Environmental Website www.ewg.org

My sister sent me an article from Environmental Working Group’s FoodNews titled a “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” (www.ewg.org). It describes the dangers of pesticides in our food and then ranks fruits and vegetables in order from the most pesticide exposure to the least pesticide exposure. I wanted to post this article on my blog, so I went to the website and found all sorts of important information that I wanted to post here in addition to the pesticide article! EWG is smart because they have made their website very accessible to their followers. First, they offer a downloadable iPhone app with the Pesticide list so that you can pull it up whenever you are at the grocery store and shopping for fruits and veggies. They also ask you for your e-mail address so they can send you free enewsletters with environmental tips, updates, and alerts. If that doesn’t make it easy enough to follow, you could easily connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or set up an RSS feed. (If you’re not familiar with any of these they even have a quick tutorial on what they are and how to get started.) I have added them to my Delicious account which is like a “favorites” list that is kept online so you can access it from any computer (go to www.delicious.com.) I guess I should thank my sister for getting me started on this website, it’s chockfull of information I’ll be using in the future. Thanks K.

Getting fit and keeping up with exercise can be difficult if you don’t have a planned schedule to follow. In my class we recently learned about Google Docs and all sorts of Google applications that are available for free online. Google Calendar is an easy way to keep on track with your exercise. I am currently teaching my older students about the F.I.T.T. principle of exercise. (Frequency, Intensity, Type, and Time) and having them create their own FITT plans for an assessment. In my class I could use Google Calendar to help them begin implementing their FITT plan and keeping track of it on a Google Calendar. Each day they could record the type of exercise they did, how long they exercised, and the intensity of their workout. This would help me see that they are actively engaging in exercise and physical activity and working towards their FITT goals. Students would also be able to encourage each other if they wanted to share their calendars with the class.
For your personal use, Google Calendar could help you visualize each work week (when you have meetings, when you will be staying late at school, etc.) ahead of time and schedule your workouts accordingly. It can be set to send you reminders and it can link up to your e-mails so it is always available to you. Another nice feature that I stated briefly above is that you can share your calendar with others and easily schedule times with a friend/coworker if you need an exercise buddy to help keep you motivated and interested.
As I tell my students, make time for the things you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing you are less likely to keep up with it. Therefore, choose physical activities that are right for you and make it as social as possible. Getting a good amount of exercise is easier if you take the time to plan it out. Once you have a routine it just becomes a part of your life.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I get really antsy if I sit for more than 15 minutes at a time. For me, it literally feels like my legs are bubbling full of energy and I absolutely have to stand up, shake them out, and move for a minute before getting back to work at my desk. Luckily for me, I have a job that keeps me moving most of the time. I just posted a video link to the FOX network that did an article about a school incorporating exercise balls into the classroom instead of chairs. I think it is important for you and your students to schedule physical activity or some form of exercise into your daily lessons. Studies have shown that this increases brain activity and it is fun too! If you are short on ideas for how to integrate this into your classroom, I found a few podcasts and vodcasts on itunes that would be perfect for quick "get-up-and-move" minutes. All you have to do is register for itunes.com. Once you have done that you can search for podcasts via subject matter. For this activity I searched for fitness or health podcasts. A great subscription I found showed a series of two-minute exercises for all different parts of the body. You could pull a vodcast up like this every day and have your students learn how to perform all sorts of strength and cardio exercises. After a while you could create your own with your students and post them on your school's website so they could do them at home too! Take a minute every few hours to get up and move and help your students get into that habit as well.

Educating Children Using Yoga Balls

Educating Children Using Yoga Balls

After my first post yesterday I have gotten a flood of e-mails from supporters and followers who have said they don’t know how to comment because this is their first blog experience. Don’t worry I went through this all just a month ago! Here is a quick blog tutorial of sorts: 1. Read it and if you feel like commenting go to the bottom of my post where it says “# comments.” 2. Click on “# comments” and go to the bottom of the next page where a box will be for you to comment. 3. If this is your first time interacting on a blog you will be prompted to set up a Google Profile before being able to comment. 4. Comment as you feel comfortable. It may seem scary at first to have to sign up for a new account but from now on you should be able to comment on most blogs that you find interesting. It is 2010 it is time to enter the realm of Web 2.0 (interactive Internet) so you can use it for your own benefit and even in the classroom!
First find a blog that interests you (like mine of course.) You can do this by typing a topic and the word “blog” into Google search or you could go to sites like SupportBlogging.com. I have a list of my favorite health/exercise blogs under “view my complete profile” on the right of this homepage. Once you find some blogs that interest you, you can find a wealth of information available to you. As teachers I think it is important for us to start getting comfortable with the Internet in the same ways our students are using it. You can set up a blog to use for your class in school and at home. Think of how interactive homework could become if you were asking students to respond/reflect on a topic or reading assignment. Students could help each other with their math homework and give their parents a break from hours agonizing over homework problems. Or you could design a critical thinking assignment where they must research various exercise programs and find one that fits their own interests and needs and explain why they chose that program.
Here is my assignment for all of my “followers.” Sign up for a Google account and find a blog that interests you (especially one that is fitness/exercise related). Once you have found a blog I would love it if you would copy and paste a link under my comments section so I could check it out. I’m always interested in expanding my list of favorite blogs. Grab the bull by its horns and join us in cyberspace!

Welcome to my first blog post!!! Less than two months ago I had never even seen a blog and here I am with my very own dedicated to fitness for teachers and students. Last night ABC news showed a video clip of a school who uses exercise and physical activity to enhance students' learning. I can't think of a more perfect way to start out my blog than to share this video with you all. Exercise is so important for our total body and as teachers we should take the time to create lessons that incorporate exercise and health into our curriculum. I hope that I will be able to share some ideas with you all that will motivate you to make it a part of each day for you and for your classes. Please feel free to share your ideas with me. As I said in my "about me" profile, this is my first class in a program that is teaching me about technology. I'm a beginner and am always open to learn new things!

Reading, Writing and Running