In-Motion

MyPyramid.gov

2005-10-20T23:45:00.000-06:00

MyPyramid.gov - United States Department of Agriculture - Home

This site states its: "An interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rocket with food and physical activity. “Fuel” tanks for each food group help students keep track of how their choices fit into MyPyramid."

Possibly a worthwhile resource for your students.

P.E. credit for outside activities

2005-10-20T21:53:00.000-06:00

USATODAY.com - Online phys ed takes hold in Minneapolis:

"Last year, as the tall, cheerful South High School senior neared
graduation, he was finding it hard to complete his physical education
requirement while balancing studies, sports and a social life. Then
Miller discovered that through a new online class he could fulfill his
phys-ed credit after school by playing on the Ultimate Frisbee team."

I posted about this in my other blog and liked the concept of crediting students for work they do outside the school.

If one of the goals of a P.E. program is to develop skills and habits of physical fitness and activity, this seems to be the best way to address it. Let kids know that there healthy choices are so important that we would give them credit. These students can focus their time on tasks and skills that they need more help on. Conversely, if a student spends time at home writing and has proven proficiency in writing, maybe they lack some key habits or skills in physical fitness and might receive extra support in P.E. It seems like if we value P.E. we'll provide the same types of remedial support to it as we do to other subject areas. At the same time for those students who excel or spend vasts amounts of time in activity outside of school, they should be credited.

This may not be a perfect solution but one that has potential and principles worth exploring.

'Virtual cafeteria' teaches good eating habits

2005-10-12T11:35:00.000-06:00

'Virtual cafeteria' teaches good eating habits: "In the virtual cafeteria, Cathy, an animated cafeteria worker, stands behind the daily menu items with a static, maternal smile on her face. With the sound of a busy cafeteria buzzing in the background, Cathy's talking word bubbles offer comments such as 'Good job! It looks like you know where to find vitamin A and vitamin C' when users place the soup and salad option on their lunch trays."

You can try out the virtual cafeteria as well.

Just Move

2005-08-16T19:48:00.000-06:00

http://www.justmove.org/home.cfm
Just Move contains resources and information for anyone interested in keeping fit and living a healthy lifestyle. There are three main sections of the site: Exercise Diary, Fitness Resources and My Fitness. The Exercise Diary offers users the opportunity to record their daily fitness regimen and keep a log of their activity and how they are meeting the goals they have set. Registration is required but it is free.

Eat well win an ipod

2005-05-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

Here's one school's method of encouraging healthy eating.

Scotsman.com News - Health - Health food sounds so good to pupils: "AN INCENTIVE scheme to get secondary school pupils to choose healthier food options at lunchtime gave its strongest adherents their just desserts yesterday, with a range of hi-tech gadgets the reward for eating lettuce and fresh fruit salad."

The "White Out" Experiment

2005-05-20T15:10:00.000-06:00

Whole-grain bread instead of white, brown rice or wild rice instead of white, whole-grain pasta instead of white, and no sugar for two weeks.
This is what I asked of my grade 8 Home Economics students. It was an optional assignment. There were approximately 30 of my 140 students who chose to take part in this experiment.
This assignment coincided with my unit on healthy eating. My hope was that students would realize that making good food choices is not that difficult, and that maybe they would make some permanent changes in their diets. I also wanted them to become aware of how many foods contain sugar.
I was very excited by the comments made by the students who took part. They felt more energenic, healthier, and began to have an aversion to junk food. After two weeks on this "diet", when they could eat whatever they wanted to, eating white again made many students feel ill. A bonus for some students was a loss of belly fat.
I put my entire family on this experiment in January, and we have continued to incorporate these ideas into our daily meals. I have lost over 8 pounds, and my husband's belly has disappeared. We all just feel healthier.

Jump Rope For Heart

2005-05-16T09:04:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for a good way to promote physical activity in your school and contribute to your community's welfare at the same time, get involved with Jump Rope for Heart. Positive learning experiences can help establish a positive attitude about daily physical activity. Jump Rope for Heart provides such an experience. Kids participate in a day of Jump Rope activities and raise money for the fight against heart disease and stroke. They also learn about the seriousness of heart disease and stroke, the lifelong benefits of physical activity and the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle. Hoops for Heart is a similar program involving basketball skills instead of jump rope.

From the PE Consultant

2005-04-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

Here's some links passed on to me by our PE consultant. Check out our permanent links on our sidebar.

The following two sites are looking for class or school participation

http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/weightoftheworld/index.html

This is a site from CAHPHERD called Weight of the World

http://www.cahperd.ca/eng/story_detail.cfm?id=47

This is a site from CAHPERD called SpecTAGular

Video Games that will improve fitness

2005-04-25T11:23:00.000-06:00

What? I thought video games were anti-fitness activities. Well in most cases they are but here's a great example of using technology to support fitness.Dance Dance success stories

I made a posting in my other blog about this a while back. I think finding ways to motivate kids to be more active is something to keep an eye on.

Brain Food

2005-04-25T11:21:00.000-06:00

Child's intelligence depends in part on omega-3 fat DHA

Did you know that nutrition plays a critical role in the development of a child's intelligence? Did you know that 60% of the brain's weight is FAT? If an adult is deficient in the right fats, his brain does not function optimally, and if a child is deficient, the brain does not develop nor function optimally. Check out this article on the benefits (to children and adults!) of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, found especially in fatty cold-water fish and flax seed oil. Ingesting enough good fats doesn't just make your brain work better. "Thousands of research studies in the last 20 years have shown that EFAs can have a profound effect on medical conditions including arthritis, skin conditions, cardiovascular diseases, diabetic neuropathy, immune function, and premenstrual syndrome. Adding ALA back to your diet has lots of benefits, including lower cardiovascular risk, smoother skin, higher energy levels, stamina, performance and recovery, better insulin sensitivity, lowered cancer risk, lowered inflammation, greater heat production, and improved mood, learning, IQ and calmness, and better ability to handle stress." Of course the developing brain needs all other nutrients, too, besides the right fats. Minerals, vitamins, proteins, right fats - the brain needs it all, and the best way to go is to shun the processed foods and the 'white' foods as possible.

Speed Stacks

2005-04-25T10:50:00.000-06:00

Speed Stacks, Inc., Cup Stacking Video Clips This site has some neat samples of speed stacking. If you aren't sure what it is, check it out.

There has been quite a number of schools in Moose Jaw that are using speed stacks. While it may not be a highly active sport, it does have strong links to improving both sides of the brain.

A number of the Moose Jaw News teams have done reports on speed stack including the King George and Westmount news teams.

Physical Fitness

2005-04-25T10:18:00.000-06:00

Physical Fitness

Fitness and obesity problems have become epidemic. This web site will give you a good overview on these trends and statistics.

Tampabay: Schools take a new look at how fitness can fuel brains

2005-04-25T10:08:00.000-06:00

Another good example of schools understanding the link between fitness and academic performance.
Tampabay: Schools take a new look at how fitness can fuel brains