The Active Classroom: Increasing Physical Activity in SchoolAged Children

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The Active ClassroomIncreasing Physical
Activity in School-Aged Children

• Presented by Carrie Steindorff
• Steps to a HealthierNY School Program Coordinator
• Rockland County Department of Health
• Pomona, NY

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Presentation Objective

• To familiarize you with the Learning in Motion
  project (formerly 3Rs in Motion) through review
  of its
• Background
• Implementation
• Challenges and Solutions
• Sustainability
• Strategies for Replication

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Steps to a HealthierNY

• Address
• Obesity
• Diabetes type 2
• Asthma

• School and Community-based Strategies
• Increase access to physical activity
• Increase access to better nutrition
• Reduce exposure to tobacco

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New York State Steps to a HealthierNY
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Rockland County, NY Schools

• 9 districts
• 43,000 students K-12
• 3 districts have 25-76 subsidized school meals.
  Several schools have 80-90 subsidized meals.
• Wide economic disparities between districts

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Guiding Principlesfor Developing and
Implementing the Learning in Motion Teacher
Training Project

• Partnerships with stakeholders
• Context and data-driven process
• Training in evidence-based methods
• Resources to share
• Communication

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a) Stakeholders and Collaborators

• Rockland County Department of Health
• Rockland Teachers Center Institute
• Course instructors Nana Koch, Ed.D, Ingrid
  Allison, Ph. D., Jim Gilbert, MS
• Planning committee made up of 20 community and
  school representatives

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b) Context and Data-driven

• Reduction in time during the school day for
  recess and physical education
• No Child Left Behind Act has influenced
  administrative decisions to reduce extra
  curricular activities
• Students are required to sit longer hours to
  learn material to be covered on tests

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b) Context and Data-driven cont.

• Steps to a HealthierNY funding
• Goals for Steps school programs include
  increasing access to physical activity and
  improved nutrition
• School Health Index is being implemented in
  county schools
• Formation of district School Health Advisory
  Councils

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b) Context and Data-driven cont.

• Physically fit children perform better on
  standardized tests (California Department of
  Education, 2002)
• Physically engaging the learner improves memory
  and motivation (Ratey, Date)
• Physically engaging the learner enhances
  differentiated instruction (author and date)

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c) Train Teachers in an Evidence-based Teaching
Method

• Course content includes a focus on
• Brain research and the impact of physical
  activity on learning
• Movement education and how to adapt lesson plans
  to incorporate physical activity
• Differentiated instruction and how learning is
  enhanced by including physical activity

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d) Resources

• Gilbert, A. G. (2000). Teaching the Three R's
  Through Movement Experiences, Burgess Publishing
  Co.
• Minds in Motion A kinesthetic approach to
  teaching elementary curriculum. Portsmouth, NH
  Heinemann.
• Take 10 Getting kids active 10 minutes at a
  time. (2002) International Life Science Institute
  Center for Health Promotion.
• Brimijoin, K., Marquissee, E. Tomlinson, C.A.,
  (2003). Using data to differentiate instruction.
  Educational Leadership, 60(5), 70-73.
• Tomlinson, C. Kalbfleisch, M.L. (1998). Teach
  me, teach my brain A call for differentiated
  classrooms. Educational Leadership, 56(3),
  52-55.
• Minton, S. (2003). Using movement to teach
  academics An outline for success. JOPERD 74(2),
  36-40.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  (1996). Physical Activity and Health A Report Of
  the Surgeon General.
• California Department of Education. (2003) New
  study proves physically fit kids perform better
  academically. (News release from the American
  Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
  Recreation and Dance/National Association for
  Sport and Physical Education)

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e) Effective Communication

• Work with a community and school-based
  collaborative
• Translate public health messages into educator
  buzz-words (differentiated instruction,
  improve test scores,)
• Work top down-bottom up (get buy-in from
  administrators, teachers, parents and students)

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Learning in MotionPhysical Activity, the Brain
and Achievement

• Formerly called 3 Rs in Motion Health, the Body
  and Learning
• Train elementary teachers, grades K-5, to
  incorporate physical activity into academic
  lessons by way of a 3 graduate-credit course (45
  hours)
• Train teachers K-12 incorporate physical activity
  into academic lessons through a 1
  inservice-credit course (15 hours)

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• Costs for tuition and materials were underwritten
  for the first three years
• Teachers are mentored during the school year
• Teachers participate in an event to showcase
  their successes at the end of the school year

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Enrollment Parameters

• Maximum 32 students
• 2 teachers per building
• Principals signature
• Prioritize schools by economic need of student
  body

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Learning in Motion Physical Activity, the Brain
and Achievement

• Course Content
• Steps to a HealthierNY
• Childhood obesity epidemic
• Healthy nutrition
• Brain and movement development
• Skills to adapt or create lessons that
  incorporate physical activity
• Differentiated instruction
• Familiarity with Take 10 and other physical
  activity resources

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Expectations

• Graduate course participants are expected to
• Complete the course (45 hours)
• Write and publish an article for their school
  newsletter based on course material
• Implement physical activity and healthy
  nutritional practices in the classroom
• Complete evaluation surveys
• Participate in mentoring by course instructors
• Create a presentation for the end-of-the-year
  showcase event

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Challenges and Solutions

• Getting administrators to be interested
• No costs to teachers or schools during the first
  three years course is grounded in research
• Ensuring that teachers use course material during
  the school year
• Teachers are motivated following the course
  instructors provide on-site mentoring as a
  course requirement, teachers are required to
  participate in the showcase event
• Translate public health language and goals into
  education language and goals
• Collaborate with educators

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Challenges and Solutions

• Building Sustainability
• Train more than one teacher in each building
  (professional support, role modeling for others)
• Require principal to sign registration form
  (administrative support, comfort for teachers)
• Created a shorter in-service course to serve
  teachers K-12 (broaden outreach, respond to
  expressed need)
• District wellness policies may include the
  requirement to use physical activity in classroom
  lessons
• Learning in Motion has become a regular course
  offering through the Teachers Center
• In discussion creation of a certificate program

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Replication

• Work with a community collaborative to identify
  your resources i.e., agencies, the movers and
  shakers, strategies for working with schools
• Include evidence-based components such as brain
  and physical activity research, professional
  development for teachers, Take 10!,
  differentiated instruction
• Use the Rockland County program as a model

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In the classroom

• The background of understanding brain research
  and the need that we have to move now supports
  what I do in the classroom
• 5th Grade Teacher

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The Joy of Motion

• I see using physical activity in my lessons as a
  way of reenergizing the students.
• 3rd Grade Teacher

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Learning in MotionA Teachers Perspective

• Now I think that using physical activity in my
  lessons is wonderful. Before, I couldnt justify
  it. Now, I have permission theres research to
  back up the use of physical activity in the
  classroom.
• 5th Grade Teacher

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Contact Information

• Carrie Steindorff
• Steps to a HealthierNY School Program
  Coordinator, Rockland County Department of
  Health,
• 50 Sanatorium Road, Bldg. J, Pomona, NY 10970
• [phone]
• steindoc_at_co.rockland.ny.us
• www.rocklandsteps.org
• Rockland Teachers Center Institute
• 65 Chapel Street, Garnerville, NY 10923
• [phone] http//www.rockteach.org