A prospective cohort study was undertaken to determine calf-level factors that affected calf health status between birth and 6 months of age. A convenience sample of approximately 3300 female Holstein calves born in 1991 on two large Florida dairy farms was used for the study. Data collected on each calf at birth included farm of origin, weight, height at the pelvis, birth date, and serum total protein (a measure of colostral immunoglobulin absorption). Birth season was dichotomized into summer and winter using meteorological data collected by University of Florida Agricultural Research Stations. Health data including date of initial treatment and number of treatments were collected for the diseases diarrhea, omphalitis, septicemia and pneumonia. All calves were followed for 6 months. Cumulative incidences of mortality and occurrence of diarrhea, omphalitis, septicemia and pneumonia were 0.12, 0.35, 0.11, 0.24 and 0.21, respectively. Serum total protein (TP) was a significant risk factor for mortality. The association of TP and mortality was quadratic and showed a dramatic decrease in mortality as TP increased from 4.0 to 5.0 g/dl, a small improvement from 5.0 to 6.0 g/dl and virtually no improvement in mortality rates as TP increased over 6.0 g/dl. The hazard mortality ratio was constant from birth to six months, indicating that the increased risk of mortality associated with low levels of TP was evident through six months of age. No interactions between TP, farm, season, or birth weight were found in these analyses. Serum total protein concentration was a significant risk factor for the occurrences, age of onset and severity of septicemia and pneumonia. The association between TP and septicemia was linear and an interaction with birth season was found. The association between TP and pneumonia was quadratic, and in contrast to the TP-and-septicemia relationship, the morbidity hazard ratio for pneumonia was not constant over the time measured; that is, colostral immunity protected the calf from developing pneumonia early in life, but this effect disappeared as the calf got older. Total protein was not a significant risk factor for diarrhea or omphalitis.

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In Ontario, as the number of students requiring special education support continues to rise, the transition to inclusive classrooms has become more challenging for teachers due to limited time and lack of resources and support in the classrooms. However, this study explored how eight elementary school teachers addressed these obstacles in their successful transitions to inclusion through the integration of technology, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks in both online and physical classrooms. Through online interviews and classroom observations, the teachers orally shared and demonstrated how technology could increase student engagement, differentiate instruction, provide students with alternative instruction and assessment methods, and build teacher capacity within the classrooms. Despite this successful integration of technology and instructional frameworks, inefficiencies were revealed in screening approaches and teachers’ access to streamlined assessment resources to identify the needs of students. A discussion examined the teachers’ barriers in supporting the needs of all learners with proposed technology-based considerations that may assist other teachers in their transitions to inclusive classrooms.

The increasing number of students requiring special education support is a plea for students to be taught the way they learn best. Through the authentic educational experiences of a diverse family, this paper explores the impact of theories of motivation to support all learners. This exploration proposes that educators may be able to support the needs of all learners in inclusive classrooms by integrating the theories of self-efficacy, self-determination, and implicit theories of intelligence.

The transition to inclusive classrooms in Ontario meant classroom environments had to adapt to the needs of students instead of students being expected to adapt to a standardized curriculum (Parekh, 2018). Although challenges existed in the implementation of this student centered approach, some teachers addressed these obstacles through the use of technology, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks. The transition to inclusive classrooms in Ontario meant classroom environments had to adapt to the needs of students instead of students being expected to adapt to a standardized curriculum (Parekh, 2018). Although challenges existed in the implementation of this student-centered approach, some teachers addressed these obstacles through the use of technology, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks. This paper combined two studies which included both teachers' and students' perspectives of inclusive classrooms. The primary study examined the instructional practices of eight elementary school teachers who experienced successful transitions to inclusion in bricks and mortar and virtual classrooms. The second study explored the experiences of students with and without disabilities who participated in virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through online interviews and classroom observations, the teachers demonstrated how technology could increase student engagement, differentiate instruction, and provide students with alternative instruction and assessment methods. However, inconsistencies were revealed in screening approaches to identify the needs of students and monitor students' progress. The students engaged in multiple options of learning with some experiences more positive than others. The paper concludes with a summary of technology-based inclusive practices shared by teachers and students.