I am the physical education teacher for students in two elementary schools located in a high-need rural area in Ohio. This proposal will impact all my students in kindergarten through grade five.
I feel that it is vital to focus on activities that students will be involved in for a lifetime. I can provide students with interactive activities that can create a new level of awareness about their bodies.
By including health and fitness links on my teacher web page, students will be able to develop and monitor their own personalized fitness program at home. Providing interactive game links on my page such as nutritionexplorations.org for kids and NFLRush/play60, students will have an educational alternative for the usual games played on a computer.
Here are the two obstacles I face. I have no computer at my kindergarten and first grade school. My computer at the building, which serves grades two through five, is located upstairs in my office, so it is not accessible when I’m teaching in the gym. The good news it that I have a projector that I can transport to each building and each school has a HUGE projector screen located above the stage so students will have a great view when I present my lessons. The laptop can be connected to the awesome sound system in the gymnasium at one of the schools.
My technology coordinator has encouraged me to “step outside the box” and utilize technology as a resource to teach physical education. Utilizing a powerful tool such as the HP Pavilion laptop will provide me with a multitude of resources.
Using pedometers, I will be able to help my students develop a fitness plan to continue at home. PE Central provides a free on-line program and students can log their daily steps and take a virtual walk around the USA with classmates, set daily goals, and even compete against other classes in a Challenge Hike across the United States. How cool is that?
Having access to the Tandalay Video Library since I subscribe to the on-line Tandalay Curriculum will be an added bonus. There are videos of movements, exercises, and curriculum activities. The “Work Your Body Moves” portion of the library can be used with my Work Your Body fitness cards. Students will be able to choose movements from the deck of cards and create their own workouts, then share it with others using SchoolTube, which is a safe and free media sharing website. What a great opportunity to integrate communication skills using digital cameras and digital camcorder equipment during PE class.
I believe kids who are physically active are much more likely to become active, fit adults. They can live longer healthier lives because exercise can prevent heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. As my technology background increases, students will be able to use the skills they’ve acquired during PE class to expand their options on the computer at home. My hope is that this transition of health and fitness knowledge will also benefit other family members.
Your support for this project will enable me to add a whole new dimension for teaching. Together we can help these young children recognize the importance of becoming healthy so they will set their own goals to maintain a healthy lifestyle through adulthood. Thank you for your consideration.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Miller and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.