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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Part 1

1. This video is from the Canadian Broadcasting Company. The video is from the Canadian province of Saskatoon.

2. The video is interesting. I think it’s not that hard to believe that if you have kids run on a treadmill for 20 minutes then sit down and learn math and be more focused. The kids have behavior problems and sitting in school is going to cause off task behavior so by having them get their energy out then they will be less fidgety.

3. I don’t think that we have heard of this teacher in the United States because many people are closed minded. I think until there is more significant and concrete evidence with the link between academic performance and physical activity. For a program that I would set up in my school for P.E., I would find many research articles and evidence and base my program off of proven things that work. As far as making sure that the program is effective I will track progress in the form of pre and post tests and make changes as needed to improve progress levels.


4. The findings showed that most students improved greatly and that there was a whole grade level of improvement, when in the past there had only been around a half grade of learning gained per year. English language arts was the category of learning that had prospered the most and I feel that this was attributed to the gaining of focus and concentration. I wasn’t surprised with the results because most of the students had things such as ADD and other diagnosed medical conditions. Students who have ADD have problems focusing and sitting still, by having then expend energy on a treadmill there is no real surprise that their attention span increases therefore learning increases. Some of this progress is similar to the NYS learning standards. Standard 1 parts A and b would both be met. By running on treadmills and becoming fit students are fulfilling these standards. Standard 2a and 2b are met because by participating in the physical activity, the students are participating and giving less defiance which helps to create safer more conducive learning environment. I would have to say standard 3 is not really met, because of the fact that the community is rough and that there isn’t really a place to participate in physical activity outside of school. The opportunities are limited and the drugs and environment outside of school is not good.

5. BDNF is a neurochemical for the brain that is like miracle-grow, this helps with memory and it is very important in development while you are a baby. You can increase your BDNF levels for exercising, restricting caloric intake, being in love and consuming a type of antidepressant. The easiest way to get this antidepressant is to eat turkey or spinach. Exercise can increase brain cell growth as well and help students take information in. Two important books that talk about exercise and BDNF are, “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” by John J. Ratey and “Nature's Ritalin for the Marathon Mind” by Stephen C. Putnam.

Part C








1. I thought Daily Burn was a great website. The site gives you tons of flexibility and allows virtually anyone to customize a program for themselves. I don’t currently use a program online to track my diet and exercise, but I might consider using this site in the future. The site is easy to use and the sign up was also very easy to use.

2. I would use this in a high school class, I think that I would set a level of minimal exercise a week for my students, that is individualized . Prior to setting minimum level I would do a pre test and see where the individual’s fitness levels were. Everyone is not the same therefore it would be important to have different levels for different people. I would use Daily Burn as a source of recording and tracking goals that the students have came up with. Using the goal and fitness plan creator, you can cover part 1b of the NYS learning standards.

3. I would use an excel spreadsheet for Standard 1a. By using a spreadsheet you can track progress and log scores of different things such as steps on a pedometer or score of a psychomotor assessment given in class. You can easily add data to the spreadsheet and make graphs to show students their progress. The students can also actually add the data themselves at the end of the days lesson as well.

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