (Weindruch and Walford, 1988). In this context, the null hypothesis is that there is no difference in maximum lifespan between two independent groups, say one experiencing CR and one not. What is a little surprising is that many studies, including some recent, well-known studies (Hochschild, 1973; Flurkey et al., 2001; and Anisimov et al., 1998) did not conduct any formal statistical hypothesis testing to compare maximum lifespan between treatment groups. Moreover, there is no statistical test accepted as being the ''best'' for testing the difference in lifespan.
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Discover The Secrets To Staying Young Forever. Discover How To Hinder The Aging Process On Your Body And In Your Life. Do you feel left out when it comes to trying to look young and keeping up with other people your age? Do you feel as though your body has been run down like an old vehicle on its last legs? Those feelings that you have not only affect you physically, but they can also affect you mentally. Thats not good. | https://www.ormedmedical.us/down-syndrome/statistics-for-maximum-lifespan.html |
Six Sigma is basically the application of Statistical formulas and Methods to eliminate defects, variation in a product or a process. For example if you want to find the average height of male population in India, you cannot bring the entire population of more than 2 billion into one room and measure their height for a scenario like this we take samples that is we pick up sample(people) from each state and use statistical formulas to draw the inference about the average height of male population in a population which is more than 2 billion. One more example would be say a company manufactures pistons use d in motor cycles the customer demand is that the piston should not a diameter more than 9 cm and less than 5 cm anything manufactured outside this limits is said to be a variation and the six sigma consultant should confirm that the pistons are manufactured within the said limits else if there is variation in the range then the company is not operating at 6 sigma level it is operating at a very low level.
A company is operating at six sigma level implies that there are only 3.4 defects per million opportunities for example an airline company operating at six sigma level means that it loses only 3.4 baggage’s per million of the passenger it handles.
Below is Shown the Six Sigma Table and a graph explaining the meaning of various levels of Six Sigma.
|Sigma Level||Defect Rate||Yield Percentage|
|2 σ||308,770 dpmo (Defects Per Million||69.10000 %|
|Opportunities)|
|3 σ||66,811 dpmo||93.330000 %|
|4 σ||6,210||dpmo||99.38000 %|
|5 σ||233||dpmo||99.97700 %|
|6 σ||3.44||dpmo||99.99966 %|
Six Sigma is Denoted by the Greek alphabet σ which is shown in the table above and is called as Standard deviation. The father of Six Sigma is Bill Smith who coined the term Six Sigma and implemented it in Motorola in the 1980’s.
Six Sigma is implemented in Five Phases which are Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control and we will discuss each phases in brief and the various methods used in Six Sigma.
Define
The objectives within the Define Phase which is first phase in DMAIC framework of Six Sigma are:-
Define the Project Charter
- Define scope, objectives, and schedule
- Define the Process (top-level) and its stake holders
- Select team members
- Obtain Authorization from Sponsor
- Assemble and train the team.
Project charters the charter documents the why, how, who and when of a project include the following elements
- Problem Statement
- Project objective or purpose, including the business need addressed
- Scope
- Deliverables
- Sponsor and stakeholder groups
- Team members
- Project schedule (using GANTT or PERT as an attachment)
- Other resources required
Work break down Structure
It is a process for defining the final and intermediate products of a project and their relationship. Defining Project task is typically complex and accomplished by a series of decomposition followed by a series of aggregations it is also called top down approach and can be used in the Define phase of Six Sigma framework.
Now we will get into the formulas of Six Sigma which is shown in the table below.
Central tendency is defined as the tendency for the values of a random variable to cluster round its mean, mode, or median.
Where mean is the average for example if you have taken 10 sample of pistons randomly from the factory and measured their diameter the average would be sum of the diameter of the 10 pistons divided by 10 where 10 the number of observations the sum in statistics is denoted by ∑. In the above table X, Xi are the measures of the diameter of the piston and µ , XBar is the average.
Mode is the most frequently observed measurement in the diameter of the piston that is if 2 pistons out 10 samples collected have the diameter as 6.3 & 6.3 then this is the mode of the sample and median is the midpoint of the observations of the diameter of the piston when arranged in sorted order.
From the example of the piston we find that the formulas of mean, median , mode does not correctly depict variation in the diameter of the piston manufactured by the factory but standard deviation formula helps us to
find the variance in the diameter of the piston manufactured which is varying from the customer mentioned upper specification limit and lower specification limit.
The most important equation of Six Sigma is Y = f(x) where Y is the effect and x are the causes so if you remove the causes you remove the effect of the defect. For example headache is the effect and the causes are stress, eye strain, fever if you remove this causes automatically the headache is removed this is implemented in Six Sigma by using the Fishbone or Ishikawa diagram invented by Dr Kaoru Ishikawa.
Measure Phase: In the Measure phase we collect all the data as per the relationship to the voice ofcustomer and relevantly analyze using statistical formulas as given in the above table. Capability analyses is done in measure phase.
The process capability is calculated using the formula CP = USL-LSL/6 * Standard Deviation where CP = process capability index, USL = Upper Specification Limit and LSL = Lower Specification Limit.
The Process capability measures indicates the following
- Process is fully capable
- Process could fail at any time
- Process is not capable.
When the process is spread well within the customer specification the process is considered to be fully capable that means the CP is more than 2.In this case, the process standard deviation is so small that 6 times of the standard deviation with reference to the means is within the customer specification.
Example: The Specified limits for the diameter of car tires are 15.6 for the upper limit and 15 for the lower limit with a process mean of 15.3 and a standard deviation of 0.09.Find Cp and Cr what can we say about Process Capabilities ?
Cp= USL-LSL/ 6 * Standard deviation = 15.6 – 15 / 6 * 0.09 = 0.6/0.54 = 1.111
Cp= 1.111
Cr = 1/ 1.111 = 0.9
Since Cp is greater than 1 and therefore Cr is less than 1; we can conclude that the process is potentially capable.
Analyze Phase:
In this Phase we analyze all the data collected in the measure phase and find the cause of variation. Analyze phase use various tests like parametric tests where the mean and standard deviation of the sample is known and Nonparametric Tests where the data is categorical for example as Excellent, Good, bad etc.
Parametric Hypothesis Test – A hypothesis is a value judgment made about a circumstance, a statement made about a population .Based on experience an engineer can for instance assume that the amount of carbon monoxide emitted by a certain engine is twice the maximum allowed legally. However his assertions can only be ascertained by conducting a test to compare the carbon monoxide generated by the engine with the legal requirements.
If the data used to make the comparison are parametric data that is data that can be used to derive the mean and the standard deviation, the population from which the data are taken are normally distributed they have equal variances. A standard error based hypothesis testing using the t-test can be used to test the validity of the hypothesis made about the population. There are at least 3 steps to follow when conducting hypothesis.
- Null Hypothesis: The first step consists of stating the null hypothesis which is the hypothesis being tested. In the case of the engineer making a statement about the level of carbon monoxide generated by the engine , the null hypothesis is
H0: the level of carbon monoxide generated by the engine is twice as great as the legally required amount. The Null hypothesis is denoted by H0
- Alternate hypothesis: the alternate (or alternative) hypothesis is the opposite of null hypothesis. It is assumed valid when the null hypothesis is rejected after testing. In the case of the engineer testing the carbon monoxide the alternative hypothesis would be
H1: The level of carbon monoxide generated by the engine is not twice as great as the legally required amount.
- Testing the hypothesis: the objective of the test is to generate a sample test statistic that can be used to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis .The test statistic is derived from Z formula if the samples are greater than 30.
Z = Xbar-µ/σ/ √n
If the samples are less than 30, then the t-test is used
T= X bar -µ/ s/√n where X bar and µ is the mean and s is the standard deviation.
1-Sample t Test such as an ideal off center (Mean v/s Target) this test is used to compare the mean of a process with a target value goal to determine whether they differ it is often used to determine whether a process is
1 Sample Standard Deviation This test is used to compare the standard deviation of the process with a target value such as a benchmark whether they differ often used to evaluate how consistent a process is
2 Sample T (Comparing 2 Means) Two sets of different items are measured each under a different condition there the measurements of one sample are independent of the measurements of other sample.
Paired T The same set of items is measured under 2 different conditions therefore the 2 measurements of the same item are dependent or related to each other.
2-Sample Standard This test is used when comparing 2 standard deviations
Standard Deviation test This Test is used when comparing more than 2 standard deviations
Non Parametric hypothesis Tests are conducted when data is categorical that is when the mean and standard deviation are not known examples are Chi-Square tests, Mann-Whitney U Test, Kruskal Wallis tests & Moods Median Tests.
Anova
If for instance 3 sample means A, B, C are being compared using the t-test is cumbersome for this we can use analysis of variance ANOVA can be used instead of multiple t-tests.
ANOVA is a Hypothesis test used when more than 2 means are being compared.
If K Samples are being tested the null hypothesis will be in the form given below
H0: µ1 = µ2 = ….µk
And the alternate hypothesis will be
H1: At least one sample mean is different from the others
If the data you are analyzing is not normal you have to make it normal using box cox transformation to remove any outliers (data not in sequence with the collected data).Box Cox Transformation can be done using the statistical software Minitab.
Improve Phase: In the Improve phase we focus on the optimization of the process after the causes are found in the analyze phase we use Design of experiments to remove the junk factors which don’t contribute to smooth working of the process that is in the equation Y = f(X) we select only the X’s which contribute to the optimal working of the process.
Let us consider the example of an experimenter who is trying to optimize the production of organic foods. After screening to determine the factors that are significant for his experiment he narrows the main factors that affect the production of fruits to “light” and “water”. He wants to optimize the time that it takes to produce the fruits. He defines optimum as the minimum time necessary to yield comestible fruits.
To conduct his experiment he runs several tests combining the two factors (water and light) at different levels. To minimize the cost of experiments he decides to use only 2 levels of the factors: high and low.
In this case we will have two factors and two levels therefore the number of runs will be 2^2=4. After conducting observations he obtains the results tabulated in the table below.
|Factors||Response|
|Water –High Light High||10 days|
|Water high – Light low||20 days|
|Water low – Light high||15 days|
|Water low – Light low||25 days|
Control Phase: In the Control phase we document all the activities done in all the previous phases and using control charts we monitor and control the phase just to check that our process doesn’t go out of control. Control Charts are tools used in Minitab Software to keep a check on the variation. All the documentation are kept and archived in a safe place for future reference.
Conclusion: From the paper we come to understand that selection of a Six Sigma Project is Critical because we have to know the long term gains in executing these projects and the activities done in each phase the basic building block is the define phase where the problem statement is captured and then in measure phase data is collected systematically against this problem statement which is further analyzed in Analyze phase by performing various hypothesis tests and process optimization in Improve phase by removing the junk factors that is in the equation y = f(x1, x2,x3…….) we remove the causes x1, x2 etc. by the method of Design of
Experiments and factorial methods. Finally we can sustain and maintain our process to the optimum by using control charts in Control Phase. | https://iselglobal.com/six-sigma-methods-and-formula-for-successful-lean-and-quality-implementation/ |
Litha1, HC Girish2, Sanjay Murgod2, JK Savita2,
1 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Farooqia Dental College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India
2 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, RajaRajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
Context: Gender determination is central in establishing personal identification from human skeletal remains. The study was conducted to find out the accuracy with which gender can be determined by odontometric methods. Aims: To investigate the mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) dimensions of all the teeth of permanent dentition to find new parameters to differentiate between male and female teeth and to assess whether each type of linear measurement can be used independently in odontometric sex differentiation. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a dental college on a composite group of 500 individuals comprising 250 males and 250 females. Impressions of upper and lower jaws were made with alginate impression material and casts prepared with dental stone. A digital Vernier calliper was used to measure the BL and MD dimensions of all the upper teeth except the third molars. Statistical Analysis Used: The results were subjected to statistical analysis using univariate analysis and linear stepwise discriminant function analysis to find the variables which discriminate gender significantly. Results: The MD and BL dimensions between males and females were statistically significant. The predicted value for correct classification of gender was also statistically significant. Conclusions: The ability to differentiate gender in the population using stepwise discriminant functions was found to be very high with 99.8% accuracy with males showing statistically larger teeth than females. This is similar to the near 100% success in gender determination using pelvic and skull bones. | http://www.jfds.org/printarticle.asp?issn=0975-1475;year=2017;volume=9;issue=1;spage=44;epage=44;aulast=Litha, |
a sample of parts is measured. the mean of this sample is in the middle of the control limits, but some individual parts measure too low for design specifications and other parts measure too high. Which of the following is true?
the process is in control, but not capable of producing within the established control limits
The Central Limit Theorem
allows managers to use the normal distribution as the basis for building some control charts
up to three standard deviations above or below the centerline is the amount of variation that statistical process control allows for
natural variation
A manager wants to build 3 standard deviation control limits for a process. the target value for the mean of the process is 10 units and the standard deviation of the process is 6. if samples of size 9 are to be taken the UCL and LCL will be
16 and 4
the type of inspection that classifies items as being either good or defective is
attribute inspection
the x bar chart tells us whether there has been a
change in the central tendency of the process output
jars of pickles are sampled and weighed. sample measures are plotted on control charts. the ideal weight should be precisely 11 oz. which type of charts would you recommend?
x and r charts
the usual purpose of an r chart is to signal whether there has been a
gain or loss in dispersion
plots of sample ranges indicate that the most recent value is below the lower control limit. what course of action would you recommend?
variation is not in control; investigate what created this condition
to set x chart upper and lower control limits, one must know the process central line, which is the
average of the sample means
according to the text, the most common choice of limits for control charts is usually
+/- 3 standard deviations
which of the following is true of a p chart?
the lower control limit may be at zero
the normal application of a p chart is in
process sampling by attributes
the statistical process chart used to control the number of defects per unit of output is the
c chart
the c chart signals whether there has been a
change in the number of defects per unit
a manufacturer uses statistical process control to control the quality of the firm's products. samples of 50 of product a are taken, and a defective acceptable decision is made on each unit sampled. For product b, the number of flaws per unit is counted. what types of control charts should be used?
p chart for A, c chart for B
a nationwide parcel delivery service keeps track of the number of late deliveries per day. they plan on using a control chart to plot their results. Which type of control charts would you recommend?
c-charts
which of the following is true regarding the process capability index?
the larger the Cpk, the more units meet specifications
if the Cpk index exceeds
Standard deviation must be less than one third of the difference between the specification and the process mean
the statistical definition of six sigma allows for 3.4 defects pre million. this is achieved by a Cpk index of
2
acceptance sampling's primary purpose is to
decide if a lot meets predetermined standards
an acceptance sampling plan's ability to discriminate between low quality lots and high quality lots is described by
an operating characteristics curve
acceptance sampling is usually used to control
incoming lots of purchased products
an operating characteristic curve describes
how well an acceptance sampling plan discriminates between good and bad lots
an operating characteristics curve shows
how the probability of accepting a lot varies with the population percent defective
producer's risk is the probability of
rejecting a good lot
which of the following is true regarding the relationship between AOQ and the true population percent defective?
AOQ is less than the true percent defective
Average outgoing quality usually
improves with inspection
a type I error occurs when
a good lot is rejected
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Biologists find strong evidence a wild female Florida panther is living north of the Caloosahatchee River, something that has not occurred since 1973.
"This is a big deal for panther conservation," said Kipp Frohlich, deputy division director for Habitat and Species Conservation. "An expansion of the panther's breeding range should improve the prospects for recovery."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says the only known breeding population of panthers is south of the Caloosahatchee River, which separates Cape Coral from Fort Myers.
For several years biologists have used trail cameras to monitor male panthers on both public and private lands north of the river.
In 2015, one of the cameras caught what appeared to be a female panther in Charlotte County. However, biologists could not confirm the sighting.
A few months ago, additional cameras were deployed through the county and captured multiple images of what was believed to be a female panther. The photos could not positively confirm the animal's gender.
Earlier this month a biologist discovered panther tracks near a camera that captured some of the photos in question. FWC staff made a plaster cast of the track to preserve it.
The tracks intrigued biologists because they were smaller than a male panther's tracks and larger than a bobcat's.
"When we saw the tracks, we felt confident they were made by a female panther," said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader. "We could rule out a male panther because by the time males are old enough to leave their mother, their paws are already bigger than females' paws."
The FWC is working with landowners in southwest Florida to help create wildlife corridors to allow panthers travel north and cross the Caloosahatchee River. Biologists are hopeful a female panther in Charlotte County will help begin the natural expansion of the animal's population which is critical for its survival as a species.
"Florida panthers are part of our state heritage. They're our state animal," said Frohlich. "We want to ensure these majestic animals are here for future generations of Floridians. Female panthers moving north of the river on their own is a big step toward this goal."
For information about Florida panthers, including tips on how to safely coexist with them, visit FloridaPantherNet.org. | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/decades-in-the-making-first-wild-female-florida-panther-north-of-caloosahatchee-river-since-1973 |
Please give me calculator steps
Scores on a statistics final in a large class were normally distributed with a mean of 70 and a standard deviation of 7. Find the following probabilities, round to the fourth.
a) What is the probability one randomly chosen score is greater than 88
Would it be unusual for this to happen?
Select an answer not unusual unusual
b) What proportion of scores were below a 45?
Would it be unusual for this to happen?
Select an answer unusual not unusual
Consider, X be a random variable that represents the score of statistics in a large class is normally distributed with mean (µ) and standard deviation (σ),that is,
a)
The required probability that one randomly selected score is greater than 88 is calculated as:
Since, the probability is less than 5%. ...
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A: Introduction:Here, MX (t) denotes the moment generating function (mgf) of the random variable X; thu... | https://www.bartleby.com/questions-and-answers/please-give-me-calculator-steps-scores-on-a-statistics-final-in-a-large-class-were-normally-distribu/031c2055-ae1c-44a4-91f9-7bf5a11c3906 |
= (10 - 4 + 1) = 7.
Variance is a measure of the
dispersion a set of values. The variance
of a population (σ2)
is defined as
(2)
where N
is the number of members of the population, μ
is the mean value, and Xi
is the value of the ith member.
The variance of a sample (s2)
is defined as
(3)
where
X-bar (X with the line over it) is the mean of the sample, and n
is the number of values in the sample.
It is my understanding that a "population" involves all (for
example, all residents of
Random errors scattered about a mean frequently exhibit a normal distribution. There
are more values close to the mean than far from the median.
A normal distribution describes data or measurements that are consistent
with the equation
(4)
where u
is the value of the function, μ is the mean (equation 1), and σ is the standard
deviation (equation 5 or equation 6).
(5)
(6)
Of course, s replaces σ when characterizing a sample
rather than a population.
Equation 4 describes the bell
curve, the graph consistent with a normal distribution.
Figure 1: bell curve for mean = 50 and
standard deviation = 5.0.
Figure 1 is an example of a bell curve.
Compare Figure 1 with Figure 2, a distribution with the same mean but a
larger standard deviation.
Figure
2:
The area
under a segment the bell curve represents the percentage of a population or
sample that falls within the range of that segment.
The area between the mean and one standard deviation above or below the
mean equals 34.13% of the total area. The
area between the mean and two standard deviations equals 47.72%, and the area
between the mean and three standard deviations equals 49.87%.
Given a set
of measurements subject to random error, the standard deviation provides a
measure of the confidence we might have that the "true" value lies
within a certain range. Confidence
is 68% that the true value lies within 1 standard deviation of the mean (in
Figure 2, between the values 40 and 60). Confidence
is 95% that the true value lies within 2 standard deviations (between 30 and 70
in Figure 2) and 99% that it lies within 3 standard deviations (between 20 and
80).
Most "scientific" calculators have built-in statistical functions. You will probably have to locate the manual and look up the procedure for entering data and accessing the results (mean, standard deviation). | http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/Faculty/Stierman/files/Stats/eqs.htm |
This post was originally published by Rakesh Chintha at Towards Data Science
A quick google search above revealed that the average age of a person in the US is 38. Have you ever wondered how statisticians in Census Bureau came up with that number? Do you think they would go up and ask everyone in person or by mail? Not because that would be a mere waste of time, money, and resources just to find some statistic and put up on their website all bold and fancy.
So how do they do it? They use some basic principles of inferential statistics.
Alright, so in this article, we will be finding an answer to the following question using statistical inferences.
Are women paid less than men ?
Let us scratch some surface of inferential statistics before diving into the case study.
Population: The set that contains all data points in our experimenting space. Population size is denoted by N.
Sample: It is a randomly selected subset from the population — the sample size is denoted by n.
Distribution: It describes the data/population/sample range and how data is spread in that range.
Mean: Average value of all data from your population or sample. This is denoted by µ for populations and x̄ for samples.
Standard Deviation is a measure of how to spread your population is — denoted by σ (Sigma).
Normal Distribution: When your population is spread perfectly symmetrical with σ standard deviations around the mean value, you get the following bell-shaped curve.
Central Limit Theorem
From Wikipedia:
In probability theory, the central limit theorem (CLT) establishes that, in some situations, when independent random variables are added, their properly normalized sum tends toward a normal distribution (informally a bell curve) even if the original variables themselves are not normally distributed.
Below video has a very intuitive explanation for Central Limit Theorem
In other words, all that this theorem states that no matter what the shape of the initial population is, the sampling distribution will always approximate to a normal distribution.
The standard error is the measure of how much the sample mean deviates from the population mean.
Standard Error Formula where σ is the standard deviation and n is the sample size.
sample size (n) is the size of the sampled population. The below plot shows the relationship between sample size and standard error. As sample size increases, standard error decreases.
While selecting a large sample size is no problem, however, this is not feasible in most real-world complex problems. Hence an optimal sample size is needed.
Confidence intervals represent the range of values between which we are fairly sure that our population means lies. In the below image, both the lower limit and upper limit represents the confidence interval. The area between confidence intervals is called the acceptance region while the area outside is called the rejection region.
the p-value is the probability that the test result happened by chance. In other words, it is the probability that our population means falls in the rejection region. The lower p-value indicates higher confidence in the test result.
significance level (α) is the threshold p-value set to decide if the test results are statistically significant. The significance level is usually set to 0.05, 0.01, or 0.001. If the test result’s p-value is less than the significance level (α), then we can conclude that the obtained test results are statistically significant and they are not due to a random chance or noise.
For our analysis, we will use data collected from the General Social Survey (GSS) who are conducting annual surveys since 1972 from the general American public mainly through face-to-face interviews. Below is the description from their website.
The GSS aims to gather data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes; to examine the structure and functioning of society in general as well as the role played by relevant subgroups; to compare the United States to other societies in order to place American society in comparative perspective and develop cross-national models of human society; and to make high-quality data easily accessible to scholars, students, policy makers, and others, with minimal cost and waiting.
The GSS sample is drawn using an area probability design that randomly selects respondents in households across the nation from a mix of urban, suburban, and rural geographic areas. Because random sampling was used, the data is representative of the US population as a whole.
Alright, so now that we have our data ready, let us dive into our case studies and find answers. | https://ai.firstalign.com/0000/00/00/how-do-you-make-statistical-inferences-from-data/ |
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As we transition to our new site, you'll still find some Stats NZ information here on this archive site.
Any statistical output contains imperfections or uncertainties. These can arise from choices in methodology, limitations of input data sources, processing problems, or many other sources. The effect on customers will depend on how they use the output – a data issue may be irrelevant to one customer but make the output useless for another.
To fully understand how good a final output is for a given need we need a comprehensive list of its limitations. The error framework gives us a way to categorise and understand the sources of these limitations and how they affect the final output.
Li-Chun Zhang (2012) developed the error framework. It breaks down the steps between the ideal concepts and population we would like to capture in our dataset and the final unit-record data that we obtain in practice.
Zhang’s framework builds on the Total Survey Error framework developed by Groves et al (2004, figure 2.5). This model examines all possible sources of error in survey data, from design right through to the data’s use in producing statistical outputs.
The framework has two phases – each has separate flows for 'measurement' (relating to target concepts and values obtained from population units) and 'representation' (relating to target sets of units and the objects measurements are obtained from). These are explained in more detail below.
Note: steps in the error framework are not arranged in order of production processing steps or data flows from data receipt to statistical output, as in the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (UNECE, 2013). The framework is trying to capture compromises needed to produce the output; for example, in translating an ideal concept into a question or variable we can measure in a well-defined way. Identifying these compromises and limitations helps to understand the differences between the final data and the perfect data we would wish for.
By using Li-Chun Zhang's framework we can compile a comprehensive list of error sources for a given dataset. Use the quality measures (see ‘Available files’) to try to quantify or monitor each error source. The framework and quality measures assist your decision-making about cost/quality trade-offs when designing new outputs and improving old ones.
The error framework separates the 'life cycle' of statistical data into two phases. This division makes it easy to categorise sources of error and understand their causes. The idea is to first evaluate datasets against their original purposes, and then consider how well the combination of datasets making up the final dataset fits the target concept and population of the intended statistical output. This is very important when combining several administrative or survey datasets to produce an output, but it is also useful for single-dataset outputs – it allows us to separate source data issues from the problems caused by trying to reuse the data for a purpose it wasn't designed for.
The framework is also split into two sides, 'measurement (variables)' and 'representation (objects or units)', which are explained below.
Phase 1 allows us to evaluate a single data source against the purpose for which the data was collected. For a survey dataset, this purpose is defined for a statistical target concept and target population. For an administrative dataset, the entries or 'objects' in the dataset might be people or businesses, but they could also be transaction records, or other events of relevance to the collecting agency. At this stage, evaluation is entirely with reference to the dataset itself, and does not depend on what we intend to do with the data.
Phase 2 categorises the difficulties arising from taking variables and objects from source datasets and using them to measure the statistical target concept and population we are interested in. In this phase, we consider what we want to do with the data, and determine how well the source datasets match what we would ideally be measuring.
Dividing assessment into two phases has benefits. Firstly, it separates out the information about the source dataset, which means we can reuse the phase 1 assessments for other possible outputs without repeating a lot of work. This also lets us explain why an administrative dataset can be fit for purpose for one output, but inadequate for another.
Secondly, it makes it easier to identify the real cause of a quality issue and to come up with a solution or mitigation strategy that addresses the error at its source. For example, undercoverage in our final output could have many causes, such as poor quality processing at the source agency, mismatches between how matching variables are defined on different datasets, or overly strict edits in our system. Being able to determine which of these is the true cause is far more valuable than simply knowing there is undercoverage.
The measurement side of figures 1 and 2 sets out steps that connect the target concept (ideal information we want about each object) with the final edited values in the dataset. Sources of error on the measurement side include the degree to which the operational measure used captures the target concept, and how many and what kind of errors are introduced by respondent misunderstanding or mistakes.
Example of measurement evaluation: look at taxable income recorded in the Employer Monthly Schedule administrative dataset as a measure of personal income. In phase 1 we see how well the figures in the administrative data meet their administrative purpose, whereas in phase 2 we evaluate the issues the administrative variable has for our ideal statistical variable or concept.
The representation side looks at the objects or units in the dataset and how well they match the desired target set (note: we use 'set' instead of 'population' because some administrative datasets are based on capturing events or transactions rather than a well-defined population of people or businesses). Ideally every object in the target set has a corresponding object recorded in the data. In phase 1, the focus is on objects, which could be events, transactions, or other entries in an administrative dataset, whereas phase 2 is concerned with units (the final statistical units in the dataset), which may be created artificially – based on a combination of objects from several linked datasets.
The representation side of figures 1 and 2 could be used to evaluate errors arising from combining administrative datasets to create a household register. Coverage problems, timing issues, data matching uncertainties, and problems in actually generating a list of household units are all included in the framework.
The steps we recommend to assess the quality of an output or dataset using this framework are:
Once you’ve completed the phase 1 assessment for each source dataset, complete phase 2 using a similar process. Defining the statistical target population, concepts, and variables very clearly is important – so you can accurately compare the individual datasets assessed with the phase 1 framework to the statistical use for the data. | http://m.stats.govt.nz/methods/data-integration/guide-to-reporting-on-admin-data-quality/explaining-framework.aspx |
The Records of South Carolina White-Tailed Deer 1906-2021 information is also available for download in the PDF format.
Compiled and Produced by
Charles Ruth,
Wildlife Biologist,
Deer/Wild Turkey Program Coordinator
Acknowledgements
Thanks to South Carolina deer hunters. This publication and all aspects of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Statewide White-tailed Deer Research and Management Project are made financially possible through hunters’ participation in antlerless deer tag programs. As a result, no state funds are associated with this program.
Acknowledgment is due to Gerald Moore, South Carolina’s first Deer Project Supervisor who managed the Antler Records Program between 1974-1984, Derrell Shipes, who directed the program between 1984-1995, a period during which intense editing and review of these records was conducted. Clerical support has been provided by many, including Barbara Hicks, Roberta Cothran, Natasha Williams, Meredith Elliott, Jessica Shealy, and currently Patty Castine. Thanks also to the numerous SCDNR Regional Wildlife Section personnel and volunteers for their efforts in the records program.
South Carolina White-tailed Deer Antler Records Program
The South Carolina white-tailed deer Antler Records Program was initiated in the spring of 1974 and since that time, 7,691 sets of antlers (7,378 typical and 313 non-typical) have been officially entered into the list. Initially, measuring sessions were only conducted a few times each spring but, since 1987 antler measuring sessions have been scheduled throughout the state with approximately 12 sessions occurring annually. Each year SCDNR wildlife biologists, wildlife technicians and volunteers measure approximately 500 sets of antlers. Generally, only about 25 percent of the antlers that are measured make the Antler Records List with the bulk of entries falling short of the minimum scores.
The first comprehensive Records of South Carolina White-tailed Deer was published in 1998. Between 1998 and 2019 a number of updates have been published on an annual or semi-annual basis. The updates include only the new entries for the current year and the top 100 typical and top 50 nontypical entries from the All-time List (2020-21 Deer Records Information). This publication represents the complete listing of all typical and nontypical entries on file through spring 2021. It is only available on SCDNR’s website because the size of the document makes printed copies cost prohibitive.
The purpose of the Antler Records Program is two-fold. First, because of the increased interest in deer hunting exhibited by sportsmen, it is a means of recognizing outstanding white-tailed deer taken in South Carolina. Secondly, it provides management information that allows SCDNR wildlife biologists to identify areas that produce quality deer. When particular areas stand out it is important to attempt to recognize the underlying characteristics that produce outstanding animals.
Measuring System
SCDNR's antler measuring system is the same as that utilized by both the Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young Clubs which are recognized as the national organizations that record exceptional North American big game taken with firearms and archery equipment, respectfully. The scoring system is based primarily on antler size and symmetry and includes measurements of the main beams, greatest inside spread of the beams, circumference measurements at certain designated locations, and the number and length of the points. To be counted as a point, a projection must be at least one inch long and it must be longer than it is wide at its base.
Deductions are made for points that arise abnormally from the main beams or from other points and for symmetrical differences between corresponding measurements on the right and left antlers. For non-typical antlers, abnormal points are added to the score rather than being deducted as in the typical category. A set of antlers is classified as typical or non-typical based on its general conformation, the number of abnormal points, and a determination as to whether it will rank higher in the typical or non-typical category. Current minimum scores for the South Carolina Antler Records List are 125 typical points and 145 non-typical points. All antlers must undergo a minimum 60-day drying period before they can be officially measured, and a fair-chase statement must be signed for all hunter killed deer. If a set of antlers meets the minimum score the record is added to the list and a certificate is issued recognizing the outstanding white-tailed deer taken in South Carolina.
The South Carolina Antler Records List is continually undergoing revisions and editing. However, due to the size and nature of the list mistakes are inevitable. If you become aware of mistakes associated with the records list please contact Antler Records, P.O. Box 167 Columbia, SC 29202 in writing. Proposed corrections will be considered after reviewing the original score sheet that is on file.
Comments and Trends Concerning the Records List
The most frequently asked question concerning SCDNR’s Antler Records Program is what county or region produces the most records. Table 1 presents the county totals related to the All-time Records List and includes each county’s rank. However, it is important to understand that comparing record entries among counties is meaningless because counties vary greatly in size. Therefore, each county’s rank is also presented based on record entries per unit area (per square mile) which standardizes each county as it relates to other counties.
In the process of compiling this publication a number of distribution maps were produced in an effort to graphically demonstrate potential trends in record production among counties or regions. Unfortunately, none of these maps show any meaningful trend in record antler production. For that reason, one basic distribution map is presented (Figure 1). This map depicts the upper 50 percent and lower 50 percent of county record entries per square mile. Although trends are difficult to identify in this map, the following possible trends are cautiously offered.
First, no county that borders the coast is in the upper 50 percent of the records per square mile distribution. This may be related to poor soil fertility that is generally associated with these coastal counties. Also, Pee Dee counties are virtually absent from the top 50 percent of the records. Again, this could be related to poor natural soil fertility but it could also be associated with the history of the deer herd, habitat, and hunting in the area. With the exception of Jasper County, which borders the coast, and McCormick County, all counties that border the Savannah River are in the top 50 percent of the records per square mile distribution. Additionally, once removed from the coast, counties below the fall line and located between the Savannah and Congaree Rivers are generally in the top 50 percent of the distribution. In each of these cases better natural soil fertility may play a role. Finally, there is a band of lower piedmont counties lying just above the fall line that tend to be in the upper half of the records per square mile distribution. Soil fertility may be involved here, as well. Overall, 12 of 18 piedmont counties and 11 of 28 coastal counties are in the upper 50 percent of the distribution..
The timing of harvest for record deer is not random throughout the hunting season. Most deer hunters know that mature bucks are most susceptible to harvest during the breeding season or rut. Historic reproductive data collected by SCDNR indicates that the peak of the rut in most of South Carolina is from mid October through mid November with approximately 83 percent of females breeding from October 6 to November 16. As would be expected, the majority of bucks (74%) entered into the records program were taken during October and November. Figure 2 plots the percentage of record entries by month of harvest in relationship to the percentage of female deer conceiving by month. A statistical measure of how well the data fit is called R2, with an R2 of 1.0 being a perfect fit and an R2 of zero being no fit. Although the very high R2 =0.93 value does not necessarily indicate a cause and effect relationship between record entries and conception, it does indicate that there is virtually no discrepancy between the two distributions. In any event, the apparent relationship can not be ignored and supports what hunters have always believed as it relates to the harvest of mature bucks during the breeding season.
Hunters often wonder if one year or one time period was better with respect to the number of bucks entering the records program. Figure 3 plots the number of record entries by year of harvest against the total number of bucks harvested by year. Several interesting points can be made concerning this data. From the early 1970’s until the early 1990’s the number of annual record entries increased as the number of bucks harvested annually increased. During this time, deer populations were growing in South Carolina and in many areas deer went from being rare to very common. This portion of the graph represents what common sense may tell you, the more bucks that are harvested, the more bucks that will be entered into the records program. Once again, the statistical value R2 = 0.94 is very high indicating that between 1972 and 1991 there was excellent correspondence between the two distributions. Even without statistics, it is easy to see the similarities.
On the other hand, the apparent relationship between annual buck harvest and antler records seems to breakdown beginning in the mid 1990’s. Not only is this obvious looking at the two distributions, but the statistical R2 value of 0.69 indicates that there is a poor relationship between the distributions. What would cause this relationship to change? From a biological standpoint, deer populations that are expanding typically exhibit some of the best quality animals. However, once populations recover there is a point in time where the number of deer with respect to habitat begins to curb what once was optimal body condition. Although the number of animals may continue to increase, the quality of animals begins to decrease to some degree. It could be said that prior to the mid 1990’s, South Carolina’s deer population was “hitting on all cylinders” with the production of record entries more or less proportional to the annual buck harvest. By the mid 1990’s however, the increasing number of deer in the population had begun to mask this relationship and although the buck harvest continued to increase the number of record entries did not.
Most recently the deer population in South Carolina has decreased, most likely as a result of habitat change related to forest management, extremely high deer harvest rates, and coyote predation on deer fawns. With decreasing population density one would expect an increase in quality and it appears that beginning in about 2007 the number of record entries in proportion to the buck harvest has increased substantially. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues although it will be a number of years before this data is available because bucks that were taken during the last few years will continue to be measured for several more years.
Back to the original question, what was the best year for record entries? Until recently, the year with the best ratio of record entries was 1984 with one in every 526 bucks taken that year making the list. However, as records continue to come in from recent years, 2011 has taken over the lead with one in every 482 bucks taken making the list. Moreover, there are now 5 years since 2010 that have a better ratio than 1984. The worst year since 1980 was 1999 with only one in every 1,230 bucks making the list. Over the long term, approximately one in every 724 bucks harvested in South Carolina makes the antler records list.
There is one other trend in the records that is worth mentioning. Notice in Figure 3 how the number of record entries by year is a jagged line indicating that the number of records spikes every 2 to 4 years. What would cause these somewhat predictable peaks? It is likely a simple matter of the movement of mature bucks in and out of the population. In other words, following a peak year it takes several years for another cohort of mature bucks to accumulate in the population. Once these mature bucks accumulate they are harvested resulting in another peak followed by several years when fewer mature bucks are available. If this is this case, it indicates that hunters are at least somewhat successful at harvesting mature bucks once they are available in the population at a certain density.
1906-2021 SC White-tailed Deer Antler Records Listing
The 1906-2021 SC White-tailed Deer Antler Records Listings below are provided in the Adobe PDF file format: | https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/alltime.html |
Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project Blog - 2021
The USGS Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project is a multi-year, interdisciplinary research study to determine factors leading to spawning and survival of the endangered pallid sturgeon and the closely related shovelnose sturgeon.
Click here to browse last year's blog
Sharing USGS Science with the Community
By Caroline Elliott and Robert Jacobson, Ph.D.
September 21, 2021
On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, river scientists from Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) unveiled an educational display on the banks of the Missouri River near Easley, Missouri. The display is based on a multi-beam bathymetric habitat map created as part of CERC’s large-river ecology research program. The display is at Cooper’s Landing, a river landmark and a popular destination on the Katy Trail, a Missouri State Park trail that crosses the state and attracts cyclists from around the world. CERC scientists partnered with Missouri River Relief, a local non-profit that hosts river cleanups and an extensive large-river education program, to develop the display (for more information on CERC's history with Missouri River Relief, see previous blog post It takes a village). We also collaborated with a local Scout who installed the concrete base and sign supports as part of his Eagle Scout project. Our hope is that the display will help visitors learn about the character and complexity of the Missouri River.
The sign text is below:
What’s on the bottom of the Missouri River?
Sand dunes, sand bars, bedrock, rock dikes, and scour holes are revealed in this reach of river mapped by the USGS River Studies Branch based in Columbia. The bottom of the river was mapped with a multibeam sonar on March 11, 2020. River flow was 175,000 cubic feet per second, a relatively high flow. Sand dunes in the main part of the channel were up to 8 feet high. The velocity of the river varies, but in the main channel it is generally about 3.5 miles per hour and can approach 7-8 miles per hour when flooding.
Lower Missouri River Reaches Milestone of 200 Tagged Pallid Sturgeon
By Killian Kelly and Aaron DeLonay
June 30, 2021
In the fall of 2019, the Missouri River Recovery Program began a unified, broad-scale effort to incorporate telemetry into all pallid surgeon research and monitoring programs in the Lower Missouri River, including the Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) and Pallid Sturgeon Population Assessment Program (PSPAP). The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission combined their efforts to capture and implant juvenile and adult pallid sturgeon with acoustic transmitters in the 811 miles of Missouri River from Gavin’s Point Dam, South Dakota, downstream to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers (see previous blog post, A Good Start to Renewed Telemetry Efforts on the Lower Missouri River). Less than two years after telemetry efforts were re-initiated on the Lower Missouri River, scientists are now monitoring a population of 205 tagged pallid sturgeon using acoustic telemetry. These sturgeon provide the crucial core population of tagged adults that will be used to formulate population models and assumptions, monitor changes in population survival and critical demographic parameters, assess the response of sturgeon to environmental temperatures and flows, and to assess the effectiveness of management actions for years to come.
Each captured sturgeon was weighed, measured, and assessed for sex and reproductive maturity. Ultrasounds were performed on each fish to rapidly determine sex and reproductive readiness (see previous blog post, Mobile Ultrasound Technology Empowers Field Biologists). Following the ultrasound, a blood sample was taken for laboratory measurement of sex steroids to provide additional confirmation of sex and reproductive status. Sturgeon were surgically implanted with an acoustic telemetry transmitter through a 24–30 millimeters incision on the ventral surface of the abdomen. Mature, reproductive-cycling adults and sturgeon greater than 3.0 kilograms were also implanted with an archival data storage tag (DST). The DST records the depth and water temperature experienced by individual fish at 15-minute intervals wherever it swims. During implantation the surgeon also visually examined the ovaries or testes to confirm the sex and reproductive status determined by ultrasound. The incision is then closed with a series of 3–4 single interrupted sutures. The entire surgical procedure requires only 10–15 minutes. The pallid sturgeon recovers in an aerated tank of water for several minutes before being released back into the river.
Automated Reports Focus Field Efforts
By Chad Vishy and Aaron DeLonay
July 06, 2021
Recently enhanced passive telemetry receivers (see previous blog, Cellular Technology Monitors Sturgeon Across 300 Miles of Remote River) deployed along the Lower Yellowstone and Upper Missouri River have allowed USGS researchers to collect data on detections of telemetry-tagged sturgeon and create automated reports in near real-time. Data from the receivers in the network array are uploaded twice daily using a customized software program that communicates with each receiver station via a cellular modem. The data is then processed by a program that formats and stores the data in a database. Automated reports of tagged sturgeon that have been detected by the receivers are sent to biologists in the field each morning and evening. The report also includes information on the status and condition of each receiver in the network array. The reports allow biologists the flexibility to make real-time decisions to focus resources on important river segments (for example, active spawning areas) or biological events (for example, aggregations of sturgeon near dams) when sturgeon are present.
One example of how these reports are used by field biologists happened on July 3, 2021. A reproductive female (code# 105) was expected to spawn in mid to late-June, but by early July she was still in the Lower Yellowstone River near known spawning sites. On June 22 she was detected by receiver stations moving downstream out of the Yellowstone River, only to be detected moving upstream again in Upper Missouri River on June 27. The automated report from the Buford station (river mile 158.4) on the Upper Missouri River showed female #105 moving back downstream toward the confluence of the two rivers on July 2. Biologists were quickly dispatched to the area to attempt recapture for possible spawning verification and validation (see blog post, Verification and Validation of Pallid Sturgeon Spawning in the Upper River). Biologist recaptured the female by early afternoon on July 3 and determined she was still carrying eggs and had not spawned in the Missouri River. In this instance, near real-time reporting from the telemetry network array allowed biologists to focus efforts and resources precisely to identify possible spawning events and habitats.
Biologists Get an Inside Look at the Future of Pallid Sturgeon
Victoria Ogolin, Killian Kelly, and Marlene Dodson
June 29, 2021
In early 2021, the USGS Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) tested low cost, portable ultrasound systems to determine the sex and reproductive status of pallid sturgeon captured in the field (see previous blog, Mobile Ultrasound Technology Empowers Biologists). Pallid sturgeon have experienced recruitment failure in the Upper Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers for decades. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been stocking hatchery origin pallid sturgeon (HOPS) since the late 1990s to stave off extirpation of the species in these rivers. More than 20 years after the first pallid sturgeon were stocked, only a handful of reproductive HOPS have been captured. Some HOPS males have reached reproductive maturity, but most are holding minimally developed testes. Although a few HOPS females have reached reproductive maturity as well, most females in this late-maturing species have only minimally developed ovaries. Biologists are hopeful that older year classes of stocked HOPS (for example, those released in 1997 –2001) are nearing reproductive maturity and will soon begin successfully reproducing. Before the introduction of portable and affordable ultrasound options in 2021, the sex and reproductive status of most captured HOPS could not be determined in the field.
New portable ultrasounds allow biologists to perform rapid, minimally invasive examinations that produce crisp, clear video imagery of the gonads of pallid sturgeon. Biologists can now determine the sex and reproductive status of sturgeon within minutes of removing from a net. During the 2021 field season, fishery biologists from USGS along with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bureau of Reclamation, and USFWS conducted eleven examinations of HOPS using the ultrasound. Seven fish were determined to be immature HOPS females and four fish were determined as immature HOPS males. An immature female on portable ultrasound presents with ovarian folds. An immature male presents with testes that are just beginning to develop.
One specific HOPS, radio transmitter code 157, from the 2001-year class was captured in 2019 and determined as an immature female. Code 157 was captured again in 2021 at 20 years old and evaluated using ultrasound; she remains immature without additional development or the presence of early-stage oocytes. Biologists anticipated that these HOPS would mature late in life but the big question currently facing biologists is precisely how long will it take for large numbers of these HOPS to reach reproductive maturity and begin to contribute to the population? In the next few years, we expect to see the next generation of spawning pallid sturgeon in the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers begin to emerge. With the broad application of affordable field ultrasound technology, biologists will get an inside glimpse into the future.
Verification and Validation of Pallid Sturgeon Spawning in the Upper River
Marlene Dodson, Kimberly Chojnacki, and Aaron DeLonay
June 21, 2021
USGS scientists from Columbia, Missouri travelled to the Upper Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in mid-June to assist Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) colleagues from the USGS Fort Peck Project Office, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bureau of Reclamation, and USFWS with monitoring pallid sturgeon migration and spawning. Pallid sturgeon spawning is detected by monitoring movement of adults known to be in reproductive condition and searching for aggregations of telemetered adults. Spawning is verified by noting changes in behavior associated with spawning and then recapturing and confirming that a female has released her eggs in an aggregation of males. Scientists validate that spawning was successful by subsequently sampling for fertilized eggs or free embryos downstream from known spawning aggregations.
Biologists began searching for and tracking tagged adult pallid sturgeon in late-March and early April. Telemetry tracking in the Upper Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers is accomplished through a combination of traditional active tracking from watercraft and by a passive network of telemetry receivers located along the banks of the rivers (see previous blogs, Cellular Technology Monitors Sturgeon Across 300 Miles of Remote River and Remotely Monitoring Pallid Sturgeon Movement in Real Time). Aggregations of reproductive males typically form in late-May through late-June at spawning sites. Spawning can occur within hours of a reproductive female joining an aggregation of males. If spawning behavior is noted, biologists will deploy large, 150-foot trammel nets to recapture female sturgeon to verify that they have released their eggs and to detect the presence of males expressing milt. Female pallid sturgeon will typically lose 5–15% or more of their body weight when releasing eggs. A blood sample is taken to measure changes in hormones that occur with spawning. An ultrasound examination (see previous blog post, Mobile Ultrasound Technology Empowers Field Biologists) confirms that the female pallid sturgeon’s ovaries no longer contain eggs (figure 1).
Once spawning is believed complete and a post-spawn female pallid sturgeon has been recaptured and assessed (see previous blog post, A Spawning Recorded in the Yellowstone River), CSRP biologists will sample to collect eggs and drifting free embryos immediately downstream of the suspected spawning site (figure2). With water temperatures in the Yellowstone River approaching 22–23 degrees Celsius, sturgeon eggs will hatch approximately 3–4 days after fertilization. Genetic analyses of preserved eggs and free embryos collected below spawning sites are used to validate that pallid sturgeon spawned successfully and to identify the number and identity of the adults that spawned in the aggregation at that site (see previous blog post, New Foundation for Genetic Identification of Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon). Verifying and validating when, where, and in what conditions pallid sturgeon successfully spawn provides critical information needed to guide habitat restoration and flow management actions.
Remote Sensing Techniques to Quantify Dye Dispersal
By Brandon Sansom, PhD and Robert Jacobson, PhD
May 19, 2021
The Searcy’s Bend dye experiment was designed to collect data on dye transport and retention at multiple, complementary scales. In addition to data collected on fluorometers at specific points, the experiment included multiple aircraft and multiple sensing techniques to evaluate how dye was transported over scales of centimeters to thousands of meters.
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS’s) were flown by scientists from USGS and Missouri University of Science and Technology. Two UAS’s flew at 1200 ft above ground level (AGL) and collected standard color video (4 visible bands) of the dye movement through the Searcy Bend Interception-Rearing Complex, which was designed by the Corps of Engineers to intercept pallid sturgeon larvae to allow them to grow and survive in the Missouri River. A third UAS flew at 400 ft AGL and collected hyperspectral imagery. The hyperspectral imagery consists of several hundred spectral bands that provide much more information about transported constituents in the water compared to the visible bands.
Simultaneously, a fixed-wing aircraft flew at 5600 ft AGL and collected multi-spectral (three visible bands plus infrared) data by flying 20-minute continuous loops 8 times over the 7-mile study reach. The imagery from the fixed-wing aircraft is lower resolution compared to the UAS data but provides the comprehensive spatial view that includes all the complexity of this reach, including the main channel, slow areas behind wing dikes, shallow areas along sand bars, and secondary channels.
The River Runs Red
By Brandon Sansom, PhD and Robert Jacobson, PhD
May 17, 2021
The execution of the dye-trace experiment required coordinated efforts between several boat operators, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) pilots, and a fixed-wing-aircraft pilot. The release of the dye occurred at 9:00 am on May 5 and required precise preparation and communication between the fixed-wing-aircraft pilot and the crew on the water responsible for releasing the dye into the river. In total, 16 CERC scientists and technicians were spread across seven boats assisting with the dye-release. Two boats were responsible for lining up along the channel center and simultaneously releasing the dye into the river as the boats drove towards opposite banks and as the aircraft made its first pass. A boat located about two miles downstream of the dye release location was equipped with a fluorometer, spectroscopy equipment, and an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) to monitor the concentration of the dye and characterize the depth and water velocity as the dye passed by. Two other boats were also equipped with ADCP’s and characterized the depth and water velocity at select transects throughout the entire reach while the remaining two boats assisted with deploying fluorometers throughout the study reach and documenting the study with video and photography.
In addition to the crew on the water, multiple aircraft were flying above the reach and documenting the movement of dye downstream. Four additional scientists from USGS and Missouri University of Science and Technology were flying UAS's to collect standard video and hyperspectral imagery as dye moved through the interception rearing complex (IRC) at Searcy’s Bend. Multispectral imagery of the entire 7-mile experimental reach was acquired by fixed-wing aircraft 8 times during the experiment in 20 minute passes.
Missouri River Dye Trace Experiment at Searcy’s Bend, Missouri
By Brandon Sansom, PhD and Robert Jacobson, PhD
May 6, 2021
CERC scientists conducted a dye-trace experiment on the Missouri River near Hunstdale, MO on May 5, 2021 in cooperation with scientists from the USGS Geomorphology and Sediment Transport Laboratory – Integrated Modeling and Prediction Division in Golden, CO, the USGS Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center – National Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office in Denver, CO, Missouri University of Science and Technology, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Surdex Corporation St. Louis, MO. The scope and scale of the experiment was unprecedented on the Missouri River.
The study involved releasing approximately 23 gallons of Rhodamine-WT into the river about two miles downstream of the Interstate-70 bridge in Boone County, MO. Rhomamine-WT is a non-toxic but very visible dye that is frequently used to study time of travel in river systems. Scientists monitored the dispersal of dye downstream for five miles using a series of in-situ fluorometers installed throughout the river. In addition, a series of videos and photographs were captured using multiple aircraft.
The results of the dye experiment will help scientists better understand how age-0 pallid sturgeon disperse downstream and how they are able to find suitable habitat in the complex flow of the Missouri River. In particular, the data will be compared to computer simulations to evaluate how well the computer models predict transport of larvae into restoration projects — called interception-rearing complexes, or IRCs — designed to increase growth and survival of pallid sturgeon. The results will also be useful for predicting transport and fate of contaminants, for example after an oil spill. Moreover, comparing the results from in-situ sensor and remote sensing images may improve the ability to monitor dye dispersal using remote sensing technology in future dye-release experiments.
Minimally Invasive Implantation of Spawning-Event Tags in Sturgeon
April 22, 2021
By Aaron DeLonay and Kimberly Chojnacki
The USGS Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project and its partners have identified and mapped spawning habitats in the Lower Yellowstone River and the Lower Missouri River by intensively monitoring the movement of telemetry tagged pallid sturgeon and recapturing them at suspected spawning sites (see “Characterization of Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) Spawning Habitat in the Lower Missouri River”). The primary telemetry transmitters used in pallid sturgeon are surgically implanted in the abdomen of adult fish. They allow biologists to track and record location and movement of pallid sturgeon through the lifespan of the transmitter (3–5 years). Unfortunately, biologists cannot follow large numbers of tagged sturgeon continuously over hundreds of miles of river, and critical behaviors, such as spawning, are not readily detected in the swift, turbid water. Biologists need a way to remotely monitor if a female sturgeon has spawned and to precisely determine where spawning has occurred.
In 2019–2020 CSRP biologists conducted laboratory trials with shovelnose sturgeon to evaluate the use of small, secondary transmitters to use as a spawning-event tags. Spawning event tags are designed to aid in identifying the timing and location of sturgeon ovulation and deposition of eggs. Spawning-event tags are short-term tags (30-120 days) inserted into the oviduct using a minimally invasive procedure through the urogenital vent. Theses tags are designed to be released by the female during ovulation and spawning in or near a spawning patch.
Before spawning occurs, the biologists tracking a tagged female will detect the signals from both the primary tag and secondary, spawning-event tag. At spawning, the signals from both tags will appear to separate from one another as the spawn-event tag is deposited on the substrate of the spawning patch with the eggs. Separation of the tag from the female informs biologists tracking the female of her status and suggests that recapture to assess spawning success is advised. Location of a separated spawning-event tag at the river bed provides more precise definition of areas selected by sturgeon for spawning to focus mapping and habitat-characterization efforts. More precise definition of spawning events aids biologists in building conceptual models of spawning behavior and understanding the biomechanics of egg deposition and embryo survival (see “Physical characteristics and simulated transport of pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon eggs”). Spawning-event tags will be implanted in pallid sturgeon In the Missouri And Yellowstone Rivers for the first time in 2021.
The Week the Missouri River Stood Still
By Carrie Elliott, Kimberly Chojnacki, and Aaron DeLonay
March 17, 2021
In February, the Missouri River basin endured a prolonged blast of frigid winter weather. High temperatures in Mid-Missouri remained below 32 °F for nearly two weeks, while locations farther upstream were even colder. The bitter arctic air caused floes of pancake ice to form on the Lower Missouri River by February 10th. Pancake ice resembles what it sounds like–rounded discs or pads of ice on the water surface moving downstream in the current. The pads of ice collide and grind against each other as they move in the current forming characteristic raised edges at their margins (Figure 1). Pancake ice is lacy and beautiful, and the continuous grumble of the ice as it scrapes and grinds along the riverbanks attracts people down to the river to admire the force of nature. Ice floes during severe winters are one of the few conditions that keep Missouri River researchers off the water. Our research vessels are no match for the unrelenting crush of ice.
After several consecutive days of temperatures far below freezing it was clear that conditions on the river were becoming more severe. On February 17, the U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gage near Jefferson City, Missouri suddenly dropped 4 feet (Figure 2). An ice jam was reported near river mile 145.5, just upstream from the Highways 63/54 Missouri River bridge at Jefferson City, Missouri.
The extreme cold caused the ice to pile up on the surface of the river forming an ice jam. The surface of the river became a jagged, white mass of ice. At its peak, the ice jam extended from Jefferson City to Waverly, Missouri–approximately 150 miles upstream. This was the first time since the 1980’s that the river froze over in mid-Missouri.
The polar air that held mid-Missouri in its grip finally relented. Several days of temperatures above freezing caused the ice to begin to melt. In the early morning hours of February 23, the river suddenly rose over 8 feet as the ice jam broke up and began to move downstream. For additional information, photographs, and drone footage of the ice jam visit The Missouri River Ice Jam of 2021 by Missouri River Relief.
Mobile Ultrasound Technology Empowers Field Biologists
By Sabrina Davenport, Patrick Braaten, and Casey Hickcox
March 8, 2021
Knowing the sex and reproductive status of pallid sturgeon is important for many monitoring and research activities, and ultrasound is a valuable tool to address these uncertainties. To enhance monitoring and research capabilities, the Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project will be transferring new, low-cost mobile ultrasound technology from the laboratory to field biologists in 2021. Previously, ultrasound assessments had been administered by specially trained staff on a limited basis. These trained sonographers met field biologists on the river after they captured pallid sturgeon. Ultrasound assessments determined if fish were male or female, and helped identify fish that were candidates for surgical implantation of telemetry transmitter or valuable for transport to the hatchery as parental broodstock. When field biologists captured pallid sturgeon and a trained sonographer wasn’t available, the sturgeon would often be released without knowledge of sex or reproductive status. Oftentimes, rare pallid sturgeon that were not evaluated were transported from the river to a hatchery unnecessarily only to be returned when it was determined it was not reproductively mature. Even when a sonographer was available, pallid sturgeon had to wait several hours for evaluation while biologists worked to carefully maintain the sturgeon in tanks on the boat to minimize stress.
In 2021, field biologist throughout the Missouri and Yellowstone River basins will be trained on new, lower-cost and more-portable ultrasound platforms (continuing efforts from previous blog posts, The Cold Never Bothered Us Anyway and Training Sturgeon Surgeons). The new systems use portable ultrasound probes that connect to cell phones and tablets . Advances in technology and portability have reduced the costs of ultrasounds suitable for field use from nearly $35,000 to as little as $6,000. The new devices can be widely distributed and carried as standard equipment on watercraft sampling in remote areas for immediate assessment of sturgeon sex and reproductive readiness. Ultrasound imagery can be saved to the device’s memory for future reference or sent over a cellular internet connection to trained specialists in the laboratory for real-time expert consultation. Testing of the new ultrasound technologies was performed with hatchery brood stock in early 2021, and ultrasound imagery from the low-cost units was quite good in comparison to the higher-cost units (see figures).
Immediate knowledge of sex and reproductive readiness allows field biologists to make informed rapid decisions on how best to handle and treat the rare sturgeon and minimize stress while collecting as much information as possible. For example, if a fish is determined to be a female in reproductive condition based on ultrasound imagery, that fish will be a focus of intensive tracking to assess spawning migrations and identify spawning locations. This will allow biologists to better interpret observations of critical reproductive behaviors and focus additional resources on mapping and characterizing important spawning habitats.
New Foundation for Genetic Identification of Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon
By Kimberly Chojnacki, Richard Flamio, Jr., Dr. Edward Heist, and Aaron DeLonay
March 1, 2021
Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center and U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center recently published the results of a study conducted in collaboration with scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The scientific journal article, “Production of haploid gynogens to inform genomic resource development in the paleotetraploid pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)”, authored by Richard Flamio Jr. and others was published in the journal Aquaculture. The principal study investigators are from Dr. Edward Heist's laboratory at the Center for Fisheries Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Hybridization with the closely related and more common shovelnose sturgeon is one of several threats to the endangered pallid sturgeon. Current molecular markers cannot reliably distinguish among the two pure Scaphirhynchus species and multigenerational backcrosses (hybrids). Identification of pure pallid sturgeon for use as broodstock in conservation propagation and augmentation efforts is critical to avoid jeopardizing species integrity while preserving genetic diversity and conserving local adaptation. Genotypes from a larger panel of unlinked single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can provide greater resolution between the two species and hybrids. Development of the SNPs is complicated, however, by the evolutionary history of the sturgeon that has resulted in a whole genome duplication event (a doubling of the number of paired chromosomes of these two sturgeon species compared to other species). In this multi-year study, methods were developed to successfully produce pallid sturgeon offspring with DNA contributed only by the female parent; these offspring are called haploids. The simplified genome of the haploids can be more easily studied. Scientists used a technique called flow-cytometry to confirm that the haploid specimens produced in the study had only half the number of chromosomes of normal pallid sturgeon. Genetic analyses using 19 sturgeon microsatellite loci and four paddlefish loci confirmed that haploid specimens were 100% homozygous. The results of this study are a critical step necessary to inform future development of thousands of new, cost-effective genetic markers for Scaphirhynchus sturgeon.
This study is part of the Comprehensive Sturgeon Research Project (CSRP) funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Missouri River Recovery–Integrated Science Program and the U.S. Geological Survey, Ecosystems Mission Area. Collaboration with Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences was funded by CSRP through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit network grant program within the U.S. Geological Survey.
Citation: Flamio, R., Chojnacki, K.A., DeLonay, A.J., Dodson, M.J., Gocker, R.M., Jenkins, J.A., Powell, J., and Heist, E.J., 2021. Production of haploid gynogens in order to inform genomic resource development in the paleotetraploid pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus). Journal of Aquaculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.736529
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In June 2020, FAO held a virtual training on the EX-Ante Carbon Balance Tool (EX-ACT), a tool developed by FAO to help project designers and implementors estimate and track the impact of agriculture and forestry development projects, programmes and policies on the carbon balance.
Over the past fifty years, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture, forestry and fisheries have nearly doubled. Globally, the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector accounts for 24% of GHG emissions, second to only the energy sector.
In Africa, the agriculture sector is a comparatively lower contributor, emitting 15% of the continent’s total emissions, yet this number is increasing rapidly. As agriculture expands and intensifies to meet the needs of the continent’s rapidly growing population, the sector’s GHG emissions, primarily from livestock production, are on the rise. Expansion of land under cultivation increases GHG sources and reduces GHG sinks. Agricultural expansion and intensification of unsustainable farming practices leads to deforestation, land degradation, desertification, reduced vegetation cover, and loss of biodiversity—all of which reduce the ability of the ecosystem to absorb carbon dioxide.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Most African countries are very low emitters with huge potential to mitigate the negative impacts of agricultural expansion—70% of global agriculture mitigation potential could be realised in developing countries. By adopting well-designed, integrated approaches to improve the sustainability and productivity of Africa’s food systems—like those promoted by the Resilient Food Systems programme—it is possible to slow deforestation and land conversion, restore degraded land, contribute towards Africa’s mitigation efforts and feed growing populations.
The design of the Resilient Food Systems programme reflects the connection between agriculture, food security, and climate change mitigation. Over the lifespan of the programme, Resilient Food Systems aims to sequester or avoid 59 million metric tonnes of GHG emissions.
Each of the 12 country projects are contributing towards this goal through the implementation of targeted afforestation and agroforestry interventions, use of sustainable land and water management practices, and the promotion of alternative livelihoods. Yet, these projects are all unique. They take place in different geographies, with different land use patterns, and are designed to meet the specific needs of different communities. Given this scope and level of complexity, how do we measure progress?
As an executing partner of the Regional Hub, FAO plays a key role in providing technical support, tools and approaches to country projects for monitoring and evaluating the impact of RFS interventions. The Ex-Ante Carbon-balance Tool (EX-ACT) tool was developed by FAO in 2010 to help country partners estimate and track the impact of AFOLU projects, programmes and policies on GHG emission levels. During the RFS M&E workshop in Nairobi in November 2019, several RFS country projects expressed interest in receiving FAO training on applying EX-ACT within their projects.
Given the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic posed to in-country training, the FAO Resilient Food Systems team, in close collaboration with Louis Bockel and Padmini Gopal from the FAO Regional Office for Africa, organised a virtual training for RFS country project teams from eSwatini and Kenya in June 2020. The training combined a guided eLearning course on the tool and practical sessions through videocalls. The training group was kept small, with participants from eSwatini and Kenya country teams, to ensure each trainee was able to receive personalised support from the EX-ACT team.
The objective of the training was to strengthen country project team skills in calculating the carbon balance of their projects. The EX-ACT training took country project teams through the process of calculating the impact of different activities (afforestation, different management practices, land restoration, fertilisation of crops, installation of irrigation, etc.) on GHG emissions and GHG sinks.
EX-ACT allows project teams to compare the relative benefit (or harm) of the project to a business-as-usual scenario: How does the project activity impact future GHG emissions? For better or for worse? This comparison is particularly useful when it comes to making informed decisions on which potential land use investments or interventions should be prioritised over others.
This training today has been a big help. We do most of the things that were covered in this training. We do watershed management, agroforestry, and there is deforestation - so this was very much applicable to the situation in the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund.
Loice Abende
M&E Officer, The Nature Conservancy
Not only does the tool help with improved decision-making prior to project implementation, it can also be used to track the performance and progress of investments that are already underway. The calculation and monitoring of GHG emissions across the lifespan of the projects will allow country project teams to track the impact of project activities and report on M&E indicators at both the project and programme level. The hope is that by building national M&E capacity in measuring mitigation within the AFOLU sector, these skills can extend beyond the lifespan of the RFS programme and be applied to resilience-building projects in the future.
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“Population” and “sample” are pretty easy concepts to understand. A population is a huge collection of individuals, and a sample is a group of individuals you draw from a population. Measure the sample-members on some trait or attribute, calculate statistics that summarize the sample, and you’re off and running.
In addition to those summary statistics, you can use the statistics to estimate the population parameters. This is a big deal: Just on the basis of a small percentage of individuals from the population, you can draw a picture of the entire population.
How definitive is that picture? In other words, how much confidence can you have in your estimates? To answer this question, you have to have a context for your estimates. How probable are they? How likely is the true value of a parameter to be within a particular lower bound and upper bound?
In this chapter, ...
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The gini coefficient is a numerical statistic used to measure income inequality in a society it was developed by italian statistician and sociologist corrado gini in the early 1900's in order to calculate the gini coefficient, it's important to first understand the lorenz curve, which is a . The lorenz curve shows the degree of income inequality in a given economy or population the further away the lorenz curve from the line of absolute equality. The gini coefficient is defined as a ratio of the areas on the lorenz curve diagram if the area between the line of perfect equality and lorenz curve is a, and.
In economics, the lorenz curve is a graphical representation of the cumulative distribution function of the empirical probability distribution of wealth it is a graph showing the proportion of the distribution assumed by the bottom y% of the values. I would like to draw a lorenz curve and calculate a gini index with the objective to determine how much parasites does the top 20% most infected hosts support here is my data set: number of para. Gini index frees preliminaries industry and academia gini index ratemaking homeowners data ordered lorenz curve and gini index ordered lorenz curve statistical inference.
A graphical representation of wealth distribution developed by american economist max lorenz in 1905 on the graph, a straight diagonal line represents perfect equality of wealth distribution the lorenz curve lies beneath it, showing the reality of wealth distribution the difference between the . In economics, lorenz curve represents the distribution of wealth in a society it's the graph where x axis represents the percentile of population ordered according to the characteristic, whose distribution one wants to study. In this lesson on lorenz curve and gini coefficient, you will learn the following: what is the lorenz curve how does one read the lorenz curve what is the gini coefficient.
A lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total wealth owned against the cumulative number of individuals in a country, starting from the poor and going to the rich. Suppose society consists of 5 families whose incomes are $8,000, $12,000, $20,000, $40,000, and $80,000 what is the total income in this society what percentage of total income is earned by the poorest quintile what percentage of total income is earned by the richest quintile what percentages of . The lorenz curve is a simple way to describe income distribution using a two-dimensional graph to do this, imagine lining people (or households, depending on context) in an economy up in order of income from smallest to largest. Compute and plot an empirical lorenz curve from a variable in a data set, optionally specifiying a separate variable from which to compute the y-values for the curve. Charting income inequality 3 the lorenz curve figure 1, below, illustrates the shape of a typical lorenz urve as you can see, in the c graph, the curve starts from coordinates (0,0), as a zero fraction of the population owns.
This function plots the lorenz curve that is a graphical representation of the cumulative distribution function a user can choose for the lorenz curve with single (default) or multiple weighting of data, for example, taking into account for single or multiple legislature representatives the input data should be a data frame with 2 columns. In order to calculate seasonal concentration in tourist arrivals and overnights a combination of measurement methods including seasonality ratio, lorenz curve and gini coefficient were applied to measure the degree of seasonality and compare the degree of seasonality between years. Definition of lorenz curve: a model developed by economist max lorenz in 1905 it represents a probability distribution of statistical values, and is. Home use the model display specialized displays world map and all-variable displays world map, lorenz curve, gini, histogram international futures help system.
The lorenz curve is used in economics and ecology to describe inequality in wealth or size the lorenz curve is a function of the cumulative proportion of ordered individuals mapped onto the corresponding cumulative proportion of their size. The lorenz curve, devised by max o lorenz, a famous economic statistician, is a graphic method of studying dispersion this curve was used by him for the first time to measure the distribution of wealth and income, lorenz curve assignment help, lorenz curve homework help, lorenz curve excel, lorenz curve definition, lorenz curve economics . The gini coefficient is a single number aimed at measuring how far a country’s wealth distribution deviates from totally equal distribution of productivity.
2 index of dissimilarity (id) the dissimilarity index is the summation of vertical deviations between the lorenz curve and the line of perfect equality, also known as the summation of lorenz differences. Definition of lorenz curve in us english - a graph on which the cumulative percentage of total national income (or some other variable) is plotted against the cumu. How to read a lorenz curve and find a gini index.
Ask gini: how to measure inequality articles, studies and us census data focusing on wealth inequality rely on the gini coefficient how is it calculated, and what does it tell us. Do you need homework assignment help with topic measurement of inequality, lorenz curve we provide professional homework help at reasonable costs. Draw lorenz curve from the data given in the excel - 455442.
2018. | http://wepaperuriq.njdata.info/lorenz-curve.html |
UCL represents upper control limit on a control chart, and LCL represents lower control limit. A control chart is a line graph that displays a continuous picture of what is happening in production process with respect to time. As such, it is an important tool for statistical process control or quality control. The UCL and LCL on a control chart indicate whether any variation in the process is natural or caused by a specific, abnormal event that can affect the quality of the finished product.
Data Values
A control chart is marked with three horizontal lines, known as the center line, upper control limit and lower control limit. The center line indicates the historical mean of the process. The upper and lower control limits, which are marked three standard deviations above and below the center line, indicate whether the process is operating as expected or is out of control, statistically.
Normal Distribution
A control chart is derived from a bell-shaped normal distribution, or Gaussian distribution, curve. Standard deviation (symbol σ) is a measure of the dispersion or variation in a distribution, equal to the square root of the arithmetic mean of the squares of the deviations from the arithmetic mean. In a well-controlled process, the upper and lower limits are equal to μ + 3σ and μ - 3σ, where μ is the process mean, because in a normal distribution 99.73 percent of the values lie with these limits.
Out of Control
When a process is in control, its control chart should exhibit a natural pattern and any variation in the process, known as common cause variation, should still produce data values within the upper and lower control limits. However, if abnormal or special cause variation occurs, it produces data values outside the control limits, otherwise known as "out of control points" on the control chart.
Western Electric Rules
A set of rules known as the Western Electric Rules can test whether a process is out of control or not. A process is out of control if one point on the control chart lies outside the upper or lower control limit; if two or three consecutive points lie on one side of the center line at 2σ or beyond; if four or five lie on one side of the center at 1σ or beyond; or if eight consecutive points lie on one side of the center line, regardless of their distance from it.
References
About the Author
A full-time writer since 2006, David Dunning is a professional freelancer specializing in creative non-fiction. His work has appeared in "Golf Monthly," "Celtic Heritage," "Best of British" and numerous other magazines, as well as in the book "Defining Moments in History." Dunning has a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Kent. | https://sciencing.com/ucl-lcl-12011171.html |
7 Takeaways From Our Experiences With Distance Learning
Summer vacation has officially begun for the majority of us. Our academic year has come to a bizarre finish, with Covid’s customary blur of time bringing it all to a close as well. Many districts, including my own, are in the throes of developing a new, ideal model of learning in response to an ever-changing and evasive reality, and that blur is already extending into the 2020–21 school year.
As we prepare to reopen, it’s a good idea to take stock of the decisions we’ve previously taken that have worked out well during virtual learning.
The following are seven lessons we are taking away from distance learning: 1. Don’t go it alone: Schools that are months—and, more importantly, many mistakes—ahead of us in the process have been in frequent touch with my school’s administration and faculty members. What has worked and what hasn’t has been revealed to us through their experiences, and their guidance has aided us in our decision-making. We’re collaborating with Stanford’s d.school to assist with the planning of the school year 2020–21 configuration and schedule.
There are numerous resources accessible to school administrators who are interested in receiving this type of advice. Thanks to social media and blogs, administrators can quickly network with their peers in the United States as well as in other countries. Reputable sources of information, such as Edutopia, and online courses, such as those given by the Global Online Academy or the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning, are also excellent locations to begin your search for information.
2. Develop and articulate a plan: After consulting with other schools, our leadership team came up with a vision for what digital learning would look like for our school community, as well as what it would not look like. Creating clear expectations for all stakeholders, including teachers, kids, and parents, was an important part of this process. Staff was informed of and given time to prepare for this strategy well before we had any reason to believe the world would come to a grinding halt.
3. However, be sensitive and flexible in your approach: A plan is only as good as the implementation of it. There is no other way to determine this but to collect a large amount of data. Our school has formally accomplished this through surveys distributed to all stakeholders, as well as through staff meetings, parent nights, and student sessions. Anecdotal evidence is also regularly collected in our academic and mentorship classes, as well as during any informal encounters.
Through this feedback, we have made improvements to our digital learning strategy, including clarifying digital expectations and processes, providing more class time for juniors in the International Baccalaureate programme, and altering our original schedule plan to better suit our students’ needs.
4. Less is more in this case: The message from our leadership has been loud and clear: the school will not look the same going forward, and we must abandon the traditional curriculum in its entirety. It has been decided to significantly slow down the speed and content of our sessions. We had synchronous classes for blocks 1 through 4 on Mondays and synchronous sessions for blocks 5 through 8 on Wednesdays, according to our distance-learning timetable. Tuesdays and Thursdays were days when the clocks were not in sync. After a feeling of classroom experience and group, a connection was established, an asynchronous day was implemented, which provided students and faculty with the opportunity to connect independently and complete work.
To promote academic depth and student well-being, our team chose to exclude an entire unit on Romeo and Juliet from my English 9 course to reduce the amount of time spent on it. Knowing that Shakespeare would be taught at least twice more during their high school career made making that decision a little less difficult. Another thing that struck me was how much more in-depth work on literary analysis and effective writing techniques was possible, although the breadth of information was limited.
While it may appear that fewer opportunities are being provided to students, in reality, more opportunities are being provided to faculty and staff. We hold virtual meetings regularly in a variety of settings, ranging from departmental to district-level. Staff members at our school who believe themselves to be experts in a variety of online platforms have offered to train their fellow students. Staff members have continued to be surveyed by our social committee, which has responded by holding virtual get-togethers. Colleagues are sharing possibilities for professional development, and teams are signing up to take advantage of these opportunities. We have coaches on hand to assist you in making the shift to digital learning, in whatever form that may take place. Curbside checkouts are organised by our librarians as a way to encourage pupils to continue reading.
6. Maintain your perspective and express gratitude: When living in a period when individuals are dealing with fears relating to the coronavirus, it’s easy to fall into a state of hopelessness. This is made worse for educators since the lines between work and home are becoming increasingly blurred. The practice of gratitude makes a difference now, more than ever, and it can make a difference in your life.
This is something that our school has continued to emphasise. Our parents produced and delivered thank-you DVDs to the school’s faculty and staff. Our teachers arranged for thank-you letters to be written to the elders. Our mentoring programme provided our kids with a forum for them to express their gratitude to one another. We continued to celebrate the Hump Day Bump every week in our community.
Place people first: Education is really about people, and being online does not alter this fact I would argue that it has the opposite effect. During this difficult moment, we must put the well-being of all stakeholders first… To address this, we have structured the school day to include regular advisory meetings, opportunities for play such as talent showcases and dance parties, social and emotional teaching, check-ins with teachers, and access to counsellors and psychologists.
As our leadership team considers reopening in the fall, the number one priority of health and well-being guides the development of the strategy. My administration is continuously providing small symbols of support, such as baked goods, gift baskets, flowers, and cards, as well as regular emails, SMS check-ins, and encouraging comments to my employees. I appreciate their efforts.
It is critical to consider all seven of these approaches. That which is much more difficult to identify, but which is also far more important to experience and cultivate, is a persistent sense of gentleness, grace, and understanding. Rather than the what or how this attests to the why of a situation. All decisions and actions must be guided by the basic premise of care at this time of physical, emotional, financial, mental, social, and political turmoil. | https://learnopedia.co/learning-takeaways/ |
In planning for our re-entry in September, FEH BOCES has formed task force teams to examine the guidance provided by the Department of Health and NYSED for our re-entry in the fall and we are also partnering with The International Center for Leadership in Education strategizing for re-entry and beyond. Our partnership includes three modules, and our first module includes 12 hours of executive coaching focused on SEL. Our work is grounded in our beliefs the most equitable opportunities for educational success relies upon the comprehensive support for students and families provided in our schools with our professionals and the systems of support we have built. These supports include academics as well as the social and emotional well-being of our students. We are committed to prioritizing social emotional well-being, not at the expense of academics, but in order to create the mental, social and emotional space to access rigorous academic content with confidence. In support of this belief, a Social-Emotional Learning team will be created consisting of certified teachers, certified school counselors, and school administrators. This task force team will be created to develop a cohesive and strategic plan, regardless of the re-entry phase, to support students and staff upon for the 2020-2021 school year; this includes a means to identify and actively support student and staff well-being and mental health concerns through a range of pre-determined tactics to be employed by those dealing with difficult situations. This plan will focus specifically on how to best support students and staff in a blended learning model scenario, which includes a mix of both in-person and virtual classroom instruction. This plan includes considerations for teams to rapidly transition between face-to-face and continuous remote learning, which may be required based on the pandemic.
Research shows the importance of mental and emotional well-being for students and staff, which has both psychological and ultimately academic outcomes. We know, after this prolonged closure, many of our students and staff will require social-emotional supports to help them re-engage and re-enter work and school. As a BOCES, our commitment is to create emotionally and physically safe, supportive and engaging learning environments promoting all students’ social and emotional well-being and development. The pandemic has elevated the role of leaders in creating conditions helping students practice empathy, create social bonds across distance and adapt to new learning experiences. Counselors, school based health programs, and wrap around supports will play an extremely important role in the adjustment period when buildings reopen and access to school counselors and school-based health programs will be invaluable supports to our students. It will be critical to determine which students might be at risk for needing mental health supports. School counselors and administrators will be equipped with tools and information needed to see each child through a social emotional lens. We remain committed to supporting all students and maintain our whole child commitment as well as equipping all staff to connect, heal, and build capacity to support our students. Supports will include resources from the FEH BOCES Instructional Support Team and BOCES Counselors. Additionally, all FEH BOCES employees have access to the MD Live virtual counseling services through Excellus BCBS. Information about all social-emotional supports will be made widely available to the FEH BOCES through the online Community at FEH and on our FEH BOCES website. We are committed to developing/making accessible family/caregiver-appropriate social and emotional learning (SEL) content to be used during all phases of our re-entry.
Transitions are important every year, and they will be even more important this fall returning from continuous remote learning to in-person instruction in buildings or a phased in approach to in-person instruction. Districts should support transitions in a culturally responsive manner and engage students, families, and communities in the process of identifying needs and supports. Transitions take many forms and include returning to school in the fall, moving from one grade band to another, or dealing with the varying emotional needs as a result of the health pandemic.
As school and district personnel adapt to environments that result in substantially less time spent interacting in-person, ensuring intentional and meaningful inclusion of social emotional learning (SEL) across all aspects of operating strategies is critical to support the well-being and success of students, staff, and families. Along with physical health and well-being, schools and districts must also prioritize social emotional well-being – not at the expense of academics, but in order to create the mental, social, and emotional space for academic learning to occur.
Ensure that a district-wide and building-level comprehensive developmental school counseling program plan, developed under the direction of certified school counselor(s), is reviewed and updated to meet current needs.
- Administrators, teachers and counselors will provide monthly voluntary wellness and support check-ins for staff, families and students via google forms.
- When in a remote learning environment only, virtual student check-ins will be either individual or small group as appropriate with guiding prompts to support the counselor/teacher or whomever is collecting this data.
- A flowchart of support services and contact information will be created and distributed for students/families/teachers when an individual identified is at risk.
- Students will continue to access home district SEL programming and events when offered.
- Individualized student support and interventions with school counselors will be utilized as needed.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid Training will be provided for all staff working with students.
- Link to district comprehensive school counseling plans:
BMC MCSD SRC SRF CCS LPCSD SLCSD Tupper Lake High School LLCSD
Establish an advisory council, shared decision-making, school climate team, or other collaborative working group comprised of families, students, members of the board of education, school building and/or district/charter leaders, community-based service providers, teachers, certified school counselors, and other pupil personnel service providers including school social workers and/or school psychologists to inform the comprehensive developmental school counseling program plan.
- Develop a BOCES wide social emotional wellness committee made up of counselors, educators, and administrators to focus on culture and climate.
- Develop a regional SEL committee to support one another, provide professional learning and leadership opportunities to support systemic integration of SEL.
Address how the school/district will provide resources and referrals to address mental health,behavioral, and emotional support services and programs.
- A flowchart of support services and contact information will be created and distributed for students/families/teachers when a child is at risk.
- BOCES counselors will collaborate with the student's home district and defer to their comprehensive school counselor’s plans.
- FEH BOCES will collaborate with community agencies to provide lists and resources for students, staff, and families.
- Access resources available through the School Library System for all component districts, these include the Rosen Interactive eBook series on Social and Emotional Well-being with instructional support and guidance in using the resources. All middle and high school students have access to the Rosen Teen Health and Wellness database.
Address professional development opportunities for faculty and staff on how to talk with and support students during and after the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as provide support for developing coping and resilience skills for students, faculty, and staff.
FEH BOCES will provide educational and support staff with professional learning opportunities grounded in SEL. Staff would learn the CASEL framework and strategies that support the five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships skills, and responsible decision making.
- Take time to cultivate and deepen relationships, build partnerships and plan for SEL.
- Foster new relationships that elevate student and family voice.
- Use two-way communication strategies
- Examine the impact of SEL efforts (surveys monthly)
- Design opportunities where adults can connect, heal, and build their capacity to support students
- Allow space for connection and healing among adults
- Ensure access to mental health and trauma support
- Identify opportunities for innovation and antiracist practices (reimaging distance learning, culturally responsive teaching, and approaches to equity)
- Provide embedded monthly professional learning for all staff, students, and families to engage in:
- SEL for adults including Stress Management and Mindfulness Strategies
- Restorative Circles for adult and student engagement
- Trauma informed strategies
- Create safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments that promote all students SEL
- Build adult-student and peer relationships
- Integrate SEL into all BOCES programs and curriculum,see 3 Signature Practices
- Discuss the impact of the pandemic and any other inequities experienced
- Collaborate with families and partners
- NYSED SEL Poster Campaign will be utilized around BOCES building to promote SEL strategies and supports.
- Train staff to look for warning signs for quarantine related mental health needs
- Train staff on how to access crisis support and other mental health services
- Use data as an opportunity to share power, deepen relationships, and continuously improve support
- Elevate student voice in reflecting an acting on data, barriers to attendance, learning engagement and action planning
- Support educators in reflecting on instruction and environment-The Community at FEH BOCES
- Partner with families and community members to improve
- BOCES Instructional Support Services staff will provide Youth Mental Health First Aid training for all educational staff during the 2020-2021 school year.
- Collaborate with community agencies to provide lists and resources for students, staff, and families. | https://www.fehb.org/o/franklin-essex-hamilton-boces/page/social-and-emotional-well-being |
May 14, 2019 | Atlanta, GA
Last spring, Georgia Tech’s Division of Campus Services and Division of Student Life conducted four surveys: three to evaluate student mental health and well-being, as well as an annual Campus Services Satisfaction Survey. This came after the President’s A Path Forward – Together Mental Health Action Team recommended that, among other things, the Institute implement more periodic student surveys on mental health.
The results are now compiled on Health Initiatives’ website and represent the first time that Tech has had data to compare against national benchmarks since 2011. The Campus Services Satisfaction Survey has included questions surrounding mental health since 2016, which allowed the 2018 results to be compared to previous campus-focused ones.
“Administering the surveys allowed us to benchmark ourselves against national data, as well as provide a baseline with which to measure progress on campus initiatives,” said Carla Bradley, director of the Counseling Center. “We took a comprehensive and collaborative approach to data gathering as a means of gaining a bird’s eye view of campus health and well-being.” Of the 22,000 students who were surveyed, 4,910 participated, for a response rate of 22.3%.
Survey results are divided into three categories: overall findings, areas of strength, and areas of concern. Students’ top health concerns were centered on mental health and well-being, with their top three concerns being stress, anxiety, and depression. About 32% of those who took the Healthy Minds Survey reported experiencing at least one significant mental health challenge.
Some areas of strength for Georgia Tech included the fact that 98% of students who responded to the Healthy Minds Survey said they would talk to someone if they were experiencing serious emotional distress, and 82% said they know where to go if they need to seek professional help.
Under areas of concern, 69% of students who took the Healthy Minds Survey reported experiencing one or more days when emotional or mental difficulties impacted their academic performance in the past four weeks. While Tech students reported high overall numbers of anxiety, they were consistent with other institutions that participated in the survey.
“While about a third of students are struggling or have struggled with a mental health challenge, it’s important to recognize that the majority are not,” said Stacy Connell, senior director for Health Initiatives. “This emphasizes the need to focus on cultivating a culture of health, well-being, and resilience at Georgia Tech.”
Survey findings have already been used to inform and implement several new campus initiatives, including the planning and construction for the Center for Assessment, Referral, and Education (CARE), where hiring for staff is currently in progress. These findings can also be used to help improve existing practices, including in the classroom.
“[The surveys] give us insight into how students assess their own areas of strength and what areas they feel need assistance and more support,” said John Stein, vice president of Student Life and Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Chair. “The data will also be shared with faculty to help them better understand their students.”
Health Initiatives plans to conduct these surveys every two to three years, creating a rotation so that 22,000 students aren’t surveyed at once. In the meantime, Connell encourages students to reach out to campus leadership with feedback.
“This is how we will continue to grow together as a community so that all students can be successful in the classroom and beyond,” she said.
She also emphasized the role students can take in their own well-being and in looking out for each other.
“Georgia Tech is committed to working hard to create conditions for students to achieve optimal well-being, but it’s up to each student to prioritize self-care and recognize that practicing healthy behaviors is protective for mental health issues,” she said. | http://csip.ece.gatech.edu/news/mental-health-surveys-give-insight-student-well-being |
No one who is alive today has ever lived through what we are currently living through! But even more impactful - no one alive today has ever lived through a nationwide school closure.
The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented disruption to academic learning. Our students are now in the high risk category of profound learning loss! But not only do they have major gaps in their academic learning - their social emotional learning skills have also been impacted!
“Even with prevalent support for teaching social-emotional learning and a growing understanding of how deeply intertwined skills like building healthy peer relationships and responsible decision making are with academic success, there are big challenges when it comes to the reality of teaching SEL on a grand scale when times are normal.” ~EducationWeek, 2020
These times are anything, but normal, though. And as a result, Social Emotional Learning, or SEL, needs to continue to be taught, whether we are teaching in person or from our computers.
And teachers know this - they are actively learning and working to build their own knowledge of SEL and how to teach and support it in our new classrooms.
Social media has been flooded with ways to re-imagine teaching in a COVID world. From bitmoji classrooms to personalized student calm down tools, we have so many options for teaching at our fingertips. But as a result, there can't be many of us that are not overwhelmed right now. But being overwhelmed impacts teacher self care, and if teachers are not emotionally healthy, their students will suffer.
So what do teachers need to do?
The following is a list of the key takeaway needs from the most recent research on SEL:
#1 Make Research-Based Decisions
Research, based on the science of learning, gives us the tool to make expert decisions for our students’ futures. The purpose of educational research is to develop new knowledge about the teaching and learning of students to improve our educational practices. So why would we re-invent the wheel?
Check out EducationWeek’s online summit of experts and CASEL for a list of evidence-based SEL practices for re-opening!
#2 Use a Team Approach
There are many teams within our school buildings. Every school building has a student team, a staff team, and a community team. Within each of those teams, there are even smaller teams.
It’s important, then, to get the input of all of these stakeholders. What are teachers feeling? What are teachers needing? How are students feeling? What are our students needing? Are our families having all of their needs met? We need to know this input to guide our decision-making process.
And another team that schools should have is a re-opening team. We can’t all be the experts in everything, but we are all experts in something! So as we begin to identify our community needs, we can also call upon our experts to support those needs. For instance, if our teachers are asking for a concrete protocol to follow when they have identified a student as emotionally at-risk, then call in your school psychologists and counselors to meet that need!
#3 Check Community Emotions
By now we all know the importance of emotional check-ins in our classrooms, right? They help to give us a pulse on the classroom and identify the emotional well-being of each individual student. Oftentimes, in schools, we sit in our morning meetings and share how we are feeling, but how do we do this when we are not in the classroom?
Use surveys or meetings to check-in on the emotional pulse of the school community, and this includes students, staff, and families. These emotional check-ins will allow schools to be able to identify those needs that we discussed in our second step.
#4 Approach SEL Curricula Organically
Continually checking the emotional pulse of the community helps us to make decisions and adjust accordingly as community emotions fluctuate. What this means, then, is that we can take an organic approach to our SEL curriculum.
SEL instruction and supports can be tailored to meet the needs of the community based upon the ebb and flow of our own individualized communities. The practices that we choose to implement, then, will be responsive to the community’s needs
#5 Explicitly Integrate SEL
‘Time on learning’ is a popular phrase in education. We have lost a lot of time on learning this year. So do we even have time to address SEL?
Make time! SEL is a must.
Schools should continue to teach core SEL skills. This instruction should be explicit in its teaching of what social and emotional skills look and feel like in action. However, research has shown that when we embed SEL instruction into our academic content areas, it can be more effective than pull-out programs. Therefore, core skills can be linked to our content area learning standards.
We can further support students’ SEL skills by embedding SEL practices into our daily routines (even if you are not in person, we can still have a Google Meet morning meeting!) and by addressing students’ SEL needs through personalized learning as well. Remember how we have our thumb on our community’s pulse? Well, this is another reason why we do that! Through check-ins, we can support our students’ evolving needs with SEL lessons that are additional to our core curriculums (i.e. coping skills for remote learning, mask wearing anxiety, anti-racism, etc.). By taking this organic approach to our SEL instruction, we can be proactive in both our instruction and supports.
#6 Offer Continuous Training
Teachers are amazing. That is my biggest takeaway from this school year.
Teachers inspired a nation by what they were able to accomplish in a time of crisis. Although the immensity of the task was unprecedented, teachers transformed living breathing classrooms into a productive remote learning environments. And this happened in a matter of moments!
That seemed impossible! And yet teachers found a way to make it happen.
But now that we have more than 10 minutes to plan, schools should support these amazing beings! Teachers are going to need both initial and ongoing professional development for SEL curricula.
As our students’ needs evolve, our expertise is going to need to as well! Support our teachers to support our students!
#7 Progress Monitor Emotions
We progress monitor the impact of our academic instruction so why don’t we do this with SEL?
Emotions change. One minute we are happily driving, belting out our favorite tune as it blasts through our speakers, and the next minute, that happiness can crash into anger as another driver cuts you off. A moment later, you feel relieved because you realized had you not been paying attention, that moment could have ended in a crash.
Schools should create a continual feedback loop. So don’t just implement #3 by surveying the community once; keep doing it!
During this past year, we have seen our lives completely shift in a matter of days and weeks, and with that, our emotions changed as well. Stay vigilant and keep your thumb on this pulse to be proactive.
We can’t do it all. Begin by identifying standards and priorities. Then, align those with a few best practice strategies to support your students’ success. Students do not need you to be the teacher who tries all the new trendy strategies; they just need you!
By: Miss Rae
Leave a Reply. | https://www.missraesroom.com/sel/social-emotional-learning-in-schools-during-covid-what-does-the-research-say |
Full-time Program Director of New Site
Thrive ministers to at-risk youth in Knoxville to share the Gospel through relationships anchored in the love of Christ. We do this through our three main programs: Thrive After School, Thrive Summer, and Mentoring. Thrive seeks to connect children with deep spiritual, emotional, academic and physical needs with caring adults who have been blessed by the love of Christ.
We believe the only hope for everyone in our hurting world is to break the generational patterns of sin by becoming new creations in Christ. Unlike many after school/mentoring programs, Thrive is explicitly Christian. We recognize that our students’ spiritual needs far outweigh their physical needs. Physical poverty often stems from poverty in other areas, and we seek to address the spiritual, emotional, academic and physical well-being of the children in our program in the hope of seeing them truly thrive.
As we move into neighborhoods throughout the region, we will be seeking pairs of leaders to direct our new sites. These sites will be in partnership with existing churches who seek to pour into the kids in their neighborhoods.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a field related to our work (education, social work).
- Follower of Jesus in agreement with our Statement of Faith
Responsibilities
Program:
- Plan and initiate daily functions of your site’s program, including both afterschool and summer programs, in conjunction with the appropriate staff.
- Develop and lead the appropriate training for your staff.
- Supervise all activities for your site’s program, including off site field trips, after school program, and summer program.
- Ensure that procedures and policies for operation of the afterschool and summer programs are followed.
- Collaborate with the Elementary Program Director and Site Directors in program planning, program staff training/shepherding and program evaluation.
Intern Supervision:
- Create and manage intern folders, maintaining W-4 and insurance documentation, intern commitment and statement of faith, evaluations, check-in documentation.
- Create and maintain a schedule for intern check-ins, observations and evaluations.
- Observe, evaluate, and provide constructive feedback and encouragement to interns on a regular basis.
- Assist the Chief of Staff in the hiring of interns as necessary.
- Interview and hire jr. interns in conjunction with the High School Director.
Student Discipline:
- Ensure that consistent loving discipline is being modeled and enforced by all staff, especially program staff.
- Communicate with interns regarding behavior of students.
- Write reports on discipline, enrollment, and student progress.
- Enforce the discipline system, complete yellow and red notes as needed, talk and pray with students about the choices they have made, pointing them to the gospel story of redemption.
- Communicate with parents about students’ behaviors when necessary in collaboration with the personnel director.
Budget:
- Develop and track the site budget with the approval of the Director of Finance and Administration.
- Keep up with all expenses and receipts, coding and turning in receipts for every purchase to the Director of Finance and Administration.
Vans:
- Oversee and maintain site vans, including regular maintenance, cleaning, fueling, and seeing that they are parked in designated spots.
- Communicate with the Director of Finance and Administration concerning any repairs greater than an oil change.
Secondary Responsibilities
Volunteers
- Greet and plug in volunteers
- Assist in the oversight of volunteers during program time.
- Assist in maintaining ongoing communication with volunteers.
- Appropriately thank all volunteers.
Special Events:
- Plan and oversee special events on site, delegating duties and recruiting volunteers.
- Collaborate with other staff members for all-Thrive events.
Applications can be made here:
https://thrivelonsdale.com/work-with-us
Stats
Organization name:
Thrive
Denomination:
Non-Denominational
Contact:
[email protected]
Location:
719 Dameron Avenue
Website:
https://thrivelonsdale.com/
Date Posted: | https://theyouthcartel.com/jobs/program-director-of-new-site/ |
During the pandemic, a significant portion of the workforce has transitioned to a remote home office and now faces new challenges that impact their work. If you manage a remote team, it is important to be aware of these challenges so that you can properly address them. So, what can you do to support the members of your team? Below are key suggestions to consider.
Conduct a Survey
A great way to discover the needs of your team is to conduct a survey. This tool works best with larger teams but is also effective for smaller teams of at least five employees. Construct a short questionnaire that includes a variety of open-ended questions around the challenges of remote work. Encourage your team to share their feedback in an open and honest way so t you can gain a better idea of how best to support their needs.
Start off by asking remote lifestyle questions. For instance, you can probe :
“What is one thing management can do to make remote work easier for you? “What things do you do to help recharge yourself each day?”
Ask questions around communication, such as:
“Do you feel included in our team discussions? Why/Why not?” “What are your thoughts about the tools we use to communicate?”
Finally, consider asking questions about team bonding and connection, like: “Is there anything you might suggest to help improve our remote work culture?” “Do you feel like you are a full member of the team?”
By asking specific questions, you will have a better sense of how to support your remote team.
Schedule daily check-ins
Daily check-ins can help managers keep a pulse on how things are going within their teams. As a manager, you can ask what is on everyone’s plate and ask if you can offer any help or support in achieving their targets.
Check-ins should be flexible, open, and convenient. Depending on the size, location, and nature of the job, you can either do group calls or one-on-one’s for smaller teams – whatever best suits your situation.
It is important to be responsive and make yourself available to your team so they feel supported .
Offer emotional support
Working from home can be a stressful and emotionally challenging experience for your team members. With every interaction, show personal concern and include questions that ask how things are going outside of work. Get to know your employees on a deeper level. Make a point of reaching out and taking this initiative to show your support by listening to their concerns and empathizing with them – they will appreciate you for it.
In summary, managers can best support remote workers by discerning everyone’s unique needs using surveys, daily check-ins and offering emotional support.
To learn more about the services Flex Surveys offers and how they can help your team, contact us at 877.327.5085 or visit our Contact Page to set up a demo. | https://www.flexsurveys.com/post/3-key-ways-managers-can-support-remote-workers |
At the start of the academic year, Collier County rolled out a suite of five interventions designed to address students’ emotional and social needs. Other districts are taking note: Twice last semester, Superintendent Kamela Patton presented this package to her fellow Florida superintendents.
New Student Check-Ins: On new enrollees’ first, 30th and 60th day, a school counselor visits with them to see if they are adapting well or need additional support.
Handle with Care: When a faculty member or administrator learns that a student is undergoing a traumatic experience, a team meeting is called to let any adult who has contact with the child know that he or she may be under duress (the details are kept private). Teachers can consider academic accommodations during the designated Handle with Care period and know to watch for signs of increasing distress.
social and emotional learning Videos: During morning announcements, principals periodically will discuss and show videos about personal development skills—what “grit” is, for example, or how to shift from a “fixed mindset” to a “growth mindset.”
Buddy Benches and We Dine Together: Elementary students are being introduced to “buddy benches,” where they can take a seat if they want a playmate, a lunch companion or someone to talk to. Fellow classmates, trained as “Friendship Ambassadors,” will sit with them or invite them to play, in an effort to end isolation before it unravels a child’s self-esteem. (See the main story for We Dine Together, for middle and high schools.)
Student Surveys: The district hired the Boston-based Panorama Education to conduct a survey in grades three through 12. It measured how students feel about themselves and how they feel about their schools. Based on those results and other considerations, district administrators decided to focus on a single developmental skill—“grit.” Learn more here. | https://www.gulfshorelife.com/2019/02/15/school-safety-in-southwest-florida-5-ways-to-intervene/ |
School Response Team
At SMMS 366 we have a School Response Team that provides additional support to families. The SRT is composed of 3 members.
- LMSW Supervisor- Acts as a team facilitator to monitor referrals and support provided to students
- LMSW Social Worker: Along with the supervisor, conducts classroom observations, assesses students and connects to services as needed, performs critical interventions and mediations as they arise in schools.
- Family Advocate: Works closely with parents to provide connections to concrete services (housing, SSI, food stamps, insurance, etc.)
The SRT:
- Conducts assessment, referrals and support
- Provides brief check-ins to assess students’ well-being as needed
- Decreases referrals to special education based on behavior
- Decreases the need for Emergency Room visits
- Connects families to community services
- Provides trainings to parents, families and school staff
Students are referred to the SRT if they: | https://www.ms366.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2768274&type=d&pREC_ID=2303451 |
Mapping New Informal Settlements for Humanitarian Aid through Machine Learning
Thinking Machines helped iMMAP accelerate the discovery of new informal settlements in Colombia by training an AI model to detect them from satellite imagery:
- AI model was trained on field data of informal migrant settlements collected on-the-ground by iMMAP in 2019
- Rolled out the model to municipalities with high incidence of Venezuelan Migrants
- Detected more than 350 informal settlements across 68 municipalities in just a few weeks
- Have verified the validity of over 70 settlements by working with Premise, our on-the-ground validation partners.
Since 2014, nearly 2 million Venezuelans have fled to Colombia to escape an economically devastated country during what is one of the largest humanitarian crises in Latin America’s recent history. Many migrants struggle to survive as they face extreme poverty, poor living conditions, unemployment, food insecurity, and health problems, exacerbated further by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Humanitarian organizations are now faced with the overwhelming challenge of locating these informal settlement communities scattered throughout the country to quickly deliver aid and support.
We worked with iMMAP, an international not-for-profit organization that provides information management services to humanitarian and development organizations, to locate these new migrant informal settlements in Colombia as a result of the Venezuelan crisis. To augment iMMAP’s manually-gathered field data, we produced probability maps from satellite imagery and machine learning models to quickly identify and guide the validation of informal settlement locations across the country.
Quickly locating new informal settlements for on-the-ground validation for the entire country
In order to obtain reliable data, our partners at iMMAP would locate scattered informal migrant settlements along the border of Colombia with Venezuela to complete high coverage field surveys and interviews. Depending on the resources available, it could take them days or even weeks to locate these settlements on the ground even in just a small area.
Our challenge was to present our partners at iMMAP with a time- and cost-efficient approach to locate new and emerging informal settlements to cut down the time and manpower needed to identify these settlements.
With the goal of helping humanitarian organizations focus their efforts in areas with higher likelihoods of housing migrant populations, we wanted to use satellite imagery to quickly detect areas where new informal settlements have appeared in the past few years. This will allow iMMAP and their partners to focus on sending on-the-ground validation and aid, without having to spend so much time on looking for the settlements they want to help.
Can we use Machine Learning and Time Series Satellite Images to accelerate the identification of informal migrant settlements that have emerged recently?
In satellite images, every pixel represents a specific location/area in the world. Just like how humans can identify objects when looking at photos, we can train a machine learning model to scale up this task for every pixel in every satellite image we need to classify. So if we’re able to create a model that classifies whether or not there’s a new informal settlement in a given area, then we’re able to pinpoint the exact locations and speed up the processes of our humanitarian partners in locating and identifying these settlements.
Processing Satellite Imagery and the Model Inputs
We acquired publicly available satellite images from Google Earth Engine and generated composites from 2015 to 2020 to reduce cloud cover in our areas of interest. We then created indices to bring out certain features of the composites, such as greenery or vegetation, to detect the settlements. Now that we have the input data, the question is whether or not we are able to find patterns from these to allow us to differentiate between normal settlements, non-occupied land, and informal settlements.
Creating Our Ground Truth and Modelling the Probability Map
We then used Machine Learning classifiers to train our model to identify the differences between pixels containing informal settlements and pixels containing formal settlements or unoccupied land masses. To do this, we gave it positive examples from field data gathered by iMMAP in 2019, which contained ground-validated coordinates of informal migrant settlements in Maicao, Riohacha, Uribia, Arauca, Arauquita, Tibu, Cucuta, Soacha, and Bogota; and negative examples which were generated from randomly selected and validated grid blocks in urban areas, mountainous areas, grassy areas, etc.
Instead of just creating a binary yes/no map of informal settlements with this, our final output is a probability map where each pixel’s brightness corresponds to the probability of it being an informal settlement. This helps us maximize the number of settlements we are able to detect.
Two-Step Post-Classification Validation
Of course, it doesn’t end there. Once we had the predictions, we worked with iMMAP on two additional validation steps:
Step 1: Remote Validation
Once we have the informal settlement probability map, our partners at iMMAP are then tasked to manually inspect high-resolution historical satellite imagery in Google Earth Pro, starting with the brightest conglomeration of pixels. To distinguish informal Venezuelan migrant settlements, we want to look out for the following:
- Slum-like characteristics including small roof sizes, disorganized layout of houses, and lack of nearby road structures; and
- The absence of a settlement on Google Earth Pro satellite imagery from 2014--or when the Venezuelan mass migration began--, and the emergence of an informal settlement in that area on any date after 2014.
Step 2: On-the-Ground Validation
Once potential informal settlements are identified, we then draw vector polygons around the candidate areas using QGIS or Google Earth Pro. These polygons are collated and shared with our partners, Premise Data, which then enables the contributor network in the region to identify if these pre-identified settlements are actual locations where Venezuelan migrants are living. Using their proprietary app, Premise’s contributor network completes surveys and observations (photographs) within these predefined polygons. The contributors are able to locate the settlements through the map shown on the mobile application and submit answers and photos that can help validate if these areas actually do house Venezuelan migrants.
A second task within the app incentivizes the contributors to return to the settlements and complete a monitoring task, which focuses on identifying specific needs that the inhabitants of the settlements have with regards to water and sanitation, health, food security and overall living conditions.
Here is an example of the validation process of a settlement in Norte de Santander:
1) A settlement is identified by Thinking Machines.
2) Polygons of the settlements are drawn on Geojson and ingested into the Premise platform.
3) Tasks appear in the Premise app.
4) On the ground Premise contributors take photos of the settlements and answer questions through the Premise app.
5) iMMAP gets access to the results through a Premise dashboard which they can use to visualize the results in aggregate and see the submitted photos by location .
- Google Earth Engine - a platform for downloading and processing satellite images
- QGIS - an open-source GIS desktop application
- Google Earth Pro - a desktop application for exploring historical satellite images
- Premise - a crowdsourcing data and analytics platform, available on Android and iOS
Automating settlement mapping for quick and cost-effective validation and response
At the end of it all, we were able to create a model that reliably predicts the presence of informal settlements, and we’re able to roll-out that model for any municipality in Colombia in a span of minutes. As of this writing, we have helped iMMAP identify and validate the location of more than 350 potentially new settlements across Colombia, with around 70 of those already on-the-ground validated, with the rest still currently undergoing validation. Moving forward, they can continue to use this model to detect new settlements in the future.
Our partners at iMMAP now have a novel approach to streamline their process and efficiently use their time and resources towards supporting and coordinating the international community’s response towards vulnerable Venezuelan migrant communities. The probability maps guide them towards areas with high probability of informal migrant settlements which they can then quickly verify and mobilize to. NGOs and LGUs can then provide these communities with targeted humanitarian aid and assistance, as well as monitor their state of well-being over time. | https://stories.thinkingmachin.es/mapping-new-informal-settlements/ |
It’s no surprise 2020 was the most stressful year in recent memory. Americans have reported 53% higher emotional exhaustion, 57% higher anxiety, and 67% higher stress. And it’s not just COVID. 2020 was one of the most violent years in U.S. history. Firearm events, homicides, and rampage events are all up more than 40% and civil unrest is up more than 300%.
That’s a lot to worry about.
Before COVID-19 and all the other stressors of 2020, emotional wellness wasn’t high on an employer’s priority list. Now, ignoring your employee’s mental health isn’t an option. Issues involving social/emotional well-being can cost employers more than $500 billion per year.
One survey found that 86 percent of employers surveyed rated emotional health as one of the top three drivers of overall employee wellbeing, while 85 percent believe the employer plays a key role in supporting their employees’ emotional health. They also found that 91% of companies thought emotional health was essential for the all-important employee engagement.
Individuals with good emotional health can also adapt more effectively to stressful situations, which is pretty important considering 55% of employees say they were less productive at work as a result of stress.
So what is your organization doing to nurture social and emotional wellness in your employees?
Here are 5 things you can do to support employee emotional well-being.
1. Check in often.
Check-ins aren’t a check-the-box thing. They need to be an ongoing part of your routine. Weekly check-ins, either in person or online, show employees that you care about their well-being. And simply having an outlet can be an easy way for employees to relieve stress.
2. Let your team know it’s ok to feel overwhelmed.
Make your check-ins a two-way conversation. Whether conducting a survey or holding in-person one-on-ones, open the check-in by validating employee feelings and close it by directing them to helpful resources.
3. Listen to what your team is saying and adapt.
Make sure your employees feel heard by acting on their concerns and doing what you can to alleviate stress and support emotional well-being. Are there processes or redundancies that are doing more harm than good? Can you enable work from home options if employees are worried about commutes? Can you welcome small groups back to the workplace if working from home is causing stress? Review the check-ins and do what you can to help.
4. Look for trends.
Keep track of check-in responses and aggregate them to look for trends across the company. Is there one thing that is significantly impacting social/emotional well-being? Are the changes you’ve implementing working? Compiling your data into one dashboard can make trend-spotting simpler.
5. Make use of technology.
Technology can be incredibly isolating, but when used right, it can also bring people together and provide a support framework. If you’re overwhelmed with reaching out to employees one by one, consider a survey tool that can be customized to ask relevant questions and that easily compiles data to highlight potential solutions.
Looking for a tool that supports employee social/emotional well-being while providing the information to make data-driven decisions to drive your company forward? Look no further than Safety CheckIn from CrisisGo. Whether you’re communicating out or looking for feedback to support employee morale, culture, and safety, Safety iPass puts the answers at your fingertips with customizable surveys and an easy-to-use dashboard to track responses.
Employee health, safety, and well-being is everyone’s business. It’s an ongoing process, but frequent check-ins lead to gradual, but critical improvements and data-driven decisions in the moment.
Here’s the good news: The changes we implement now can make a lasting impact and can better connect us with employees for years to come.
See what Safety CheckIn Could look like in your organization. Download the guide now. | https://www.crisisgo.com/blog/5-things-you-can-do-for-employee-emotional-well-being |
Research has shown that powerful social and emotional factors – factors which ensure that students feel safe and supported in school – influence students' abilities to attend to learning, their ability to direct their learning, and their engagement in learning activities. These factors also influence teachers' abilities to connect with, challenge, and support their students.
Safety.Learners must be, and feel, safe. Safety involves emotional as well as physical safety-for example, being safe from sarcasm and ridicule.
Support.Learners must feel connected to teachers and the learning setting, must have access to appropriate support, and must be aware of and know how to access the support.
Social and Emotional Learning. Learners need to learn to manage their emotions and relationships positively and be surrounded by peers who also have socially responsible behavior.
Engagement and Challenge. Learners need to be actively engaged in learning endeavors that are relevant to them and that enable them to develop the skills and capacities to reach positive life goals.
By providing students with support that addresses their social and emotional needs and building strong social and emotional conditions for learning, staff in educational settings can help improve learning outcomes for students that cannot be addressed through academic remediation alone.
This issue brief explores how each of the four conditions for learning applies to children and youth in or at risk of being placed in juvenile justice system facilities and/or programs for neglected youth. The brief introduces approaches that may help facilities increase the presence of these conditions and provides additional resources for further exploration of research and practical applications. Methods for assessing the social and emotional strengths of students and the conditions for learning are also discussed.
CASEL seeks to advance the development of academic, social and emotional competence for all students and make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education from preschool through high school. Through research, practice and policy, CASEL collaborates so that all students may become knowledgeable, responsible, caring and contributing members of society.
The recognized need for public schools to support students in areas beyond academics is not new, but recent developments in social-emotional learning (SEL) go beyond what has come before—and are starting to show improvements in both student behavior and academic outcomes. This From Practice to Policy policy brief, the first issue in the new series from NASBE, looks at the scope of SEL policies and initiatives in states that promote students’ social-emotional well-being and character growth.
This article describes the core competencies, characteristics and benefits of Social and Emotional Learning as well considerations for implementation.
NSCC seeks to promote positive and sustained school climates by collaborating with teachers, staff, school-based mental health professionals, students and parents to help schools integrate crucial social and emotional learning with academic instruction. The Center helps translate research into practice by establishing meaningful and relevant guidelines, programs, and services that support a model for whole school improvement with a focus on school climate.
Great teachers do more than promote the student's academic learning–they teach the whole child. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical to the introduction of college and career readiness standards, which increase the demands on students' ability to engage in deeper learning, and shift the focus and rigor of instruction. This resource helps teachers, school and district leaders, and state education agencies collaborate in connecting social and emotional learning to effective teaching.
Research has shown that young people who feel connected to their school are less likely to engage in many risky behaviors, including early sexual initiation, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, and violence and gang involvement. This web page features fact sheets, a strategy guide, and staff development guide for fostering school connectedness.
This publication provides Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) project directors (PDs) with information and strategies to implement and assess Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in their schools.
This brief highlights the role that an SEL approach can play in accomplishing the five Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) elements; summarizes research on the importance of school leaders in successfully implementing schoolwide SEL; outlines 10 steps toward implementation of a sustainable, high-quality, schoolwide SEL program; and shares practical advice, lessons learned, and tools for implementing and sustaining SEL programming.
This report illustrates a variety of innovative and noteworthy approaches to the problem of bullying. The report also presents brief descriptions, or “snapshots,” of bullying prevention efforts from SS/HS communities across the country and highlights key themes that contribute to their success.
This presentation identifies the four conditions for learning-safety, support, social-emotional learning, and challenge-and provides insight into how data can and should be used to evaluate practices that support a positive learning environment.
This article shares common strategies used by National Schools of Character.
The NCSSD Conditions for Learning School Audit tool offers district, school, parent and community group leaders an easy-to-use checklist to determine where their educational setting sits along a continuum of conditions for learning—from a highly negative and punitive school climate to a highly positive and supportive learning environment—based on objective, observable, and research-based criteria.
School communities are complex systems that include multiple stakeholders and interconnecting environmental factors that influence student health and safety. As such, comprehensive needs assessments of conditions for learning can provide educators with the data support needed to pursue comprehensive approaches to school reform. This list of school climate surveys, assessments, and scales is designed to assist educators and education agencies in locating valid and reliable student, staff, and family measures that can be used as part of a school climate needs assessment.
peer social and emotional learning.
Research conducted by AIR has shown that these CFL scales are associated with positive outcomes, such as higher grades and achievement scores, and decreased levels of unexcused absences. By monitoring students’ opinions about conditions for learning, the CFL scales are often used as a measure of the effect of schools’ and districts’ efforts to improve school climate. AIR‘s development of a school-based survey is one part of a comprehensive program to identify, measure, and report on school conditions that foster and promote student academic success and achievement. The survey can be used along with surveys of teachers, other staff, and partners, and in coordination with the collection of qualitative data, such as classroom observations and focus groups, to provide additional understanding of a school’s strengths and needs for improvement.
This hub provides training, resources, and technical assistance in the establishment of a school/community environment that is physically and emotionally safe, well disciplined, and conducive to learning. | https://supportiveschooldiscipline.org/learn/reference-guides/conditions-learning-cfl |
5 Ways to Get to Know Your Middle and High School Students Better
When teachers take the time to build strong relationships with students, it sets the stage for productive learning.
As a novice teacher, Katie Martin remembers receiving a “book of policies and procedures to cover each day for the first week of school,” she writes on her blog. Instead of dedicating valuable instructional time to reviewing school and classroom rules, however, she opted to put her energy into forging connections and building relationships with her students.
“I have never regretted making the decision to minimize the policies and maximize the time I spend building relationships,” writes Martin, who is vice president of leadership and learning at Altitude Learning and teaches in the graduate school of education at High Tech High. “Learning names, seeing students as individuals, co-creating community guidelines, establishing jobs, and greeting students daily were foundational to developing relationships and creating the classroom culture.”
For students to deeply connect with learning, building and maintaining strong relationships need to take priority in the classroom. “What the science of learning and development tells us is that we need to create learning environments which allow for strong, long-term relationships for children to become attached to school and to the adults and other children in it,” says Linda Darling-Hammond, president and CEO of The Learning Policy Institute. “If you’re in a positive emotional space, if you feel good about yourself, your teacher. That actually opens up the opportunity for more learning.”
Here are a few ideas from Martin, and a few from our Edutopia archives, for connecting with and getting to know your middle and high school students.
Adjust standard get-to-know-you surveys
An introductory survey is a great place to start learning about your students—but how survey questions are formulated can make a big difference in the quality of answers students will provide. Standard questions like “How many siblings do you have?” and “What are your favorite subjects?” will prompt students to deliver static responses like “2 brothers and art,” says Martin. Instead, consider open-ended prompts like “What are the top five things that I need to know about you?”
One teacher, Martin writes, found that this type of open-ended question opened the door for students to share unexpected information such as: “It takes me an hour and a half to get to school each day. My parents just got divorced. It takes me longer to figure things out and so I am quiet but I really do care about school.”
“There are multiple ways to connect and get to know learners to better support them and often it begins with asking the questions and being willing to listen and connect,” writes Martin. “When we know our strengths and others do too, we can be more open about how we can work together to accomplish our goals and more transparent about our needs.”
Consider daily dedications
As an exercise to encourage students to open up, Henry Seton, a high school English teacher, schedules a few minutes at the beginning of each class for students to tell the class about someone close to them—a practice he calls daily dedications.
At the beginning of the school year, Seton models the exercise by sharing a picture of his father and discussing why he’s an important figure in Seton’s life. “I then explain how the dedications work and the rationale for them, that they can choose anyone living or dead, real or fictional, who provides inspiration,” he writes. “There are usually a few students who at least feign reluctance, but my students are so brave, their dedications quickly get more vulnerable and powerful than mine.”
To begin, Seton asks students to volunteer each day, and then they present alphabetically. Each dedication takes no longer than 30 to 60 seconds. “These brief moments become the seeds for deeper relationship building,” he says. “We now know to ask about the cousin recovering from the auto accident, the favorite athlete’s recent playoff game, the older sibling in college.”
Connect via one-on-one interviews
As difficult as it may be to set aside the time, scheduling time for a meaningful conversation with each student—remotely or in person—can provide powerful insight into their lives, help build empathy, and deepen connections. “Empathy interviews are a great way to just listen and understand your students and their families,” writes Martin, who also recommends following up, if possible, with quick check-ins throughout the school year by phone, video call, or text message. During these initial half-hour chats, Martin suggests asking questions like “what are you curious about?” and “what do you like and not like about school?”
Arrange short student-led discussions
Middle school English teacher Ashley Ingle schedules time for her students to have informal chats about non-academic subjects they’re interested in. “While it’s important for teachers to build a rapport with their students, it can be just as valuable for students to become comfortable with one another,” Ingle writes. “When students feel at ease with one another, it can lead to increased classroom engagement and academic success.”
She schedules these two-minute student-led discussions twice a week. “Hand out a few slips of paper to each student,” she suggests, “and ask them to write down questions they’d like to discuss as a group.” Prompts can be about all sorts of topics, for example: “Which restaurant serves the best pizza in town?” or “Would you rather _____ or _____?” When it’s a student’s turn to facilitate, she hands them their prompt, takes a back seat, and listens. For students who feel anxious about leading a discussion, Ingle allows two classmates to co-facilitate the discussion.
Provide Opportunities for Emotional Check-Ins
To keep tabs on how her remote students are doing emotionally—and to let them know that she cares about their well-being—Cathleen Beachboard, an eighth-grade English teacher, asks her students to regularly complete a Google form where she asks questions specifically related to their social and emotional health. It’s a practice that makes sense even when students are learning in person. They can respond by selecting from a range of choices like: “I’m great”; “I’m OK”; “I’m struggling”; or “I’m having a hard time and would like a check-in.” For students without digital access, she checks in via a school-approved messaging platform, or by snail mail with a postage-paid return envelope. It’s important to create spaces and regular opportunities, writes Beachboard, for students to check in with a trusted adult, share their concerns and questions, and feel that someone cares about how they’re doing.
To help students “name and identify emotions,” Martin suggests trying a mood meter, a color-coded grid that provides a visual way for students to engage with and communicate how they’re feeling. The mood meter is divided into four colors: red, blue, green, and yellow. Each color represents a set of emotions related to feeling a combination of high or low energy and high or low pleasantness. For example, if a student is experiencing red feelings, they may be feeling angry, scared, or anxious, and they would have high energy and low pleasantness. “Having a shared language or images to talk about feelings can help build community, shared understanding, and support to process the emotions appropriately,” writes Martin. | https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-get-know-your-middle-and-high-school-students-better |
We are excited to announce the launch of The River School’s Upper Elementary Program (Grades 4-6), with a Grade 4 class for Fall 2022. We’ve developed a spectacular curriculum, and we intend to create the most progressive and experiential Upper Elementary Program in the Washington DC area!
Grades 4-6 Key Features:
- Individualized, multi-curricular progressive model that will:
- Respond to student inquiries to direct flow of classroom experience
- Integrate Arts & Sciences into core subject areas
- Emphasize Social Emotional Learning
- Evolve based on current best practices
- Balance the teacher as a guide, facilitator and director
- Challenge students to be active participants in the learning process (not simply “taught to”)
- Co-teaching team, consisting of a master’s level educator and speech-language pathologist (cornerstone of River’s other programs)
- Project-based, inquiry-driven learning approach
- Unique Block System with extended periods of time to allow for deeper thinking, collaboration, problem solving and inquiry-based experiences
- Faculty with expertise in technology and world languages, in addition to Arts & Sciences
- Blend of one-on-one, small-group and whole-class lessons, with daily opportunities for direct instruction and coaching with the teaching team
- End-of-year culminating project stemming from students’ individual interests, providing an opportunity to apply the skills mastered from the curriculum to a passion project
- Student-directed clubs and leadership development opportunities
Programmatic Approach
River will remain true to its important, one-of-a-kind inclusion model in the Upper Elementary Program. Children with hearing loss will learn alongside their hearing peers as they embark on this next stage of learning and development together.
In Grades 4-6, the speech-language pathologists will focus on these critical areas:
- Developing and strengthening written language skills especially: writing for various audiences, fine-tuning specific language and terminology when completing assignments, applying techniques for writing crafts
- Building and strengthening communication skills for social interactions and debate skills
- Identifying when to talk; when to stop and listen
Programmatic Structure
River’s Grades 4-6 Program will follow Project-Based Learning (PBL) tenets closely.* (PBL) is a progressive approach where teachers and students work closely together in a collaborative environment. Content and mastery goals are taught in a meaningful way, with an emphasis on real-world application. PBL requires effective communication, thoughtful integration of concepts and ideas, and deeper critical thinking skills. Student voice and choice anchor the projects, while teachers analyze the content-area academic goals carefully, and imbed them accordingly. This model builds in time for exploration, risk-taking, failure, design thinking, reflection and creation.
Measuring Skill Mastery
Mastery of skills will be measured across all academic content areas regularly. This will be achieved through ongoing objective assessments, anecdotal evidence, daily discussions and check-ins to monitor comprehension, unit rubrics and clearly delineated guidelines. Evaluations and progress will be shared with the student's parents regularly, in order to encourage ongoing collaboration and communication between River and home. This information will also be documented and shared through our narrative summaries and portfolios.
Utilization of Standardized Programs/Curricula
River prides itself on employing a blended curricular approach. We do not subscribe to any one set program because we know that responsive teaching empowers children to develop strategies and gain mastery over content-area skills. We will continue to rely on best practices, grounded in research-based approaches and programs, and our unique curriculum will continually evolve. Across all domains Social Emotional development and well-being will remain at the core of what we do.
Several programs will anchor our comprehensive curriculum.
Foundational Skills & Essential Life Skills
Foundational Skills are what one traditionally viewed as content-area subjects, and Essential Life Skills will be equally valued in and critical components of our Upper Elementary Program.
Sports & Recess
Whether at Recess, during P.E. or on a nature walk, daily movement opportunities, along with an After School Intramural Athletics Program, will take place in the Upper Elementary Program. They will have exposure to several sports.
World Languages
We will give careful consideration to our world language program in terms of language choice (e.g., Spanish, French) and how best to provide the instruction for maximum exposure, comprehension and competency.
Arts & Sciences
Arts & Sciences classes will have longer periods of learning time and integration of subject matter (achieved through Immersive Learning blocks).
Social Justice & Global Citizenship
Civic learning involving students’ active participation in projects that address a broad range of global issues (social, environmental, economic, etc.) will be an integral component of River’s Upper Elementary Program. We believe that ‘others’ are in fact us — it’s all us — and an understanding of our connection to one another has always been and will always be at the heart of what River teaches. We aim to empower and inspire our children to make the world a more peaceful, tolerant and sustainable place and to cultivate their instincts to be kind, thoughtful and deliberate thinkers and communicators.
Health & Wellness
We are designing an age-appropriate Health & Wellness curriculum that will address changing bodies, consent, boundary setting, and safe and healthy choices. We will rely on parent partnership and will share language and discussion points for this sensitive, yet critical, topic area. | https://riverschool.net/rivers-educational-approach/curriculum/rivers-upper-elementary-program-4-6/ |
In the spring of 2015 TAC made the following recommendations to the North Allegheny School Board Directors:
- Create an equitable technology environment for all students and teachers.
- Adopt a 1:1 environment in Grades 1-12, supplemented with specialty computer labs and shared mobile devices as necessary.
- Expand staffing appropriately to support success.
-- FOCUS 2020 --Throughout the school year many different instruments (e.g. surveys, classroom observations, focus groups with teacher and students, classroom walkthroughs, usage data logs) have been used to collect data to assess and evaluate the progress of FOCUS 2020. This data will continue to be regularly analyzed to monitor the effectiveness of implementation and progress toward the goals of this exciting initiative.The following areas have been examined to assess the effectiveness of FOCUS 2020: | https://www.northallegheny.org/Page/29037 |
NETworX is a movement to measurably reduce poverty at its holistic core, not through well-doing for others, but through well-being together. NETworX is individuals and communities seeking together to build intentional relationships though education and love of neighbor as well as love of self.
NETworX for Hope, Anson County, North CarolinaHome About NETworX for Hope Champions of Change Who is an Ally? Pastor Norma Photo Gallery
A Champion of Change is an individual who wants to improve his/her life and make changes to move toward greater well-being.
NETworX offers an opportunity for indivudals known as Champions to develop a personal life plan by attending a 15-week trainng session. In this traininng program, participants assess their strengths and resources (financial, educational, spiritual, emotional, relational, physical, social, etc.) and identify areas they want wnt to improve. They receive tools to prepare them to set life goals and are invited to be a part of a support network that works together with the Champion to reach those goals. In return, Champions are a part of a network seeking to identify and address challenges in our community and work to bring about positive change.
To be a Champion you must: | http://www.ansonnetworxforhope.org/champions.html |
lowest rate of expulsion was associated with when there are behavioral interventions in the classroom. Progress monitoring and interventions are not only for academic struggles. It can be used to help with behavior issues and struggles in the early childhood classroom. Intervention teams have intervention opinions to use such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and function-based interventions.
This study is introduced with a unique hypothesis and states the reason it is important in the abstract section. The article is titled “Parent influences on early childhood internalizing difficulties”. The main focus of the study was the concern that children 's internalization of mental illness is a major concern for parents and society in general. However, this is due to the significant increase in health issue over a long period of time. This study in particular is important because the researchers
Assessment is an essential tool in the early childhood classroom. Teachers are always assessing students in the classroom using informal assessment and formal assessment. According to Copple (2009), stated that assessment is “the process of looking at children’s progress toward those goals. Thoughtful attention to assessment is essential to developmentally appropriate practice in order to monitor children’s development and learning, guide planning and decision making, identify children who might
The Importance of Early Childhood Cognitive Development America has many programs for graduating students that are involved with education and children. While any college student can appreciate education, I suspect that few understand the importance of early childhood development. Having committed to apply for a position in Teach for America, I want to better understand why it is so important to "get 'em while they're young." In 2001, the US Department of Education, Academy of the Sciences
Why I am doing this child study What an observation is Important factors to consider when carrying out a child study Five areas of child development P.I.L.E.S Types of observations I used. Were the study took place. Child profile/description of the child. Child observation 1 – Physical narrative Child observation2 – language Flow chart Child observation 3- cognitive- Narritive. Child Observation 4 social -check list. Observation 5 language. Overall Evaluation Biblography
Early childhood educators assess children’s learning and development to develop a strong understanding of each child’s strengths, abilities and interests. A systematic and ongoing cycle of assessment helps educators to make long-term and short-term decisions (Bayetto, 2013, p43). The information that educators collect and analyse through the assessment process informs the decisions they make to advance children’s learning and development. The assessment practice can be arranged into three categories: | https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Early-Childhood-Observation-Report-FCJ2LLXYMT |
How to Help Students Navigate This Social-Emotional Rollercoaster
Schools across the country have moved at different paces in efforts to maintain a semblance of normalcy during the final months of the 2019-20 school year. In the past month, we’ve heard countless stories from school administrators, teachers and parents about the stress caused by the shift to remote learning.
Unsurprisingly, students are also experiencing their own emotional rollercoaster throughout the changes and uncertainty.
To better understand how they are faring, we looked at their self-reported feelings over the past couple months, as marked by thousands of check-ins on our social-emotional learning (SEL) platform. Students mark an emoji on a 5-point scale (pictured) and then write reflections on their progress in academics and emotional well-being.
What we found were some unexpected and somewhat alarming trends. The week that most schools closed across the nation saw an acute drop in the emotional well-being of students. The next week, there was a stark swing with improved moods—perhaps an initial celebratory spirit of being out of school. Since then, there has been a consistent decline in students’ self-reported emotional well-being.Swings in students’ self-reported emojis and the sentiment of their written reflections (average n=2,600+ per week). Aggregate emotional response data is determined based on the emoji students select when checking in, ranging from very sad (1) to neutral (3) to very happy (5). The sentiment score analyzes the actual words of written student reflections and scores them on a continuum of positive to negative in tone (0=neutral).
These valleys and peaks were the largest swings in average emotion this entire school year, signaling that educators should prepare for continued volatility. It’s also worth noting that the data is inherently skewed toward those students who have continued checking in on the platform during school closures (about 50 percent in our system, in line with many national results). The trends therefore omit disengaged students, or those who don’t have technology access and may be struggling the most.
Overall, students wrote powerful reflections on the “new norm,” their experiences of remote learning, and how they are coping. The following themes emerged from students’ reflections, which have been lightly edited for brevity and to ensure privacy. (The tone and core content have been maintained.)
Not all students have a safe space at home to continue learning.
Millions of students have been required to get creative with limited space, loud siblings, and potentially stressed parents as they seek to find quiet places to get their work done. As a high school student in South Los Angeles wrote:
I set up my learning space in the kitchen or my room. (Privacy doesn't exist in this house.) Concerns I have about online learning that I have is that why is this so confusing? What if I fall back with my grades? I’m concerned about my grades and this situation doesn’t seem to be helping me in any way, and there is no one to help me.
Students who are homeless or living in poverty without internet access and dependable devices are in even more trouble to find the emotional stability to continue learning.
Students feel disconnected and are worried.
A recently conducted national survey of 13-17 year olds showed that about 4 in 10 students feel more lonely than usual, and an additional 40 percent say they feel about as lonely as usual. A sixth grader from a small town in rural Iowa reflected about boredom and the fear of not being able to maintain academic performance:
I am a little bored being stuck in the house, but I still do some of my homework. I am also a bit worried. With Corona going on, I get out of the house once in a while, but it isn’t the same anymore.
A high school student in Central California expressed missing the ability to see teachers in-person as a primary concern:
This week was very chaotic for me and very stressful. It was kind of difficult learning everything online without seeing our teachers but I am now getting the hang of it. The most challenging for me would be to not be able to see my teachers in person.
They are struggling to deal with negative emotions.
Students are dealing with new levels of stress and some are encountering traumatic experiences. A high school student in Austin wrote about being frustrated and disengaged during the first week of remote learning:
I don’t like the high school online learning setup and therefore I haven’t done any work on it. I figure I’ll try soon but right now I don’t want that negativity in my life. I hate it so much.
What can we do?
The data trend and reflections paint a concerning picture, but also demonstrate students’ authenticity and emotional openness when given the opportunity to share. Knowing that remote learning will remain the norm in most states throughout the rest of this school year, many educators are expanding their definition of student success to go beyond academic mastery.
Dr. Stanton Wortham, Dean of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College, highlighted this shift in a recent presentation, noting:
“Social-emotional learning is particularly important at this moment for at least two reasons: First, young people are struggling with the disruption of routines and anxiety about the consequences, and they need extra empathy and support. Second, that disruption of routines has given students, parents and educators an opportunity to step back and reflect on what outcomes we really want for our children; and many are concluding that healthy relationships, meaning and fulfillment should be crucial goals of schooling.”
Here are some practical strategies we’ve seen working across the country to support students and engage them in social-emotional learning:
- Create a space for students to share their emotions, ideally as part of a consistent routine. We’ve seen a quick daily check-in work well; other ideas include regular journaling, video reflections, or live check-ins via phone or video.
- Pay attention to student responses and the tone of written work. Look for trends and shifts, and provide timely feedback to make sure students don’t get lost due to a time lag. As a best practice, we’ve seen teachers respond to students two to three times per week when they are reflecting daily.
- Identify students who are entirely disengaged and creatively communicate with them or their caretakers to better understand their situation. Instead of focusing on truancy or academic work, consider checking in with them on their emotional well-being to start. Here are a few prompts to try.
- Check out one of the many free resources available to engage students in SEL practices. We especially like the guides from the National Association of School Psychologists, CASEL, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Across the country educators are doing an amazing job at getting creative in identifying struggling students, and doing whatever they can to continue engaging them in a productive learning process. The task ahead remains difficult, but the effort is well worth its time to ensure whole child development continues during this pivotal new norm caused by COVID-19.
Every one of us, especially our students, will be stronger as a result. | https://community.mastery.org/news/277749 |
Health Informatics as a discipline is a joint between Healthcare and Information Science or Computer Science. Its analysis involves data about the health conditions of patients, evidence based interventions and diagnosis methods required for various diseases. In highly integrated systems, it is possible to optimize information systems in a way that it links various clinical databases. This enhances the speed of access, retrieval and utilization of information in health organizations. The tools used in the implementation of Health informatics are computers, data communication systems, evidence based clinical guidelines and medical terms and regulations. Healthcare informatics is applicable in the areas of medical and clinical care, public health systems, dental medicine, pharmaceutical health, occupational treatments, physical health and biometric health.
Role of Analyzing Healthcare
Analyzing Health Information Management as a practice assists in the understanding and maintenance of records about health. It does so by replacing the paper-based techniques by electronic technologies in the hospitals. The analysis of healthcare Information links the health organizations to external service providers such as the offices of external physicians, Medical insurance service providers, pharmaceutical suppliers and other partners in providing vital facilities or in the management of health information. The analysis uses the prevalent automation of health information from various sources. This includes hospital operation, administration; financial records, employee information, inventory informatics and patient bio-data information records, which are critically useful in health information access and administration practices. The analysis in healthcare information such as clinical diagnostic records has a great role to play in decision making before selecting the types of intervention required and the action owners. Healthcare Information analysis enables the management to deliver professional services from informed ground, by providing relevant and consistent information. Its links between patients’ information to that of the various services offers the healthcare organization a direct access to the external entities whenever required.
Application of Healthcare Informatics
Health Informatics is responsible for the use of information in the health service firms or by private clinical offices to make relevant decisions. Clinical informatics assists the physicians and nurses in the healthcare organizations to analyze the design of the processes in the organizations. This enhances the transformation of health care by designing and evaluating communication and information systems to support individual and corporate health findings, improving the quality of services offered to the patient, and developing the relationship between patients and employees of health institutions. Clinical information managers use the knowledge of requirement of care on patient and they couple it with the idea of clinical informatics, information implementation methods and the tools of health informatics. This enables them to assess the needs of information and knowledge base concerning health care experts and their patients. The design of processes in medical information and communication system assists the administration of the organizations to evaluate, modify and improve the processes and clinical procedures. The mechanism is through the development, implementation, and refining of the intelligent decision support systems in the clinical centers. It also guides the procedure of procurement, evaluation, development, maintenance and perpetual enhancement of Health Information Systems.
Collaboration between Clinical professionals and other systems in the health care organizations and health informatics professionals facilitates the development of effective, safe and efficient healthcare practices in a timely manner. The American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) guarantees this since it is the overseeing organization for certification of clinical informatics specialists.
Correlations of Data
In a multivariate data set analysis, clinical informatics uses the development of the field to guide the creation of more detailed data sets. An electronic information management system supports the creation of electronic health data linked to external data sources and data warehouses. The electronic health information has to be expressed in more than one variable, in which at least one is dependent on other one or more variables. The records may also imply that the variables exist in a large data warehouse in separate datasets. It may also imply that there are links between the data sets with correlations of data in health information and communication systems. Again, because it uses electronic data, the means of correlation analysis can vary within a very large range and use various methods such as ANOVA, Multivariate Regression analysis, T – Test and S – Test analyses. The analysis can then be simplified into metrics such as percentages and probabilities before presenting the series of correlation analysis in the form of charts and graphs.
National Patient Safety
The responsibility of Health Information Administrators or managers is to protect both the information regarding patient privacy besides the patients themselves. When information is accurate and logically consistent, it means that patients will receive appropriate treatment in high quality. However, when the information is corrupted, there may be experienced, a certain amount of confusion in the way patients receive treatment; thus endangering their lives. When the employees learn to store the information regarding patients secure, the patients can easily develop trust because their confidential information is safe. As Haux and Ammenwerth (2011) argue, when healthcare information gains popularity in the field of health care, health information administrators have to remain consistent in their management of information. The reports are securely delivered to the clinical administrators as well as the medical physicians. The flow of processes can inform the next stage of service in the clinical or medical institution, and the action owner of the next stage. It then links all the billings of services to a common financial enquiry or invoicing interface. As Information System monitors the flow of activities, it ensures that there is no confusion in the services offered to patients and that in treating patients, no step is skipped in a certain procedure.
Use of Correlation in Healthcare Organization
From the correlation analysis, Health information management departments develop guidelines and strategic plans for information systems. They also develop the workflow and policies for all processes that have to pass through the information systems, each process having a unique report for audit purposes. The policies contain the roles of the healthcare institution and its relation to patients, employees and the external entities to the organization including partners and service providers. As a business continuity plan, the policies assist healthcare informatics professionals to id identify and document the present and the future areas of development in the structure and workflow of information management system (Wager, Lee and Glaser, 2013). This follows the correlation analysis of the issues in the current system such as system failures, customer satisfaction from service delivery, report availability, financial computation in the audits, data storage and backups, data security of the information system and compliance to ethical and legal regulations. Policies require healthcare organizations to comply with certain ethical and codes including delivery of standard qualities of service to clients, being the consumers to the organization. For example, billing from the system has to be accurate and in agreement with the services offered to the patient. In case of system errors in report generation, the billing record may include overstated charges, which a patient has a legal right to dispute.
Example of Health Information Systems
Systematic use and management of information in the healthcare systems determines how efficient the system will perform in the detection of problems in the health information. It assists the experts of health informatics to develop the desired flow of activities, improve the flow through innovative solutions and assign the required resources to the areas where they are required in the health information system. For example, Healthcare Organizations in the United States have used Information Systems data to support service delivery through information-oriented processes (Ball, Weaver Kiel, 2010). In the paperless system, the organizations fully depend on the information technology as a vital tool to guide the decision-making in the critical organization management areas. For example, the system guides decisions on the Human resources needs and financial resource acquisition and allocation. One of the most efficient systems in the US health organizations is the EHRs (Electronic Health Records). The main objective in using this system is to enable organizations to perform correlation analysis in the information system data, utilize the data related to patient care and availing necessary information to service providers and partners whenever they need them.
Process of Analyzing Patient’s Data
The system process flow in the standard information system recognizes the entry point of patients. The very first step in data analysis is the registration details of patients. The next step is the diagnosis, which refers to the registration details. The third step is the decision on the type of medical or clinical intervention. The final stage in the flow is the billing, where the system follows all the stages from consultancy to the billing stage to determine all the costs and the aggregate value for the costs. The system dynamically performs the same sequence of activities, and apart from serving as many clients as it can, it can generate reports of any nature that legal and audit procedures require. Health informatics follows a very intelligent sequence while using correlation analysis on the data items gathered at every step.
Meeting Healthcare Law Requirement
The information management Laws require health organizations to have Efficient Information Management System. The objective of this is to ensure that there is Faster Access of Vital Health Information in a timely order. The criteria for deciding on whether the system is efficient include:
- Data security
- Data Integrity
- Data Access Speed
- Backup System Speed and security
- Accuracy of the system
- System Network Strength
The systems have to enable organizations to reduce the usage of paper as they manage large volumes of data, obviously because they expect to manage many patients. The system uses correlation between the data entities to reduce or eliminate redundancy and promote service quality offered to patients in the organizations. Rodrigues (2009) further states that patients are also able to access their information from the data warehouses (repositories) whenever they need them. On the legal aspect, the healthcare information organizations have to generate electronic management records to retain regulatory documentation. This minimizes the costs and data errors or destruction of critical documents.
References
Ball, M. J., Weaver, C. & Kiel, J. (2010). Healthcare information management systems: Cases, strategies and solutions. London: Springer.
Haux, R. & Ammenwerth, E. (2011). Health information systems: Architectures and strategies. London: Springer.
Rodrigues, J. (2009). Health Information Systems: “Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications”, Idea Group Inc (IGI), Vol 1, pg. 67.
Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., Glaser, J. P. (2013). Health care information systems: A practical approach for health care management. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Time is precious
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Integrating healthcare delivery between risk-bearing entities, such as providers and insurers, is, on the surface, an important step towards population health management and value-based goals. However, even vertically integrated units tend to function separately around patient care. As a result, patients are spread thin between receiving care, navigating insurance, and more—a situation that degrades the patient experience, thwarts optimal outcomes, and interferes with value-based goals. However, some organizations are bridging the gap between healthcare entities to improve quality and decrease costs of caring for at-risk patient populations through a sustainable, collaborative population health model. By joining forces and using analytics to drive decisions and scale programs, truly integrated risk-bearing entities put patients at the center of care, meeting their healthcare needs in a more efficient, cost-effective way.
Health systems and other risk-bearing entities (e.g., insurers) tend to function separately around patient care, even when these units vertically integrate. For example, a patient must often have phone calls and meetings about insurance coverage in addition to already time-intensive medical appointments—a lack of collaboration that thwarts optimal patient experience, outcomes improvement, and progress towards value-based care (VBC).
Some forward-thinking healthcare organizations have realized hidden opportunities in bridging this separation between healthcare entities to improve quality and decrease costs of caring for at-risk patient populations. The path to better care and lower cost often lies in breaking down the barriers between elements, enabling a systemwide structure to manage a sustainable population health care model that improves the quality and reduces costs associated with a fully at-risk (capitated) population.
Despite the promise of more integrated care delivery, some healthcare leaders find that further engaging at-risk patients around insurance coverage is more difficult than it sounds, as care often revolves around the care delivery process—not the patient. For example, an individual undergoing acute care, such as cancer treatment, is likely reluctant to have conversations around billing and coverage in addition to their many medical appointments.
As an alternative to more time burdens on patients, some organizations take a patient-centered approach, bringing the insurance conversation and other care management services to patients within the flow of care. In such population-based models, as seen as between Carle Health and health plan Health Alliance, interdisciplinary care management teams meet individuals at their providers’ offices or virtually during appointment times to blend care delivery and insurance services (e.g., case management and utilization management).
Entities use data and analytics to identify populations for which a population health care delivery model will have the greatest impact. Organizations that successfully integrate a comprehensive care experience can see positive ROI and meaningful reductions in emergency department (ED) admissions and facility readmissions.
Value-based payment models vary but generally follow similar structures and key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs include quality performance, utilization, and medical-loss ratio. As a result, integration into a single population health delivery model aligns overall activity to larger populations and focuses efforts to drive cost and quality, removing silos and creating a best-in-class care delivery model (Figure 1).
Following the above integration map, implementing a successful population health care model within a provider practice requires the right staffing and model design. This structure includes the following:
To support their population health care model, Carle Health and Health Alliance conceived the care place of delivery (POD) approach. PODs are embedded sites that utilize care managers and teams at a primary care provider’s (PCP) location. Additionally, virtual PODs leverage clinicians similarly, but do so virtually (e.g., phone calls, online interactions, etc.)
The POD approach capitalizes on naturally occurring care patterns (e.g., PCP visits) with specialty providers serving the same patient population. A clustering software algorithm uses claims data to identify optimal POD settings, and analysts use population density and PCP/specialty patterns to allocate embedded and virtual support for selected POD sites.
The clustering algorithm uses data, including interactions between patients and providers throughout the year to identify providers with the most interactions in common. For example, Carle Health and Health Alliance identified five locations for PODs and evaluated resources across the systems to support their population heath care model. The organizations only needed to add three roles to enable the care model—one pharmacist and two patient access coordinators. The resulting model integrates the care experience with the patient at its center (Figure 2).
The population health care operating model combines care team PODs and a care model resource center to achieve the following benefits:
The care team PODs enable better care management via embedded and virtual resources. They also promote more collaboration among clinical care teams and generate a comprehensive view of care across the continuum.
The population health care model allows administrative support to focus on less complex care management needs, arrange support to address social determinants of health, and conduct patient engagement outreach (e.g., post-discharge follow-up calls).
Technical and digital enablers support virtual visits, use standardized toolkits to enable efficient and effective workflows, automate manual tasks to improve resource efficiency, and analyze data to support proactive patient outreach.
In-person and virtual resources work with the population to identify patients at high-risk. After patients follow-up with their PCPs, the health systems assign the patients care managers, who connect the patients with necessary resources. The patient then consults with the appropriate specialists (e.g., cardiologists and endocrinologists), with efforts to combine appointments to limit travel requirements and conduct other visits virtually. Finally, the patient follows up virtually with her PCP and care manager to assess progress.
Organizations can initially measure population health care model effectiveness by tracking KPIs, including sustained participation rate, predicted future costs, per member per month, participant and provider experience, and gaps in care (e.g., hypertension control). As the model matures, systems can look at financial ROI benefit-to-cost ratio, utilization reduction, and quality improvement.
In case of Carle Health and Health Alliance, patients described positive experiences, and KPIs indicated positive outcomes. For example, after factoring in COVID-19 impacts on care delivery, ED utilization rates were down 30 to 45 percent between January and December 2020, and readmission rates decreased by almost 30 percent. Per member per month decreased by 19 percent, and the model’s cost-benefit ratio (ROI and cost avoidance) was 3.1:1. Meanwhile, data showed no reduction in quality of care under the population model.
As Carle Health and Health Alliance have demonstrated, integration across risk-bearing entities is an effective strategy towards improved care delivery and value-based goals. By joining forces and using analytics to drive decisions and scale programs, these organizations have put patients at the center of care, ensuring their needs are met at the right time and place, with minimal burden.
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Traditional fee-for-service models have long challenged the industry due to conflicting priorities. Providers work to maximize reimbursement for the services they provide, while payers continue to reduce payments. Unfortunately, patient outcomes were not the center of the compensation structure. The evolution to value-based care (VBC) is the paradigm shift that realigns the payer-provider relationship to a more proactive and collaborative one, focused on the patient’s overall well-being.
Over the last decade numerous efforts have been made to encourage VBC models, including interoperability so patient data exchange becomes seamless. However, there is still significant work to do to achieve the ultimate goal of improving patient care. While there is never a good time to undertake more challenges, there are practical things payers and providers can do in the short term that will drive interoperability across the healthcare ecosystem, making it better for consumers, patients, members and the ever-changing payer-provider relationship.
Sheetal Sawardekar
In an independent study conducted by AAFP, adoption of VBC models has been increasing, however implementing VBC has its own challenges. Prior to COVID-19, the industry was making significant headway and evolving payer-provider relationships, however the pandemic caused another shift in priorities. While there is still work to do to transform the industry, there are definitive steps and milestones that organizations can take to ease their journey.
Payer-provider collaboration is key
By definition, VBC rewards providers for the quality of patient outcomes rather than the quantity. The reimbursement ties payments for care delivery to the quality of care provided, shares the risk between payers and providers and rewards providers for both efficiency and effectiveness. The transition to VBC has increasingly emphasized the need for collaboration between payers and providers and underscored the need for interoperability to facilitate digital transfer of patient data at the point of care. In addition, it encourages collaboration to develop treatment plans, identify care gaps and offer high-quality collaborative care, which has the potential to decrease overall care costs and improve the health of member populations.
Collaboration is not only just between payers and providers, but all allied services like labs, radiology and dialysis centers that constitute the entire healthcare ecosystem required to care for the patient. The greater the communication between payers, providers and patients, the higher the patient outcomes and the less administrative cost and risk of bearing financial loss.
Hurdles in the collaboration journey
Data accuracy and integrity remains a challenge for both providers and payers. The need for an enterprise data strategy is critical in order to collate data and provide it as a single source of truth for all downstream analytics, which continues to be the heart of the ecosystem. As a key driver to effective VBC, data is the primary need to make sure providers understand the full picture of a patient’s health and for potential health interventions.
VBC models leverage data to drive risk adjustment, which impacts reimbursement and regulatory scoring such as HEDIS or Star Ratings - which again impact reimbursement since many models are closely linked to these quality metrics. However, these identified quality metrics must suit the provider’s patient demographics and their social determinants of health while also being attainable by providers.
Prior to COVID, providers were already challenged by the lack of tools and infrastructure necessary to fulfill contractual agreements. Now, with a combination of increased financial pressure and changing regulations, providers may not be able to or know which metrics they must fulfill this year to meet contractual requirements. To be successful, both payers and providers need to understand each other’s challenges and capabilities, not to mention the administrative burden of reporting and work together to create a plan to move forward.
Payers, likewise, have needed to overhaul operations to address VBC models and incorporate actionable analytics. Data driven actionable insights can help mitigate the operational and financial challenges faced by providers and payers to continue maintaining quality-of-care provided in a post pandemic world. Payers and providers need to have actionable insights in order to assess the status of their partnership. “What-if” analysis can serve as a valuable tool and better predictive analytic algorithms could reduce risk. Apart from these, patient outreach and engagement tools, physician scheduling tools, price transparency solutions and tools for patients to have secure access to data will only improve the collaboration.
For the last few years, payers have worked to create clean data sets, but now must assess if data is accurate and then design appropriate payment algorithms and the reports sent to providers. Over-reporting or providing too little data impacts a provider’s ability to make informed decisions. With VBC still in play, payers are equally required to understand the treatment recommendations in order to identify what is necessary and what is not.
Improve transparency and enhance communication
Contracts are signed between payers and providers to define rules in an attempt to increase transparency and create policies to avoid any surprises post-claim, which includes reimbursement costs, denial reasons and partial payment procedures. Adopting analytics tools for identifying high risk patients, preventing avoidable admissions, avoiding unnecessary medical services and improving population health outcomes is a growing trend.
One such important analytic tool to have in your organization’s repertoire is a PHM analytics solution. Around 5-10% of the population are high cost utilizers. Although such patients represent a small proportion of the entire patient population, they account for a substantial proportion of healthcare costs. Managing high risk, high cost utilizing populations and pushing for preventive care is the key to containing costs. Additionally, every patient cohort has separate needs. PHM is proven to be important for operational and overall financial success for providers, however payers are also seen to be leveraging PHM for preventive and proactive engagement. The roadmap defined by NCQA demonstrates how PHM can be a model of care for managing populations in VBC contracts.
However, a “one-size-fits-all” approach does not work with all contracts between payers and providers. Customization is required based on patient demographics and social determinants of health and it’s important to leverage tools and technologies like predictive analytics and population health management preventive services to ensure this is properly executed. All contracts should also be supported by actionable insights to regularly assess the effectiveness of the rules agreed on by both parties. While regular reevaluation of the contractual terms and rules defined is necessary, an oversight of how patient outcomes and financial risk sharing is impacted is also important in order to maintain a successful payer-provider relationship.
Give patients access to their secure data
Payers and providers are exploring additional VBC models like Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) or bundled payment models for better savings and effective reimbursements. VBC aims to reduce the overall cost of healthcare, which directly correlates to lower utilization rates for direct healthcare services. While the structure of the models differs, such initiatives are based on fundamental layers of interoperability and data standards. Sharing patient data across the care continuum has become a mandate for successful integration. Patient education, their knowledge of their health problems and how to care for themselves are key determinants to reduce healthcare service utilization while maintaining the quality of care. In essence, making patient data available is a must as it could improve patient engagement. Boosting patient outcomes is an aim for both payers and providers to reduce overall costs, which is impossible without collaboration.
Restructure contractual agreements
Post-COVID, there is a need to restructure agreements in order to ensure the financial burden is reduced, while trying to meet the proper performance benchmarks. Risk sharing models must be restructured and a balance needs to be struck between FFS and VBC models to ensure both payers and providers are able to overcome the financial burdens they’re separately facing. It’s recommended both parties evaluate other shared savings models and ensure agreements are divergent and restructured to include telehealth services, home health and other remote care services.
Conclusion
Both payers and providers are undergoing fundamental restructuring to meet the needs of VBC models in a post-pandemic world. Collaboration has been seen in the industry across the continuum of care and it’s important payers and providers continue to be more vertically integrated to form even tighter partnerships.
To help the healthcare ecosystem succeed in evolving VBC models, productive payer-provider partnerships and proactive collaboration is a must. A successful collaboration is possible when payers and providers create a customized roadmap for themselves that leverages best practices with a robust technology platform to support their growing needs. In addition, a plan that includes cost transparency, structured well defined contracts, identifies high risk patients, implements PHM initiatives and reduces cost utilizers are key stepping stones in reducing overall healthcare costs. Overall, when payers and providers implement a successful VBC model, the patient’s overall wellbeing will be the prime motto.
About the authors: Abhay Singhal, is SVP of Provider and Healthcare Services at CitiusTech. Sheetal Sawardekar is Sr. Healthcare Consultant at CitiusTech. | https://es.dotmed.com/legal/print/story.html?nid=52737 |
The Healthcare business of LexisNexis Risk Solutions is committed, more than ever, to our mission of enabling the U.S. healthcare system to operate better to create healthier communities.
The COVID-19 outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus has a profound impact on our healthcare delivery and support systems, our economy, safety, and overall way of life. LexisNexis is committed to supporting the US response by partnering with key healthcare players and leveraging our data assets and technology to provide timely insights that can help those on the front line provide care and resources to at-risk populations.
Our comprehensive analytical solutions leverage our unique identity, provider, and claims data assets and provide the foundation of our COVID-19 Rapid Response data set. This interactive visualization helps answer critical questions about the pandemic, such as:
Where is there increased risk for poor health outcomes with COVID-19?
By layering insights across data sets, LexisNexis Healthcare brings together:
The COVID-19 Data Resource Center data set identifies information, care needs, resources, and other factors that healthcare organizations and professionals need to make informed decisions about COVID-19. This data answers questions regarding where critical gaps in the healthcare delivery system are that require resources in order to address the potential spread and treatment of COVID-19.
This image is for illustrative purposes only. Actual map may vary based on real-time updates. Visit covid19.lexisnexisrisk.com for details. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions COVID-19 Data Resource Center is a living entity, undergoing new iterations as additional data contributions and analytics are joined to the project. The LexisNexis team continues to evaluate market feedback to assess the value of additional regional views.
Where are the potential shortcomings in treatment?
In addition, LexisNexis is evaluating a number of critical areas that could identify resource constraints and potential shortages from COVID-19 industry demands. These include:
Visit our COVID-19 Data Resource Center to view national data insights with drilldown by county. Heat maps are updated daily to quickly address the care needs of the community. Insights into these metrics can help all members of the healthcare community as they work to identify where health assets (PPE, ventilators, beds) are available and needed to mitigate the spread of the virus.
During this unprecedented time for our healthcare system, everyone must do their part to fight the spread of the virus, as well as ensure that those who need care are able to get it quickly. If your organization is interested in using the power of data, and insights to help providers overcome the COVID-19 pandemic please contact us.
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Healthcare is the care or enhancement of healthcare through the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, improvement, or rehabilitation of illness, disease, injury, and any other physical and psychological impairments in human beings. Healthcare is provided by medical practitioners, nurse specialists, and related health fields. There are many healthcare topics such as general medical sciences; infectious diseases; pregnancy and childbirth; women’s health; and disabilities, physical therapy, and orthopedics. Health-related topics are also discussed under the subject of healthcare. Many people consider healthcare to be one of the most important decisions in their lives, since healthcare costs are growing and treatment options are limited.
Healthcare delivery involves medical procedures and treatments administered to a patient in a hospital or other medical facility. Patients may require surgery, cardiovascular or heart-healthy treatments, and pediatric care. Professional healthcare providers perform these medical procedures and treatments. In most cases, healthcare providers work for hospitals, nursing homes, or other community-based agencies. Some provide direct patient care and others coordinate and provide services with hospitals, other health professionals, and families.
In some communities, there are multilayered organizations that offer health care services to vulnerable groups. The multilayered organizations may include AIDS organizations, cancer societies, diabetes associations, and local hunger assistance programs. These organizations focus on providing high quality health services to people who have limited income and access to healthcare. They also help to educate people about their legal rights, social responsibilities, financial needs, and their ability to make informed decisions about healthcare. Such organizations may partner with healthcare providers and provide grants to support them in providing quality health services to their clientele.
Healthcare organizations also compile and analyze healthcare data. They collect, organize, analyze, and compare large amounts of data to facilitate the research, diagnosis and treatment of patients and to help healthcare providers make reliable decisions about patient care. Such organizations facilitate the exchange of patient information between healthcare providers and other stakeholders such as employers and insurance companies. They also provide hospitals access to detailed patient demographics, allowing them to effectively and efficiently manage patient healthcare.
Hospitals increasingly rely on electronic patient records (EPR) to track all types of patient care, from patient-to-patient care to hospital admissions and discharges. EPR technology allows hospitals to track all types of patient care and to enforce appropriate patient standards. These technologies have revolutionized the way hospitals treat their patients. They require the use of touch screens, secured entry, automated patient data retrieval, secure electronic data transmission, and accurate patient records to ensure the continuity of patient care and to prevent errors and prevent injury.
Hospitals and healthcare providers work closely together to improve healthcare. They develop comprehensive medical databases that provide evidence-based information about how healthcare providers are performing and what treatments are effective for patients. They create reports that describe all types of patient care and identify strengths and areas for improvement. The healthcare data also shows trends and allows researchers to intervene in care delivery. The cross integration of EHR and EPR technologies allows improved access to healthcare data and improved quality of care. | https://highdesertwanderer.com/healthcare-data-management-a-crucial-part-of-the-healthcare-process/ |
Historically, healthcare services were primarily delivered in the home, where doctors and nurses would visit their patients on house calls. With the rise of modern medicine, specialized clinics and hospitals replaced this, hospitals could house expensive technology and accommodate large numbers of patients seeking healthcare.
However, with the rising cost of providing healthcare in hospitals, we are starting to see a shift back to home-based care. As hospitals struggle to keep up with the overflow of patients every week, the solution lies in the question, what can we do to keep patients out of the hospital?
A recent article by TIME magazine describes the huge strain on U.S. hospital resources, due to the worst flu season in 15 years. As this severe strain of flu moves to other countries around the globe, it is likely to create the same effect of overflowing hospital patients. This creates enormous pressure on hospital staff, resources, and the entire health system. Now more than ever is it time to embrace distributed healthcare?
Distributed healthcare is the concept of providing decentralized care services, like monitoring vital signs and diagnostic tests, and moving these services closer to the person in need. This helps a healthcare system to keep people in their own homes, by providing the right care and support at the right time. Home-based health care services focus on providing hospital-level care, in the patient’s home with the ability to provide wound care, intravenous or medical nutrition therapy, and monitoring of serious illness.
By moving services into a person’s home, distributed healthcare has the potential to improve quality, reduce costs and enhance the experience for the person receiving the care.
Current home-based healthcare provides greater convenience and satisfaction for patients, particularly for older and less mobile patients. There are existing programs that focus on patients suffering from chronic illness, where interdisciplinary teams visit the home, performing diagnostics and encourage compliance with treatment protocols. The aim is to monitor the patient and identify any exacerbation in their condition, then proactively manage the patient to prevent any future hospitalizations.
These interdisciplinary teams provide coordinated care to the patient, identify problems and gaps that can be resolved, and involve the patient and their family in communications. These home-based healthcare programs help the patient and their family to have a better understanding of their health by putting the patient at the center of their own care.
In order for distributed care to become the new model for healthcare, it requires the technology to allow care providers and teams to connect, communicate and coordinate. The fundamental requirement for distributed care is a data platform that can integrate information from different systems and present a holistic, electronic medical record for a patient.
This workflow needs to enable the team to work together across care settings and to include the person and their family as a key part of the care team from within the home.
Being able to view a secure shared care record allows timely, safe and informed decision–making to occur, for and with the patient. A study from Canterbury District Health Board on an integrated person-centered healthcare outlines their journey to provide an integrated, person-centered health system that crosses the boundaries between primary, community and hospital-based care.
Canterbury has developed a region-wide program to prevent acute admissions to hospital. It is designed to meet the needs of all people who would otherwise be referred to hospital but who can be safely managed in the community. Canterbury DHB’s vision is of an integrated health system that keeps people healthy and well in their own homes, providing the right care and support, to the right person, at the right time and in the right place.
Canterbury DHB is redefining the future of healthcare and providing a new model of care based around the patient rather than the provider with Shared Care Planning. This is a consolidation of multiple technology solutions that enable the delivery of patient care closer to home. It is transforming the way healthcare is delivered, by providing this care in the community, it reduces the load on acute care delivery and facilitates efficiencies in care delivery within hospitals. It is effectively keeping patients out of the hospital and in their own homes, where they would rather be.
An excellent example of Shared Care Planning is the Advance Care Plan via the HealthOne electronic medical record. This enables a competent person to think about, discuss with their families and primary care clinicians, their wishes concerning the medical care and treatment they want to receive in the future. Because this information is stored electronically, it gives family members and healthcare professionals (and through them, family members) accessible and up to date information on the patient’s medical records and their wishes for how they would like to be cared for at the end of their life, breaking down communication barriers and reducing stress, when the patient can no longer make decisions for themselves.
Since September 2014, when the initial data was collected, the majority of all patients with an Advance Care Plan have been able to die in their preferred place, with current results showing only 18% dying in the hospital.
David Meates – CEO, Canterbury District Health Board said of the Advanced Care Plan “This is a New Zealand first, and possibly a global first, as we strive to ensure a strong patient voice throughout the continuum of healthcare in Canterbury.”
So now more than ever, it is time to embrace distributed healthcare.
To learn more about Canterbury DHB innovative Advance Care Plans, click here to read the case study. | https://hub.orionhealth.com/us-knowledge-hub/why-we-need-distributed-healthcare-now-more-than-ever-6 |
The Transition to Value-Based Healthcare in the US and the Role of Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes
Mark McDonald, MD, of the Emory University School of Medicine, discusses value-based healthcare in the US and the potential benefits it could deliver for both patients and providers. Dr. McDonald covers the lead-up to this new care model, how the transformation will look for oncology, and how electronic patient reported outcomes (ePROs) are integral to a deeper understanding of the impact of disease and treatment on patient quality of life and the digital patient journey.
How do you define value-based healthcare (VBHC)? Is this definition the same in oncology, as it is for other medical specialties? If not, how does it differ and why?
Value-based healthcare is a structural change in how we pay for healthcare delivery. Rather than being paid for what we did, we would be paid for how we did. In other words, payment would be based on delivering outcomes rather than providing services. The value comes from considering the cost of the interventions against the outcomes that were obtained, driving the system towards lower cost solutions that yield the same or better outcomes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has defined three aims for value-based programs: better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower cost.
I do not believe the definition of value-based health care is different in oncology, but certainly my bias is that the complexity of defining and delivering value is substantially greater in oncology based on a several factors:
- the multidisciplinary nature and complexity of cancer care
- the diversity of cancer types and presentations
- the necessity of personalizing care not just to the genomics of the disease but to the health, circumstances, and expectations of the patient
- the often open-ended nature of the disease course
- the impact of late toxicities which may occur years or decades after treatment
Download the Emory Proton Therapy Center abstract, Integration and Utilization of Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePROs) in a Radiation Oncology Practice for Value-Based Care.Get abstract
What are the concept’s roots and how has it changed since it was introduced?
The motivation to transition away from our current fee for service payment system to value-based healthcare is based on the widely acknowledged problem of unsustainable healthcare expenditures in the US.
Current efforts and models originate from the efforts of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), which was created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in 2015 has accelerated the transition to value-based payment models in Medicare. CMMI has developed many models for alternative payment in healthcare, and these models have undergone iterations in development with input from multiple stakeholders.
What are the benefits of a VBHC model for patients? For providers?
In the optimal implementation, value-based healthcare would benefit everyone. Patient care could be improved because the care team may have a motivation to invest additional resources and education to help avoid expensive episodes of care like emergency room visits and hospitalizations, to avoid unnecessary or duplicative tests, and aligning care with evidence-based care plans.
Providers could benefit from streamlined billing requirements that focus attention on quality measures and outcomes over documenting a high volume of services provided. Such a utopian outcome is unlikely to be the result of a move towards value-based healthcare, but improvements to the current state are certainly possible.
What are some barriers to value-based care adoption in oncology?
While few would argue with the goals of value-based care, when considering such dramatic changes in healthcare payment, the devil is certainly in the details. There are legitimate concerns about unintended consequences of implementing untested changes in healthcare payment which could stifle innovation in the development of new drugs, devices, and treatment approaches, interfere with personalized medicine and the doctor-patient relationship, and impose significant additional regulatory burden on providers in data collection and reporting.
Many providers feel they are already spending too much time checking boxes, lessening the time available for meaningful engagement with patients. And naturally people have concern and anxiety about how “the system” will balance cost and quality, how quality is assessed (are the metrics meaningful and patient-centric), and how their role in patient care may change.
Is VBHC reporting mandated by any governments?
For radiation oncology in the United States, the upcoming Alternative Payment Model is the first mandated test of a shift towards value-based healthcare in the US. Slated to start July 1, 2021, participation is mandatory for the 30% of practices who were randomly selected by ZIP codes across the country. In the model, a fixed payment is made for Medicare patients receiving radiation therapy based on the patient’s diagnosis, and the payment is the same whether radiation is delivered in a hospital-based or free-standing facility, and regardless of the type of radiation employed or the number of treatments delivered. The model is intended to run for five years and provide data to compare cost of care against the control cohort of providers who were not randomly selected for participation. The model also includes reporting on four quality measures and clinical data reporting.
Can tracking patient reported outcomes (PROs) add value to patient engagement in their care pathway?
I do think many patients appreciate the value of patient reported outcomes instruments to provide feedback on their care, because many PRO instruments capture more comprehensive and holistic assessments than what we can hope to glean in the timespan of a typical patient encounter. PROs most often assess not just symptoms, but the impact of symptoms on patients’ functional status, their emotional well-being, their interpersonal relationships, satisfaction and overall quality of life. Caring for the “whole person” certainly requires a better and fuller understanding of the patient, and by using validated PROs we can obtain complex and multidimensional information systematically, relatively efficiently, and in a quantifiable way with normative data to contextualize the results.
PROs can add value through the course of patient care when the clinical team recognizes changes and takes appropriate interventions to address deteriorating PROs. We are all accustomed to using a patient-reported pain score, and adjusting our interventions based on those changes. Imagine if we never asked the patient to report their pain and based our interventions on our own perception of the patient’s level of discomfort. I think we would miss a lot, probably all but the direst pain. While a pain score focuses on one issue, with PROs, we can obtain similar levels of insight in a more complete assessment of the patient’s health status throughout treatment and guide earlier interventions without waiting for catastrophic levels of dysfunction to manifest.
PROs can also add value in understanding, measuring, and comparing the outcomes of our healthcare. While it is not certain if value-based care models will ultimately include requirements for more comprehensive collection of patient-reported outcomes, or potentially even associate aspects of reimbursement to PRO outcomes, PRO data are increasingly important when assessing or comparing treatment approaches and are likely to become a more critical data element for innovation and new treatments in an increasingly cost-conscious healthcare system.
Are electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) standard of care for your facility? At the point of care, follow-up or both?
Systematic collection of PROs for all patients is not yet a standard across our department. When we laid out our vision for our new practice site at Emory Proton Therapy Center, we set out to implement standardized collection of PROs for every patient treated with this specialized radiation modality. We collect baseline (pre-treatment) PROs, weekly measures during treatment, and at specific time points after completion of therapy. Based on the great work and publications by several other institutions, we knew that implementing PROs in the oncology setting was an achievable goal that improves patient care, and we knew that electronic PROs would be essential for data completeness, accuracy, and usability.
How has the evolution of ePROs shaped the standard of care and real-world evidence research for you and at your facility?
Implementing electronic PROs has required a significant investment in time and resources. There was an investment in IT and implementation, but it also requires training and a shift in mindset by the entire team. For our genitourinary providers, routine PROs like EPIC and AUA scores have long been an ingrained part of their clinical practice and the team understands how these PROs provide actionable information that informs treatment options and management. But the same is not true in most subspecialties, where PROs are less familiar and there is little experience or data on how to use these PROs to inform patient care. So, I would say that the integration of patient reported outcomes is still shaping our clinical care.
Implementing systematic PRO data collection was a big step. Integrating PROs into the workflow so that the clinical team reviews and acts upon PRO data is phase II, which we are still in and where we have some opportunities to improve PRO visibility in the electronic medical record. For me, phase III is the most exciting part, where we can contribute to research such as predictive tools based on baseline or early treatment PROs that identify high-risk populations for early intervention, how specific interventions or adaptations in response to PROs can improve outcomes, and how PROs may be improved with different treatment modalities or approaches. That’s certainly the end game, to use this data to make tangible improvements in patient care. We recently completed one of our first research projects where we were able to identify a meaningful improvement in PROs with a specific intervention, and that was an exciting thing to see.
At the end of the day, I believe in PROs because they capture and preserve the voice of the patient in data analysis and decision making. When we think about the individuals we care for, very little of their lived experience with cancer is captured using other data elements. PROs can distill the complexity of the patient experience–that personal narrative usually confined to the “subjective” portion of a note–into discrete data elements. With a transition to value-based healthcare, if we are lacking data on the patient’s lived experience, it seems far less likely that care transformation models will fully appreciate the impact on quality of life and what really matters to patients.The views, information and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of Brainlab. | https://www.brainlab.com/es/journal/interviews/value-based-healthcare-in-the-us-and-the-role-of-electronic-patient-reported-outcomes/ |
Organizational LHS Future Vision Perspective
CDO CQI teams have ready access to—and efficiently leverage—tools and resources that help them engage local stakeholders and take other steps needed to continuously improve care delivery processes and outcomes. These tools and resources are informed by best evidence and practices, address costs, are sensitive to local needs, and support target-focused QI efforts as well as broader organizational care transformation/LHS initiatives. For example, a new generation of care transformation support toolkit (analogous to “Care Plan Support Tool”) helps QI teams access and apply tools pertinent to their particular CQI needs. This toolkit makes it easier to identify, select, access, and use QI tools from AHRQ and others (e.g., such as those samples in Table B-7. Current AHRQ (& Other) Resources for LHSs in the more detailed the Organizational LHS Ideal Future Vision.
These tools and resources are applied in a context where CQI goals and processes are an organizational mission priority, led and supported by executives and clinical champions and embedded in an interprofessional learning culture that nurtures workforce and talent development, fosters joy and meaning in practice, and achieves an LHS. Organizational and regulatory requirements are harmonized to support optimal care, reduce administrative burden, and drive progress toward the Quintuple Aim.
The Organizational LHS Ideal Future Vision is further described in Detailed LHS Perspective of the ACTS Future Vision.
National LHS Future Vision Perspective
The national LHS will fully “harness the power of data and analytics to learn from every patient and feed the knowledge of ‘what works best’ back to clinicians, public health professionals, patients, and other stakeholders to create cycles of continuous improvement.” (282) Measurable improvements in the Quintuple Aim are achieved through widespread implementation of LHS organizations that:
- Have leaders who are committed to a culture of continuous learning and improvement (283)
- Systematically gather and apply evidence in real-time to guide care
- Employ IT to share new evidence with clinicians to improve decision making (i.e., as outlined in the 3. Care Delivery Perspective of the ACTS Future Vision)
- Promote the inclusion of patients as vital members of the learning team
- Capture and analyze data and care experiences to improve care
- Continually assess outcomes, refine processes, and conduct training to create a feedback cycle for learning and improvement
This future is facilitated and propelled by leadership and collaboration at a national scale that works to facilitate and ensure the conditions that allow LHSs to emerge and thrive. These stakeholders reduce organizational and professional burden by harmonizing expectations and incentives to optimize continuous learning and improvement across diverse healthcare settings. They bring together diverse stakeholders to align and optimize data and technology approaches that fuel LHS insights locally and as part of a national community of practice. The culture of healthcare improvement shifts toward meaning and joy buoyed by data-informed continuous learning.
The flow of information, tools, and resources around the LHS cycle creates a virtuous cycle that continuously improves processes and results and achieves the Quintuple Aim. Payment drivers and policies support this and foster full realization of the other future vision perspectives. In an ideal future state, national approaches will include:
- Harmonization of organizational and professional regulatory requirements for CQI, performance management, use of targeted real-time data, and continuous learning to reduce administrative burden and drive progress toward the Quintuple Aim
- Policy, collaboration, and funding approaches to spur elaboration, endorsement, and implementation of LHS key principles (e.g., LHS Core Values (284), LHS competencies for researchers (285)) that make possible an interconnected community of practice
- Evolution of accountability frameworks, measures, and payment approaches from individuals toward accountable teams and systems (190) (286) (287)
- Engagement with organizations and stakeholders that lead and inform continuous organizational and workforce learning (e.g., workforce development, performance management, accredited continuing education, teaming, talent development)
- Other supports that enable fully realizing the future visions outlined for the other three future perspectives
The National LHS Ideal Future Vision is further described in Detailed LHS Perspective of the ACTS Future Vision.
For a future vision for digital knowledge ecosystem supported by offerings from AHRQ and others; see what a digital knowledge ecosystem will enhance (link).
Detailed LHS Perspective of the ACTS Future Vision
Introduction and Purpose
This section outlines the fundamental role that continuous learning plays in healthcare improvement. The future vision perspective described here, where continuous learning is an essential catalyst for achieving the Quintuple Aim (22), requires two frames of reference—a national LHS scale and an organizational LHS scale (i.e., CDO). This section describes the current state and envisioned future state from each of these perspectives. The authors have included this dichotomy together to recognize the active and interdependent relationships of data, knowledge, and practice within and between healthcare organizations that fuel continuous learning and improvement for all.
AHRQ defines an LHS as, “a health system in which internal data and experience are systematically integrated with external evidence, and that knowledge is put into practice.” (283) As a result, patients get higher quality, safer, more efficient care, and healthcare delivery organizations become better places to work.” The idea was first conceptualized in a 2006 workshop (288) organized by the U.S. IOM, and progressively developed through several convenings, publications, and ongoing initiatives. In 2011, the IOM’s (now the National Academy of Medicine) Digital Learning Collaborative described a shared value framework for both the national and organizational LHS perspective in which, “progress in science, informatics, and care culture align to generate new knowledge as an ongoing, natural by-product of the care experience, and seamlessly refine and deliver best practices for continuous improvement in health and healthcare.” (289)
In this vision, organizations—as LHSs—embody a “cyber-social system of people and technology” (290) that supports iterative learning cycles that turn data into knowledge that informs practice and generates data from practice that creates new knowledge, and so on. In this publication, Charles Friedman et al. explain that, “Learning cycles can occur at varying levels of scale. They can be undertaken by a single organization, by networks of otherwise independent organizations, by specialized disciplines that span organizational, legal, and geographic boundaries, and across geographical regions varying in size, from counties to states/provinces to entire nations. Because the actions necessary to execute learning cycles are, to a significant degree of approximation, invariant across these levels of scale, LHSs exhibit important fractal-like properties of self-similarity. The infrastructure supporting LHSs is capable of delivering the same services at any level of scale.” Therefore, at a national scale, a community of many LHSs create opportunities to harness the large-scale creation and utilization of data to and from practice to support continuous learning and healthcare improvement within and across CDOs.
With this described framework, LHS approaches encompass activities which may be labeled "care transformation.” These include (e.g., redesigning care delivery processes broadly to achieve outcomes more aligned with the Quintuple Aim (23)), Redesigning care processes may be target-focused QI (e.g., redesigning care processes to improve a particular performance measure over a focused time period), or CQI where targeted improvement efforts are managed as an ongoing rather than time-limited initiatives.
However, the LHS methodology is to advance the efficiency and sustainability of continuous improvement by building systematic capability for learning, itself. The LHS future, then, is a catalyst for bringing the Roadmap’s Care Delivery Perspective of the ACTS Future Vision (improving the efficiency, efficacy, and experience of care team work) and the Resource Developers’ Perspective of the ACTS Future Vision (advancing the utility of data and data systems to improve care) to fruition in a local and national context. Through LHS approaches, organizations identify, customize, and optimize improvement tools and processes that meet their unique needs. In the context of their own environments, learning activities produce data and are informed by that data, and they are collaboratively studied and honed (at different scales) so that they can become more effective and efficient in promoting change. When LHSs operate at a national system scale, their data, insights, and methods accelerate the community’s learning which, in turn, elevates learning at the organizations. These fruits not only include optimization of improvement-related tools and resources, but engagement of the healthcare workforce in collaborative leadership (for improvement) that builds meaning.
Organizational LHS Perspective Current State
Although CDOs and the healthcare workforce is widely engaged in some manner of QI (i.e., CQI) efforts, only a small number of healthcare organizations are pursuing LHS approaches (i.e., leadership-led culture of learning, producing/consuming data to/from practice to inform CQI, embedded expertise to support continuous learning).
Precisely because CDOs and support organizations are pursuing so many different approaches for care transformation, most are unable to allocate time and resources to take a reflective and data-informed organization-wide approach to learning from their own care delivery performance. They are surrounded by data from practice and outcomes of care but lack the means to derive meaning from that data that can inform continuous improvement. The result is preventable harm and an inability to address care quality in a substantive way.
Healthcare policy, payment, and accountability approaches do not favor collaborative, interprofessional learning and improvement at an organization, practice, and team level.
As described in the Roadmap report, the journey toward value-based care currently includes a number of obstacles to interprofessional collaborative practice, let alone interprofessional practice-based learning. Within CDOs, efforts to support documentation for billing and reimbursement take time and resources away from patients, but prevent the broader healthcare workforce from Workforce burnout—defined as, “a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion that results in depersonalization and decreased personal accomplishment at work”—is an increasingly recognized problem resulting from the complex demands on clinicians.
The environment of myriad regulatory and professional expectations for organizations and clinicians/care teams, respectively, to participate in CQI (including clinical performance improvement) is a major driver of clinician burnout. (291)
“The emotionally exhausted clinician is overwhelmed by work to the point of feeling fatigued, unable to face the demands of the job, and unable to engage with others.” Aside from the deleterious effect burnout has on health professionals, it has been shown to adversely affect the quality of care and patient safety (292). The abundance and complexity of quality- and performance-related expectations has also resulted in a significant (if unintended) quagmire of administrative burdens that CDOs and their workforce must bear (e.g., organizational requirements from CMS and the Joint Commission, professional requirements such as Continuing Board Certification, aka MOC). Further, the lack of meaningful clinician engagement and leadership in CQI processes is an identified factor (283) that places the Quintuple Aim out of reach in the current state.
Improvement tools and resources are underused because there is little or absent infrastructure (i.e., time, people, resources) that can make them usable and effective to address the local “real life” contexts of individual CDOs.
A growing number of tools, resources, and platforms have been advanced by AHRQ and others (see Table B-7. Current AHRQ (& Other) Resources for LHSs) to support LHS values (i.e., CQI and care transformation) via national, organizational, and team/individual approaches. These resources range from broad, capacity-building workforce development curricula (e.g., TeamStepps (293)) to embedded practice-based products (CAHPS® Clinician & Group Survey (294)) to data-sharing frameworks to support clinical decision making (CDS Connect (98)). These programs include collaborative approaches for convening, funding, and fostering limited communities-of-practice for organizations and individuals utilizing these tools.
To make use of this catalog of different tools and resources, individual CDOs must:
- Navigate multiple, variegated sources for tools and resources
- Possess staff time/expertise to identify those resources that meet their needs (broadly stated)
- Be able to customize those tools/resources to their setting and specific needs
- Have resources to lead or coach others on resource/tool implementation
- Measure/reflect on the impact that the tool/resource is having on clinical performance/care outcomes in order to identify opportunities for improvement
Considering these steps within a single organization, let alone across multiple organizations, it is apparent that the resources currently required to identify, customize, and manage the implementation of multiple CQI/care transformation tools are significant, if not out of reach. Putatively, this may contribute to poor or variable utilization of these tools across CDOs.
LHS leaders, core values, and an incipient community of practice (291) provide an encouraging vision of the future but are insufficiently distributed and supported to lead substantive change for the larger healthcare system.
LHS visionaries and practitioners have been working together for more than 10 years to create a framework for LHS implementation. In recent years, these efforts have yielded LHS researcher core competencies (295), core values (296), collaborative implementation initiatives (e.g., LHS Centers of Excellence (297)), and case studies (298). The University of Michigan oversees an open-source Learning Health Systems journal (299), edited by Dr. Charles Friedman, who helped explore the concept of LHSs in 2010 through IOM while at the ONC. International efforts in support of LHS implementation include the Learning Healthcare Project (UK) (300) and the Swiss LHS (301).
U.S. efforts have laid the groundwork for domestic LHS implementation, but the national and local organizational resources required for broad implementation are not yet in place. The current state observations in this appendix are, collectively, the evidence of the obstacles that separate LHS aspirations from widespread implementation.
Organizational LHS Ideal Future Vision
In an ideal future state, CDOs and their partners will endorse and implement LHS core values (284). Design and operation of LHSs are derived from the following core values (296):
- Person-Focused: The LHS will protect and improve the health of individuals by informing choices about health and healthcare. The LHS will do this by enabling strategies that engage individuals, families, groups, communities, and the general population, as well as the U.S. healthcare system as a whole.
- Privacy: The LHS will protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of all data to enable responsible sharing of data, information, and knowledge, as well as to build trust among all stakeholders.
- Inclusiveness: Every individual and organization committed to improving the health of individuals, communities, and diverse populations, who abides by the governance of the LHS, is invited and encouraged to participate.
- Transparency: With a commitment to integrity, all aspects of LHS operations will be open and transparent to safeguard and deepen the trust of all stakeholders in the system, as well as to foster accountability.
- Accessibility: All should benefit from the public good derived from the LHS. Therefore, the LHS should be available and should deliver value to all, while encouraging and incentivizing broad and sustained participation.
- Adaptability: The LHS will be designed to enable iterative, rapid adaptation and incremental evolution to meet current and future needs of stakeholders.
- Governance: The LHS will have that governance which is necessary to support its sustainable operation, to set required standards, to build and maintain trust on the part of all stakeholders, and to stimulate ongoing innovation.
- Cooperative and Participatory Leadership: The leadership of the LHS will be a multistakeholder collaboration across the public and private sectors including patients, consumers, caregivers, and families, in addition to other stakeholders. Diverse communities and populations will be represented. Bold leadership and strong user participation are essential keys to unlocking the potential of the LHS.
- Scientific Integrity: The LHS and its participants will share a commitment to the most rigorous application of science to ensure the validity and credibility of findings, and the open sharing and integration of new knowledge in a timely and responsible manner.
- Value: The LHS will support learning activities that can serve to optimize both the quality and affordability of healthcare. The LHS will be efficient and seek to minimize financial, logistical, and other burdens associated with participation.
CDOs will use an LHS to implement a leadership-instilled learning culture.
With an institution-wide learning culture that is led from the top, CQI will be synonymous with institutional mission-priorities and harmonized with workforce development, performance management, and a caring approach to patients and communities.
The ranks of improvement personnel will be expanded to include all organizational stakeholders, from the healthcare workforce to patients with lived experience, families, and community-based public representatives.
The learning culture will value and engage clinicians and interprofessional teams in collaborative leadership of continuous learning and improvement that fosters joy and meaning in practice.
CDOs will invest in human capital (e.g., learning/change-management professionals, researchers) that lead and facilitate continuous learning and improvement.
To address the gaps of translating knowledge to practice and producing knowledge from practice, organizations will dedicate resources to build organizational competency for continuous learning and change management. These approaches will include:
- Recruitment, training, and professional development of learning professionals who can work collaboratively and interprofessionally to identify/select, inform, and coach individuals, teams and systems on the use and customization of LHS implementation resources (e.g., care transformation support tools) in the context of workforce development, talent development, and performance management
- IT personnel to lead/support access to, and optimization of, LHS implementation resources
- Researchers who help their organization reflect on its own performance/improvement and create knowledge from practice that can be shared with other LHSs
CDOs will achieve real-time and near real-time data collection and analysis that informs continuous learning and improvement.
LHSs use health IT tools and resources as both producers and consumers of local (and collected national) data from practice that informs learning and improvement in practice. These approaches include:
- Benchmarking using a variety of data sources (own system, other like systems, regional, U.S., commercial, and CMS claims)
- Information is easy to see and digest to allow rapid pivots in LHS learning cycles, and modification to data collection elements accommodates rapid pivots
- Data collection and analysis methods result in decreased workforce burden and an increase in targeted, actionable, patient-centered improvements
The LHS will have care transformation support tools that provide the means to leverage national and local/institutional LHS knowledge to achieve practice-based improvement that is both informed by evidence and customized to local settings.
At the institution level, access to enhanced technology tools (e.g., a dynamic portal to access/apply care transformation tools and resources) will buoy continuous learning and improvement efforts. These resources will support the work of the improvement workforce (including patients and communities) by providing solutions that are informed by evidence but customizable to local practice settings. With key information/elements that are customizable for each local institution’s needs/setting, these tools will be developed from, and continuously shaped by, the learning cycle(s) of LHSs locally and nationally.
CDOs will observe increased efficiency in improvement efforts, improved outcomes, and lower workforce burnout due to integration of continuous learning into every aspect of system processes.
Via a learning culture and dedicated resources to support its implementation, organizations will have ready access to measures of their own progress as an LHS by which to benchmark and validate the business case (i.e., ROI) for investing in LHS approaches.
National LHS Perspective Current State
There is no shared vision broadly adopted across all key stakeholder groups about what the various national LHS components should look like to help focus efforts.
LHS core values (296), leadership and process features, workforce competencies (for research professionals), and frameworks for computable biomedical knowledge have been defined, elaborated, and adopted by a nascent LHS community of practice. However, these approaches have not been formally adopted nor prioritized and resourced for implementation broadly at the national level.
There is no universally adopted mechanism for coordinating the many efforts focused on achieving LHS results in unhelpful redundancies, inefficiency, and suboptimal progress toward goals.
The framework for LHS implementation at a national level requires active collaboration among multiple stakeholders to enable standards and processes for data interoperability, research, and learning.
It is difficult for participants around the cycle to find, access, and implement useful information, resources, and tools.
Spread across many disparate/isolated systems and not packaged and organized in ways where they can be mapped to specific needs, existing information, resources, and tools are not represented in a standardized fashion to facilitate identification and application, nor are they evaluated adequately to support evidence-based use.
Continuous learning is not prioritized as a healthcare workforce imperative.
This and other challenges result in slow progress addressing suboptimal healthcare outcomes.
National LHS Ideal Future Vision
In the ideal future state, national LHS approaches will result in continuous improvement in Quintuple Aim outcomes. Continuous learning healthcare will provide information/evidence and resource flow resulting in efficient and rewarding processes and desired outcomes for participants at all points around the LHS cycle.
An LHS will harmonize policies and incentives from payers, regulatory bodies, and others to support a virtuous LHS cycle.
Harmonization of organizational and professional regulatory requirements for CQI and clinical performance and alignment of payment incentives to value-based care (i.e., targeted, real-time performance/outcome measures that build a learning and improvement dataset) reduce administrative burden for organizations and their healthcare workforce. As a result, organizations turn their time and effort toward LHS approaches that drive progress toward the Quintuple Aim. Regulatory bodies and policymakers continue their vigilance to reduce or eliminate unhelpful siloes and fragmented efforts, information, tools, and resources.
Having an LHS will be a national healthcare priority for policymakers, collaborative agencies, and Federal and foundational funders.
Policy leadership, collaboration, and funding approaches spur elaboration, endorsement, and implementation of LHS key principles (e.g., LHS core values (284), LHS competencies for researchers (285)) that make an interconnected community of practice possible.
An LHS will prioritize inter- and intraorganizational continuous learning and improvement as a workforce imperative.
Organizations and stakeholders that lead and inform continuous organizational and workforce learning (e.g., workforce development, performance management, accredited continuing education, teaming, and talent development) will support the local and national needs of LHSs.
Using an LHS will facilitate easy access to optimal tools/resources for continuous learning and improvement.
Optimal tools/resources for continuous learning and improvement may have the following characteristics:
- Provision of key information and simplified categorization (i.e., “tagging”) that allows end users to compare and contrast different tools and resources on the basis of resources required to implement, infrastructure requirements, workforce training requirements, etc.
- Alignment with harmonized regulatory and professional expectations (e.g., process improvement and outcome metrics are neatly aligned with endorsed measures such as NQF, CMS Quality Measures and Improvement Activities, NCQA, Hedis, etc.; CQI interventions clearly aligned with improvement outcomes: morbidity, mortality, opioid CDS aligned with opioid-related death and adverse drug events, ED/hospitalization metrics)
- Users/consumers have access to optimal LHS implementation tools/resources when, where, and how they are needed to optimize decisions, actions, and outcomes (e.g., offerings adhere to standards and are curated and accessible via integrated portals and marketplaces)
Assets Currently Available Related to Future Vision
Table B-7. Current AHRQ (& Other) Resources for LHSs includes a list of resources and tools currently available to support the care transformation (i.e., CQI) work of CDOs, support organizations, and QI professionals.
#
Resource
Current State/AHRQ: (Guidance, Evidence, Tools)
1
AHRQ Landing Page on LHSs
AHRQ conducts research and provides training, tools, and data to help healthcare delivery organizations of every size move toward becoming LHSs (24)
2
AHRQ Impact Case Studies (302)
Examples of how AHRQ tools and resources support QI and care transformation
3
AHRQ Tools for Quality and Patient Safety
Practical, research-based tools and other resources (303) to help a variety of healthcare organizations, providers, and others make care safer in all healthcare settings, such as the Reducing Diagnostic Errors in Primary Care Pediatrics Toolkit (304)
4
CDS Interventions/Artifacts
Tool to help primary care clinicians select preventive interventions for patients (ePSS) from CDS Connect
5
Opioid and Substance Use Resources
From opioid and substance use resources from The Academy (270)
6
EvidenceNOW Tools for Change
Tools for Change (75) to improve heart health from EvidenceNOW initiative
7
Tools for Clinicians and Providers
8
Tools for Hospitals and Health Systems
9
Tools for prevention and Chronic Care
10
Data Resources
Data resources (305)
11
Research Data and Tools
Research Data and Tools (306)
12
CAHPS database
CAHPS database (307) results from patient care experience assessment surveys
13
AHRQ Quality Indicators Website
AHRQ Quality Indicators (308)
14
PSNet
Primers, tools, and resources for improving patient safety (261)
15
PBRN
Information/resources for PBRNs (309)
16
EPC Program
As part of AHRQ's commitment to accelerating the spread of evidence-based best practices across LHSs, the EPC Program wants to help LHSs use the evidence from its evidence reports to improve patient care. This webpage showcases projects by the EPC program to help make evidence reports more useful for health systems.
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CAHPS®
Under the CAHPS program (310), AHRQ funds, oversees, and works closely with a consortium of research organizations to conduct research on patient experience and develop surveys that ask consumers and patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with health plans, providers, and healthcare facilities. CAHPS® surveys play an important role as a QI tool for healthcare organizations that use the standardized data to: identify relative strengths and weaknesses in their performance; determine where they need to improve; and track their progress over time. Supporting and assessing the use of CAHPS surveys for QI purposes is one of the key objectives for the CAHPS grants.
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The CAHPS Ambulatory Care Improvement Guide
The CAHPS Ambulatory Care Improvement Guide (311) is a comprehensive resource for health plans, medical groups, and other providers seeking to improve their performance in the domains of patient experience measured by CAHPS surveys of ambulatory care. Use this guide to help your organization: Cultivate an environment that encourages and sustains QI; Analyze the results of CAHPS surveys to identify strengths and weaknesses; Develop strategies for improving performance.
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Teaching Evidence Assimilation for Collaborative Health Care (TEACH) 2009-2014: Building Evidence-Based Capacity Within Health Care Provider Organizations
“Clinical guidelines, prediction tools, and computerized decision support (CDS) are underused outside of research contexts, and conventional teaching of evidence-based practice (EBP) skills fails to change practitioner behavior. Overcoming these challenges requires traversing practice, policy, and implementation domains. In this article, we describe a program’s conceptual design, the results of institutional participation, and the program’s evolution.” (312)
Additional Considerations for AHRQ
Addressing the human capital aspects of LHS implementation may benefit from engagement with those organizations, professionals and other stakeholders that foster learning and improvement for individuals, teams, and organizations within (and external to) the healthcare sector. These potential partners may be drawn from the following domains:
- Healthcare Workforce Development—overarching strategies for the recruitment, training, continuous development, and retention of those people who work within healthcare organizations
- Talent Development—building the knowledge, skills, and abilities of others and helping them develop and achieve their potential so that the organizations they work for can succeed and grow
- Performance Management—a shared understanding, framework, processes, and measures that support continuous learning and improvement of individuals and teams
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD)—the learning journey of the healthcare professional as they seek to improve their competence and expertise, supported by continuing medical education and other personal/professional activities by the learner with the intention of providing safe, legal, and high-quality services aiming at better health outcomes for patients and communities
- Accredited Continuing (Medical) Education (CE/CME)—the process by which healthcare professionals engage in activities designed to support their continuing professional development with learner-centered activities that support their ability to provide high-quality, comprehensive, and continuous patient care and service to the public or their profession with content derived from multiple instructional domains focused not only on providing clinical care but also on developing those attitudes/skills necessary for the individual to contribute as an effective administrator, teacher, researcher, and team member in the healthcare system
- Interprofessional continuing education (IPCE)—members from two or more professions learning with, from, and about each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes
Details presented here focus on LHS, CQI, and QI for individual CDOs and organizations that support this work, not the broader ecosystem.
For a historical review of the development of LHSs, see the 2018 article from Rubin, et al. in Learning Health Systems Open Access (349). | https://covid-acts.ahrq.gov/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=72450176 |
The benefits of health insurance are numerous. It protects you from unexpectedly high medical expenses, and offers a number of preventive care services for free, before you reach the deductible. It also helps promote growth. There are a variety of other benefits of healthcare insurance, as well. Read on for more information. We all know that healthcare is an essential human right. But have you ever wondered how it works? Here are a few facts to consider.
Health care is a human right
In a world where health care is becoming increasingly expensive and unavailable, the notion of healthcare as a human right is gaining ground. While the US has done a lot to reduce uninsured individuals, the ACA does not guarantee universal access to health care. Health care is an essential human right, and an individual’s access to it affects every aspect of their lives. Depression affects many areas of life, causing physical symptoms and leading to substance abuse. It can even prevent a person from working.
The right to health was first addressed in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities followed suit in 2006. Today, almost every country in the world is a signatory to at least one human rights treaty. As treaty bodies monitor these treaties, they offer authoritative interpretations of the right to health. While the right to health is criticized for being difficult to define, it is increasingly specified by a variety of governance actors.
In addition to states, UN bodies, specialized agencies, and the private sector all have responsibilities related to health care. The nature of these obligations is unclear, but it is important to remember that states are ultimately responsible for any violations of a person’s right to health. In the U.S., this includes violations of the right to sanitary conditions. In this regard, the right to health care is an important issue in the presidential election in 2020.
Despite the widespread lack of health insurance coverage, many people in this country are unable to obtain lifesaving healthcare. As a result, many individuals are forced to live in poverty or suffer under financial hardship as a result of their inability to afford healthcare. Furthermore, health care costs are unaffordable in many countries. These issues contribute to the high costs of health care, particularly for those with marginalized incomes and lower socioeconomic status. Further, many individuals are denied access to healthcare because of stigma and discrimination.
It improves quality
Improving quality of care is a complex challenge, and many unintended consequences are inherent. Improving health care quality will require a multipronged approach, including the inclusion of patient-reported outcomes and payment reforms. These policies will reward providers for providing more services and avoiding unnecessary costs. However, these measures will not be of much use in the current health care financing system, where payment is based on volume and not quality.
Improvement in the quality of care provided by health providers benefits the patients, providers, hospitals, payers, and life science organizations. These measures will result in better patient outcomes and lower costs. Healthcare service providers must adopt an environment that supports quality improvement to realize these benefits. Here are some ways that healthcare providers can improve their quality:
The National Academy of Medicine defines quality as “the probability that a health service will result in the desired outcome,” and it is consistent with current professional knowledge. Quality improvement is focused on standardizing processes, structure, and education to reduce variation and create predictable outcomes. These measures will ultimately improve outcomes for patients while reducing costs. They are also cost-effective and neutral. The more reliable and streamlined the process is, the less it costs to maintain it. Additionally, better processes make wasteful activities more obvious and easier to remove.
In healthcare, quality improvement starts with data. Data describe current systems and track changes, enabling providers to make informed decisions that improve the quality of care. Quality improvement takes place at every level of the system, from clinician performance improvement programs such as MIPS to health system-wide initiatives like HEDIS. Quality improvement programs use data analysis to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital re-admissions, reduce infection rates, and ensure the safety of all patients.
It reduces costs
Many health systems are under pressure to reduce costs, but many of these efforts actually increase costs and reduce quality of care. Healthcare leaders need to find strategies that will lower costs while maintaining quality care. Many of these strategies are a hybrid of cost-cutting strategies that can be adopted by hospitals and health systems. Read on to discover how you can reduce costs while improving the patient experience. Here are some suggestions for hospitals:
Set up a healthcare system where hospitals and doctors communicate electronically. This reduces costs for all parties involved, including insurers and payviders. Health plan members are less likely to face steep increases in deductibles and premiums. By paying less for services, everyone benefits. Some studies indicate that fewer hospital visits are required if doctors and patients are more engaged in their care regimens. In addition to setting prices, hospitals can also reduce costs by capping prices. By limiting prices to a reasonable level, hospitals can save between two and seven percent.
The cost of medical care in the U.S. is the leading cause of health costs. In 2014, the U.S. spent $1.2 trillion on hospital care. Hospital prices are based on the aging population, increased use of new technologies and chronic conditions. Healthcare reform law has provided insurance for millions of Americans, extending coverage to all. Many of these newly insured individuals will continue to require medical attention for years to come. In addition to cost-cutting, new technologies are helping patients have complex procedures in outpatient settings.
It promotes growth
A growing body of evidence shows that healthcare promotes growth. While the majority of hospitals and physician groups have positive margins, the pressure to pursue new strategic initiatives is on. By rethinking health care as an investment, hospitals and physician groups can boost their bottom lines and ensure long-term financial sustainability. The results could be dramatic. Let’s explore some of the reasons why. And then, consider how you can apply these strategies to your own business.
It reduces disparities
Health disparities persist across the country and have a large impact on both the individual and the community. This situation has major implications for national health and the costs incurred by states. These disparities are caused by differences in health status, treatment outcomes, and life expectancy, and can be prevented with effective public health policies. To address these issues, health administrators can help communities create more equitable health systems. The following are several key strategies to reduce health disparities:
Designate a specific disparities reduction leader. Recruit diverse staff and tie compensation to quality goals. Build strong community partnerships. Identify patient and provider perspectives to guide disparities interventions. Include community partners in the planning process. Make disparities reduction a top priority. For instance, engage patients and providers in the process of design. This ensures that everyone is involved, no matter their level of expertise. Also, consider the barriers and challenges related to disparities reduction.
A variety of public health strategies are being implemented to address health care disparities. Public health professionals can tailor strategies to improve health outcomes for vulnerable communities and identify what strategies will have the greatest impact. For example, the Community Asthma Initiative at Boston Children’s Hospital has reduced asthma hospitalizations for minority children. This approach has also been adapted to other cultural settings. If your community does not have such a comprehensive initiative, consider partnering with a public health organization to implement an innovative program that will target your community.
Health care providers should also be culturally competent. These are just some of the policies that can help reduce health disparities. These policies are important but cannot do it alone. The health of communities is a priority and can be addressed with the assistance of state and local government. In addition, public health advocates should continue advocating for policies and programs that address social determinants. In the meantime, healthcare professionals should continue focusing on public health equity. | https://artsdesignfactory.com/the-benefits-of-health-insurance/ |
While Dewey (and Dave) would rightly assert that understanding challenges from this perspective is a huge help, healthcare professionals still need to know where they truly can have ‘impact,’ and what actions to take to move past the ‘half solved’ mark. For example, as a nurse, while data analytics can identify high risk patients from a clinical and financial view point, I’ve always found that it is difficult to identify and prioritize which members/patients to focus on, where I can have ‘impact,’ and which care gaps to close and interventions to adopt.
Fortunately, data analytics can help on this leg of the journey as well by providing insight into not only who to focus on, but also which actions might result in the most significant impact on improving care and reducing costs. For example, when working with diabetic patients, the analysis can reveal which patients I should focus on and might also reveal that closing the gap around foot exams will have a significantly greater impact on care and costs than an eye exam or physical therapy.
Data analytics can also help healthcare organizations prioritize and develop (condition specific) programs that will ultimately result in the most significant return on their investment. Instead of developing programs to address the healthcare conditions that cost the most or are most prevalent in the population, healthcare organizations can use data analytics to identify where programs will have the greatest impact, both clinically and financially, on members or patients. For example, through data analysis a health plan might find that it has more asthmatic than diabetic members, and currently has high costs for the asthmatic members. However, the analysis could also reveal that a diabetes care management program has more potential to improve clinical care results than an asthma care management initiative. As such, the plan could focus its limited resources in the specific area that will have the most positive impact.
As a nurse who constantly seeks to help improve patient outcomes, I find analytics to be at the heart of making the right clinical decisions for my patients.
I discussed this concept in more detail during the Webinar entitled “Is Your Data and Risk Strategy Enabling You to Take on Risk Contracts?”. I invite you to check out the presentation and think about the various ways that data analytics can help to provide insight into improving the health of populations.
Tag Words : Care Gaps, Data Analytics, Patient Care, Population Health
Rate this Article: | https://blog.sciohealthanalytics.com/creating-a-plan-of-action-with-analytics |
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has funded creation of tools and resources that will help meet the needs of today's U.S. health care system. This report describes AHRQ tools and resources that are available.
Select for print version (PDF File, 138 KB).
By Barbara L. Kass-Bartelmes, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.
Contents
Introduction
Background
AHRQ Data Resources and Tools
AHRQ Assessment Tools
AHRQ Clinical Care Tools
AHRQ Quality Measurement Tools
Conclusion
For More Information
References
Introduction
Health policymakers, health care administrators, employers who purchase health insurance, and clinicians want high-quality, safe health care that is accessible and affordable for Americans. They need current information to:
- Develop policies and programs that improve access to health care.
- Help guide consumer choices.
- Ensure accountability.
- Measure the quality of care patients are receiving.
- Help track the costs of health care.
- Guide clinical decisionmaking.
Recognizing these needs, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has devoted significant funding to the creation of tools and resources that will help meet the needs of the U.S. health care system.
This report briefly describes the tools and resources that AHRQ has made available, such as data sets, assessment and performance measures, clinical care guidelines, and quality measurement indicators. These tools and resources are being used by Federal, State, and local governments; private industry; health service providers; hospital associations; and health maintenance organizations to improve health care quality and help consumers make more informed choices.
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Making a Difference
Background
Health care decisionmakers require accurate and timely information to be able to identify problems in health care delivery and develop a strategy to overcome them. State legislators, legislative staff members, and State health agency managers have indicated that reading all of the available health research is challenging simply because of its volume.1 These policymakers further said that when they need information, they turn to experts and simple, easily understood materials to find their answers.1
To assess availability of health insurance, access to care, and costs as well as to prevent overuse, underuse, and misuse of health care services, tools must be available to measure patient outcomes and the quality of health care that patients receive.2 The tools and resources that AHRQ has developed can help decisionmakers by providing information they can use for comparison and as quality indicators to assess their own performance.
Data resources provide survey information to help track and identify trends in health insurance, health services, hospitalizations, cost, access, and quality of care. AHRQ data resources include:
- The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)—A nationwide survey of families and individuals that collects information and helps produce reports containing annual estimates of health status, health insurance coverage, health care use and expenses, and sources of payment for health care services.3 MEPSnet is an online tool that provides instant statistics.4
- The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)—A data system consisting of inpatient information collected from over 1,000 hospitals nationwide, State community hospitals, and hospital-affiliated ambulatory surgical care sites.5 HCUPnet is an online tool that analyzes statistics on hospital care.6 Clinical Classifications Software, created for HCUP, can be used to analyze diagnoses and procedures.7,8
Assessment tools capture patients' experiences with their health care services. They also evaluate the ability of the Nation's health system to meet the public's health needs. Assessment tools provided by AHRQ include:
- CAHPS® (formerly known as the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans)—A set of rigorously tested and standardized questionnaires and reporting formats that can be used to collect and report meaningful and reliable information about the experiences of consumers enrolled in health plans in many health care settings.10
- Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Tool—A questionnaire for hospitals developed to assess the capacity of hospitals and health systems to respond to bioterrorism.11
Clinical care tools assist providers in delivering needed health services. AHRQ clinical care tools include:
- Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)—A national program to help improve delivery of appropriate clinical preventive services.12
- The National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC)—An online public resource for clinicians, providers, and others that includes detailed information on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.13
Quality measurement tools can be used to assess clinical performance. AHRQ provides access to the following quality measurement tools:
- Child Health Toolbox—An online collection of performance measures for child health programs.14
- AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs)—Online software programs to help hospitals, State and local health agencies, and others screen hospital discharge data for potential problems with the quality of inpatient and ambulatory care.15,16
Links to AHRQ tools and resources on the Internet are shown in Box 1.
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Box 1. Links to AHRQ Tools on the Internet
Data resources:
Assessment tools:
Clinical care tools:
Quality measurement tools:
AHRQ Data Resources and Tools
MEPS Has Information on Use of Health Services
MEPS is designed to provide policymakers, health care administrators, business executives, and others with timely, comprehensive information about health care use and costs in the United States.3 Information is collected either by talking directly with people in households, nursing homes, and hospitals, and with businesses, physicians, and home care providers, or by gathering data from databases. MEPS data provide answers about:
- The specific health services that Americans use.
- How frequently they use them.
- The cost of these services.
- How they are paid for.
- Data on the cost, scope, and breadth of private health insurance held by and available to the U.S. population.
The information collected is organized into three components:
- The Household Component (HC) collects data from a sample of families and individuals across the Nation.
- The Medical Provider Component (MPC) supplements information received from respondents to the MEPS HC with data from hospitals, physicians, and home health care providers.
- The Insurance Component (IC) consists of detailed information on the health insurance held by and offered to those surveyed in the MEPS HC and a representative sample of business establishments and governments throughout the United States.
Decisionmakers can compare their experience with national trends using these findings. For example, MEPS HC data show that during the first half of 2001, 23.1 percent of children under age 18 were covered by public health insurance, primarily Medicaid (Figure 1, 5 KB). However, 14.5 percent of children remained uninsured during this time.17 Data on expenses from the 1998 MEPS HC indicate that most medical expenses were paid for by either private or public insurance (Figure 2, 6 KB).18
MEPS HC data are very detailed, so data on health services spending and health insurance can be linked to the demographic, employment, economic, health status, and other characteristics of the people who are surveyed.3 It is the only national survey whose findings can be used to help estimate how changes in sources of payment and insurance coverage impact different people, such as the poor, elderly, families, veterans, the uninsured, and racial and ethnic minorities.3 While the MEPS HC can provide this information only on a national level, not at the State level, decisionmakers can use national estimates to evaluate how local communities compare with the Nation as a whole and identify areas that are doing well, along with those areas that need improvement.
MEPS can also help evaluate Americans' experiences with health care based on questions taken from CAHPS®. For instance, MEPS respondents were asked CAHPS®-based questions about the timeliness of the urgent and routine medical care they received. People without insurance were more likely than those with coverage to report that they sometimes or never received urgent care as soon as they wanted (Figure 3, 4 KB).
The MEPS Insurance Component uses the health insurance information gathered from people in the Household Component and interviews their employers and union officials about that health insurance, and it also interviews a sample of employers nationwide.3 Specifically, the MEPS IC collects information on the amount, types, and costs of health insurance available to Americans at their work places.3 This information is available at the State level for all 50 States. For example, MEPS IC data for 2000 show that nearly 60 percent of private-sector establishments in the United States offer health insurance (Figure 4, 7 KB). However, the percent of private employers varies widely among States, from Connecticut at 69.4 percent to South Dakota at 42.4 percent.19
MEPSnet is an online tool that allows anyone to get MEPS statistics immediately. MEPSnet/HC currently provides access to 1997 and 1998 information on family composition, geographic and demographic variables, income and tax filing, employment, health insurance, health status, health care use, expenditures, and sources of payment. MEPSnet/IC provides easy access to national statistics and trends about health insurance offered by private employers and State and local governments for 1996 through 2000.3
MEPS data have been used by government, private, and public organizations:
- MEPS 1996 data on medical conditions were used to help formulate recommendations of the 2001 Institute of Medicine Report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century.20
- In 2001, the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, sought MEPS data on employer-based health insurance relevant to the Patients' Bill of Rights legislation being debated on Capitol Hill.
- Since the second quarter of 2000, the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis has used the MEPS IC in its estimate of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Commerce Department also used the MEPS IC in its revisions of GDP estimates from 1997 through the first quarter of 2000.
- From March to June 2001, AHRQ's Center for Cost and Financing Studies responded to requests from the Council of Economic Advisors, the Treasury Department, and the Congressional Budget Office regarding information from the 1996 MEPS on individual premiums. These requests stemmed from proposals in the 107th Congress intended to reduce the number of uninsured people by offering tax credits to subsidize health insurance premiums.
- In October 2000, 19 State government agencies joined together to place a special data request for employer data from the MEPS IC. The request was part of an Institute for Health Policy Solutions project to work with States interested in coordinating public subsidies with private coverage on behalf of low-income children, workers, and families (for example, under State Children's Health Insurance Programs, or SCHIP).
HCUP Provides Data About Hospitalizations
HCUP can be used to examine hospital use, access to care, charges, quality, and outcomes for diseases and hospital procedures, and to study the care furnished to population subgroups such as minorities, children, women, and the uninsured. HCUP data come from AHRQ-funded databases: the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), the State Inpatient Databases (SID), the State Ambulatory Surgery Databases (SASD), and the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). Researchers and policymakers use HCUP data to identify, track, analyze, and compare hospital statistics at the national, regional, and State levels.5 For example, for some common conditions, hospitalization charges increased between 1993 and 2000 but the average length of stay decreased (Figures 5, 9 KB, and 6, 8 KB).21
HCUPnet is an online interactive tool that can be used to identify, track, analyze, and compare statistics on hospital care at the national level as well as for selected States. Users can conduct analyses on outcomes and measures of specific conditions, including length of stay, total hospital charges, in-hospital deaths, and discharge status. These can then be compared with data on patients by age, sex, primary payer and income, and on types of hospitals.6
Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) is a tool developed for HCUP data that clusters patient diagnoses and procedures into a manageable number of clinically meaningful categories. CCS collapses diagnosis and procedure codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10).
CCS is used for grouping conditions and procedures without having to wade through thousands of codes. This "clinical grouper" makes it easier to quickly understand patterns of diagnoses and procedures so that health plans, policymakers, and researchers can analyze costs, utilization, and outcomes associated with particular illnesses and procedures. 7,8
HCUP and CCS measure the quality of health care delivered by providers:
- The Oklahoma Department of Health's Healthcare Information Division used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the Clinical Classifications Software to develop a comprehensive annual report of hospital admissions in the State and to make comparisons with national figures. The data have prompted the development of several prevention campaigns aimed at encouraging seniors to get their flu and pneumonia vaccines.
- Insurers use CCS to develop clinically based utilization profiles. For example, one insurer integrated CCS into inhouse software that develops profiles of patient populations and purchasers.
- Researchers use CCS in risk-adjustment models and as a way to predict future health resource use. Investigators in one study found that categorizing patients using CCS predicted over 40 percent of the subsequent year's medical expenses.
HIVnet Has Statistics on HIV-Related Medical Care
HIVnet is an online tool that provides information on inpatient and outpatient use by people with HIV disease. HIVnet provides easy access to selected statistics on patterns of HIV-related care based on data collected by the HIV Research Network. The HIV Research Network obtains, analyzes, and disseminates current information on the delivery of services to people with HIV infection. It presently includes 18 medical practices located across the United States that treat more than 14,000 patients. Each practice collects information on clinical and demographic characteristics, medications prescribed, frequency of outpatient clinic visits, and number of inpatient admissions for each patient with HIV infection.
AHRQ cosponsors the HIV Research Network with other Federal agencies: the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the HIV/AIDS Bureau in the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of AIDS Research in the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health.
AHRQ Assessment Tools
CAHPS® Assesses Consumers' Experiences With Health Services
CAHPS® is a family of rigorously tested and standardized questionnaires and reporting formats that can be used to collect and report meaningful and reliable information about the experiences of consumers with a variety of health services. The goal of CAHPS® is for consumers to use its data to make informed decisions about their health care services. Supplemental questions have been added to a core set of items to address specific populations such as Medicaid recipients, Medicare beneficiaries, people with chronic conditions, and children with special health care needs, as well as particular health care services such as prescriptions and transportation. The latest version, the CAHPS® 3.0 Survey and Reporting Kit, contains a set of questions that ask consumers about their experiences with their health plans, sample formats for reporting results to consumers, software to assist in data analysis, and guidance and instructions. The questionnaires are in both English and Spanish.10
Examples of questions include:
- Since you joined your health plan, how much of a problem, if any, was it to get a personal doctor or nurse you are happy with?
- In the last 12 months, how much of a problem, if any, was it to see a specialist that you needed to see?
- In the last 12 months, when you called during regular office hours, how often did you get the help or advice you needed?
To receive copies of the survey instruments and reporting tools or for guidance in implementation, please contact the CAHPS® Helpline at 1-800-492-9261 or E-mail [email protected].
CAHPS® is used to monitor the quality of health plans:
- In 1999, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management adopted CAHPS® for use by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to survey Federal employees. The results are reported to 9 million Federal employees and their dependents in an annual guide to help them choose health plans.
- CAHPS® also was adopted into the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), which is used to evaluate and accredit managed care plans. HEDIS® is sponsored by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and measures clinical services and use such as preventive care, cancer screening, prenatal care, mental health, and access to care.22
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration) has used a specially developed version of CAHPS® to survey 130,000 Medicare enrollees in managed care plans. The results of the Medicare survey were released in February 1999 to help CMS's 39 million beneficiaries select a health plan.
- State health departments in 34 States have used CAHPS® to assess member satisfaction with their health care.
Bioterrorism Preparedness Tool Gauges Health System Capabilities
The hospital bioterrorism preparedness tool helps assess the current capacity of hospitals and health systems to respond to a bioterrorist attack, in particular the capacity of existing hospital and public health systems to communicate and to develop an effective medical response to a bioterrorist threat. The methodology for assessing regional medical capacity and plans involves use of the data collection tool, model criteria, and a simulation and analysis model. The Bioterrorism Emergency Planning and Preparedness Questionnaire for Healthcare Facilities is available in both PDF and text format.
Examples of questions asked include:
- Does your hospital's emergency preparedness plan address mass casualty incidents involving biological agents?
- Does your hospital have a coordinator designated to oversee all preparedness efforts as they relate to your hospital's bioterrorism preparedness efforts?
- Does your hospital experience problems staffing your emergency department, general medical, pediatrics, and surgical floors with nurses employed by the hospital?11
The methodology could be further refined in a larger study and pilot tested in a region to identify additional needs and requirements. Once completed, this methodology could be used by city and State planners to assess medical capacity and the adequacy of emergency medical response plans. Developing this standardized approach would help State planners better communicate medical resource needs for a bioterrorist event or other mass casualty event.11
AHRQ Clinical Care Tools
PPIP Helps Clinicians and Patients Practice Prevention
Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP) is a program sponsored by AHRQ to increase the appropriate use of clinical preventive services, such as screening tests, immunizations, chemoprevention, and counseling.23 PPIP is derived from the evidence-based recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
New and updated Task Force recommendations and important evidence reviews are available in two convenient three-ring binders and on the AHRQ Web site. PPIP tools enable health care providers to determine which services their patients should receive and provide guidance on setting up a system to facilitate their delivery. PPIP patient materials make it easier for patients to understand and keep track of their preventive care.12,23
PPIP materials include:
- The Clinician's Handbook of Preventive Services, second edition. This is both a reference tool and a practical guide to delivering clinical preventive services in a variety of settings.23
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Delivering Clinical Preventive Services: A Systems Approach. This new Guide describes steps to help office staff and clinicians implement a formal system for delivering clinical preventive services. Chapters explain how to establish a process, assess current practice and readiness, develop a protocol, and evaluate the system. The Guide provides easy-to-follow steps, encourages teamwork, and is adaptable to all practice settings.24
- The Guide also includes health risk profiles, preventive care flow sheets, and waiting room and prevention timeline posters.23
- Pocket-sized guides for patients and the general public, including the Personal and Child Health Guides and Staying Healthy at 50+ (all available in English and Spanish).23
- Other prevention products include reminder postcards and brief, easy-to-read summaries of recent Task Force recommendations entitled What's New from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.23
PPIP has been used by clinicians and health systems:
- In 1994, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) established support systems throughout the State to encourage the implementation of PPIP. TDH also provided startup funds to primary care sites statewide. Specially trained registered nurses are stationed around the State to provide one-on-one instruction in the use of materials and PPIP implementation. In addition, TDH developed companion pieces, including a 20-item comprehensive health risk assessment, a 10-item targeted risk assessment, and a self-administered risk assessment.
- PPIP tools are part of the STEP-UP (Study To Enhance Prevention by Understanding Practice) clinical trial. STEP-UP, launched in 1997, involves 80 family practices and clinics across Northeast Ohio in urban, rural, and suburban areas. This study evaluates a preventive service delivery intervention that is tailored to the unique characteristics of each practice. PPIP materials included in the STEP-UP manual include adult and child preventive care flow sheets, child immunization flow sheets, posters, and patient reminder postcards.
- The U.S. Air Force adopted the PPIP materials in 1995 and continues active use of the Clinician's Handbook, Personal Health Guide, Child Health Guide, and posters to help stimulate discussions between clients and providers about preventive care. The timeline posters are displayed in the examining rooms of 84 family practice clinics. The Air Force also uses the adult and child health guides as teaching tools and as vehicles to encourage patients to be active participants in their own preventive care by keeping track of services received and future preventive care needs.25
NGC Provides Access to Clinical Guidelines
The National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC), sponsored by AHRQ in partnership with the American Medical Association and the American Association of Health Plans, is an online database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. The NGC contained 200 guidelines when it was launched in December 1998. Since then, the content of the NGC has grown to over 1,000 clinical practice guidelines submitted by more than 165 health care organizations and other entities in the United States and other countries. Its key components include:
- Summaries of guideline recommendations and development.
- Side-by-side comparison of two or more guidelines.
- Syntheses of guidelines covering similar topics.
- Links to full-text guidelines.
- E-mail notification of new and updated guidelines.
- Annotated bibliographies on guideline development methodology, evaluation, implementation, and structure.13
Clinical practice guidelines included in the NGC meet the following criteria:
- The clinical practice guideline meets the Institute of Medicine's definition of a clinical practice guideline: systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.26,27
- It was produced under the auspices of medical specialty associations; relevant professional societies; public or private organizations; government agencies at the Federal, State, or local level; or health care organizations or plans.26
- A systematic literature search and review of existing scientific evidence published in peer-reviewed journals was performed during guideline development.26
- The guideline is current and the most recent version produced. The guideline was developed, reviewed, or revised within the last 5 years.26
The NGC has been used by clinicians, medical schools, and health systems:
- Georgetown University's Department of Family Medicine uses the NGC and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force materials as part of the training students receive in family medicine. The Web-based reference is used in conjunction with live classroom instruction and also used by students before, during, and after class to prepare or follow up on discussion.
- The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) in Ann Arbor has developed a program entitled Guidelines Utilization, Implementation, Development and Evaluation Studies (GUIDES). Now in its sixth year, UMHS has 10 of its guidelines in the NGC. The NGC is especially valuable in disseminating UMHS work to other institutions and is used by medical librarians, students, and physicians to search for existing guidelines on new topics. | https://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/tools/toolsria/toolsria.html |
Healthcare is a big expense for most people, and it’s getting bigger every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average U.S. healthcare expenses in 2016 were $10,529 per person. That’s up from $9,176 in 2000! The biggest driver of healthcare costs is inflation, but there are also many other factors involved such as age, health status, and lifestyle choices.
At its core, healthcare is a system that helps us stay healthy. It includes diagnostics and treatments to prevent illness and injury, as well as long-term care if we become seriously ill or injured. In order to provide the best value for our patients and taxpayers, we need to make sure that the healthcare we provide is accurate, efficient, and affordable.
One way that hospitals can save money on healthcare is by using data to optimize their operations. For example, if hospitals could identify which patients are likely to return for further treatment (based on past behavior), they could offer these patients lower rates on their hospital bill. By using data analysis techniques like these, hospitals can improve the quality of care for everyone involved – patients get better care at a lower price, while hospitals still make a profit.
What is value-based healthcare?
Value based healthcare is a healthcare delivery model that assigns a monetary value to health outcomes and uses this as a guideline for decision making. In theory, this approach should lead to better patient outcomes by incentivising providers to pursue treatments and care that are most likely to improve patient health.
However, there is some debate surrounding the feasibility of implementing value-based healthcare in practice. Some argue that it is difficult to accurately measure health outcomes and assign a monetary value to them. Others argue that it is impossible to create an equitable system in which everyone receives the same benefits from value-based healthcare.
The benefits of value-based healthcare
There is growing recognition that the delivery of healthcare should be based on patient value, not just cost. A recent study by Forbes magazine found that patients in countries with high-value healthcare systems experience significantly better outcomes and are less likely to require expensive medical care later in life.
Here are four reasons why value-based healthcare is better for patients:
1. It promotes patient choice. Patients who are given the opportunity to choose the best care for them are more likely to receive the best possible treatment. This is particularly important when it comes to preventative care, which can save money in the long run.
2. It reduces waste. When hospitals and clinics focus on providing quality care rather than on maximizing revenue, they are more likely to use resources efficiently and avoid unnecessary procedures or treatments. This leads to lower costs and improved patient care overall.
3. It encourages innovation. By focusing on improving the quality of care rather than simply increasing its cost, value-based healthcare systems help spur innovative new treatments and technologies that improve patient outcomes.
4. It creates a virtuous circle of better health and lower costs. As patients experience better health, they are more likely to seek out preventive services
How to create a value-based healthcare system
Creating a value-based healthcare system is not an easy task, but it is essential if we want to improve the quality of care and reduce the cost of healthcare. Here are four tips for creating a value-based healthcare system:
1. Use data to create benchmarks: The first step in creating a value-based healthcare system is to use data to create benchmarks. This allows healthcare providers to compare their services against those of their peers and see where they can improve. By doing this, providers can identify which treatments are cost effective and which ones are not.
2. Create incentives for high Quality Care: Another important step in creating a value-based healthcare system is to create incentives for high quality care. This means providing financial bonuses and other rewards to healthcare providers who deliver high-quality care. This will ensure that patients get the best possible care, while also reducing costs associated with poor quality care.
3. Encourage simple and coordinated care: A third key step in creating a value-based healthcare system is encouraging simple and coordinated care. This means ensuring that patients receive treatment from a single provider who knows exactly what they need and when they need it. By doing this, patients will be able to receive treatment
Conclusion
With so many different health insurance plans out there, it can be difficult to figure out which one offers the best value for your money. That’s where this article comes in! We’ve compiled a list of five healthcare providers that offer high-quality care at an affordable price, and we want you to take the time to compare them side by side before making a decision. Who knows — you might find the perfect plan that fits your needs perfectly! | https://healthtopical.com/best-way-out-value-based-healthcare/ |
As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse, the healthcare system faces new challenges in its efforts to better serve the needs of its changing population.
To that end, hospitals and healthcare providers must be prepared to make the necessary accommodations that are both respectful of and responsive to an increasingly diverse patient population. That’s according to a new report issued by the Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit organization that evaluates hospitals.
The commission, whose accreditation can affect whether a hospital gets Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, recently announced new standards on effective communication and cultural competence designed to improve patient care. Hospitals will have until next year to integrate the practices before the Joint Commission starts grading them in 2012.
Improving communication between patients and healthcare providers means patients’ needs and wants will be better understood and addressed, thereby enabling patients to understand and participate in their own care, the report says.
“Every patient that enters the hospital has a unique set of needs, clinical symptoms that require medical attention and issues specific to the individual that can affect his or her care,” the commission’s report says. “As patients move along the care continuum, it is important for hospitals to be prepared to identify and address not just the clinical aspects of care, but also the spectrum of each patient’s demographic and personal characteristics.”
Unfortunately, effective communication is often inhibited by a number of factors, including language and cultural differences, a patient’s hearing, speaking or visual impairments, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and age.
The Joint Commission’s 102-page “road map” is full of practical suggestions aimed at assisting healthcare providers and hospital administrators in implementing new standards to improve communication, cultural competence and patient- and family-centered care.
The recommendations come in response to increased research showing that poor communication between patients and healthcare providers results in more deaths and/or injuries, increased healthcare costs, a decrease in the quality of healthcare and poor patient satisfaction.
“A growing body of research documents that a variety of patient populations experience decreased patient safety, poorer health outcomes and lower quality care based on race, ethnicity, language, disability and sexual orientation,” the report says. “As cultural communication, mobility and other basic patient needs go unmet, hospitals will continue to put themselves and their patients at risk for negative consequences.”
Specifically, the Joint Commission’s guide addresses ways healthcare providers can:
- Improve overall patientprovider communication
- Develop language access services for patients (or providers) who speak languages other than English
- Translate materials into other languages
- Respect, understand and address different cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs
- Address the needs of patients with disabilities, including those with speech, physical or cognitive communication needs, as well as those who are blind/low vision and those who are deaf/hard of hearing
- Address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients
The new standards tackle a number of issues across the healthcare continuum from admission and assessment to treatment and discharge/transfer to end-of-life care, the report says. In most cases, hospital administrators will need to provide training as they move to implement these new standards. | https://www.diversityinc.com/roadmap-for-hospitals-culturally-competent-patient-care/ |
EALD (English as an Additional Language / Dialect) learners are students whose first language or dialect is not English, and who require language support to access the Australian Curriculum.
Many students speak an additional language or dialect, but do not require specialised support to access the curriculum due to their English Language Proficiency (ELP). These students are categorised as having a Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE). EALD and LBOTE students are from diverse, rich linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and contribute to making your classrooms a vibrant and interesting place to learn.
EALD students have specialised needs, as they are simultaneously:
- Learning a new language
- Learning through this new language
- Learning about language
In addition, they are learning to socialise in this new language and culture. There are many factors which will impact on how quickly they will gain proficiency in English, such as their previous educational experiences, motivation, personality, language aptitude and age on going to school.
They will require explicit instruction in the use of Standard Australian English (SAE) to successfully navigate this brave new world, learning to access the curriculum and how to be an active participant in their education. Teachers who can provide scaffolded support and guidance will be a huge support in students’ English language acquisition and academic success.
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EALD LEARNING PROGRESSIONS
Students for whom English is an additional language form a diverse group of students. They may come from a wide variety of both language and socioeconomic backgrounds and have variance of competence in their mother tongue, ranging from the ability to understand it in familiar contexts, but not to speak it, to full fluency. Students from any of the following categories can be identified as EAL/D students:
- Students with minimal or no exposure to English, whether born overseas or in Australia to parents with language backgrounds other than English, beginning school.
- Students newly arrived in Australia who come from a language background other than English.
- Students who have had all or some of their schooling in Australia, and whose home background includes at least one language other than English.
- Students with disrupted education in one or more countries returning to Australia.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders learning English as their additional language at school.
EAL/D students are in the process of becoming bilingual or multilingual users of English. They enter the school system with language skills and cultural and cognitive abilities, bringing to the task of learning a range of linguistic and cultural resources that contribute to their English language and content learning.
EAL/D Students and our Schools
EAL/D education aims to assist students to become competent in English in order to take an effective part in mainstream social and educational activities. This can be achieved by:
- Developing students' ability to function effectively in English in a wide range of social and learning contexts at school.
- Developing students' skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English, and to ensure that these skills are linked to all curriculum areas.
- Facilitating students' continuing conceptual development while they have minimal use and understanding of English.
- Building on students' linguistic and cultural identities in order to foster their confidence and motivation.
- Developing learning experiences with multicultural perspectives across all curriculum areas.
EAL/D learning at school is a multifaceted process and the time it takes for an ESL student to learn English varies according to a range of factors, such as previous educational experience, motivation, personality, language aptitude and age on going to school. EAL/D learning at school involves:
- Learning in a new language and understanding a new culture.
- Learning to socialise in the new language and new culture.
- Learning to draw upon the cognitive and linguistic resources of the new learning environment.
- Learning to operate at increasing levels of cognitive and linguistic sophistication within the new language.
EAL/D learners require explicit instruction in SAE in order to successfully access the curriculum and participate actively in the learning process. EAL/D teaching supports students by adding English as an additional language to their existing language repertoire.
Planning for EAL/D Learners
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority has developed the English as an Additional Language or Dialect Teacher Resource to support teachers as they develop teaching and learning programs to teach students for whom English is an additional language or dialect. This resource has been developed to:
- Advise teachers about areas of the curriculum that EAL/D students may find challenging and why.
- Assist classroom teachers to identify where their EAL/D students are broadly positioned on a progression of English language learning.
- Help teachers understand students' cultural and linguistic diversity, and the ways this understanding can be used in the classroom.
- Provide examples of teaching strategies supportive of EAL/D students
- Direct teachers to additional relevant and useful support for teaching EAL/D students.
This resource can be accessed here, via the ACARA website.
Documents which provide additional support for teachers when planning the learning required for EAL/D learners are described in the table. | https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/learning/secondary-learning-resources/eald/ |
Teaching the Holocaust involves confronting many challenges regardless of the setting involved. The complex nature of Holocaust history demands that students and teachers function at high intellectual levels as they study that history, and the need to determine how sensitive topics should be approached challenges educators in ways that are not present when teaching most other topics. Thus, any teaching of the Shoah places significant demands on teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical expertise.
These demands increase when educators teach students whose backgrounds differ from those of the general population. Specifically, students whose language skills limit their understanding of texts and classroom dialogue face multiple challenges as they seek to learn within new school environments. Moreover, the distinctive cultural milieu and life experiences that form the frames of references from which these students approach the study of all social studies topics make it imperative that teachers build curricula that include culturally relevant perspectives in order to ensure that students are provided an opportunity to learn material at sophisticated levels.
This paper considers how these factors influence the teaching of the Shoah in a Roman Catholic high school located in a major city in the western United States. More than 80% of the school’s students are either immigrants to the United States or members of the first generation of their families to be born in this country; thus, most students have been identified as English Language Learners (ELLs), a category used to determine if special language services should be provided to them. (…)
English Language Learner Education in the United States
Barbara Cruz and Stephen J. Thornton hold that most teachers do not feel qualified to work effectively with ELL students. While a high percentage of teachers in many regions of the United States have ELLs in their general education classrooms, fewer than 30% of all teachers have received any ELL training. Less than 3% of teachers are certified in ELL education, and no more than 1% of texts frequently used in teacher education programs include substantial coverage of ELL theory and practice.
This situation must be set within the framework of contemporary education in the United States. While total student enrollment in American schools grew 12% from 1990-2001, the ELL population expanded by 105% during those years. (…)
Given these factors, teachers must consider the presence of ELL students in their classrooms as they plan and implement curricula. This requirement assumes special significance in schools in which ELLs comprise a majority of the student body. (…)
For several reasons, social studies teachers face many challenges as they prepare lessons for presentation to classes that include ELL students. Vocabulary must be a focus when preparing lessons for ELLs because social studies terminology is abstract and is used in sentences whose syntax is often complex and not easily.
In addition, much social studies vocabulary is culturally derived and subject to subtle interpretations, thus causing even native English speakers to experience difficulties of analysis and implication. For ELL students, such cultural implications provide significant barriers to the development of their understanding of social studies topics. In addition, students from diverse cultural backgrounds often view historical situations in markedly different ways.
Moreover, ELLs frequently do not bring background knowledge about the American context of historical events to their studies. Conversely, native English speakers in the United States have often been introduced to such information in non-school settings prior to studying such topics in the classroom, thus aiding their comprehension of the topics being studied. (…)
Despite having received little or no training in language assessment techniques and acquisition strategies and pedagogies, social studies teachers are often required to make critical decisions regarding the language skills of their ELL students. (…) This process occurs within the already hectic context of social studies classrooms in which teachers must contend with all of the other duties and activities involved in the everyday teaching/learning process.
Finally, the selection of pedagogical approaches that reflect the backgrounds and needs of ELL students who are enrolled in mainstream social studies classrooms must be considered. Thus, Joy Janzen stresses that teachers must consider linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural aspects as they determine how best to present social studies lessons to ELL students. The presence of ELLs from many diverse backgrounds complicates what is already a multi-layered, highly nuanced process.
The fact that approaches used in teaching ELL students enrolled in American schools have changed dramatically in recent years complicates this process. Thus, Cruz, et al., (2003) note that “At the turn of the twentieth century, the goal of education was to ‘Americanize’ immigrant children and in many cases erase all vestiges of their native cultures, including their home languages. … But by the latter part of the twentieth century, educators began to question the educational soundness and equity of merely ‘Americanzing’ students” (p. 3). In the new model that developed in response to this critique of existing practices, the concept that ELL students had to conform to pre-existing academic, behavioral, cultural, and social expectations was replaced with an approach in which diversity was to be allowed, encouraged, and even valued. (…)
During the academic years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, a teacher at a parochial high school located in a Western state integrated two Holocaust units into the school’s curriculum. One unit was placed into an English 11 course, and the other was included in a United States history course. Each unit culminated with students participating in the local Yom HaShoah (Day of Remembrance) observance held in April of the year. This paper now discusses the approaches taken in developing and presenting the history units taught at Mount Carmel High School (MCHS). (…)
The approaches taken in teaching the Holocaust at MCHS are consistent with current theory that relates to teaching history and the social studies to English language learners. Four specific examples of the attention given to contemporary research may be noted in the development and implementation of MCHS’s units on the Shoah. First, the focus placed on vocabulary development is supported by Short, Vogt, and Echevarria (2011), who note that “Since proficiency in English is the best predictor of academic success, it seems reasonable that teachers of English learners should spend a significant amount of time teaching the vocabulary required to understand the lesson’s topic” (p. 12). Second, the emphasis given to involving students in varied activities inside and outside the classroom correlates with Short, et al., who state that many ELLs have never experienced collaborative learning in working toward the creation of a project.
Third, the development of a structured research paper is supported by Short, et al., (2011), who contend that “Academic writing is an area that is affected significantly by limited English proficiency” (p. 7); the research project assigned in MCHS’s Holocaust units is designed to address this issue directly. Fourth, and perhaps most critically, the approach used in teaching the Holocaust at MCHS is consistent with Lemke, who contends that effective content area learning must be centered on understanding the conventions used in the classroom in addition to learning the subject matter involved.
The Holocaust units at MCHS may be seen as an exemplar in promoting both content area learning in history and the social studies in addition to advancing the facility with which English language learners function within the contemporary American educational environment. As such, the units successfully merge academic learning with cultural acclimation, thus achieving the goals that are central to the mission of Mount Carmel High School.
You find the complete article in the PDF above. | http://learning-from-history.de/print/International/Posting/8884 |
In “Preparing the Way: Teaching ELs in the PreK -12 Classroom” (3rd Ed.), the authors talk about a student named Peyton who speaks several languages. Her grandmother speaks Spanish; her father and paternal grandfather speak Polish, and her mother speaks English. Upon Peyton’s arrival into the world, she was consistently spoken and read to by her respective relatives. When Peyton began Kindergarten, she spoke at an age appropriate developmental level. She was able to communicate with her peers without any noticeable differences in speech patterns or comprehension. However, her favorite language was Spanish and at first, she attempted to use only this language. Her teacher, Ms. Gerrior, noticed that Peyton followed along in class well. She socialized with others in a quiet but comfortable manner and seemed to greatly enjoy P.E., music, and art. Even though she was settling into Kindergarten well, Ms. Gerrior reviewed Peyton’s school file. She soon discovered that Peyton was trilingual at 5 years old. She also learned that there were several other students whose first language was not English. Ms. Gerrior’s class consisted of seven ELs whose parents immigrated from South America, Korea, and China (both Cantonese and Mandarin languages); along with four special needs students and nine other kindergartners. Some of these ELs were born in the United States and spoke at least one other language. Peyton was the exception in speaking more than two languages at home.
Her teacher, Ms. Gerrior soon understood that she would have quite a diverse group of students this academic year and she would need to connect students’ languages and cultural backgrounds to lessons and activities. She considered possible gaps such as, school-readiness, academic achievement, and cultural and linguistic differences. Research shows that each of these factors plays a significant role in teaching and learning. She realized the more informed she was about students’ prior schooling experiences, the more success she would have in meeting their needs. Studies show that there is an academic advantage for students who speak more than one language over monolingual students. There are approximately five million students whose first language is not English across the nation. Most are born in the United States and represent about 10% of the student population. One in four students is not fluent in English. Legislation mandates that ELs are identified; instruction is research-based and effective for all levels of English proficiency; parents are informed of the reasons why children are identified as English learners, their level of English proficiency, how this was assessed, and what will be done to meet their needs. However, despite federal and state regulations to advocate for these students and their families; there remains a gap inadequate teacher training across the nation.
Learning is more meaningful when ELs make connections to what is going on in the classroom to their own lives. They come from diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds; yet, they typically yearn to be actively engaged in class activities. Teachers, like Ms. Gerrior, face academic and language challenges almost daily, but their commitment to getting to know the sociocultural backgrounds of all students makes a difference. The cultural differences of Ms. Gerrior’s students define the foundation for instructional and assessment practices. Scaffolding, providing reading materials ahead of time, working closely with families, providing academic content words, promoting home languages, and other meaningful strategies are possible suggestions.
For this Kindergartener, Peyton, her cultural and language upbringing is all she knows. She will learn more in school as she continues to actively participate in activities with her classmates, teachers, and members of her school community. Right now, Peyton only knows what her family has taught her. Peyton’s cultural and linguistic background will expand as she is extended other experiences within the school community. She, along with the other ELs, have much to offer others; just as other students have much to offer ELs. It is the role of every teacher to foster this rich and meaningful experience across all content areas and grade levels.
Check out the 3rd upcoming edition of Preparing the Way: Teaching ELs in the Pre-K-12 Classroom by Kendall Hunt Publishing. | https://www.kendallhunt.com/blog/esol-higher-ed |
Multicultural Education is known as an educational procedure / strategy which fuses the perspectives, writings, values, convictions, and viewpoints of people from distinct social foundations. The primary function of putting it into practice in classrooms is to allow educators to adjust or join exercises to highlight diversity and social pluralism. We will discuss various disadvantages and advantages of educational method. Multicultural education came into the limelight in the early 1970s, following the action plan for change in the education system by the civil rights struggle. The goal was and continues to be to assist, appreciate cultural diversity amongst teachers and students. Multicultural educated students are often best prepared to work in a variety of classroom or commercial establishments and have a strong social intelligence.
Race, ethnic background, nationality, language, religion, class, sexual orientation, etc. are the critical elements involved in multicultural education. Students can be constantly reminded of history, cultures, and the importance of various groups by adapting it in schools and colleges. It also promotes the ideals of inclusion, democracy, diversity, critical thinking, and sense of unity, inquiry, outlook values and many more positive traits. This teaching strategy is seen as profitable in advancing educational achievements among students of foreigners (immigrants), and it is along these lines that it is given credit to be a contributor to the school reform movement.
Many genuinely think that Multigrade or cross-cultural education’s goals and objectives are to safeguard the culture of minority groups by encouraging young people to think broadly and get to know new thoughts and critical thinking. All this quite fundamentally helps students deduct, just as it urges them to have an increasingly open worldview. As a result, students are provided with the knowledge, beliefs, and skills required to engage in social improvements, resulting in equity for ethnic groups previously marginalized and excluded.
Just like every other Multicultural Education system, there are a few benefits and drawbacks to it. The pros and cons are as follows:
Disadvantages of Multicultural Education:
Since children from diverse ethnic, linguistic and social backgrounds study together from the same education system in a multicultural classroom, making it difficult for everyone to understand the subject. There’s a possibility teachers may be struggling to find out how well the students understand the content. As not all students come from the same backgrounds this causes a language barrier. People may be non-confrontational, submissive or otherwise indirect from other cultures.
Teachers in inclusive education must be equipped to manage conflicts and misunderstandings with different values , beliefs, cultures, assertions, patterns of behaviour, etc. that tend to arise among students from different cultures.
Advantages of Multicultural Education:
Multicultural Education exemplifies students to different culture and values, and creates good understanding and acceptance of people’s differences. It instils tolerance and personal acceptance. Since it encourages cultural relevance, anti-bias classroom, challenging students to reflect without jumping to stereotypes, shaping social skills and social action resulting in people engaged in civic engagement. The method encourages students to assimilate while maintaining intact their culture and values, making them feel inclusive. It can help children assimilate without compromising their cultural identity by being culturally conscious teachers, without biasing. It facilitates promoting a community of learning, which helps to preserve a sense of pride which trust in the learning. | https://eduindex.net/2020/07/04/multicultural-education/ |
Samantha Wauls was an intern at Ed Trust through December 2015. She previously taught high school English and third grade on her maternal grandmother’s tribal homeland, the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation.
When Charlie was in kindergarten, his teacher requested that his parents cut his long hair — a symbol of his Lakota heritage — because it was “a distraction” in the classroom. When he was in the third grade, his class read a book that described Native people as “savage” and “wild.” These debased depictions fell in stark contrast to the multi-faceted indigenous people and cultures Charlie had always witnessed at pow-wows and ceremonies.
Sadly, Charlie’s experiences are not isolated.
Native American and Alaska Native children across the nation continue to face many challenges in schools that neither honor — nor frankly seem to even understand — their rich cultures and heritage. Tribal leaders, parents, educators, and students are frustrated with these kinds of occurrences and are campaigning for the inclusion of language and culture in school environments for Native students.
In a recent report by the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, tribal communities identified a number of school environment issues that harm and isolate Native learners, from the use of all-too-common, cartoonish Native mascots and symbols to the lack of cultural awareness among staff and teachers.
Unmistakably clear in the White House report is the importance of curricula that accurately represent indigenous cultures, as well as Native language programs in schools — two pieces the report says are important for engaging and raising achievement among Native American and Alaska Native learners.
Research, too, links culture and language with improved academic outcomes, which is particularly critical given stagnated achievement among Native students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. For example, research shows that classroom techniques that leverage the diverse backgrounds of students promote high achievement among students of color. What’s more, a recent study on a Navajo-language immersion school revealed that Native language instruction increases overall academic performance among Native American students.
Create curricula and promote instruction that represent the complex history and culture of Native tribes and include opportunities for tribal members to engage with students. One specific example from the report highlights a partnership between an Alaska Native Heritage Center and its local high schools to provide cultural dance and art classes to Alaska Native youth, which contributes to student engagement in school communities.
Generate state- and district-led platforms that promote Native language programs in schools. Fortunately, the recently signed Every Student Succeeds Act authorizes more funding for language immersion programs like these. But monitoring how these policies break down barriers, like the lack of understanding of Native culture from teachers and staff, will require more attention.
Progress has been made to better serve Native students, but there is still a long road ahead in terms of honoring language and culture in the classroom. Our public school system is long overdue for a cultural overhaul where the unique language, culture, and identity of students like Charlie are respected and valued as an effective tool for closing the achievement gap. | https://edtrust.org/the-equity-line/honoring-native-american-language-and-culture-to-raise-achievement/ |
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