Classrooms in Motion

American Heart Association: Keep kids active!

It was my pleasure to speak with a staff writer from the American Heart Association about physical activity and the associations with learning preparedness, health, and the current challenges. A colleague from my first teaching job provided additional perspective for the article. One of my favorite parts of this experience was the comment from the writer when he shared the story: “Thanks…for inspiring me to move around a little bit myself.” How cool is that?!

Read the article here: How to keep kids active while learning from home – and why that’s vital

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e-Learning Opportunity: Classroom Physical Activity Video Series

In collaboration with the University of Nebraska Omaha’s School of Health and Kinesiology with funding from CHI Health, The Wellness Partners created an e-learning course for teachers and childcare providers for the purpose of increasing physical activity in the classroom. “While this information will always be applicable, special consideration was paid to current COVID-19 restrictions, including how to include physical activity in a virtual classroom setting.”

There are seven self-paced modules with supplemental videos:

  1. The Importance of Physical Activity
  2. Classroom Set-up and Design
  3. Behavior Management Planning
  4. Active Brain Breaks vs. Active Learning
  5. Additional Ways to be Physically Active
  6. Be the Physical Activity Advocate at Your School
  7. Virtual Classroom Physical Activity

Thanks to those involved in this project for disseminating these important, and timely, informational videos!

Check it out here: Classroom Physical Activity Video Series

Active Schools also provides some great video resources about classroom physical activity. Although they’re recorded prior to our current pandemic and don’t address the virtual classroom, they still offer beneficial ideas and insights. Check them out here: Active Classrooms Webinar Series Recordings and Presentation Slides

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Active Learning in a Web-Based Class

There have been many casualties, minor to monumental, surrounding COVID-19. Education, and the format in which we teach, has obviously been directly impacted. It is critical to support health and safety for protection and prevention, but the lack of face-to-face interaction and engagement during the learning process is distressing, both academically and psychologically. That said, with the restrictions put on face-to-face classes, there are benefits to facilitating real time web-based class sessions. While vastly different strategies are necessary depending upon the age of the learner, there are ways to enhance the effectiveness of web-based instruction. To capture some of the advantages of in-person education, teachers can implement online versions of active learning. Those with a social and/or movement component may be particularly beneficial to students during these challenging times.

Derek Bruff, the director of the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, posted an informative article entitled Active Learning in Hybrid and Physically Distanced Classrooms that shares a multitude of techniques for engaging students in “meaningful learning” within current constraints. (Of particular interest is the sub-section on “Physical Movement” which includes an online version of an activity I refer to as Stand Up for Yes.)

Link to article: https://via.hypothes.is/https:/cft.vanderbilt.edu/2020/06/active-learning-in-hybrid-and-socially-distanced-classrooms/

You can also check out my interview on Integrating Physical Activity into Distance Education, available here.

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Staying Active during the COVID Pandemic

How to stay active during this quarantine? The simple answer here is to be active and to encourage activity. One positive result of the social isolation requirement is that people seem to be embracing the opportunity to go for a run, or a walk, or a bike ride. It is critically important to stay home and maintain social distancing, but our shelter-in-place regulations permit outdoor exercise. In the past few weeks, I have seen more people on the sidewalks than I have in the past few years. Children and parents are out for a walk. Children are on their bikes (wear a helmet!) and rollerblades while parents walk or run or push strollers. The multiple benefits gained from these activities extend past those specific to physical activity. Getting outside, especially when we’re cooped up indoors for a majority of the day, positively impacts mental health. Spending time with loved ones, away from media or screens, positively impacts social and psychological health. And, of course, engaging in physical activity is good for mental, social, psychological, and physical health.

When outdoor activity is not available, and to supplement those helmeted bike-rides, there are numerous resources available to parents and educators to promote physical activity during quarantine. (Updated September 2020)

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Fact Sheet for Classroom Teachers (by NCCOR)

The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) recently published a quick reference document that addresses physical activity for classroom teachers. It is based on the Youth Compendium of Physical Activities, which addresses energy expenditure for various activities. While I am always excited when materials are created for classroom teachers regarding physical activity and support NCCOR for their efforts, I’m a bit disappointed in this fact sheet. There are a lot of words that overwhelm the document and detract from its visual appeal; plus the activities presented seem impractical for classroom learning environments. For those teachers who are interested and able to offer their students out-of-class physical activity, this is great! Regardless, it is promising to see yet another resource specific to physical activity and classroom teachers, as it supports a positive trend for holistic health and wellness among students.

More on release of fact sheet: https://www.nccor.org/e-newsletter/enewsletter_2020_january/#spot2

Download the fact sheet: https://www.nccor.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/NCCOR-Youth-Compendium-of-Physical-Activities-for-Classroom-Teachers.pdf

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New Year’s Teaching Resolutions?

Welcome to a new year, and a new decade! I just came across this blog, from Nicole Beard, and it got me thinking. While written for health courses, her strategies for student engagement can be applied across content areas. Further, the new year can serve as a marker for self-reflection, and a reminder that our teaching practices and classroom environment can always be enhanced and improved and that each new group of students offers a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth. The quick tips from Ms. Beard put the “active” in active learning – both for cognitive and physical engagement with content. Let’s all use this time as a chance to make changes – small or large – to recommit ourselves to effectively educating the next generation! (insert cheer here)

7 Best Practices to Keep Students Engaged in Health Class

  • Movement
  • Flexible seating
  • Student choice
  • Student focus
  • Teacher flexibility
  • [Effective timing and] transitions
  • [Class discussion]

SHAPE America Blog, Jan. 7, 2020

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Active Classrooms Week: Dec. 9-13

From Active Schools…

Active Kids Learn Better!
Active Schools and our collective impact partners work year-round to encourage and support schools across the country in creating active classroom environments. Why? Because studies show that classroom physical activity helps students feel better, work together as a team, reduce anxiety and maintain focus.

To raise awareness of the importance of active classrooms, Active Classrooms Week aims to shine a spotlight on teachers and schools who incorporate physical activity into learning. From December 9-13, educators are encouraged to participate in Active Classrooms Week by showcasing ways they integrate physical activity into their classrooms and highlight the positive impact movement has on students. Teachers who don’t generally incorporate movement into classroom learning are encouraged to give it a try.

  • Educators – Share photos, videos, testimonials, ideas or best practices that show the impact movement has on students in a classroom setting.
  • Parents – If your child’s teacher integrates physical activity into the classroom, talk to them about it and share photos, videos or their feedback.

Use the hashtag #ThisIsYourBrainOnMovement and tag @ActiveSchoolsUS to share the fun!

Check out www.activeschoolsus.org/active-classrooms-week to learn more and access our toolkits full of materials to help get the word out and make the most of your week!

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Grant Available! Linking Math and Movement

Math & Movement is offering a grant to support a professional development day, at your school location, to facilitate their program. The six hour workshop, entitled “Math & Movement: Kinesthetic Strategies to Improve Math Outcomes”, is targeted for elementary education. For more information about the program, and to apply for their grant, see links below.

Grant: https://mathandmovement.com/math-movement-workshop-grant/

Home: https://mathandmovement.com 

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“Active Students, Engaged Learners” – Voices of Impact Speech

Hosted by the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, the Voices of Impact brought together 12 speakers for five minutes each. I was privileged to be among the chosen. My topic? Classroom physical activity! It was a harrowing experience, as a formal (memorized) speech is highly disparate from teaching or from speaking at a professional conference. Yet I was excited to be there for the opportunity to further disseminate the idea of movement in the classroom as a mechanism for academic performance and holistic health. The speech is immortalized, thanks to the magic of YouTube. See the video here.

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