BITS & BYTES

written by Gerry Cernicky

With the advent of summer coming up and the end of the school year, many families have either received summer brochures or have already enrolled their children in summer camps: traditional camps, specialty camps, outdoor adventure and community service. It is recommended that parents match need with interests of their children. But, how can there be a carry-over from regular physical education classes, and throughout the summer, that have students on track the first week of school? For example, schools in New Zealand are set up with a 10-week on/two-week off schedule. In this case, the students are still on track after such a short time, and can move on without much lost time or effort.

One of the ways to help with this problem is to begin a fitness calendar, which will be motivational for beginning/continuing a healthy lifestyle for students and their families. Here are some ideas for summer fitness fun that will help students maintain a balance from the end of the school year to their return to school from summer break. All that is needed is the fitness calendar template, and all students would need to do is fill in what they did each day. If that isn't practical or convenient, students can track their results with a blog or through social networking programs.

Professional development programs are important for teachers. There are two fantastic programs offered during the summer for recharging and sharing experiences. PE National Institute and Spark Institute are led by instructors who are the "best of the best." Also, there are social networking sites that provide valuable information when sharing ideas with other PE teachers. These are a continuation of the pe-digest that was started in the mid- 1990's. There are two Facebook sites - PE1 and PE Central - and one from NaspeTalk which are free and only logging in or signing up will get you going.

Technological innovations, that have grown with the arrival of apps for Apple and Android devices, have provided important tools for tracking workouts and maintaining a healthy lifestyle:

• Sports-tracker - track walking, running, biking, paddling/rowing, skiing, and golfing.
• MapMyRun - Find running maps and map your running route. Whether you are jogging or marathon training, try our online or mobile running apps free. Share with friends.
• gpsPedometer ( Itunes) – tracks steps, distance, calories, and speed. Calculate BMI and show routes taken for all workouts.
• gps+Pedometer - ( free from Itunes) tracks steps, speed and pace; walking, running, Nordic walking, snowshoeing, cycling, and all inclines.
• Pedometer Free ( Itunes) - will work when you walk, jog, or on a treadmill. It will calculate BMI, steps, distance, calories burned and pace.

There is an app for everything and physical education teachers can explore the Spark site for a plethora of apps. All PE and health courses can be used on an iPad or Smart Phone. Another great asset for physical education teachers is PE Geek where innovative apps for health and PE teachers can be obtained. Snapguide is a "how to" app that can prove to be both informative and creative in physical education and health classes. Here is an example of what can be done with Snapguide.

The new "craze" of social networking is Pinterest. There are categories used for 'pinning' things up on the boards or an innovative category can be named. Some category examples are fitness, education, sports, technology and 25 others. The "pins" can be followed and shared with others, and students can be involved in a project to make boards for health and PE classes.

For a fun and entertaining look at exercise in action, YouTube videos can be an innovative way to jump start students with new ways to get excited about health, fitness, and exercise. If you're looking for some new dance routines then check out Stormtroopers Shuffle. There is a new dance and fitness routine that may appeal to anybody, and at any age. The Dance Walk journey to fitness combines dancing and walking for an energetic and fun jaunt that can be utilized for a group gathering - similar to a flashmob experience.

A new game was noted on the LinkedIn site called, a game called TrangleBall, which can not only be played during the summer, but is also great during PE classes. Trangleball can be a great carry-over experience for the first week of school. There are two videos, one for adults and the other for children, to show how the game is played.

The LinkedIn site has active discussions for health and physical educators, including AAHPERD group members. Some examples involve exer-gaming, best practices, coaching, training, articles, and information on upcoming conferences.

There are inspirational stories that can be shared for an enlightening experience to both students and teachers. Inspired to spread the message about good health through exercise, Steve Kalb has embarked on a self-funded, 120,000-mile, 16 countries, and 18-month adventure around the world. Not to be outdone, a marathon runner (Matthew Loddy) ran in 100 marathons on 100 consecutive days in memory of his buddy, Phil Latham . Watch an 86 year-old gymnast participate in the floor exercise event in Germany.

There is something for us to be real proud about in the Spring 2012 issue of NEA magazine. The article mentions the work of John Ratey and the Learning Readiness program at Naperville Central High School in Illinois. An article entitled Ideas for In-Classroom Exercise highlights the work of Ed Kupiec with his elementary students in New York, and how to supplement their daily exercise and energize students.

Each year there is a need to explore ways to help fund health and physical education programs in regard to grant opportunities. Here are examples to view with the hope that your school will be fortunate enough to get funds and provide an appropriate program for students.

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