Master Your Pedometer

Transcription

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TEACHERS LEADING BY EXAMPLE
PHYSICAL & HEALTH
Education Journal
LA REVUE D’ÉDUCATION PHYSIQUE ET À LA SANTÉ
VOLUME 77 NO. 1 — SPRING / PRINTEMPS 2011
Feature Articles:
Pre-service Teachers Leading Active
Healthy Lifestyles For Impressionable
Children: “Do As I Say And Not As I Do.”
Master Your Pedometer: An Analysis
Of Pedometers As A Motivational Tool
For Increased Physical Activity
In Grade Five Students.
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PHYSICAL & HEALTH
Education Journal
VOLUME 77, NO.1 ISSN 1498-0940
Executive Director / Directrice générale
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Editor in Chief / Rédacteur-en-chef
John Maker, Ph.D.
Communications Manager / Gestionnaire de communication
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PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES /
ARTICLES VEDETTES RÉVISÉS PAR LES PAIRS
6 Pre-service Teachers Leading Active Healthy Lifestyles For
Impressionable Children: “Do As I Say And Not As I Do.”
By Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous and June LeDrew
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16 Master Your Pedometer: An Analysis of Pedometers As A Motivational
Tool For Increased Physical Activity In Grade Five Students
By Erik Labrosse and Roger Couture
Date of Issue/Date de publication :
May 2011 / mai 2011
Production & Design/Conception graphique :
Daren MacGowan Graphic Design
Cover Photo/Couverature :
John Maker
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13
A Word from the President
Mot du président
Editorial
Éditorial
QSH: Educational Change and
the Health Promoting Schools
Approach
Louise Humbert, President / Présidente
22 QDPE: Using Physical Activity
to Develop Life Skills
28 QSIR: Introducing Age Appropriate
Volleyball Games
31 Dance: Just Dance
32 EPQQ: L’activité physique, outil
de perfectionnement des aptitudes
à la vie courantes
Mark Jones, Past-President / Président sortant
Don Hutchinson, British Columbia and Yukon /
Représentante de la Colombie-Britannique et du Yukon
Heather Rootsaert, Alberta and NWT / Représentante de l’Alberta et des T.N.O.
Reg Leidl, Saskatchewan / Représentant de la Saskatchewan
Jacki Nylen, Manitoba and Nunavut / Représentant du Manitoba et Nunavut
Ted Temertzoglou, Ontario / Représentant de l’Ontario
Sandy Farr, Québec / Représentante du Québec
Fran Harris, New Brunswick/ Représentante du Nouveau-Brunswick
Daniel Robinson, Nova Scotia / Représentant de la Nouvelle-Écosse
Antony Card, Newfoundland and Labrador /
Représentant de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
IN THIS ISSUE / DANS CE NUMÉRO
25 Reach Your Health Goal:
Using Brief Motivational
Interviewing for Goal-Setting
38 Under Pressure
41 Student Leadership Teams at
Riverside Education Centre An Example in Success
Cheryl Tanton, Prince Edward Island / Représentante de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard
SPRING • PRINTEMPS 2011 1
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
L
ately, I have been thinking about opportunities and the challenges they bring.
Perhaps it is because winter’s grip is loosening and we can see grass on the
prairies! Once again, I eagerly anticipate the opportunities that spring provides:
runs outside, long walks, and time spent with family and friends outdoors. When
I think of opportunities, I also think of our profession and the work we do. For
many of us, every day is filled with opportunities for ourselves and for those with
whom we work. Such opportunities fill me with pride and joy.
Andrea Grantham and I recently attended the annual conference
of the American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in San Diego. The conference was
aptly themed: “Oceans of Opportunities”. The conference was
filled with many opportunities to network, learn, and enjoy
time with passionate people. Andrea and I brought greetings
from PHE Canada at the R. Tait McKenzie Scholarly Address
and attended many sessions and met many new friends.
At the conference, I listened to many incredible speakers. Two
stood out for me: Dr. John Ratey and Dr. Jack Groppel.
Dr. Ratey passionately reminded us that, “a thinking brain is a
moving brain,” and “exercise promotes learning.” He implored
us to take every opportunity to ensure that children move every
day, which is much more than they are moving now! Now we
need decision-makers in Canada to hear and understand that
message and to support our work. Perhaps each of us needs to
take the opportunity to discuss Dr. Ratey’s message with those
whose decisions influence our work. I encourage you all to visit
Dr. Ratey’s new website: www.sparkinglife.org. Meanwhile,
Dr. Jack Groppel invited us to think about our mission and to
understand that people are inactive for a reason; each person has
their own story. How can we help them to change and create a
new story in which activity is central to their lives and the lives
of those they love? Changing the story of inactivity to activity
should be our central mission. This is both a challenge and an
opportunity.
A few months ago, on a very cold Saskatchewan morning, I was
reminded again of opportunities. My son and I were up early to
prepare for the annual ski day at a local mountain (yes, in
Saskatchewan!). As I pulled up to the school, one of my son’s
friends joyously waved at us from the back seat of her mom’s car.
This student arrived from the Middle East a year ago and has
since participated in every activity the school has offered. My
son and I waved at his friend who was bouncing in the car with
anticipation of the day ahead. I was immediately struck by the
opportunity the teachers at my son’s school were offering to all
2 PHYSIC AL AND HEALTH EDUC ATION
of the students, many of whom would never ski if the teachers
did not organize the trip. As I watched the children climb onto
the bus, I knew that they would learn much more than skiing
that day, and they would make memories that would last a
lifetime. I am so grateful to teachers everywhere for the opportunities they offer students like my son and his new friend.
Many of you seize opportunities to give back to our profession.
You serve on provincial executives, professional development
committees, conference committees, help in the community,
and many of you are involved in the work of PHE Canada. I
thank you for everything you do to make our profession even
stronger. Our May board meeting will be the last for two special
members of PHE Canada’s Board of Directors. Cheryl Tanton
has represented Prince Edward Island for the last two years and
has been a vital part of our work, which included serving as the
board representative on our Awards Committee. Cheryl
handled this large job with expertise, poise, and grace. We will
miss you Cheryl, but I am sure you will see many of your friends
from the Board in the future. Our past president, Mark Jones,
has spent seven years on the Board. Mark began his tenure as the
board representative from Newfoundland and Labrador and has
served as our president-elect, president (2008 – 2010), and this
year he will leave the Board as past-president. Mark’s
dedication, leadership, and passion know no limits and his
positive influence on our organization and profession will be felt
for decades. Everyone will miss Mark’s knowledge, energy, and
sense of humor. We will tirelessly work to maintain and grow
your lasting legacy.
As the days grow longer, I hope you too seize the inspirational
opportunities presented to each of us. Always know that people
are watching and learning from you daily. You inspire so many
people and the opportunities you offer can change a story and a
life.
Best wishes,
Louise, PHE Canada, President
MOT DU PRÉSIDENT
D
epuis quelque temps, je tends à réfléchir davantage aux possibilités et défis qui ponctuent notre vie.
C’est-peut parce que l’hiver a enfin lâché prise et que des parcelles de gazon percent la neige des
Prairies que mes pensées se sont tournées vers le royaume du possible! Une fois de plus, j’anticipe avec
plaisir les séductions du printemps, qu’il s’agisse de courir dehors, de faire de longues promenade ou de
passer de précieux moments en famille dans la nature. Quand je songe à toutes les possibilités qui s’offrent,
je pense en même temps à notre profession et au travail que nous accomplissons. Pour beaucoup d’entre
nous, chaque jour comporte son lot de possibilités, tant pour nous que pour ceux et celles que nous
desservons et cela me procure beaucoup de joie et de fierté.
Andrea Grantham et moi-même avons récemment eu la chance d’assister
à la conférence annuelle de l’American Alliance for Health Physical
Education Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) à San Diego. L’événement
se déroulait sous la thématique fort appropriée « Un océan de possibilités ».
Cette conférence nous a fourni maintes possibilités de réseautage et nous
permis d’apprendre et d’échanger avec d’autres passionnés du domaine.
Andrea et moi avons transmis aux participants les bons vœux d’EPS
Canada lors de l’allocution d’honneur R. Tait McKenzie, en plus
d’assister à plusieurs séances et de nouer de nouvelles amitiés.
fils donnaient à tous les élèves. Je savais fort bien que si le personnel
enseignant n’avait pas organisé l’activité en question, bien des élèves
n’auraient jamais eu l’occasion d’apprendre à skier. Tandis que je regardais
les enfants monter joyeusement dans l’autobus, je me suis dit que ce
jour-là, ils n’apprendraient pas juste à faire du ski et qu’en plus, ils
créeraient des souvenirs qu’ils chériraient toute leur vie. Je suis
extrêmement reconnaissante à toutes les enseignantes et à tous
enseignants pour les riches possibilités qu’ils offrent à des élèves comme
mon fils et sa nouvelle amie.
Pendant la conférence, j’ai eu l’occasion d’entendre de formidables
conférenciers dont deux ont laissé une marque indélébile : le Dr John
Ratey et le Dr Jack Groppel. Le Dr Ratey nous a rappelé d’un ton
passionné « qu’un cerveau qui pense est un cerveau qui bouge » et que
« l’exercice favorise l’apprentissage ». Il nous a implorés de profiter de
toutes les occasions qui s’offrent de faire bouger les enfants tous les jours,
ce qui est déjà bien plus que ce qui se fait présentement! Au Canada,
nous avons besoin de décideurs prêts à écouter et comprendre ce
message et à appuyer nos efforts. Peut-être devrions-nous tous discuter
du message du Dr Ratey avec les instances dont les décisions influent sur
notre travail. Je vous encourage tous et toutes à consulter le nouveau site
Web du Dr Ratey à : www.sparkinglife.org. Entre-temps, le Dr Jack
Groppel nous a invités à réfléchir à notre mission et à prendre conscience
qu’il y a des raisons qui poussent les gens à être inactifs; chacun à un récit
à relater. Comment aider ces gens à tourner la page et à écrire un
nouveau chapitre qui donne à l’activité physique un rôle principal, tant
dans leur propre vie que dans celle des gens qu’ils aiment? Il faut les aider
à réécrire un chapitre de vie en remplaçant l’inactivité par l’activité, ce
qui constitue tour à tour un défi et une occasion en or.
De votre coté, beaucoup d’entre vous profitez des possibilités qui
s’offrent de redonner à la profession. Vous faites partie de conseils
exécutifs provinciaux, de comités de perfectionnement professionnel, de
comités de conférences. Vous venez en aide à la collectivité et plusieurs
d’entre eux souscrivez aux activités d’EPS Canada. Je vous remercie de
tout ce que vous faites pour renforcer et enrichir notre profession. La
réunion de mai du conseil de direction d’EPS Canada sera la dernière
pour deux membres très spéciaux de l’équipe. Cheryl Tanton représente
depuis deux ans l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard et a joué un rôle clé au sein du
groupe, y compris comme représentante du conseil de direction au sein
du Comité des prix. Elle s’est toujours acquittée de ses lourdes tâches
avec expertise, grâce et doigté. Même si nous nous ennuierons beaucoup
de vous, Cheryl, je suis certaine que vous aurez plein d’occasions de
revoir vos collègues du conseil de direction au fil de l’avenir. Notre
ancien président, Mark Jones, a siégé pendant sept ans au conseil die
direction, d’abord comme représentant de Terre-Neuve, puis comme
président élu, comme président (de 2008 à 2010) et, cette année, il
quitte son poste en tant qu’ancien président. Mark a toujours fait preuve
d’un dévouement, d’un leadership et d’une passion sans bornes et son
influence positive sur l’organisme se fera sentir pendant des décennies.
Nous manquerons tous l’érudition, l’énergie et le sens de l’humour
imbattables de Mark et travaillerons tous d’arrache-pied pour honorer et
faire fructifier son précieux héritage.
Il y a quelques mois, par un matin glacial de la Saskatchewan, cette
notion de possibilités m’est soudainement revenue en tête. Mon fils et
moi nous étions levés très tôt en prévision de la sortie de ski annuelle de
l’école à une montagne de la région (et oui, en Saskatchewan!). Alors que
j’arrivais à l’école, une des amies de mon fils nous a joyeusement salués
du siège arrière de l’auto de sa mère. Arrivée du Moyen-Orient il y a un
an à peine, la fillette avait, depuis, participé à toutes les activités organisées
par l’école. Mon fils et moi l’avons saluée à notre tour. Elle trépignait
d’impatience à l’idée de la journée qui l’attendait. J’ai soudainement été
frappée par l’excellente possibilité que les enseignants de l’école de mon
À mesure que les jours rallongent, j’espère que vous aussi saurez explorer
toutes les possibilités inspirantes qui s’offrent. N’oubliez jamais que
chaque jour, d’autres vous regardent et vous imitent. Vous inspirez
énormément de gens et chaque occasion ou possibilité que vous offrez
a de quoi changer un récit ou une vie.
Louise Humbert, Président, EPS Canada
EDITORIAL
D
r. Humbert, in her presidential address, writes passionately
about the various opportunities that teachers find every day
in their work. If there is a unifying theme to this issue of the PHE
Journal, it is precisely that: creating opportunities for teachers to make
a difference in the health of their students.
Typically, articles in the PHE Journal focus on students and the many
and various ways in which our profession is working to improve their
health in the present, while also giving them the skills to lead healthy
active lives and to reverse the trend by which it is predicted that this
generation of young people will live shorter lives than their parents.
This issue largely shifts away from students and focuses on the role of
the teacher and teacher training.
A common theme through much of this issue is teacher involvement
in the health of their students, including the importance of role
modeling, and simply acting as champions to the health goals and
activities of their students. The importance of teachers advocating
and teaching that healthy and active lifestyles have a beneficial effect
is highlighted in many themes in these pages.
Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous and June LeDrew note that the
teacher plays an essential role in exemplifying healthy active living.
They argue that, “if a role model displays active behaviours and
makes it clear that he/she values healthy active lifestyles, children will
be more apt to change their behaviour to emulate that of the role
model.” They show just what it takes to model healthy, active
lifestyles and reinforce the dictum that one must lead by example.
Roger Couture and Erik Labrosse show the benefits of using pedometers and incidentally point out that the positive results of their study
were influenced by the enthusiasm and example of the teachers
involved. Both feature articles this issue show the pedometer as an
effective and fun tool to encourage healthy active living.
Our regular program articles also highlight the role of the teacher.
Doug Gleddie points out that a Health Promoting School approach
is best fostered when the teacher is properly equipped. He notes three
essential ingredients that focus on the role of the teacher and the system
as a whole: professional development; leadership capacity building;
and the concept of cultural change in educational settings. Similarly,
Heather Taschuk calls on teachers (as well as parents, and administrators) to “increase the profile of dance in our everyday lives.”
Our QDPE article reports on the results of a unique after school
program that sees volunteer educators help kids in socioeconomically
disadvantaged communities to enjoy some of the benefits of healthy
active living. These kids learn by example and from each other how
physical activity and sport can serve as a vehicle for developing
various life skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, cooperation, teamwork, and communication. In a similar vein, the theme of
role modeling trickles down to peer modeling in our article on the
Student Leadership Conference. The article on brief motivational
interviewing likewise shows the value of peer-role modeling.
Taken as a whole, while this issue focuses on the role of the teacher, it
of course comes down to the same theme we highlight at the PHE
Journal each and every issue: to ensure that all children and youth in
Canada live healthy, physically active lives.
Editorial Board
Rick Bell, D.Ed.
Pierre Boudreau, Ph.D.
Trent D. Brown, Ph.D.
Joy Butler, Ph.D.
David Chorney, Ph.D.
Roger T. Couture, Ph.D.
David Erikson, Ph.D.
Nick Forsberg, Ph.D.
Nancy Francis, D.Ed.
Sandra L. Gibbons, Ph.D.
Johanne Grenier, Ph.D.
Joannie Halas, Ph.D.
Clive Hickson, Ph.D.
Tim Hopper, Ph.D.
M. Louise Humbert, Ph.D.
University of Victoria
University of Ottawa
Monash University, Australia
University of British Columbia
University of Alberta
Laurentian University
Trinity Western University
University of Regina
Brock University
Université du Québec à Montréal
University of Manitoba
University of Saskatchewan
Rebecca Lloyd, Ph.D.
Ken Lodewyk, Ph.D.
Chunlei Lu, Ph.D.
Moira Luke, Ph.D.
James Mandigo, Ph.D.
Nancy Melnychuk, PhD
Francine Morin, Ph.D.
Joanne Y. Pelletier, Ph.D.
Daniel Robinson, Ph.D.
Twyla Salm, PhD
Dwayne Sheehan, Ph.D.
Ellen Singleton, Ph.D.
Stephen Smith, Ph.D.
University of Ottawa
Brock University
Brock University
University of British Columbia (Emerita)
Brock University
University of Manitoba
Laurentian University
St. Francis Xavier University
University of Regina
Mount Royal University
University of Western Ontario
Simon Fraser University
Amanda D. Stanec, Ph.D.
Aniko Varpalotai, Ph.D.
St.Francis Xavier University
University of Western Ontario
ÉDITORIAL
D
ans son allocution, la présidente Louise Humbert, Ph. D., décrit avec
passion toutes les possibilités que les enseignantes et enseignants sont à
même d’explorer dans le cadre de leur travail quotidien. De fait, la plupart des
sujets abordés dans ce numéro du Journal EPS abordent une thématique
commune, soit toutes les occasions dont peut profiter le personnel enseignant
pour faire une réelle différence et aider les élèves à améliorer leur santé.
D’habitude, les articles du Journal EPS portent sur les élèves et tous les efforts
variés investis par les membres de notre profession pour améliorer leur état de
santé actuel, tout en les aidant à acquérir les compétences requises pour
mener une vie saine et active. Cette approche vise aussi à contrer une
inquiétante tendance, à savoir que l’espérance de vie des jeunes d’aujourd’hui
pourrait être plus courte que celle de leurs parents. Au lieu de mettre l’accent
sur les élèves, le présent numéro se concentre sur le rôle et la formation des
enseignants.
Plusieurs de nos articles examinent un même enjeu, soit le rôle du personnel
enseignant dans la santé des élèves, l’importance du bon exemple et le simple
fait d’agir comme champions pour inciter les élèves à opter pour des activités
qui favorisent leurs objectifs de santé. Plusieurs grands thèmes abordés
dans ces pages révèlent combien il importe d’enseigner aux élèves qu’un mode
de vie sain et actif engendre de nombreux bienfaits et de leur offrir de
l’encouragement en ce sens.
Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous et June LeDrew notent que, sur le plan de la
vie active, l’enseignant doit jouer un rôle de premier plan en devenant
lui-même un modèle à suivre pour l’élève. Elles arguent que si un modèle de
rôle adopte des comportements actifs et affirme clairement qu’il valorise un
mode de vie sain et actif, les enfants auront plus tendance à modifier leurs
comportements pour imiter leur modèle. Elles expliquent clairement à quoi
doit ressembler un mode de vie sain et actif, confirmant le diction qu’il faut
prêcher par l’exemple. Roger Couture et Erik Labrosse démontrent l’utilité
des pédomètres et n’hésitent pas à affirmer que la réussite de leur étude tient,
en grande partie, à l’enthousiasme et au bon exemple des membres du
personnel enseignant qui ont participé à l’étude. Comme le démontrent les
deux articles vedettes, le pédomètre constitue un outil efficace et amusant
qui favorise l’adoption de modes de vie sains et physiquement actifs.
Nos articles réguliers sur les programmes font également ressortir le rôle
crucial des enseignantes et enseignants. Doug Gleddie précise que l’approche
des écoles axées sur la promotion de la santé est plus efficace quand le
personnel enseignant est bien outillé. Il mentionne trois facteurs déterminants
qui définissent le rôle de l’enseignant et de l’ensemble du système : le
perfectionnement professionnel, le leadership, le renforcement des capacités
et le concept de changement culturel dans des contextes pédagogiques.
Heather Taschuk va dans la même direction en incitant les enseignants (ainsi
que les parents et les gestionnaires) à accorder plus d’importance à la danse
dans nos vies quotidiennes.
L’article sur l’EPQQ présente les résultats d’un programme après l’école
unique dans le cadre duquel des éducateurs bénévoles aident des enfants de
milieux socioéconomiques défavorisés à récolter les fruits de modes de
vie sains et actifs. Ces jeunes apprennent par l’exemple et des uns des autres
comment l’activité physique et le sport peuvent constituer des outils utiles
à l’acquisition d’autres aptitudes à la vie quotidienne comme la pensée
critique, la résolution de problèmes, la coopération, le travail d’équipe et la
communication. Dans la même veine, la thématique des modèles de rôle
s’étend au modelage sur les pairs et est reprise dans notre article sur le camp
de leadership étudiant. En outre, l’article sur les entrevues motivationnelles
illustre la valeur du modelage sur les pairs.
Somme toute, même si le numéro actuel met l’accent sur le rôle des
enseignantes et enseignants, tout revient à ce que nous revendiquons sans
cesse dans chaque numéro du Journal EPS : faire en sorte que tous les enfants
et les jeunes du Canada vivent une vie saine et physiquement active.
Comité de rédaction
Rick Bell, D.Ed.
Pierre Boudreau, Ph.D.
Trent D. Brown, Ph.D.
Joy Butler, Ph.D.
David Chorney, Ph.D.
Roger T. Couture, Ph.D.
David Erikson, Ph.D.
Nick Forsberg, Ph.D.
Nancy Francis, D.Ed.
Sandra L. Gibbons, Ph.D.
Johanne Grenier, Ph.D.
Joannie Halas, Ph.D.
Clive Hickson, Ph.D.
Tim Hopper, Ph.D.
M. Louise Humbert, Ph.D.
Université de Victoria
Université d’Ottawa
Université Monash, Australie
Université de la Colombie-Britannique
Université de l’Alberta
Université Laurentienne
Université Trinity Western
Université de Regina
Université Brock
Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Manitoba
Université de Saskatchewan
Rebecca Lloyd, Ph.D.
Ken Lodewyk, Ph.D.
Chunlei Lu, Ph.D.
Moira Luke, Ph.D.
Université d’Ottawa
Université Brock
Université Brock
Université de la Colombie-Britannique, (émérite)
James Mandigo, Ph.D.
Nancy Melnychuk, PhD
Francine Morin, Ph. D.
Joanne Y. Pelletier, Ph.D.
Daniel Robinson, Ph.D.
Twyla Salm, PhD
Dwayne Sheehan, Ph.D.
Ellen Singleton, Ph.D.
Stephen Smith, Ph.D.
Amanda D. Stanec, Ph.D.
Aniko Varpalotai, Ph.D.
Université Brock
Université du Manitoba
Université Laurentian
Université St. Francis Xavier
Université de Regina
Université Mont Royale
Université Western Ontario
Université Simon Fraser
Université St. Francis Xavier
Université Western Ontario
PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE
Pre-service Teachers Leading Active Healthy
Lifestyles For Impressionable Children:
“Do As I Say And Not As I Do.”
By Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, BKHS &
June E. LeDrew, Phd
Preface
Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, BKHS,
is currently working on her Masters
in Kinesiology & Health Studies in
the area of Sport and Recreation
Management with an interest in special
populations. She has been a research
and teaching assistant in the televised
delivery of KHS 139.
June LeDrew, PhD, is a professor in
the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health
Studies at the University of Regina, who
works with community-based groups to
improve the health of children. She has
taught KHS 139 Movement Education
on-campus, off-campus and televised
formats during her 21 years at the
University.
I was involved in a community-based health literacy project with five primary teachers in
a school in Saskatchewan. As part of the project, the primary teachers, all female, were
provided a self-directed professional development day. I was at the school to observe what
the teachers did during this day but my attention was drawn to the five substitute teachers
filling in for the project participants. On visual appearance, four of the five substitute teachers were overweight and one appeared to have difficulty walking due to her size. All the
substitutes were female and appeared to be under the age of 30. When I “gently” inquired
about these substitute teachers, the administrator at the school suggested “It’s a problem but
we don’t have a lot of qualified subs in the area to select from.” As a health advocate and
person who is partially responsible for the preparation of elementary teachers, I have reflected on the multifaceted dimensions of “the problem” (i.e., overweight adults – a problem to
which the teaching profession is not immune) and what strategies for action I can take to
inform predominantly young adults about their future role in this profession. This project
presented is one strategy. (Adapted from one author’s journal)
Introduction
At 26%, Canada has one of the highest
rates of obesity among children in developed countries (UNICEF, 2007). And,
while not the only contributing factor,
childhood obesity can be attributed to
the lack of participation in physical activity amongst our children. “Active living is
an approach to life that values and
includes physical activity in everyday living.” (Alberta Centre for Active Living,
2007). The amount of physical activity
that children engage in is believed to be
declining as fewer children have the
opportunity to experience active living in
school and more are leading sedentary
lifestyles at home (Gatzke & LeDrew,
2008). For the first time in history, it is
now estimated that children will live
shorter lives than their parents (Heart &
Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2006).
For the fourth straight year, the annual
report card on children’s health issued by
Active Healthy Kids Canada assigned an
“F” for physical activity levels and reported that only 12% of Canadian children
and youth are meeting minimum guidelines (Active Healthy Kids Canada,
2010). The 2009 report card highlights
the key role physical activity plays in
facilitating learning and academic performance, suggesting that the empirical
evidence demonstrating the link between
physical activity and academic achievement should negate any rationale to limit
physical activity to promote academic
learning (Active Healthy Kids Canada,
2009). Stressing the importance of the
role of the school in facilitating physical
activity for children and youth, school
policy was introduced as a new indicator
in the 2009 report card. The grade of “C”
was assigned to the indicator, indicating
positive steps are being taken within the
indicator. However, the report suggests
that within this indicator, the area of
teacher engagement needs to improve. A
constant theme throughout the report
reflects the main recommendation put
forth in the report card released in 2007:
to engage and empower our youth to get
active (Active Healthy Kids Canada,
2007).
One way to do this is to ensure impressionable children have healthy, active role
models in their lives. Modeling is a vital
means of acquiring skills, beliefs, and
novel behaviours (Bandura, 1986;
Rosenthal & Zimmerman, 1978). Role
modeling as described by Bidwell and
Brasler (1989) “is a process through
which a person takes on the values and
behaviours of another through identification. The result of this process is behavioural change, which is usually permanent” (p.23). One can see that if a role
model displays active behaviours and
makes it clear that he/she values healthy
active lifestyles, children will be more apt
to change their behaviour to emulate that
of the role model. Bandura (1987) sug-
gests that role modeling may be most
effective when used with individuals who
have low self esteem, or feel incompetent.
Again, one can see how important it is
for children, who may lack self esteem or
feel incompetent in being active, to have
healthy active role models to emulate.
Unfortunately, research indicates that
obesity amongst the adult population is
also increasing, which suggests that an
increasing number of adults are not in a
prime position to serve as role models for
today’s children. Data from the 2004
Canadian Community Health Survey
(Shields & Tjepkema, 2006) reported
that 23% of Canadians over the age of 18
were obese and 36% were overweight,
indicating that 60% of adults living in
Canada have excess body weight. Shields
and Tjepkema also explained that the
obesity rates varied by province, reporting
that the provinces of Newfoundland and
Labrador, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick,
and Manitoba had the highest obesity
rates. Although the causes of being overweight and obese are complex and not all
related to sedentary lifestyles, carrying
unnecessary additional weight is frequently cited as a key indicator of poorer
health status (World Health Organization, 2010). These statistics on overweight and obese adults suggest that
Canadian children in these provinces may
have fewer healthy, active role models to
emulate.
Various suggestions have been put forth on how to combat childhood obesity, including the suggestion to empower children to get active. Because children spend a large
portion of their day in school, teachers are in a prime position to serve as healthy,
active role models to today’s children. Thirty-four pre-service elementary teachers who
were enrolled in a kinesiology and health studies course were required to wear a
pedometer for an eight-week period, record their steps, and reflect on the challenges
and benefits of using a pedometer, their own activity levels and their potential responsibility to serve as healthy, active role models for children. Findings confirmed that
through engaging in the assignment, students generally increased their physical
activity over the assignment period (although most not enough to achieve the daily
recommended 10,000 steps), began theorizing about overcoming challenges to being
more active, and became more thoughtful about their responsibility to encourage
children to get physically active.
Il existe de nombreuses théories sur la façon de combattre l’obésité juvénile, y compris
l’idée d’habiliter les enfants pour les inciter à devenir plus actifs. Puisque les enfants
passent une grande partie de la journée à l’école, les enseignants sont particulièrement
bien placés pour donner le bon exemple en privilégiant des modes de vie sains et
actifs. Dans le cadre d’un cours de kinésiologie et de santé, on a demandé à 34
étudiants-maîtres de l’élément, comme devoir, de porter un pédomètre pendant huit
semaines, d’enregistrer leur nombre de pas, puis de réfléchir aux avantages et
désavantages du pédomètre, à leur propre niveau d’activité et à l’éventuelle
responsabilité qu’ils auront de donner le bon exemple aux enfants en adoptant
eux-mêmes un mode de vie plus sain et plus actif. Les résultats du devoir ont révélé
qu’en général, les étudiants-maîtres avaient réussi à accroître leur taux d’activité
physique pendant toute la période visée (quoique pas assez, dans la plupart des cas,
pour atteindre le nombre recommandé de 10 000 pas par jour), qu’ils avaient
commencé à songer à des façons de relever le défi pour devenir plus actifs et qu’ils
étaient plus conscients qu’avant de la responsabilité qu’ils ont d’encourager les enfants
à devenir plus actifs physiquement.
Because children spend a large part of their day
at school (25-30 hours per week) teachers are in
a principal position for serving as healthy, active
role models that could engage and empower
children to get active.
Because children spend a large part of
their day at school (25-30 hours per
week) teachers are in a principal position
for serving as healthy, active role models
that could engage and empower children
to get active. Horne, Hardman, Lowe and
Rowlands (2009) point out that research
suggests that “significant others” influence
children to be physically active. One can
easily argue that students may perceive
teachers as models of appropriate behaviour. In fact, Spencer (1998) suggests that
the influence a teacher has on his or her
students as a role model can extend for
years, “Teachers must set a behavioural
example by their own actions. Remember,
your students are watching and learning
from you, and they have a compelling
need for constructive role models”
(Spencer, 1998, p.63).
the elementary physical education
curriculum mandates that children in
grades one to five receive 150 minutes of
physical education weekly (Saskatchewan
Learning, 1997). It is impractical to suggest that all students in a school are able
to meet this mandate if active living is to
occur solely in the school gymnasium.
Further, it is suggested that children
should engage in a minimum of 90 minutes of physical activity daily (Public
Health Agency of Canada, 2002).
LeDrew (2008a) explained that it is
important for teachers to understand that
active living is not limited to physical
education and the school gymnasium.
Children can experience active living in
the classroom, hallways, schoolyard,
and anywhere one is not limited by
imagination.
Pate and O’Neil (2008) recognize that
for years schools have played a vital part
in providing students with opportunities
to be active. However, they state that the
drop in population-level physical activity
implies that schools should play a larger
role in not only providing opportunities
for physical activity, but promoting physical activity as well. Unfortunately,
according to information put forth by
Active Healthy Active Kids Canada
(2008), only 50% of students state that
an emphasis is placed on school staff
being active themselves. The report card
released in 2009 states that teacher
engagement is still an area needing
improvement. Together, this suggests
that while in school, Canadian children
need more healthy active role models to
emulate. In the province of Saskatchewan,
According to Tudor-Locke and Bassett
(2004), “Pedometers are simple and inexpensive body-worn motion sensors that
are readily being used by researchers and
practitioners to assess and motivate physical activity behaviours” (p.1). Specifically,
a pedometer is a small electronic device
that has an internal counter designed to
measure the hip swing of the user. The
device is attached to the user’s waistline
and records each step on a display screen
for each swing of the user’s hip.
Acceptance of pedometers as a tool to
measure physical activity has spread
among physical activity researchers and
currently health promotion experts have
begun using pedometers to persuade
inactive children and adults to increase
their physical activity (Bassett and Strath,
2002). In fact, pedometers, as a measure
of one’s level of active living, have
received more attention in the school
environment. According to Cagle
(2004), the pedometer for the teacher is
quicker and easier to use than other physical activity monitoring devices. Using a
pedometer, teachers and children can
learn how many steps are required daily
to achieve the health benefits of active
living. In addition to the benefits experienced by students, as explained by
Zimmer and LeDrew (2006), teachers
themselves can also experience multiple
benefits from implementing pedometer
activities in the classroom. Some of these
benefits include:
1) Improving their own level of activity;
2) Serving as healthy, active role models
for the watchful eyes of children; and,
3) Potentially empowering and engaging
children to become active.
In order for teachers to serve as healthy,
active role models it is important for
them to fully understand the issue facing
today’s society, address their own physical
activity patterns, and appreciate their
potential power to be a healthy, active
role model. Institutions that prepare
pre-service teachers need to ensure that
they are providing opportunities for
pre-service teachers to learn about their
potential responsibility as role models.
The purpose of this project was to
explore the influence of a mandatory
pedometer assignment on university preservice teachers. Levy and Ebbeck (2004)
state that by helping teachers to understand their own physicality, they are better able to recognize and address the
health issues they are confronted with
regarding their own physical health.
Specifically, the project looked to answer
the following questions:
1) What influence did wearing a
pedometer for an eight-week period
have on pre-service teachers?
2) How did pre-service teachers view
their potential responsibility as role
models of healthy, active living for
children?
It is hoped that this investigation will assist
pre-service teachers in overcoming the
barriers they face to healthy active lifestyles
and will help them to understand the
importance of modeling physically active
lifestyles for their future students.
Method
Pre-service teachers enrolled in the elementary stream in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina are
required to take Kinesiology and Health
Studies 139 (KHS 139). This course
examines the content and methods of
movement education for the elementary
school child. The emphasis is on understanding issues related to children’s health
and the concepts involved in movement:
body awareness, space awareness, effort
qualities and relationships. (LeDrew,
2008b). In 2008, the course was offered
in a televised distance education format
through the Centre for Continuing Education, Distance Learning Division at the
University of Regina and was open to
people living in various locations across
Saskatchewan. Although KHS 139 is a
mandatory class for pre-service teachers
majoring in elementary education, it was
also open to other university students
interested in children’s health (such as students in Kinesiology & Health Studies,
Social Work, etc). Of the 54 students registered in the class, 33 were students living
in Regina and 21 were off-campus students viewing the course on a television
from a local receiving site. Twenty-seven
of the 54 students were registered in the
Faculty of Education (pre-service teachers) and the vast majority of the other students expressed intent to apply for transfer into the education program. Participation in this project was open to all students enrolled in the class, with 34 voluntarily submitting their data after the final
grades for the course were officially
released. The university’s Ethics Board
granted ethics approval.
The Pedometer Assignment
In an effort to increase pre-service
teacher’s understanding of the obesity
epidemic facing today’s children, and to
educate them on their responsibility to
lead healthy, active lifestyles, students
enrolled in KHS 139 were required to
wear a pedometer for an eight-week period. The assignment included lectures on
the benefits and limitations of pedometer
usage and personal goal setting. During
the eight-week period, students were
required to record their daily steps on a
calendar and complete weekly reflections
commenting on the challenges experienced, benefits derived, interpretation of
course material relevant to the assignment, and other thoughts relevant to
course material. The instructor’s primary
intention was that, through engaging in
this assignment, students would analyze
their own activity, begin thinking about
their potential responsibilities as role
models of healthy, active living for children and, through reflective practice,
develop strategies that they could utilize
in their future classrooms to engage children in activity.
A deductive approach was used to analyze the data (i.e., pedometer calendars
and pedometer journal comments, and
responses to questions posed throughout
the course), as the researchers theorized
that the students were not as active as
they should be and that, through participating in the pedometer assignment, they
would become more active during the
eight-week period and thoughtful about
their personal activity levels. The
researchers also believed that the students
would become more aware of their
responsibility to be role models for
today’s children. Data analysis followed a
systematic process of textually analyzing
the journal responses for common
themes and gleaning descriptive statistics
from the students’ pedometer calendars.
Findings
Counting the Steps
Generally, over the eight-week period,
these students did not realize the recommended 10,000 steps per day needed to
achieve health benefits (Public Health
Agency of Canada, 2007). The average
number of daily steps taken by the 34
students who participated in the project
was 7,451 (s.d. 2,080). As indicated in
Table 1, these students did range in the
average number of steps accumulated.
Although 85% (29 of 34) of the students
did not achieve the recommended
10,000 steps per day, analysis of the student pedometer calendars indicated that
19 students increased their daily steps
over the eight-week period. Four students
fluctuated on the daily steps taken
throughout the eight weeks, six students
decreased the number of daily steps, and
four students remained the same over the
eight-week period. For example, one student described what he/she thought of
his/her steps and the interest he/she had
for the pedometer:
It comes as no surprise to me that I
have acquired a certain geeky intrigue
to the use of my pedometer. I have
become consumed in constantly checking my progress. Through this I have
been scrutinizing my activity, and
deciding whether or not I need (or
want to) be more active. I admit that
the initial goal of 10,000 steps seemed
to be very much impossible. This was
a byproduct of having absolutely no
gauge as to the amount of steps a person takes in a day.
Challenges Accumulating Steps
Analysis of the pedometer journals
revealed that the majority of the students
found it more challenging to reach
10,000 steps per day than they originally
thought it would be. Students commented
on various challenges they encountered
in the eight-week period, the most
frequently cited being busy work, class
and homework schedules, and cold
weather. Noteworthy were the mixed
results for days when students had paid
employment. Students suggested that if
their work consisted of sedentary activities (e.g., clerking, lifeguarding) they did
not reach the recommended 10,000 steps
per day whereas students who had
physically active jobs (e.g., serving at
a restaurant, stocking items in a retail
Table 1 Average number of steps
accumulated per day over eight-week
period
Steps per day
Less than 5,000
5,000 – 5,999
6,000 – 6,999
7,000 – 7,999
8,000 – 8,999
9,000 – 9,999
10,000 or more
# of students
(n = 34)
5
3
5
7
6
3
5
store, etc.) reported that their job enabled
them to reach this goal. Some students
also commented that on the days where
they had a relaxed schedule, they were
too tired and stressed out to participate in
activity. Unfortunately, these challenges
will probably not diminish if these students succeed in their career choice and
become professional teachers.
Although it was thought students would
be more active during certain days of the
week (e.g., weekends, when not attending classes), analysis of the pedometer
calendars did not support this notion.
However, students’ comments in their
pedometer journals suggested that they
were less active on days where they had
busy class and homework schedules. As
one student highlighted, competing
commitments made it difficult to engage
in activity once school began:
As I look at my school schedule all I can
see for myself is homework, and then
some more. It is this time of year that
everyone speaks of, where everything
that is due sneaks up on you. Tests stack
up on each other and essays collide, creating a homework frenzy that becomes
your whole life! Perhaps I’m overreacting…Now, the days are certainly getting colder, and really this should be no
excuse for the slowing of movement…I
am aware that I need to be more successful at budgeting my time to work in
opportunity to exercise. I’m hoping that
this is something that I will get better
at. I haven’t been to the gym since
school started.
Other challenges recorded in student
journals included frustration with the
pedometer not recording all types of
activity (e.g., weight-lifting, swimming),
that pedometers are sometimes inaccurate, that the pedometers do not give reliable data concerning intensity, and that it
can be difficult to wear a pedometer with
certain outfits (e.g., dresses, loose sweatpants). These challenges are somewhat
consistent with what has been documented in the literature. Tudor-Locke
and Basset (2004) acknowledged that
one limitation regarding pedometers is
that they are not receptive to non-ambulatory activities, for example, swimming.
Similar to challenges noted in student
journals, Cagle (2004) cautioned about
the occurrence of false readings. However, IDEA (2003) completed a comparison of electronic pedometers and found
that generally pedometers are accurate for
counting steps. Similarly Tudo-Locke
and Bassett (2004) also noted that
pedometers accurately detect steps taken.
Although preliminary entries in student
pedometer journals tended to focus on the
challenges experienced, by the second to
third week, students began to identify the
benefits of pedometer usage.
Perhaps the students who mentioned
inaccurate recordings purchased lower
quality models. In line with another challenge that most students mentioned,
Tudor-Locke and Bassett (2004) and
IDEA (2003) both noted that pedometers do not measure intensity.
Benefits of and Strategies for Increasing
Steps
Although preliminary entries in student
pedometer journals tended to focus on
the challenges experienced, by the second
to third week, students began to identify
the benefits of pedometer usage. Some
students suggested that wearing the
pedometer and tracking their steps made
them begin to analyze their activity levels
and think about how inactive they were.
Students also commented that, in the
eight-week period, they began to think
about strategies to overcome some of the
challenges they were facing. Some strategies listed included finding ways to be
active inside once the weather became
colder (e.g., buying a gym pass, jogging
on the spot in their home, jumping
rope). Strategies to combat busy schedules included planning physical activity
and taking activity breaks within their
schedules. At the beginning of the assignment some students identified that their
daily steps were low on days that they
were stressed out or tired. Later in the
project, some of these students reported
that they decided to use physical activity
as a way to relieve stress or boost energy.
All students indicated that by engaging in
this assignment, they began to think
about how important it is to be active
and how important it is to identify strate-
gies to overcome the challenges people
face when trying to be active.
Role Modelling for Children
Analysis of the pedometer journal
responses indicated that a vast majority of
the students acknowledged they would
be role models for children. By participating in this assignment, most students
believed that they became more thoughtful about the roles they would play
enabling their future students to become
physically active. Students commented
on the importance of not only educating
children on the importance of being
active, but also stressed the importance of
leading healthy, active lifestyles themselves so the children could model their
behaviour. One student commented:
It would seem to me that the pedometer is the perfect tool for introducing
children to methods of managing
their active lifestyle. Without incorporating physically demanding exercises or the need for space or equipment, this is an opportunity for students to gauge their physical activity.
I think that the pedometer could be
seen as a gateway into further and
continued physical activity. Through
the simple task of wearing and documenting their pedometer and its
findings, students can’t help but gain
an intrigue and investment into their
physical activity. They can then build
on this initial interest and perhaps see
it grow further as interest in their
own physical activity increases.
Students also commented that because
the pedometer assignment opened their
eyes to the challenges people face in
being physically active, including being
at work or school for the vast majority of
the day, it is important for teachers to
provide opportunities for children to be
active while at school. The students suggested that activity should not just take
place in the confines of the physical education curriculum or gymnasium environment, but that activity breaks should
also be structured throughout the daily
class schedule. Some students went as far
as commenting on various activities that
could be implemented, many of which
included the use of class pedometers
(e.g., having the class set a goal of walking the world; picking a place to visit
for a class field trip, then tracking the
steps and “walking” to that destination
before actually traveling there on a bus;
challenging other classes or grades to a
healthy competition and school districts
challenging other schools districts, etc.).
A few students were so enthused and
motivated by the assignment that they
took the initiative and searched the Internet to find organizations that lend
pedometer kits to schools (e.g.,
Saskatchewan In Motion).
Conclusions
Although we found it disheartening, but
not atypical, that a large percentage of
these students did not meet the dailyrecommended number of steps to
achieve health benefits from physical
activity, findings from this project
indicated that pedometers did serve as a
useful tool in allowing these students the
opportunity to measure and reflect upon
their activity levels. It is important to
provide the opportunity for pre-service
teachers to personally assess their own
activity levels and potentially recognize
their important responsibility as healthy,
active role models for impressionable
children. By participating in this course
assignment, where they were required to
record their steps and reflect upon their
experience, students began to understand
their own health challenges, the role they
may have in encouraging children to be
physically active, and to strategize ways to
become more active personally. n
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QUALIT Y SCHOOL HEALTH
Educational Change and the Health Promoting
Schools Approach
By Doug Gleddie
A
health promoting schools approach (HPS) essentially seeks to
transform the educational environment or culture into one that is
supportive and inclusive of health. Although there is very little literature
directly linking HPS and educational change, the literature on educational
change in general has much to offer those hoping to transform school
culture through HPS. Given what we already know about the efficacy and
implementation of HPS (Deschesnes, Martin & Hill, 2003; Gleddie &
Melnychuk, 2010; Inchley, Muldoon & Currie, 2006; Mitchell et al., 2000;
Mukoma & Flisher, 2004; Stewart-Brown, 2006; St Leger, 1999; WHO
1996), three aspects of educational change will be explored below:
1) The role of professional development;
2) Leadership capacity building; and
3) The concept of cultural change in educational settings.
The professional development of teachers
is widely recognized as one of the essential
elements of implementation (Fullan,
Cuttress & Kilcher, 2005; Hargreaves &
Fink, 2003; Hargreaves and Fullan, 2000;
Moffett, 2000; Thompson, 2003;
Trubowitz, 2001). Michael Fullan, a long
time advocate for educational change and
reform wrote, “...research on implementation has demonstrated beyond a shadow
of a doubt that the process of sustained
interaction and staff development are
crucial regardless of what the change is
concerned with” (1991, p. 86).
A number of authors also agree that professional development must go beyond
the beginning of implementation and
extend throughout the process (Fullan,
Cultress & Kilcher, 2005; Moffett, 2000;
Thompson, 2003). In this way, teachers
are supported with specific, timely professional development after they have had a
chance to experience contextual learning.
Trubowitz (2001) notes that since educators are often isolated in their classrooms
and schools, professional development in
a district-wide initiative must also include
training in “collaboration skills” such
as group processes, role definition, and
listening skills. Moffett (2000) not only
supports abundant staff development but
also time for adult learning, coupled with
a reduction of fragmentation and overload
so that teachers can take time to reflect on
and improve their practice.
Educational change requires leadership at
many levels (Fullan, 2002; Hargreaves,
2007; Hargreaves & Fink, 2003;
Hargreaves & Fink, 2006; O’Neill,
2000). Moffett (2000) advocates for the
use of internal and external facilitators to
build capacity for leadership among
teachers in a school system. Hargreaves
(2009) insists that leadership must be
distributed more widely than just to
principals and superintendents and points
to poor succession practices as a critical
issue for educational change. He also
points to four opportunities that are to be
found in quality leadership succession:
increasing leadership stability; building
Doug Gleddie is the Director of the Ever
Active Schools program and is a graduate
student at the University of Alberta. His
research interests include the implementation and evaluation of Health Promoting
Schools as well as the role of play, fun and
joy in pedagogy – especially as applied to
physical education. Doug is a recipient of
the R.Tait Mackenzie Award of Honour
(PHE Canada) and the Robert Routledge
Award (HPEC).
systematic leadership; developing distributed leadership, and creating coaches for
new leaders. A number of authors raise
the importance of sustainable leadership
(Hargreaves & Fink, 2003; Hargreaves
and Fink, 2006; Moffett, 2000). Fullan
(2002) identifies four components of
sustainability: developing the social environment; contextual learning; leadership
cultivation at multiple levels; and enhancing the teaching profession itself through
improved working conditions.
REFERENCES
Deschesnes, M., Martin, C. and Hill, A.J. (2003)
Comprehensive approaches to school health promotion: how to achieve broader implementation?
Health Promotion International, 18(4), 387-396.
Fullan, M. (2002). The change leader. Educational
Leadership, May, 16-20.
Fullan, M. (2009). Large-scale reform comes of age.
Journal of Educational Change, 10, 101-113.
Fullan, M., Cuttress, C., & Kilcher, A. (2005). 8
forces for leaders of change. Journal of Staff Development, 26(4), 54-64.
“Transforming culture—changing what
people in the organization value and how
they work together to accomplish it—
leads to deep, lasting change” (Fullan,
2002, p. 18). As stated above, lasting
educational change needs to reach deeper
than a program or initiative and become a
cultural shift of values and processes
(Fullan, Cuttress & Kilcher, 2005;
Hargreaves & Fink, 2003; O’Neil, 2000).
Moffett (2000) discusses developing a
reform-supporting infrastructure. He
notes that the following processes are
crucial: “A creative communication
networking system—including frequent
stakeholder meetings, focus groups, faceto-face dialogue, small group information
sharing, ongoing oral and written
updates, and parent and community
meetings...” (p. 35). Hargreaves and Fink
(2006) also support community consultation as a critical component to cultural
change.
The discussion of cultural change in
educational settings involves a systemic
change as well as moral purpose (Fullan,
2002; Fullan, Cuttress & Kilcher, 2005;
Hargreaves, 2009; Hargreaves & Shirley,
2009; O’Neill, 2000). Systemic change
requires a shift not only at the school
level, but in the district, between districts,
and provincially as well. Deep, systemic
change involves all staff, infrastructure,
policy, practice, strategy, and resource
allocation. Fullan (2002) rejects the principal as instructional leader and instead
refers to a Cultural Change Principal as
someone who can create fundamental
change to the learning cultures and even
the teaching profession itself.
Fullan, Cuttress, and Kilcher (2005)
identify eight forces for leaders of change,
the first of which is to engage people’s
moral purpose. The authors define moral
purpose in educational change as
“...improving society through improving
educational systems and thus the learning
of all citizens” (p. 54). In the proposed
model, moral purpose is a goal and a
process—the other seven forces exist to
enable the first. Cultural change viewed in
this light seeks to engage a type of reform
that is concerned with democracy, social
justice, equity, narrowing gaps, and developing contributing citizens. In conclusion,
I offer the following quote from The
Fourth Way: The Inspiring Future for
Educational Change (Hargreaves & Shirley,
2009), which illustrates the potential for
more future linkages between HPS and
educational change:
A compelling and inclusive moral
purpose steers a system, binds it
together, and draws the best people to
work in it. Literacy and numeracy are
sometimes such a purpose and should
always be an educational priority.
But they are not always the right
reform priority, especially when
schools and nations are already high
performers in those areas, or when
they sideline other emphases that need
more attention. For instance, while
Canada ranks very high on tested
literacy achievement and on economic
prosperity as measures of educational
wellbeing, it performs very poorly in
self, family, peer-related, or healthbased well-being. (p. 76) n
Gleddie, D. L., & Melnychuk, N. E. (2010). An
introduction to the Battle River Project: District
implementation of a health promoting schools
approach. Physical and Health Education Journal,
75(4), 24-29.
Hargreaves, A. (2007). The long and short of educational change. Education Canada, 47(3), 16-23.
Hargreaves, A. (2009). Leadership succession and
sustainable improvement. School Administrator,
66(11), 10-15.
Hargreaves, A., & Fink, D. (2003). Sustaining leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, May, 693-700.
Hargreaves, A., & Fink, D. (2006). The ripple
effect. Educational Leadership, 63(8), 16-20.
Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2000). Mentoring in
the new millennium. Theory into Practice, 39(1),
50-56.
Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. (2009). The fourth
way: the inspiring future for educational change.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Inchley, J., Muldoon, J. and Currie, C. (2006)
Becoming a health promoting school: evaluating the
process of effective implementation in Scotland.
Health Promotion International, 22(1), 65-71.
Moffett, C.A. (2000). Sustaining change: the
answers are blowing in the wind. Educational Leadership, May, 35-38.
O’Neill, J. (2000). Fads and fireflies: the difficulties
of sustaining change. Educational Leadership, April,
6-9.
Sharratt, L., Fullan, M. (2006). Accomplishing district wide reform. Journal of School Leadership,
16(5), 583-595.
St. Leger, L. (1999). The opportunities and effectiveness of the health promoting primary school
in improving child health: A review of the claims
and evidence. Health Education Research, 14(1), 5169.
Stewart-Brown, S. (2006) What is the evidence on
school health promotion in improving health or
preventing disease and, specifically, what is the effectiveness of the health promoting schools approach?
Health Evidence Network Report. Copenhagen:
WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Thompson, S. (2003). Creating a high performance
school system. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(7), 489-495.
Trubowitz, S. (2001). Predictable problems in
achieving large-scale change. Phi Delta Kappan,
October, 166-168
WHO. (1996). Regional guidelines: Development of
health promoting schools: A framework for action
(Health Promoting Schools, Series 5). Manila:
WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
PHE Canada provides its members with a variety of avenues for professional development
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and opportunities to join our team as a volunteer. All our products and services keep
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PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE
Master Your Pedometer: An Analysis
Of Pedometers As A Motivational Tool
For Increased Physical Activity In
Grade Five Students
By Erik Labrosse, M.A. & Roger Couture, PhD
Introduction
P
Erik Labrosse, M.A. is Manager for school
health promotion, Health Promotion
Division,for the Sudbury and District
Health Unit in Sudbury, Ontario.
Roger T. Couture, PhD is a Full Professor
and Dean of the Faculty of Professional
Schools atLaurentian University in
Sudbury, Ontario.
arents, public health officials, as well as governmental and nongovernmental agencies are pressuring elementary schools to
assume greater responsibility for reaching beyond the physical and
health education curriculum. These groups insist that schools create
opportunities for students to be physically active throughout the
entire school day and beyond. At the same time, Health and Physical
Education (HPE) programs suffer because of increasing pressure to
ensure that students perform well in academic disciplines (James,
Dennison, Kohl, & Doyle, 2004). Combined with a lack of appropriate performance measures for physical activity, insufficient school
infrastructure, and the absence of HPE specialist support in most elementary schools (Dwyer, Allison, Barrera, Hansen, Goldenberg, and
Boutilier, 2003), the challenges facing HPE programs in such schools
seem insurmountable (Davison, 2009).
Using creative partnerships and resourceful programming, it is possible to meet
these challenges. Increasingly, schools are
the favoured target of physical activity
promoters and researchers because they
offer a captive audience for approximately six hours a day for most of the year
(Budd & Volpe, 2006). In addition to
HPE programs, promoters and
researchers recognize that students have
many distinct opportunities to be active
in a typical school day such as recess,
lunch, and before and after school
(Beighle, Morgan, Le Masurier, &
Pangrazi, 2006).
Resourceful school-based physical activity
programming could involve the use of
pedometers. Pedometers are quickly
becoming the measurement tool of
choice among researchers for field
(authentic assessment) measurement of
activity levels in children (Vincent &
Pangrazzi, 2002). They are unobtrusive,
simple to operate, and low cost (Rowe,
Mahar, Raedeke, & Lore, 2004).
Pedometers are also useful as a tracking
device, continuously providing feedback
on current activity levels and as a
reminder to the user to be active (TudorLocke, McClain, Heart, Sisson & Wash-
ington, 2009). It is unclear whether the
novelty of wearing a pedometer, or the
visual feedback shown in a step-count,
has a greater impact (Eastep, Beveridge,
Eiseman, Ransdell and Shultz, 2004).
Other studies have examined behavioural
performance changes through the use of
pedometers. Vincent and Pangrazzi
(2002) found small (1000 fewer steps)
changes in two days using sealed
pedometers. Rowe, Mahar, Raedeke and
Lore (2004) found a small increase of
1000 steps when applying unsealed
pedometers. Though neither of these
studies showed statistical significance,
studies of longer duration have found significant differences.
Butcher, Fairclough, Stratton, and
Richardson (2007) in an earlier study
examined the effects of using pedometers
for one week with feedback. Butcher et
al. (2007) measured 177 students (mean
age 9.124 ± 1.11 years) in three elementary schools for five consecutive days.
Their study was limited to five days,
without weekends. Though it was found
that general physical activity information
and step-count feedback had increased
the physical activity (number of steps) in
elementary school students during the
short term, it was recommended that a
longer intervention period be used.
Thus, in the following study, the duration was expanded to include weekends
for a total of fourteen days. The premise
The purpose of this study was to determine if
the difference between constant access to
step-counts and weekly knowledge of stepcounts for grade five children would make a
difference in number of steps they took after
14 consecutive days.
behind this study was that physical activity should be part of people’s lifestyles;
incorporation into their non-school
physical activity was deemed important.
Methodology
The purpose of this study was to determine
if the difference between constant access
to step-counts and weekly knowledge of
step-counts for grade five children would
make a difference in number of steps
they took after 14 consecutive days. In
spring 2004, four partners—a francoph-
This pilot study explored the difference between continuous access to step-counts and
weekly knowledge of step-counts with grade five children. Twenty-six students in a
grade five class, the classroom teacher, a Public Health nurse, and a Health & Physical Education teacher took part in this study. There was an equal distribution of
10 and 11 year olds and an almost equal distribution of boys (n = 14) and girls (n
= 12). During a two-week study, grade five and six male and female subjects wore
a pedometer, and observed and reflected on the visual feedback (i.e., step counts,
activity logs) from their pedometer. Subjects wearing unsealed pedometers accumulated 27% more steps when compared to subjects wearing sealed pedometers.
Weekly discussions with the Public Health nurse and physical education teacher
revealed how participating students from both groups were supportive of each other’s
progress, openly shared challenges and successes related to daily physical activity, and
became champions for physical activity in their school. Visual feedback from
pedometers combined with group discussions with a teacher and the Public Health
nurse, as well as activity tracking appears to make positive changes in exercise
adherence.
one school board in northern Ontario,
Laurentian University, the Sudbury and
District Health Unit, and Maytag Canada
—examined the lack of physical activity
in youth. Following feedback, a modest
project evolved toward health promotion
through the use of pedometers with
young children as a motivational tool. As
a result, researchers planned a two-week
study in the summer of 2004 with the
aim of being unobtrusive to their daily
school activities.
Cette étude pilote examinait l’écart entre les résultats obtenus par des élèves de 5e année
qui étaient à même de vérifier constamment le compte de pas sur leur pédomètre et
ceux obtenus par les élèves qui ne pouvaient vérifier le compte de pas sur leur
pédomètre qu’une fois par semaine. Vingt-six élèves de 5e année, ainsi que l’enseignant
titulaire, une infirmière de santé publique et un enseignant d’éducation physique, ont
participé à l’étude. Il y avait un nombre identique d’enfants de 10 ans et 11 ans et
une réparation quasi-égale de garçons (n = 14) et de filles (n = 12). Dans le cadre
de cette étude de deux semaines, des filles et des garçons de 5e année et de 6e année ont
utilisé un pédomètre, réfléchi à son usage et fait part de leurs rétroactions face aux
indices visuels (c.-à-d. le compte de pas, le registre des activités) fournis par leur
pédomètre, Les participants qui utilisaient des pédomètres avec écran visible ont accumulé 27 % plus de pas que les participants qui utilisaient un pédomètre à écran caché.
Les discussions hebdomadaires organisées avec l’infirmière de santé publique et l’enseignant d’éducation physique ont révélé que les jeunes des deux groupes s’encourageaient, qu’ils parlaient ouvertement de leurs défis et réussites en matière d’activité
physique et qu’ils étaient devenus de véritables champions de l’activité physique au sein
de l’école. Ensemble, les indices visuels des pédomètres, les discussions de groupe avec
l’enseignant et l’infirmière de santé publique, ainsi que la vérification des activités,
ont eu des effets bénéfiques sur le degré d’adhésion à un régime d’exercice.
Participants and Tools
Twenty-six students in a grade five class,
the classroom teacher, a Public Health
Nurse, and an HPE teacher took part in
this study. There was an equal distribution of ten and 11 year olds and an
almost equal distribution of boys (n = 14)
and girls (n = 12). Students wore the
pedometers during the entire day (before,
during, and after school) for two weeks,
including four weekend days.
Descriptive data was collected and the
tools consisted of three primary instruments: 1) a pedometer, 2) a logbook and,
3) a self-report questionnaire. The pedometer used was (Yamax SW-200) of high
quality, and was accurate and reliable for
use with both adults and children
(Vincent & Pangrazi, 2002). Students
were asked to complete a weekly Physical
Activity Inventory and Goal Setting
exercise logbook from the Canadian
Youth Physical Activity Guide. All participating students and the teacher completed
a written self-report questionnaire and
participated in a weekly group discussion.
Table 1: Participant Profiles at Baseline
Variables
Experimental 1
Experimental 2
Control
Sample Size (n)
9
9
8
Average
Body Mass (kg)
43.8
2 missing
42.6
1 missing
37.7
Average
Height (cm)
150
2 missing
147
1 missing
145
Average
BMI (kg-m²)
19.4
2 missing
19.5
1 missing
17.6
Missing = Subject did not participate in measurements or was absent
Figure 1: Two-Week Step Counts
Procedure
Laurentian University and the Sudbury
and District Health Unit Research
Review Committee gave ethical approval
for this study. The school board’s Director of Education, school staff (teachers
and school administration), and parents
all provided consent, as did the children
(assent). In consultation with schoolteachers, the questionnaires, measuring
tools, and activities were identified and
checked for age appropriateness, and to
ensure they were convenient for the
school’s regular schedule.
The lead investigator prepared the teachers in this study by offering a 45-minute
training session prior to the start of the
project. On the first morning of the
study, a certified fitness appraiser, the
Public Health Nurse, and the HPE
teacher collected baseline measures of
age, sex, height, weight, and resting heart
rate. Shortly thereafter, students took
part in a 45-minute interactive orientation workshop involving the proper
wearing of the pedometer, correct
calibration, and a 10-15 minute practice
walk around the school area. Students
were randomly assigned to one of three
groups: 1) those with visible pedometer
counts, 2) those with sealed pedometers
(no feedback), and 3) a control group.
The group wearing the pedometers with
visible counts (n = 9) was given a waist
belt. This group had daily access to personal and group pedometer counts and
was required to complete a step counting
journal, as well as a weekly goal setting
activity. Subjects in the second group
(n = 9) were assigned a sealed (using a
tie-down strap) pedometer where the
step count was hidden.
For both groups, the lead investigator,
the Public Health Nurse, the HPE
teacher and the classroom teacher all
collected pedometer counts each morning after recess. Students were responsible
for completing and submitting weekend
step counts on a separate card that was
given to the HPE teacher after Monday
morning recess. The results were shared
with both groups wearing pedometers at
the end of both weeks. Subjects in the
control group did not receive any intervention beyond normal school-based
Physical Education programming. At the
end of fourteen days, students met
staff to discuss their experiences with
the pedometer and ask questions. All
students were given a prize incentive
(walkman radio) and other students not
involved in the study all received
pedometers and related programming
after the initial two-week study was
finished. Pedometer data was analyzed
through SPSS for Windows version
12.0. Teachers and students’ comments
pertaining to future practices with
pedometers and elementary schools children, are outlined below.
Table 2: Comments Made by Students and Teachers
Questions Using the pedometer
Teacher
Opinions
(n = 2)
Student
Opinions
(n = 26)
Tools and activities were
age and school
appropriate; believe
majority of students
benefited from
participation in study,
did not detract from
other school commitments.
Pedometer was easy to use,
no problem wearing after
school and weekends, did
not get in the way of
other activities, would
continue to wear if given
a choice.
Orientation Sessions
Support from
Research Team
Teacher orientation was
fun and useful.
Support provided by
research team was
adequate; would feel
confident continuing
project alone.
Provide pedometers for all students
and teachers at the school, especially
younger students (Grade 2, 3 & 4);
project created a real “buzz” in the
school during the full two weeks.
Student orientation was
fun and useful.
Students enjoyed
discussion sessions with
investigators.
It was more fun to see numbers on the
pedometer, offer recess activities using
pedometer, need more games using
pedometers, everyone at school should
have one.
Results
With the exception of the control group’s
weight, the groups were generally similar
in average height and body mass index as
seen in Table 1.
Step count results for group A (unsealed
step-counter) and group B (sealed stepcounter) are found in Figure 1. Subjects
wearing unsealed pedometers accumulated an average of approximately 207,000
steps over the study while subjects wearing
sealed pedometers accumulated an average
of approximately 151,000 steps during the
same period. The difference between
groups in number of steps was 27%.
Using an Independent T test, a significance level of p = 0.059 was calculated.
On average, subjects from both groups
accumulated more steps during week two.
At the end of the study, teachers and
students completed a written survey of
their impressions concerning the tools,
activities, and willingness to implement a
similar program in the future (See Table 2).
Both, teachers and students expressed
that the study was fun, useful, as well as
age and school appropriate. It was also
noted that the level of support provided
by the research team and the Public
Health Unit was appropriate.
Suggestions & Comments
Table 3: How to Remember your Pedometer
1. Find a Pedometer Buddy: Someone who will call you in the morning to remind you
to clip on your pedometer
2. Leave your pedometer in the protective case where you store your glasses
3. Leave your pedometer clipped to your pants for the next day
4. Give your pedometer to your mother before going to bed
5. Personalize your pedometer with stickers and writings
Qualitative observations
Three unexpected outcomes were noted
during the study. The school fully
endorsed the study by adding a graphic
representation of the pedometer study
(adding a tiny yellow foot on each day of
the study) in the school’s monthly calendar.
A monthly calendar is regularly given to
students, teachers, and parents/guardians.
Group maturity became apparent during
weekly discussions with students and
teachers. Students spoke openly about
their experiences wearing the pedometer.
Conversations focused on challenges
with wearing the unit during vigorous
activities and when specific clothing was
detrimental to the pedometer’s effectiveness; activities such as horseback riding
could be problematic for example. It
became visibly obvious that students
respected each other and understood the
necessity of keeping the personal results
confidential to avoid hurt feelings. As a
general observation, the researchers were
impressed by this positive behaviour,
which was likely due to the positive
school culture. Students from both
groups shared ideas on how to help each
other remember to clip on their pedometer
in the morning (See Table 3).
Discussion
This study examined the difference in
number of steps between constant and
weekly access of step-counts with grade
five children for 14 days. With a 27%
difference and a significance level
approaching p= 0.05, the importance of
being able to see the number of steps was
immediately obvious. Immediate feedback has been shown in the past to
increase the number of steps (Butcher,
Fairclough, Stratton and Richardson,
2007). This study builds on previous
research in this area by adopting a participative approach to school-based
research (Tudor-Locke, Hatano, Pangrazi
and Kang, 2008; Zizzi, et al., 2006). The
results of this present study were based on
for future studies. Furthermore, it is recommended that researchers look beyond
measures of height and weight as criteria
for establishing group homogeneity.
Most of the participants in this study
increased their number of step counts,
expressed a willingness to continue wearing
a pedometer, and demonstrated a new
awareness toward personal activity levels
as evidenced during weekly group discussions. Teachers commented that the study
enhanced the curriculum, particularly the
Physical and Health Education portions.
It was also suggested that students in all
grades would have benefitted from this
project.
Most of the participants in this study
increased their number of step counts,
expressed a willingness to continue wearing
a pedometer, and demonstrated a new
awareness toward personal activity levels as
evidenced during weekly group discussions.
14 consecutive days, including weekends.
Though it is an improvement, results
must be interpreted with caution. Randomization within such a small group
created a gender imbalance in the experimental groups. For example, more boys
were randomly assigned to wearing
unsealed pedometers. In a study by
Vincent and Pangrazzi (2002), boys were
found to be more active than girls when
activity is measured using pedometers.
In addition, teachers were an integral part
of this study and we suspect that their
enthusiasm and availability to the
students also may have had a positive
effect on the physical activity behaviour
of all students.
Efforts were made to purposely plan for
more preparation time initially to deliver
well-planned orientation sessions for
teachers, school staff, and students. The
method used for data collection with
both sealed and unsealed pedometers
showed that individuality in elementary
school children must not be neglected.
For instance, even though students in the
control group were told that they would
have access to the pedometers for the
study, they were disappointed in their
assignment. Although our baseline measures were collected confidentially, a few
of the students exercised their right not to
participate in baseline measures. A more
inclusive methodology is recommended
Students in lower Grades (1, 2, 3 and 4)
had shown a great deal of curiosity
toward the grade five students’ pedometers, particularly during recess. Grade five
subjects became Pedometer Ambassadors
and created a “buzz” in the school. Each
member in the partnership between the
School Board, Public Health, the University, and the private sector (Maytag) each
assumed key roles. It is recommended that
other such arrangements be considered.
Results in this study showed that pedometers, could have an impact in motivating
children to be physically active. However,
not all studies have had similar results.
Vincent and Pangrazzi (2002) reported a
small decrease in steps from day one to day
two (sealed pedometers). Rowe and
colleagues (2004) reported a small increase
of 1000 steps (unsealed pedometers).
Although these differences were not
statistically significant, it is noteworthy
to examine if a difference of 1000 steps
during a day is a physiologically, psychologically, and socially significant change in
behaviour.
Conclusion
The onus to create physically active
opportunities for students during an
entire day should be placed on teachers,
school staff, students, parents, and the
health community (i.e., Public Health
authorities, Universities, etc.). The use of
pedometers along with age-appropriate
tools is a creative and resourceful
approach to alleviate sedentary behaviour
(Butcher et al., 2007). The pedometer
alone is not a panacea. However, tools
like the pedometer accompanied by
fitting activities can deliver objective
measures of physical activity, require little
or no infrastructure, are simple and easy
to use, and can be integrated into the
academic curriculum with ease. n
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Pangrazi, R. P. (2006). Children’s physical activity
during recess and outside of school. Journal of School
Health, 76(10), 516-520.
Ozdoba, R., Corbin, C., & Le Masurier, G. (2004).
Does reactivity exist in children when measuring activity
levels with unsealed pedometers? Paediatric Exercise
Science, 16, 158-166.
Budd, G. M., & Volpe, S. L. (2006). School-based
obesity prevention: research, challenges, and recommendations. Journal of School Health, 76(10), 485-495.
Rowe, D. A., Mahar, M. T., Raedeke, T. D., & Lore, J.
(2004). Measuring physical activity in children with
pedometers: reliability, reactivity, and replacement of
missing data. Paediatric Exercise Science, 16, 343-354.
Butcher, Z., Fairclough, S., Stratton, G., & Richardson,
D. (2007). The effect of feedback and information on
children's pedometer step counts at school. Pediatric
Exercise Science, 19(1), 29-38.
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1966). Experimental and quasi experimental designs for research. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Company.
The authors of this project
would like to thank Maytag
Canada for generously
supplying the pedometers
needed to conduct both
studies and for their continued
interest in our efforts.
Dwyer, J. J., Allison, K. R., Barrera, M., Hansen, B.,
Goldenberg, E., & Boutilier, M. A. (2003). Teachers’
perspective on barriers to implementing physical
activity curriculum guidelines for school children in
Toronto. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 94(6),
448-451.
Davison, K.K. (2009). School performance, lack of
facilities, and safety concerns: barriers to parents’
support of their children’s physical activity. American
Journal of Health Promotion, 23( 5), 315-319.
Eastep, E., Beveridge, S., Eiseman, P., Ransdell, L., &
Shultz, B. (2004). Does augmented feedback from
pedometers increase adults’ walking behavior? Perceptual & Motor Skills, 99(2), 392-402.
Tudor-locke, C., Hatano, Y., Pangrazi, R., and Kang,
M. (2008). Revisiting “How many steps are enough?”.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Supplement, 40, S537.
Tudor-Locke, C., McClain, J.J., Hart, T.L., Sisson,
S.B., Washington, T.L., (2009, June). Pedometry
methods for assessing free-living youth. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 80(2), 175.
Vincent, S. D., & Pangrazi, R. P. (2002). An examination of the activity patterns of elementary school
children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 14, 432-441.
Vincent, S. D., & Pangrazi, R. P. (2002). Does reactivity
exist in children when measuring activity levels with
pedometers? Pediatric Exercise Science, 14, 56-63.
Zizzi, S., Vitullo, E., Rye, J., O’Hara-Tompkins, N.,
Abildso, C., Fisher, B., et al. (2006). Impact of a threeweek pedometer intervention on high school students’
daily step counts and perceptions of physical activity.
American Journal of Health Education, 37(1), 35-40.
James, S. A., Dennison, D. A., Kohl III, H. W., &
Doyle, J. A. (2004). Exercise level and energy expenditure in the take 10! In-class physical activity program.
Journal of School Health, 74(10), 397-400.
QUALITY DAILY PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Using Physical Activity to Develop Life Skills:
The Manchester Example
By Ashley Johnson, Ishan Angra, Brandy Dewar, Jillian Weir, Ryan McIntyre,
Rafal Jedraszczyk and Cassandra Iannucci
F
or the youth who visit the Manchester Neighbourhood Community
House every day after school, the space has become a second home. Here,
students get help with homework, they learn how to cook, they play games
and, most importantly, it is a place to be with friends. Nicknamed “Everybody’s Place”, the colourful and vibrant centre is an after school drop-in site
for youth living in the Manchester neighbourhood of St. Catharines, Ontario.
The site houses one of five after school programs developed by the Resource
Association for Teens (RAFT), which is funded by the United Way. These
sites are located in neighbourhoods in the Niagara region that face significant
socioeconomic difficulties. The Manchester site program has become a
constant in the community, attracting between 15 and 40 children and
teenagers per day and growing.
In September 2009, personnel from
RAFT and the United Way approached
students from the Physical Education and
Kinesiology Department at Brock
University to develop physical activity
programming for the RAFT Manchester
and Thorold after school sites. Graduate
and undergraduate physical education
students at Brock embraced this opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge
gained in their studies to support an
integral community program and develop
a lasting partnership.
With a focus on using physical activity
and sport as a vehicle for developing life
skills, activities were designed to facilitate
the development of living skills such as
critical thinking, problem solving, cooperation, teamwork, and communication.
Also, the aim of this project was to aid
these youth in attaining knowledge and
expertise on how to take care of themselves, the people around them, and the
environment. Moreover, the engagement
and exposure to these activities would
allow for the development of a wide range
of skill sets that are transferable to other
movement forms and life opportunities.
The authors were a mixed group of undergraduate and graduate students in the Physical Education and Kinesiology Department
at Brock University.
One to two hours was spent leading activities at each site every week, while at the
same time supporting opportunities for
the youth to be future leaders in their
communities. For example, activities were
designed to provide the youth with the
skills needed to facilitate games with their
peers and develop ways to encourage others
to be physically active. By engaging in this
active, life-skills focused programming,
the youth have started to build the fundamental skills necessary to be healthy and
physically active throughout their lives.
Sample Activity
Activity: Cultrayed (cultra=hand, yed= ball)
Objectives:
• To develop strategy of space so students can place an object or themselves into
open space
• To develop communication skills while working with others to achieve a
common goal
Rules:
• Students are divided into two equal teams (group size and team can be altered
in line with varying numbers of participants)
• A line or object is designated as the “middle” of the playing area and four (4)
pylons or lines are used to create the boundaries for the playing area
• Using a utility (playground) ball, players must pass to a minimum of four (4)
different people on their team before being able to throw the ball over the
“middle”
• The ball may bounce a maximum of one time on a team’s side
• Each team member must call out the name of the person to whom he or she is
passing
• If the player whose name is called out is not the person that catches the ball,
then the person who threw the ball must join the other team
• The objective is to get all players on one side on the playing area
Equipment:
• Utility ball
• Four (4) pylons
Refinement:
• When throwing, players should try to look to open space on their opponent’s side
• Quick passes are best so the opposing team has less time to set up or prepare
Simplification:
• Decrease playing area
• Allow 2 bounces
A variety of activities were presented to
the youth at these sites, which were both
new and familiar. For example, the
Manchester teens were introduced to the
net/wall game Sepaktakraw. Meaning
‘kick volleyball’, Sepaktakraw is popular
in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Despite having some difficulty maintaining a rally while playing, the teens enjoyed
Leadership – Unity Games
On Saturday April 10th, 2010, Brock
University in collaboration with the
United Way, RAFT and other Niagara
organizations coordinated the “Niagara
Unity Games” at the university. The
Niagara Unity Games is a new initiative
based on models that Dr. Jamie Mandigo
(Department of Physical Education and
Kinesiology) and his students have facilitated through an international course in
the Caribbean and El Salvador since
2005. With a focus on life skills development, Unity Games uses physical activity
and sport as tools to promote lifeskills
among youth. Based on the success of the
Unity Games with international youth,
the idea for a Niagara Unity Games was
born.
Unity Games – The Event
Extension:
• Use a tennis ball
• Increase the playing area
• Use feet instead of hands
• The ball cannot bounce on the ground
Moreover, the youth have developed
important critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills that can be
transferred into their everyday lives.
In Cultrayed, players develop skills of
teamwork and communication, both of
which are essential for achievement.
Teamwork is evidenced in the players
working together towards a common
goal; each individual contributing to the
team’s success. Various communication
skills are developed as the students
interact with each other using verbal and
non-verbal cues to elicit their plans of
action.
the challenge and novelty of the game. In
response to the rally challenges, the teens
were asked how the game could be modified to increase success. Collectively, the
players made changes to the rules of the
game to alter its structure and create their
own game named Cultrayed, which
means hand ball in Arabic. This new
creation allowed the youth to generate
a game that met their ability levels and
provided an opportunity to problem solve
collectively. Instructions for Cultrayed are
explained in the sample activity provided
in the box.
Youth from across the Niagara Region
who participate in the after-school
programs facilitated by the United Way
and RAFT joined Brock student volunteers
for the day. The event included participation in a series of cooperative games highlighting a variety of UNICEF-sanctioned
life skills including self-esteem, responsibility, leadership, communication, respect,
fair play, inclusion, team work, problem
solving, and cooperation. The activities
were structured in a series of stations, two
of which were led by the youth from
Manchester.
Turnout was tremendous and exceeded
our goal of 100 youth ranging in age from
5 to 13 years old. The overwhelming
interest from various United Way afterschool program participants from across
the region, served as both motivation and
excitement to the student volunteers and
community members who lead the event.
The day was kicked off with an opening
ceremony to introduce the participants to
the high energy, positive environment
that set the tone for the day to come.
During the opening ceremonies, the
participants and volunteers engaged in a
“Healthy Active Living” dance lead by
Brock University physical education
students consisting of seven movements
that reflect different components of
healthy active living, including physical
fitness, healthy eating, healthy relationships,
critical and creative thinking, conflict
resolution, emotional well-being, and
spirituality. The “Healthy Active Living”
dance served as both an energy raising
and warm-up activity introducing the
excitement and concepts of the day’s
activities.
After the opening ceremonies, the volunteers and participants paraded into Brock
University’s Bob Davis Gymnasium
where the fun began. Entering into the
venue, one saw a variety of stations with
brightly-coloured life skills signs mapping
out the station rotation, a mixture of blue
and purple t-shirts, and many people
actively engaged in the activities. The
gymnasium was filled with youth cheering, balls being tossed, challenges being
overcome, and friendships being made, all
the while developing critical thinking and
life skills. The teams of youth rotated
through all ten stations throughout the
gymnasium developing and enhancing
their understanding and application of a
different life skill at each one.
To conclude the event, there was a closing
ceremony that highlighted the events of
the day, showcased the musical talents of
the youth from “Everybody’s Place”, and
provided a healthy lunch and functional
swag bag for all participants. The Niagara
Unity Games was a registered event in
celebration of the United Nation’s World
Health Day, Wednesday, April 7th, 2010.
In recognition of World Health Day, the
youth participants engaged in activities
that encouraged physical activity and the
development of life skills. These activities
also worked to foster an understanding
and appreciation of a healthy active
lifestyle.
A Year Later
A new group of undergraduate and
masters students have continued the
program this year and are again volun-
teering at Manchester’s “Everybody’s
Place”. These students have expanded to
include youth from the YMCA of
Niagara’s Leader Corps group, who make
weekly visits to prepare them to become
station leaders at the upcoming event.
With the support of Canadian Tire
Financial Services, the Jump Start Games
will be held May 28th, 2011 at Brock
University with the same focus of developing life skills through physical activity.
This year, the event has also expanded to
include children and youth participants
from the Niagara Peninsula Children’s
Centre. The Unity Games still continues
at
the
international
level
as
Dr. Jamie Mandigo prepares his students
to run the annual event in El Salvador in
early May. These students will then return
to assist the Manchester and Leader
Corps youth in leading the activity
stations on May 28th.
We hope this program will inspire others
across the country to try a similar program. For those participating in the Jump
Start Games: Good luck, have fun, and
healthy living to you all! n
Reach Your Health Goal: Using Brief
Motivational Interviewing for Goal-Setting
By Carol Cox
Introduction
P
ersonal and professional goals can be used to motivate, build confidence, and chart
progress. Setting and managing clear, focused, realistic goals is routinely used in
sports, physical activity, and healthy lifestyle behaviour change activities. As goal-setting
techniques generally lead to higher performance and improved decision-making, teachers and coaches can assist students in setting their own individual, productive, health
and fitness-related goals (Borders, 2009). Individual motivation for making personal
health decisions is important in encouraging a student’s health-enhancing behaviours
and discouraging health-compromising ones. A student’s personal goals need to be consistent with their values in order to guide their health-promoting efforts over a long
period of time. It has been demonstrated that confidence, commitment, and social support all relate to goal attainment. Whether the setting is the gym, field, or health classroom, allowing students to set their own health and fitness goals is suggested in order
to decrease their resistance to the change (Okun & Karoly, 2007).
Motivational interviewing is one strategy
that instructors can use to assist students in
reaching their health and fitness goals.
Used as a client-centered behaviour change
strategy in the clinical setting, motivational interviewing is focused on the instructor’s persuasive ability and social support to
increase the student’s intrinsic motivation
for positive change. It has been used effectively in the healthcare and health promotion settings to assist with lifestyle behaviour change and disease management. In a
meta-analysis of the strategy, motivational
interviewing demonstrated a positive effect
and outperformed traditional motivation
techniques (Ruback, Sandback, Lauritzen,
and Christensen, 2005). For students, the
“brief format” of motivational interviewing
is suggested. The elements or steps of brief
motivational interviewing include listening
to the student and reflecting back what
they said about their possible health behaviour change. The instructor then identifies
the gap between the current health-compromising behaviour and the new healthenhancing behaviour and persuades the
Carol Cox is Professor of Health Science at
Truman State University in Kirksville,
MO. She teaches courses in Community/
Public Health and School Health Programs.
student that change is needed. Avoiding
confrontation, the instructor emphasizes
that it is the student’s free choice to make
the decision and encourages their positive
health and fitness behaviour change. The
instructor then discusses all of the change
Appendix A: Goal-Setting Worksheet
I will…
What you will do
How much you will do
When you are going to do it
How many days/week you are going to do it
Example: This week, I will walk (what) around the school track (how
much) after school (when) three times (how many).
My Goal statement: I will…
Signature/Date
Example for Health Class-based Lesson
Student Level: Students in High School-level Health class
Anticipatory Set:
Ask students to share (Think-Pair-Share) a story with a partner about one time that
they set a goal but did not attain it. Was the goal realistic? Was it specific? Was it really attainable?
Objective: Upon successful completion of “Reach Your Health Goal” the student will:
Correctly demonstrate the six skills of brief motivational interviewing to assist their
partner in setting a realistic health goal as evaluated in a skills check.
Provide Input:
Students can use goal-setting skills to enhance their health and to adhere to any health
behaviour changes they may make. Before students can make a positive health behaviour action plan or behaviour change contract, however, they need to set their health
goal. Since goals are important motivators of health behaviour change, they need to
be realistic, specific, and attainable.
In-class narrative:
Motivation is the reason people take action. Many people both want and don’t want
to make a health behaviour change; so the aim is to enhance motivation to change.
Today, we will engage in the brief motivational interviewing technique (MI) with a
partner who is trying to set a health goal. This technique will assist the partner in
exploring the importance of the healthy goal and assessing how confident they are that
they can make the change. The steps in the technique are:
1. Exploring importance – looking at the positive and negative consequences of the
unhealthy behaviour. Ask your partner: What are any good things about your current behaviour? What are the bad things about your current behaviour?
2. Scaling Questions – to see how important the old behaviour is and how confident
they are to change. Ask your partner: On a scale of 0-5, how important is it for you
to change to a more healthy behaviour? On a scale of 0-5, how confident are you
about making the change?
a. Follow-up with: What will help you move higher on the scales? How high does
it have to be before you attempt to change?
3. Summarize and invite action – Express empathy and invite your partner to collaborate in providing a solution. Ask: Where does that leave you now? What would
you like to do to make a change?
4. Build confidence – allow your partner the chance to build confidence in their ability to change. Ask: In the past, what was helpful when you tried to change? Do you
know anyone who has made this change? If so, what can you learn from their
attempts to change?
5. Provide information – help your partner by providing information from your
Health class about the risks of unhealthy behaviours and the benefits of healthy
behaviours. Ask: How much do you already know about the health risks or health
benefits? Is there anything more that you would like to know?
6. Set the Goal – collaborate to come up with a concrete, short-term goal that is highly specific (Miller & Rollnick, 2002). Use/complete the Goal Setting Worksheet
together. (Appendix A).
Model Ideal Behaviour:
The teacher takes a student through the six steps as an example (i.e., they make a
demonstration).
Check for Comprehension:
In pairs, students assess the instructor using the MI Skills Peer Check Form (Appendix B) as he/she demonstrates the steps. Students provide feedback to the instructor
after his/her demonstration of the MI skills/questioning technique according to the
form.
Example for Health Class-based Lesson continued
Provide Guided Practice:
Students, in groups of three, practice their MI skills: Student 1 wishes to make a
healthy change and set a goal, Student 2 attempts to assist Student 1 using MI skills,
and Student 3 evaluates Student 2 using the MI Skills Peer Check Form. Student 3
and the class instructor provide feedback according to the form. All change roles so
that they have practiced each role at least twice.
Achieve Closure:
The aim of MI to assist goal-setting is not to immediately focus on the action of
changing or goal-setting; but to increase students’ motivation to change. Positive
health goals need to be specific and realistic in order to be achieved and maintained.
Assessment: For assessment, the instructor uses the MI Skills Instructor Check Form
(Appendix C) to evaluate each student. By the end, each student will have also completed a Goal-Setting Worksheet that should state his or her realistic, specific, and
attainable goal.
Process Questions: Follow-up with process questions such as: How did your partner
help you become more motivated to change your behaviour and set your goal? How
did it feel to help someone set a health goal? How will you continue to stay motivated as you work on reaching your health goal?
Appendix B: MI Skills Peer Check Form
Peer Check:
Student 1 (Wishes to make a change/set goal): Name
Student 2 (Assisting Student 1 using MI Skills): Name
Student 3 (Evaluator): Name
Task/Step:
1
2
3
Asked no Q’s
Asked some Q’s
Asked all Q’s
Explore importance
Ask Scaling Questions
Summarize and invite action
Build Student 1’s confidence
Provide information
Brief motivational interviewing
may serve students not only in
the classroom setting but also in
settings that they typically “dropinto” like coaches’ and teachers’
offices or fitness and recreation
centres.
options available for the student to pursue,
gauging their confidence along the way
(McCance & Clark, 2004).
Summary
The focus of this promising strategy on the
student’s personal goal-setting has previously demonstrated effectiveness for
weight management, exercise, alcohol
abuse, and smoking cessation (Miller &
Rollnick, 2002). Brief motivational interviewing may serve students not only in the
classroom setting but also in settings that
they typically “drop-into” like coaches’ and
teachers’ offices or fitness and recreation
centres. In the classroom, the act of having
peers assist each other with goal setting is
beneficial to each student; it promotes
both academic and social learning about
goals and motivation. In the drop-in
setting, the instructor or coach can endorse
a student’s healthy decision, buoy their
confidence, and educate them about
alternatives and opportunities during a
short period of time. In either setting,
the focus is on providing motivation and
education in order to set a realistic health
and fitness goal. n
REFERENCES
Borders, M. (2009). Project Hero: A goal-setting and
health decision-making program. Journal of School
Health, 79,239-243.
McCance, E., & Clark, H. (2004). Psychosocial
treatments. NY: Routledge.
Miller, W., & Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational
interviewing: Preparing people for change, (2nd Ed).
NY: Guilford Press.
1
2
3
< half complete
½ complete
complete\
Set the Goal -Worksheet
TOTAL ______________
Okun, M., & Karoly, P. (2007). Perceived goal
ownership, regulatory goal cognition, and health
behaviour change. American Journal of Health Behaviour, 31, 98-109.
Ruback, S., Sandback, A., Lauritzen, T., &
Christensen, B. (2005). Motivational interviewing: A
systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of
General Practice, 55, 305-312.
QUALITY SCHOOL INTRAMURAL RECREATION
Introducing Age Appropriate Volleyball Games
By James Sneddon
A
ge appropriate volleyball games
are perfect for elementary and
middle school intramurals and interschool competition because they
encourage inclusion, interdependence,
and teamwork. At the highest levels
volleyball seems to have everything:
explosive movements, precise timing,
thrilling rallies, as well as the social
camaraderie for which the sport is
famous. Yet, it is always a surprise that
the sport isn’t more popular with
youth and specifically boys.
Why is that? If we look at the origins of the
sport it becomes clear. William Morgan
invented volleyball in 1895 in a Massachusetts YMCA specifically for older men as
an alternative to the more physically strenuous sport of basketball, which was
designed for younger students. The game
we all know and love was not designed for
kids. From its inception the sport was
made for adults and requires a degree of
fine motor skills that simply are not yet
developed in children. For years, many
educators have tried to teach the standard
game to students and found the early success required to keep many young people
excited about the activity few and far
between.
The good news is that educators and a
number of national volleyball federations
have created some excellent game modifications to provide the success and enjoyment beginners need to develop and thrive
in the sport for a lifetime.
Below is a compilation of age appropriate
games that have shown to give children the
best opportunities for development and
fun.
Mini Volleyball
Mini-Volleyball is a Volleyball Canadacreated set of resources that provide teach-
James Sneddon is the Domestic Development Director at Volleyball Canada. He
graduated from York University with a BA
in 2000 and worked five years as a teaching assistant at the Vancouver School
Board. James was a Human Kinetics
Instructor at Capilano University while
head coaching the Men's Volleyball program where he was named CCAA coach of
the year in 2008. James has professional
playing experience and has coached with
Canada's Youth National Team. James is
an NCCP Level 3 Certified Coach.
Age
Grade
Number of
Players
Net Height
Court
Dimensions
Game
6-8
K-3
4 on 4
9-10
4-5
4 on 4
2.00 m
(or lower)
2.10 m
6 x 4.5 m
(Badminton courts)
Badminton doubles
Mini Volleyball
Stage 1, 2, 3
Atomic Volleyball
Stage 1
11-12
6-7
4 on 4
2.10 m
Badminton doubles
Atomic Volleyball
Stage 2
13-14
8-9
6 on 6
2.20 m (F)
2.30 m (M)
Volleyball court
Triple Ball
*For info on including Beach and Sitting Volleyball into your programs, please check out our website: www.volleyball.ca!
Video examples of listed games will be updated in September 2011.
ing strategies, lead up activities, and sample
lesson plans for the game of volleyball. To
supplement these materials, you may want
to consider a very interesting volleyball
lead-up game originally developed by the
Dutch Volleyball Federation: Circulation
Volleyball. This is a game, which can be
used for all intramural and inter-school
competitions for the 6-8 age groups.
Below are the rules of the game presented
in the following progressive manner:
Stage 1: Grade 1 (6 years old)
Game procedures:
1. 4 on 4. Any extra players form a line off
the court. Students catch and throw the
ball over the net and try to get their
opponents to misplay the ball or
ground the ball on their opponent’s side
of the net.
2. To start and resume the game:
Stage 1: toss the ball over the net from
any area on the court.
Stage 2: underhand serve the ball from
any area on the court.
Stage 3: underhand serve from where
the ball is caught - no repositioning
with the ball.
3. When a teammate throws the ball over
the net, the whole team rotates one
position clockwise. This adds movement and excitement to the game.
4. If the ball is mishandled (i.e., dropped,
thrown out of bounds, or into the net),
the student leaves the court and joins
the line beside the court. When the ball
hits the court, the student who is the
closest to the ball leaves the court.
5. When there are just two students left,
they switch positions when one of them
throws the ball over the net.
6. Stage 1: When one of the students of a
team catches a ball thrown from the
opposite team, the first player waiting in
the line off the court returns to the
game. This creates a cooperative atmosphere and player interdependence.
Children will cheer for one another
when they catch the ball, thereby allowing others to re-enter the game.
Stage 2: When a team succeeds in
catching a ball that comes over the net,
twice in succession (two different
actions), the first player waiting in line
may return to the floor. When a player
succeeds in playing the ball that comes
from an opponent with a forearm pass
and the same player can catch his own
pass, all players may return to the floor.
Stage 3: When a child plays the ball
with a forearm pass and another child
from the same team catches the ball, the
first student in line may return to the
floor.
7. When one of the teams loses all their
players (no players left on the floor) the
opposing team earns one point. Then
all players return to the court and the
whole game starts again.
8. Stage 1: The ball must be thrown over
the net each time (one contact). Students may not throw the ball to a teammate unless they are too far from the
net, then it is encouraged.
Stage 2: Students may not pass to a
teammate
Stage 3: Every ball, with exception of
the forearm pass to a teammate, has to
go directly over the net.
4. The team winning the rally earns one
point and initiates the next play by
underhand serving or tossing from the
right back position. There are a maximum of three (3) serves before rotating
to the next server.
5. Each game is timed (10 minutes) and
played “Jamboree style” (i.e., Each team
plays every other team, with an emphasis on pairing up teams with similar
skill levels).
Atomic Volleyball
Stage 2 (11-12 years old)
This game has the same rules as above
(4 on 4) – using only volleyball skills – no
catch and throw actions. If the teacher/
Variations to add volleyball skill development:
Encourage students to play the ball in a
specific way. Examples:
- Toss the ball with the arms outstretched
(similar to the arm position used in a
forearm pass).
- Push the ball from over the head (from
a similar position and utilizing a similar
movement to the overhead pass).
- Throw the ball with one hand above the
head (the basic movement for the spike)
Atomic Volleyball
Stage 1 (9-10 years old)
Rules of the Game
1. The player in the right back position
(position 1) makes an underhand serve
or toss.
2. Three (3) compulsory passes must be
made before directing the ball over the
net; the second contact must be caught
then tossed.
3. There is no rotating after the ball is
thrown over the net.
teacher/parents are available for matches,
Triple Ball rules (described below) could be
used.
Triple Ball
Use standard volleyball rules (6 on 6) with
the following additions:
a) All three sets in a tournament round
robin are played regardless of the results
from sets 1 and 2 (the third set is played
to 15 points). Matches in the play-off
rounds are played best 2 out of 3.
b) To win the match, a team must win 2 of
the 3 sets (each set needs to be won with
a minimum lead of two (2) points.
c) The game follows a sequence of three
rallies (service, free ball 1, free ball 2).
• 1st Rally – introduced by the server
• 2nd Rally – free ball given to the
receiving team (to the centre back
player)
• 3rd Rally – free ball given to the serving team (to the centre back player)
d) Every ball introduced is worth one
point. In each three-point sequence,
three points are awarded.
e) A set can be won in the middle of a
three-ball sequence, but all three balls
will be played out regardless of the
results of the first two rallies.
f) The teacher, or tosser, introduces the
free ball to their team, and can step into
the court to do so. The tosser will
immediately move to a safe distance
away from the court after the toss.
g) Athletes can take “free balls” introduced
by the teacher with an overhead pass
(volley). The ball can be sent over the net,
however, the intent of having the tosser
toss the ball is to make a rally (pass, set,
spike) easier for the athletes to achieve.
h) Athletes can only take free balls from at
least one metre behind the attack line.
i) After each rally is complete, the designated ball retrievers must quickly
remove the ball from the court so the
next sequence can be started as soon as
possible. Both teams must allow
enough time for the ball to be removed
from the court before starting the next
sequence.
j) The service rotates between teams after
each three-ball sequence.
k) A team must rotate and introduce a
new server when it is their turn to serve.
l) Requests for time-outs during the
three-ball sequence will be considered
improper; time-outs must be made
before the introduction of serve.
m)Each team is to provide a ball retriever
who is responsible for the removal of all
loose balls, and to provide the tossers
and server with a ball to start the next
sequence. n
By using some of these modified techniques, it will be easier to introduce
volleyball to younger students in a way they will find accessible and enjoyable.
For video instructions on how to play Triple Ball, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RZAHDIgRUE
DANCE
Just Dance
By Heather Taschuk
I
n this day and age, the value of the arts sometimes gets lost in the noise.
Not because the arts don’t have a voice, but because there are other things
that are louder and more persistent. How refreshing that popular culture and
the media have decided to embrace dance as a form worth celebrating. With
the advent of such shows as So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the
Stars and, most recently, Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance, people of all ages are
being exposed to the athleticism, creativity, and power of dance. Likewise,
over the last two issues of the PHE Journal, Chantale Lussier-Ley showed us
how the show Glee is providing lessons on the value of an arts program that
includes a strong dance component.
Often, popular media is considered an
adversary to education because it focuses
on the negative messages being communicated. What a refreshing change to have
shows that are putting forth images and
ideas about positive role models. Such
shows encourage viewers—and owing to
their immense popularity we can assume
this includes many younger viewers—the
importance of discipline, tenacity,
perseverance, and a belief in their own
abilities to follow their dreams and reach
for the stars. In turn, such shows help
display how the above qualities, and
indeed many of the things learned in
physical education classes, can help one
achieve success in all areas of life. If you
have ever watched any of these shows, you
will have seen people of both genders,
young and old, able and disabled, striving
for excellence and moving their bodies in
surprising and artistic ways.
Last summer, I had the pleasure of taking
a master class with Tap Dancer Dr.
Harold Cromer. Dr. Cromer is also a fan
of So You Think You Can Dance. In his
90's, he has been dancing since he could
walk. He believes such shows are important because students learn by watching
With the great variety of
dance styles on display, the
audience gets a better idea
of the diversity of dance
and artistic opportunities
in the world.
and doing. With the great variety of
dance styles on display, the audience gets
a better idea of the diversity of dance and
artistic opportunities in the world.
Live to Dance is another example of a
show that offers positive role models. The
first contestant on the show was a nineyear old boy from Seattle named Jaden.
This young man breakdanced like a
professional, stealing not only the hearts
of the audience, but that of my own
four-year old son; it showed me first-hand
the potential of shows such as these. As
my son continues his adventure in dance
(he has been dancing since he was two),
he still talks about watching Jaden dance.
When can he take breakdance lessons?
How old does he have to be before he can
learn a freeze? I am very glad that my son’s
experience with dance continues to be a
Heather Taschuk (BFA, BEd) has been
teaching dance since the age of 12 and has
been teaching in the public school system in
Alberta since 1998. Currently, she teaches
dance, advanced acting, and french as a
second language at Harry Ainlay High
school in Edmonton, Alberta. She is the
Chair of the Dance Education PAC for
PHE Canada.
positive one, because, as we know, not all
dance experiences, especially for boys, are
positive ones.
Whether you are a classroom teacher, a
specialist in physical education, an
administrator, and/or a parent, I
challenge you to embrace the challenge to
increase the profile of dance in our everyday lives. As educators, we have the
opportunity to take advantage of the wave
of popular culture showing that versatility
in movement, creativity, and musicality
are valued. It gives us the opportunity to
involve more students in dance to support
healthy life choices. It is accessible. In the
words of Dr. Cromer—who should
know—“Age does not matter. Race does
not matter. JUST DANCE!” n
ÉDUCATION PHYSIQUE QUOTIDIENNE DE QUALITÉ
L’activité physique, outil de perfectionnement
des aptitudes à la vie courantes :
Manchester donne l’exemple
Par : Ashley Johnson, Ishan Angra, Brandy Dewar, Jillian Weir, Ryan McIntyre,
Rafal Jedraszczyk et Cassandra Iannucci
A
ux yeux des jeunes qui, chaque jour après l’école, se rendent à la
maison communautaire de quartier Manchester, le lieu en est venu à
constituer un second chez-soi. Ils y vont pour obtenir de l’aide avec leurs
devoirs, pour apprendre à cuisiner, pour jouer à divers jeux, mais surtout
pour se retrouver entre amis. Surnommée la « maison de tout le monde »»,
cet endroit dynamique et haut en couleur est, de fait, un centre d’accueil
après l’école au service des jeunes du quartier Manchester, qui fait partie de
la ville de St. Catharines, en Ontario. Le centre offre l’un des cinq
programmes après l’école mis au point par la Resource Association for
Teens (RAFT), un groupe financé par Centraide. Tous les centres offrant
ces programmes sont situés dans des quartiers de la région de Niagara aux
prises avec de graves difficultés socioéconomiques. La maison Manchester
se veut une présence constante et réconfortante dans le milieu. De fait, elle
attire chaque jour de 15 à 40 enfants et ados, un taux de fréquentation ne
cesse d’augment
En septembre 2009, des représentants
de la RAFT et de Centraide demandaient
aux étudiants du département d’éducation
physique et de kinésiologie de l’université
Brock de concevoir des programmes
d’activité physique pour deux des sites
après l’école gérés par la RAFT, les
maisons Manchester et Thorold. Les
étudiants d’éducation physique de
premier cycle et de cycles supérieurs
appréciaient grandement l’occasion qui
s’offrait de mettre leurs compétences et
connaissances universitaires au service
d’un programme communautaire intégral
et d’établir un partenariat durable.
Conscients du fait que l’activité physique
et le sport constituent des outils utiles
à l’acquisition d’aptitudes à la vie quotidienne, les étudiants décidaient de mettre
l’accent sur des activités qui favorisaient la
Cet article est signé par un groupe d’étudiants
de premier cycle et plus du département
d’éducation physique et de kinésiologie de
l’université Brock.
pensée critique, la résolution de problèmes,
la coopération, le travail d’équipe et la
communication. Le projet visait aussi à
aider ces jeunes à acquérir des connaissances et de l’expertise sur la façon de
prendre soin d’eux-mêmes, des gens qui
les entourent et de l’environnement. De
plus, l’exposition et la participation à
ces activités permettraient aux jeunes
d’acquérir une large gamme d’habiletés
Exemple d’activité
Activité : Cultrayed (cultra = main, yed = ballon)
Objectifs :
• Établissement d’une stratégie spatiale afin que les jeunes puissent placer un objet
ou se placer eux-mêmes dans une aire ouverte
• Perfectionnement des compétences en communication en collaborant avec les
autres à l’atteinte d’un objectif commun
Règlements :
• Les élèves sont divisés en deux équipes égales (on peut modifier la grosseur des
groupes et les équipes en fonction du nombre changeant de participants).
• Une ligne ou un objet est désigné comme « centre » de l’aire de jeu et quatre
(4) cônes ou lignes sont utilisés pour créer les limites de l’aire de jeu.
• Utilisant un ballon utilitaire (de jeu), les joueurs doivent faire une passe à
au moins quatre (4) joueurs différents avant d’avoir le droit de lancer le ballon
par-dessus le « centre ».
• Le ballon ne peut rebondir qu’une fois du côté d’une équipe.
• Chaque joueur doit dire le nom de la personne à qui il fait une passe.
• Si le joueur désigné n’est pas celui qui attrape le ballon, la personne qui a lancé
le ballon doit alors changer d’équipe.
• Le but du jeu, c’est de faire déplacer tous les joueurs du même côté de l’aire de
jeu.
Équipement :
• Ballon utilitaire
• Quatre (4) cônes
Raffinement :
• Quand ils lancent le ballon, les joueurs devraient tenter de trouver une aire ouverte
du côté des adversaires
• Les passes rapides sont les plus efficaces parce que les membres de l’équipe adverse
ont moins de temps pour se placer ou se préparer.
Simplification :
• Réduire l’aire de jeu.
• Autoriser deux rebondissements.
Extension :
• Utiliser une balle de tennis
• Grossir l’aire de jeu
• Utiliser les pieds au lieu des mains
• Interdire tout rebondissement du ballon
Conscients du fait que l’activité physique et le sport
constituent des outils utiles à l’acquisition d’aptitudes
à la vie quotidienne, les étudiants décidaient de
mettre l’accent sur des activités qui favorisaient
la pensée critique, la résolution de problèmes, la
coopération, le travail d’équipe et la communication.
transférables à d’autres formes motrices et
circonstances de vie. Chaque semaine, ils
investissaient une à deux heures à diriger
des activités dans chacun des sites tout en
appuyant des initiatives visant à faire
des jeunes participants les chefs de file
de demain dans leur milieu. À titre
d’exemple, les activités avaient pour but
d’aider les jeunes à acquérir les habiletés
nécessaires pour faciliter les jeux avec les
pairs et trouver des façons d’encourager
les autres à être plus actifs physiquement.
En s’engageant dans un programme actif
axé sur les aptitudes à la vie, les jeunes ont
commencé à acquérir les compétences
fondamentales nécessaires pour rester
actifs et en santé la vie durant. Par ailleurs,
les jeunes ont acquis des habiletés critiques
en matière de pensée critique, de
communication et de travail d’équipe qui
sont transférables à leur vie quotidienne.
Une gamme d’activités familières et
nouvelles ont été proposées aux jeunes
qui fréquentent ces endroits, Ceux de la
maison Manchester, par exemple, ont
découvert un jeu de filet/mur appelé
sepaktakraw, nom signifie « volley-ball
botté ». Il s’agit d’un sport populaire en
Malaisie, en Thaïlande et à Singapour.
Même s’ils ont eu quelques difficultés à
maintenir l’échange de ballon en jouant,
les jeunes ont aimé l’aspect novateur et
difficile du jeu. Compte tenu du défi
que posait l’échange de ballons, on a
demandé aux jeunes en quoi le jeu
pourrait être modifié pour faciliter la
réussite. Ensemble, les joueurs ont
modifié les règlements, adapté la
structure et créé leur propre jeu, qu’ils
ont appelé cultrayed, ce qui veut dire
hand-ball en arabe. Cette nouvelle
invention a permis aux jeunes de créer
un nouveau jeu qui concordait bien avec
leur niveau d’habiletés et de résoudre
ensemble des problèmes. Les nouvelles
règles du jeu de cultrayed figurent cidessous :
Au jeu de cultrayed, les joueurs
acquièrent des habiletés qui favorisent le
travail d’équipe et la communication,
deux éléments essentiels à la réussite. Le
travail en équipe est illustré par les
efforts collectifs du groupe et les efforts
individuels de chaque membre pour
aider l’équipe à atteindre un objectif
commun. Les jeunes perfectionnent
leurs aptitudes à bien communiquer à
mesure qu’ils interagissent à l’aide
d’indices verbaux et non verbaux pour
faire connaître leur plan d’action..
Leadership – Jeux de l’unité
Le samedi 10 avril 2010, l’université
Brock, en collaboration avec Centraide,
RAFT et d’autres organismes de Niagara,
aidaient à mettre sur pied les « Jeux de
l’unité » à l’université. Les Jeux de l’Unité
de Niagara constituent une nouvelle
initiative qui se fonde sur des modèles
mis au point par Jamie Mandigo, Ph. D.
(département de l’éducation physique et
de la kinésiologie) et ses étudiants aux fins
d’un cours international qui se donne
dans les Caraïbes et en El Salvador depuis
2005. Les Jeux de l’unité mettent l’accent
sur l’acquisition d’aptitudes à la vie quoti34 PHYSIC AL AND HEALTH EDUC ATION
dienne, misant sur l’activité physique et
le sport pour favoriser l’acquisition d’aptitudes à la vie quotidienne chez les jeunes.
C’est le grand succès remporté par les Jeux
de l’unité à l’étranger qui a inspiré la
création de Jeux de l’unité à Niagara.
Jeux de l’unité – L’événement
Des jeunes de la région du Niagara
qui participaient aux programmes après
l’école organisés par Centraide et la RAFT
ont joint bénévolement le rang des
étudiants de Brock pour la journée.
L’événement comprenait la participation
à une série de jeux coopératifs qui priorisaient des aptitudes à la vie quotidienne
privilégiées par Centraide, dont l’estime
de soi, le sens des responsabilités, le leadership, la communication, le respect, le
franc jeu, l’inclusion, le travail d’équipe, la
résolution de problèmes et la coopération.
Les activités étaient organisées en postes
d’activités dont deux avaient été confiés à
des jeunes de la maison Manchester.
L’excellent taux de participation a dépassé
l’objectif fixé, qui consistait à attirer 100
jeunes de 5 à 13 ans. L’énorme intérêt
manifesté par les participants à divers
programmes après l’école offerts par
Centraide partout en région s’est avéré
une grande source de motivation et de
stimulation pour les étudiants bénévoles
et les membres de la collectivité qui
organisaient l’événement.
La journée a débuté par une cérémonie
d’ouverture visant à familiariser les
participants à l’environnement positif et
dynamique, ce qui a donné le ton au
reste de la journée. Lors des cérémonies
d’ouverture, les participants et les
bénévoles se sont lancés dans une danse
« Vie saine et active » sous l’égide des
étudiants du programme d’éducation
physique de l’université Brock. Cette
danse comprenait sept mouvements
correspondant aux diverses composantes
d’une vie saine et active, y compris la
bonne forme physique, une bonne
alimentation, des relations saines, la
pensée créative et critique, la résolution
de conflit, le bien-être émotif et la
spiritualité. La danse « Vie saine et active
» a servi d’exercice d’échauffement et a
aidé à énergisé les jeunes, tout en les initiant aux grands concepts de la journée.
Suivant la cérémonie d’ouverture, les
bénévoles et les participants ont défilé
dans le gymnase Bob Davis de l’université et c’est là que le plaisir a commencé.
Dès leur arrivée au gymnase, les jeunes
ont vu que plusieurs postes d’activités
avaient été installés. Ces derniers étaient
décorés de pancartes colorées sur la vie
saine et active indiquent le tracé à
suivre. Le gymnase était ponctué de
tee-shirts mauves et bleus et on voyait
plein de gens en train de s’adonner à
de dynamiques activités. Le gymnase
débordait de jeunes qui encourageaient
leurs équipes, de ballons sillonnant l’air,
de défis surmontés, d’amitiés en devenir,
le tout axé sur le perfectionnement la
pensée critique et des aptitudes à la vie
quotidienne. Les équipes de jeunes
faisaient une rotation entre les dix
postes, s’arrêtant à chacun pour se
renseigner sur une aptitude à la vie
particulière et pour s’amuser à la mettre
en pratique.
En guise de conclusion à l’événement,
une cérémonie de clôture a été organisée
pour souligner la réussite de la journée
et mettait en vedette les talents
musicaux des jeunes de « la maison de
tout le monde ». Les participants avaient
aussi droit à un repas santé et à un sac
utilitaire. Les Jeux de l’unité de Niagara
étaient un événement enregistré dans le
cadre de la Journée mondiale de la santé
des Nations Unies du mercredi 7 avril
2010. En vue de célébrer dignement
cette journée, les jeunes participants
s’adonnaient à des activités qui
favorisent l’activité physique et l’acquisition d’aptitudes à la vie quotidienne.
Ces activités leur ont aussi permis de
mieux apprécier la grande importance
d’un mode de vie sain et actif.
Un an plus tard
Un nouveau groupe d’étudiants de
premier cycle et de cycles supérieurs a
décidé de donner suite au programme
cette année et travaille déjà bénévolement
à Manchester, « la maison de tout le
monde ». Le groupe a été élargi pour
inclure les jeunes de l’équipe des chefs
de file du YMCA de Niagara à qui ils
rendent visite toutes les semaines pour
les préparer à s’occuper des postes
d’activités lors du prochain événement.
Forts d’un nouvel appui — les services
financiers de Canadian Tire — les Jeux
Tremplins (Jump Start Games) auront
lieu le 28 mai 2011 à l’université Brock
et continueront de mettre l’accent sur
l’acquisition d’aptitudes à la vie quotidienne par le biais de l’activité physique.
Cette année, l’événement prendra plus
d’ampleur puisqu’il inclura des enfants
et des jeunes du Centre pour enfants de
la péninsule du Niagara. Les Jeux de
l’unité existent encor à l’échelle internationale et Jamie Mandigo, Ph. D.,
continue avec ses étudiants d’organiser
cet événement annuel qui aura lieu au El
Salvador au début de mai. Ces étudiants
reviendront ensuite au pays pour aider
les jeunes de la maison Manchester et
ceux de l’équipe des chefs de file à
prendre en charge les postes d’activités le
28 mai.
Nous espérons que ce programme
inspirera d’autres étudiants à travers
le pays à se lancer dans un projet
semblable. Un dernier mot à tous les
jeunes qui participeront aux Jeux
Tremplins : bonne chance, amusez-vous
et bonne vie sous le signe de la santé et
de l’activité physique! n
Coming in June
CLEARANCE
PHE Canada Clearance Sale
It’s the end of the school year and PHE Canada is clearing out its inventory!
Over 250 resources with sales up to 75% off
And Many More!
PHE Canada enhanced members will get the first opportunity
to benefit from PHE Canada’s biggest sale ever!
In addition, PHE Canada enhanced members will receive an additional 10% off
the sales price. To become an enhanced member today, visit:
www.phecanada.ca/become-member.
Visit www.phecanada.ca/store for all your physical and health education resources!
Position available:
English Language Editor (Or Editing Team*)
for the PHEnex journal/revue phénEPS
The Council of University Professors and
Researchers (CUPR), a Council under the auspices
of Physical and Health Education Canada
(PHE Canada) is seeking an ENGLISH LANGUAGE
EDITOR, or EDITING TEAM for the on-line
PHEnex journal/revue phenEPS.
CUPR is the national Canadian organization of post-secondary
physical and health education scholars and researchers whose primary focus is to provide a forum where research and pedagogical
applications in the fields of physical education, health, dance,
sport and community recreation and leisure may be shared. PHE
Canada is a national, charitable, voluntary-sector organization
whose primary concern is to influence the healthy development
of children and youth by advocating for quality, school-based
physical and health education. PHE Canada advocates and educates for quality physical and health education programs within
supportive school and community environments. The association
is managed on a day-to-day basis by a professional office staff
based out of Ottawa. Please visit www.phecanada.ca for more
information on the association.
PHEnex/phénEPS is a scholarly, on-line, open-access, peerreviewed journal that is published three times a year. The journal
is bi-lingual and reviews and publishes articles in both English
and French.
PHEnex/phénEPS publishes empirical, theoretical, and methodological research, and position papers, as well as reviews and
critical essays by Canadian and International authors. Research
methodologies may be quantitative, qualitative or mixed method
and may use data gathered through historical analysis, surveys,
fieldwork, action research, participant observation, content
analysis, simulations or experience. Articles most appropriate for
PHEnex focus on pedagogical, social, cultural, philosophical,
psychological, historical, sociological or management issues in
physical education, health, dance, recreation, or leisure studies.
The candidate or editing team who applies will be dynamic and
well-organized with strong English language communication
skills and the ability to multi-task. Expertise in Physical and
Health Education or related areas is a considerable asset.
Responsibilities:
• Coordinating and overseeing the blind peer review process for
all feature articles (acknowledging author, selecting reviewer,
sending article review packages, following up with authors,
preparation for publication, maintaining article files)
• Editing all articles for publication
• Assisting the Managing Editor in the production of three (3)
issues of the PHEnex journal/revue phenEPS per year
• Managing the journal budget
• Involvement with long-term journal planning
• Providing input into promotion planning campaigns
• Chairing and participating on the Editorial Review Board
• Liaising with PHE Canada Board of Directors or Program
Advisory Committees on journal-related issues (as required)
Qualifications:
• Post-secondary education in the area of education, health,
sport and recreation, communications, journalism, or related
discipline. Ph.D. or Ed.D. (or near completion) is an asset.
• Computer skills with Microsoft Office, email, Internet and
web-based technology
• Excellent knowledge and/or work experience within the
education, health, sport and recreation sectors
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with
meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks
• Self-starter(s) and ability to work independently
• Bilingualism is an asset although abstract translations are
undertaken by PHE Canada.
• The selected candidate may reside anywhere in Canada and
will work closely with the Managing Editor and the French
Language Editor.
• Interested candidates should submit their CV and a letter of
application.
• Application submissions to PHE Canada must be received in
May 2011
• Please address applications to:
Selection Committee - PHEnex/
phénEPS English Language EditorPHE Canada
301 – 2197 Riverside Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1H 7X3
Fax: 613-523-1206
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.phecanada.ca
* The PHEnex Editorial Board is interested in applications from interested candidates,
but also welcomes applications from editing teams.
Please note: Only those candidates selected for an interview with the Editorial Board will
be contacted.
Under Pressure
By Kellie Baker
I
developed this game to help young people discuss issues surrounding peer
pressure. Each time the game is played, more and more teachable moments
arise and the students always manage to teach me something new. As well, in
the spirit of teacher collaboration, the game was posted to the Newfoundland
and Labrador Teacher’s Association (NLTA) Physical Education Virtual
Teacher’s Centre (VTC) site and sparked extensions by a fellow Physical Educator, John Elkins. His ideas add an important dimension to the game that
will surely extend the dialogue around issues of peer pressure.
Basically, the game is based on Barnyard
Upset (my favourite game to modify)
with a peer pressure focus.
1. Negative Peer Pressure
Students stand on the black line and
suggest ways in which their peers could
negatively pressure them. Examples could
include drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, bullying/
threatening, stealing, vandalising, rumours,
and gossip.
The “Bully” is in the middle and calls out
a way in which he or she is peer pressuring the others. If the others have the called
method in mind, they attempt to dodge
the “Bully” and get “home” safe (to the
opposite black line). Each student the
Bully catches also becomes a bully.
Points for Discussion:
n We all have to “dodge” peer pressure in
life;
n Running away is an option;
n Getting home safe is your goal in this
game and life;
n When there are more bullies, is it easier
or harder to get away and why?
n How does it feel to be ganged up on?
John Elkins raised the question with me
about those students for whom “home” is
not the safest place to be. When he read
the section on negative peer pressure,
John had a great idea. Teachers could lay
down a couple of gym spot/rubber mats
as safe havens on the way “home”. Each
spot/mat could represent things that
support students when they are being
Kellie Baker teaches at Macpherson
Elementary in St. John’s, NL. She is a
member of PHE Canada's Council of
Province and Territories, the President of
the Physical Education Special Interest
Council in her province and teaches a PE
methods course to Primary/Elementary
Education students at Memorial University
of Newfoundland.
bullied. Each of these spots could have
supportive names. Examples include:
“Helped by a Friend”, “Support from a
Teacher”, “Block Parent House”, “Kids
Help Line”, etc. You could even allow a
student getting to a safe spot to pick it up
as a free pass to home as long as they
shouted out what the free pass represented as they walked with it.
For example, try randomly placing five
or six mats in the play space. When a
student gets to a mat he or she picks it up
and says, “Help from an RNC officer,” or
“Spoke with the guidance councillor,” etc.
If you decide that the "support spots" will
not be replaced during the game, this
could lead to discussions as to whether it
is easier to avoid bullying when there
many supports are in place.
n What and/or who are the supports in
your life?
n How can you increase the supports in
your life?
n Is it easier avoiding peer pressure with
more or less “supports” in your life?
2. Positive Peer Pressure
Students stand on the black line and
suggest ways in which their peers could
positively pressure them. Examples could
include studying for a test, reporting
bullying, eating healthy, or quitting
smoking.
As in the “Negative” section above, a
student takes a middle position, but is
each player’s “friend”. Students still try to
dodge them, because they “don’t want to
do that homework” or want to engage in
some other type of behaviour which
positive peer pressure would help them
avoid. When caught, students go to the
middle and help their new friend. Everybody who gets “home” thinks they are
safe but their friends turn around and
again call out to “do that homework”, or
other positive behaviour. As more and
more people try to pressure the remaining
students, they will eventually get caught
(and do that homework).
n People will try to dodge peer pressure –
even if it is positive;
n Surround yourself with good people
and it is bound to catch on;
n If you truly care for someone, you will
continue trying to get them to do what
is best for them.
Students will come up with strategies
when they play this game such as waiting
on the line until after some people go out
and are being chased, or coming out but
then going back “home” where they are
safe.
Further Points for Discussion:
“Keep yourself safe”. Just because someone tells you to do something, that does
not mean you have to do it. Take
n
Each time the game is played, more and more
teachable moments arise and the students always
manage to teach me something new.
n
your time. Think it over. Come up with
a strategy to avoid drugs, alcohol,
cigarettes, etc.
You can always go back home or to a
safe place. If you are being bullied, your
friends are spreading rumours and
n
gossip, or you have been asked to try
drugs, you can always go home or to a
safe place and talk to your family or
another trustworthy person. They are
there to help you.
Staying “home” is an option! n
À venir en juin…
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Pour trouver toutes les ressources sur l‘éducation physique et l’éducation à la santé dont vous avez besoin,
rendez-vous à : http://www.eps-canada.ca/store
Student Leadership Teams at Riverside
Education Centre – An Example in Success
By Lee Anne Arsenault
Guidance Counsellor, Riverside Education Centre
I
f you are a new student arriving at Riverside Education Centre
(REC) in Milford Station, Nova Scotia, you will be welcomed
with an information package about the school community. Your
introduction to the school of 600 students will be received in an
envelope colourfully decorated by a student ambassador who will
also give you a tour and tell you all about life at school. Student
ambassadors are one of ten active student leadership teams that keep
life hopping at REC. The school has 177 trained leadership students
who meet regularly to organize and plan activities that contribute to
making Riverside a more student-centred place.
Student leadership teams were developed
in 2001 after reflecting on the role of the
student council within a middle school
environment. The historic composition
of student council meant that few
students were involved in democratic
processes that affected student life. Council executives were often comprised of the
most popular kids who had little interest
in grasping the meaning of this process
and working toward positive change that
reflected student diversity and interest.
Changing Riverside’s focus to a student
leadership model allowed all interested
and committed students to participate in
the process. The old system was so often
seen as a popularity contest. The changed
focus eliminated this focus and participating students now accurately reflect
student diversity at Riverside. All students
are invited to complete a two and onehalf hour training program to become a
leadership student. Each student who
completes the training program becomes
part of a leadership team. Training is no
competitive try-out; it is more of an
orientation, the beginning of a commitment and automatic qualification to the
student leadership program.
The historic composition
of student council meant
that few students were
involved in democratic
processes that affected
student life.
Members of the “RECspect Leadership
Team” lead school-wide training sessions.
These sixteen students are chosen from
the previous year's leadership group
because of their strong abilities and
commitment to the program. The team
is trained to run cooperative learning
activities with small groups of students at
stations throughout the school. In one
station, students rate leadership team
preferences and are then placed on a team
that meets regularly throughout the year.
Each year the number of teams may
change. Through an informal survey of
student interest and a brainstorming
sessions involving staff facilitators, it was
agreed that ten teams would be created
this year. These teams embody positive
attributes that each contribute to the
achievement of school-wide initiatives
and outcomes: spirit, equity, environment,
With 177 participating students (which
represents an amazing 30% of the student body),
coordination is always one of the most pressing
issues. Staff facilitators meet with students at a
designated period during the six-day cycle and
coordinate after school meetings if necessary.
drama, physically active, community
service, music, yearbook, student ambassador, and RECspect.
While there are many challenges to developing a leadership program in a rural
school of 600 students, supervising staff
and students constantly rework the
process. Monthly staff leader meetings are
held which provide opportunities to
reflect and consider next steps. With 177
participating students (which represents
an amazing 30% of the student body),
coordination is always one of the most
pressing issues. Staff facilitators meet with
students at a designated period during the
six-day cycle and coordinate after school
meetings if necessary.
Teams also attempt to coordinate one
activity or event per month, which means
that during the year there can be as many
as 100 events planned and facilitated by
students, for student. The physically
active team, for example, helps with the
grade 5 track and field day; they also
helped with an elementary school field
day last year. They have gone indoor rock
climbing, and will be offering after school
games starting in 2011. The drama team
wrote and performed anti-bullying plays,
which foster a safer, healthier, and more
positive climate for all. The community
service team held fundraisers for our local
children’s hospital and food drives for
local communities. The equity team
arranged a diversity fair for all students.
The spirit team organized our spring fling
and school dances. The environment
team planted bulbs and educated students
about environmental awareness. Finally,
the student ambassador team visited our
feeder schools to tell them about REC.
They also welcome all visitors and provide
school tours. As you can see, our student
leadership teams really do contribute to
creating a better environment in our
school. In so doing, we have involved as
many students as possible in student life
at REC.
Students in the program are proud of
their accomplishments and know that the
skills they learn will be transferred to
other areas of their lives. Jeremy, an eighth
grade student in the program, explained:
“It helps me become more confident in
myself so that I can be a better person.”
Jeremy acknowledges that acquiring
these skills has helped him participate as a
leadership trainer and has given him the
confidence to welcome all staff and students back to school during our first
school-wide assembly. Jeremy states, “I
think confidence is the biggest thing
because I don’t think if I joined leadership
I would be as confident speaking to
people.” When Pilaa joined the program
two years ago, she never imagined that she
could lead activities and speak confidently to her peers, even in small groups. Pilaa
recognizes this in herself, commenting,
“I’m better at public speaking.” Pilaa was
extremely shy before but has improved in
one very important way, “I don’t cry as
much when I do public speaking. I’m not
really as shy as I used to be.” Considering
the crippling effects that low selfconfidence can have throughout one’s life,
it is amazing that these students can speak
of such accomplishments this early in life,
and thanks to our very successful program!
Though the benefits of student leadership
are difficult to assess, one thing is clear:
This program has contributed to making
REC a better place for students, staff, and
community members who come to the
school. Our work in progress makes us
extremely proud and we look to the
future—together—with excitement and
happiness. n
Physical and Health Education Canada
is accepting applications for
Mentors and Presenters for the
2011 Student Leadership Conference
Sept 13-18, 2011 Bancroft, ON
Éducation physique et santé Canada accepte
maintenant les demandes d’inscription
de mentors et de conférenciers pour la
Conférence sur le leadership étudiant de 2011
13 au 18 septembre, 2011 Bancroft, ON
C ALL FOR MENTORS
APPEL DE MENTORS
PHE Canada is seeking mentors who have experience
in the Physical and/or Health Education field including: health, physical education, recreation, outdoor
education, sport management, kinesiology, health
promotion and applied sciences.
Mentors must be available for six days from September
13th to 18th, 2011 inclusively, at Camp Walden in
Bancroft, ON. Mentors are assigned a group of up to
10 students and their main role is to support student
engagement in the camp experience, offer personal
experience and guidance to the students planning
to embark on their careers, enhance the students’
deeper understanding of their chosen career and
the importance of leadership in those fields.
EPS Canada est à la recherche de mentors d’expérience
dans le domaine de l’éducation physique et/ou de
l’éducation à la santé, dont les secteurs suivants:
santé, éducation physique, loisirs, éducation en plein
air, gestion des sports, kinésiologie, promotion de
la santé et sciences de la santé appliquées.
Les mentors doivent être disponibles pendant six
jours, soit du 13 au 18 septembre inclusivement, au
Camp Walden, à Bancroft, ON. Les mentors se
verront affectés à des groupes comptant un maximum
de 10 étudiants et leur rôle principal sera de les aider
à profiter entièrement de leur séjour au Camp, de
leur faire part de leurs expériences personnelles tout
en orientant les jeunes dans leur choix de carrière, de
les aider à mieux comprendre la nature de la carrière
choisie et le rôle important du leadership dans ces
domaines.
CALL FOR PRESENTERS
PHE Canada is seeking applications from individuals
interested in being a presenter and/or mentor at our
2011 Student Leadership Conference.
Presentation Themes:
• Understanding leadership
• Youth leadership development and opportunities
• Career preparation
• Community development and collaboration
• Other relevant subject areas
APPEL DE CONFÉRENCIERS
EPS Canada est à la recherche d’individus intéressés
à participer à notre Conférence sur le leadership
étudiant de 2011 en tant que conférenciers et/ou
mentors.
Thèmes de Présentation:
• Comprendre le leadership
• Développement et opportunités de leadership
étudiant
• Préparation à la carrière
• Développement et collaboration communautaires
• Autres domaines pertinents

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