RESPOND TO THESE STUDENTS POST Victoria post 75 words post In 1946, scientists first discovered that DNA can be transferred between organisms. It is now known that there are several mechanisms for DNA transfer and that these occur in nature on a large scale, for example, it is a major mechanism for antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. The first genetically modified plant was produced in 1983, using an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant (Bawa, & Anilakumar, 2013). Genetically modified food organisms are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods (“GMO Facts,” 2016). Many argue that GMOs can cause environmental damage and health problems for consumers. This is because genetically modified foods have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sickness, sterile and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals. While researching this topic, I found a lot of scientific evidence available to illustrate the effects of the health hazards caused by genetically modified food organisms. “Many scientific data indicate that animals fed by GM crops have been harmed or even died. One example reported had rats exposed to transgenic potatoes or soya had abnormal young sperm; cows, goats, buffalo, pigs and other livestock grazing on Bt-maize, GM cottonseed and certain biotech corn showed complications including early deliveries, abortions, infertility and also many died” (Maghari, & Ardekani, 2011). Another issue is that new proteins can be synthesized that can produce unpredictable allergenic effects. For example, bean plants that were genetically modified to increase cysteine and methionine content were discarded after the discovery that the expressed protein of the transgene was highly allergenic (Bawa, & Anilakumar, 2013). Michael post 75 word post  "Pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more than just the “pests” at which they are targeted." (PAN UK, 2019). This fairly succinctly summarizes the idea. The entire purpose of a pesticide is to repel or kill species that are harmful to certain desirable plants, most of which serve as edible produce to humans. However any substance that is harmful to organic life has the potential to have negative repercussions on creatures that the pesticide is not intended to bring harm to. Like the humans who would eat the produce being protected by the pesticide. In the short term we can have various forms of irritation or minor illness, while in the long term we can have cases of Parkinson's disease and cancer. When it comes to alternatives to pesticides the answers are a bit tricky depending on the pest. For pests such as mosquitoes having garlic growing is a simple and natural alternative to chemicals. Pests such as ants, caterpillars, an.

1. RESPOND TO THESE STUDENTS POST
Victoria post 75 words post
In 1946, scientists first discovered that DNA can be transferred
between organisms. It is now known that there are several
mechanisms for DNA transfer and that these occur in nature on
a large scale, for example, it is a major mechanism for
antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. The first genetically
modified plant was produced in 1983, using an antibiotic-
resistant tobacco plant (Bawa, & Anilakumar, 2013).
Genetically modified food organisms are living organisms
whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a
laboratory through genetic engineering. This creates
combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do
not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods
(“GMO Facts,” 2016). Many argue that GMOs can cause
environmental damage and health problems for consumers. This
is because genetically modified foods have been linked to toxic
and allergic reactions, sickness, sterile and dead livestock, and
damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals.
While researching this topic, I found a lot of scientific evidence
available to illustrate the effects of the health hazards caused by
genetically modified food organisms. “Many scientific data
indicate that animals fed by GM crops have been harmed or
even died. One example reported had rats exposed to transgenic
potatoes or soya had abnormal young sperm; cows, goats,
buffalo, pigs and other livestock grazing on Bt-maize, GM
cottonseed and certain biotech corn showed complications
including early deliveries, abortions, infertility and also many
died” (Maghari, & Ardekani, 2011). Another issue is that new

2. proteins can be synthesized that can produce unpredictable
allergenic effects. For example, bean plants that were
genetically modified to increase cysteine and methionine
content were discarded after the discovery that the expressed
protein of the transgene was highly allergenic (Bawa, &
Anilakumar, 2013).
Michael post 75 word post
"Pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more
than just the “pests” at which they are targeted." (PAN UK,
2019). This fairly succinctly summarizes the idea. The entire
purpose of a pesticide is to repel or kill species that are harmful
to certain desirable plants, most of which serve as edible
produce to humans. However any substance that is harmful to
organic life has the potential to have negative repercussions on
creatures that the pesticide is not intended to bring harm to.
Like the humans who would eat the produce being protected by
the pesticide. In the short term we can have various forms of
irritation or minor illness, while in the long term we can have
cases of Parkinson's disease and cancer.
When it comes to alternatives to pesticides the answers are a bit
tricky depending on the pest. For pests such as mosquitoes
having garlic growing is a simple and natural alternative to
chemicals. Pests such as ants, caterpillars, and aphids can be
held at bay with insecticidal soap composed of potassium salts
and fatty acids, which is a much more natural product than most
chemical pesticides.
For Catherine and Andrea post identify at least one idea or
approach that you did not use, describe how you might use it in
the future, and explain what that idea or approach would add to
the approaches you used yourself. Then make one suggestion

3. that you think might help that peer in the future.
Catherine post
The starting point for the investigation was to discover what
was of true interest. Several ideas came to mind, so it took a bit
of contemplation to narrow down the topic. Once a topic was
settled on, and research began, the topic was too narrow, or
rather, too detailed. The original topic was the use of
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for PTSD in Veterans and First
Responders. While researching this topic, it was discovered
that there were no results, meaning I had to refine the topic to
being either Veterans OR First Responders. There was much
more availability on Veterans, than First Responders, so the
topic was adjusted to fit the available information. The
database used was PsycArticles, as this provided the most
search results. I decided to stop looking for more articles when
I realized that the number of saved articles was getting out of
hand (over 20), and narrowed down the articles to use, to
articles that were published within the last 8 years. A
realization that occurred while performing the research was that
there is a very high correlation of PTSD and BPD symptoms,
and that there is a lot of speculation regarding why the
correlation is so dramatic.
The readings for this unit, from
Critical Thinking in Psychology
, helped in that I was able to keep in mind that there is
unintentional blind obedience that happens, a bias toward
thoughts and beliefs, that can alter the views of research and
expectations. One thing to keep in mind is that these personal
hopes can unintentionally skew interpretation of material,
research, and results. Being able to critically think about the
instructions given to you by another allows for an awareness

4. that may not have been obvious before.
If asked to conduct a similar search in the future, the only thing
that would potentially change, at this point, is to be aware of
the year’s articles are published, prior to getting sucked into the
meat of the articles. While the information is helpful, useful,
and interesting, some of the articles ended up being a “waste of
time”, as they were eliminated from being used due to the age
of the information.
Andrea post
As I reviewed the list of dissertation ideas, the effectiveness of
restorative practices was considered. The research process
started by entering the “impact of restorative practices on
school climate” and the results were very general but consisted
of a variety of perspectives, such as peace education, justice,
and educational psychology. After briefly reviewing the
articles, the search terms of school to prison pipeline,
restorative practices, and learning were added to the search
results. Some results were dismissed because they were program
reviews or discussed theories that were not directly related to
restorative practices. The research process was halted when
differing perspectives, methodologies and theories were located.
One of the surprises of the literature search was the amount and
date of studies conducted overseas. The articles that I found to
be the most informative, were from the UK and New Zealand,
The importance of community and the roots of restorative
practice from indigenous peoples were well highlighted,
particularly the Maori culture (Standing, Fearon, and Dee,
2011). The knowledge I possessed about the roots of restorative

5. practices came from the school to prison pipeline, there was
some mention of the native American culture in my training but
it was not emphasized. The article really highlighted the
importance of community and it honored other Non-Western
cultures. While the information was brought in as an aside to
recognize them and reflect progress, at the same time is
continues to reflect bias. The lack of empirical research was a
surprise. A few studies used research methodologies but most
articles were case studies, program reviews, or anecdotal in
nature. Also, the depth of research between the UK and New
Zeland, and the US was surprising given the emphasis in
education policy,
The readings caused me to be more intentional about what I
wanted to gain from the readings. As I was reading, I made
notes connecting ideas or crafted questions that were raised
about the research. In addition, I found myself questioning the
researcher's ideas or process more frequently where I would
have accepted their authority before our readings (Ruscio, n.d.)
For example, there was what at first skim, looked like a good
article about the school to prison pipeline and the concept of
restorative justice using social theory. However, as the article
progressed more loaded language was incorporated, such as
“liberal agenda” and “radical critiques” (Koon, 2019). The
concept of using a social network to discuss the topic is what
drew me to the article but as I read, the language and bias
caused me to question the conclusions drawn. Philip (2006)
spoke about how ethical behavior is a growing concern with the
increase in competition for funds and positions. As I completed
reading the article, the question of who was funding the
research came to mind even though it was located in the
American Educational Research Journal, is peer-reviewed and is
listed on the top journals for Educational Psychology (Capella,
2018)

6. If I were to research restorative practices again, there are
several ways I would change my approach. First I would
research specific theories, such as Glasser’s reality and examine
the connections between his ideas and restorative practices
implementation strategies. As I read the various articles, a
connection exists but the articles selected did not lend
themselves to examining the idea more critically. Also, limiting
the date of publishing would be beneficial because some of the
articles were written earlier than 2007 which is over 10 years.
The earlier articles did allow me to see the history and
evolution of restorative practices. However, it also caused me to
questions whether some of the findings were still applicable.
Finally, I would limit the articles pulled to peer-reviewed
journals. Some articles contained excellent practical
information but would not meet the criteria of practioner-
scholar (McClintock, 2004).
Discussion
Are formative and summative assessments embedded withing
Curriculum Based Assssment? Please briefly explain.
In your response to Nicole and Allison comment on what they
found and any additional thoughts you have regarding the
information the assessments they researched will provide.
Nicole post
COLLAPSE

7. The curriculum based assessment that I have decided to
focus on for this discussion is DIBELs. “DIBELS 8thEdition is
a battery of short (one minute) fluency measures that can be
used for universal screening, benchmark assessment, and
progress monitoring in Kindergarten-8th grade”
(dibels.uoregon.edu). The reason I would like to focus on this is
because my school recently adopted the DIBELs eighth edition
and I completed full day training on it yesterday. I feel
comfortable on my ability to provide first-hand insight on the
DIBELs test. Our school has utilized DIBELs, however, we
were just trained on the newest edition of it. DIBELs is a
literacy assessment. This assessment allows educators and
administration to gather important literacy skills such as letter
naming fluency, nonsense word fluency, and oral reading
fluency, among others. There are specific subtests based on
grade and the time of year (beginning, middle, and end). Each
subtest is timed for one minute and follows a script to keep the
test consistent.
The strengths of this assessment is that it allows you to
see how students are doing in specific areas. This also helps
when grouping students based on skill level. The newest edition
of this test is also created to ensure that they are becoming
increasingly difficult as the year goes on to assess progress.
Also, students with speech and other impairments receive the
same opportunities. If a student has a speech impediment, they
will still receive credit for words they may pronounce wrong
with their speech pattern. They do not lose points for improper
speech patterns. Some limitations of this test is that there are
many different staff members that may be testing the students.
They may also be tested in unfamiliar areas of the school. The
benchmarks of this test are also very high which make it hard
for students to reach. “Student scores are used to determine how
each student is doing in relation to a benchmark goal that is
predictive of later reading success” (dibels.uoregon.edu). While
it is good to challenge our students, it can also be discouraging

8. when we see our students are struggling.
Alison post
The CBA I choose to look at was the DIBLES (Dynamic
Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). This is a series of
short tests that assess children from K-6. These tests examine a
students phomenic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy
and fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Educators believe
that giving these assessments, they will be able to identify
students that may need extra assistance.
A DIBLES assessment is composed of one-minute exams
looking at basic fundamentals of reading for students. The most
common form of DIBLES assessment is the oral reading of a
passage to assess accuracy and fluency. Students are given a
brief passage to read from, and then are timed how long it takes
them to complete the task.
While this form of assessment does look at accuracy and
fluency of reading, there have been questions to whether this is
the proper way to assess students. Asking them to rush through
material to complete it first or within a limit does not always
mean they are digesting the material fully. In other words, while
the are demonstrating the can read the words, the students are
not demonstrating they fully understand the meanings.
In your response to Kianna and Aimee comment on what in their
approach to using assessments to drive instruction you find
most interesting, and what you would like to know more about.

9. Kianna post
Curriculum Based Assessments (CBA) can show a
child’s progress or struggling in the classroom. CBAs can be
seen through weekly data reports on the computer, with both
parents and teachers tracking a student’s progress in reading,
math, spelling, and writing. Depending on the results of the
CBA, a teacher can make significant changes to a child’s
curriculum or can continue their normal instruction. If a child is
struggling, teachers can make accommodations for the child to
be on track with their peers and other students across the nation.
For accommodations, the child can receive extra time on
assessments or assignments, can work additionally with a
resource teacher (ESL, special education) on math or reading
support, or the teacher can switch their teaching techniques
(assessing individually) to help the child. If the child is
thriving, the teacher can continue to teach the child the same
curriculum. Also, if possible, the teacher can create challenging
assessments, like having the child read a harder text to test
fluency. What other ways can students be challenged by
Curriculum Based Assessments?
Aimee post
CBAs can help direct and drive instruction because they
are "...a type of on-going assessment that involves periodic
monitoring of a student’s daily performance in relation to what
is taught...CBA is based on the skills described in the student’s
curriculum, is repeated frequently throughout the year and is
used as the basis for educational decision-making and student
planning" (project10). This means that the teacher is always

10. observing and adjusting based on what they see in the
classroom. Instead of teaching to a test, we are teaching to
student needs and progress, and not just looking at a benchmark
that covers a large gap of time.
This also can help assure that curriculum is culturally relevant
for students. We can tailor our lessons to their interests, and
spend more/less time on different topics depending on what
individuals/class are interested in. Tailoring our instruction to
our students' interests could mean improved developmental
progress, and therefore a more successful group
Be constructive and professional in your responses to Barbara
and Brittany post
Barbara post
I think reading a drama before you actually see it enhances it,
the reason I say that is because you have some sense of what the
drama is all about and you are looking forward to watching it a
lot more than you did before. It's like when I read a book, such
as Harry Potter, there many things that are read in the book, but
is missing from the movie. When you watch a drama you get to
see what they left out by reading the drama before hand. I don't
think it detracts from the drama, if you read it before hand, you
just have a better understanding of the drama and what it's all
about. Most dramas that we see perform, movies we watch on
t.v., books we read, all have/ or most do have a happy ending,
where as in the real world world, that is not always the case,
some endings for us is very tragic, the event that may take place

11. in our lives that is. We can't just sum that up in an drama, or
movie that last for an hour. But there are real life events that
have played out on the screen and in movies that have taught us
how to help each other, for example, ( Hotel Rwanda) this
movie centers around a man trying to save his family and others
from the genocide that happened in Rwanda. I believe that
drama is a key factor in stimulating creativity in people who
have difficulty in solving certain issues, such as shyness. It can
give them a different view from their perception about people
and the world around them. Drama can create an outlet for them
to vent and get to know others better and themselves for that
matter. I use to be a very shy person, after I joined drama in
high school, I grew out of that particular habit and was able to
the much better in school, and I even made some friends along
the way.
Brittany post
I believe reading a drama before the live performance can
detract and enhance the experience. Reading it before, you have
to imagine what everyone looks like, sounds like and the setting
and tone in your head. This leaves a lot of room for your own
imagination to interpret the play how you vision it while
reading it. It also allows for you to go back over any parts that
might have been particularly hard to understand and gives you
the chance to study any words or language or even a certain
time period that you might not have been familiar with. Reading
it before is great in the sense that you can take your time, you
get to read all parts of the play, use your imagination and get to
experience it as it was meant to be experienced by the writer.
However, reading it first can detract from the experience of the
live performance because the live performance has a director
who also got to read it and use his/her own imagination which
may not have been the same as yours. Their interpretation of it
may be slightly different which characters probably don't look

12. or act how you had imagined. There may even be parts left out
due to time or stage setting. This could disappoint a reader but
it is great that reading a play allows everyone a chance to use
their imagination in trying to capture what the writer wanted us
to. In dramatic works we are connected to real life because we
get to see or witness not only the words but the actions and
reactions being played out for us to see to make us feel as if we
are there and a part of it. Drama illustrates societal behaviors by
acting it out showing us first hand the consequences and what
the people feel and go through. The protagonist and antagonist
of the drama fight for power and we witness it and see the
behaviors that work and don't work. Think of it as if this play
happened in real life whose behavior would have the power to
promote change.