Prototype active scanner for nighttime oil spill mapping and classification

A prototype, active, aerial scanner system was constructed for nighttime water pollution detection and nighttime multispectral imaging of the ground. An arc lamp was used to produce the transmitted light and four detector channels provided a multispectral measurement capability. The feasibility of the design concept was demonstrated by laboratory and flight tests of the prototype system

Temporal and Spatial Dietary Variability in the Prehistoric Lower and Middle Osmore Drainage: The Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Evidence

Skeletal material from six sites representing human occupation in the Osmore drainage of southern Peru, circa A.D. 50 to 1400, was analyzed for carbon and nitrogen isotopes. The δ13C and δ15N values observed in the study indicate-spatial and temporal variability in diet. Specimens from the lower valley are, in general, more positive in both carbon and nitrogen than those of the middle valley, with the most positive values being present in specimens from the coastal Chiribaya site, San Geronimo. The data suggest, however, that all populations in the drainage experienced shifts in diet through time. Samples from the middle valley show a trend towards more positive δ13C values and less positive δ15N values, suggesting increased maize consumption, with particular emphasis on this food source during the Middle Horizon Period (A.D. 700-900). A similar trend toward more positive δ13C values is observed for the lower valley. However, the o15N values also appear to increase through time for lower valley populations, suggesting a more comprehensive utilization of marine resources. Dietary percentages calculated for the samples using a linear mixing model with end values from modem analogues of marine and terrestrial food sources from northern Chile refine the dietary differences suggested by the human isotope values, indicating a heavy to nearly total reliance on marine foods for lower Osmore prehistoric populations and a diet of varied resources from both the coast and altiplano, with an emphasis on maize, for middle valley peoples. Factors of geographic location, shifts in socioeconomic control and migration are discussed relative to the isotopic data of the study. Advisor: Karl J. Reinhar

Opinions of Minnesota Choral Directors Regarding Classroom Management

A Plan B paper submitted to the faculty of the graduate school of the University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in music education, September 2005. Committee names: Judith A. Kritzmire, Stanley R. Wold, Jeanne Doty. This item has been modified from the original to remove the signature page present.The purpose of this study was to determine the views of public school choir directors regarding effective choral classroom management. Although it may be argued that a classroom management strategy may be central to a choir’s success, few research studies were found regarding the different methods choir directors might use. The subjects for this inquiry were eight choir directors from the upper Midwest (US). Interviews were conducted, inquiring about subject’s opinions regarding their pre-service training in classroom management, the classroom management strategies they employ, and the relationship between classroom management and ensemble success. Subjects were also asked to describe their grading policy (i.e., daily attendance, participation, and participation in concerts). Results were presented in narrative form and in tables. The results of this study highlighted the close relationship between effective teaching and classroom management. All the respondents agreed that a successful classroom management strategy is a critical element in helping choirs succeed, but that they did not receive adequate training in this area as undergraduate music education majors. When managing students’ behavior in the classroom, the majority of those interviewed indicated that speaking individually with disruptive students was preferable to a public confrontation. Maintaining a professional relationship with students and protecting the dignity of students were paramount. All of the directors interviewed included some assessment of student behavior in their grading policies, and indicated that this was an integral part of their classroom management systems. Most of the directors interviewed recommended that there should be more specific training in classroom management in the undergraduate curriculum, instead of new teachers having to learn classroom management skills “on the job”. Further discussion may lead to more undergraduate institutions requiring explicit instruction in this subject. It is also recommended that choir directors use this study to develop a classroom management strategy that is most appropriate for their choirs

«Det foregår veldig lite læring et sted der det er helt stille»

Tematikken for denne studien er arbeid med språk- og fagopplæring i et flerspråklig klasserom. Flere andrespråksforskere fremhever viktigheten av stillasbygging, som innebærer den støtten læreren gir i interaksjonene med elevene, for å hjelpe elevene med å mestre nye språk- og faglige ferdigheter. Av den grunn er jeg interessert i å undersøke en utvalgt lærers stillaseringsstrategier i et flerspråklig klasserom. Problemstillingen for studien lyder dermed som følger: Hva kjennetegner lærerens bruk av og refleksjon rundt stillaseringsstrategier i et flerspråklig klasserom på mellomtrinnet? Studien er skrevet innenfor rammene til NTNU sitt PRANO-prosjekt og forskningsprosjektet Incluschool. Gjennom veiledede gruppesamtaler i matematikkundervisning undersøkes det hvordan lærerens stillaseringsstrategier fremmer elevenes språkferdigheter, samtidig som elevene tilegner seg faglig kunnskap. Jeg har brukt samtaleanalyse av data innhentet gjennom videobservasjon som primærkilde for å undersøke læreren stillaseringsstrategier. Videre dannet denne samtaleanalyse grunnlaget for studiens sekundærkilde gjennom intervju av den observerte læreren. I denne studien er det lærerens undervisningspraksis og didaktiske refleksjoner i en flerspråklig elevgruppe som står i fokus. Hensikten med studien er ikke å vurdere veiledet gruppesamtale som undervisningsmetode, men heller å produsere kunnskap om hvordan en lærer bruker stillaseringsstrategier innenfor rammene av veiledet gruppesamtale i et flerspråklig klasserom. Sentrale funn i denne oppgaven viste at læreren tok i bruk flere stillaseringstrategier i gruppesamtalene med elevene som: "ekko" av elevens respons, modellering av språkbruk, og aktiv involvering i samtalen. Disse strategiene bidro til at elevenes bidrag i samtalene ble bekreftet og ga dem muligheter til å være deltakende i gruppesamtalene. Videre viste funn fra studien at læreren intensjon var å støtte elevens språkutvikling og faglig forståelse, nærmere bestemt å gjøre elevene i stand til å samtale i faget med bruk av fagspråket. Et annet sentralt funn var at lærerens intensjoner om å øke elevenes språklig og faglig utvikling kunne se ut til å også ha en begrensende effekt på elevenes selvstendighet og muntlige ferdigheter, altså det motsatte av det som var intensjonen. Dette peker på et dilemma som ligger i spennet mellom behovet for å gi elevene nødvendig støtte i fagsamtalen og samtidig legge til rette for en atmosfære preget av frihet og utforskning som fremmer muntlig deltakelse i klasserommet.The theme of this study is working with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in a multilingual classroom. Several second language researchers highlight the importance of scaffolding, which involves the support the teacher provides in interactions with students, to help students master new language and academic skills. For this reason, I am interested in investigating a selected teacher's scaffolding strategies in a multilingual classroom. The research question for the study is thus as follows: What characterizes the teacher’s use of and reflection on scaffolding strategies in a multilingual middle school classroom? The study is written within the framework of NTNU's PRANO project and the Incluschool research project. Through guided group conversations in mathematics teaching, this study has investigated how the teacher's scaffolding strategies promote students' language skills, while students acquire academic knowledge. I have used conversation analysis of the data collected through video observation as a primary source to investigate the teacher’s scaffolding strategies. Furthermore, this conversation analysis formed the basis for the study's secondary source through interviewing the observed teacher. This study focuses on the teacher's teaching practice and didactic reflections in a multilingual student group. The purpose of the study is not to assess guided group discussion as a teaching method, but rather to produce knowledge about how a teacher uses scaffolding strategies within the framework of guided group discussion in a multilingual classroom. Key findings in this study showed that the teacher used several scaffolding strategies in the group conversations with the students, like: “echoing” the student's response, modeling language use, and active involvement in the conversation. These strategies helped to acknowledge students' contributions to the conversations and gave them opportunities to participate in the group conversations. Furthermore, findings from the study showed that the teacher's intention was to support learners' language development and academic understanding, specifically to enable learners to converse in the subject using academic language. Another key finding was that the teacher's intentions to increase students' linguistic and academic development seemed to have a limiting effect on students' independence and oral skills, i.e. the opposite of what was intended. This points to a dilemma that lies in the tension between the need to provide students with the necessary support in the subject discussion, and at the same time facilitate an atmosphere of freedom and exploration that promotes oral participation in the classroom

A teleoperated system for remote site characterization

The detection and characterization of buried objects and materials is an important step in the restoration of burial sites containing chemical and radioactive waste materials at Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD) facilities. By performing these tasks with remotely controlled sensors, it is possible to obtain improved data quality and consistency as well as enhanced safety for on-site workers. Therefore, the DOE Office of Technology Development and the US Army Environmental Center have jointly supported the development of the Remote Characterization System (RCS). One of the main components of the RCS is a small remotely driven survey vehicle that can transport various combinations of geophysical and radiological sensors. Currently implemented sensors include ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, an electromagnetic induction sensor, and a sodium iodide radiation detector. The survey vehicle was constructed predominantly of non-metallic materials to minimize its effect on the operation of its geophysical sensors. The system operator controls the vehicle from a remote, truck-mounted, base station. Video images are transmitted to the base station by a radio link to give the operator necessary visual information. Vehicle control commands, tracking information, and sensor data are transmitted between the survey vehicle and the base station by means of a radio ethernet link. Precise vehicle tracking coordinates are provided by a differential Global Positioning System (GPS)

A remote characterization system for subsurface mapping of buried waste sites

Mapping of buried objects and regions of chemical and radiological contamination is required at US Department of Energy (DOE) buried waste sites. The DOE Office of Technology Development Robotics Integrated Program has initiated a project to develop and demonstrate a remotely controlled subsurface sensing system, called the Remote Characterization System (RCS). This project, a collaborative effort by five of the National Laboratories, involves the development of a unique low-signature survey vehicle, a base station, radio telemetry data links, satellite-based vehicle tracking, stereo vision, and sensors for non-invasive inspection of the surface and subsurface. To minimize interference with on-board sensors, the survey vehicle has been constructed predominatantly of non-metallic materials. The vehicle is self-propelled and will be guided by an operator located at a remote base station. The RCS sensors will be environmentally sealed and internally cooled to preclude contamination during use. Ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and conductivity devices are planned for geophysical surveys. Chemical and radiological sensors will be provided to locate hot spots and to provide isotopic concentration data

Beyond sharing experiences

The purpose of knowledge management activities and practice is to enhance the ability to utilize the knowledge and experiences that exist embedded in the organization. Knowledge management is absolutely essential for the success of knowledge intensive project-oriented organizations like construction, and management should arguably put adequate resources in motion to facilitate and foster knowledge utilization on an organizational level. Even so, knowledge utilization has no real value to the organization unless project-participants, who are in need of useful knowledge receive it, accept it, utilize it and also re-apply it. We have investigated four separate subjects relating to these issues and found that all of them provide substantial possibilities for enhancing knowledge utilization in this knowledge intensive context. Leadership behavior, Mentorships, Portal solutions and virtual communication are addressed separately both theoretically and empirically. Measures and actions are presented as recommendations and cover a wide angel of approaches. The recommendation section is related to how a construction firm might improve knowledge- planning, development and sharing of knowledge. Some measures are easy, others could be more challenging to implement. Management is ultimately responsible for deciding upon which measures to take into account and how they should be both prioritized and customized to fit the organization under scrutiny. Issues illuminated through literature do vary from real life experience, and even though most theoretical implications seem rooted in reality they do differentiate. In essence we narrow it down to whether or not knowledge management should be deliberately controlled by management or on the other hand more emergent and culturally handled. By purposely placement of reflection questions throughout the study we try to spark the readers thought processing and reflection, in addition to visualize that there aren t many rights or wrongs when assessing knowledge management. As for the project thesis we do not want to signal that we propose direct answers to our research question. We discuss the subjects, raise awareness, illuminate knowledge management issues and provide the reader with alternatives and measures based on both literature- and empirical research

Strategisk kompetanseplan for innføring av hverdagsrehabilitering i hjemmetjenesten 2013

Planen er utarbeidet for å sikre implementering av hverdagsrehabilitering i kommunen med vekt på forankring, holdningsendring og kompetanseheving

A Remote Characterization System and a fault-tolerant tracking system for subsurface mapping of buried waste sites

This paper describes two closely related projects that will provide new technology for characterizing hazardous waste burial sites. The first project, a collaborative effort by five of the national laboratories, involves the development and demonstration of a remotely controlled site characterization system. The Remote Characterization System (RCS) includes a unique low-signature survey vehicle, a base station, radio telemetry data links, satellite-based vehicle tracking, stereo vision, and sensors for noninvasive inspection of the surface and subsurface. The second project, conducted by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), involves the development of a position sensing system that can track a survey vehicle or instrument in the field. This system can coordinate updates at a rate of 200/s with an accuracy better than 0.1% of the distance separating the target and the sensor. It can employ acoustic or electromagnetic signals in a wide range of frequencies and can be operated as a passive or active device