Unit 3 – Sadie Thompson

January 22, 2018

Learning Activity 3.5

Direct Quote:

Other researchers have not yet investigated the impact of PCDD/F and PCB’s on human development “To our knowledge, the influence of PCDD/F exposure on attention performance in children of school age has not been studied yet” (Neugebauer, J.W., et al., 2015, p. 154).

Reference:

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Neugebauer, J., Wittsiepe, J., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Schöneck, N., Schölmerich, A., & Wilhelm, M. (2015). The influence of low level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children: Results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study. International Journal Of Hygiene & Environmental Health, 218(1), 153-162. doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2014.09.005

Quote more than 40 words:

To our knowledge,this is the first study examining the influence of prenatal PCDD/F exposure on attention performance in school-aged children. We also analyzed associations between prenatal PCB and lead concentrations and the attention-related measures. At low environmental levels, we found significant associations with attention performance in healthy children, whereas ADHD-related behavior remained unchanged. Our results show that the associ-
ations of exposure to PCDD/Fs are – as expected – comparable to those of exposure to PCBs. Postnatal exposure through breastfeeding did not change the associations with attention performance. In addition, we provide evidence for the similar influence of BLLs on attention. In particular, we demonstrate the impact of prenatal lead exposure to be comparable to postnatal exposure. Although the sample size is limited, the longitudinal study design enables us to look at a possible link between prenatal PCDD/F, PCB and lead exposure and attention performance in children. Future analyses should consider incorporating a longitudinal exposure and outcome analysis design that make it easier to discriminate between prenatal and long-term postnatal exposure and to confirm attention performance in children. (Neugebauer, J.W., et al., 2015, p. 160).

Reference:

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

A sentence that refers to an idea from the article paraphrased:

Neugebauer et al. (2015) suggest that given that the sample size was somewhat small it is recommended that a longer post natal study be conducted to determine the effect of exposure to neurotoxicants over a longer period of time (Neugebauer, J.W., et al., 2015, p. 160).

Reference:

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

January 21, 2018

Learning Activity 3.4

Unit 3 Learning Activities

References

Diet related to killer diseases: hearings before the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs of the United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, first session. (1977). Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1977-.

Englehart, D. (2005). Health, hygiene, and nutrition: grades 3-4. Grand Rapids: Instructional Fair, c2005.

Hunter, E. M., Neubert, M. J., Perry, S. J., Witt, L., Penney, L. M., & Weinberger, E. (2013). Servant leaders inspire servant followers: Antecedents and outcomes for employees and the organization. Leadership Quarterly, 24(2), 316-331. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.12.001

Kaplan, T. and Stolberg, S.G. (2018, January 20). Is it Trump’s Shutdown or Schumer’s?. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/

Woodhouse, Dustan (2018, January 18). Retrieved from http://blog.dustanwoodhouse.ca/dustanwoodhouse/2018/01/are-you-in-a-variable-rate-mortgage.html

January 21, 2018

Learning Activity 3.3

Unit 3 Learning Activities

Article title

The influence of low level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children.

Authors

Julia Neugebauer, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Jürgen Wittsiepe, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Monika Kasper-Sonnenberg, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Nina Schöneck, (Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Axel Schölmerich, (Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Michael Wilhelm, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Source

ADHD is a diagnosed at a very high rate. This study investigates the relationship between exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs and lead on attention performance in children. It is the first study to the author’s knowledge of prenatal exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs and consequently how it impacts the exposed children with respect to attention performance in school. Exposure to to these neurotoxicants are thought to be contributing elements to the diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

Sample and Participant Selection

Within the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study, a study measured blood levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead in expecting mothers during their 32nd week of pregnancy. Levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead in the breast milk of mothers 2 weeks postpartum were measured. 117 school-age children with an average age of 8.5 participated in the KITAP testing. 114 school-age children with an average age of 9.5 completed the computer FBB-ADHS testing. Participant selection included pre-screening the children using the Wechsler Intelligence scale. One child who exhibited an intelligence quotient of less than 80 was elminated.

Assessments and Measures

School-aged children were tested for attention span using a questionnaire that was filled out by parents and through a computer-based test battery of attention performance (KITAP). Researchers used a multiple regression analysis to determine if exposure to these compounds influenced attention spans.

Results

The results showed that an increased exposure to PCDD/F and PCB did not significantly impact the ADHD-related behaviours. Researchers found that ADHD-related behaviours were affected by prenatal lead exposure. Increasing lead exposure, resulted in increased ADHD related behaviours.

Discussion

The study highlights the influence of prenatal PCDD/F, PCB and lead exposure on behaviours that are associated with ADHD.

Limitations of the Present Study

The sample size was somewhat small. It is recommended that a longer post natal study be conducted to determine the effect of exposure to neurotoxicants over a longer period of time.

Conclusions and Future Prospects

Pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/F and PCB can influence or increase the ADHD behaviours in young and otherwise healthy children. Research indicates that environmental contaminants can be a factor in affecting the development of healthy children. Beyond dietary choice or knowledgeable exposure, women and children can be unknowingly exposed to harmful neurotoxicants. While it is clear that diet, (nutritional factors, the amount of processed food consumed, or chemical additives ingested) plays an important role, it is clear that factors other than diet and nutrition can play a role in the healthy development of children. It is probable that there are many other causal factors involved in the development of attention related disorders. The causes of attention related disorders are complex and possibly interrelated, and it is clear that the potential influence of external factors such as environmental organic pollutants cannot be ignored.

Reference:

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

January 21, 2018January 21, 2018

Learning Activity 3.2

Unit 3 Learning Activities

Article title

The influence of low level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children.

Authors

Julia Neugebauer, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Jürgen Wittsiepe, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Monika Kasper-Sonnenberg, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Nina Schöneck, (Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Axel Schölmerich, (Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Michael Wilhelm, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Source

Methods

Sample and Participant Selection

Within the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study, a study measured blood levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead in expecting mothers during their 32nd week of pregnancy. Levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead in the breast milk of mothers 2 weeks postpartum were measured. 117 school-age children with an average age of 8.5 participated in the KITAP testing. 114 school-age children with an average age of 9.5 completed the computer FBB-ADHS testing. Participant selection included pre-screening the children using the Wechsler Intelligence scale. One child was eliminated that exhibited an intelligence quotient of less than 80.

Assessments and Measures

Results

The results showed that an increased exposure to PCDD/F and PCB did not significantly impact the ADHD-related behaviours. They found that ADHD-related behaviours were affected by prenatal lead exposure. Increasing lead exposure, resulted in increased ADHD related behaviours.

Discussion

The study highlights the influence of prenatal PCDD/F, PCB and lead exposure on behaviours that are associated with ADHD.

Limitations of the Present Study

The sample size was somewhat small. It is recommended that a longer post natal study be conducted to determine the effect of exposure to neurotoxicants over a longer period of time.

Conclusions and Future Prospects

Reference:

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

January 19, 2018

Learning Activity 3.1

Learning Activity 3.1

Unit 3 Learning Activities

The article I have chose can be found at: http://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:2145/retrieve/pii/S1438463914000947

Article title

The influence of low level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children.

Authors

Julia Neugebauer, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)
Jürgen Wittsiepe, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)
Monika Kasper-Sonnenberg, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)
Nina Schöneck, (Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)
Axel Schölmerich, (Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)
Michael Wilhelm, (Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44801 Bochum, Germany)

Source

Introduction

ADHD is a diagnosed at a very high rate. This study investigates the relationship between exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs and lead on attention performance in children. It is the first study to the author’s knowledge of pre-natal exposure to PCDD/Fs and PCBs and consequently how it impacts the exposed children with respect to attention performance in school. Exposure to to these neurotoxicants are thought to be contributing elements to the diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

The study measured blood levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead in expecting mothers during their 32nd week of pregnancy. They measured the levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and lead in the breast milk of the mothers 2 weeks post-partum. 117 school-age children with an average age of 8.5 participated in the KITAP testing. 114 school-age children with an average age of 9.5 completed the computer FBB-ADHS testing. All children in the study were pre-screened using the Wechsler Intelligence scale for children. One child was eliminated that exhibited an intelligence quotient of less than 80. School-aged children were tested for attention span using a questionnaire that was filled out by parents and through a computer-based test battery of attention performance (KITAP). Researchers used a multiple regression analysis to determine if exposure to these compounds influenced attention spans.

Results

Conclusion

The study highlights the influence of prenatal PCDD/F, PCB and lead exposure on behaviours that are associated with ADHD. Their studies resulted in the conclusion that these exposures can influence or increase the ADHD behaviours in young and otherwise healthy children. Given that the sample size was somewhat small it is recommended that a longer postnatal study is conducted to determine the effect of exposure to neurotoxicants over a longer period of time.

Personal comment

This research proves that environmental contaminants can be a factor in affecting the development of healthy children. I was not aware that women and children could unknowingly be exposed to a neurotoxicant, such as lead. In our everyday life a person just assumes that the food and water ingested is safe and free of harmful chemicals. In selecting my research topic, I was initially interested in the influence of diet, such as nutritional factors, the amount of processed food consumed, or chemical additives ingested through dietary intake, that may negatively impact a child’s behaviour. I find myself reflecting on all of the possible factors other than diet and nutrition that can play a role in the healthy development of children. I feel that there are many more factors involved in determining the cause of attention-related learning disorders in children that just diet. The incidence of environmental organic pollutants and their impact on attention-related disorders in children is an evolving area of research.

References

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Neugebauer, J., Wittsiepe, J., Kasper-Sonnenberg, M., Schöneck, N., Schölmerich, A., & Wilhelm, M. (2015). The influence of low-level pre- and perinatal exposure to PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and lead on attention performance and attention-related behavior among German school-aged children: Results from the Duisburg Birth Cohort Study. International Journal Of Hygiene & Environmental Health, 218(1), 153-162. doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2014.09.005

October 20, 2017

Response to Simarjit Shergill’s rank, talk, write post.

I like the definitions and concepts that your reading brings forward. As a teacher, I am constantly reflecting on how to teach students to become critical thinkers. How do we teach this and instill this as a value in young learners?

Another part of your post that I found interesting is when you discussed that the book suggests that a person should not always do things a certain way. In my own reading, I read that if you are constantly doing things the same way, it is likely that you are not making mistakes. However, if you’re not making mistakes you are not learning. ‘We learn more from our mistakes than from our successes’ (Hoerr, 2017). I believe this to be true. How can we be more self-aware, reflective, and open to criticism if we continue to do the same things over and over?

I find your post particularly interesting as it is promoting my own personal reflections. In your writing, you state that if one is not self aware while processing information, they risk preferring evidence that supports their ideas and rejecting information that is opposing to their beliefs.’ It is crucial for people to be able to look at the bigger picture, to be able to see things from another person’s perspective and to be able to be a critical thinker in order to experience success.

October 18, 2017

Rank-Talk-Write, Unit 3

“Teachers and administrators need grit too—today more than ever.” (Hoerr, 2017, P2) This article is meaningful to me as it serves as a reminder that no matter how hard we work as educators, we are constantly being faced with new and possibly more challenging problems in our everyday work. “It’s important to note that using grit doesn’t simply mean working harder. Teachers and principals already work hard. But regardless of how talented we are or how hard we work, some parts of our job will always require added determination. Despite the effort and progress we’ve made, we’ll always face new challenges that will require us to try and try again while maintaining our focus and energy.” (Hoerr, 2017, P4) The article is a good reminder that grit – or perseverance and passion – will help us as educators experience success with even our most difficult situations.

Some key ideas that I picked from this article include:

We learn more from our failures than our successes. (Hoerr, 2017, P5)
Character traits like grit, self-control, conscientiousness and self-confidence are as important as cognitive talent in determining whether students succeed. (Hoerr, 2017, P2)
When we face failure and seemingly overwhelming obstacles, our success will stem from how we respond. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
The realization that we’ll need to persist through setbacks is particularly important. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
We all have frustrations and problems that can’t be solved quickly or easily. It can be oddly comforting to learn that others also have frustrations—even those colleagues who never seem to sweat. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
Grit can become a habit when we approach failure or frustration as an opportunity to learn. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
We need grit to meet instructional challenges as well as to navigate the interactions and tasks that are part of every school day. (Hoerr, 2017, P2)
When your school tackles improvement efforts, do it with the understanding that things will not always go smoothly. When your school tackles improvement efforts, do it with the understanding that things will not always go smoothly. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)

This article serves as a valuable lesson for educators. Anything that we may be teaching our students, may have a stronger impact if it is something that we practice and value in our own lives. For example, it may be hard to instil values of faith and religion, if you are not practicing it yourself. It would be similar to trying to teach a language that you can barely speak. Teachers need to make an effort to live by the values and skills that they are trying to teach in order to provide meaningful examples and modelling for students. By giving students real examples of how these skills are used in life, they are more susceptible to try and use the skills in their own lives. Grit is something that we need to work on in our own lives too.

I picked this article because I feel that the message behind it is valuable to me. Sometimes I struggle in my own career with trying to be perfect and it is healthy to be reminded that perfection is not necessarily something I should strive for but rather making progress and accomplishing smaller goals. “If you’re not making any mistakes, it suggests that you’re simply doing the same thing over and over; “Making new mistakes, on the other hand, means that you’re trying new strategies and not repeating your errors, so you’re learning.” (Hoerr, 2017, P5) Making mistakes and learning from them is the progress that I would like to strive for. Hoerr also discusses the dynamic environment that educators work in. It is a job that changes with each group of students that come through. The problems we are faced with are not the same each year and we “They find it hard to accept that the job can still be difficult and exasperating for them at times. The reality is that each year brings new students, and the world continues to spin; no matter how good we are, new challenges—and, yes, new frustrations and failures—await us.” (Hoerr, 2017, P3)

Hoerr, Thomas R. (2017). Educators Need Grit Too! Education Leadership, Summer 2017. Pp. 60 – pp. 64