Using that Dirty Word (Research)

The Fitness/Academic ConnectionHow can we, as an entire staff use current knowledge about this to our, and to our kids advantage?

No curriculum can compensate for deficiencies in student health!

2Physical activity isconsistently relatedto improvements inself-esteem, self-concept, depressive symptoms andanxiety/stress levels .

3Robert N. ButlerIf exercise could be packed in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.4Duke researchers in 2000 found that exercise worked better that Zoloft at treating depression

What can we do to make things just a bit easier?

Remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FtNm9CgA6U How about this?

Did you knowexercise will actually grow new brain cells (neurogenesis), contrary to what we were told as kids that once a brain cell dies, it does not grow back.Did you knowYou actually increase the number of connections between brain cells (synapses) which make for more pathways for information to get inand out of your brain (thinking to action).

Scott Small, Columbia University Neuroscientist:

There has to be some kind of chemical stuff in the brain that senses exercise and saying OK, lets start cranking out new cells. If we can identify those molecular pathways, we might be able to think of clever ways to induce neurogenesis biochemically.

Just imagine if they could put exercise in a bottle!Example of how the body effects the mind!A Must Read!Documents how aerobic exercise readies the brain for learning

Exercise influences learning at the cellular levelEncourages brain cells to bind togetherImproves alertness, attention and motivationSpurs development of new brain cellsBDNFExercise elevates its levelsBuilds and maintains cell circuitryNourishes neurons like fertilizerCauses growth in neurons and synapsesIts Miracle-Gro for the brain!

Exercise is like taking a bit of Prozac and a bit of RitalinBoth have the same effectElevate neurotransmittersMake the brain function better

Exercise increases the levels of: serotonin controls mood, impulsiveness and angernorepinephrine influences attention, perception and motivationdopamine effects learning, satisfaction and attention

Sounds pretty simply, doesnt it?* Students with high levels of exercise had better relationships with their parents, were less depressed, used drugs less and had higher GPAs than students with low levels of exercise.

(Hillman, 2005)*

Fitness related to better cognitive functioning in preadolescentsHigh fit preadolescents devoted more of their brain function to a given task than low fit kidsHigh fit kids processed information faster than low fit kidsGreater allocation of attention and working memory resources related to processing is associated with high fit kidsHigh fit kids responded faster and more accurately than low fit kids

Shephard, Trois Riviers (1994)Students who received an hour of physical education/day in addition to the standard PE (1 day/week for 40 minutes) showed better academic performance when compared to those who received only the standard PE.Decreased classroom time did not translate to lesser academic performance!More activity time did not take away from academic performance

This study with 214 sixth-grade students in Michigan found that students enrolled in PE had similar grades and standardized test scores as students who were not enrolled in PE, despite receiving 55 minutes less of daily classroom instruction time for academic subjects.Academic achievement not decreased when compared with those kids getting an extra hour of academic instruction/day

Coe (2006)So, What Do You KnowYou dont have to increase seat time to increase academic scores.

You can afford to increase activity time to increase academic scores.

California Department of Education Study 2002

ELA/math scores related to fitness levelsRate of change greater for girls than boysSame results regardless of SES

Found a distinct and linear correlation between students' academic achievement and fitness scores" in grades 5, 7, 9.

Zero Hour Physical EducationTook the students scoring lowest in HS literacy and enrolled half in Zero Hour PE, first thing in the morning before 1st period. Then had their literacy class scheduled immediately after Zero Hour PE.Other half had regular PE classes throughout the dayZero Hour class concentrated on aerobic activity and integrated literacy (with help from English Department).Dramatic Results!By the end of the semester:17% improvement in reading and comprehensionOnly 10% improvement for those students took standard PE later in dayGuess what happened next?

Guidance counselors began suggesting to all students that they schedule their hardest class immediately after their physical education class, to capitalize on the benefits of exercise!All I needed to know I learned in Physical Education class!Former Naperville student went to collegeWas under the typical stress experienced by a college freshmanShe responded by what she learned in physical educationTook exercising study breaksTake a look at theseLearning Readiness PEA little bit of Ritalin and a little bit of ProzacInterview with SuperintendentNow What?

A lot of this is my realmA lot of it is from home as well, but

Set the expectations!This is not like taking a vitaminPlan for itBy their nature things will get louder, but that doesnt have mean out of control loudClass routinesAvailable space/furniture

Transition back to school modeLets try some ideas you could use now in your classroomGeneral EnergizersMinionsMario Brothers Just DanceJust Dance Brain energizersPintrist Fun!When is a good time?Transitions between subjectsEnd of Indoor RecessAsk them, Where is all the blood in your body now?Its time to get it back where it belongs, up in your brains!Curriculum Specific IdeasEnergizers for Grades K-2Energizers for Grades 3-5.pdfGr. 3 Water CycleGr. 1 Money ChantJump Rope SpellingHS Global Studies: Truman Doctrine/Marshall PlanMath Snowball FightPictionaryIt was good talking to you yesterday and I have listed some of the ideas below. I am glad Noella came in because she is someone who is a little bit shy and liked those activities.Marshall Plan- Truman DoctrineAfter WW II the Cold War begins and the West adopts a containment policy to prevent the spread of communism. This involves financial aid (money) and military aid (Truman Doctrine). Communist uprisings thrive on poverty so they wanted to stop this aid so they could take over.The game is played with a partnerif I call Truman Doctrine they yell military with guns pointing, of Marshall Plan they hold up their fingers for money They play best of three and it leads to a championship round. From there we move into a deep discussion of why the Soviets would want to prevent this aid- and then get into the bigger picture of when do they think it is appropriate to intervene in other parts of the world, setting up the internationalism of the Cold War.

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The mechanisms by which we exercise changes how we think and feel are so much more effective than donuts, medications or wine. When you say that you feel less stressed out after you go for a swim, or even a fast walk, you are!John Ratey, SPARKJust like good things happen when there is increased blood flow to our musclesbrain function also increases with increased blood flow

Felicia

Used our DDR pads every morning and again at recess.Had a big test the next day.Came back to us and told us that we were right. Her test was easy.She ended up scoring higher than she ever had before!We can all teach to make, access and enable our kids brain cells

http://www.fmschools.org/webpages/twiniecki/index.cfm?subpage=7759

Click on Exercise and Your Brain

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