Leadership: A complex concept awaiting a new explanation?

Leaders have the task of developing future strategy while being consciously engaged in executing current strategy and mapping landmarks, pathways and obstacles which they meet asthey endeavor to traverse challenging, rapidly evolving terrain. In an era in which there is a global leadership credibility crisis, business as usual is no longer an option in the pursuit of the longer-term survival of any organization. The leadership approach to complexity outlined here is based on learning to achieve results through experimentation, learning, and reflection. A case study is presented that illustrates the application of this approach. In this paper, the reader is first introduced to a brief overview of some key definitions and debates, shifting leadership boundaries, and emerging accountabilities and opportunities. This is followed by a summary of some of the key topics and issues that face current and future leaders.

Formação continuada: seus impactos na prática docente: um olhar sobre o programa pró-letramento

RESUMO: A preocupação central desta pesquisa foi compreendermos qual o impacto da formação continuada Pró-Letramento na prática pedagógica do professor a partir das necessidades e desafios do cotidiano escolar. Buscamos conhecer o conceito que os sujeitos da pesquisa têm sobre formação continuada, abordando a mesma como elemento da prática docente, comparamos o cotidiano de sala de aula de professores que passaram pela formação Pró-Letramento com os que não tiveram acesso a essa formação. Com respeito à formação continuada a percebemos como um processo dinâmico, reflexivo, que combina uma variedade de possibilidades e modalidades de aprendizagens, em que o professor vai adequando a sua formação às exigências sociais, culturais, educacionais. A formação continuada se dá, por meio da reflexão sobre a própria prática profissional no processo de ação-reflexão-ação, adquirindo significado na medida em que desenvolve e promove os diversos saberes docentes. A pesquisa foi conduzida com 90 professores do Ensino Fundamental – Anos Iniciais -, com oito coordenadoras que acompanham pedagogicamente os professores sujeitos dessa pesquisa e a observação em sala de aula. Procedeu-se à aplicação de um questionário validado e adaptado aos professores e uma entrevista aos coordenadores. A análise dos dados quantitativos foi realizada por meio do programa SPSS; enquanto a análise dos dados qualitativos foi orientada pela análise de discurso. A pesquisa aponta para algumas conclusões no que se refere a importância da Formação Continuada Pró-Letramento, tendo em vista a mesma possibilitar mudanças na prática pedagógica e colaborara para formação de um professor reflexivo, ao mesmo tempo que abre espaço para novos questionamentos e novos estudos.ABSTRACT: The central concern of this research was to understand the impact of the continuing education pro-literacy teaching practice from the teacher‘s needs and challenges of every day school life. We tried to know the concept that the subjects have on continuing education, addressing it as part of teaching practice, we compared the daily classroom teachers who have gone through training with Pro-Literacy did not access to such training. With respect to continuing education perceive it as a dynamic, reflective, which combines a variety of possibilities and modalities oF learning, the teacher will tailoring the training requirements to social, cultural, educational. The continuing education takes place, through reflection on own practice in the process of action-reflection-action, acquiring significance in that it develops and promotes the various teacher‘s knowledge. The research was conducted with 90 elementary school teacher‘s – Early Years – with eight coordinators accompanying teacher‘s pedagogically subject of research and observation in the classroom. Proceeded to the application of a validated questionnaire and adapted to an interview with the teachers and coordinators. The quantitative data analysis was performed using SPSS, while the analysis of qualitative data was guided by discourse analysis. The research points to some conclusions regarding the importance of Continuing Education Pro- Literacy in order to enable the same changes in teaching practice and collaborated to form a reflective teacher at the same time it makes room for new questions and new studies.

Livro didático na EJA: concepções de professores e alunos no cotidiano escolar

A presente investigação teve como propósito analisar a concepção dos sujeitos professor e aluno sobre o livro didático no cotidiano escolar. A investigação foi realizada em três Escolas da Rede Municipal de Ensino, localizadas na cidade de Olinda em Pernambuco. Para tanto esse estudo resgata a trajetória da Educação de Jovens e adultos e do livro didático a partir de uma retrospectiva histórica, destacando o seu quadro legal vigente. Discutiu-se sobre o livro didático e a EJA numa perspectiva teórica com a intenção de respaldar o aporte teórico – Análise de Conteúdo – necessário para a investigação. Com o estudo realizado pode-se concluir que na concepção ideológica de professores e alunos, o livro didático caracteriza-se como um instrumento de ensino indispensável para o processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Através dessa visão, emerge um discurso ideológico que os leva a conceber o livro didático de modo não crítico e bastante distanciado da realidade que se apresenta. Constatou-se também que os professores que atuam na modalidade EJA, em sua maioria, não possuem formação específica para trabalhar nessa área; o que acentua e dificulta a reflexão sobre a qualidade e o uso do livro didático no cotidiano escolar.

Food for thought: the role of dietary flavonoids in enhancing human memory, learning and neuro-cognitive performance

Emerging evidence suggests that dietary-derived flavonoids have the potential to improve human memory and neuro-cognitive performance via their ability to protect vulnerable neurons, enhance existing neuronal function and stimulate neuronal regeneration. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is widely considered to be one of the major mechanisms underlying memory acquisition, consolidation and storage in the brain and is known to be controlled at the molecular level by the activation of a number of neuronal signalling pathways. These pathways include the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B/Akt (Akt), protein kinase C, protein kinase A, Ca-calmodulin kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Growing evidence suggests that flavonoids exert effects on LTP, and consequently memory and cognitive performance, through their interactions with these signalling pathways. Of particular interest is the ability of flavonoids to activate the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and the Akt signalling pathways leading to the activation of the cAMP-response element-binding protein, a transcription factor responsible for increasing the expression of a number of neurotrophins important in LTP and long-term memory. One such neurotrophin is brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which is known to be crucial in controlling synapse growth, in promoting an increase in dendritic spine density and in enhancing synaptic receptor density. The present review explores the potential of flavonoids and their metabolite forms to promote memory and learning through their interactions with neuronal signalling pathways pivotal in controlling LTP and memory in human subjects.

Resilient responses to climate change: exploring organisational learning in networked development organisations

Drawing from the organisational learning and governance literature, this paper assesses four internationally networked governmental and non‐governmental organisations in the UK addressing climate change. We analyse how those concerned understand the climate change crisis, what mechanisms are put in place to address information flows, and what evidence there is of learning through sharing information between the organisational headquarters and their regional offices. The most striking finding is the evidence of learning that largely depends on ad‐hoc informal processes and shadow networks.

Learning to lead for business growth – implications for supporting SMEs in Wales

The Welsh private and third sectors are heavily dependent on SMEs. Consequently the performance of SMEs is critical to the performance of the Welsh economy. Substantial public funds, particularly from European Structural Funds, have been allocated to support these since 2000. The majority of programmes thus funded have been led from within the Welsh Government. This paper reports interim evaluation findings from one intervention led by two Welsh higher education institutions (HEIs), namely the LEAD Wales programme. The programme is an extended intervention to support the leadership skills of owner-managers and incorporates a range of learning methods, including formal masterclasses, but emphasizes situated and experiential learning through action learning, coaching and peer-to-peer exchange exercises. The programme’s impact is assessed on the experiences of 325 participants, of whom 217 have completed the programme. The paper concludes that situated learning methods, through which participants are able to draw from shared history and experience over an extended period are critical to programme success. By contrast, short-term thematic teaching, based around more formal, hierarchical learning is less likely to yield significant and sustainable economic benefits. The implications of this for business support in Wales are discussed.

Avaliação de Impacto em projetos sociais do terceiro setor: uma contribuição da teoria de policy learning

Esta pesquisa analisará o aprendizado em organizações do terceiro setor a partir de dois eixos principais: 1) Aprendizado através de análises empíricas (Avaliação de Impacto) - Pretende-se entender as principais recomendações para o terceiro setor em relação a Avaliação de Impacto e qual o cenário atual dessas práticas no contexto brasileiro. Para isso, foram entrevistadas 50 instituições que fazem parte de uma rede de organizações na área de educação, para entender como a avaliação vem sendo aplicada; 2) Aprendizado através da dimensão de Policy Learning: Social Learning e Instrumental Learning – Estabelecimento de conexão de teorias de aprendizado em políticas públicas com as instituições do terceiro setor e análise de possibilidades de aprendizado através de outras experiências e boas práticas.

Atenção, consciência e prática pedagógica: um estudo de suas interconexões

This thesis entitled, Attention, Consciousness and Practice of Teaching: A Study of its Interconnects, argues about a relationship between development of attention and consciousness and its connection to the pedagogical practice developed in a public elementary school in Natal city, Rio Grande do Norte state. The research school is located in the south of the city. School activities are developed according with the political pedagogical project. The group investigated was 25 students aged between 8-12 years of the fourth grade. The students of the research are residents of Ponta Negra village, Pirangi and Neópolis districts. The research was effected by three teachers however, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the relationship between the development of attention and awareness and the pedagogical practice of one of the teachers who participated in the research, and more specifically understand the psychic procedures involved in the development of attention and awareness; enabling conditions for the realization of an educational action that enables the development in terms of focused attention and states of consciousness of students, analyzing their interrelations. Therefore, it was used as methodology the collaborative research by providing elements for research as strategy of formation and development, the coproduction of knowledge, and the change of educational practice through reflective processes effected through the collaboration and critical reflection among participants. For empirical construction, it was used the following procedural elements: meeting, planning, diagnosis of attention and awareness, reflective period studies, collaborative observation and reflection sessions with the participant teachers and the students. The diagnosis of attention was effected through a game and its elaboration was based on the study proposed by Luria (1991). The purpose of the game was to apprehend the stage where students were in relation of a development attention. Concerning the diagnosis of consciousness, it was taken as reference studies by Burlatski (1987), Pinto (1960a, 1960b), Rubinstien (1973), Leontiev (1978) and others studies discussing this topic. As a method of analysis, it was resorted to the dialectical historical materialism, the ability to identify, analyze and explain those contradictions generated in the process. In the analysis procedures were prepared some categories as well as, were used categories by other authors with the purpose of understanding the critical reflective process collaborative evidencing the formation of concepts and pedagogical practice of the participants, and the analysis of a practical pedagogical of a teacher and her relationships with the development of the psychic process and functions of students, in other words, attention and awareness. Regarding the reflective process were used the categories: technical reflection, critical reflection and practical reflection (LIBERALI, 2008). Concerning the analysis of the concepts were used the categories: description, characterization, definition and conceptualization (FERREIRA, 2003). And for critical collaboration were the categories: critical collaboration, uncritical, technique and practice. In pedagogical practice, were used categories: repetitive practice teaching, heterogeneous and reflexive critical (SOUZA, 2010). During the collaborative observation was evident predominance of heterogeneous practice, because the main participant teacher searches for immediate solution to the situations problem, as well as reflection moments, is the technical arrangement, practice, critical, as well as concern in interacting with students, the qualitative changes, deep knowledge, renewal and transformation of the teaching activity. In this process, the collaborative reflection proved to be an effective strategy for developing awareness of students, because through reflection sessions, the students were able to understand that learning is a building process and that it necessary to be careful for their development

Corpo e aprendizagem em Boris Cyrulnik e em Merleau-Ponty

This research seeks to identify views of the body and learning the authors Boris Cyrulnik and Merleau - Ponty, thus tracing reflective for the educational field in several areas, with emphasis on physical education paths . We notice that the above authors present a wide collection of books, needing to develop this theoretical construct a limitation in their works. Therefore , on the theme of the body , were used mainly books The Sixth Sense , Boris Cyrulnik and Phenomenology of Perception , Merleau- Ponty , as both present in their organizational context a specific chapter on this subject . The phenomenological approach is included as path to be taken to devise this study because it is based on daily reflections that the human being perceives through his experiences with his peers and mainstream culture. The phenomenological reduction was carried out from the readings and interpretations of texts, writers and commentators, as well as approaching with life aspects of experience as a police officer and professor of ethics. The interpretation points to the understanding of body and learning that can be propagated within the Physical Education and as a way to understand and learn the constructs lived through sensitivity. The design of the body, feelings and affections of Boris Cyrulnik firm the empathetic bonds between human beings, bringing confidence to explore the world, learning through the new link with the other. This notion is close to the notion of expressive body Merleau Ponty, who holds intentions in their gestures (movements), entwining in time and space. Boris Cyrulnik and Merleau-Ponty expressed as the human being is enigmatic, lying embedded in a social and cultural world, so the experiences to traçarem existential trajetória and learning need in order to enaltercer freedom of expression as a mechanism that can be deployed in the appropriation of concepts and the criticality of the subject facing widespread theories (biological, social, anthropological , etc.) . From the reflections of the research is that recomneda Physical Education , as epistemological working area apprenticeships stemmed body movements should enable reflection on their practice, other do be done, but enabling the creation of different senses and meanings each body attitude

O ensino da filosofia segundo Hegel: contribuições para a atualidade

É possível ensinar filosofia? O filósofo alemão G. W. F. Hegel (1770-1831) não somente responde afirmativamente à questão posta, como também indica o que deve ser ensinado e como em filosofia. A resposta hegeliana tem como fonte sua atividade como diretor do ginásio de Nürnberg, onde ele procura estabelecer diretrizes e procedimentos para que a filosofia seja ensinada aos jovens. Segundo Hegel, a filosofia sempre é pertinente na medida em que se manifesta sobre o que é fundamental para o homem, isto é, sobre sua vida com as questões que lhe dizem respeito. Para tanto, a filosofia deve assumir o homem como seu objeto de consideração. Isto deve resultar na apreciação da realidade humana para que a partir dela sejam levados e elevados à sua maior e melhor compreensão pela reflexão e pela especulação. Tais habilidades não são adquiridas senão pelo contato direto com a filosofia em sua especificidade na sua produção histórica, ou seja, nos textos. Conhecer a história da filosofia já é aprender filosofia, mas tal aprendizagem necessita da mediação do professor. A mediação se faz necessária, pois a aprendizagem não é natural e, portanto, não se dá espontaneamente. Aprender é sempre aprender com alguém.

Denisiuk-type reflection holography display with sillenite crystals for imaging and interferometry of small objects

A novel setup for imaging and interferometry through reflection holography with Bi12TiPO20(BTO) sillenite photorefractive crystals is proposed. A variation of the lensless Denisiuk arrangement was developed resulting in a compact, robust and simple interferometer. A red He-Ne laser was used as light source and the holographic recording occurred by diffusion with the grating vector parallel to the crystal [0 0 1]-axis. In order to enhance the holographic image quality and reduce noise a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) was positioned at the BTO input and the crystal was tilted around the [0 0 1]-axis. This enabled the orthogonally polarized transmission and diffracted beams to be separated by the PBS, providing the holographic image only. The possibility of performing deformation and strain analysis as well as vibration measurement of small objects was demonstrated. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compreensão de leitura: princípios avaliativos e interventivos no contexto educacional

Reading is a complex process that involves cognitive and linguistic skills, such as decoding and comprehension. When the skill to understand texts is not performed there is a commitment throughout the learning process interfering with the development of the student as a whole. Ensuring that the student carries out reading efficiently is one of the main challenges of schools. Considering these aspects, this study, through reflection of previous studies, presents the processes involved in reading comprehension, as well as problems that can interfere with these processes, assessment and intervention strategies with the students so that possible difficulties in the educational context can be minimized.

A presença das TIC no curso de licenciatura em matemática da UNESP - campus Guaratinguetá

This research shows an investigation on teaching formation in regards to the TICs. Our interest in this subject is due to the fact that new generations of students who attend school require that the classes make use of technology in the classroom environment. By following the phenomenological orientation we have carried out a study which involved a field research at the College of Engineering in Guaratinguetá using the graduate as well as senior students of the Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics of this university. We have analyzed the data under the light of texts of the following authors: Filho (2007), Valente (1993), Miskulin (2006), Borba and Penteado (2001) among others in order to understand the teacher`s formation process to act using technologies in the classroom and its relevance. The data that has been analyzed was obtained in interviews which were conducted with the students of this university. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the rigor of phenomenological research procedures involving ideographic and nomothetic analysis. This analysis has led us to three open categories: 1) Mathematics learning through TICs; 2) Technologies that have been used; 3) Teacher`s role. By understanding the open categories we have been able to grasp that the students -future teachers- admit feeling capable of using technology in their classes, however their testimonies in regards to the TIC`s have led us to believe that there would be a reproduction of the content studied at their time at college without using further reflection upon the subject or autonomy in order to create new projects for teaching Mathmatics using these TICs

Compact setup for reflection holography with Bi12TiO 20 crystals

A novel optical setup for imaging through reflection holography with Bi12TiO20 (BTO) sillenite photorefractive crystals is proposed. Aiming a compact, robust and simple optical setup the lensless Denisiuk arrangement was chosen, using a He-Ne red laser as light source. In this setup the holographic medium is placed between the light source and the object. The beam impinging the crystal front face is the reference one, while the light scattered by the surface is the object beam in a holographic recording by diffusion. In order to allow the readout of the diffracted wave only and to keep the setup simplicity a polarizing beam splitter cube (PBS) was positioned at the BTO input. The reference beam is s-polarized (polarization direction perpendicular to the table top) and the crystal. 〈001〉-axis is rotated by an angle γ with respect to the input polarization in order to make the transmitted object beam and the diffracted beam to have orthogonal polarizations. While the transmitted wave is reflected by the PBS at a right angle, the diffracted wave carrying the holographic reconstruction of the object passes through the PBS, being collected by a positive lens in order to form the holographic image at a CCD camera. The holographic recording with the grating vector is parallel to the 〈100〉-axis. An expression for the diffracted wave intensity as a function of γ was derived, and this relation was experimentally investigated. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

O uso das mídias digitais como apoio ao processo didático e pedagógico: uma abordagem exploratória

Pós-graduação em Televisão Digital: Informação e Conhecimento - FAAC