This qualitative study explored fifth graders' perceptions of their mathematics learning within the context of a reform effort. Students' voices are the focus of this study due to the paucity of literature on student learning from the students' perspective (Erickson & Shultz, 1992), particularly the elementary student (Gentilucci, 2004). The participants of this study, who in the past have been given a variety of labels including "disadvantaged" or "at-risk," clearly articulated, even in nonstandard English, their perceptions of their mathematics learning. They passionately explained what...

The Materials Science and Technology 2009 Conference and Exhibition (MS&T'09) was held October 25-29, 2009, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A major theme of the conference was Environmental and Energy Issues. Papers from three of the symposia held under that theme are included in this volume. These symposia include Materials Solutions for the Nuclear Renaissance; Green Engineering and Environmental Stewardship; and Nanotechnology for Energy. These symposia included a variety of presentations with sessions focused on sustainable energy, photovoltaics, nanowires and composites, energy harvesting,...