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.
classroom physical activity
Active Learning? or Active Learning?
Active learning is commonly included as a pedagogical strategy to enhance teaching effectiveness and learner engagement. Traditionally, active learning is defined as the opposite of passive learning, where the student is actively involved in the process. I recently attended a professional development workshop on interactive teaching methods, where a quote from Dr. Richard Hake (1998) was shared: Active learning is head’s on (always) and hand’s on (usually). I was struck by this concise description and excited that this session was disseminating the information to college-level professors who could apply it in their teaching. The session co-presenter, Dr. Catharina Laporte, went on to share a variety of strategies she uses in her own classroom (included the Walk and Talk, which she learned from me!).
In reflecting upon this session, I considered an addition to Dr. Hake’s statement on active learning. What if we were to add “…and body’s on“ to encourage incorporation of movement? Given the science that supports movement and cognition, expanding the ‘active’ component of ‘active learning’ has the potential to enhance student achievement. As with any pedagogy, it is important to acknowledge that one size doesn’t fit all, and that one approach is not universal. Active learning without movement can be effective and worthwhile, and classroom movement unrelated to course content can be effective and worthwhile. Offering students an opportunity to think critically about a topic, to apply it to their own lives or connect it to other content, to interact with others to gain diverse perspectives, and to engage in learning experiences not limited to independent seat work has the potential to expand the outcomes of a traditional classroom framework.
So, should we promote active learning? Or active learning? The answer is YES.
For more on active learning from Dr. Laporte:
https://sites.google.com/a/tamu.edu/claporte/active-learning
Action Research: Physical Activity and Writing?
I have read many articles about the effects of physical activity and fitness on academic achievement. The majority of these studies seem to assess elementary-aged children and math outcomes. Therefore, I was excited to read this article about some interesting research specifically exploring writing among older students. Props to Leah Carter and Hugo Engele for undertaking this project! Thus far, preliminary evidence suggests that pre-writing exercise “appeared to positively affect student divergent thinking and ideation and has led to greater student compliance and confidence in the initial stages of the writing process.” Neat!
New Resource from CDC: Strategies for Classroom Physical Activity in Schools
Just released today, this 20-page document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a great resource for any school professional interested in learning more about classroom physical activity. It concisely overviews definitions, benefits, current status, and implementation strategies. Whether you are new to the topic of classroom physical activity, need a refresher or new ideas, or are a veteran movement facilitator, this document will likely have something for you!
Link to Strategies for Classroom Physical Activity in Schools
Benefits of Physical Activity Justify Time Away from Academics
In pursuit of her master’s degree, a student at the College of Brockport presented a synthesis entitled “Physical Activity Events for Children: Do the Benefits Justify Time Away from Academics?”
Her conclusion? Yes!
Physical activity positively impacts students’ physical health, cognition, behavior, and academic performance. Time away from academics to engage in movement can actually improve academic outcomes, providing further support for getting kids moving at school.
Read the synthesis here.
What is Classroom Physical Activity? (repost)
We are experiencing some technical difficulty that makes older posts, such as this one, inaccessible. With the start of the new school year, this information is important to disseminate to teachers who may wish to try incorporating movement into their classrooms!
While it can be assumed that classroom physical activity is physical activity in the classroom, it is important to make the distinction between this and physical education. Classroom physical activity is movement in the general education classroom facilitated by the classroom teacher. It can be categorized into three general areas:
- Procedural activity: This is task oriented. For example, allowing students to get up and sharpen pencils, or walk to turn in an assignment at a designated turn in basket.
- Structured activity: This is whole-class engagement in physical activity unrelated to academic instruction.
- Content-based activity: This is when physical activity is integrated into the academic lesson.
When incorporating physical activity into your classroom, consider how each type of activity may best suit your classroom, your students, and your teaching methods.
Note: Classroom physical activity should not be used as either reward or punishment! Rather, it is simply part of the learning process.
Starting a New Year with GoNoodle: Get Kids Moving!
GoNoodle, a site referenced in our Materials page, is a great way for teachers to add movement to their classrooms with minimal planning and effort. By creating a free account, teachers can access a wide variety of videos to support classroom physical activity. If you previously used GoNoodle, simply create a new class to get this new academic year off with a running start! This year, GoNoodle is also offering free downloadable postcards, name tags, and other paraphernalia to “GoNoodle” your classroom.
For more information or to set up/access your GoNoodle account: https://www.gonoodle.com
Educating Students on the Why of Classroom Physical Activity
I had the opportunity this week to conduct a professional development for classroom teachers about classroom physical activity. At the conclusion of the session, one teacher came up to ask a question:
“How can I get kids active in the classroom when the principal may come in at any moment and ask them what they’re doing and why?”
This is a common principal strategy to assess and evaluate – can students communicate the learning objective in the midst of completion? In classroom physical activity, as with any lesson, it is important that students are aware of purpose. While physical activity in the classroom should be fun and most students will enjoy it, the class culture should be one where physical activity is simply another component of the academic curriculum.
Setting the foundation for classroom physical activities is critical for management during and after movement. This foundation should include providing clear expectations for student behavior as well as the support for activity as a mechanism to improve learning preparedness. The age of the student will dictate the depth of this discussion, as younger students are not developmentally ready to learn about the physiology of the association. Instead, the idea that physical activity can help you think and can get the wiggles out may be appropriate. But even upper elementary students can be shown the image of the brain scans from the study conducted by Dr. Hillman and colleagues in 2009 that shows the impact of physical activity versus seated time (the color version better demonstrates differences).
Having the “why” conversation with students prepares them, not only to manage their physical activity behavior, but to articulate the purpose of classroom movement to aid in learning and achievement…garnering principal support for implementation.
21 Awesome Ways to Get Your Students Moving
This post, by Erin MacPherson of WeAreTeachers.com, offers quick easy strategies for incorporating movement into the academic curriculum. And I am honored that she referenced the Classrooms in Motion™ website!
Promising University of Michigan Research on Classroom Physical Activity
Dr. Rebecca Hasson of University of Michigan is conducting a study called Active Classroom where she simulates a classroom environment but offers students various short-duration light, moderate, and vigorous intensity activities incorporated into sedentary periods. Dr. Hasson hopes to provide information on the health and cognitive benefits of engaging students in quick activity breaks throughout the school day. An exciting feature of this project is the collaboration with the architecture department in the design of active classrooms. View a short video and read more about this exciting study here.