Multicultural curriculum issues in Wyoming early childhood programs

Nganga, Lydiah Wangui University of Wyoming 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This study examined multicultural curriculum issues in Early Childhood programs/centers, both licensed and exempt in Wyoming. Specifically, the study explored program goals and philosophies and the extent to which these goals and philosophies were implemented. In addition, the study explored the availability of professional development opportunities and curriculum materials. The nature of parental and community involvement was also examined. The population for this study consisted of 200 randomly selected early childhood programs/centers in Wyoming. A survey was mailed with a 50 percent return rate. However, only 37 percent (72/200) of the surveys were usable. The researcher interviewed five purposefully selected respondents for in-depth qualitative information. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Data indicated that a majority of early childhood educators in Wyoming did not have written multicultural curriculum guidelines. Indeed, 66.7 percent of the respondents reported that they were not required to teach multicultural curriculum. Meanwhile, programs with written guidelines reported higher levels of implementation of multicultural education. Data showed a majority of the programs were aware of the different types of materials that promote culture and the uniqueness of the child. Thus, they used a variety of relevant multicultural materials in their classrooms. However, the need for more materials and resources was reported. Data reviewed also a need for increased professional development activities, encouraging parental participation, and having open communication channels with community members and parents. Nonetheless, a majority of early childhood educators reported lacking the skills necessary to facilitate a link between home and school. The researcher provided several recommendations including the need for early childhood programs to develop curriculum philosophies and goals. Programs must also provide learning environments that affirm the image of every child. It is critical also for early childhood educators to have a better understanding of the components of a successful multicultural curriculum. Meanwhile, further research focusing on multicultural professional development and the availability of multicultural materials is necessary. Such a study could provide important insight on the effects of training and resources to the development and implementation of multicultural education. A regional and/or national study of similar programs is recommended.

Evolution of the Paleo- and Mesoarchean Gneiss of the Central Wyoming Province in the Western Granite Mountains of Wyoming

McLaughlin, J. Fred University of Wyoming ProQuest Dissertations & The 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This dissertation contains three parts that investigate the geological evolution of Paleo- and Mesoarchean gneiss and other metamorphic rocks in the central Wyoming Province. These rocks are exposed in the Sacawee block, an area of deformed Archean crust within the core of the Granite Mountains, Wyoming. The first chapter presents a review of the Sacawee block, including new research completed during this dissertation. Different orthogneiss suites extend across the Sacawee block, and U-Pb geochronology identifies two gneiss suites: a group of layered tonalitic gneisses and intercalated mafic rocks that are 3385-3450 Ma, and massive, trondhjemite and granite gneisses that are 3300-3330 Ma. Some gneisses contain inherited zircon grains that were 3.82 Ga. Hf isotopic compositions of 3.82 Ga zircon are negative, suggesting an older protolith. The orthogneisses of the Sacawee block formed by remelting of Hadean crust, which makes this one of the few terranes in the world with inheritance that old. A suite of quartz-cordierite gneiss (QCG) are described as distinct to the Sacawee block. They are Mg-rich and Ca- and Na-poor, which distinguishes them from regional metasedimentary and orthogneiss suites. Three categories of QCG were recognized; one type retains sedimentary textures, while a second group retains textural evidence of orthogneiss parentage. A third group of QCG has uncertain parentage and relationship to surrounding gneiss. The QCG formed via Mg-rich metasomatic alteration, which could be associated with Neoarchean tectonism and the assembly of the Southern accreted terranes or an older rifting event. A Neoarchean supracrustal sequence, the Radio Tower Hill paragneiss, is located in the southwestern Sacawee block. This sequence is ~2.66 Ga, which is younger than other regional metasediments. It has detrital zircon grains sourced from the older rocks of the Wyoming Province, as well as Neoarchean detrital zircon grains. The sediment was deposited in a basin near an intercontinental arc within the Wyoming Province and approaching terranes from the south. The structural geology of the western Granite Mountains preserves a record of deformation associated with the convergence of Southern accreted terranes and the older parts of the Wyoming Province. In the field area, foliation trends northeast-southwest and dips to the south. Shear zones follow foliation trends and are subvertical. The study area is shown to contain two structural domains; a block of pure shear called the Radio Tower Hill domain, and a block of simple shear called the Tin Cup Mountain domain. These domains were formed along a transpressional belt between the obliquely converging Southern accreted terranes and the northern Wyoming Province. U-Pb ages of a leucosome in the field area and a deformed leucogranite in the central Granite Mountains are coeval at ~2635 Ma, interpreted to define the time of peak deformation during accretion. The northeast-southwest Archean fabrics appear to have influenced the orientation of younger structures in the central and southeastern Wyoming Province.

Nature and growth of nonmarine-to-marine clastic wedges: Examples from the Upper Cretaceous Iles Formation, Western Interior (Colorado) and the lower paleogene Wilcox Group of the Gulf of Mexico Basin (Texas)

Crabaugh, Jeff Patrick University of Wyoming 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Sequential stratigraphic analyses of third-order, nonmarine-to-marine; clastic wedges provide insights on their growth. Examples studied are the Campanian, Iles Formation, Western Interior Basin (a foreland basin); and the upper Paleocene-lower Eocene Wilcox Group, northwest Gulf of Mexico Basin (a passive-margin basin). In the Iles Formation, the geometry and architecture of fourth-order (0.08–0.5 m.y.) marine-sandstone tongues appear to have a relationship to third-order (0.5–5.0 m.y.) shoreline trajectory. These relationships include a positive correlation between low angles of third-order shoreline trajectory, increasing sandstone-tongue length, and the presence of sharp-based shoreface sandstones, incised valley fills, and gutter casts. The Iles wedge of the Sand Wash Basin displays a regressive-transgressive pattern of shoreline trajectory that spans 3.3 m.y. It is proposed that this third-order sedimentary cycle can be recognized across the region of northwest Colorado and southern Wyoming. The Campanian of the southern Wyoming/northern Colorado sector of the WIB contains four, large-scale third-order clastic-wedge intervals, or sequences (2.8–3.5 m.y.). These clastic wedges can be identified based on a combination of shoreline trajectory and the presence of regional erosion-surfaces created by relative falls in sea level. Inferred climatic warming coincides with transgressive bases of three Campanian wedges (wedges 1, 2, and 4). In the Wilcox Group of Texas, four clastic-wedges have recurrence intervals ranging from 2.5–3.3 m.y. It is proposed that clastic wedges with recurrence intervals of 2.5–3.5 m.y. represent a commonly recurring scale of sedimentary sequence. Published accounts of recurring, abrupt warming events (interregional to global in scale) show a close correspondence in timing with the transgressive maxima defining boundaries of the four Wilcox clastic wedges. Cross-cutting relationships of thrust-faults at the margin of the greater Green River Basin (Laramide foreland of Wyoming) show evidence of thrust motion that corresponds to strong regression to early transgression in the Wilcox Group (Texas Gulf of Mexico Basin). Motion on these faults ceased at times equivalent to the transgressions bounding Wilcox clastic wedges. This relationship provides evidence to suggest that deformational episodes in the thrust belt and greater broken-foreland correspond to episodes of increased generation of sediment that fed continental-scale rivers and associated delta complexes at the passive margin.

Integrating Machine Learning and Optimization Tools in the Management of Low-Volume Roads

Albatayneh, Omar Mahmoud University of Wyoming ProQuest Dissertations & The 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

In the U.S, Wyoming is characterized like other western states by the diverse and expansive geography. However, most of Wyoming’s roads are considered as Low-Volume Roads (LRVs) due to the low volume of daily traffic. Most of these roads are gravel roads which account for 90% of the county roadways in the state. These gravel roads are operated and maintained by local agencies. These agencies have heavily restricted resources that are restricted to a specific time or use and thus no long term plans. Therefore, the Wyoming Technology Transfer Center (WYT2/LTAP) is currently developing new management systems for managing LVRs in the state and especially gravel roads. Such systems are proposed to provide practicable solutions so that local agencies can avoid the inevitable problems related to budget concerns,The aim of this research is to develop comprehensive management systems for LVRs. This dissertation started by integrating machine learning and optimization techniques for managing gravel roads in Wyoming. These techniques will reduce the cost of data collection and improve the efficiency of the decision-making process. Therefore, practices to operate and maintain the gravel roads network in Wyoming will be enhanced. Before the statewide implementation of the recommended practices, the southeastern part of Wyoming (Laramie County) was selected to perform a baseline and sighting study. Therefore, the development of a comprehensive dataset was required. For this purpose, encyclopedic data collection efforts were mainly made using smartphones in order to evaluate the gravel road network conditions. Various optimization, machine learning, and statistical techniques were utilized to develop and establish evidence-based practices. These techniques included: Image Processing, TensorFlow, Inception-v3 model, Bayesian Regularization Feedforward Neural Networks (BRANN), 0/1 Knapsack Problem, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), and Binary Probit Regression.Consequently, this research establishes stepping stone methodologies to use smartphones in evaluating dust on gravel roads. Therefore, these methodologies are considered as the foundation or the grass-roots for establishing low-cost tools and methodologies that have the ability to help in operating and managing the gravel roads in the state. The dissertation is written for counties or regions within Wyoming State, although it could be used for statewide implementation or even for larger metropolitan areas. This research was done in the belief that the developed and recommended methodologies will then be used to improve the maintenance practices’ effectiveness and provide more low-cost strategies to manage and maintain the gravel roads network.

Macroinvertebrate foodwebs in saline wetlands of the Laramie Basin (Wyoming)

Hart, E. Andrew, II University of Wyoming 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This dissertation presents the results of a stable isotope survey (δ<super>13</super>C and δ<super>15</super>N) and complementary gut-content analysis of macroinvertebrates from wetlands in the Laramie Basin, Wyoming. Throughout, there is an emphasis on comparing different types of saline wetlands i.e., oligosaline versus mesosaline. The body of the results are organized into three main themes as discussed below. The interpretation of stable isotope survey data was carefully scrutinized and compared to gut-content analysis. The main conclusion is that to avoid incorrect interpretation, stable isotope survey data should be complemented with independent observations such as gut-content analysis, especially for wetland macroinvertebrates. In particular, enrichment patterns of δ<super> 15</super>N should not always be interpreted as indicators of foodchain length or trophic level. A review of other likely interpretations of δ<super> 15</super>N enrichment is presented, as well as the idea that variations in the timing of nitrogen cycling can cause variations in δ<super>15</super>N enrichment. The relative of importance of macrophytes versus algae for macroinvertebrates was compared for each wetland type. The main conclusion is that macroinvertebrate foodwebs in both oligosaline and mesosaline wetlands are supplied by algae. This finding stands in contrast to the traditional idea that wetland foodwebs are based mainly on macrophyte detritus. However, direct consumption of algal cells was not always the most important pathway. Extracellular products of algal photosynthesis present in biofilms appear to be quite important to consumers in these wetlands and are probably important in other wetland types as well. The role of both top-down and bottom-up factors in explaining differences in macroinvertebrate assemblages was examined. One of the most important findings was that damselfly larvae consumed mainly chironomid larvae and zooplankton and did not consume amphipods. The balance of interactions between amphipods, chironomid larvae, and their predators has important implications in these wetlands and probably in similar wetland types.

Disturbance attenuation in precise hexapod pointing control using positive force feedback

Lin, Haomin University of Wyoming 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This dissertation investigates the use of Positive Force Feedback (PFF) in precise hexapod pointing. It is well known that (negative) feedback control performance is limited theoretically by RHP (right half complex plane) poles, RHP zeros, time delays, etc. of the plant transfer functions, and practically by the (actuator) input constraints as well as model uncertainties. PFF can compensate for the detrimental effects of load dynamics, some nonlinearities such as Coriolis terms, model uncertainties and exogenous force/torque, by subtracting the disturbance forces at the plant inputs. With real world non-ideal force/torque actuators, a PFF controller can be designed to accommodate the actuator's dynamics. This dissertation develops new methods to make PFF an effective method for some practical control problems. When accurate measurement of the disturbances is available, it is shown that the analysis and design of motion control systems with PFF can be put into the mu framework, and thus the tracking controller and the force/torque feedback controller can be synthesized simultaneously using commercially available mu tools. Some practical issues, which are independent of design methods, such as the robust stability of the PFF loop and the bandwidth requirements for the PFF controller, are also discussed. It is concluded that, outside the system's effective tracking bandwidth, it is not wise to use model-based "perfect" PFF for a "big" load due to the lack of robustness of the PFF loop against the actuator uncertainties. PFF can be effectively used inside the tracking bandwidth to enhance performance. Two degree-of-freedom precise pointing control algorithms are aimed at tracking while suppressing disturbances. Though positive feedback has the potential to improve the system performance by direct subtraction at the plant inputs, it is sensitive to measurement errors and lacks robustness to model uncertainties. This means that if the disturbances cannot be measured accurately, direct feedforward of the inaccurate information could deteriorate the performance, or even result in instability. This dissertation presents a new combined control strategy for two degree-of-freedom precise hexapod pointing control, in which PFF is used to attenuate payload disturbances, and extra acceleration feedback loops are added to enhance the PFF loop robustness as well as decrease its sensitivity. Also, a new method for avoiding destructive interference in parallel feedback system design using a sequential loop closure technique is proposed. Since the payload disturbances cannot be measured directly due to sensor mounting difficulties, an estimate is constructed, based on the hexapod model, and used for PFF. The algorithm is implemented on one of the University of Wyoming's (UW) hexapods, and experimental results demonstrate that pointing errors caused by the payload disturbances are decreased, despite residual coupling and disturbance estimation errors.

An Integrated Understanding of the Hydrological Controls of Mountain Lakes

Mercer, Jason University of Wyoming ProQuest Dissertations & The 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Lakes are important feature in mountain watersheds, storing water during the wetter months and releasing that water during the drier parts of the year thereby sustaining hydrological flows to lowland areas when water is most needed. However, the hydrological pathways and conditional controls of those pathways are still unclear. To better understand the hydrology of mountain lakes, I studied several (n = 14) of these ecosystems over a three-year period, 2015-2017 in the Snowy Range of the Rocky Mountains, southeast Wyoming. I focused on understanding the conditional controls of atmospheric and groundwater exchanges using a combination of hydrological tracers and measurements within a Bayesian modeling framework. Results indicate that stable water isotopes, a key hydrological tracer, are likely recording more environmental process information than previously thought, which could allow both improved process representation and a better understanding of current and past climate conditions. Groundwater exchange (both gains and losses) was found to be important, but surface processes dominated the hydrologic balance for most of the studied lakes. Given that groundwater transit times tend to be relatively longer, this suggests mountain lakes will express a continuum of responses to environmental shifts in the future, such as those associated with climate change. Precise responses, however, will likely depend on specific climate trajectories and the geometry of local groundwater systems.

Teacher beliefs about conceptual understanding in mathematics

Lovelace, Stephen D University of Wyoming 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This study investigated teacher beliefs about conceptual understanding and what teachers' believe to be observable indicators of student understanding in mathematics. The study was based on interviews and observations of six middle level teachers who are participating in the Middle School Mathematics Initiative at the University of Wyoming. The study further analyzes the impact of the Middle School Mathematics Initiative on teacher beliefs about the conceptual understanding of mathematics and its indicators. Analysis of the data suggests that teachers believe conceptual understanding is knowing how ideas are connected, the ability to transfer knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge outside the classroom setting. They believe that understanding is demonstrated within the flow of the classroom day when students are explaining what they know, when they are performing talks that expose understanding and also by the affective reaction or state of the students. They felt that what they see as understanding in students has been impacted by their experiences in the Middle School Mathematics program and they feel their own understanding has been enhanced by their experiences there.

A Modeling Perspective on Orographic Glaciogenic Cloud Seeding Opportunity and Productivity in the Rocky Mountains of the United States

Mazzetti, Thomas Owen University of Wyoming ProQuest Dissertations & The 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

In the face of increasing water demand and water uncertainty in a warming climate, scientific interest in weather modification to enhance precipitation has been growing worldwide in recent decades, including in the arid interior western United States. Local governments and other stakeholders have been eager to employ this water scarcity mitigation tactic for a long time, but the scientific basis for cloud seeding has been weak. The most promising technique appears to be glaciogenic seeding of orographic clouds, but the amount of precipitation enhancement and its sensitivity to cloud and environmental conditions are poorly understood. This study builds on recent field and modelling work, and uses a state-of-the-art model to examine the feasibility and yield of orographic ground-based cloud seeding with silver-iodide (AgI). Chapters 2 and 3 offer a broad climatological perspective on this, employing a regional high resolution climate simulation to characterize when, where, and how often cloud seeding may be used in across the interior western United States. This work, already published (Mazzetti et al. 2021), provides a means of direct comparison of “seedability” over different mountain ranges. Furthermore, these patterns are extrapolated into a ~2050 climate with a pseudo-global warming simulation. Chapter 4, a manuscript to be submitted within the next month, evaluates 10 years of operational ground-based seeding over Wyoming’s Wind River Range. In this numerical exploration, it is found that seeding yield is ~1.10% on average. This small overall increase is attributed to poor targeting: most seeding events were ineffective. The simulations also yield a better understanding of seedability of orographic weather systems.

The impact of contextualized assessments on high school math teachers' classroom practice: A case study of one Wyoming high school

Foster, Vicki Anne University of Wyoming 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This study investigated the impact of a mandated contextualized assessment system on high school math teachers' classroom practice in one large high school in Wyoming immediately after implementation of the system. In 2000, the Wyoming legislature established graduation requirements for students that included mastery of the common core of knowledge and common core of skills. The State Board of Education and the Wyoming Department of Education decided to require that districts collect a convincing array of evidence that could be used to determine whether or not a student had met the graduation requirements. School districts were to create an assessment system, called the Body of Evidence, which would yield the most valid inferences possible about a student's performance on Wyoming Content and Performance Standards. The school district in which the case study was conducted adopted contextualized assessments written by teachers in Wyoming as part of the Wyoming Activities Assessment Consortium. Math teachers in the district chose assessment activities from these samples that could be naturally embedded into instruction. These activities were common in all identified Body of Evidence courses, such as pre-algebra, algebra I, and geometry. Nine members of a high school mathematics department agreed to participate in interviews, a task analysis activity, a questionnaire, and a survey. In addition, four teachers were observed for an entire course of study, and records were kept of the purposes of their lessons, their classroom interaction, the procedural complexity of the math content, the problem presentation (e.g., context and processes used), and the cognitive complexity of questions asked of students. Data showed that there was a reported change in teachers' practices at the end of the study, but few changed their beliefs as a result of using the common assessments for the Body of Evidence. Questioning by the teachers remained at the lower level throughout the course. However, the use of tasks with moderate- to high-level procedural complexity increased over time with a subsequent decrease in use of low-level tasks.