Integration and Innovation Incorporating Blended Learning into ELT

I‘d like to begin this morning by drawing your attention tothe four main goals or priorities of IATEFL China.IATEFLChina‘s mission statement--as printed on the front of yourconference program-focuses on: Learning Adapting Communicating Creating     

Politics and race in American historical popular music: contextualized access and minstrel music archives

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama, an African-American man was elected as the 44th President of the United States. The election of a man of Obama??s racial and ethnic background is an event of monumental social and political significance. Many Americans, both black and white, stated openly that they would never have imagined that such an election result could take place in their lifetimes, or during the lives of their children or even grandchildren. Such is the awareness of the legacy of racial hatred and injustice toward African-Americans in the United States. Ever present, that legacy was apparent in a myriad of expressions of racism throughout Obama??s presidential campaign and still continues since his election. Knowledge of the social and political dynamics that emerged from the demise of African-American slavery is essential to understanding race relations in twenty-first century America. Many of the economic and social ills that have plagued the nation for generations can be traced back to the struggle for and resistance to racial equality and fair treatment. Now accessible in digitized sheet music collections of blackface minstrel music on the internet, a record of nineteenth and early twentieth century perspectives is uniquely captured through the popular music of past generations. Illuminating the political and social attitudes that led to commonly held beliefs and practices regarding African-Americans, this music has the power to help make sense of current racial dynamics and contributes to understanding the connection between meaning and context in how cultural knowledge is developed and represented.     

The Subordination of Local Government and the Compliant Society

The paper depicts the changes that have taken place in the relationships between the state and local education authorities from the 1980s and in the freedom of the schools and the teaching profession to create and offer the curriculum. The changes are linked to a shift from the interactive to the idealist concepts of educational development. They are placed in the context of changes in assumptions about the role of local authorities and schools in sustaining democratic and professional roles and practices, and in the growth of what can be conceived of as the increasing development of a Compliance Society.     

Optimum take-off angle in the long jump

In this study, we found that the optimum take-off angle for a long jumper may be predicted by combining the equation for the range of a projectile in free flight with the measured relations between take-off speed, take-off height and take-off angle for the athlete. The prediction method was evaluated using video measurements of three experienced male long jumpers who performed maximum-effort jumps over a wide range of take-off angles. To produce low take-off angles the athletes used a long and fast run-up, whereas higher take-off angles were produced using a progressively shorter and slower run-up. For all three athletes, the take-off speed decreased and the take-off height increased as the athlete jumped with a higher take-off angle. The calculated optimum take-off angles were in good agreement with the athletes' competition take-off angles.     

A Simple Field Procedure for Estimating Ideal Body Weight in Males

The purpose of the study was to develop a simple field procedure for estimating ideal body weight. The statistical relationship between weight loss and girth measurements was analyzed in 40 male subjects. It was established that a decrease in total body weight was highly correlated (r = .842) with a decrease in abdominal girth while chest girth remained relatively stable. A regression equation was formulated to predict weight loss necessary to achieve ideal body weight corresponding to 15% of body fat or less on the basis of the chest abdominal girth relationship. The equation was as follows: (kg to lose) = .457 + .758 (Δ cm) where Δ cm are the missing centimeters required to achieve a positive difference of 12 cm between the chest and abdominal girths. The equation was employed on 40 other male subjects whose body density had been determined earlier by the hydrostatic procedure. Statistical analyses between the mean ideal body weight computed on the basis of 15% body fat and by the regression equation for these subjects revealed no significant difference. Data analyses of independent studies have also indicated that a 12 cm difference between chest and abdominal girth was associated with approximately 15% of body fat or less. It was suggested that in a field situation, the regression equation could prove a useful tool in predicting ideal body weight.