Major Themes
When I was presented with this project the area of concern that I wanted to address was physical education. Being a physical educator I see and understand the importance of a student being physical active during a school day. However, my goal is to show others the benefit of physical education and activity when it comes to developing a student as a whole person. My literary research showed me that physical education and activity effect students classroom behavior, cognitive learning and health. Keep reading for more information on these three themes.
Classroom Benefits
Students are in school an average of seven hours a day and are instructed on as many as six subject areas. These long hours of instruction can be overwhelming for students causing inappropriate behavior and lack of attention during instruction. Giving students the opportunity to release energy and express themselves outside of the classroom allows for them to refocus during instructional time. Better behavior and attention from students also allows for teachers to plan and have more fun, interactive activities for that class to learn new material.
Cognitive Benefits
When physical activity is present in a student’s day, he/she is able to focus on the teacher’s instructions and therefore allows for the students to perform better on cognitive assessments. Lunch is a time when students re-fuel in order to help get them through the rest of the day. Allowing some of that fuel to be used for physical activity allows for the students to stimulate their brain for learning during the second part of the school day. The amount of physical activity does not have to be lengthy in order for students to gain the benefits of physical education it just has to be present in the student’s day in order to have a positive effect.
Health Benefits
Finally, if students are not able to live a healthy life, the information they learn in school is of no use to them or society. Some students receive no other physical activity during the week other than their physical education time period. Physical education and activity is critical to a student’s education and over all health. Getting students up and moving during the day is not taking them away from their classroom instructions. It is stimulating their minds and preparing them for more learning opportunities.
When I was presented with this project the area of concern that I wanted to address was physical education. Being a physical educator I see and understand the importance of a student being physical active during a school day. However, my goal is to show others the benefit of physical education and activity when it comes to developing a student as a whole person. My literary research showed me that physical education and activity effect students classroom behavior, cognitive learning and health. Keep reading for more information on these three themes.
Classroom Benefits
Students are in school an average of seven hours a day and are instructed on as many as six subject areas. These long hours of instruction can be overwhelming for students causing inappropriate behavior and lack of attention during instruction. Giving students the opportunity to release energy and express themselves outside of the classroom allows for them to refocus during instructional time. Better behavior and attention from students also allows for teachers to plan and have more fun, interactive activities for that class to learn new material.
Cognitive Benefits
When physical activity is present in a student’s day, he/she is able to focus on the teacher’s instructions and therefore allows for the students to perform better on cognitive assessments. Lunch is a time when students re-fuel in order to help get them through the rest of the day. Allowing some of that fuel to be used for physical activity allows for the students to stimulate their brain for learning during the second part of the school day. The amount of physical activity does not have to be lengthy in order for students to gain the benefits of physical education it just has to be present in the student’s day in order to have a positive effect.
Health Benefits
Finally, if students are not able to live a healthy life, the information they learn in school is of no use to them or society. Some students receive no other physical activity during the week other than their physical education time period. Physical education and activity is critical to a student’s education and over all health. Getting students up and moving during the day is not taking them away from their classroom instructions. It is stimulating their minds and preparing them for more learning opportunities.