Should P.E. Classes be Called Fitness Classes?

Childhood obesity is affect us at an alarming rate.  As computers and gaming have ingrained themselves in our culture so has a sedentary lifestyle.  That lifestyle coupled with poor eating habits has pushed childhood obesity to the point where on in six U.S. children are obese.  1/3 of the population of U.S. children are overweight.  We have a problem.  Physical Education classes are not getting it done.  While there is a decrease in funding and overall time for activity in schools.

Back when I was in school the Presidential Fitness award was the standard for students.  To get an A you had to make the standard.  Looking at the list for 17 year olds, how many of our students would pass this test?  Typically between 15-20, you’re looking at the most fit some kids will be in their entire lives and yet here we are with a majority of students unable to make a basic national standard.

Part of the problem is we aren’t teaching to the test.  The fitness test requires pull-ups and a mile run.  How many kids do you see doing pull-ups in a P.E. class?  How much time do you see them running around the track?

I think that classes need to be more geared towards fitness.  There is a rise of “extreme” fitness programs out there and we need to look at the problems of obesity with the same care that we look at reading and math.  This generation is projected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.  It is the first generation of Americans ever to be projected to have a decrease.  I think it is a major issue and one we need to confront with extreme measures.

Some schools are doing this.  Ross Sheppard High School in Edmonton, Canada is doing this.  They have classes Tai Chi, Pilates, Yoga, Power Walking, Spin Classes, Hip Hop, and on and on.

The “new” style of fitness is often called Cross-fit.  It means training in a variety of disciplines for maximum fitness.  By continually changing workout plans the body continues to be challenged and continues to get healthier.  The workouts can be done in smaller spaces and with less equipment than traditional gyms.  The workouts are challenging, but if done right they can be modified for varying levels of fitness and strength.  I think perhaps this should be something we should look into, using the Presidential Fitness guidelines as a standard and taking an old education line of “No Child Left Behind” in this important area.  Our children’s very lives and future health are at stake.

 

Interactive Media Can Change the Way We Look at Collections

As a former DJ, my wife and I go through the delicate dance of how big my music collection can and should be.   I maintain a difficult stance of the necessity of it for the “boys” and their future music education.  My wife of course pushes for more room for toys and for the boys.  I am not a zealot, but I am a collector.  Our compromise is this “small” collection of “all killer-no filler” vinyl.  My wife’s grandfather and I built it over a spring break one year.  It stands as a shrine to my music and its importance in my life.

I have found there is nothing more telling about a person than their record collection.  Unlike the disposable nature of CD’s, vinyl retains its integrity and maintains its hold on a person.  There is the interaction with the record, the sleeve, the needle that bespeaks of life and of the art of recording. I buy CD’s, watch videos, even listen to the radio sometimes, but if I’m serious about music or a musician I’ll have it on vinyl.

That being said, I’ve stumbled upon perhaps the coolest thing on the net.  It is the John Peel – Centre for Creative Arts.  Peel was a seminal British DJ and tastemaker and a new media project celebrates his life and love – music.

The overall project is described here.  It is an amazing and interactive way to view someone’s collection.  I wonder if in the future we will not see similar “collections” done for the likes of Jefferson, Franklin, even Disney.

Here is one of my favorite vinyl sites so you can start your own collection and one of my favorite record collecting blogs.

 

 

Interactive Reading May Change the Way We Teach

Since the birth of the printing press and the first books, not much has changed in the way we read.  Things have changed in the last 20 years, with the rise of the Internet and technology, users are now more accustomed to working with text in interactive ways.

With the current rise of ebooks, many in the tech industry are looking for ways to reinvigorate older brands.  They look to make reading “books” exciting again.  The task is daunting, according to CNN, the average teenager texts 3,400 messages per month.  How do you make classic literature like Shakespeare exciting to kids like these?  The data also reported that over by age 5 more than 50% of children interact with a computer or tablet device.  So how do you make inroads with readers that are so ingrained in modern technology?  It appears on company is making the first step at approaching these E-Readers on their own turf.  Enter Frankenstien.

The company is called Inkle and they “built a book interface to give the reader a constant feeling of control. Rather than simply turn a page, you make a choice. As Frankenstein’s monster is sewn together, you don’t just read description, you select phrases (that pop up as torn pages) to ask about the translucence of his skin, call him an abomination, or inquire if he’ll have a conscience.”

The story ends up mutated into a choose your own adventure style story/game.  The bigger question is whether it will appeal to users/readers.  If it does it may begin an entirely new way to read and interact with text.  The questions arise whether this is true to the source material, and whether it is actually a book.

I do think there can be some amazing applications if this type of treatment is done to other texts and then used in the classroom.  Who knows what future E-books and classroom instruction will look like.

Creative Folk: Tom Sachs – the Final Frontier

This is hard for me to explain why I like Tom Sachs.  There may be a variety of reasons, perhaps what I like most is that he is a DIY artist.  The things he comes up with are all constructed meticulously by exacting standards.  It might also be that in Tom Sachs’ mind, nothing is impossible.  Sachs’ current project is a Space Program: Mars.  The idea is to create rockets, space suits, mission materials and even the surface of Mars all by hand and then have cameras and even a crowd watch and document the process.  Everything is made by hand, mostly everything is recycled from other things.  Sachs’ commitment to craft and his standards have landed him perhaps one of the oddest corporate sponsors – Nike.  Just do it. 

     The ethos of the 90’s universe perhaps sees in Sachs a kindred soul, one that recognizes that anything is possible through creating a process that is then carried out to its completion.  Nike, I think we forgot was started by a guy with a waffle iron.  So the process of DIY that Sachs is using is probably not too far off the original one Bill Bowerman had when he first poured urethane into that waffle iron.

     We tend to forget that a giant mega-corporation like Nike was just someone’s wild idea.  That idea pushed through by hard work and innovation created something even bigger than anyone could have imagined.  So when I look at Tom Sachs, will he be another Nike?  Probably not, but the spirit is there the creativity is there, the hard work and the innovation is there and I can appreciate that as work, as art, as craft.  As a teacher and father I hope that I can impart that kind of work-ethic and be open to that kind of creativity in my classroom and in my home. 

     It is so easy to be negative to those who are really out creating their own universe.  Look at Sachs, why do we need a fake mission to Mars?  I know 100 people who would say that is just plain stupid.  50 more might say, “Well, if Nike is sponsoring him, it must be cool.” Still I look at what he is doing and only wish I had the courage to take those kinds of leaps of faith.  We should all praise those who “boldly go where no one has gone before.”  We need to look for innovation and creativity in our classrooms and our communities and support their process.  Who knows there may be another Bill Bowerman in our classrooms or down the street.  Innovation, hard-work, creativity is what America was built on.  I for one hope we can continue to nurture that in our youth.

Sir Ken Robinson – Do Schools Kill Creativity?

 

The Black Keys and the 10,000 Hour Rule

I was in the midst of reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers book when I watched a CBS Sunday Morning interview with the Black Keys.

In Gladwell’s book, Gladwell contends that real expertise/greatness comes from 10,000 hours of practice.  Gladwell points to studies across disciplines that show the 10,000 hour rule as a consistant marker for success in a field.  Here is Gladwell explaining it himself…

Here’s the Black Keys segment, notice the talk of 10 years and how success and mastery built up in that time.  You also hear about work ethic and expectations from ther families.

Here’s Bill Gates, who is profiled in Outliers, discussing the 10,000 hour rule as well.

As educators we must allow for opportunities for our students to work hard and gain mastery.  The Beatles, Bill Gates, the Black Keys, success and mastery don’t happen overnight even if they appear so to the outside public.  We must be patient with students and ourselves and give room for incremental growth.  I think long-term planning is key in order to make sure our students are spending their time wisely.  

Fundraising – It Is For Everyone

 

I had previously worked in public radio at a small college (Georgetown).  I was the station manager and had the good fortune to have my general manager include me on meetings regarding grants and capital campaigns.  As part of our yearly budget we had membership fundraisers to meet our yearly expenses.

      Working at a private college, there were no funds provided by the state, we had to scrounge to find resources for programming and operating expenses.  I enjoyed the creativity and resourcefulness of doing that.  I am noticing that public education is now entering into the same realm.  For some, this prospect may be daunting, but I find it exciting.    

 

     I began working with the Middle School Football team four years ago.  Through fundraising, and hard work of parents, players and coaches, we have been able to raise over $37,000 for our program.  We raised so much money that we have been able to spend over $8000 in field equipment for the Varsity, Middle School and JFL programs.  We have new helmets, jerseys, pants – all the equipment we need.  Our success has come in part from understanding the resources available to us and from being able to plan short term and long term goals.  But more than anything, we have been able to impart on our community our commitment to their children and they have in turn committed to helping us succeed.

     I enjoy working on events and getting the community involved in supporting those events, I hope that if I get an administrative position at a school I can implement more programs that involve the community and in the school.

 

     I think grant writing is such an open field that a lot of teachers and administrators don’t look at.  I was able to write a grant for two new Apple computers for my room as part of a data-stream project through the University of Louisville.  My students use those computers to do credit recovery now.  I’m working on trying to get additional computers for our other classrooms. 

     I’ve written multiple grants and so far that is the only one that has took, but the grant writing process is interesting and creative and I enjoy it.  I wrote a grant trying to secure funding for film equipment (cameras, lights, editing equipment, sound equipment) with the idea that students would create short student produced films giving a voice to at-risk Appalachian children.  I also wrote grants to UnderArmor and Nike trying to get new sports equipment and a new track for our school.  There are all kinds of grants out there I encourage everyone to try and write one, as the book says, you never know until you try.

     I think we need to look at the oppotunities for growth.  I know that many people don’t like asking for money.  I feel that if you are doing it for kids, for programs, and for developing our schools there is nothing wrong with asking people.  I have also found that most people will do whatever they can to help.

     It is important when you are asking for money to have an amount in mind and to also have tagible answers as to what the money is acutally going to.  Finally, following up with donors afterwards is important.  It is also important to build relationships with the people that support your projects.   

Connecting Community: Home Cooking

There are few things in life as good as a home cooked meal.  We make excuses, we say it’s not that important.  We eat over the sink and act like it is normal.  But there is something real and sacred about a home cooked meal.  I come from the West Coast and I appreciate my mom’s home cooking, but moving here I was shown a whole ‘nother level of cooking and eating that is the American South.  In becoming engrained on the differences between supper and dinner I began to see there were these staples; biscuits, rolls, and bread.  Everyone makes it, everyone is a little different.  Families have more issues about bread than they do on UK and Louisville.  Among the families there are recipes passed down from generation to generation.  Occasionally, a new recipe will find its way to the table.  On those rare occasions, the food is generally made from a Church Cookbook.

 Generally these recipes are not “the good stuff” but they will make do in a pinch.  A woman generally known for her pies might put in a pudding recipe.  Someone known for meatloaf might put in something for a stroganoff.  You make do.  My wife, luckily comes from one of these long lines of country mothers who killed her own pigs and chickens as a child and rolls from scratch for every meal.  Of course I’m not arguing she is the best cook, only the best that I have had.  So it is withthat background I share with you this collection.

The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook made with those Church Cookbooks in mind the SFA Community Cookbook seeks to collect seminal Southern recipes, not from the Paula Deen’s of the world but from your Aunt Francine from Tupelo who always makes the best gravy.  The community cookbook as they see it traces the heritage of not only a meal but a family and a community.  Often the meals were made from what was available.  The book screams authenticity as it is culled from community cookbooks, and from submissions.  The editors do their job and understand the importance of the article.  Take this introduction for Miracle Drop Biscuits “Sheri Castle calls these cream biscuits miracles, as in, “It’s a miracle that anybody can make a decent drop biscuit with only two ingredients.”  Sheri recommends this recipe for harried weekdays, lazy weekends, and everyday sopping. She also admits, with a grin, that these are the biscuits she makes most often at home.”

The recipe then is the heritage of a family, it tells what the family ate on special occasions and on the harried weeknight.  Keeping this food alive and these histories alive keeps our culture intact and keeps us full.  Home cooking is a good thing.

This is what I look like after eating Thanksgiving dinner with my wife’s family.

 

 

 

How Important is Emotional Intelligence?

Understanding Emotional Intelligence and how it relates to an organization is a key in developing a positive flexible organization.  Emotional Intelligence is an individual and an organization’s ability to deal with stress and conflict.  Having an open and caring environment promotes Emotional Intelligence and in turn promotes creativity and innovation.  Having an organization build Emotional Intelligence allows for that organization to build currency in each other that they can latter spend in times of crisis or dispute or in times where creativity is need in addressing an overall problem within the organization. 

     The development of authentic relationships within a staff builds cohesiveness through the team and allows the team to take on distractions and issues.  It also allows them to freely attack problems within and outside the organization. 

     As a coach, we try to build emotional intelligence through shared accountability, and through the completion of tasks.  The games themselves can often be seen as tasks, however the pressure from games can dissolve a team’s collected EI in a single afternoon.  Likewise a positive experience can strengthen a team’s EI in a similar manner.  As a coach understanding the hurdles ahead on the game schedule can better help the coach know what kinds of hurdles he may or may not place in practice.

      As an example, if I know we are playing a very physical team, I may want to increase our physicality in practice in order to provide a more controlled environment where players can fail, but the results aren’t as disastrous for the team. 

     Creating a controlled experience, teammates can share and grow together and create EI to better to relate to each other and to be better prepared when a more stressful game situation may occur.  If your team turns on each other during a game, you will lose the game and you may lose your season.  Keeping all players involved and positive and growing your collective EI is key for any coach and any season.  Setting reasonable goals and expectations for a team helps them better achieve and create a climate where they succeed and build EI currency that they can later spend when things don’t go their way.  Being emotionally flexible helps teams stay cohesive when issues arise.  It can also help teams overcome internal and external stresses.  Creating task and projects for teams to accomplish and bond can help build EI.  Having an organization with high EI allows them to better navigate the endless obstacles and hurdles an organization can face.

Connecting Community: Swamp Gravy

“Swamp Gravy” is a people’s play.  Written and produced by the residents of Colquitt, Georgia (population 2000), it is a play made up of memories, tales, and vignettes depicting life in the Georgia community.  The play is a great example of how theater can be used as means of growing community involvement.  Local volunteers do everything, from acting to running the lights.  Each performance is an original blend of comedy, drama and music.  All of Swap Gravy’s plays are based on real-life stories, taken from taped interviews and adapted for the stage by a professional playwright.  The cast is drawn from community members around Colquitt.

Swamp Gravy’s popularity has lead to social and economic change in the community.  New businesses line main street there is a Storytelling Museum; a Mural Project; and the New Life Learning Center, a state of the art facility where 150 students are exposed to the arts during after-school and summer art programming, tutoring, and mentoring.

The play has united the community, connecting people who had not otherwise worked together, and empowered them to take on other projects in the community.  The play which gets updated every year with new stories from the community has been designated as the “Official Folk Life Play of Georgia” by the Georgia Legislature and was featured during the 1996 Olympics. 

By using their assets and their cultural heritage, the town of Colquitt has been able to not only strengthen their community but build new business and make their small community a vital part of the Georgia landscape.

Real School Reform

Creating real reform consists of focused innovation that will continually address problem need areas, and assess and adapt to the ever changing environment.  For educational leaders creating a buy-in from stakeholders to the environmental change is important and necessary for any positive long term reform.  Educational leaders are just that leaders, they need to access the needs of their schools and implement a plan to address those needs.  Large scale educational reform requires leadership to garner support of those affected by the reform in order to truly change.  Leaders need to inspire and motivate a school culture that seeks out alternative views in order to find a best practice.

            As a football coach there is a constant push for reinvention.  Every year competitors study your product and develop plans to try to make what you do unsuccessful.  Every year coaches have to evaluate what worked and what didn’t.  Typically if you were successful you will continue to “do what you do.”  If you did okay you may look at what isn’t working  and think about adding some “new wrinkles” into the things that you do.  If you weren’t successful, you would probably look at whole sale changes to what you do.  The end result is black and white, you either win or lose.  Almost every coach has their own methods and best practices on how they seek to achieve to win.  If a coach consistently lost over and over and never sought out alternative strategies or methods for improvement, he surely would be fired, yet we leave many in the educational field who continue to use outdated principles and techniques, who have no desire to access and adapt to the changing climate.  Again, I think if you are successful then you have found the “winning formula” and you should keep doing what you are doing.  In our area we have a coach who has coached for 40 years and uses the same offense he had back then.  He has consistently won for 40 years, there is no need for him to make whole sale changes to his program.  Another coach had some success but then ran into a 1-9 season.  His methods weren’t working so he sought whole sale change and found success and was able to be a successful coach using his “new” approach for another decade. 

            In a given ball game, good coaches continually have to respond to data, evaluate, assess and prepare a strategy for victory.  The educational classroom should really be the same, some may need flexibility and creativity to address issues while others may need to stick to the basics, there is no right way, the right way is the one that works.  Many people have said you “can’t do it that way,” and many others have shown that you can.  In the end it comes down to what you can teach and what the students can perform.  Sticking to one educational model seems like a no-win situation, adapting to the climate and the culture is necessary to compete in any open system.  Educators must view the educational system as open and competitive.  Federal agencies want to use testing and standards to help promote this idea, educators must look at strategies that address the bottom line.  In the end, real reform must come from the schools themselves and the communities which support them rather than from the Federal agencies.