Opening Statement: Within this paper I will be discussing a research based Physical Education curriculum program known as SPARK P.E. SPARK stands for Sports, Play, Active, Recreation, for Kids and it strives to help improve the lives of young and adolescent children through exercise and fun activities. I will be discussing the goals of SPARK, the positives of the program, and the specifics into a few of the packages they offer to schools and various after school programs. The SPARK P.E. program is a curriculum for physical education classes that is designed for all students to enjoy P.E. and to improve a child’s overall health and wellness. It is a researched based program out of San Diego State University that strives to improve the health of all people, not just children. The program has been in use for over twenty years and has been tested and improved upon by researchers from SDSU. The program helps children, adolescence, and adults by disseminating evidence based Physical Education to instructors in classrooms and afterschool programs. The program is so effective because it includes program that includes all students and that can be completed by all students in the class. The curriculum has activities designed for all grade levels from Kindergarten through 12th grade. There are many different variations to the SPARK P.E. program that can fit almost anyone’s needs. The company can also cater to very specific requests for a curriculum if a school desires so. There are two different versions to the curriculum; online and offline. The offline version comes in printed binders with instructions for games, activities, and even entire lesson plans. The offline version also includes all the equipment necessary for the games a... ... middle of paper ... ...everything it strives to do by providing fun and interesting games that everyone can play and be involved with. I would strongly recommend this program to any school or group in need of a fun and entertaining curriculum for their students and I will also look into using the program when I become a Physical Education teacher. Works Cited Physical Activity Facts. (2013, February 19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicala SPARK Physical Education Curriculum. (n.d.). K-12 Physical Education Programs, & Elementary School PE Curriculum. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.sparkpe.org/physical-education/ SPARK Physical Education Curriculum. (n.d.). SPARK Objectives. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.sparkpe.org/about-us/objectives/
The book begins by explaining how important exercise and being active is to our health and well-being. The author then transitions into a story about Naperville Central High School. This high school was in the forefront of a revolutionary new concept that involved vigorous exercise of its students instead of a traditional gym class. This new approach stimulated new research on the brain, and the effects of exercise on the well being of our body and minds. After the introduction of the new fitness programs, the school’s students showed drastic increases in standardized tests, and on normal tests as well.
“Spark is a researched based public health organization.”(Sparkpe.org) When you buy their lesson plans and equipment you are also buying the outstanding service that comes with Spark. You also get a spark team that comes to your specific school and helps with all of the lesson plans. They also help interact with kids and get them up and moving, all in all they are a good motivation tool to have. For a school that has a poor budget it can be hard to get Spark out to you, but you’re able to call them up ask for advice and move forward as a program. Spark doesn’t just strive to kill obesity within children; they also strive to educate adults so they know the right steps to help their students become healthy individuals. In a nut shell each Spark program “fosters environmental and behavioral change by providing a coordinated package of a highly thought through curriculum, onsite teacher training, extensive follow-up support, and content matching equipment.”(Sparkpe.org) Since Spark is still a relatively new organization they are still growing, learning and striving for success every day. They first started studying Elementary education in 1989. Sense then they have created a full K-12 curriculum. They have made a dieting curriculum for growing children. They produce their own equipment and lastly they back up their lesson plans with real people that not only teach the kids but teach the teachers. This curriculum sounds very difficult and complex; yes, but they help by breaking it down into five core messages.
"Physical Education." NASBE Center for Safe and Healthy Schools. National Association of State Boards of Education, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
... physical education (J. Sproule, Ed.). Retrieved February 25, 2014, from Sage Journal website: http://epe.sagepub.com/content/11/3/257.short#cited-by
Lastly, the textbook states that “A high-quality physical-education program parallels whole-child education. While the main focus is on physical development (psychomotor), it also addresses the knowledge (cognitive) and social (affective) aspects of the child”
This essay highlights the new nation wide curriculum values movement in physical education classes and the propositions it has to maintain and support engagement and development. Through effecting teaching strategies such as Mosston’s spectrum and identifying a holistic approach to valuing movement in the curriculum. Teachers can work towards creating supporting learning environments to cater for all students, and promote total student engagement.
Another great point is that It inspires competition. Most kids compete at one time or another, but competing for something you are very passionate about is a game changer. Everyone has had a dance competition or a track meet, but imagine that on a much grander scale. When you are going through your strict regiment, trying to make it to the elite few in your class that
L., W. R. (1997, Sept 26). Youth Fitness. Retrieved Jan 10, 2011, from CQ Researcher7 841-864: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
Physical activity enhances children’s quantitative development within middle childhood, supporting growth toward healthy strong people, physically and psychology. Middle childhood is documented as being between the ages of six to ten years old. A lack of physical activity affects children across all areas of development; it is not restricted within the domain of physical development. Discussed within are the expectations of motor development within middle childhood, the benefits of physical activity and the consequences of prolonged inactivity. Along with how a student’s physical development facilitates or restricts development in other areas and how the learning environment can accommodate and support the physical needs of students.
Sports programs have been an integral part of all schools. They support the academics of the school and therefore foster success in life. These programs are educational and help produce productive citizenship. They help students experience and build skills that may help them in their future, like interpersonal and time management skills. Education may kindle the light of knowledge, but sports help to maintain the proper physique. Sports are also an important means of entertainment and a use for energy after long hours of study. Sports increase a student’s performance not only in the classroom but also in their life.
Opponents of physical education in schools state that gym is not the best way to utilize students’ time. Students’ should be given the choice to participate in gym class or not because many students aren’t as athletic and don’t enjoy it enough to want to do it in school. Despite this downfall, PE is important in students’ life and even though some don’t enjoy it as much, they need it in order to be successful in life. If not, diseases and health risks could come up and it wouldn’t be robust. Ultimately, physical education provides superior benefits.
Over the past decades our culture has changes dramatically. To which our nation was once a physically active nation. Yet now it seems that society discourages physical activity. The human race has been dependent on automobiles, discouraging people to walk or bike, increasing the chance of a poor life-style. Yet there are many factors that affect the achievement and maintenance of a healthy life. Young people are growing into a diverse society, which is characterized by rapid change, inactive work and leisure practices that influence unhealthy behaviors. By incorporating physical activity into peoples daily routine will increase their chances of being healthier, reducing certain diseases and learning how to avoid injuries. Physical education helps students improve their knowledge about health issues and practices that will lead to a more enjoyable life. Students playing and working in a team together develop social skills, teamwork, achieving goals, and development of self-esteem. Overall physical education provides the potential for a better life style.
Physical education provides a variation of motor skills aimed to enhance the physical, mental, social and emotional development. The obesity statistics of 2009 quantified that childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980 and in addition to concerns regarding chronic diseases, overweight and obesity incidences have even led to poorer levels of academic achievement (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Additionally, in order to teach students the importance of preventing these ailments, those who oppose the amount of time in physical education or want to cut it out altogether should reconsider. Instead, time in physical education should be as equal as core subjects are seen. Physical education can help children in the classroom as well. The physical educator can incorporate math or science in to their lessons. If they are jump roping, they can skip count...
Some activity clubs we provide include, dancing, running, jump roping, basketball and soccer clubs, just to name a few. These clubs encourage kids to stay active. Our PE program also sends out monthly newsletters to the parents that give them ways to help their child live a healthy lifestyle. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education states, “Regular physical activity improves functional status and limits disability during the middle and later adult years. Physical activity contributes to quality of life, psychological health, and the ability to meet physical work demands. Physical education can serve as a vehicle for helping students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, motor skills, behavioral skills, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physically active lifestyles. The outcomes of a quality physical education program include the development of students’ physical competence, health-related fitness, self-esteem, and overall enjoyment of physical activity. These outcomes enable students to make informed decisions and choices about leading a physically active lifestyle. In early years children derive pleasure from movement sensations and experience challenge and joy as they sense a growing competence in their movement ability. Evidence suggests that the level of participation, the degree of skill, and the number of activities mastered as a child directly influences the extent to which children will continue to participate in physical activity as an
There are many ways technology is used in physical education in schools today. Technology in PE is any thing that helps teachers improve the environment and class room activity 's for students and get them to be more physically active in and out side of the class room. There are many different ways technology is used, and it is a positive way to engage students in their physical education class. In my eyes technology in physical education is a very effective way to improve students physical fitness in and outside of the classroom.