No description available.

Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Linguistics in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2005. / In 1994 South Africa gained democracy. A new dispensation had to emerge in almost all spheres of life. The constitution that was drawn does not only guarantee, but also promotes and celebrates a South African linguistic diversity - a different approach of the apartheid years. Every educational institution in the country is expected to be engaged in rethinking policy on all aspects of learning. It is, therefore, proper to consider possibilities for and the limitations of language learning in South African schools. The main aim of this research was to look at the role the indigenous languages may play in early education and that of English as a complementary language, along with other languages in public life in South Africa. School governing bodies (SGBs) were and still are expected to know the pedagogical implications of language learning and acquisition, that is; if children are denied their first language during their formative early years and are not yet fluent enough in their home language, their second language learning and acquisition is bound to suffer and that in the long run thus rendering their cognitive development irretrievably inhibited. The development of these children's additional language/s becomes hampered and negatively affected. For young linguistically developing children the language taught and the language used daily or at home must be the same for a number of years until a firm grounding in the first language is achieved. It is after this firm grounding then that a gradual introduction of another language should take place. Since South Africa belongs to a wider family, the global technological world; it needs to accept the hegemony and usefulness of English as an international language. Access to English has to be facilitated for all learners in this country. Mastery of English in particular or any other additional language in general depends on a firm mastery of one's home language. It is therefore quite disturbing to witness that the majority of school governing bodies (SGBs) are not informed about this responsibility of ensuring that their children learn in the language that has a potential for their cognitive development. In practice very few schools have taken this language responsibility seriously. In fact one doubts whether school governing bodies (SGBs) know of this responsibility. Languages taught and learnt currently were taught and learnt during the apartheid years. This is due to the fact that the majority of schools do not have an informed democratic language policy. The findings * of the present investigation present a number of recommendations and educational implications. The major findings include: 1. Awareness campaigns about the sensitive issue of languages to be embarked upon by the state and all its departments led by the Department of Education both nationally and provincially. 2. In all schools, learners should have access to, and be required to learn, at least a minimum of three (major) languages as subjects and/or as languages of learning. One of these languages should be an African language used in that particular province (e.g. IsiZulu in KwaZulu-Natal). 3. Languages chosen by the schools to reflect the language spoken by the institutional community (staff and learners) as well as the broader community within which the institution is located. 4. Curriculum designers to seriously consider improving both the content and the methodologies of teaching languages, particularly the indigenous languages, which still suffer from marginalisation. 5. The state to provide and allocate resources to ensure the equal development of all the (major) languages of South Africa. 6. No learner to be refused admission on the basis of a lack of language proficiency. 7. Schools to draw and publicise their language polices for everyone to see in their respective premises. 8. Cultural groups, institutions of higher learning as well as non¬governmental organisations, with diversity in mind, should pursue, promote, market and uplift all major South African languages to a level where even foreign countries are interested in studying these languages. These are the crucial recommendations the present investigation came up with. It is hoped that these recommendations would go a long way in ensuring a smooth transition of our learners from their home languages to additional languages, particularly English. The adherence to these recommendations may also help the majority of South African citizens to participate fully in their society and their economy through equitable and meaningful access to education. This study concludes by stating that the primacy of the mother-tongue in early education is a base for language transfer and hence, successful education in higher education. The mastery of English in particular or any other additional language in general, depends on a firm mastery of one's home language.

Non-native plants have invaded over 100 millions of acres of western arid land in the US and dramatically altered nutrient cycling rates. Changes in water cycling caused by invasive species are of particular interest because primary production in the Western US is typically limited by water availability and aquifer recharge reflects plant demand. Large-scale invasions can, therefore, be expected to cause large-scale changes in hydrological cycles, but until recently, there have been considerable limitations in the ability to measure the timing, location, and extent of water use. Here we injected a tracer, deuterated water (D2O), into five soil depths in two sampling periods (May and June) in two adjacent plant communities (native and non-native dominated). Plants were sampled at several distances from the tracer addition area to determine the horizontal and vertical extent of water use in native and non-native communities. The tracer injection was coupled with measurements of leaf level stomatal conductance, leaf area index, and volumetric soil water content to estimate plant transpiration. We found that both native and non-native plants transpired water from primarily the top 60 cm of the soil (>75%), with a particular emphasis (≥ 50%) on shallow soil water (<10 cm) while lateral roots did not exceed 50 cm for most species. Higher leaf area index resulted in significantly more water being transpired from the native community. Some sharp distinctions in timing and location of tracer uptake resulting from the differing phenologies of the dominant species in each community were observed and confirmed previous mechanisms thought to govern plant assemblages in these communities. In May, the non-native community dominated by annual grasses had higher tracer uptake at 10 cm than the native community but began using deep water (higher tracer uptake at 80 cm) as annual grasses senesced and tap-rooted fobs became dominant in June. The perennial native species, however, used the entire soil profile from the moment they became active until they senesced. Our approach shows promise for overcoming the lack of resolution associated with natural abundance isotopes and other enrichment approaches, and for providing detailed measurements of plant water-use space.

No description available.

This phenomenological study investigated the experiences and perceptions of eight female adult Native Americans distance learners. To understand the complex issues of Native American education and distance learning, the literature review included the history of the educational policy directed towards Native Americans, Tribally Controlled Universities and Colleges, distance learning, the Digital Divide, Vygotsky and socio-cultural learning, and the indigenous pedagogical paradigm. This study has a two-fold purpose: 1) to add to the body of knowledge on adult Native American distance learners by using qualitative methods to explore the experiences and perceptions of those learners, and 2) to introduce a Standard Model of Indigenous Learning and document if the five model threads are an important component of the participants' learning processes. With the accelerated implementation of distance learning platforms in the higher education arena, it is important to understand the experiences and perceptions of adult Native Americans. In addition, it is vital to determine if distance learning poses an underlying threat to their cultural values. Furthermore, determining which components of the learning process are important to adult Native Americans is a critical step in understanding and implementing the appropriate teaching methods and curriculum. The results of this study centered on the experiences and perceptions of the participants in various distance learning environments. Components and practices deemed necessary for learning to occur in the distance learning environment and the face-to-face classroom were discussed and defined. Respect, meaningful interaction, relevancy, and life-long learning were important themes found in the study. Several conclusions were drawn from the results of this study. The participants definitely differentiate between the meaning of education and learning. Building on that concept, most perceive distance learning environments that do not contain a face-to-face component as a tool to accomplish an education. However, respectful, meaningful, face-to-face interaction along with understanding the relevancy of the learning material is perceived as a real [indigenous] learning experience. Comments about the relationship between learning and life, made by the participants, clearly indicate support for socio-cultural learning. In addition, all participants indicated that the five threads of the proposed model are important factors in the learning process and should be incorporated into classrooms. The implications of the study are numerous. Without a face-to-face component, distance learning will not provide the learning experience desired by many Native Americans, thereby creating a possible barrier to education. The five threads of the Standard Model of Indigenous Learning were substantiated by all participants, who vary in age, tribal affiliation, educational background and blood quantum. Thus, the model can serve as a solid foundation for developing curriculum throughout the Native American community, rather than for just one tribe. Recommendations for further study include conducting this study with adult male Native Americans, indigenous peoples of other countries, and other ethnic groups to determine if the model can be generalized to other populations. The teaching practices of Native American instructors and the curriculum at Tribal colleges and universities should be examined to determine if, and to what extent, the five model threads are being used. Implementation of the Standard Model of Indigenous Learning has the capability of transforming the current educational system into a truly learning environment, rather than an environment of acquiring knowledge to satisfy educational requirements.

In A Science of Literature, I examine how and why US ethnologists and popular authors of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries collected, read, and interpreted Indigenous oral traditions as works of literature. “Oral traditions” in this case refers to the narratives and songs that Indigenous peoples maintained mostly orally, and which variously served religious, historical, philosophical, educational, and entertainment purposes within Indigenous communities. I track how, through the collection process, Euro-American authors transformed oral traditions into “Indian oral literature,” (re)writing versions of oral traditions that aligned with Western literary categories and attitudes toward the “primitive.” For the most part, this reconceptualization, I argue, worked to discredit oral traditions as bodies of knowledge—as works of fiction and poetry, oral traditions became, in effect, untrue—and it supported removal and assimilation efforts in so far as it was used to shed light on a primitive Indian psychology, one that was naturally poetic, but not rational, not scientific. And yet many Indigenous writers, like George Copway and Zitkala-Ša, took advantage of the popularity of Indian oral literature to produce their own print collections of oral traditions. I analyze these collections as works of Indigenous “counter science.” I show how Indigenous writers, for example, moved from informant to ethnologist as they cited, summarized, and transcribed oral traditions as tribal records (histories, maps, deeds) and later as works of moral philosophy, thus explicitly contesting their interpretation as merely works of the imagination. Oral traditions, as I argue, have functioned as important resources to which Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers alike turned to validate scientific and literary practices, to contest the history of colonization, and to debate US-Indian relations. / English

Green roofs are an emerging technology promoted primarily for stormwater management but little has been published about their potential for biodiversity performance. This is the first study to explore the potential for creating prairie-like, non-succulent, native plant communities on unirrigated extensive green roofs in the southeastern United States. Ten experimental green roof platforms were used to: 1) identify native species and methods of establishment appropriate for green roof applications in the southeastern United States; 2) examine the effects of introducing natural soil into a commercially available green roof soil media mixture on the survival and establishment of native prairie species; and 3) examine the composition of early successional green roof plant communities. Eleven planted species were successfully established and 46 colonizing species were identified. It was found that the addition of native prairie soil did not significantly affect survival, overall cover, or biodiversity in terms of species richness and evenness.

Denna rapport är skapad av tio studenter vid Linköpings universitet vårterminen år2023. Rapporten är en del av kursen TDDD96 — Kandidatprojekt i programvaruutveckling. Rapporten tar upp och behandlar metod och resultat av projektet som utfördes. Den tarockså upp erfarenheter som gruppmedlemmar fått genom projektets gång. Syftet med projektet var att utveckla en applikation till företaget Arboair, vilket är ett företag som står föratt skapa en friskare skog. Resultatet blev en applikation, som är en början till ett verktyg för skogsägare att analysera träd med hjälp av bilder från en drönare. Den viktigasteerfarenheten som gruppen tog med sig var att arbeta i ett mjukvaruprojekt där arbetsplaneringen stod i högt fokus.

Indigenous populations in the U.S. have been suffering from a youth suicide epidemic for decades. The epidemic and risk factors associated with it can be connected to the mistreatment of Native Americans throughout history which has caused their communities to suffer from numerous inequalities such as poverty, inadequate housing, loss of land, and destruction of culture. Using the concepts of biopolitics, post-colonialism, and structural violence, I argue that the social and political institutions forced upon Native American communities have led to increased alcohol and drug abuse, poverty, and disempowerment, all important factors that aid in the youth suicide epidemic. I also suggests that preventative programs not only focus on suicide but other risk factors involved such as alcohol and drug abuse.

No description available.