Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Obama - "Closing the Achievement Gap"
If we had the time we would study all 244,000 returns from a Google search of "Obama, education, achievement." The challenge is as vast as it is complicated. One thing rings clear in almost every article: From birth and throughout life we are all learners and we need families, teachers and a community of support to deliver the best learning outcomes for all.That said, let's take a look at one part of the education stimulus promise, the Technology Investment Fund. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will build on existing federal education technology programs and create a $500 million matching fund to ensure technology is fully integrated throughout schools. This fund will, among other strategies:
• Integrate technology throughout the classroom so innovative learning technologies such as simulations, interactive games, and intelligent tutors can assist in improving the quality of learning and instruction.
Ask almost any teacher, "What is the most difficult challnge in reaching under-achieving students?" In many cases you will hear something like:
- Students do not come to school prepared to learn (hungry, tired, stressed, without supplies, without family encouragement to complete assignments and so on)
- Students have difficulty focusing on tasks and producing quality work (they wiggle, misbehave, daydream, are disengaged)
- Students are consistently absent
There is no silver bullet that will fix the "achievement gap," rather we need to use time, money and experience most effectively. Solving more than one issue simultaneously makes good sense - in both time and economy. ExerLearning is one strategy that should be included in our schools.
When 80% of students are to some degree kinesthetic learners (see citation below) doesn't it make good sense to add movement to the learning environment as often and as regularly as possible? Sure it is great to add more movement in PE class or during recess (YES!!!), but why not have something like FootPOWR peripherals that connect all computer learning time with some solid movement opportunities? Let students sit on balls, learn while walking a treadmill or balance while studying. A great example of this is the Naperville program inspired by Phil lawler and Paul Zientarski: Learning Readiness PE. Move toward closing the achievement gap by letting our 80% kinesthetic learners move! Please request our various exerlearning research and program descriptions, our Footgaming strategies and send your questions. We hope to inspire an ExerLearning movement! It could be our most cost-effective innovation.
(Citation) A kinesthetic learner is one who learns best through movement and touching. They are otherwise known as the “hands-on learners” or the “doers”. They are your students that cannot sit still. They wiggle, tap their feet, or move their legs when they sit. These children in many cases are label “hyperactive” as children (Kinesthetic learners). Kinesthetic learners learn best through movement. Teachers should provide opportunities for moving around, changing groups and just standing. (Kinesthetic learning, 2007). 80% of students are visual and kinesthetic learners.Higher Test Scores Are (ACTIVE) Child's Play
Jacob Sattelmair and John J. Ratey of Harvard University have a cure for what ails FCAT scores, childhood obesity -- and maybe even ADHD.It's called physically strenuous play.Sattelmair and Ratey of Harvard University reviewed numerous studies about physical activity and humans, and found growing evidence on the benefits of strenuous exercise for brain development AND academic achievement. We have mentione Dr. Ratey and his eye-opening book, SPARK, numerous times in all of the FootGaming blogs. It was great to read the article in the Orlando Sentinel (and thanks to Phil Lawler for sending the link.)The distinction they draw is between physical ACTIVITY vs. physical EDUCATION. Aerobic activitiy that gets the heart and lungs working is the key. Old-school PE classes that don't require much time or intensity won't do the trick, say the researchers. And PE courses that emphasize competitive sports instead of physical activity marginalizes non-athletic kids.School boards across the country should consider THAT the next time they debate budget restrictions or increasing class time to improve standardized test scores! It’s at odds with science!The researchers' results appear in the Winter 2009 issue of the American Journal of Play, the interdisciplinary, scholarly journal of Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. To read more, see the article here.
