Academic literature on the topic 'Scott High School (Toledo, Ohio)'

One of the leading theoretical astrophysicists of the twentieth century, Lyman Spitzer showed a renaissance or even a classical figure in both his character and personal style. I once speculated that a biographer would some day remark on the importance of Spitzer's early exposure to ancient literature, and his family assured me that he had in fact been strongly influenced throughout his life by classical, especially Latin, models. If ever I have known an individual who fitted the renaissance ideal of the gentleman scholar (based, of course, on earlier Latin archetypes), it was Lyman. The upright bearing, courteous speech, clarity, and total independence of mind were the dress of a person seemingly dropped into our midst from another age. Born in 1914 into a prosperous Toledo, Ohio, commercial family, he later married into the local, still wealthier clan of the Canadays. After attending Scott High School in Toledo and then Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, he received his BA at Yale in 1935 and then went to Cambridge University for a year (1935–36), where he was influenced by Sir Arthur Eddington FRS and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (FRS 1944), who was an almost exact contemporary. Returning to the USA, he received his PhD in 1938 at Princeton, under the legendary Henry Norris Russell ForMemRS. Spitzer then went briefly to Harvard as a postdoctoral fellow, followed by a move to Yale, where he was appointed as instructor in 1939. It was shortly after moving to Yale that he married Doreen D. Canaday, herself a Bryn Mawr graduate, a totally charming and strong-willed woman with whom he raised a family of four children born between 1942 and 1954: Nicholas C., Dionis C., Sarah L. and Lydia S.

Liberato J. A. DiDio (1920?2004) was one of the most prominent figures of anatomy belonging to the 20th century?s second half and an open-minded man. In 1984, during the era of communism in Yugoslavia, he opened the doors of the Medical College of Ohio (MCO) in Toledo, OH, USA, to a Serbian doctor. During the troubled times for people and anatomists in Serbia in 1994, he saved their association from being expelled from the International Federation of Anatomical Associations. In 1999, only a few months after the bombing of Yugoslavia, he helped them to get the organization of the XVIII International Symposium on Morphological Sciences in 2005, the meeting of the leaders in the field. Serbian anatomists and clinicians proved that he was right when considering them on a par with their peers in the international anatomical and medical community. Professor DiDio first showed talent with Gold Medal ? top graduate at his high school, and La Royale Award (Graduation Golden Ring) ? top graduate MD. He was trained in Brazil, Italy, and the US. He was the Founding Chairman ? Department of Topographical Anatomy, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Head of Gross and Surgical Anatomy, Northwestern University Medical, Dental, and Graduate Schools; Founding Chairman, Department of Anatomy, MCO; Professor Emeritus at the age of 70 (1990), Assistant to the President of the MCO, Consultant to the President and the Emeritus Dean (1992?2004). He was a member of editorial boards of 34 journals, academic adviser in 92 M.S. and Ph.D. theses.

I was born and raised in the old mining town of Barrio DAS (Don Andres Soriano), Lutopan, Toledo City where Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. (ACMDC) is situated. Dad started his practice in the company’s hospital as an EENT specialist in the early 60’s and was the ‘go to’ EENT Doc not only of nearby towns or cities (including Cebu City) but also the surrounding provinces in the early 70’s. In my elementary years, he was Assistant Director of ACMDC Hospital (we lived just behind in company housing, only a 3-minute walk). I grew interested in what my dad did, sometimes staying in his clinic an hour or so after school, amazed at how efficiently he handled his patients who always felt so satisfied seeing him. At the end of the day, there was always ‘buyot’ (basket) of vegetables, live chickens, freshwater crabs, crayfish, catfish or tilapia. I wondered if he went marketing earlier, but knew he was too busy for that (and mom did that) until I noticed endless lines of patients outside and remembered when he would say: “Being a doctor here - you’ll never go hungry!” I later realized they were PFs (professional fees) of his patients. As a company doctor, Dad received a fixed salary, free housing, utilities, gasoline, schooling for kids and a company car. It was the perfect life! The company even sponsored his further training in Johns-Hopkins, Baltimore, USA. A family man, he loved us so much and was a bit of a joker too, especially at mealtimes. Dad’s daily routine was from 8 am – 5 pm and changed into his tennis, pelota, or badminton outfit. He was the athlete, winning trophies and medals in local sports matches. Dad wanted me to go to the University of the Philippines (UP) High School in the city. I thought a change of environment would be interesting, but I would miss my friends. Anyway, I complied and there I started to understand that my dad was not just an EENT practicing in the Mines but was teaching in Cebu Institute of Medicine and Cebu Doctors College of Medicine (CDCM) and was a consultant in most of the hospitals in Cebu City. And still he went back up to the mountains, back to Lutopan, our mining town where our home was. The old ACMDC hospital was replaced with a new state-of-the-art hospital now named ACMDC Medical Center, complete with Burn Unit, Trauma center and an observation deck in the OR for teaching interns from CDCM. Dad enjoyed teaching them. Most of them are consultants today who are so fond of my dad that they always send their regards when they see me. My dad loved making model airplanes, vehicles, etc. and I realized I had that skill when I was 8 years old and I made my first airplane model. He used to build them out of Balsa wood which is so skillful. I can’t be half the man he was but I realized this hobby enhanced his surgical skills. My dad was so diplomatic and just said to get an engineering course before you become a pilot (most of dads brothers are engineers). I actually gave engineering a go, but after 1 ½ years I realized I was not cut out for it. I actually loved Biology and anything dealing with life and with all the exposure to my dad’s clinic and hospital activities … med school it was! At this point, my dad was already President of the ORL Central Visayas Chapter and was head of ENT Products and Hearing Center. As a graduate of the UP College of Medicine who finished Otorhinolaryngology residency with an additional year in Ophthalmology as one of the last EENTs to finish in UP PGH in the late 50’s, he hinted that if I finished my medical schooling in CDCM that I consider Otorhinolaryngology as a residency program and that UP-PGH would be a good training center. I ended up inheriting the ORL practice of my dad mostly, who taught me some of Ophthalmology outpatient procedures. Dad showed me clinical and surgical techniques in ENT management especially how to deal with patients beyond being a doctor! You don’t learn this in books but from experience. I learned a lot from my dad. Just so lucky I guess! He actually designed and made his own ENT Treatment Unit, which I’m still using to this day (with some modifications of my own). And he created a certain electrically powered ‘eye magnet’ with the help of my cousin (who’s an engineer now in Chicago) which can attract metallic foreign bodies from within the eyeball to the surface so they can easily be picked out – it really works! Dad loved to travel in his younger years especially abroad for conventions or just simply leisure or vacations, most of the time with my mom. But as he was getting older, travels became uncomfortable. His last travel with me was in 2012 for the AAO-HNS Convention in Washington DC. It was a great time as we then proceeded to a US Navy Airshow in nearby Virginia after the convention, meeting up with my brother who is retired from the USN. Then we took the train to New York and stayed with my sister who is a PICU nurse in NY Presbyterian. Then off to Missouri and Ohio visiting the National Museum of the US Air Force, the largest military aircraft museum in the world. For years, Dad had been battling with heredofamilial-hypercholesterolemia problem which took its toll on his liver and made him weak and tired but still he practiced and continued teaching and sharing his knowledge until he retired at the age of 80. By then, my wife and I would take him and my mom out on weekends, he loved to be driven around and eat in different places. I really witnessed and have seen how he suffered from his illness in his final years. But he never showed it or complained, never even wanted to use a cane! He didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. What most affected me was that my dad passed and I wasn’t even there. I had helped call for a physician to rush to the house and had oxygen cylinders to be brought for him as his end stage liver cirrhosis was causing cardio-pulmonary complications (non-COVID). Amidst all this I was the one admitted for 14 days because of COVID-19 pneumonia. My dad passed away peacefully at home as I was being discharged from the hospital. He was 88. I never reached him just to say good bye and cried when I reached home still dyspneic recovering from the viral pneumonia. I realized from my loved ones who told me that dad didn’t want me to stress out taking care of him, as I’ve been doing ever since, but instead to rest and recuperate myself. I cried again with that thought. In my view, he was not only a great Physician and Surgeon but also the greatest Dad. He lived a full life and touched so many lives with his treatments, charity services and teaching new physicians. It’s seeing, remembering and carrying on what he showed and taught us that really makes us miss him. I really love and miss my dad and with a smile on my face, I see he’s also happy to be with his brothers and sisters who passed on ahead. And that he’s rested. He is a man content, I remember he always said this, ‘ As long as I have a roof over my head and a bed to rest my back, I’m okay!”

AbstractThis paper provides a brief overview of the formation, organization, and mission of the School of Green Chemistry and Engineering (SGCE) at the University of Toledo, and a description of SGCE efforts to introduce principles of green chemistry and green engineering into the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. This includes development of selected new courses and new academic programs such as a Minor in Green Chemistry and Engineering, a Professional Science Master’s Degree in Green Chemistry and Engineering, and an online Master in Education and Science in Chemistry degree aimed at College Credit Plus credentialing of high school chemistry teachers in Ohio.

As part of a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project to create culturally responsive curriculum that uses critical spatial thinking and geospatial technologies to address spatial justice in urban neighborhoods, students from a predominantly African American inner-city public high school in Toledo, Ohio participated in two summer workshops in 2015 and 2016. Using a range of data sources including sketch maps, interviews, and neighborhood-based student projects, this paper addresses two research questions: (a) How did students’ spatial narratives of their community change as a result of using a culturally responsive teaching approach to explore neighborhood challenges? (b) How does a culturally responsive teaching approach and a critical geography perspective support spatial justice among youth?

Abstract Background Ohio ranks 43rd in the nation in infant mortality rates (IMR); with IMR among non-Hispanic black infants is three times higher than white infants. Objective To identify the social factors determining the vulnerability of Ohio counties to IMR and visualize the spatial association between relative social vulnerability and IMR at county and census tract levels. Methods The social vulnerability index (SVICDC) is a measure of the relative social vulnerability of a geographic unit. Five out of 15 social variables in the SVICDC were utilized to create a customized index for IMR (SVIIMR) in Ohio. The bivariate descriptive maps and spatial lag model were applied to visualize the quantitative relationship between SVIIMR and IMR, accounting for the spatial autocorrelation in the data. Results Southeastern counties in Ohio displayed highest IMRs and highest overall SVIIMR; specifically, highest vulnerability to poverty, no high school diploma, and mobile housing. In contrast, extreme northwestern counties exhibited high IMRs but lower overall SVIIMR. Spatial regression showed five clusters where vulnerability to low per capita income in one county significantly impacted IMR (p = 0.001) in the neighboring counties within each cluster. At the census tract-level within Lucas county, the Toledo city area (compared to the remaining county) had higher overlap between high IMR and SVIIMR. Conclusion The application of SVI using geospatial techniques could identify priority areas, where social factors are increasing the vulnerability to infant mortality rates, for potential interventions that could reduce disparities through strategic and equitable policies.

Background: The lack of access to period products, also known as “period poverty,” is a problem that millions of people face worldwide. Investigators have examined the extent of this phenomenon among low-income and college-aged populations in the United States and have found that period poverty is a pervasive issue in this country as well, despite its status as a high resource country. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of period poverty in school-aged adolescents in Toledo, Ohio; to analyze the demographic factors associated with this lack of access; and to evaluate its effect on school attendance, extracurricular activities, and mental health. Methods: This study used an observational, cross-sectional design and was approved by the Institutional Review Board. Participants completed a survey to assess adequate access to menstrual products, level of understanding about their health, feelings towards menstruation, and the perceived impact of periods on these students’ lives. Data analysis determined the relationship between various measurements of period poverty, menstrual knowledge, and participant demographics. No personal identifiers were collected. The study was conducted for twenty days between February and March 2023. Participants’ guardians could opt their students out of the survey or students could opt themselves out prior to the start of the survey. Students who did not opt out received the survey via their school email accounts. Nonmenarchal individuals were excluded from further survey participation, while eligible subjects who chose to complete the survey had the option to withdraw or leave questions blank. Survey data was collated using Microsoft Forms, and analysis was performed using Statistical Analysis Software (Version 9.4). Results: A total of 408 students, aged 11 through 19, participated in the survey. Because many of the survey questions included a “select all that apply” option, responses to those questions fell into more than one response category. Of those surveyed, 36.4% identified their race/ethnicity as Black, 30.7% as Caucasian, 7.5% as Hispanic, 25.4% as “Other.” When asked where respondents get their period products, 86.4% indicated from the store, 58.6% from parent(s)/guardian(s), and 12.9% from school. Our study found a statistically significant correlation between increasing age and increasing concern for lack of period products. To the question “Why don’t you have pads or tampons?” 61.0% of respondents had “left [products] at home,” 36.2% expressed financial concerns, and 18.3% reported inadequate transportation. When asked if students ever had to miss school due to their cycle, 9.4% indicated not having products as their reason. Our study also determined a statistically significant relationship between the income status of the school (middle vs. low) and whether or not students had access to period products (p = 0.0439). Participants also reported high rates of missing sports, work, theatre/music practice, and spending time with family/friends due to their menstrual period. 92.2% indicated cramps as their reason for missing these activities, 68.2% indicated heavy bleeding, and 9.4% as not having products. Of participants reporting availability issues, 35.0% reported using a product longer than advised and 65.5% reported using toilet tissue or fabric instead. A majority of participants reported that they learned about menstrual period management from personal experience or from a parent/guardian. We noted a statistically significant, positive correlation between participants’ age and their likelihood of receiving period education from their parent(s)/guardian(s). In other words, older students were more likely to receive education from their guardians than younger students. When asked about self-perceived knowledge gaps, participants were most interested to learn about menstruation-related mood swings and dysmenorrhea symptoms. When students have new questions about periods, they report turning to their parent(s)/guardian(s) and the internet most frequently. The most common feelings participants associated with their periods were sadness, anger, anxiety, and embarrassment. Conversely, fewer respondents reported happiness, excitement, or pride. Conclusions: People across the world face period poverty, and our survey shows evidence of this phenomenon among Toledo students. Due to lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, students report repurposing miscellaneous items in place of pads or tampons, missing extracurricular activities, and associating negative emotions with their cycles. Our study limitations include: a small sample size, limited external validity, and selection bias. Future directions include rectifying these limitations, positing additional questions to gain better insight to the degree of period poverty, and interacting directly with the respondents as project investigators. Doing so will garner participants’ trust, provide them with direct avenues to resources, and minimize education and language barriers. Combined, these efforts would offer a greater representation of the target population. As menstrual cycles continue to affect the daily lives of menstruating people, we believe that closing the access gap can have profound positive effects on communities’ physical and emotional wellbeing.

05–486Balnaves, Edmund (U of Sydney, Australia; ejb@it.usyd.edu.au), Systematic approaches to long term digital collection management. Literary and Linguistic Computing (Oxford, UK) 20.4 (2005), 399–413.05–487Barwell, Graham (U of Wollongong, Australia; gbarwell@uow.edu.au), Original, authentic, copy: conceptual issues in digital texts. Literary and Linguistic Computing (Oxford, UK) 20.4 (2005), 415–424.05–488Beech, John R. & Kate A. Mayall (U of Leicester, UK; JRB@Leicester.ac.uk), The word shape hypothesis re-examined: evidence for an external feature advantage in visual word recognition. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 302–319.05–489Belcher, Diane (Georgia State U, USA; dbelcher1@gsu.edu) & Alan Hirvela, Writing the qualitative dissertation: what motivates and sustains commitment to a fuzzy genre?Journal of English for Academic Purposes (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 4.3 (2005), 187–205.05–490Bernhardt, Elisabeth (U of Minnesota, USA; ebernhar@stanford.edu), Progress and procrastination in second language reading. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics (Cambridge, UK) 25 (2005), 133–150.05–491Bishop, Dorothy (U of Oxford, UK; dorothy.bishop@psy.ox.ac.uk), Caroline Adams, Annukka Lehtonen & Stuart Rosen, Effectiveness of computerised spelling training in children with language impairments: a comparison of modified and unmodified speech input. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 144–157.05–492Bowey, Judith A., Michaela McGuigan & Annette Ruschena (U of Queensland, Australia; j.bowey@psy.uq.edu.au), On the association between serial naming speed for letters and digits and word-reading skill: towards a developmental account. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.4 (2005), 400–422.05–493Bowyer-Crane, Claudine & Margaret J. Snowling (U of York, UK; c.crane@psych.york.ac.uk), Assessing children's inference generation: what do tests of reading comprehension measure?British Journal of Educational Psychology (Leicester, UK) 75.2 (2005), 189–201.05–494Bruce, Ian (U of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand; ibruce@waikato.ac.nz), Syllabus design for general EAP writing courses: a cognitive approach. Journal of English for Academic Purposes (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 4.3 (2005), 239–256.05–495Burrows, John (U of Newcastle, Australia; john.burrows@netcentral.com.au), Who wroteShamela? Verifying the authorship of a parodic text. Literary and Linguistic Computing (Oxford, UK) 20.4 (2005), 437–450.05–496Clarke, Paula, Charles Hulme & Margaret Snowling (U of York, UK; CH1@york.ac.uk), Individual differences in RAN and reading: a response timing analysis. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 73–86.05–497Colledge, Marion (Metropolitan U, London, UK; m.colledge@londonmet.ac.uk), Baby Bear or Mrs Bear? Young English Bengali-speaking children's responses to narrative picture books at school. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.1 (2005), 24–30.05–498De Pew, Kevin Eric (Old Dominion U, Norfolk, USA; Kdepew@odu.edu) & Susan Kay Miller, Studying L2 writers' digital writing: an argument for post-critical methods. Computers and Composition (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 22.3 (2005), 259–278.05–499Dekydtspotter, Laurent (Indiana U, USA; ldekydts@indiana.edu) & Samantha D. Outcalt, A syntactic bias in scope ambiguity resolution in the processing of English French cardinality interrogatives: evidence for informational encapsulation. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA) 55.1 (2005), 1–36.05–500Fernández Toledo, Piedad (Universidad de Murcia, Spain; piedad@um.es), Genre analysis and reading of English as a foreign language: genre schemata beyond text typologies. Journal of Pragmatics37.7 (2005), 1059–1079.05–501French, Gary (Chukyo U, Japan; french@lets.chukyo-u.ac.jp), The cline of errors in the writing of Japanese university students. World Englishes (Oxford, UK) 24.3 (2005), 371–382.05–502Green, Chris (Hong Kong Polytechnic U, Hong Kong, China), Profiles of strategic expertise in second language reading. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics (Hong Kong, China) 9.2 (2004), 1–16.05–503Groom, Nicholas (U of Birmingham, UK; nick@nicholasgroom.fsnet.co.uk), Pattern and meaning across genres and disciplines: an exploratory study. Journal of English for Academic Purposes (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 4.3 (2005), 257–277.05–504Harris, Pauline & Barbara McKenzie (U of Wollongong, Australia; pharris@uow.edu.au), Networking aroundThe Waterholeand other tales: the importance of relationships among texts for reading and related instruction. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.1 (2005), 31–37.05–505Harrison, Allyson G. & Eva Nichols (Queen's U, Canada; harrisna@post.queensu.ca), A validation of the Dyslexia Adult Screening Test (DAST) in a post-secondary population. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.4 (2005), 423–434.05–506Hirvela, Alan (Ohio State U, USA; hirvela.1@osu.edu), Computer-based reading and writing across the curriculum: two case studies of L2 writers. Computers and Composition (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 22.3 (2005), 337–356.05–507Holdom, Shoshannah (Oxford U, UK; shoshannah.holdom@oucs.ox.ac.uk), E-journal proliferation in emerging economies: the case of Latin America. Literary and Linguistic Computing (Oxford, UK) 20.3 (2005), 351–365.05–508Hopper, Rosemary (U of Exeter, UK; r.hopper@ex.ac.uk), What are teenagers reading? Adolescent fiction reading habits and reading choices. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.3 (2005), 113–120.05–509Jarman, Ruth & Billy McClune (Queen's U, Northern Ireland; r.jarman@qub.ac.uk), Space Science News: Special Edition, a resource for extending reading and promoting engagement with newspapers in the science classroom. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.3 (2005), 121–128.05–510Jia-ling Charlene Yau (Ming Chuan U, Taiwan; jyau@mcu.edu.tw), Two Mandarin readers in Taiwan: characteristics of children with higher and lower reading proficiency levels. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 108–124.05–511Justice, Laura M, Lori Skibbel, Andrea Canning & Chris Lankford (U of Virginia, USA; ljustice@virginia.edu), Pre-schoolers, print and storybooks: an observational study using eye movement analysis. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 229–243.05–512Kelly, Alison (Roehampton U, UK; a.m.kelly@roehampton.ac.uk), ‘Poetry? Of course we do it. It's in the National Curriculum.’ Primary children's perceptions of poetry. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.3 (2005), 129–134.05–513Kern, Richard (U of California, Berkeley, USA; rkern@berkeley.edu) & Jean Marie Schultz, Beyond orality: investigating literacy and the literary in second and foreign language instruction. The Modern Language Journal (Malden, MA, USA) 89.3 (2005), 381–392.05–514Kispal, Anne (National Foundation for Educational Research, UK; a.kispal@nfer.ac.uk), Examining England's National Curriculum assessments: an analysis of the KS2 reading test questions, 1993–2004. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.3 (2005), 149–157.05–515Kriss, Isla & Bruce J. W. Evans (Institute of Optometry, London, UK), The relationship between dyslexia and Meares-Irlen Syndrome. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 350–364.05–516Lavidor, Michal & Peter J. Bailey (U of Hull, UK; M.Lavidor@hull.ac.uk), Dissociations between serial position and number of letters effects in lateralised visual word recognition. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 258–273.05–517Lee, Sy-ying (Taipei, Taiwan, China; syying.lee@msa.hinet.net), Facilitating and inhibiting factors in English as a foreign language writing performance: a model testing with structural equation modelling. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA) 55.2 (2005), 335–374.05–518Leppänen, Ulla, Kaisa Aunola & Jari-Erik Nurmi (U of Jyväskylä, Finland; uleppane@psyka.jyu.fi), Beginning readers' reading performance and reading habits. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.4 (2005), 383–399.05–519Lingard, Tony (Newquay, Cornwall, UK; tonylingard@awled.co.uk), Literacy Acceleration and the Key Stage 3 English strategy–comparing two approaches for secondary-age pupils with literacy difficulties. British Journal of Special Education32.2, 67–77.05–520Liu, Meihua (Tsinghua U, China; ellenlmh@yahoo.com) & George Braine, Cohesive features in argumentative writing produced by Chinese undergraduates. System (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 33.4 (2005), 623–636.05–521Masterson, Jackie, Veronica Laxon, Emma Carnegie, Sheila Wright & Janice Horslen (U of Essex; mastj@essex.ac.uk), Nonword recall and phonemic discrimination in four- to six-year-old children. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 183–201.05–522Merttens, Ruth & Catherine Robertson (Hamilton Reading Project, Oxford, UK; ruthmerttens@onetel.net.uk), Rhyme and Ritual: a new approach to teaching children to read and write. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.1 (2005), 18–23.05–523Min Wang (U of Maryland, USA; minwang@umd.edu) & Keiko Koda, Commonalities and differences in word identification skills among learners of English as a Second Language. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA) 55.1 (2005), 71–98.05–524O'Brien, Beth A., J. Stephen Mansfield & Gordon E. Legge (Tufts U, Medford, USA; beth.obrien@tufts.edu), The effect of print size on reading speed in dyslexia. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 332–349.05–525Pisanski Peterlin, Agnes (U of Ljubljana, Slovenia; agnes.pisanski@guest.arnes.si), Text-organising metatext in research articles: an English–Slovene contrastive analysis. English for Specific Purposes (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 24.3 (2005), 307–319.05–526Rilling, Sarah (Kent State U, Kent, USA; srilling@kent.edu), The development of an ESL OWL, or learning how to tutor writing online. Computers and Composition (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 22.3 (2005), 357–374.05–527Schacter, John & Jo Booil (Milken Family Foundation, Santa Monica, USA; schacter@sbcglobal.net), Learning when school is not in session: a reading summer day-camp intervention to improve the achievement of exiting First-Grade students who are economically disadvantaged. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 158–169.05–528Shapira, Anat (Gordon College of Education, Israel) & Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz, Opening windows on Arab and Jewish children's strategies as writers. Language, Culture and Curriculum (Clevedon, UK) 18.1 (2005), 72–90.05–529Shillcock, Richard C. & Scott A. McDonald (U of Edinburgh, UK; rcs@inf.ed.ac.uk), Hemispheric division of labour in reading. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 244–257.05–530Singleton, Chris & Susannah Trotter (U of Hull, UK; c.singleton@hull.ac.uk), Visual stress in adults with and without dyslexia. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.3 (2005), 365–378.05–531Spelman Miller, Kristyan (Reading U, UK; k.s.miller@reading.ac.uk), Second language writing research and pedagogy: a role for computer logging?Computers and Composition (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 22.3 (2005), 297–317.05–532Su, Susan Shiou-mai (Chang Gung College of Technology, Taiwan, China) & Huei-mei Chu, Motivations in the code-switching of nursing notes in EFL Taiwan. Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics (Hong Kong, China) 9.2 (2004), 55–71.05–533Taillefer, Gail (Toulouse U, France; gail.taillefer@univ-tlse1.fr), Reading for academic purposes: the literacy practices of British, French and Spanish Law and Economics students as background for study abroad. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.4 (2005), 435–451.05–534Tardy, Christine M. (DePaul U, Chicago, USA; ctardy@depaul.edu), Expressions of disciplinarity and individuality in a multimodal genre. Computers and Composition (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 22.3 (2005), 319–336.05–535Thatcher, Barry (New Mexico State U, USA; bathatch@nmsu.edu), Situating L2 writing in global communication technologies. Computers and Composition (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 22.3 (2005), 279–295.05–536Topping, Keith & Nancy Ferguson (U of Dundee, UK; k.j.topping@dundee.ac.uk), Effective literacy teaching behaviours. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 125–143.05–537Torgerson, Carole (U of York, UK; cjt3@york.ac.uk), Jill Porthouse & Greg Brooks, A systematic review of controlled trials evaluating interventions in adult literacy and numeracy. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 87–107.05–538Willett, Rebekah (U of London, UK; r.willett@ioe.ac.uk), ‘Baddies’ in the classroom: media education and narrative writing. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.3 (2005), 142–148.05–539Wood, Clara, Karen Littleton & Pav Chera (Coventry U, UK; c.wood@coventry.ac.uk), Beginning readers' use of talking books: styles of working. Literacy (Oxford, UK) 39.3 (2005), 135–141.05–540Wood, Clare (The Open U, UK; c.p.wood@open.ac.uk), Beginning readers' use of ‘talking books’ software can affect their reading strategies. Journal of Research in Reading (Oxford, UK) 28.2 (2005), 170–182.05–541Yasuda, Sachiko (Waseda U, Japan), Different activities in the same task: an activity theory approach to ESL students' writing process. JALT Journal (Tokyo, Japan) 27.2 (2005), 139–168.05–542Zelniker, Tamar (Tel-Aviv U, Israel) & Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz, School–Family Partnership for Coexistence (SFPC) in the city of Acre: promoting Arab and Jewish parents' role as facilitators of children's literacy development and as agents of coexistence. Language, Culture and Curriculum (Clevedon, UK) 18.1 (2005), 114–138.

03—285 Ahmed, Mehreen (U. of Queensland, Australia). A note on phrase structure analysis and design implication for ICALL. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 423—33.03—286 Argaman, Osnat and Abu-Rabia, Salim (U. of Haifa, Israel). The influence of language anxiety on English reading and writing tasks among native Hebrew speakers. Language, Culture and Curriculum (Clevedon, UK), 15, 2 (2002), 143—60.03—287 Bielinska, Monika (Schlesische Universität, Katowice, Poland). Zu Semantischen Aspekten der Wortkombinatorik. [On semantic aspects of word combination.] Glottodidactica (Poznań, Poland), 28 (2002), 19—27.03—288 Bonci, Angelica (Royal Holloway, U. of London, UK). Collocational restrictions in Italian as a second language: A case control study. Tuttitalia (Rugby, UK), 26 (2002), 3—14.03—289 Brown, Charles Grant (U. of Northern British Columbia, Canada; Email: brownc@unbc.ca). Inferring and maintaining the learner model. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 343—55.03—290 Butler, Yuko Goto (U. of Pennsylvania, USA; Email: ybutler@gse.upenn.edu). Second language learners' theories on the use of English articles: An analysis of the metalinguistic knowledge used by Japanese students in acquiring the English article system. Studies in Second Language Acquisition (New York, USA), 24, 3 (2002), 451—80.03—291 Carroll, Susanne E. (Universität Potsdam, Germany; Email: carroll@rz.uni-potsdam.de). Induction in a modular learner. Second Language Research (London, UK), 18, 3 (2002), 224—49.03—292 Chen, Liang, Tokuda, Naoyuki and Xiao, Dahai (Sunflare Company, Tokyo, Japan; Email: chen_1@sunflare.co.jp). A POST parser-based learner model for template-based ICALL for Japanese-English writing skills. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 357—72.03—293 Di Biase, Bruno and Kawaguchi, Satomi (U. of Western Sydney, Australia; Email: B.DiBiase@uws.edu.au). Exploring the typological plausibility of Processability Theory: Language development in Italian second language and Japanese second language. Second Language Research (London, UK), 18, 3 (2002), 274—302.03—294 Dimroth, Christine (Max Planck Inst. for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Email: christine.dimroth@mpi.nl). Topics, assertions, and additive words: How L2 learners get from information structure to target-language syntax. Linguistics (Berlin, Germany), 40, 4 (2002), 891—923.03—295 Duffield, Nigel (McGill U., Canada), White, Lydia, Bruhn de Garavito, Joyce, Montrul, Silvina and Prévost, Philippe. Clitic placement in L2 French: Evidence from sentence matching. Journal of Linguistics (Cambridge, UK), 38, 3 (2002), 487—525.03—296 Francis, Norbert (Northern Arizona U., USA; Email: norbert.francis@nau.edu). Literacy, second language learning, and the development of metalinguistic awareness: A study of bilingual children's perceptions of focus on form. Linguistics and Education (New York, USA), 13, 3 (2002), 373—404.03—297 Gamper, Johann (Free U. of Bozen, Italy; Email: judith.knapp@eurac.edu) and Knapp, Judith. A review of intelligent CALL systems. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 329—42.03—298 Gavruseva, Elena (U. of Iowa, USA; Email: elena-gavruseva@uiowa.edu). Is there primacy of aspect in child L2 English? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition (Cambridge, UK), 5, 2 (2002), 109—30.03—299 Geeslin, Kimberly L. (Indiana U., USA; Email: kgeeslin@indiana.edu). The acquisition of Spanish copula choice and its relationship to language change. Studies in Second Language Acquisition (New York, USA), 24, 3 (2002), 419—50.03—300 Ghaith, G. M. (American U. of Beirut, Lebanon; Email: gghaith@aub.edu.lb). The relationship between cooperative learning, perception of social support, and academic achievement. System (Oxford, UK), 30, 3 (2002), 263—73.03—301 Golato, Peter (U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA; Email: pgolato@uiuc.edu). Word parsing by late-learning French-English bilinguals. Applied Psycholinguistics (Cambridge, UK), 23, 3 (2002), 417—46.03—302 Gorostiaga, Arantxa and Balluerka, Nekane (U. of the Basque Country; Email: pspgomaa@ss.ehu.es). The influence of the social use and the history of acquisition of Euskera on comprehension and recall of scientific texts in Euskera and Castilian. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA), 52, 3 (2002), 491—512.03—303 Hada, Yoshiaki, Ogata, Hiroaki and Yano, Yoneo (Tokushima U., Japan; Email: hada@is.tokushima-u.ac.jp). Video-based language learning environment using an online video-editing system. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 387—408.03—304 Håkansson, Gisela (U. of Lund, Sweden; Email: Gisela.Hakansson@ling.lu.se), Pienemann, Manfred and Sayehli, Susan. Transfer and typological proximity in the context of second language processing. Second Language Research (London, UK), 18, 3 (2002), 250—73.03—305 Hatasa, Yukiko Abe (U. of Iowa, USA; Email: yukiko-hatasa@uiowa.edu). The effects of differential timing in the introduction of Japanese syllabaries on early second language development in Japanese. The Modern Language Journal (Malden, MA, USA), 86, 3 (2002), 349—67.03—306 Hsiao, Tsung-Yuan (Nat. Taiwan Ocean U., Republic of China; Email: tyhsiao@mail.ntou.edu.tw) and Oxford, Rebecca L.. Comparing theories of language learning strategies: A confirmatory factor analysis. The Modern Language Journal (Malden, MA, USA), 86, 3 (2002), 368—83.03—307 Hu, Guangwei (Nat. Inst. of Ed., Nanyang Technological U., Singapore; Email: gwhu@nie.edu.sg). Psychological constraints on the utility of metalinguistic knowledge in second language production. Studies in Second Language Acquisition (New York, USA), 24, 3 (2002), 347—86.03—308 Hulstijn, Jan (U. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Email: hulstijn@hum.uva.nl). Towards a unified account of the representation, processing and acquisition of second language knowledge. Second Language Research (London, UK), 18, 3 (2002), 193—223.03—309 Itakura, Hiroko (The Hong Kong Polytechnic U.; Email: eghiroko@polyu.edu.hk). Gender and pragmatic transfer in topic development. Language, Culture and Curriculum (Clevedon, UK), 15, 2 (2002), 161—83.03—310 Jarvis, Scott (Ohio U., USA; Email: jarvis@ohio.edu). Topic continuity in L2 English article use. Studies in Second Language Acquisition (New York, USA), 24, 3 (2002), 387—418.03—311 Jung, Udo O. H. (U. of Bayreuth, Germany; Email: hmejung@gmx.de). An international bibliography of computer-assisted language learning: Fifth instalment. System (Oxford, UK), 30, 3 (2002), 349—98.03—312 Kim, Daejin (Hansei U., Republic of Korea; Email: daejkim@chollian.net) and Hall, Joan Kelly. The role of an interactive book reading program in the development of second language pragmatic competence. The Modern Language Journal (Malden, MA, USA), 86, 3 (2002), 332—48.03—313 Lee, Eun-Joo (Stanford U., USA; Email: eunlee@stanford.edu). Comparing personal references in English by a native-speaking and a Korean pre-adolescent. English Teaching (Korea), 57, 3 (2002), 125—43.03—314 Lee, Lina (U. of New Hampshire, USA; Email: llee@hopper.unh.edu). Synchronous online exchanges: A study of modification devices on non-native discourse. System (Oxford, UK), 30, 3 (2002), 275—88.03—315 Lee, Siok H. (Burnaby Sch. District & Simon Fraser U., Canada; Email: slee@alpha.sd41.bc.ca) and Carey, Stephen. Explaining Chinese learners' errors in the phonological representations of Latinate derivatives in English: A psycholinguistic perspective. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (Ottawa, Canada), 5, 1/2 (2002), 65—91.03—316 Liontas, John I. (U. of Notre Dame, IN, USA; Email: jliontas@nd.edu). Exploring second language learners' notions of idiomaticity. System (Oxford, UK), 30, 3 (2002), 289—313.03—317 Macintyre, Peter D. (U. Coll. of Cape Breton, Canada; Email: peter_macintyre@uccb.ca), Baker, Susan C., Clément, Richard and Donovan, Leslie A.. Sex and age effects on willingness to communicate, anxiety, perceived competence, and L2 motivation among junior high school French immersion students. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA), 52, 3 (2002), 537—64.03—318 Martínez, Ana Cristina Lahuerta (U. of Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Email: lahuerta@correo.uniovi.es). Empirical examination of EFL readers' use of rhetorical information. English for Specific Purposes (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), 21, 1 (2002), 81—98.03—319 Mori, Yoshiko (Georgetown U., USA; Email: moriy@georgetown.edu). Individual differences in the integration of information from context and word parts in interpreting unknown kanji words. Applied Psycholinguistics (Cambridge, UK), 23, 3 (2002), 375—97.03—320 Morris, Frank A. (U. of Miami, USA). Negotiation moves and recasts in relation to error types and learner repair in the foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals (New York, USA), 35, 4 (2002), 395—404.03—321 O'Grady, William (U. of Hawai'i, USA; Email: ogrady@hawaii.edu) and Yamashita, Yoshie. Partial agreement in second-language acquisition. Linguistics (Berlin, Germany), 40, 5 (2002), 1011—19.03—322 Perdue, Clive (Université Paris VIII, France; Email: clive@univ-paris8.fr), Benazzo, Sandra and Giuliano, Patrizia. When finiteness gets marked: The relations between morphosyntactic development and use of scopal items in adult language. Linguistics (Berlin, Germany), 40, 4 (2002), 849—90.03—323 Pichette, François (U. of South Florida, USA; Email: pichette@chuma1.cas.usf.edu). Second-language vocabulary learning and the additivity hypothesis. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (Ottawa, Canada), 5, 1/2 (2002), 117—30.03—324 Raymond, Patricia M. (U. of Ottawa, Canada) and Parks, Susan. Transitions: Orienting to reading and writing assignments in EAP and MBA contexts. The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes (Toronto, Ont.), 59, 1 (2002), 152—80.03—325 Schulz, Renate A. (U. of Arizona, USA). Hilft es die Regel zu wissen um sie anzuwenden? Das Verhältnis von metalinguistischem Bewusstsein und grammatischer Kompetenz in DaF. [Does it help to know the rule to apply it? The relationship between metalinguistic consciousness and grammatical competence in German as a foreign language.] Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German (Cherry Hill, NJ, USA), 36, 1 (2002), 15—24.03—326 Segler, Thomas M., Pain, Helen and Sorace, Antonella (U. of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK; Email: thomasse@dai.ed.ac.uk). Second language vocabulary acquisition and learning strategies in ICALL environments. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 409—22.03—327 Shehadeh, Ali (U. of Aleppo/King Saud U., Ryadh, Saudi Arabia; Email: ashhada@ksu.edu.sa). Comprehensible output, from occurrence to acquisition: An agenda for acquisitional research. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA), 52, 3 (2002), 597—647.03—328 Tokuda, Naoyuki (SunFlare Research and Development Center, Tokyo, Japan; Email: tokuda_n@sunflare.co.jp). New developments in intelligent CALL systems in a rapidly internationalised information age. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Lisse, The Netherlands), 15, 4 (2002), 319—27.03—329 Tracy, Rosemarie (U. of Mannheim, Germany). Growing (clausal) roots: All children start out (and may remain) multilingual. Linguistics (Berlin, Germany), 40, 4 (2002), 653—86.03—330 van de Craats, Ineke (U. of Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Email: I.v.d.Craats@let.kun.nl), van Hout, Roeland and Corver, Norbert. The acquisition of possessive HAVE-clauses by Turkish and Moroccan learners of Dutch. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition (Cambridge, UK), 5, 2 (2002), 147—74.03—331 Verhoeven, Ludo (U. of Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Email: L.Verhoeven@ped.kun.nl) and Vermeer, Anne. Communicative competence and personality dimensions in first and second language learners. Applied Psycholinguistics (Cambridge, UK), 23, 3 (2002), 361—74.03—332 Wendt, Michael (U. Bremen, Germany). Kontext und Konstruktion: Fremdsprachendidaktische Theoriebildung und ihre Implikationen für die Fremdsprachenforschung. [Context and construction: Foreign language didactic theory formation and its implications for foreign language learning.] Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung (Germany), 13, 1 (2002), 1–62.03—333 Williams, Marion, Burden, Robert and Lanvers, Ursula (U. of Exeter, UK). ‘French is the Language of Love and Stuff’: Student perceptions of issues related to motivation in learning a foreign language. British Educational Research Journal (Abingdon, UK), 28, 4 (2002), 503—28.03—334 Wray, Alison (Cardiff U., UK; Email: wraya@cf.ac.uk). Formulaic language in computer-supported communication: Theory meets reality. Language Awareness (Clevedon, UK), 11, 2 (2002), 114—31.

“As the old technologies become automatic and invisible, we find ourselves more concerned with fighting or embracing what’s new”—Dennis Baron, From Pencils to Pixels: The Stage of Literacy Technologies What constitutes a computer, as we have come to expect it? Are they necessarily monolithic “beige boxes”, connected to computer monitors, sitting on computer desks, located in computer rooms or computer labs? In order for a device to be considered a true computer, does it need to have a keyboard and mouse? If this were 1991 or earlier, our collective perception of what computers are and are not would largely be framed by this “beige box” model: computers are stationary, slab-like, and heavy, and their natural habitats must be in rooms specifically designated for that purpose. In 1992, when Apple introduced the first PowerBook, our perception began to change. Certainly there had been other portable computers prior to that, such as the Osborne 1, but these were more luggable than portable, weighing just slightly less than a typical sewing machine. The PowerBook and subsequent waves of laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and so-called smart phones from numerous other companies have steadily forced us to rethink and redefine what a computer is and is not, how we interact with them, and the manner in which these tools might be used in the classroom. However, this reconceptualization of computers is far from over, and is in fact steadily evolving as new devices are introduced, adopted, and subsequently adapted for uses beyond of their original purpose. Pat Crowe’s Book Reader project, for example, has morphed Nintendo’s GameBoy and GameBoy Advance into a viable electronic book platform, complete with images, sound, and multi-language support. (Crowe, 2003) His goal was to take this existing technology previously framed only within the context of proprietary adolescent entertainment, and repurpose it for open, flexible uses typically associated with learning and literacy. Similar efforts are underway to repurpose Microsoft’s Xbox, perhaps the ultimate symbol of “closed” technology given Microsoft’s propensity for proprietary code, in order to make it a viable platform for Open Source Software (OSS). However, these efforts are not forgone conclusions, and are in fact typical of the ongoing battle over who controls the technology we own in our homes, and how open source solutions are often at odds with a largely proprietary world. In late 2001, Microsoft launched the Xbox with a multimillion dollar publicity drive featuring events, commercials, live models, and statements claiming this new console gaming platform would “change video games the way MTV changed music”. (Chan, 2001) The Xbox launched with the following technical specifications: 733mhz Pentium III 64mb RAM, 8 or 10gb internal hard disk drive CD/DVD ROM drive (speed unknown) Nvidia graphics processor, with HDTV support 4 USB 1.1 ports (adapter required), AC3 audio 10/100 ethernet port, Optional 56k modem (TechTV, 2001) While current computers dwarf these specifications in virtually all areas now, for 2001 these were roughly on par with many desktop systems. The retail price at the time was $299, but steadily dropped to nearly half that with additional price cuts anticipated. Based on these features, the preponderance of “off the shelf” parts and components used, and the relatively reasonable price, numerous programmers quickly became interested in seeing it if was possible to run Linux and additional OSS on the Xbox. In each case, the goal has been similar: exceed the original purpose of the Xbox, to determine if and how well it might be used for basic computing tasks. If these attempts prove to be successful, the Xbox could allow institutions to dramatically increase the student-to-computer ratio in select environments, or allow individuals who could not otherwise afford a computer to instead buy and Xbox, download and install Linux, and use this new device to write, create, and innovate . This drive to literally and metaphorically “open” the Xbox comes from many directions. Such efforts include Andrew Huang’s self-published “Hacking the Xbox” book in which, under the auspices of reverse engineering, Huang analyzes the architecture of the Xbox, detailing step-by-step instructions for flashing the ROM, upgrading the hard drive and/or RAM, and generally prepping the device for use as an information appliance. Additional initiatives include Lindows CEO Michael Robertson’s $200,000 prize to encourage Linux development on the Xbox, and the Xbox Linux Project at SourceForge. What is Linux? Linux is an alternative operating system initially developed in 1991 by Linus Benedict Torvalds. Linux was based off a derivative of the MINIX operating system, which in turn was a derivative of UNIX. (Hasan 2003) Linux is currently available for Intel-based systems that would normally run versions of Windows, PowerPC-based systems that would normally run Apple’s Mac OS, and a host of other handheld, cell phone, or so-called “embedded” systems. Linux distributions are based almost exclusively on open source software, graphic user interfaces, and middleware components. While there are commercial Linux distributions available, these mainly just package the freely available operating system with bundled technical support, manuals, some exclusive or proprietary commercial applications, and related services. Anyone can still download and install numerous Linux distributions at no cost, provided they do not need technical support beyond the community / enthusiast level. Typical Linux distributions come with open source web browsers, word processors and related productivity applications (such as those found in OpenOffice.org), and related tools for accessing email, organizing schedules and contacts, etc. Certain Linux distributions are more or less designed for network administrators, system engineers, and similar “power users” somewhat distanced from that of our students. However, several distributions including Lycoris, Mandrake, LindowsOS, and other are specifically tailored as regular, desktop operating systems, with regular, everyday computer users in mind. As Linux has no draconian “product activation key” method of authentication, or digital rights management-laden features associated with installation and implementation on typical desktop and laptop systems, Linux is becoming an ideal choice both individually and institutionally. It still faces an uphill battle in terms of achieving widespread acceptance as a desktop operating system. As Finnie points out in Desktop Linux Edges Into The Mainstream: “to attract users, you need ease of installation, ease of device configuration, and intuitive, full-featured desktop user controls. It’s all coming, but slowly. With each new version, desktop Linux comes closer to entering the mainstream. It’s anyone’s guess as to when critical mass will be reached, but you can feel the inevitability: There’s pent-up demand for something different.” (Finnie 2003) Linux is already spreading rapidly in numerous capacities, in numerous countries. Linux has “taken hold wherever computer users desire freedom, and wherever there is demand for inexpensive software.” Reports from technology research company IDG indicate that roughly a third of computers in Central and South America run Linux. Several countries, including Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, have all but mandated that state-owned institutions adopt open source software whenever possible to “give their people the tools and education to compete with the rest of the world.” (Hills 2001) The Goal Less than a year after Microsoft introduced the The Xbox, the Xbox Linux project formed. The Xbox Linux Project has a goal of developing and distributing Linux for the Xbox gaming console, “so that it can be used for many tasks that Microsoft don’t want you to be able to do. ...as a desktop computer, for email and browsing the web from your TV, as a (web) server” (Xbox Linux Project 2002). Since the Linux operating system is open source, meaning it can freely be tinkered with and distributed, those who opt to download and install Linux on their Xbox can do so with relatively little overhead in terms of cost or time. Additionally, Linux itself looks very “windows-like”, making for fairly low learning curve. To help increase overall awareness of this project and assist in diffusing it, the Xbox Linux Project offers step-by-step installation instructions, with the end result being a system capable of using common peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse, scanner, printer, a “webcam and a DVD burner, connected to a VGA monitor; 100% compatible with a standard Linux PC, all PC (USB) hardware and PC software that works with Linux.” (Xbox Linux Project 2002) Such a system could have tremendous potential for technology literacy. Pairing an Xbox with Linux and OpenOffice.org, for example, would provide our students essentially the same capability any of them would expect from a regular desktop computer. They could send and receive email, communicate using instant messaging IRC, or newsgroup clients, and browse Internet sites just as they normally would. In fact, the overall browsing experience for Linux users is substantially better than that for most Windows users. Internet Explorer, the default browser on all systems running Windows-base operating systems, lacks basic features standard in virtually all competing browsers. Native blocking of “pop-up” advertisements is still not yet possible in Internet Explorer without the aid of a third-party utility. Tabbed browsing, which involves the ability to easily open and sort through multiple Web pages in the same window, often with a single mouse click, is also missing from Internet Explorer. The same can be said for a robust download manager, “find as you type”, and a variety of additional features. Mozilla, Netscape, Firefox, Konqueror, and essentially all other OSS browsers for Linux have these features. Of course, most of these browsers are also available for Windows, but Internet Explorer is still considered the standard browser for the platform. If the Xbox Linux Project becomes widely diffused, our students could edit and save Microsoft Word files in OpenOffice.org’s Writer program, and do the same with PowerPoint and Excel files in similar OpenOffice.org components. They could access instructor comments originally created in Microsoft Word documents, and in turn could add their own comments and send the documents back to their instructors. They could even perform many functions not yet capable in Microsoft Office, including saving files in PDF or Flash format without needing Adobe’s Acrobat product or Macromedia’s Flash Studio MX. Additionally, by way of this project, the Xbox can also serve as “a Linux server for HTTP/FTP/SMB/NFS, serving data such as MP3/MPEG4/DivX, or a router, or both; without a monitor or keyboard or mouse connected.” (Xbox Linux Project 2003) In a very real sense, our students could use these inexpensive systems previously framed only within the context of entertainment, for educational purposes typically associated with computer-mediated learning. Problems: Control and Access The existing rhetoric of technological control surrounding current and emerging technologies appears to be stifling many of these efforts before they can even be brought to the public. This rhetoric of control is largely typified by overly-restrictive digital rights management (DRM) schemes antithetical to education, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Combined,both are currently being used as technical and legal clubs against these efforts. Microsoft, for example, has taken a dim view of any efforts to adapt the Xbox to Linux. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who has repeatedly referred to Linux as a cancer and has equated OSS as being un-American, stated, “Given the way the economic model works - and that is a subsidy followed, essentially, by fees for every piece of software sold - our license framework has to do that.” (Becker 2003) Since the Xbox is based on a subsidy model, meaning that Microsoft actually sells the hardware at a loss and instead generates revenue off software sales, Ballmer launched a series of concerted legal attacks against the Xbox Linux Project and similar efforts. In 2002, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft simultaneously sued Lik Sang, Inc., a Hong Kong-based company that produces programmable cartridges and “mod chips” for the PlayStation II, Xbox, and Game Cube. Nintendo states that its company alone loses over $650 million each year due to piracy of their console gaming titles, which typically originate in China, Paraguay, and Mexico. (GameIndustry.biz) Currently, many attempts to “mod” the Xbox required the use of such chips. As Lik Sang is one of the only suppliers, initial efforts to adapt the Xbox to Linux slowed considerably. Despite that fact that such chips can still be ordered and shipped here by less conventional means, it does not change that fact that the chips themselves would be illegal in the U.S. due to the anticircumvention clause in the DMCA itself, which is designed specifically to protect any DRM-wrapped content, regardless of context. The Xbox Linux Project then attempted to get Microsoft to officially sanction their efforts. They were not only rebuffed, but Microsoft then opted to hire programmers specifically to create technological countermeasures for the Xbox, to defeat additional attempts at installing OSS on it. Undeterred, the Xbox Linux Project eventually arrived at a method of installing and booting Linux without the use of mod chips, and have taken a more defiant tone now with Microsoft regarding their circumvention efforts. (Lettice 2002) They state that “Microsoft does not want you to use the Xbox as a Linux computer, therefore it has some anti-Linux-protection built in, but it can be circumvented easily, so that an Xbox can be used as what it is: an IBM PC.” (Xbox Linux Project 2003) Problems: Learning Curves and Usability In spite of the difficulties imposed by the combined technological and legal attacks on this project, it has succeeded at infiltrating this closed system with OSS. It has done so beyond the mere prototype level, too, as evidenced by the Xbox Linux Project now having both complete, step-by-step instructions available for users to modify their own Xbox systems, and an alternate plan catering to those who have the interest in modifying their systems, but not the time or technical inclinations. Specifically, this option involves users mailing their Xbox systems to community volunteers within the Xbox Linux Project, and basically having these volunteers perform the necessary software preparation or actually do the full Linux installation for them, free of charge (presumably not including shipping). This particular aspect of the project, dubbed “Users Help Users”, appears to be fairly new. Yet, it already lists over sixty volunteers capable and willing to perform this service, since “Many users don’t have the possibility, expertise or hardware” to perform these modifications. Amazingly enough, in some cases these volunteers are barely out of junior high school. One such volunteer stipulates that those seeking his assistance keep in mind that he is “just 14” and that when performing these modifications he “...will not always be finished by the next day”. (Steil 2003) In addition to this interesting if somewhat unusual level of community-driven support, there are currently several Linux-based options available for the Xbox. The two that are perhaps the most developed are GentooX, which is based of the popular Gentoo Linux distribution, and Ed’s Debian, based off the Debian GNU / Linux distribution. Both Gentoo and Debian are “seasoned” distributions that have been available for some time now, though Daniel Robbins, Chief Architect of Gentoo, refers to the product as actually being a “metadistribution” of Linux, due to its high degree of adaptability and configurability. (Gentoo 2004) Specifically, the Robbins asserts that Gentoo is capable of being “customized for just about any application or need. ...an ideal secure server, development workstation, professional desktop, gaming system, embedded solution or something else—whatever you need it to be.” (Robbins 2004) He further states that the whole point of Gentoo is to provide a better, more usable Linux experience than that found in many other distributions. Robbins states that: “The goal of Gentoo is to design tools and systems that allow a user to do their work pleasantly and efficiently as possible, as they see fit. Our tools should be a joy to use, and should help the user to appreciate the richness of the Linux and free software community, and the flexibility of free software. ...Put another way, the Gentoo philosophy is to create better tools. When a tool is doing its job perfectly, you might not even be very aware of its presence, because it does not interfere and make its presence known, nor does it force you to interact with it when you don’t want it to. The tool serves the user rather than the user serving the tool.” (Robbins 2004) There is also a so-called “live CD” Linux distribution suitable for the Xbox, called dyne:bolic, and an in-progress release of Slackware Linux, as well. According to the Xbox Linux Project, the only difference between the standard releases of these distributions and their Xbox counterparts is that “...the install process – and naturally the bootloader, the kernel and the kernel modules – are all customized for the Xbox.” (Xbox Linux Project, 2003) Of course, even if Gentoo is as user-friendly as Robbins purports, even if the Linux kernel itself has become significantly more robust and efficient, and even if Microsoft again drops the retail price of the Xbox, is this really a feasible solution in the classroom? Does the Xbox Linux Project have an army of 14 year olds willing to modify dozens, perhaps hundreds of these systems for use in secondary schools and higher education? Of course not. If such an institutional rollout were to be undertaken, it would require significant support from not only faculty, but Department Chairs, Deans, IT staff, and quite possible Chief Information Officers. Disk images would need to be customized for each institution to reflect their respective needs, ranging from setting specific home pages on web browsers, to bookmarks, to custom back-up and / or disk re-imaging scripts, to network authentication. This would be no small task. Yet, the steps mentioned above are essentially no different than what would be required of any IT staff when creating a new disk image for a computer lab, be it one for a Windows-based system or a Mac OS X-based one. The primary difference would be Linux itself—nothing more, nothing less. The institutional difficulties in undertaking such an effort would likely be encountered prior to even purchasing a single Xbox, in that they would involve the same difficulties associated with any new hardware or software initiative: staffing, budget, and support. If the institutional in question is either unwilling or unable to address these three factors, it would not matter if the Xbox itself was as free as Linux. An Open Future, or a Closed one? It is unclear how far the Xbox Linux Project will be allowed to go in their efforts to invade an essentially a proprietary system with OSS. Unlike Sony, which has made deliberate steps to commercialize similar efforts for their PlayStation 2 console, Microsoft appears resolute in fighting OSS on the Xbox by any means necessary. They will continue to crack down on any companies selling so-called mod chips, and will continue to employ technological protections to keep the Xbox “closed”. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, in all likelihood Microsoft continue to equate any OSS efforts directed at the Xbox with piracy-related motivations. Additionally, Microsoft’s successor to the Xbox would likely include additional anticircumvention technologies incorporated into it that could set the Xbox Linux Project back by months, years, or could stop it cold. Of course, it is difficult to say with any degree of certainty how this “Xbox 2” (perhaps a more appropriate name might be “Nextbox”) will impact this project. Regardless of how this device evolves, there can be little doubt of the value of Linux, OpenOffice.org, and other OSS to teaching and learning with technology. This value exists not only in terms of price, but in increased freedom from policies and technologies of control. New Linux distributions from Gentoo, Mandrake, Lycoris, Lindows, and other companies are just now starting to focus their efforts on Linux as user-friendly, easy to use desktop operating systems, rather than just server or “techno-geek” environments suitable for advanced programmers and computer operators. While metaphorically opening the Xbox may not be for everyone, and may not be a suitable computing solution for all, I believe we as educators must promote and encourage such efforts whenever possible. I suggest this because I believe we need to exercise our professional influence and ultimately shape the future of technology literacy, either individually as faculty and collectively as departments, colleges, or institutions. Moran and Fitzsimmons-Hunter argue this very point in Writing Teachers, Schools, Access, and Change. One of their fundamental provisions they use to define “access” asserts that there must be a willingness for teachers and students to “fight for the technologies that they need to pursue their goals for their own teaching and learning.” (Taylor / Ward 160) Regardless of whether or not this debate is grounded in the “beige boxes” of the past, or the Xboxes of the present, much is at stake. Private corporations should not be in a position to control the manner in which we use legally-purchased technologies, regardless of whether or not these technologies are then repurposed for literacy uses. I believe the exigency associated with this control, and the ongoing evolution of what is and is not a computer, dictates that we assert ourselves more actively into this discussion. We must take steps to provide our students with the best possible computer-mediated learning experience, however seemingly unorthodox the technological means might be, so that they may think critically, communicate effectively, and participate actively in society and in their future careers. About the Author Paul Cesarini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Communication & Technology Education, Bowling Green State University, Ohio Email: pcesari@bgnet.bgsu.edu Works Cited http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/docs/debian.php>.Baron, Denis. “From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies.” Passions Pedagogies and 21st Century Technologies. Hawisher, Gail E., and Cynthia L. Selfe, Eds. Utah: Utah State University Press, 1999. 15 – 33. Becker, David. “Ballmer: Mod Chips Threaten Xbox”. News.com. 21 Oct 2002. http://news.com.com/2100-1040-962797.php>. http://news.com.com/2100-1040-978957.html?tag=nl>. http://archive.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/08/13/020813hnchina.xml>. http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/1062/>. http://www.bookreader.co.uk>.Finni, Scott. “Desktop Linux Edges Into The Mainstream”. TechWeb. 8 Apr 2003. http://www.techweb.com/tech/software/20030408_software. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/29439.html http://gentoox.shallax.com/. http://ragib.hypermart.net/linux/. http://www.itworld.com/Comp/2362/LWD010424latinlinux/pfindex.html. http://www.xbox-linux.sourceforge.net. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/27487.html. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/26078.html. http://www.us.playstation.com/peripherals.aspx?id=SCPH-97047. http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3356862,00.html. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,61984,00.html. http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/about.xml http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/philosophy.xml http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2869075,00.html. http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/docs/usershelpusers.html http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/fun.games/12/16/gamers.liksang/. Citation reference for this article MLA Style Cesarini, Paul. "“Opening” the Xbox" M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture <http://www.media-culture.org.au/0406/08_Cesarini.php>. APA Style Cesarini, P. (2004, Jul1). “Opening” the Xbox. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, 7, <http://www.media-culture.org.au/0406/08_Cesarini.php>