Is it still working?

Is this still working? I am just curious if it is. I did not even signed in or opened it for a long time. Yes, it was a good reason, still there is. I was just curious. Well, if I am here I post something I wrote to a SEN school to introduce CE several months ago.

Introducing Conductive Pedagogical System
Conductive Education (CE) is a contemporary special education concept being increasingly used in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world. Its system fully falls into the so called SEN education. The following article tries to introduce Conductive Pedagogical System (CPS) for professionals who struggling to find information and fail to see, understand CPS as an education due to lack of pedagogical literature and discussion of its nature in not a medical, rehabilitation context.

Dr. Andras Peto was born in Hungary, studied and worked in Austria after finishing high school in Szombathely, Hungary. In the 1920’s he started to construct new effective systems for healing different illnesses as a freshly qualified physician in Austria and his main focus was natural healing and alternative medicine. From March 1945 he implemented with the aid of the after World War II Hungarian State a new pedagogical habilitation, rehabilitation scheme for central nervous system damaged children and adults in Budapest, Hungary. He recognised that people with the above mentioned disabilities can be taught how to live an active life using their all possible potentials and developed his own unique complex education system how to build up individual’s active orientated personality – orthofunction - and progress their life skills and medical conditions. With this idea he was the first who approached central nervous damaged people with a pedagogical focus and put physical developmental actions alongside with emotional, social, mental and communication developments as part of the education approach.
Conductive Pedagogical System (CPS)
CPS which was mistakenly introduced as Conductive Education to the English speaking part of the world is a pedagogical system, a “special education” structure traditionally for people who have physical disabilities due to damage of the Central Nervous System (CNS) such as Cerebral Palsy, Ataxia, Stroke, Parkinson Disease, MS, Spina Bifida. However, in the last two three decades CPS’s educational structure was recorded to be successful approaching a much broader field of disabilities i.e. Global Development Delay, Dyspraxia, Carbohydrate Glycoprotein Deficiency, Mucolipidosis type IV (ML IV), Down Syndrome, Hydro-cephalous and Micro-cephalous caused disabilities, mental impairment and many others.
Conductive Pedagogy is an assistive (lifelong) process, approach of recovering and living with physical and related complex problems. CPS believes that rehabilitation as a phenomenon not the word which expresses the best way its systematic complex approach as usually different professionals refer to it in most of the countries. People with physical difficulties having complex problems; emotional, social, mental-cognitive, medical issues alongside of the physical concerns, therefore they require a complex approach. A fundamental believe of CPS is that as long as people are alive they are learning and learning is not passive. CPS states that everybody, all human, is capable to learn and expectations should be tailor made for the learning individual. We all learning from others and from models through self-experiences. Learning is a complex phenomenon it involves emotional, social, cognitive, physical aspects and they all linked together; learning is therefore a personal transformation of the individual. The value of culture, family, close and broader social relationships are accounted and reflected in CPS. The practitioner, Conductor, Conductor, Conductive Education Teacher, is not only habilitating, rehabilitating individuals, but transforming the whole person in which process he is very much personally involved, so CPS is a pedagogical approach. Conductive Education Teachers therefore facilitate to live in society and shaping society as a whole.
CPS offers guided participatory for its learners which is based on or close to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) however,  Peto’s concept projected practice from social-cultural to motor learning in a specific way and it is being practised in that broader manner. Recently, Barbara Rogoff’s (UK) works are correlative in many ways of CPS.
CPS identifies the following principles of education which relates generally to every age:
• The child/person must be humanly respected even if there is serious damage to the nervous system as well as its environment; parents, peers, carers, etc.
• Central role of relationships with others
• Positive attitude coaching, welcome into the society - emotional well-being is seen as fundamental of involvement; children/people without a sense of well-being will find it difficult to concentrate, fully engage (by CP facilitation) in activities, experiences, and interactions with others
• Directive but very friendly, questioning, open minded, supportive and responsible teaching attitude
• Group setting; collective approach but/and person centered dealing with each person
• Importance of the positive atmosphere
• Central role of communication in every aspects (it is an activating system)
• The importance of the personality (dysfunction, orthofunction)
• Person as a whole/ outlook as a whole
• Working (upbringing/training/educating) towards orthofunction
• The importance of regularity, daily routine, structure of life
• The importance of consistency, consequence
• Complex, holistic nature of development
• Age appropriate conscious active learning
• Regular, complex- meticulous and continuous observation of the children/people – identifying emotional, social, mental, physical needs , particularly concerned with execution of movement that can be used for functional tasks
• Aim setting is crucial
• Learning academic as well as movements, skill(s) is cognitive issue
• Motivation is central – intrinsic, extrinsic, Adequate task motivation
• Focus on what children/people are able to do (not what can not to do) and expect as starting point of learning
• Praising, searching positive feedback - Positive regard - Rogers
• Persistent adjustment of expectations in physical performance as development took place - immediately build the learnt skills into daily living activities
• Importance of the professional control, evaluation, feedback, and the more sided transformative communication throughout the teaching-learning process in all possible contexts between the children/people and the teacher
Specific / Special Physical Education characteristics of CP
• Motor learning is embedded of daily living complex activities and it is cognitive issue
• Motor learning through lived experience – active guided participation: The importance of opportunities to experience and act age appropriately even if physical difficulties obstruct - the child/ person is entitled to have opportunity to (1) engage him affectively and socially (2) set him in meaningful and relevant activities and contexts for learning (3) promote his curiosity and the use of imagination and creativity in learning, particularly in motor learning (4) open ended and trial-and-error learning without fear of failure (5) experiential skill development activities with a variety of contexts
• Age appropriate physical expectations – approaching with adequate facilitations
• Setting of long term and short term physical objectives with the person and his family and working towards consciously every day
• Body as a whole
• Facilitations: CP refers to any assistance which serves to develop the clients’ complex needs towards orthofunction.
Orthofunction refers not to the physical condition of the person but physical circumstance is part of it. Orthofunction is the opposite of dysfunction which is an inactive, demotivated emotional, social, physical status due to complex social, health, medical problems. Orthofunction means therefore that the person, despite of his complex difficulties, is self-motivated, lives an active life, takes an immense amount of responsibility of organising his own life in all aspects, bodily; tries not to rely on help and try to use his body (by CP learned techniques) to utilise his full potential to live more independent life.

In this context CP differs the following facilitations:
a)Environmental Facilitation
o Emotional Facilitation
o Social Facilitation
b) Physical Facilitation
o Manual Facilitation
o Equipment
o Gravitation
c) Mechanical Facilitation
d) Intention, Rhythmical Intention (activities, tasks are verbally denoted, repeated and execution is rhythmically verbally supported)
e) Audio and Verbal Facilitation
f) Visual Facilitation
• Spiral task series; during lessons the children/people are going through of academically and physically gradually build up programs where certain tasks are repeated in other contexts and positions in order to deepen understanding. The academic tasks are embedded into physical tasks and vice versa
• Age appropriate daily living situations through guided participation
• Regularity, routine
• Self-control, self-evaluation
• Central role of control, evaluation of the physical learning process of the person

Thank You

There was published a paper on Cyber CE a couple of weeks ago:

www.e-conduction.org/depository/Lacipaper[1].pdf

I expressed my thanks on Facebook for all of those who took part in it on the day of publishing. I wish to repeat my thanks here again since Facebook comments are gone by now.

Many thanks to the Legacy Rainbow House www.thelegacy-rainbowhouse.com to be interested in and make the project available. Thank you for LEE PREECE, conductor, for his interest and and active participation (leading the ce session from New York) in the Cyber experience. Thank you for the children tolerating an "out of routine session" and being so smart during the project. Many thanks for the classroom assistants: Megan Browne, Lucy Betherton, Moira Cannon to facilitate the project and children.

Thanks for being interested and help on site for Becky Wilkinson, conductor.

Many thanks for lecturing and being interested for Jules McDonald, leading conductor.

It was a great pleasure to work with you all. Thank You!

Challenge Me!

Szinte mar alig van idom s energiam kovetni a konduktiv pedagogiai iranyzatu bejegyzeseket ebben a felgyorsult, felszaporodott blog es facebook vilagban. Ez persze jo, mert elszigeteltsegunk ismet kapott egy sanszot az elettol, hogy nyithassunk a vilag fele es persze, hogy a vilag eszre vehessen bennunket. Vegre megjelent maga a Peto Intezet is a kozossegi oldalon es szamtalan jo es kevesbe jo irodik le mindenfele a vilagon a kondukciorol. Mint uttoro magyar konduktor blog iro sajnalom - de nem banom - hogy szemelyes eletem ugy alakult, hogy sokkal kevesebbet tudok megjelenni blogomban ezidottajt, de remelem, hogy ez a sok-sok, egyebkent nem mas temaval eltoltott ido hatvanyozottan terul meg kesobb konduktiv pedagogiai szempontbol is.

Ajanlo:

Kb. harom evvel ezelott a kezembe kerult Angliaban egy kartyacsomag, amely a Challenge Me nevet viseli. Amikor vegigneztem a kartyalapokat az tunt fel azonnal, hogy a rajzolt kepeken a gyerekek konduktiv pedagogiabol ismert feladtakot mutatnak be, valamint felreerthetetlenul a konduktiv pedagogia altal alkalmazott eszkozok lathatoak rajta. Kesobb, amikor az ismerteto kis fuzetet is vegigolvastam, tisztabb lett a kep. Ez a fuzetecske, amely 47 oldalas, tulajdonkeppen egy rovid koduktiv pedagogiai ismerteto: szamtalan informacio szerezheto meg belole. A szerzo, Amanda Elliott, maga is gyakorlott konduktorkent mutatkozik be benne es az is kiderul, hogy mely konduktiv pedagogiai intezmeny segitette a Mobility Activity Cards elkesziteset. A londoni Jessica Kingsley Publishers altal 2006-ban napvilagot latott kartyacsomagot kovette egy masik, amely a Challenge Me! Speech and Communication Cards nevet viseli es amely az elso kiadvannyal megegyezoen 3-12 eves gyerekeknek keszult feladatokat tartalmaz. E masodik csomag 2009-ben jelent meg. Mindket csomagot hasznosan tudom alkalmazni konduktiv munkam soran, igy szertettel ajanlom mindazoknak, akik meg nem hallottak rola. Az ara egy kicsit borsos...

Tovabbi informaciok a kiadonal,

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843104971
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843109464

Contemporary thinking

Neuroplasticity: Learning Physically Changes the Brain

How lessons and experiences can shape and grow your students' brains over time.
by Sara Bernard

"There are a few broad principles that we can state come out of neuroscience," says Kurt Fischer, education professor and director of the Mind, Brain, and Education Program at Harvard University. Number one? "The brain is remarkably plastic," Fischer explains. "Even in middle or old age, it's still adapting very actively to its environment." Translation: All those little brains in your classroom are physically growing and changing every time they learn something. And there are ways to keep that happening.
Despite the fact that the concept of neuroplasticity is broad, vague, and hardly new (the theory was born in the mid-1800s and was heavily researched throughout the 1990s), it is one of the most reliable and fundamental discoveries about the brain that we have to date. Intelligence is not fixed, it turns out, nor planted firmly in our brains from birth. Rather, it's forming and developing throughout our lives.
Your Brain on Learning
According to neurologist and educator Judy Willis (and suggested by a research-rich chapter in the second edition of Developmental Psychopathology, among many other publications), neuroplasticity is defined as the selective organizing of connections between neurons in our brains.
This means that when people repeatedly practice an activity or access a memory, their neural networks -- groups of neurons that fire together, creating electrochemical pathways -- shape themselves according to that activity or memory. When people stop practicing new things, the brain will eventually eliminate, or "prune," the connecting cells that formed the pathways. Like in a system of freeways connecting various cities, the more cars going to certain destination, the wider the road that carries them needs to be. The fewer cars traveling that way, however, the fewer lanes are needed.
Neuroscientists have been chorusing "cells that fire together, wire together" since the late 1990s, meaning that if you perform a task or recall some information that causes different neurons to fire in concert, it strengthens the connections between those cells. Over time, these connections become thick, hardy road maps that link various parts of the brain -- and stimulating one neuron in the sequence is more likely to trigger the next one to fire. Thus, says Willis, "Practice makes permanent. The more times the network is stimulated, the stronger and more efficient it becomes."
Changing Brains in the Classroom
It turns out that if you tell students about this, it can have an effect on their brains too. Researchers Lisa Blackwell of Columbia University, along with Kali Trzesniewski and Carol Dweck of Stanford University, published a study in the journal Child Development in 2007 that found that both morale and grade points took a leap when students understood the idea that intelligence is malleable. Not only did those students who already believed this do better in school, but when researchers actively taught the idea to a group of students, they performed significantly better than their peers in a control group. Willis also found this to be true in her middle school classroom. Her students were more motivated to study, she says, when they knew that they were all fully physically capable of building knowledge and changing their brains.
Here are a few tips for making your classroom friendly to malleable brains: Practice, practice, practice. Repeating an activity, retrieving a memory, and reviewing material in a variety of ways helps build thicker, stronger, more hard-wired connections in the brain.
Put information in context. Recognizing that learning is, essentially, the formation of new or stronger neural connections, it makes sense to prioritize activities that help students tap into already-existing pathways (for instance, by integrating academic subjects or creating class projects relevant to their lives). In other words, nix the rote memorization. "Whenever new material is presented in such a way that students see relationships" between concepts, writes Willis, "they generate greater brain cell activity and achieve more successful long-term memory storage and retrieval."
Let students know that this is how the brain works. Breaking through those neuro-mythological barriers that paint intelligence as predetermined may ease students' minds and encourage them to use their brains. Willis notes, "Especially for students who believe they are 'not smart,' the realization that they can literally change their brains through study and review is empowering."

See: www.edutopia.org
http://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-neuroplasticity

Szabo Zsuzsa

Andrew Sutton facebook bejegyzesenek koszonhetoen

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1540593482

ma este todomasomra jutott Szabo Zsuzsa Fokusz RTL riport musora. Hat igen, a kulfoldi elet eltavolit bennunket olyan dolgoktol, amihez korabban komolyabban is kozunk volt. Ez ertendo termeszetesen minden szinten; hetkoznapi elet, baratok, munka, kultura, stb. Zsuzsa riportmusora komplex erzelmeket kavart fel bennem. Termeszetesen, mivel ez a blog csakis a konduktiv pedagogiara osszpontosit, nem szandekozom masegyebrol szolni, de megjegyzem sokkal melyebb kulturalis gondolotaim tamadtak, mint amirol a kovetkezokben olvasni fogtok.

Szabo Zsuzsa esete unikum, hiszen konduktor, aki a konduktiv pedagogia nyoman "csodat" muvel, el meg. DE, nem csak o maga, hanem az ot korulvevo "tarsasag" es kozos tevekenyseg-rendszeruk is csodaszamba megy. Ezek az emberek egy letuno vilag csodat veghezvinni kepes utolso elotti humanistai - egyebkent konduktorok. A nyugati vilagban el- es meg nem ismert, a volt szocialista orszagok teruleten devalvalodott kollektivizmus letezesenek es erejenek, meg nem tamadhatatlan letenek biztos evidenciaja. Az a kollektiv gondviseles, ami a filmben kidomborodik Zsuzsa iranyaba, a kondukcio egyik alaptezise (kimondva vagy kimondatlanul: tulsagosan is "szocialisztikus"). A kulonosen izgalmas emberi, tarsadalmi, erkolcsi magatartas-egyuttes ebben az, hogy egyeni erdekeken felulalallo empatikus magatartasat latunk, ami a valoban kihaloban van vilagszerte. Epp ezert, a riport szamomra sokkal kozelebbi kollektiv kapcsolatokrol szol, mint amiben "szerencsem" van elni ma. Egy elkepzelt erkolcs, amibe en meg belenottem otthon Magyarorszagon, itt Angliaban ma bizonyosan nem letezo vonasa a hetkoznapi letnek. A kollektivizmus mint erkolcsi magatartas megkoveteli a magasfoku egyeni felelosseget; "minden ember felelos azoknak a kozossegeknek a sorsaert, amelyeknek tagja, nemcsak csalad, nemzet, de vegso soron az egesz tarsadalom (de legalabb, korulvevo tarsadalom) sorsaert is. Ez a fajta felelossegerzes abszolut alapveto jellemzoje a konduktiv pedagogianak (tradicionalis felfogasban). Mifelenk a nyugati vilagban?

"Aki itt belepsz,hagyj fel minden remennyel..."

May be it is history

After some weeks preparation finally everything came together and we managed to conduct CE through Skype to a group of six children. I was inspired by a Hungarian e-conference provider, Gyula Takacs, who encouraged me long ago to try such a thing. To be honest, I was quite sceptical about non-personal delivering of CE but when one of our former colleagues left from UK to USA the idea emerged again. We had life experience of e-CE this afternoon and we definitely can see more clearly about the possibilities of cyber CE. Well, the event will be analysed, and I, we will publish an assay on what we experienced and what we think about it.

"Tegnapi" hir

Megszűnhetnek a Pető Intézet ingyenes foglalkozásai.

Az intézmény igazgatója szerint elképzelhető, hogy csak Anyagi gondokkal küzd a Pető Intézet. A nemzetközi szinten elismert intézmény eddig térítésmentesen tudta gyógyítani a mozgásszervi bajokkal született gyermekeket. A támogatások csökkenése miatt azonban lehet, hogy hamarosan pénzt kell kérniük a foglalkozásokért.

Pásztorné Dr. Tass Ildikó igazgató az MR1-Kossuth Rádió Napközben című műsorában elmondta: az elmúlt négy-öt évben több száz millió forint állami támogatástól estek el. Emiatt az intézet bizonyos fejlesztési tevékenységek fenntartására be kellett, hogy vezesse a térítési díjat, ami csak részben fedezi a költségeket.

Az intézet eddig is nyújtott fizetős szolgáltatásokat, igaz azok csak a külföldi betegeket érintették. Az ebből befolyt pénz nem jelentett pluszbevételt az intézménynek, mert az állami támogatás a működési költségek mindössze hatvan százalékát fedezi.

A Pető Intézet fejlesztő foglalkozásaira azért van szükség, hogy a mozgásszervi bajokkal küzdő gyermekek később ne eltartottként éljék életüket, képesek legyenek az önellátásra, esetleg dolgozni is tudjanak.

térítési díj ellenében tudnak foglalkozni a beteg gyerekekkel.

http://www.hirado.hu/Hirek/2011/02/25/13/Ezentul_penzert_gyogyulhatnak_a_gyerekek.aspx

6th Annual CEPEG conference

Only 3 weeks to go...


Conductive Education Professional Education Group
CEPEG


Cheese and Wine at:



The Rainbow Centre
The Bradbury Building
Palmerston Drive
Fareham
PO14 1BJ



Conductive Education Professional Education Group
CEPEG


CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
12 March 2011
Novotel, Southampton


Presentations in plan:

Meeting the need of children with sensory challenges through an adapted CE programme
The PACE centre
Heather Last and Lindsay Hardy

The first 18 months: A different focus for CE
Katalin Gonczy
NICE

Introducing and developing a system of aided language stimulation using the PODD system
Rosie Clark and Gail Weir
Greenmead School

Looking at engagement in those with complex difficulties and disabilities
Katie Murray
Percy Hedley Foundation

Goal planning – is there a place for it within CE?
Theresa Kinnersley
NICE

Swimming in Conductive Education
DVD
Judith Blake
Craig-y-Parc School

The potential impact of the current national educational strategies on CE settings.
Ruth Zimmerman
Horton Lodge School


Outreach Service
Workshop (max 20)

Beata Turi Kusel

Effective partnerships and meeting needs
Sarah Ffoulkes Roberts and Rachel Sebastino
Dame Vera Lynn School for Parents

Who am I?
Perceptions of professional identity
Liz Southall
NICE

In meeting the needs of the neurologically impaired individual, a multi-professional team is a requirement not an option
Patrick Salter
SCCM

Carol Johnson,
Manual Handling Advisor
Carol Johnson

A presentation from Rutland House School

Qualitative research on CE adult services
Laszlo Szogeczki
Independent Conductive Education Services

Transitions in practice
Thorsten Gegenwarth
Therapeinstitute Keil


Dyspraxia and CE.
The earlier the better.
Annamaria Berger
Megan Baker House


Research agenda and ICF for CE
Melanie Brown
NICE

Handwriting without tears.
PACE

Running An Inclusive Nursery
with a Conductive Ethos
Jules McDonalds
Becky Wilkinson
Laszlo Szogeczki
Legacy Rainbow House

Hand & Arm Spasticity Surgeon

During our CE professional carrier we often expected to share our “conductive “opinion on surgical solution of different physical difficulties. Parents are asking our view on specific operation possibilities when something seems to be stuck or developing very slow. This is understandable. During my student years in the early 90’s at the Peto Institute, Budapest, there was no such a module, training where we could study the main ideas of CP related surgical methods. I learnt however that some of the experienced conductors knew about such solutions and they were really confident to suggest… also, we saw many children who have already had different operations or were going to have one. Top of that, I learnt that Dr. Tibor Vizkeleti, a Hungarian orthopaedic surgeon had a great professional relationship with the Institute. I understood that surgery was a medical way of approaching physical problems and as such it was not the main focus of the training of CE but we all missed that bit…or maybe we did not realize when we were there but soon after leaving the alma mater it become obvious to me personally that a little knowledge of that subject could have helped my everyday life as a conductor. Since, I learnt through experience a lot and I developed my own idea of many types of surgeries as I work with children and adults on an everyday basis but it took some good years to do so. I have learnt that different countries have different general thinking of approaches and those could be very different. Just recently, Susie M. was asking if we could suggest anything on Dorsal Tenotomy. This fact made me to think that it could be so great to share “results” in terms of seeing those through conductors’ eyes…
Just only some days later one of our kids’ mother was asking if we knew Waseem Rias Saeed’s Hand & Arm spasticity surgical method - actually we, I did not.
So, I thought to share this (see below) maybe some others can say something about it or learn about it and use it.

The following text is from his www.waseemsaed.com website.

Hand & Arm Spasticity

Hand and arm spasticity develops as a result of damage to that part of the brain that controls the limb. This may be apparent at or shortly after birth as in cerebral palsy, or be the devastating consequence of a severe head injury, brain mass or stroke. Despite these conditions being common, the provision of integrated surgical care for these patients has not been widely available. It was disturbing to me that many patients had been actively discouraged from surgical intervention or told, frequently by specialists, that there was none. Many of these patients suffered and continue to suffer from avoidable disability throughout their lives. The United Kingdom did not have a dedicated treatment centre for the surgical treatment of spasticity in the upper limb despite an increasing and weighty body of evidence supporting its benefits. This was in contrast to established units in the USA, Europe and Australia. I had gained experience in the treatment of such patients in Louisville in the United States and had made an in depth survey of the current literature on surgical techniques and the results of these techniques. My conclusions were that certain surgical techniques had been shown clearly to be beneficial in these patients. In 2000 I set up a multidisciplinary team with senior occupational and physiotherapists to treat patients afflicted with spasticity of the arms. This is called the CP Clinic although all causes of upper limb spasticity are treated. Colleagues in paediatric and adult neurology, rehabilitation medicine and paediatric orthopaedics to are also available to provide an overall strategy of care.

A NEW APPROACH

My approach to patients suffering from spasticity preventing hand use – whether an infant born with cerebral palsy or an elderly stroke-victim, challenges some of the preconceived ideas that have lead to patients being denied surgical intervention over the years. I have introduced surgical modifications based on biomechanical studies that exist in the peer-reviewed, hand surgery literature and simply do not accept the (unsupported) view that the brain cannot adapt and learn new ways of using the hand into adulthood. Some of my own patients have clearly demonstrated this adaptation. It was clear to me from my work on tendons that the traditional view of immobilising patients following surgery for cerebral palsy had little scientific support. In contrast the advantages of early movement in terms of less scarring and stronger tendons was established. As a result I incorporated early movement into the post-operative protocol for the patients that I treat. This has been successful and at the time of writing is a unique post-operative protocol for this condition.I have carefully recorded all aspects of patient's’ function in a multidisciplinary clinic, using validated assessment and outcome measures prior to surgery and at intervals after surgery. In 2003, I presented my early results at the annual meeting of The Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand in Lisbon – a meeting attended by hand specialists from around the world. The work was received well (appendix 2).3 years later the extended work was presented at the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand Meeting in Sidney 2007.I have started to train the next generation of hand surgeons in the techniques involved and increased awareness through presentations to primary and secondary care physicians, trainees and therapists. The work continues at currently the only unit in the UK dedicated to the treatment of upper limb spasticity in a multi-disciplinary setting. Patients are referred on a national and regional level.

Another prove of Peto's genius

The Act of “Learning”

Scientists knew that new brain cells are able “enhance learning” – they never thought that “learning” could actually cause the birth of new brain cells… that is, until recently. In recent animal studies, researchers have found that there was a direct relationship between “learning” and the survival rate of newly-birthed brain cells.

When researchers taught certain rodents a wide-variety of cognitive tasks which involved a wide-range of brain areas – scientists found that the more the animal “learned” – the more new neurons were able to survive in the hippocampus. Scientists have made it clear that “learning” can increase the presence of new neurons in the brain.

Brain cells that are born in the hippocampus, which normally die off, are literally “rescued” by “learning” experiences. There is still plenty of research being conducted in this area and not all sources agree.

An Enriched Environment

Science has long known that living in a mentally stimulating environment vs. an impoverished environment is far better for brain development. Research has found that exposure to an enriched environment enhances neurogenesis functioning and is able to regulate emotionality.

Scientists have found that memory-based tasks were far improved in the hippocampus region of the brain when human beings are raised in a healthy, enriched environment. One study found that mice put in stimulating environments actually had larger hippocampus regions than did those living in “standard” or “poor” laboratory conditions. They discovered a direct correlation between an enriched environment and the amount of neurons produced in the brains of mice. This had a significant effect on neurogenesis!

An Exercise Regimen

Everybody knows that exercise is good for your overall health and heart, but in recent findings, powerful evidence has proven that exercise is great for your brain. Scientific experiments have discovered that mice consistently using running wheels had around 2x the amount of hippocampal neurons (brain cells) as the mice that didn’t exercise.

Another study at Colombia University found that humans who had a exercise training program were able to grow and maintain new brain cells and nerve cells in the hippocampus region of the brain. The specific area called the “dentate gyrus” is responsible for helping produce neurogeneis. Even more studies have discovered that those who exercised had 2 – 3x increases in the birth-rate of new neurons!

For more information:

The Journal of Neuroscience. 2007 Mar; 27(13): 3252-3259. Experience-Specific Functional Modification of the Dentate Gyrus through Adult Neurogenesis: A Critical Period during an Immature Stage. Tashiro A, Makino H, Gage FH.

Stanford University Research In Progress: HD & Lifestyle http://www.stanford.edu/group/hopes/rltdsci/inprogress/ae2.html

Ujra es ujra, ismet, megint lehangolo kutatasi eredmeny

Par napja szamoltam be a legfrissebb konduktiv pedagogiat vizsgalo angol kutatasi eredmeny publikalasarol. Azota Andrew Suttonnak sikerult hozzajutnia a szoveghez es blogjaban mar kozetette a lehangolo eredmenyt, miszerint a kutatocsoport nem ajanlja a Britt iskolaknak, hogy a konduktiv pedagogia rendszeret, mint strukturat alkalmazzak, vagy financialisan tamogassak a szulok eziranyu kereseit.

Azt mar lehet tudni, hogy a kutatocsoport evtizedekkel korabban publikalt eredmenyekbol deduktiv uton jutott erre az allaspontra.

Nyilvan valakinek az Egyesult Kiralysagban reagalnia kellene; ertekelni a kutatast, biralni annak metodologiajat es dizajnjat, esetleg nem utolso sorban eredmenyeit vitatni megfelelo modon megvedeni a konduktiv pedagogia letjogosultsagat es versenykepesseget. Talan nem ohajtanek sokat, ha azt kivannam, hogy egy ertekelo cikk jelenhessen meg a publikalo magazinban.

Ki irhatna? Tulajdonkeppen barmelyik konduktiv pedagogiat Britanniaban eredmenyesen alakalmazo iskola pedagogusa, pszichologusa, egyeb szakembere, vagy akar a Britt konduktiv pedagogiai szakmai forum.

Remelem, valaki abban a pozicioban van, hogy ezt megtehesse, idot es energiat nem sajnalva reagal. Let's hope!

New! Conductive education: appraising the evidence

Title: Conductive education: appraising the evidence

Author: Louise Tuersley-Dixon, Norah Frederickson

Publication: Educational Psychology in Practice

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Date: January 12, 2010

Abstract: Conductive education (CE) is widely reported as having a range of benefits. In the last two decades, it has expanded internationally. Educational Psychologists may well encounter parents requesting this specialist intervention which is not normally offered within Local Authority special needs provision, for children with cerebral palsy and other motor difficulties. This paper reviews the empirical research to investigate the specific claims that CE improves motor skills, thinking skills and independence and the counter claim that it may cause harm. Implications for practice are discussed.

Regarding to Andrew Suttons' last posting

See his post http://www.conductive-world.info/2011/01/what-will-happen-to-peto-institute-now.html

Announcement issued by MTI on 28/12/2010:

Non-profit companies and central government agencies to take over the thirty-five, the government established by the Foundation and charitable functions of the cessation of which appeared in the latest government decision aims to Hungarian Gazette.


A Magyar Mozgókép Közalapítványnál - néhány más alapítvánnyal együtt - soron kívüli ellenőrzést végez a Kormányzati Ellenőrzési Hivatal.

The Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation for - along with some other foundation - unscheduled inspection, the Government Accountability Office.

Megszűnik a többi között az Európai Összehasonlító Kisebbségkutatások Közalapítvány, a Fogyatékos Személyek Esélyegyenlőségéért Közalapítvány, a Gandhi Közalapítvány, az Iparfejlesztési Közalapítvány, a Magyar Kultúra Alapítvány, a Magyar Nemzeti Üdülési Alapítvány és a Nemzetközi Pető András Közalapítvány.

Will the rest of the European Comparative Minority Research Foundation, the Foundation for Equal Opportunities of Persons with Disabilities, the Gandhi Foundation, the Industrial Development Foundation, the Hungarian Culture Foundation, the Hungarian National Holiday Foundation and the International Foundation for Andras Peto.

Az új közhasznú szervezetek megalapításáról az állami vagyon felügyeletéért felelős tárcavezetőnek - azaz Fellegi Tamás nemzeti fejlesztési miniszternek - kell gondoskodnia.

The new non-profit organizations responsible for overseeing the establishment of state assets tárcavezetőnek - Fellegi Thomas is the national development minister - should be sought.

A kormányhatározat további alapítványok és közalapítványok megszüntetéséről is rendelkezik.

The government decision is the elimination of additional foundations and charitable organizations have.

A határozat értelmében ily módon szűnik meg a többi között az 1956-os Magyar Forradalom Történetének Dokumentációs és Kutatóintézete Közalapítvány; a Betegjogi, Ellátottjogi és Gyermekjogi Közalapítvány; az Emberi Jogok Magyar Központja Közalapítvány; a Habsburg-kori Kutatások Közalapítvány; a Hajléktalanokért Közalapítvány; a Határon Túli Magyar Oktatásért Apáczai Közalapítvány; a Környezetgazdálkodási Oktatási Fejlesztésért Alapítvány; a Magyarországi Cigányokért Közalapítvány; a Magyarországi Nemzeti és Etnikai Kisebbségekért Közalapítvány; a Magyary Zoltán Felsőoktatási Közalapítvány; az Oktatásért Közalapítvány; a Magyar Filmtörténeti Fotógyűjtemény Alapítvány; a Magyar Könyv Alapítvány és a Magyar Történelmi Film Közalapítvány.

The decision is thus eliminated in the rest of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the History Foundation of the Institute, the patients 'care recipients' and Children's Rights Foundation, the Human Rights Centre for Public Foundation of Hungary, the Habsburg-era Research Foundation, Foundation for the Homeless, the Cross Over Apáczai Hungarian Education Foundation, the Environmental Education Development Foundation, the Public Foundation for Roma in Hungary, the Hungarian National and Ethnic Minorities Foundation; the Magyary Zoltán Foundation for Higher Education, the Education Foundation, the Hungarian Film History Photo Collection Foundation, the Hungarian Book Foundation and the Hungarian Film History Foundation.

A kormányhatározat ugyanakkor kimondja, hogy a megszűnő alapítvány vagy közalapítvány által ellátott feladatokkal kapcsolatban tanácsadó testület hozható létre a kuratóriumaik bázisán.

The government resolution states, however, that the legacy foundation or public foundation in relation to the tasks of the Advisory Council to create a base board.

Michael Winterhoff's concept seems to be close to CE

I posted about a "new"pedagogical discussion some days ago in Hungarian (19th December). Now, I thought to mention it in English as well since the view of Michael Winterhoff, a German child-psychologist, seems to have several correlating ideas with CE. It is not a suprise. CE remained to be in its pedagogical framework as it was years and years before. Oppositely, modern education has changed enormuosly in the last twenty-thirty years. Winterhoff recognises the downsides of the modern approach and efforts to highlight the values of the "traditional', or lets say earlier pedagogical methods both at home or school.

Here I copied a little text of him just raise your attention to this subject.

"Children used to be seen as children and intuitively led and guided by adults as such. For at least 15 years now they have been treated as partners and reared with the help of discussion and explanations. But you can't learn tennis, either, by having it explained and demonstrated to you. It isn't only parents and grandparents that are making major mistakes today, but professionals, too. This starts as far back as kindergarten and continues on into school, where teachers are receding more and more into the background and assuming the role of mentor and, more recently, coach. Primary school pupils are supposed to teach themselves reading, writing and arithmetic; grade one is taught by grade two. The fact is, however, that from a developmental psychology perspective, small children go to school to gain their mothers' approval and do many things they don't feel like doing for their teachers' sake.

To make matters worse, many parents compensate for the growing loss of orientation and recognition they feel today according to the following motto: even if nobody out there loves me, my child at least should do so. This unconscious compensation for a need cements the reversal of power that is the subject of infants' phantasies until they realize, from age three onwards, that grownups are bigger and stronger than they are. However, the worst part of it is that the general uncertainty and anxiety about the future of our society causes parents to merge with their children's minds in a kind of symbiosis. All of these relational disorders are linked to false reactions that make emotional development impossible. We end up with an entire generation of under-three-year-olds: egocentric, unable to cope with life, lacking in independence, unemployable or unfit for vocational training. This problem, by the way, is a worldwide phenomenon, seen in all of the wealthy countries and not only in Germany.

So this is not a consequence of the anti-authoritarian-education ideal fostered by the post-68ers in Germany?

No, absolutely not. And it is not a question of any kind of pedagogical discussion either. The tragic part of it is that the problems these children have can no longer be solved even through increased strictness. The child is not overburdened because it is treated as a separate person but because it is treated like a small adult. "

Source: http://www.goethe.de/wis/fut/bko/en6480095.htm

I like this

During the holydays I analyse research dialogues on CE and I liked the following bit because it made me to remember the Muppet Show’s two old men, Statler & Waldorf, who occupy the box seat at every show and heckle the performances.
Turns out, during the dialogue people tried to criticise CE and after two-three minutes chat they arrived their conclusion: We can’t find anything bad to say about it really.
Isn’t it a nice compliment?

Pedagogiai vita

Az elmult harom evben uj jellegu pedagogiai vita bontakozott ki Michael Winter Hoff: Miert valnak zsarnokka a gyermekeink? cimu konyve nyoman (2008).
A mai szulok es tanarok tobbnyire partnerkapcsolatra torekszenek a gyerekekkel, hogy szabadon fejlodjenek, es ne kossek oket guzsba ertelmetlen szabalyok. Winter Hoff ugy veli, hogy ezekbol a gyerekekbol tiszteletet nem ismero, alkalmazkodasra es beilleszkedesre keptelen fiatalok lesznek...
Ket masik konyv kovette az elsot 2009-ben es 2010-ben is.
A vita nem csitul.
A konduktiv pedagogia szempontjabol aligha valtoztat barmit is Winterhoff felvetese, ugyanakkor valoban ambivalens gondolatokat valtanak ki muvei.

Az emlitett publikaciok:

Warum unsere Kinder Tyrannen werden: Oder: Die Abschaffung der Kindheit, Unter Mitarbeit von Carsten Tergast. Gütersloher Verlagshaus; Gütersloh 2008, ISBN 978-3579069807. Auch als Hörbuch, ISBN 978-3579076256
Tyrannen müssen nicht sein: Warum Erziehung nicht reicht - Auswege, In Zusammenarbeit mit Carsten Tergast. Gütersloher Verlagshaus; Gütersloh 2009, ISBN 978-3579068992
Persönlichkeiten statt Tyrannen: Oder: Wie junge Menschen in Leben und Beruf ankommen, Von Michael Winterhoff und Isabell Thielen. In Zusammenarbeit mit Carsten Tergast. Gütersloher Verlagshaus; Gütersloh 2010, ISBN 978-3-579-06867-1

Matthew Schiefer's research

I came across with the research interest of Matthew Schiefer , Ph.D. Biomedical Engineer at Cleveland University, Ohio, USA. His current research involves developing realistic nerve models using detailed histological studies. These models are used to guide the development of neural interfaces which will ultimately restore one or more functions in paralyzed individuals. Apparently, he ( his team) was able to start movements of paralysed lower extremities with only pressing a machine’s bottom. The future has arrived. I am sure this method will develop very successful later. As a conductor I never felt that such things would jeopardise CE as a profession, hence it opens the future…

Konduktor - Konduktor-pedagogus (?)

Nemregiben -nehany napja- az egyik kozeli angol tanar ismerosom, arrol kerdezett, hogy van-e kulonbseg, s ha van, mi a kulonbseg konduktor es konduktor pedagogus (conductive education teacher) kozott. Hirtelenjeben annyit valaszoltam neki, hogy mas a kepzesuk, a konduktorok nem kapnak pedagogiai kepzest es igy nem is tanithatnak iskolaban. Mire o azt ecsetelte nekem, hogy igen am, de hat az angol tanarok nagy tobbsege sem pedagogus a szo (magyar) szoros ertelmeben, hiszen inkabb tantargyat tanitanak nekik, nem pedagogiat, vagy tantargypedagogiat, es a pszichologiai kepzesuk sem fordit figyelmet korspecifitasra. Azaz, nem minden “teacher” pedagogus. A pedagogiat mostanaban kezdik “felfedezni” Angliaban. Tehat akkor felmerult a kerdes , hogy mi az, amit a konduktor nem ugy csinal, mint a konduktor- pedagogus. Erre azt valaszoltam, hogy valoszinuleg a neveles pszichologiaja es technologiaja mas a konduktor-pedagogusnal - felteve, hogy van hozza erzeke.

Szemelyes tapasztalatom, hogy az idosebb magyarorszagi konduktor generacio tulajdonkeppen, ha nem is kapott pedagogiai kepzest , a legtobb esetben megis meglehetosen jo pedagogiai erzekkel vegeztek, vegzik konduktiv pedagogiai feladatukat. Ennek oka valoszinuleg kulturalis es tarsadalmi gyokerekben keresendo. Tantargyak tanitasara persze ok nem is igen vallalkoztak. Mas kerdes azonban, hogy a biminghami NICE-ban vegzett konduktorok pedagogusok e. A kepzes alapjan termeszetesen nem, igy tehat ok sem tanithatnak iskolban, vagy azon kivul. Ebben az esetben szemelyes tapasztalatom , hogy a NICE kepzesben reszesult konduktorok kozott joval nagyobb a “szoras” azt illetoen, hogy milyen pedagogiai erzekkel es vagy tudassal kozelitenek meg egy-egy csoportot vagy szemelyt. Jelenleg harom NICE kepzett konduktorral dolgozom egyutt es nagyon jo velemennyel vagyok roluk. De volt ez maskepp is a karrierem soran, igy a kerdes mas pontra navigalhat minket. Szukseg van e pedagogiai es hozzateszem, mert nem mindenutt jar egyutt, pszichologiai kepzesre, ha konduktorokat nevelunk?

The 7th

Most of the British CE bloggers are gone to the 7th World Congress in Hong Kong. I am jealous a bit of course because I took part in 4 from the last 6 World Congresses and really enjoyed being there communicate about CE in many different ways. It is an uplifting feeling to meet with old and new friends and listen to interesting presentations about CE related topics. I will miss all of those during the next few days but in my mind I will be somewhere there in Hong Kong too. It is a great luck if someone works to such CE centre which is available to pay for the trip, accommodation and fees. I think many of the “ordinary” conductors are not able to visit the Hong Kong congress due to financial and time difficulties. I am one of them so the best thing I can do is to follow CE bloggers' written reports. You, who are there, please do not hesitate to give us full reports about everything you can experience in Hong Kong. I have already read on Facebook that the local temperature is 25C. So, keep reporting…

Roma Lear's works and CE activities

"Roma Lear is a Froebel-trained teacher and started her career by working with children in hospital wards. Her innate creativity and enthusiasm led her to devise toy and games to amuse children with specific needs. She established a toy library, play groups and became a home tutor. Roma is an international expert on the subject of homemade toys and play ideas for children with disabilities and lectures worldwide."

She has published plenty of good books full of very useful play ideas we can implement to CE activities. I guess many of you know her long time ago but as I was planning for one of my groups last night I came to the idea to mention her in my blog. Maybe she is new for someone out there.
Google,Amazon her name for her works.