1) One school district in Waterford, Michigan implemented a fitness challenge to encourage physical activity, inform families about fitness, and promote physical education. This resulted in more students meeting fitness standards. 2) Research shows that exercise can improve cognitive function and behavior, and that physical education may enhance learning. Increasing physical activity may help students academically. 3) A physical education teacher in Chicago gained respect for her subject by enforcing strict rules and routines, demanding responsibility from students, and organizing performances to showcase what students learned. She brought prestige to physical education.

1. Let’s Play! The Importance of Keeping Children Active

2. Menu One School District’s Strategy to Improve Fitness Levels: A Fitness Challenge “ Gym’s Work Too!” Obtaining Respect for Physical Education in an Urban Elementary School Physical Education in America's Public Schools

3. One School District's Strategy to Improve Fitness Levels: A Fitness Challenge Waterford, Michigan public schools proposed a challenge to their students. The purpose of the challenge was to encourage students to play outside, inform parents and families about the importance of fitness and physical activity, promote activities within the schools that would improve the program’s image among teachers and administrators, and increase the program’s visibility within the school and community. These public schools noted marked increases in the percentage of students who met grade-related fitness standards. The students were awarded certificates for their achievements. This proved to be an incentive for many students. Students were showing signs of an improved desire to play outside and be more physically fit.

4. “ Academic performance is at least maintained despite a reduction in classroom time in order to increase time in physical education.” (Berg,2010). Achievement tests that do not include content from physical education are the basis for most schools’ curricular and budgetary decisions. Physical education defenders have focused mostly on the health and fitness benefits, but placing a greater emphasis on the effects of exercise and physical education on academic performance may serve as a better rationale for keeping or increasing physical education programming.

5. Ah-Ha… Research has shown that exercise improves cognitive function. Research has shown that exercise improves psychological traits that influence behavior. Physical education may enhance learning. I totally agree with Berg. I believe teachers need to stop giving up P.E. to teach a little more Social Studies or conjugate verbs. So many teachers put P.E. on the back burner when they may actually be burning out their students. If being physically fit or at the least getting more activity can help students academically, then we need to make sure physical education class gets the attention it deserves.

6. "Gym's Work Too!" Obtaining Respect for Physical Education in an Urban Elementary School A teacher in Chicago,IL set out to change people’s perspectives of P.E. Teachers and physical education as a class. This teacher used strict ritual and routine to run her classes. The students know exactly what is expected of them from the moment the arrive to her class. She had a serious demeanor which demanded respect from students, co-workers, and parents. She made her presence known in the school system by working lunchroom and playground duties. She brought respect to physical education as a school subject by assigning homework to grades 5 through 8. This teacher insisted that the gym remain tidy after use. She was in total control of her area. She modeled care, consistency, respect, and the possibility of a better life.

7. Another way this teacher gains respect for P.E. is by putting on a “Gym Show”. The gym show gives the students in her class the opportunity to show faculty, staff, parents, and the whole community what they have been working on throughout the school year. The students become very excited about the show. This performance gains the respect from all who see it for physical education as a subject taught in school. “ The emphasis on student control and meeting the children’s social and emotional needs tends to supplant the importance of subject knowledge and serves to further marginalize the subject matter of physical education (Schempp,1993).

8. Ah-Ha… Children actually enjoy showing off what they have learned in P.E. to an audience. You can give homework in P.E. Rituals and routines can be very useful. This article was very inspiring. It gave me some good ideas about how I want to run my class when the time arrives. I liked how this teacher gained the respect of not only her classes, but the whole school system, and even some members of the community. The quote I mentioned made me think that it is very important to remember kids need structure and social and emotional attention as much as knowledge of sports and activities enjoyed in P.E.

9. Physical Education in America's Public Schools This article lists the many advantages of physical activity for children. The advantages are numerous and include such things as reduction of stress, improved mood and attitude, academic achievement, less absenteeism from school, less unplanned pregnancies, reduced disruptive behavior, better concentration, and higher test scores in reading, math, and writing. The article also informs the reader about a project called Project SPARK. This program provides physical activity during class by including health-fitness activities like jump rope and aerobic dance as well as sport-fitness activities like soccer and Frisbee games. It focuses on training teachers to implement the curriculum. This program also encourages physical activity outside of school. It even rewards children for engaging in activities with their families. http://www. sparkpe .org/

10. A study was done with a school in France. This school increased their P.E. time to 8 hours a week. This reduced time for academic studies of course, however, the students were physically and psychologically healthier and had increased academic performance when compared to the control group. Even with the many studies in favor of reaping the benefits of physical education, schools all over the globe resist the temptation to promote more physical education. The graph shows the percentage of schools that offer daily physical education.

11. Ah-Ha… With all the information available, schools still teach so little physical education. Physically fit students are less likely to miss school. Physically fit students are better able to concentrate. “ It has also been proven that when students are involved in a physical activity program, there is an improved rate of academic learning per unit of class time" (Taras, 2005). This could be so helpful for students who have a hard time sitting still in class for long periods at a time. A little activity before Isteps may improve scores. This would be a great advantage for everyone in the school system from teachers to parents to students.

12. Hmmmm, what do I think of all of this? These articles were so interesting to me. I was amazed to find there is so much research in favor of more P.E. time. I was also surprised at the data that showed more activity can actually increase concentration and promote positive academic results. All three articles indicated that even with the amount of research in favor of more physical activity most schools still do not offer enough. On average, not even 10% of schools all over the world offer daily activity. It has been reported that many schools have even done away with a lot of their special classes such as art, music, and P.E. This disturbs me for so many reasons. How can we help fight obesity in children when we don’t even instill in them the desire to be active, or we don’t teach them how to play. My hope is that schools will recognize the importance of keeping our children active. The advantages speak for themselves.