In-class workout #6 - www.kidshealth.org

Kidshealth.org is the most-visited site on the Web for information about health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years. Information is presented on the site in such a way which is free from technical "doctor's speak," and thus easily comprehended by children and parents. This excellent content exploration resource is a reference tool which caters to kids of multiple age groups about a variety of topics.

For example, I navigated through the kids page, to the "cooking and recipes" tab. This promotes healthy eating, by teaching kids how to manage a nutritious diet on their own. It also promotes independent behavior by allowing kids to make food without adults (ie: Awesome applesauce).

Physical Education standard 7.6.1 - Macarena

The Physical Education standard 7.6.1 requires students to demonstrate movement patterns that convey various emotions. In order to meet this requirement, students will be exposed to a variety of dance moves. Specifically, I think that demonstrating and teaching "The Macarena" would be a great way to stimulate student participation with dance. Rather than practicing traditional forms of dance that many students are not interested in, the Macarena would allow them to express their emotions in a fun, exciting way.

In order to teach the Macarena, I would supply them videos of the dance. Obtained through YouTube, the dance can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlzwuFkn88U

The Macarena can also be interpreted textually at: http://www.pecentral.org/LessonIdeas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=1304

Specifically, I would start by showing my students the YouTube videos. Performing the Macarena is typically fairly easy to do after watching a proper demonstration. If the demonstrations are ineffective for some students, I would also direct them toward the text-based directions for further practice.

In conclusion, the Macarena is an effective method by which to fulfill state standard 7.6.1, because it allows students to express their emotions through dance. The Macarena is also a very adaptive dance; personal movements can be mixed in to further enhance the dance, without the tempo of the dance steps being altered. Teaching dances that students enjoy doing is a great way to motivate them to dance more!

When Hi-Tech P.E. Goes Wrong

A Day at The Racetrack

Podcast Summary: "Tune Up Your Body: Run America!"

A podcast titled, "Tune Up Your Body: Run America!" represents a breakthrough new method to attract kids to physical activity through technology. Nike, Apple, and Google teamed up to design a state-of-the-art fitness program which integrates technology into exercise. When properly equipped with an iPod, and Nike shoes with an iPod Sport Kit, joggers keep track of their running distances, and then plot them geographically on Google Earth. The distances are compiled, and superimposed on a map of the United States. Students can then compete for the most distance, or compile their distances and compete against other peers/teams/classes/schools!

The "Run America!" fitness program is a clever way to integrate technology and fitness into anyone's life. Plotting one's exercise progress is a great way to teach kids the proper ways to exercise and stay healthy. Any program which could increase a child's interest in physical activity should be viewed as a success.

While this program does a great job enhancing exercise for kids, it is also an expensive program to initiate. iPods and Nike shoes aren't cheap, and not all kids can afford them. Also, the podcast seems a bit gimmicky, like an advertisement. Considering the how marketing departments of Apple, Google, and Nike collaborated on the project; the entire program itself is one big marketing concept, and thus a marvel of horizontal integration.

Link to the Podcast: http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=10166

Evaluation of Human Kinetics website

The website, www.humankinetics.com is a professionally designed site, operated by an accredited organization. Human Kinetics has information on a very large range of information regarding the study of human movement. This includes various sections such as fitness, nutrition, exercise science, coaching, P.E., and sport management. Each of these sections includes current, relevant, accurate information about the specific field. Most of the articles which appear on the Human Kinetics site are from scholarly, reputable sources, and they are oftentimes peer-reviewed. Many of the partners who contribute collaboratively to Human Kinetics are the official governing bodies of their specific field. For example, the American Baseball Coaches Association, and the National Association for Sport & Physical Education. Also, there appears to be significantly less third party advertising on this site than other exercise-based sites; which makes navigation safer and more efficient.