Closure Activity-Post #4

In my previous post I spoke about conducting my own personal observational study on myself in order to gain a better understanding whether or not physical activity and academic success correlate. I completed this study and discovered my findings to be quite accurate to my hypothesis. Between the days of Monday September the 28th and Friday October the 2nd I followed my normal school schedule however I made sure to get get the required amount of physical activity for an adult, whether it was go for a run, walk my dog or visit the gym, recommended by the heart and stroke foundation.

	Activity	Mood	School
Monday September 28th	Walked my dog for 20 minutes in the morning and at night. Went to the gym for 60 minutes	Happy	Listened well, did my readings on my commute in, once I was home I began my assignments right away.
Tuesday September 29th	Walked my dog for 10 minutes in the morning	Happy, more tired than yesterday.	Listened but found myself struggling to stay focused later on in the day.
Wednesday September 30th	Went for a run for 20 minutes, walked my dog for 20 minutes	Enthusiastic, friendly, happy	Once home from placement I began working on an assignment and completed the required readings for the remainder of the week
Thursday October 1st	Walked my dog for 20 minutes, went to the gym for 60 minutes	Happy, excited for the weekend, bubbly.	Stayed focused during the day and was able to complete my required readings on the bus.
Friday October 2nd	Walked my dog for 30 minutes	Extremely happy and excited for the weekend.	Did not have class however began to work on an assignment

Within these five days I found my energy levels to be quite high, I was not tired, I had a good appetite, I was able to pay attention and remain alert in class and had no issues completeing my assignments within the required time. I felt incredible my level of energy made a huge impact on my ability to be an effective learner as well I felt motivated to do what had to be done.  
Once the first week was complete from Saturday October the 3rd to Wednesday October the 8th  again  I followed my normal school schedule however I did NOT incorporate ANY psychical activity and I felt a major difference in my overall mood and ability to function within the classroom. I found myself to be extremely lethargic, had no motivation to do school work as I could not maintain focus for a long enough time and found my self to be extremely irritable for the most minute things, which is unlike me.  

	Activity	Mood	School
Saturday October 3rd	None	Happy, a little less energy than normal.	Worked on an assignment without being distracted. Completed my required readings.
Sunday October 4th	None	Happy, more tired than yesterday, slept in longer than usual.	Continued working on my assignments however found it to be a little more difficult to stay on task as compared to yesterday.
Monday October 5th	None	Tired, great difficulty in waking up for school, less happy than usual.	Slept on the commute in, could not concentrate enough to do readings on the bus. When in class I was able to stay focused however I yawned a lot more than usual.
Tuesday October 6th	None	Tired, great difficulty in waking up for school, irritable.	Slept on the commute in, again I could not complete my readings on the bus. When in class I had great difficulty staying focused, constantly yawning and losing focusing. Did not enjoy my day at school.
Wednesday October 7th	None	Very tired, found the day to go by extremely slow. I was yawning a lot more frequently, could not stay focused on what conversations with individuals.	Took a nap as soon as I came home, ate dinner then went to bed. Did not want to complete my assignments.

My genius hour assignment confirmed my knowledge that it is vital that all individuals get the required amount of physical activity in their day as it majorly effects their ability to succeed. I am glad I participated in this study as  I truly feel I have gained a better understanding of the importance of motivating students to remain active throughout the day. 

www.lifeatwalsh.com

Closure Activity-Post #3

Does physical activity and exercise improve a child's intellectual ability? 

My goal for this project is to find if there is a correlation between physical activity and a child's ability to preform academically. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is something I have and continue to practice as I feel it impacts an individuals overall success. Due to the continued increase in technology children are spending less time outside and more time in front of a computer or television screen. I am interested to observe if there has been any significant differences through the years and feel that my genius hour project will allow me to do this.

I hypothesize I will conduct this observational study within a two week time frame. For the first week I will go about my regular scheduled activities and ensure to incorporate between 30-60 minutes of physical activity per day (going to the gym, walking my dog etc..) I will observe my ability to complete assignments and activities, my level of fatigue, and my overall attitude for that week. For the second week I will once again abide to my regular schedule however I will not incorporate any physical activity to my week and see if there is any change in the way that I present my self and perform in the classroom.

blogs.ubc.ca

www.ccht.net

Closure Activity-Post #2

To begin my study I researched the amount of time which children, teenagers and adults are suggested to involve themselves on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy life style. The Heart and Stroke Foundation website said this: "children and teens should accumulate 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity and kids should also do activities that strengthen their muscles and bones at least three days per week. Adults should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more" (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada). This information helped to lay the foundation to my understanding behind my genius hour proposal as it demonstrated that physical activity does impact an individuals ability to perform. When individuals do not allow themselves the required amount of physical activity they increase their chance of sustaining different health complications. What helped to enhance my overall understanding and motivation to complete this assignment was the Ted Talk created by Paul Zientarski. In it the speaker discusses the importance of incorporating physical education within the classroom and the role educators play in ensuring students needs are meet. As an educator I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that our students are continuously active throughout the day as well that we inform them on the importance of maintaining healthy life styles. By teaching students how to be healthy individuals we are fostering their opportunity to grow both physically and intellectually. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V81cO8xyMaI

This project has taught me a few valuable lessons. The first is that physical activity does correlate with an individuals ability to concentrate and learn. The second is that as an educator I will have an active role in ensuring my students maintain healthy life styles. We become the most influential figure in their lives therefore we must educate them on the importance of making good choices.

From here I will conduct my own observational study. Between the days of Monday September 28 and Friday October 2nd I will make sure to get the required amount of physical activity for an adult. Each day I will record my level of energy, my performance in the classroom, my appetite and my ability to stay focused to complete a required assignment. Once the first week is complete from Saturday October 3rd to Wednesday October 8th I will not involve myself in any extra physical activities and will record my behavior. Once complete I will compare my findings to the first week and take notice if there is any similarities or differences.

www.wintergreen.ca

For more information visit the website:

http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.8907609/k.F3D9/How_much_physical_activity_do_you_need.htm#kids-tab
"How Much Physical Activity Do You Need?" Heartandstroke.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.

Closure Activity-Post #1

What is Copy Right?

After reviewing the article and video posted in regards to copyright I have strengthened my understanding in regards to copy right regulations and limitations. When an individual gives their consent for their work to be copy righted they are allowing others the permission to attain copies, modify or distribute copies of their original piece. When an individual gives their consent copy right laws are put forth to ensure that an authors original piece is properly recognized and credited so that others are not claiming work as their own. Although an individual may have access to work that is not their own, copy right laws state that it is dishonest and illegal to call another individuals work your own, it is a form of stealing which could result in numerous punishments. As an educator I believe the most important piece of information you can share with your students is that although a piece of work may available to the public sphere it is dishonest to call it your own. Students have the right to be informed of the information available to them however it is their responsibility to understand the consequences which can come from their actions. Copy right regulations is definitely an important issue, especially in today's digital world, therefore it is essential that as an educator we discuss and educate students.

www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk