Art Reviews

Frank Sinatra coined the phrase a city that never sleeps, when he sang New York, New York – and the words sum up the atmosphere of this city. Vibrant, diverse and dynamic, it has been the inspiration for films, plays, novels and poetry for centuries. Whatever genre interests you, school trips to New York will satisfy your interests in literature and the performing arts.

Broadway

Broadway, in Upper Manhattan, is the theatre district of New York and is probably the only one in the world to rival the West End in London. There are forty theatres on Broadway and the diversity of the plays being shown reflects the diversity of the city. Everything from Macbeth to The Lion King is being performed in a theatre on Broadway, and the history of this area has offered up shows from The Ziegfield Follies to plays by Eugene ONeill and Oscar Wilde.

Many playwrights have been praised or pilloried for performances of their work and history has taken place on this street; Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed by the actor John Wilkes Booth in 1865 while he was watching a performance of Our American Cousin by the English playwright Tom Taylor. Arthur Miller was born in New York and his plays The Crucible and Death of a Salesman are as popular today as when he wrote them. He was married to Marilyn Monroe and wrote the film The Misfits, which was the last film Marilyn Monroe appeared in.

New York Novelists

F. Scott Fitzgeralds work has been studied by literature students for many years and school trips to New York would not be complete without exploring his links to the city. Baz Luhrmans recent production of The Great Gatsby has once again brought this wonderful novel back into the public eye, and its depiction of the development of the city of New York is vivid and dramatic. The novel is set in the roaring twenties when prohibition was at its height – which ironically resulted in New York becoming one huge party. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were part of New York society at this time and his novels reflect this. Fitzgeralds character in The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, describes New York as offering the “first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.”

Norman Mailer was brought up in New York and his novels The Naked and the Dead and The Executioners Song raised him to the top echelons of respected writers; he won the Pulitzer Prize for The Executioners Song. He is considered to be one of the founders of the genre “Creative Non-fiction”, which makes narratives out of accurate facts.

New York Poets

The Beat Generation of poets were prolific during the 1940s, 50s and 60s and many of them made their homes in New York. Students can prepare for school trips to the city by reading some of the words these writers used to describer her. Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road while living in Manhattan and the novel examines the diverse social groups that were emerging in post-war America. Other members of the Beat Generation include William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, both of whom spent time living in New York.

Fortunate students on school trips that focus on literature and the performing arts will be surrounded by the resonance of the words of the wonderful writers who have lived and worked in this city.

The Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology allows you to acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to incorporate technology, tools, and instructional systems in a variety of learning environments including online learning. Discover how the latest technology tools can impact the learning experience, from K-12 students up through corporate trainees. Embark on a variety of courses that will provide you with the skills to apply the latest technology to teaching and online learning, as well as to serve as a resource for your fellow teachers and colleagues.

Career Opportunities

With your Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology degree, you will be qualified to pursue a career in any of the following arenas:

Public Schools
Private Schools
Charter Schools
Corporate Training
Consulting
Online Instructor

The Master of Education in Teaching (with multiple concentrations) has been developed to meet the needs of licensed classroom practitioners by linking what has been learned about effective teaching to best practices in the classroom. Coursework is structured within the context of three essential areas that affect todays classroom teachers: instruction, curriculum, and professional development. Through interaction with faculty members who are committed to the collaborative and integrative investigation of problems in practice, students will experience a comprehensive study of current educational research and critical analysis of classroom teaching and learning. Graduates of the program will earn a Master of Education: Teaching degree. The Master of Education (M.Ed.): Teaching program is not designed to lead to certification or licensure. See instead the M.Ed.: Teaching – Elementary Education, the M.Ed.: Teaching – Secondary Social Studies, and the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Certification Program (Graduate Certificate.)

Degree Program Objectives

In addition to the institutional and degree level outcome objectives, this degree also seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates. Graduates in this degree program will be able to:

Demonstrate commitment to students and their learning.
Evaluate the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
Manage and monitor student learning.
Systematically assess their practice and learn from experience.
Engage as members of learning communities.
Integrate problem-based inquiry in course experiences.
Interact with program mentors, academic specialists, colleagues, parents, and community stakeholders.
Integrate the use of action research to enhance student achievement and address problems in practice.

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from concentrations in Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary Teachers, Elementary Reading, English Language Learners, Instructional Leadership, Online Learning, or Special Education.

This concentration is for K-12 teachers who wish to further their studies with an advanced degree focused on elementary education curriculum and instruction for grades K-6. Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the issues that continue to influence professional practice in the field. Candidates will use research, experience, and professional judgment to collaborate and work with others in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective instruction and services for elementary students.

Candidates will have an advanced understanding of the developmental characteristics, culture, and background of elementary aged, special needs learners and how the differences among them influence the learning condition. The program meets the needs of students with interests within the traditional public and private school arenas and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

This concentration is designed for K-12 teachers who wish to further their studies by achieving an advanced degree with a focus on working with students to promote elementary level reading and literacy development in grades K-6. Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of best practices in elementary reading curriculum and instruction, use a range of research-based practices, methods, and materials to support curriculum development, and will use a variety of assessment practices and tools to diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate effective literacy instruction.

The program meets the needs of candidates with interests within the traditional public and private school arena and includes an emphasis on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), International Reading Association (IRA) standards, research-based teacher leadership skills, and 21st Century professional practices in instruction. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state certification or licensure. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours and is comprised of 12 online courses including a capstone action research project conducted on a school or other pre-approved professional site.

You May Qualify For Financial Aid.

Relationships 4 Common Reasons For Infidelity

23rd February 2011 Marital infidelity is said to happen in about one third of marriages. There are many reasons for infidelity depending on each couples situation. Listed below are some of the more frequent reasons. Some people are thrill seekers or risk takers. These p… Read >

Relationships Your Ex Has A New Boyfriend You Want To Get Her Back

18th February 2011 Getting an ex-girlfriend back that has a new boyfriend will be a challenge for you. After the two of you had broken up, your ex may have met another guy already because the prospect of a new relationship seemed attractive to her. This new guy will be tryi… Read >

Relationships Don’t Chase Your Boyfriend Away Be careful Of Your Signals

17th February 2011 When dating you need to be careful of how you handle your boyfriend so you do not chase him away or put yourself in a position that lets him take advantage of you. Men have a different idea about how things are and may get the wrong ideas about how you ar… Read >

Relationships Is It Possible To Get Back Together After A Long Separation

15th December 2010 If you try to get back with your ex after being separated for a long time, can it work? What caused your break up in the first place will play an important roll in this. To improve your chance of getting back together after a long separation do not rush i… Read >

Recreation-and-Sports Good Vertical Jumpers Make Good Sprinters

27th August 2009 It has been documented that for the most part, people that have a good vertical jump are also pretty fast sprinters and the reverse can be true. It has to do with the leg strength and explosive power that has been gained from training. Although there are … Read >

Recreation-and-Sports Volleyball Training Methods

24th August 2009 Training for the sport of Volleyball can increase the endurance, explosive power and the vertical jump. Volleyball involves lots of jumping and a strong lower body that has the endurance to last many games with out tiring is desirable. Being able to jump … Read >

Health-and-Fitness Use Portable Pull-Up Bars

13th August 2009 One of the best body weight exercises you can do is the pull-up. It is excellent for your upper body strength to include your back shoulders and arms. Trouble is you may not have a convenient bar to use at home, your gym or near by park. Good news is … Read >

Health-and-Fitness What’s the Secret to Doing Pull-Ups?

12th August 2009 If you want to do one of the best upper body workouts there is you should be doing pull-ups. Unfortunately it is one of the most difficult exercises to do for many people. If you have trouble doing pull-ups and try to avoid them do not give up. You ca… Read >

Recreation-and-Sports Can Isometric Exercise Help Rock Climbing?

10th August 2009 Participation in rock climbing can be pretty strenuous on the hands and forearms. The actual climbing skills can be learned but to make those climbs safe and enjoyable one needs be sure the strength of the hands and arms are up to it. There are a number o… Read >

Health-and-Fitness Strength Building with Isometric Exercises

08th August 2009 When you are doing isometric exercises for strength building how many reps and sets should we be doing. Do we treat this the same as when working out with weights. There is the difference that isometrics are done by time and weights are reps and sets. … Read >

Health-and-Fitness Grip Strength Isometric Exercises

03rd August 2009 Most people can be found exercising their grip strength using grippers, pinch grips and other common exercises. Another option to try is isometric or static exercises for your forearm strength. Variety in your workouts is a good thing. For a bodyweight… Read >

Health-and-Fitness Isometric Exercise Done With a Stick

03rd August 2009 Have you tried using a stick or broom handle to do your isometric exercises? Using a tool like this can add another dimension to your routine. You can use a stick by simply holding it in your hands and pushing and pulling with it in front of you, behind y… Read >

Health-and-Fitness Was Bruce Lee Ahead of his Time?

01st August 2009 Some wonder if Bruce Lee might be called a prophet. It’s true that Lee was a student of philosophy and studied it profusely as he did martial arts. He trained and studied how to improve himself physically so he could be in the best fighting condition he c… Read >

Health-and-Fitness How did Bruce Lee Train his Abs

30th July 2009 One of the big things Bruce Lee was known for was his spectacular abdominal muscle development. His body fat level was very low and he had a thin waist which helped accentuate the definition of the muscles. One of the things that was very important to Bru… Read >

Health-and-Fitness How Do You Get Rid of a Blind Pimple?

09th July 2009 What the heck is a blind pimple and how do you get rid of them when they show up? A blind pimple is really a pimple that forms like any other but it does not come up through the skins surface. It sits just under the surface of the skin and never forms a h… Read >

Los Angeles Schools are seeing a steady increase in arts education as the dual result of a long-term program and recent state funding. The Arts for All program was initiated in 2002 as a 10-year plan to restore arts education to the 80 districts of Los Angeles Schools. The project focuses on bringing music, dance, drama and the visual arts to K-12 schools in the area. Nine schools have just signed up for the 2007-2008 school year, bringing the total number of Los Angeles Schools involved up to 27.

Two of the newest participants are the Lancaster and Palmdale districts of Los Angeles Schools. Both schools completely eliminated their elementary music programs in the last decade due to budget cuts and increased pressure to perform on state tests. Major cuts first began for Los Angeles Schools with Proposition 13 in 1978. This California mandate reduced property taxes and district funds, which required all Los Angeles Schools to reduce or eliminate arts and physical education classes.

Los Angeles Schools were pleased when the state announced funding of $500 million for art, music and physical education classes in the beginning of June. Los Angeles Schools will use much of these funds for the Arts for All Program. Arts for All is built on a five-step process which, while proven effective, costs money. The five steps involved are:

1.Allocating 5% of a district’s budget to arts education 2.Having a board adopted policy 3.Creating an implementation plan with a timeline 4.Assigning a district level arts coordinator 5.Maintaining a student to arts teacher ratio of 400:1

Los Angeles Schools will pay for a program expert to guide parents, staff and community members in the creation of their implementation plan. The Lancaster district has an additional grant of $260,000 for its art and music programs.

Los Angeles Schools welcome the increased funding as a long overdue measure. Many educators in the Los Angeles Schools have lamented the loss of the arts as harmful to student development. While many of the cuts to arts education result from diverting funds to cover academic subjects needed to pass state tests, teachers argue that art actually enhances learning, allows children to make connections between subjects, and provides a much needed balance to education.

Like the rest of the country’s urban districts Los Angeles Schools are trying to meet the 2014 No Child Left Behind requirement that mandates proficiency on state tests by all students regardless of developmental delays or language barriers. Diverting funding away from the arts has put Los Angeles Schools in a situation where children as young as third grade are losing recess, physical activity and a basic arts background in a frenzied scramble to meet rising national standards.

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Get into the best shape of your life while learning one of the coolest martial art techniques in the world. The art of Muay Thai fighting can make you a fit and formidable fighter, the envy of your training partners and feared by your opponents!

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Muay Thai fighters have always been respected and even feared by many of the more familiar fighting disciplines. Modern fighters like Wanderlei Silva, Mirko “Cro Cop”, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and many others have dominated their opponents using their superior Muay Thai fighting skills.

Muay Thai training is one of the best martial arts workout you can do for cardiovascular fitness. It is physically demanding, athletically challenging and will build your conditioning to MMA fighting standards.

You can develop fantastic fitness, supreme confidence, deadly striking power and you will gain the security and respect that comes from practicing the dominant martial art of Muay Thai.

Through the power of Muay Thai training, you will learn how to overcome your fears, smash through personal barriers and take charge of your life.

Imagine how happy you will feel when you tell your friends that you have lost 3 inches from your waist and developed a bone shattering Thai kick in the process! Now that is something to be proud of.

Muay Thai training will give you a leaner, more muscular body and some fantastic self-defense skills too.

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About the Author Paul D’Arcy, NSCA, CPT is a Poliquin certified BioSignature practitioner and is the owner of Sport Fitness & Physique, LLC