Blogs, blogs everywhere and not a minute to read them

Susie has posted an item about blogging, the proliferation of blogs and having the time to read them.This partially echoed a conversation I had with Andrew Sutton about comments on blogs and how easy it is to miss them, probably due to reading quickly and their not being displayed prominently.Maybe down to the fact that bloggers usually are computer buffs and are looking for such facilities. This is a shame as frequently the comments are very interesting and can lead to further discussion as happened with Andrew's item about mentoring.

We bloggers like to have comments too, as it shows that people are reading our postings and would like to talk to us. Laszlo was getting disheartened because of this last week.

So, please do comment and contribute to sharing knowledge, opinions, information etc. Could we say that this in itself may be a form of mentoring and encouragement ? Comments please!

Susie's posting

http://konduktorin.blogspot.com/2008/11/just-quiet-evening-for-conductor.html

Laszlo's posting

http://szogeczki.blogspot.com/2008/11/thinking-strange.html

Educação Condutiva em Santa Catarina: Avaliação de um Projeto. A report from Brazil

The publication of a research report on Conductive Education in Brazil was mentioned on Andrew's blog, including references and contact details, a couple of days ago. I contacted Célia Hoefelmann who has responded very quickly indeed, and a copy of the report was in my email this morning. I will add it to the library's collection of papers/reports on research into Conductive Education in all its applications.

Thank you, Andrew, for the details, its great to know that someone else is out there keeping an eye on publications etc, as it is not easy to keep track of everything published in Conductive Education, in all languages. All such information is much appreciated and helps me to continue adding to the collection of material here in Birmingham.

Cerebral Palsy Conference, 2009

Sydney, Australia is the chosen venue for the 3rd International Cerebral Palsy conference, 18-21 February 2009. The organising committee states :

The aim of this conference is to facilitate collaboration between internationally renowned researchers across all disciplines to help find the answers to cerebral palsy. The conference will have a theme of 'Across the Life-span'

More details can be found at http://www.cp2009.com.au/ including a provisional programme which includes presentations by such familiar names as Peter Rosenbaum, Robert Palisano, Dinah Reddihough and Johanna Darrah. No conductors as far as I could see.

Early bird registration is required before 18 December 2008.

What do we know about András Pető?

Those of you who are following Andrew's and Susie's blogs, will have realised that knowledge of András Pető the man is very skimpy indeed with a lot based on hearsay and comments of those who actually knew him. He gave very little away and much of the personal information we have is reminiscences, often contradictory, and not factual evidence.

I have compiled a list of material in held in the National Library which includes unpublished material, newspaper articles, contributions to books and also some items written by the man himself. These are in a variety of languages - English, Hungarian, German, Swedish and Norwegian. A student conductor in the late 1980s did start to investigate his life and work but never finished (Szorenyi, 1990; 1994), Judit Forrai published a collection of reminiscences (1999), and Mária Hári (who spoke at his funeral) produced several accounts of his life and establishment of what became the Pető Institute.

As you will see very little published material by Pető has been traced so far, but further discoveries may be made in the future. In the 1920s and 1930s he published under a variety of pseudonyms, some of which are included in the list below.

I am sure this is not everything and would welcome any information about other pieces, and especially copies of such items, that would make useful additions to my collection.

Pető the man

Ákos, K. and Ákos, M.(1997) The enigmatic Dr. Pető. The Conductor, 6(3-4),
pp.49-55.

Anon (1993) In memoriam Pető. In International Pető Institute, Pető András (1893-1993), Budapest: International Pető Institute, pp.30-37.

Anon (2000) Pető an König. Fortschritt, nos.2-3, p10.

Anon (2006) András Pető. [online] Wikipedia Fooundation. Accessed 20 December 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A1s_Pet%C5%91

Bachmann, W. and others (1977) András Pető. In Bachmann, W., and others, Biographies of Hungarian special educators. Rheinstetten: Schindele, pp.94-95.

Balogh, M. and Ocsenás, T. (2001) Hungarians of the century: András Pető. In International Pető Institute, Abstracts of the 4th World Congress on Conductive Education. Budapest: International Pető Institute, p13.

Billington, I. (2003) András Pető. In Billington, I., Petö-metoden – en tverrfaglig utfordring. Oslo: N.W.Damm & Søn, pp.26-28.

Bíró, K. (1993) Remembering András Pető. In International Pető Institute, Pető András (1893-1993). Budapest: International Pető Institute, pp.16-23.

Dévai, J. (1997) The first years with András Pető. Unpublished paper.

Dezséry, L. (1962) About a wonderful school. Magyar Hétköznapok, 29 May.

Fekete, G. (1970) Professor Pető’s legacy. Népszabadság, 31 October, p.6.

Forrai, J. (1999) Memoirs of the beginnings of conductive pedagogy and András Pető. Budapest: Új Aranyhíd and Foundation for Conductive Education.

Forster, V. (1997) A view from the past. The Conductor, 6(3-4), pp.43-48.

György, I. (1967) The man to whom there were no hopeless cases. Népszabadság, 13 September, p.11.

Halász, Z. (1965) Home thoughts from across the Channel. [Brief mention of Pető, pp.112-113.] New Hungarian Quarterly pp.100-113.

Hári, M. (1996) In memory of Pető. Pető Magazine, Summer, pp.5-8.

Hári, M. (1997) A konduktív pedagógia története. Budapest: MPANNI.

Hári, M. (1999) Die Geschichte der konduktiven Pädagogik. Budapest: International Pető Institute.

Hári, M. (2001) The history of Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers, supplement 2. Budapest: International Pető Institute.

Hári, M., and others (1991) The origins of Conductive Education. In Hári, M., and others, A konduktív pedagógiai rendszer, Budapest: International Pető Institute,pp.9-20 and 212-213.

Harris, C. (1989) Pető - friend of the CP child. Therapy Weekly, 15 June, p.6.

Horváth, J. (1997) András Pető; a brief biographical sketch. In Taylor, M. and Horváth, J., ed., Conductive Education occasional papers, no.1. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books, pp.1-6.

International Pető Institute (1999) Who was András Pető? http://www.peto.hu/Tortenet/peto.htm (Accessed 25 October 1999)

International Pető Institute (1993) Pető András (1893-1993). Budapest: International Pető Institute.

Kapronczay, K. (1993) Remembering András Pető. In International Pető Institute, Pető András (1893-1993), Budapest: International Pető Institute, pp.24-29.

Kenyeres, A., ed. (1985) András Pető. In Kenyeres, A., ed. Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, pp.613-614.

Kerényi, P. (1989) Pető, the man. Hungarian Observer, 3 (2), p5.

Lehnhardt, R. (1965) Lebenshilfe für Bewegungsversehrte. Schwabische Zeitung, p? [English translation in The Conductor, 4(4), 1992, p65.]

Liljeroth, I. (2004) Pető’s liv fram till starten av KP. In Liljeroth, I. Konduktiv pedagogik. Goteberg: Bräcke Diakoni, pp.19-22.

Liphart, A. (1993) From András Pető to the Pető Institute. Unpublished paper. [English summary by R. Szörenyi of a programme broadcast by Izülőföldünk, 10 September]

Medveczky, E. (2006) Dr András Pető. In Medveczky, E. Conductive Education as an educational method of neurorehabilitation. Budapest: International Pető Institute, pp.11-13.

Mallet, S. (2008) Angels and souls, to me its one and the same. Nurnberg: Mallett.[online]http://konduktorin.blogspot.com/2008/11/angels-and-souls-to-me-its-one-and-same.html

Nádas, P. (1967) A man dies. Pest Megyei Hírlap, p?

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION (2000) András Pető 1893-1967; a selection of items from periodicals and the Hungarian press. Unpublished collection.

Papp, C. The spirit, rehabilitation and character formation. Magyarország, 1 October, p.24.

Pintér, G. (2003) András Pető and Jacob Levi Moreno. In Balogh, E. and Kozma, I., ed. Conductive Education Occasional Papers no.10. Budapest: International Pető Institute, pp.1-12.

Popper, P. (2001) Buddha Budapesten. In Popper, P. Holdidő. Budapest: Saxum, pp.51-70.

Ruffy, P. (1967) Professor Dr András Pető. Magyar Nemzet, 15 August, p?

Ruffy, P. (1974) Nagyszerü mérges ember. In Ruffy, P. Úttalan utakon. Budapest: Szépirodalmi Könyvkiadó, pp.97-102.

Ruffy, P. (1987) An angry man with the face of Buddha; András Pető. Magyar Nemzet, 4 July, pp.8-9.

Sarkány, J. (1994) Memories of Dr András Pető. The Conductor, 5(3-4), pp.75-76.

Sutton, A. (2000) The mysterious András Pető; report on the literary evening.
Unpublished paper.

Sutton, A. (2008) Dialogue with Judit 1. Birmingham: Sutton. [online] http://andrew-sutton.blogspot.com/2008/11/dialogue-with-judit-i.html

Sutton, A. (2008) Dialogue with Judit 2. Birmingham: Sutton. [online] http://andrew-sutton.blogspot.com/2008/11/dialogue-with-judit-ii.html

Szörenyi, R. (1990) A portrait sketch of András Pető, founder of Conductive Education. Unpublished paper.

Szörenyi, R. (1994) Bibliography of Pető’s works1921-1935 with chronology of his life 1893-1922. Unpublished paper.

Török, S. (1979) Table talk with Pető. In Török, S. Egy kis kertet szerettem volna. Budapest: Magveto Kiadó, pp.245-259.

Vekerdy, T. The charisma of a maverick healer. New Hungarian Quarterly, 34 (Spring), pp.115-120.

Wikipedia (2008) Pető András. San Francisco: Wikimedia Foundation. [online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andras_Peto

Pető’s Works


Bärnklau, O. (1965) [pseudonym] Unfug der Krankheit. Hanau: Verlag Karl Schustek.

Bärnklau, O. (1965) [pseudonym] Gibt es unheil bare Krankheiten? Nein! Lindau-Bodensee:Rudolph’s Verlagsbuchandlung.

Jernqvist, L., ed. (2005) Pető’s letters to Ester Cotton 1965-1966. Cumbernaud: Jernqvist.

Pető, A. (1921-1935) Papers written under various pseudonyms. Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift, [In German]

Pető, A. (1930-1931) Papers written under various pseudonyms. Biologische Heilkunst, 11, 12. [In German]

Pető, A. (1952) Szoviet mozgásterápia módszerek.[ Paper read at Hungarian Special Education and Training conference, December 1952.] Unpublished paper.

Pető, A. (1955) Curriculum vitae. Unpublished paper.

Pető, A. (1956) Konduktív mozgásterápia mint gyógypedagógia. [Conductive movement therapy as special education] Gyógypedagógia, 1, pp.15-21. [Annotated and abridged version by A. Sutton in The Conductor, 5 (2), 1993, pp.37-39.]

Pető, A. (1959) Letter to Dr. König. [Briefly describes the practice of Conductive Education]. Unpublished paper.

Pető, A. (1962) Bevezető a konduktiv mozgáspedagógiába. Budapest: Tankönyvkiadó.

Pető, A. (1965) Notes on organic neurocare. Unpublished paper.

Pető, A. (1965) Pető’s proverbs. Compiled by E. Cotton. Unpublished paper.

Pető, A. (1965) Pető’s proverbs or truth in a nutshell. Compiled by J. House 1969. Unpublished paper. [A version of those by E. Cotton]

Changes

As you can see, I have changed the format of this site which I think gives it a better structure and clearer, distinct layout. All the additions made over the past few months to the blog in its previous format seemed to give it a very 'busy' feel that was somewhat disorganised. Please let me know what you think.

Practical information

Special libraries in the main tend to hold academic material suited to those who are studying or professionally interested in a subject and because of this more practical information can get missed or overlooked. This library aims to include information at all levels and today I happened to be adding the latest issues of a number of journals/magazines to the library which are of a more practical nature, and are produced by charities/organisations in the UK set up to help those with Parkinson's disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis. Titles of such magazines include:

The Parkinson (Parkinson's Disease Society)

MS Matters (Multiple Sclerosis Society)

New Pathways (Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre)

Stroke News (Stroke Association)

Different Strokes (Different Strokes)

These offer personal accounts of conditions, tips for managing, coping, alternative therapies, drug information, advice for carers, latest government statements, information about the latest research projects. Very useful for those with such neurological conditions and their carers. These magazines can be obtained from their publishers free or for a small annual subscription - more information is available on their websites.

The Parkinson's Disease Society

www.parkinsons.org.uk

Multiple Sclerosis Society

www.mssociety.org.uk

The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre

www.msrc.co.uk

Stroke Association

www.stroke.org.uk

Different Strokes

http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk/

Such practical information related to cerebral palsy is not so easy to find. Cerebra Bulletin, published by the charity Cerebra, www.cerebra.org.uk set up to help children with brain related conditions, does includes cerebral palsy, but nothing aimed exclusively at those with cerebral palsy of all ages is published in the UK as far as I'm aware, and if anyone knows otherwise please tell me. In the United States, Cerebral Palsy Magazine is produced, concerned mainly with children and more information is available on the internet at

http://www.cerebralpalsymagazine.com/

History of Conductive Education

On looking at the items I have in the library that contribute to the history of Conductive Education I realised that the use of the word history can be a little arbitrary to say the least. What constitutes history? When does an item become an historical account/critique? What do we mean by history? When does something/an event become history? Is yesterday history? Barack Obama made history yesterday we are told.

Not easy questions to answer, at least for me. According to Collins English Dictionary, history is :

a record or account often chronological in approach of past events, developments

So I have put together a list of items that present a historical overview of Conductive Education by those looking back to the beginnings, either relating their experiences or presenting the facts of the events as they have been able to discover them, and are about the development of Conductive Education itself rather than the man. András Pető himself is shrouded in mystery as he did not reveal much at all about himself, but there is still a reasonable amount of material. He deserves a separate list which will follow at a later date.

Conductive Education; an historical overview

Ákos, K. and Ákos, M.(1997) The enigmatic Dr Pető. The Conductor, 6(3-4), pp.49-55.

Anon (1996) A history of the International Pető Institute. The Pető Magazine, Summer, p10.

Dévai, J. (1997) The first years with András Pető; the birth of Conductive Education. Unpublished paper.

Forrai, J. (1999) Memoirs of the beginnings of conductive pedagogy and András Pető. Budapest: Új Aranyhíd and Birmingham: Foundation for Conductive Education.

Forster, V. (1997) A view from the past. The Conductor, 6(3-4), pp.43-48.

Hári, M. (1970) The short story of conductive education. Unpublished paper.

Hári, M. (1990) The history of Conductive Education and the principles of the Pető system. In International Pető Association, First World Congress; conference proceedings. Budapest: International Pető Institute, pp.3-5.

Hári, M. (1997) A konduktív pedagógia története. Budapest: Mpanni.

Hári, M. (1997) Die Geschichte der Konduktiven Pädagogik.Budapest: International Pető Institute.

Hári, M. (1999) The history of conductive pedagogy. Budapest: International Pető Institute.

Hári, M., and others (1991) A konduktív pedagógia eredete. In Hári, M., and others, A konduktív pedagógiai rendszer hatékony működésének alapelvei és gyakorlata. Budapest: Nemzetközi Pető Intézet.

Kilborn, E. (2007) The Hungarian origins of Conductive Education: an educational system for children with neurological disorders (1945-2001). Unpublished paper.

Sutton, A. (1986) The social-historical context. In Cottam, P. and Sutton, A., ed., Conductive Education; a system for overcoming motor disorder. London: Croom Helm, pp.3-28.

Sutton, A. (2004) Handling ladies. Unpublished paper.

Sutton, A. (2006) Notes towards a history of Conductive Education. Unpublished paper.

Sutton, A. (2006) Conductive pedagogy yesterday, today, tomorrow. Unpublished paper.