| Author |
Message |
casey klukaszewski (Crk8557)
Junior Member
Username: Crk8557
Post Number: 2
Registered: 2-2010
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 5:28 pm: |       |
I think it is better to do the pacer test in elementary school rather than the mile because it keeps them active and they won't wear themselves out after the first lap around the track, because they don't have to run as far at one time. |
Matthew Bassett (Bassett1976)
Intermediate Member
Username: Bassett1976
Post Number: 37
Registered: 1-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 10:37 am: | |
Fitness Testing Protocol for the FitnessGram actually allows the students to decide.
Typically, I prepare my students to run distance. I've started working with my students at running one lap for a few weeks before moving to two laps. I continue until I reach the full mile for my students. I find that having them run this distance is helpful for developing endurance. This also allows me to teach them about pacing. I use the story about the Tortoise and the Hair to explain how going too fast is bad for you.
I also set time goals as they progress in their running. For my field (it's short) I have them try and run a 2:00 pace for my fifth/sixth graders. This will give them the best chance at passing their mile scores.
This year, I had to stop running distance after a bad rain storm and our field flooded. I then let the students try the PACER earlier than I had in the past. Without the endurance the students would be unsuccessful, even in the PACER. I've been surprised to find that some students prefer the PACER to the mile or vise versa. I think many students may like the PACER because they know they will not have to run as long or as far as the mile. |
Skylar Brosse (Skylar3404)
Junior Member
Username: Skylar3404
Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 1:26 pm: | |
The Pacer test is recommended in some physical education classes for numerous reasons. One reason is that in the one mile run it is always the less athletic and slower students that are signaled out as the last ones done. In the Pacer test the students that are more in shape are the ones that will end last. The students that are in the Pacer test for awhile will be busy focusing on running and not notice the students that have stopped. With the Pacer test there is also the benefit of giving the students a second chance after the first time they do not make it to the line in time. The students will know that they need to increase their speed after the first time they do not reach the line before the beep. The Pacer test allows the students the option of stopping whenever they want and another great way teachers can do this test is by having the students wear a heart rate monitor and then having them go until they are in their target heart rate zone. |
jason Ohrel (Hemp_pe)
Junior Member
Username: Hemp_pe
Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 6:00 pm: | |
My students run the PACER Beep test. This is a quick a assessment that takes only a few minutes of class time. My students run this early in the year and then they predict what score they will reach by the end of the school year. This gives them a goal to shoot for as the year progresses. We run this two times each marking period. A grading rubric is set up for students to earn a 1-10 based on their score. |
Michael J. Roskamp (Roskampm)
Junior Member
Username: Roskampm
Post Number: 13
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 19, 2010 - 3:56 pm: | |
Let's all remember that regardless of which "test" we use, children do not respond to "training" in the same way that adults do. let's also remember that grading students on performance scores on these tests might reinforce some of those old stereotypes we have been trying so hard to overcome. I have a hard time "grading" students on their performance levels on these tests without taking into account many other factors including previous levels of fitness, body type, etc. In many cases, these tests can simply become a measure of pain tolerance, persistence, and motivation, rather than actual fitness levels. ....Thought I'd just stir the pot a bit! |
Natalee Bufalini (Neb1533)
Junior Member
Username: Neb1533
Post Number: 5
Registered: 2-2010
| | Posted on Monday, February 22, 2010 - 9:39 am: | |
I agree with Michael. I disagree with depending on how well a student does on the PACER test determines a portion of their grade. The PACER test is a good test and I believe it should be adminstered to any age of students but every student comes into class at a different fitness level. Students should never be compared to other students' levels of fitness. Also, as a student but also a distance runner I enjoyed the PACER test more because I was able to challenge myself more than the mile. And I believe even less fit students would rather do the PACER test than the mile because in the mile it is apparent when a student has to stop or when they begin to walk. In the PACER most students are more willing to push their limits and themselves to see how far they can go. |
