Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Future of Physical Education
Quality physical education programs
can be life-changing for today’s young people. Such programs offer students an
opportunity to develop their bodies and minds to gain skills that will lead
them to success in both the physical and academic aspects of life. PolarUsa, a
company who focuses on introducing new technology to help people get fit, is
actively increasing child participation in physical education.
For nearly 20 years, Polar has been
the leader in providing K-12 physical education programs with the tools and
technology needed to objectively quantify, evaluate and monitor students’
health and fitness. Specifically, this includes heart rate monitors and fitness
assessment technologies such as the TriFIT systems, which are being used in
more than 10,000 K-12 physical education programs across the United States. The
have recently introduced their newest technology called Polar Active, which is
a computer that allows students to measure and record their physical activity
level. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention children
should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical
activity each day. Polar Active provides a continuous 24/7 measurement of daily
activities, including calories burned, and active steps. With a fun, animated
figure, students can accurately track the quantity and quality of daily
activity, which in turn helps motivate them towards a healthier, more active
lifestyle. The program aligns
students based on national and sate standards, which not only significantly
improve the participation of children, but also the grading efficiency in
physical education classes. Childhood obesity has tripled in the United States
over the past thirty years, and today one in three children are considered
overweight or obese, Bob Wehinger, representative for Polar says that
"Polar is committed to reversing this epidemic and helping our nation’s
students become more active and maintain a healthy weight."
Sunday, February 12, 2012
McNugget Meltdown
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| Image via Wikipedia |
As a future physical educator it was disheartening to be
informed of the story of Stacey Irvine, a 17 year old girl, who collapsed
recently after her harmful diet finally caught up to her. Since she was a
toddler, Stacy has eaten virtually nothing but McDonald's chicken nuggets. She had to be taken to the hospital earlier this week
when she collapsed after struggling to breathe. She claims that she has never tasted
fresh fruit or vegetables and that she has been hooked on chicken nuggets since
her mother let her try them in a McDonald’s restaurant at the age of two. It is
absolutely insane that her parents and peers let her live such a harmful life
for so long. Had she been more educated and informed of the various chronic
diseases and negative health affects that are tied with such a dangerous amount
of fat and salt, measures could have been made to prevent her from going to the
hospital. Based on her daily intake it can be estimated that her daily 20-piece
McNuggets contain 58g of fat and 926 calories, which exceeds the recommended
56g daily fat allowance and almost half of the recommended 2,000 calories a
day. Thankfully, Stacy did survive her collapse, which will hopefully open her
eyes to the terrible life choices she is making. Her story can be used as a
tool for future students of the devastating effects of fast food and the effect
this kind of food has on your body. It is mind-blowing that somebody so young can
experience such drastic effects from their food intake and she is lucky that
she got a so-called warning because next time she might not be so lucky.
Friday, February 10, 2012
My Inspiration
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| Image via Wikipedia |
In the summer of 1999 the United States hosted the Women’s
World Cup, a record-setting event that ignited feelings of nationalism and
pride, as the Women’s National Soccer Team captivated the United States. The
1999 Women’s World Cup can be described as the pinnacle of women’s soccer in
the United States, and even the world. When U.S. member, Brandi Chastain, shot
the team's fifth penalty kick past the Chinese goalkeeper, after double
overtime, the American team swept the nation off its feet. That summer’s events
left a lasting legacy and is considered a milestone, in not only women’s
soccer, but also women’s sports in general. I was fortunate to attend the game
at Meadowlands stadium and is an experience I will never forget. The United
States Women’s national team has dominated the sport on a world level as its
most consistent and successful performer. The game garnered the highest
television audience ever attained for any soccer game in the U.S., men’s or
women’s. The players of the entire team gained stardom, but the most prominent
members, including Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, became nationally known heroes and
role models for millions of young American girls, including myself. Mia Hamm is
one of the two women named in Pele’s “List of 125 Best Soccer Players of All
Times” and she is a symbol of women’s sports throughout the World. It is not an
exaggeration to say the success of the American women’s national team of 1999
provided the initial thrust for what would become a long and prolific history
of women’s professional soccer in the U.S., and, perhaps, the world.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Never Give Up
The life of Bill Demby, a veteran, amputee, shows what
determination and hard work can lead to. On March 26, 1971, a Vietcong rocket
blew up the truck he was driving. The 20-year-old Army private never saw it
coming. Demby saw his left leg on the floor. He was helicoptered to the
hospital and with his left leg already severed below the knee, doctors
amputated his right leg after seeing that his foot had been so badly crushed it
made his leg useless. Once he got home he spent a year at the Walter Reed Army
hospital, and when he left, began drinking heavily. Sports became Demby's rehab
and he eventually learned to ski and took up wheelchair basketball. Eighteen
years after Bill had his accident, while wearing artificial legs attached just
above his knees, Bill became one of the best-known basketball players in the
U.S. He was the star of a striking Du Pont TV commercial that shows him holding
his own in a game with nonhandicapped players on a New York City court. In
addition to this he holds national amputee records in the shot-put, javelin and
discus. I am proud to say that about ten years ago, Bill Demby was the speaker
at the graduation here at SUNY Cortland. He has spoken several times on campus
and even holds an honorary degree from Cortland. I will tell the story of Bill Demby to my future students to
inspire them and to teach them that no matter what life throws at you, there is
always a way to overcome any obstacle.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
GLBT students
As a future teacher I must ask myself ‘how should classrooms
best be organized to meet the needs of different learning styles?’ Some people
argue that boys and girls should be separated in schools because of their
learning differences. It is my job as a teacher to not stereotype my students,
but instead use helpful generalizations that might open my eyes to how
different groups might learn.
There is no absolute distinction about boys and girls different learning
abilities, so I must appeal to all my students by using a variety of styles. A
negative aspect of today’s school practices is that they view their schools as
being heteronormative, which is the assumption that all students are
heterosexual. What they must realize is that outlook is totally irrational and
old-fashioned and that students can either be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
There are many different responses to GLBT students. There are schools, which
prohibit homosexuality all together, while other districts provide neutral
gender bathroom and even locker rooms. It is my responsibility that all my
students are respected regardless of their individual differences. I must
provide a safe place for all my students and create a nurturing environment
where every student is welcomed.
Teaching Diverse Students
In today’s society millions of students speak hundreds of
languages, which generates multiple misunderstandings and, unfortunately,
creates isolation and segregation for many English Language Learners. In
today’s society is a big controversy whether these students should be placed in
bilingual or “English-only” programs.
Statistics have shown that Hispanic students who dropped out of
bilingual programs were less likely to complete high school than those who were
in English-only programs. This led to an emergence of an English-only movement
because people feel as if bilingual education threatens the presence of English
as the nation’s primary language. I personally believe that English Language
Learner students will not be able to grasp a curriculum if it is taught in a
language that they do not understand. A mix of both their native language and
English should be utilized in the student’s daily school life. It is the jobs
of these students’ teachers to make sure that their students are being provided
for to meet their maximum potential. They must use a variety of instructional
strategies to satisfy ELL students’ needs such as, hands-on activities and cooperative learning groups. There are two different approaches that
schools can utilize when implementing a bilingual education program. They are the
transitional approach, where students are taught in their native language first
and then gradually transition to English, and the maintenance approach, where
students are taught in both languages and ideally occurs throughout their
entire educational career. I believe that the maintenance approach would be the
most effective because students are enhancing both languages and no just one.
Their native language should not be strayed away from, but rather develop as
much as their new language, English.
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