At One School, a Push for More Play Time

Play came in the form of “choice time,” a roughly 30-minute afternoon period during which each child chose what blocks or toys in the classroom to work with, and at recess, which was often truncated by the time it took for every child to calm down and form an orderly line back to class.
About a month ago, about half of the kindergarten parents signed a letter to the principal, Valerie Capitulo-Saide, asking for more unstructured time in the school day, an extra recess period and better procedures in recess. Ms. Capitulo-Saide gave them one extra gym period a week and no longer required students to form perfect lines at recess, one parent said.
P.S. 101 “is a high performing school,” Ms. Capitulo-Saide said in an e-mail. “Our collaborative decision-making process includes input from parents, teachers and administrators. As a result of our collaboration, we have added 30 minutes of additional physical education instruction per week for kindergarten students while maintaining strong instruction.”

Early childhood homework is another issue. Each Monday, the kindergartners get a packet of worksheets they are supposed to complete by Friday. There are generally 10 to 12 reading, writing and math worksheets each week. Parents are also asked to read to their children.
The School in the Gardens has a rigorous academic curriculum, and it is the sort of place where homework assignments by third grade can stretch to an hour.
About half of the parents support the idea of kindergarten homework, and about half do not, said one parent, Norberto Maio. Mr. Maio said his son, Francisco, generally came home tired, making homework difficult.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for a 5-year-old,” Mr. Maio said. “At least not on a regular basis. They do have, like, 20 more years to do homework.”
Ms. Chin, the mother of 5-year-old Kristin, had no complaints about the homework. “It’s manageable,” she said. “They have to take the standardized tests soon.”
Asma Khan, another parent , said she saw both positives and negatives to a kindergarten focused on academics, especially when a talented teacher is getting results. Her daughter, Zainab, 4, has already learned how to read and would sit around writing all day if she could, Ms. Khan said.
Zainab, for her part, said she liked school just as it was: no more play needed.
And homework? No problem.
“I love homework,” she said. “I write my numbers and my A B C’s.”
                                                     

                                               

CONT...

10. Failing to include basic greetings.

Simple pleasantries do the trick. Say “hi” at the start of the message and “thanks” at the end. Be sure to use the recipient’s name. Be polite yet brief with your courtesy.

11. E-mailing when you’re angry.

Don’t do it. Ever. Recall buttons are far from a perfect science, and sending a business e-mail tainted by emotion is often a catastrophic mistake. It sounds cliche, but sleep on it. Save the message as a draft and see if you still want to send it the next morning.

12. Underestimating the importance of the subject line.

The subject line is your headline. Make it interesting, and you’ll increase the odds of getting the recipient’s attention. Our inboxes are cluttered; you need to be creative and direct to help the recipient cut through the noise. You should consistently use meaningful and descriptive subject lines. This will help your colleagues determine what you’re writing about and build your “inbox street cred,” which means important messages are more likely to be read.

13. Using incorrect subject lines.

Change the subject line if you’re changing the topic of conversation. Better yet, start a new e-mail thread.
14. Sending the wrong attachment.

If you double-check an attachment immediately before sending and decide that you need to make changes, don’t forget to update the source file. Making corrections to the version that’s attached to the e-mail does not often work, and it can lead to different versions of the same doc floating around.
15. Not putting an e-mail in context

Even if you were talking to someone an hour ago about something, remind them in the e-mail why you’re writing. In this multi-tasking world of ours, it’s easy for even the sharpest minds to forget what’s going on.
16. Using BCC too often.

Use BCC (blind carbon copy) sparingly. Even though it’s supposed to be a secret, it rarely is. Burn someone once, and they’ll never trust you again. Likewise, forwarding e-mail is a great way to destroy your credibility. When people send you something, they aren’t expecting you to pass it on to your co-workers. The e-mail might make its way back to the sender, who will see that their original message was shared. They might not call you out on it, but they’ll make a mental note that you can’t be trusted.
17. Relying too much on e-mail.

News flash! No one is sitting around staring at their inbox waiting for your e-mail. If something is urgent, use another means of communication. A red “rush” exclamation point doesn’t compare to getting up from your desk and conducting business in person.18. Hitting “reply all” unintentionally.

This is a biggie. And it’s not just embarrassing; depending on what you wrote in that e-mail, it can ruin your relationship with a co-worker or even your boss. Take extra care whenever you respond so you don’t hit this fatal button.

18 Common Work E-mail Mistakes

Primary communication tools. And given the number of messages we send and receive, we do it with remarkable success.But as with anything, the more e-mails we send, the more likely we are to screw one up. And simple e-mail mistakes can be disastrous. They can cost us a raise, promotion–even a job.
With a new year upon us, this is the perfect time to go through some of the worst e-mail mistakes employees make and how to avoid them.

1. Sending before you mean to

Enter the recipient’s e-mail address only when your e-mail is ready to be sent. This helps reduce the risk of an embarrassing misfire, such as sending an important e-mail to the wrong person or e-mailing a half-written note.

2. Forgetting the attachment

 If your e-mail includes an attachment, upload the file to the e-mail before composing it. This eliminates the embarrassing mistake of forgetting it before hitting “send,” and having to send another e-mail saying you forgot to attach the document.

3. Expecting an instant response

Don’t send an e-mail and show up at the recipient’s desk 30 seconds later asking if they’ve received it. They did, and they’ll answer at their convenience. That’s the point of e-mail.

4. Forwarding useless e-mails

I’ve never seen a single e-mail forward at work that was beneficial. Whether it’s a silly joke or a heartwarming charity, there’s never a time to share an e-mail forward using your work e-mail.

5. Not reviewing all new messages before replying.

When you return to the office after a week or more away, review all new e-mails before firing off responses. It might be hard to accept, but odds are, things did march on without you. Replying to something that was already handled by a co-worker creates extra communication, which can lead to confusion, errors, and at the very least, wasted time for everyone involved.

6. Omitting recipients when you “reply all.”

Unless there’s an important reason to omit someone, don’t arbitrarily leave people off the response if they were included on the original message.

7. Including your e-mail signature again and again

 Nor do you need to include it at the end of an e-mail you send to your long-time co-worker who sits six feet away. If you have your e-mail program set to automatically generate a signature with each new message, take a second to delete it when communicating with someone who knows who you are. It’s always wise to include your phone number, but the entire blurb with your title and mailing address is often nothing but clutter.

8. Composing the note too quickly

Don’t be careless; write every e-mail as if it will be read at Saint Peter’s Square during the blessing of a new Pope. Be respectful with your words and take pride in every communication.

9. Violating your company’s e-mail policy

Many companies have aggressive spam filters in place that monitor “blue” language. From that famous four-letter word to simple terms, such as “job search,” don’t end up tripping the system by letting your guard down.

Cognition and General Knowledge

Research points to the positive effects of technology use on cognitive and social learning and development.

 In similar studies with different ages of children, using computers along with supporting activities ; provided even greater benefits than either one alone. Compared to children in a similar classroom without computer experience, three- and four-year-olds who used computers with supporting activities had significantly greater gains in verbal and nonverbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills .

 

Similarly, third-grade children who used both manipulatives and computer programs

showed more sophistication in classification and logical thinking than children who used only manipulatives (Clements & Nastasi, 1993). Technology use that is connected to what children already know and can build upon leads to greater tivation and selfdirection. Loss of creativity can be a problem if children use drill-and-practice software. Open-ended software—software that provides opportunities to discover, make choices, and find out the impact of decisions—encourages exploration, imagination, and problem .

 

Technology offers additional ways to learn, and to demonstrate learning. For some children who have unique learning styles, computers can reveal hidden strengths. At the computer, children can approach learning from a variety of perspectives and

follow various paths to a goal . Poor concentration and attention problems can be addressed by limiting screen time, helping children focus on the task, and choosing software that does not employ excessively stimulating noises or constantly moving graphics.

Concerns that technology speeds up the pace of learning and cuts down on childhood can be lessened if unprogrammed playtime is included as an essential part of the child’s daily routine, including any technology use. Play is important for intellectual

development and, as such, should be included as a vital part of early childhood education. Used appropriately, computers can be a positive element of children’s play and learning as they explore and experiment.

CONT. EARLY TECHNOLOGY...

Computers are intrinsically motivating for young children, and contribute to cognitive and social development .

Computers can enhance children’s self-concept and improveChildren demonstrate increased levels of spoken communication and cooperation during computer use . Children share leadership roles on the computer, and initiate interactions more frequently .

The variety of rich experiences that promote early literacy, including conversations with caring adults, storytelling, drawing and painting, and pretend play, is critical in the development of both oral and written language . Everyday, playful experiences in print-rich environments expose children to the processes of reading and writing for real purposes (International Reading Association [IRA] and NAEYC, 1998). Technology has a place in this environment; language and literacy development are major strengths of technology use with young children through the opportunities and motivation it provides. While critics express concerns that computer use will inhibit language development and lead to social isolation (Cordes & Miller, 2000; Healy, 1998), rather than isolating children, research shows that:Computer play encourages longer, more complex speech and the development of fluency

taking and peer collaboration. “Compared to more traditional activities, such as puzzle assembly or block building, the computer elicits more social interaction and different types of interaction” (Clements, Nastasi, & Swaminathan, 1993, p. 60).

Physical Well-Being and Motor Development

form letters. A word processor allows them to compose and revise text without being distracted by the fine motor aspects of letter formation (Davis & Shade, 1994).

Following ergonomic standards similar to those for adults can help prevent muscular-skeletal injuries and vision problems. Computer use is and should be relatively brief at this age, and limiting screen time and encouraging frequent breaks will decrease the risks. Lack of exercise and obesity are serious problems that need to be addressed during both in-school and out-of-school hours. On a typical day children two to seven years old spend an average of 11 minutes using a computer, and more than three

hours watching television and videos (Roberts, Foehr, Rideout, & Brodie, 1999). Screen time (including TV, computer, and video games) should be limited to a maximum of one to two hours per day for young children .

Vigorous physical activities and play should be encouraged.

As with television monitors, electromagnetic emissions from computers are minimal. Exposure can be lessened even more by having children sit two to two and one-half feet from the monitor and allowing distance between computers.

TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Young children have needs that are real and different from those of older children and adolescents. Children from birth to age eight are learning rapidly, using all of their senses and their entire bodies to take in sensations and experience the world around them. During this period of their lives they learn through their play and exploration across five essential developmental dimensions.

These dimensions include:

sustain relationships gives meaning to learning experiences.

Responsive interactions provide a sense of well-being that

enables children to form attachments with others and participate positively in educational activities.

Social and Emotional Development. The ability to form and  

participate in both the cognitive and affective parts of the educational program. Experience with written and oral language provides children with the tools to interact with others, and to represent their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Language Development. Language empowers children to

Physical Well-Being and Motor Development. A child’s health is connected to preparedness for and performance in learning activities. Healthy children are able to focus on and actively engage in experiences crucial to the learning process.

WHAT RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY CHILD    AND DEVELOPMENT

 

There is a substantial body of research on technology use with young children. A large portion of this research focuses on the use of computers to enhance social, language, and cognitive skills . Studies highlight the opportunities for language use and social interaction that technology offers, along with increased motivation.

Computers also make possible experiences

and representations that cannot take place in the real

world, providing new experiences and improved understanding.

Social and Emotional Development

social interaction and conversations related to children’s work ; a classroom set up to encourage interaction and the appropriate use of the technology will increase, not impair, language and literacy development. Strategies to build socialization into computer use include placing two seats in front of the computer to encourage children to work together, placing computers close to each other to facilitate sharing ideas, and locating computers in a central spot to invite.

cont....

Behaviorism stresses the importance of having a particular form of behavior reinforced by someone, other than the student, to shape or control what is learned. In aviation training, the instructor provides the reinforcement. Frequent, positive reinforcement and rewards accelerate learning. This theory provides the instructor with ways to manipulate students with stimuli, induce the desired behavior or response, and reinforce the behavior with appropriate rewards. In general, the behaviorist theory emphasizes positive reinforcement rather than no reinforcement or punishment. Other features of behaviorism are considerably more complex than this simple explanation. Instructors who need more details should refer to psychology texts for a better understanding of behaviorism. As an instructor, it is important to keep in mind that behaviorism is still widely used today, because controlling learning experiences helps direct students toward specific learning outcomes.

Cognative Theory

Much of the recent psychological thinking and experimentation in education includes some facets of the cognitive theory. This is true in basic as well as more advanced training programs. Unlike behaviorism, the cognitive theory focuses on what is going on inside the student's mind. Learning is not just a change in behavior; it is a change in the way a student thinks, understands, or feels.

There are several branches of cognitive theory. Two of the major theories may broadly be classified as the information processing model and the social interaction model. The first says that the student's brain has internal structures which select and process incoming material, store and retrieve it, use it to produce behavior, and receive and process feedback on the results.

This involves a number of cognitive processes, including executive functions of recognizing expectancies, planning and monitoring performance, encoding and chunking information, and producing internal and external responses.

The social interaction theories gained prominence in the 1980s. They stress that learning and subsequent changes in behavior take place as a result of interaction between the student and the environment. Behavior is modeled either by people or symbolically. Cultural influences, peer pressure, group dynamics, and film and television are some of the significant factors. Thus, the social environment to which the student is exposed demonstrates or models behaviors, and the student cognitively processes the observed behaviors and consequences. The cognitive processes include attention, retention, motor responses, and motivation. Techniques for learning include direct modeling and verbal instruction. Behavior, personal factors, and environmental events all work together to produce learning.

Both models of the cognitive theory have common principles. For example, they both acknowledge the importance of reinforcing behavior and measuring changes. Positive reinforcement is important, particularly with cognitive concepts such as knowledge and understanding. The need to evaluate and measure behavior remains because it is the only way to get a clue about what the student understands. Evaluation is often limited to the kinds of knowledge or behavior that can be measured by a paper-and-pencil exam or a performance test. Although psychologists agree that there often are errors in evaluation, some means of measuring student knowledge, performance, and behavior is necessary.

learning tech

Learning theory may be described as a body of principles advocated by psychologists and educators to explain how people acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Various branches of learning theory are used in formal training programs to improve and accelerate the learning process. Key concepts such as desired learning outcomes, objectives of the training, and depth of training also apply. When properly integrated, learning principles, derived from theories, can be useful to aviation instructors and developers of instructional programs for both pilots and maintenance technicians.

Over the years, many theories have attempted to explain how people learn. Even though psychologists and educators are not in complete agreement, most do agree that learning may be explained by a combination of two basic approaches: behaviorism and the cognitive theories.

To learn is to acquire knowledge or skill. Learning also may involve a change in attitude or behavior. Children learn to identify objects at an early age; teenagers may learn to improve study habits; and adults can learn to solve complex problems. Pilots and aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) need to acquire the higher levels of knowledge and skill, including the ability to exercise judgment and solve problems. The challenge for the aviation instructor is to understand how people learn, and more importantly, to be able to apply that knowledge to the learning environment. This handbook is designed as a basic guide to educational psychology. This chapter addresses that branch of psychology directly concerned with how people learn.

How technology has changed educational

Now we are more dependant on computers, Now if we need to find out information, we more likely look on the internet, than going down to our local library and looking it up in a book.
But actually it has so many beneficts, for example we can now stay in contact with people that have moved away or live in other parts of the world. With only a simple download, we can stay in contact with friends and family anywhere in the world and as a future teachers we can use it as a tool for our classes. A child can learn anything from computer. Thats why I have to know everything about technology

Educational Technology

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Technology in education is a really good option to teach any subject, it is an interactive way and learning is effective.

We can use different things and also videos and images are useful.

As teacher we just need to be creatives to transforms any basic education to technology.

Educational technology wants to improve the education and it has a lot of benefits like for example: 

- Student motivation.

- Improved student writting.

- Subjects are easier to learn.

But educational Technology also has some disadvantages if we don´t use it in the correct form or sometimes teachers dont have the equipment.

Specially in this country, but we can distract children from learning.

Maybe we have the ideas but must of the time we dont have acces to the equipment to make our classes different

 

Technology can refer to material objects of use to humanity , such as machines or harwdare , but it can also encompass broader themes , including systems , methods of organizaton and techniques.

In the other words , any valid and reliable process or producer that is devired from basic research using the scientific method is considered a technology. The word technology comes from the Greek techne which means craft or art. Another word , technique , with the same origin , also may be used when considering the field Educational Technology. So Educational Technology may be extended ti include the techniques of the educator.

Bloom¨s work does not explicity deal with educational technology per se and is more with pedagogical stategies.

Educational Technologist is someone who transform basic educational and psychological research into an evidence-based applied science ( or a technology ) of learning or instruction.

What ever taht you transform for using in the classroom is technology.

 

                                         

Pas de deux

In ballet ,  a pas de deux (French ,  steps of two) is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together. It usually consists of an entrée ,  adagio , two variations  (one for each dancer), and a coda .

FOR EXAMPLES:

The Black Swan Pas de deux from the third scene of Swan Lake. Choreography by Marius Petipa. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, revised (ending of the Adagio) and orchestrated (Odile's variation) by Riccardo Drigo. Variation for Odile originally created for the Ballerina Pierina Legnani from Tchaikovsky's Opus 72 for Piano.

The Le corsaire pas de deux.  Originally presented as a Pas d'action à trois with choreography by Samuil Andrianov in 1915 for a new production at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre of Marius Petipa's 1899 revival of Le Corsaire. First danced by Samuil Andrianov as Conrad, Tamara Karsavina as Medora, and Mikhail Obukhovas the suitor. Today the Le Corsaire Pas de deux is presented in versions derived from the revisions of Agrippina Vaganova (1931) and Vakhtang Chabukiani (circa 1940), among many others. Music by Riccardo Drigo (opening Adage); male variation by Yuli Gerber; Baron Boris Fitinhof-Schell; and coda by Drigo. Often other variations are utilized for the female by the composers Anton Simon (in Rudolf Nureyevs 1960 version), and Cesare Pugni.

Don Quixote Grand Pas de deux. Originally choreographed by Marius Petipa. Today presented in a redaction derived from revisions by Alexander Gorsky (1900, 1903), and Rostislav Zakhar(1941), and many others. Music by Ludwig Minkus and Ricardo Drigo. NOTE - The famous Variation of Kitri with the fan was originally composed by Riccardo Drigo for the Ballerina Mathilde Kschessinskaya in 1909.

 

The Romantic Ballet

The ballet "La Sylphide", represented for the first time in Paris in 1832, inaugurated the period of romantic ballet. Marie Taglioni danced the lead role representing a supernatural creature who is loved and inadvertently destroyed by a mortal man. The choreography, created by his father Filippo Taglioni, exploited the use of dance for tips to enhance the lightness and insubstantiality supernatural character played by his daughter.
"La Sylphide" inspired many changes in the ballets of the period, compared to subject, style, technique and clothing. Another outstanding work of this style was Giselle (1841), with music by Adolphe Adam and choreography by Jean Coralli, which also contrasted words human and supernatural, and the second act called Vilis spirits carried the white tutu popularized in "The sylph. "
The romantic ballet, however, not only in themes inspired by beings from another world. Austria's popular character Fanny Elssler more earthy and sensual. His most famous dance, the cap in Le Diable Boiteux (The lame devil, 1836) was a Spanish-style solo performed with castanets. Women dominated the romantic ballet. Although there were good dancers and Jules Perrot and Arthur Saint-Léon, were eclipsed by ballerinas such as Taglioni, Elssler, the Italians Carlotta Grisi and Fanny Cerrito, and others.

In Spain, about the same time, it is producing a splendid development of dance, folk roots nourished, adopted the European ballet style refinement. This style of Spanish dance called "school bowling." Between school bowling and the great flowering of ballet throughout Europe under the influence of romanticism there is a strong link clearly evident. And Elssler Taglioni danced in Russia, where he also created ballets Perrot and Saint-Léon. Elssler also danced in the United States, home of two dancers: Augusta Maywood and Mary Ann Lee, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

But in Paris, and in general in Europe, the ballet began to lose interest in art. The poetic qualities gave way to the display of virtuosity and spectacle, and discarded the male dance. During the second half of the nineteenth century there were few notable ballets at the Opera. The exception was "Coppélia, choreographed by Saint-Léon, in 1870," Sylvia "and" The Fountain ", with music by Leo Delibes.

However, Denmark continued patterns of romantic ballet. The Danish choreographer August Bournonville, who had studied in Paris, not only established a system of preparation, but created a large body of works, including his own version of "La Sylphide." Many of these ballets are still represented by the Royal Ballet of Denmark.

Russia also maintained the tradition of French ballet in the late nineteenth century, thanks to the French choreographer Marius Petipa, who became director of choreography of the Russian Imperial Ballet. Perfected the ballet with a plot that combined long and complete series of dance and mime scenes. His best known works are, among others, "Sleeping Beauty" (1890), "The Swan Lake" and "Nutcracker", the three in collaboration with the Russian Lev Ivanov, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

tutu

A tutu is part of the costume worn by ballet dancers. When the dress came in the 1820 was not defined as a tutu, this name was given from 1881. In 1832 Marie Taglioni immortalized this type of garment: a snug bodice and a light and airy skirt made ​​from a multi-layer, if it is long (almost to the ankle), be called romantic tutu, and when it is cut is called a tutu Italian. Tutu to the Italian, is a short skirt and rigid, disk-shaped floaty supported the dancer's hips and exposing the entire leg is usually white but also comes in a brightly colored variety.