A recent article in the USA Today really hit home for me. The article wonders whether or not kids are getting enough exercise or should they spend more time in PE class? Should there be a national or state PE curriculum that every school follows to ensure kids are getting the proper amount of exercise time? Would a shift to a more fitness based curriculum be more beneficial vs a traditional curriculum of games/sports? These are questions I'm currently facing in my own teaching this summer as I try to revamp the PE curriculum at my school.
In Illinois, a state that first adopted PE standards in 1915, roughly 21% of students in the age group 10-17 are categorized as obese. Our nation as a whole currently has 1/3 of their children in the age group 2-19 categorized as overweight. We have become a nation of fast food, video games and sedentary lifestyles that have lead to this problem. So...what can we do about it?
My school has a PE program that meets twice a week and only runs through a student's sophomore year. After this, PE is no longer an option for our students. Many times, the 60 minutes of exercise they receive in class is all these students get for the week, especially if they are not in a sport/activity. The other problem we face is the struggle to balance our curriculum between traditional games and a more fitness based curriculum. Personally, I feel fitness based is the wave of the future. When these students reach their 30's and 40's and receive the news they have high blood pressure, type II diabetes, etc., none of them are going to look back on their high school days and say "I remember playing volleyball in PE, maybe I'll join a volleyball league". I feel it is our job to expose them to weight training, yoga, pilates, aerobics, hiking and things they can continue to do as they grow older. The problem, like other programs in education, is funding. Often times schools don't have the appropriate equipment or space to make this happen.
This coming school year, I plan to shift back and forth between traditional games and more fitness related activities. I also plan to incorporate heart rate training for a few different reasons. First ,students are able to see what the act of movement can do to their body. Second, it also gives me some concrete information to grade my students participation in class. People want to push the use of technology in schools and we need this new piece of equipment and that piece but at some point we need to validate the proper care of our best piece of equipment, the human body. If we are not healthy, how can we expect future generations to know how to care for themselves?
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Of course we need more physical education for kids. We also need more time in English class, math class—you name it. I think this is another breakdown with the parents. The school day is but so long and with all the standardized tests we need to take there is not a lot of time left. Throw in there other skills even as basic as simple manners and how to communicate in a public place and there is no more time for added anything. PE if fighting fast food, video games and sedentary lifestyles (as you mentioned) and I’m not sure that more PE time is going to solve anything. What we need is a shift in environment starting at home with the parents.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey,
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree with you more. There are several long-term problems that our country faces. The obesity epidemic will strain our future resources. The crisis will be as large as the baby boom retirement. President Obama appears on television tonight to address the nation on health care reform.
My opinion, but any prescription drug, doctor’s office change will be moot. People have to take care of themselves. I believe the best way to care for your body is prevention. People need to get enough rest, eat right, and exercise. Unfortunately, our society is at odds with those goals. For decades, the food industry has bombarded us with inexpensive, artificially flavored, sugar, fatty food. Fast food marketing and advertising has had a grip on children. America is sleep deprived. There aren’t enough hours in the day for everyday Americans and sleep is shortchanged. The same holds true for exercise. People have difficulty finding the time and motivation to hit the weights, or even go outside. Children today spent their free time with interactive devices that promote sedentary behavior. Television, computers, and video game systems keep kids indoors year round.
Today, it is up to physical education and health teachers to model the healthy lifestyle. The odds are against you to. Across the country, cash-strapped districts are eliminating or reducing physical education programs. AYP and NCLB have also led to nation cuts in the arts, humanities, and music.
I don’t believe there should be any mandated national curriculum. I am libertarian by nature and trust people more than the state. I think it is awesome that you blend together collective and individual exercise. Group based games foster teamwork, competition, and interdependence. Young people must learn how to win and lose as a team. Few, if any are going to play sports and belong to teams in the future. The individualized workout you mention will be a long-term benefit. Many people are afraid to try new things. They are embarrassed to make mistakes, or look foolish. As adults, it’s hard to teach old dog new tricks. Starting early, elementary school even, is a great way to teach people the necessary knowledge and skills. Weightliftings, aerobics, yoga, martial arts, are all disciplines that require complex knowledge of motor movements and muscle activity.
The only necessary change is ways to make it more attractive to be a teacher. Quality, trained role models need to lead every classroom: whether social studies, fifth grade, or physical education. We need to demonstrate to America’s youth that there are short and long term benefits to a healthy lifestyle.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school we had a quarter on "life skills" games during gym: basketball, baseball, bowling, volleyball etc. This was the quarter the students loved the most out of the year. It exposed us to various activities that we could do when we got older.
PE is fighting a terribly hard battle. Their time is being cut, activities are being cut and student’s engagement is low.
The gym teacher at my school has the students compete in the PACER test each year. The students complete various activities and than are rated on a scale (similar to the Presidential Physical Fitness Test). My sixth graders love this activity, even the “non active” individuals. The enjoyment and the opportunity to compete against a number and try their best to earn an award is something kids look forward to. I enjoy watching and hearing about their scores and seeing the excitement in their faces on the days they are "competing".
I agree with everyone here - kids simply need more physical education. They have gotten so shortchanged on this and it is so important for them. First, their lives are so much different than kids of a few years back. They just don't get out and play anymore. They sit so much in front of screens, doing very little. They need phy ed far more than in past years.
ReplyDeleteI'd also note that many studies show that kids who get some movement in their day are able to concentrate better and often do better academically. I am reading a book on brain based learning and it points out the clear link between the brains need for physical movement and learning.
Why are kids getting shorted on phy ed? I will not bore you by beating my favorite academic villian (NCLB) but I will say that schools are being forced to focus more and more time on reading and math. They have only so many hours in the day so where do they get that time? Yes, phy ed and music, mostly.
Maybe when better minds than mine are thinking about the changes needed in education, they will place more value on something our kids desperately need - more phy ed.
We need more time in every class not only physical education. What we need to do as educators is to make sure that we instill in the students, the principle of excise and walk out. More physical education time is not what we need. If we can make every kid to know that it is important to excise and the effect of not doing it. Parents need to take this one up with their child. Giving PE more time than other subject to me is not OK as these students are required to pass all the external testing and do well in their exam . An English teacher needs more time, like wise a Math teacher. Let us stop advocating for more time but use what we have to help the students to achieve and the rest will be for the parents to accomplish. You can do more activity in your class where they can move around, dance or do something that can make them to stretch.
ReplyDelete