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Is the Bad Economy Taking its Toll on your PE Program?
 You don’t have to be a PEP Grant winner to have a quality physical education program. Join us at the 2009 PEP Grant Resource Conference and we’ll show you how to build your PE program on a shoestring budget. You’ll gain valuable, hands-on knowledge that you can take straight from the conference and apply to your PE program the very next day! We’ll share tips on grant writing and seeking out additional funding, plus what to do with your PEP Grant money when you finally DO win!
Breakout sessions just announced! Check out our impressive list of topics and presenters:
- Action Based Learning - Jean Blaydes Madigan
- Project Adventure
- SPARK
- Skillastics
- Foundational Fitness
- Walk to Pedometer People
- Learning Readiness PE - world renowned program, featured on Good Morning America and The Early Show - uses physical education to greatly increase academic scores!
- For a complete list of breakout sessions, visit www.pe4life.org.
Plus, don't miss your chance to hear Julie Foudy, Olympic Gold Medalist Soccer Player as keynote speaker at the PEP Rally dinner on October 4th.
2009 PEP Grant Resource Conference
Overland Park, KS
October 4-5, 2009
Be sure to register before September 8th to receive the Early Bird Discount!
Click here to learn more or register now!
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Applying Behavior Change Theory in the Classroom: Encouraging Physical Activity for a Lifetime
The mission of PE4life is "To develop a country of active and healthy children and youth by increasing access to quality physical education solutions by engaging them in a fun and interactive way." One of our goals as physical educators should be to assist students in becoming lifelong learners and physical activity participants. We can do this by exposing them to a variety of activities, positive experiences and skills that encourage and support this behavior. Examples would be assisting students with designing fitness plans with appropriate goals or creating a safe and positive learning environment for students to try new activities.
One tool for assisting us in better understanding behavior change is Prochaska's & DiClemente stages of change model. Originally written to help create intervention strategies for addictive behaviors such as smoking, it can be applied to general behavior change such as pursing improved health and fitness through participating in physical activity.
Below is a brief definition of each of the 5 stages of change:
Precontemplation: People who are not interested or willing to change a behavior in the immediate future.
Contemplation: People who are considering or open to a change. They are weighing the pros and cons but have not begun steps to implement change.
Preparation: People who are in the "investigation" stage of change. They are exploring options, such as researching gym memberships, sampling a class or gathering education information to assist them in making decisions on what actions to take.
Action: People who are actively practicing new healthy behaviors.
Maintenance: The positive behaviors have now been maintained for six months or more.
We can all recognize we have students in each of these phases. How do we assess or identify a student's status? How can we implement activities and strategies to meet students' needs at all levels? Can we be the catalyst for forward movement along the continuum toward the adoption of positive health behaviors, such as participation in regular physical activity?
Below is a table to help: identify students at the different stages of change, meet the needs of your individual student, and track how you promote the positive changes in your classroom.
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Stage of Change
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Student Behavior
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Catalyst for Change
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How do you promote positive change in your classroom?
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Pre-contemplation
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Students who are not interested or motivated to participate in activity in or outside of class.
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Offer choices for activity.
Establish a rapport and create a safe and encouraging learning environment.
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Contemplation
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Students who may participate when required or when their friends are engaged in the activity, but would not pursue activities on their own.
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Education on positive effects of physical activity and/or negative consequences.
Identify student's fears or reservations and assist in identifying solutions.
Exposure to a variety of activities and positive experiences (i.e. new technology, adventure/outdoor)
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Preparation
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Some experience with activity and may be exploring interests and abilities
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Maximize activity/participation time and skill practice.
Encourage positive behavior by rewarding small steps
Provide opportunities for successful experiences. Identify and assist in removing barriers.
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Action
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Students who are regularly engaged in physical activity in and outside of class.
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Opportunity to experience positive rewards and continue to develop skills needed for success.
Provide feedback on assessments. Focus on setting realistic goals and rewarding positive behaviors.
Provide continued opportunity for growth through new challenges.
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Maintenance
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Students who actively choose to pursue Physical Activity regularly outside as well as inside the classroom and have done so for at least 6 months.
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Extend PE beyond the walls of the gymnasium. Aid students in developing a plan to continue to be active for a lifetime.
Reinforcement of intrinsic rewards. Participation for recreation and fun!
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Recognizing that behavior change is not accomplished overnight or with one magical class is the key to creating realistic expectations for our students and ourselves. Over the course of a student's preK-12 experience in physical education, they should be exposed to multiple positive influences that assist them in moving along the continuum toward adopting positive physical activity habits. Ideally, our students will leave us in the action/maintenance stage of physical activity.
By: Teresa Dilley, Program Support Manager, PE4life
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Sport Stacking with Speed Stacks®
NEW from Speed Stacks, Inc. this Fall: Speed Stacks Fitness Stacking Spots, Jumbo Speed Stacks and Pro Series Cups!
 Sport Stacking with Speed Stacks is an exciting individual and team sport where participants stack and unstack 12 specially designed cups (Speed Stacks) in specific patterns with amazing precision and dexterity. Sport Stacking is an integral part of more than 30,000 Physical Education programs worldwide and has positively impacted over 10 million students and participants of all ages.
Speed Stacks, Inc. will be offering three new products this year. Incorporate fitness activities and Sport Stacking into your yearly Physical Education program by using Speed Stacks Fitness Stacking Spots and Jumbo Speed Stacks.
Speed Stacks Fitness Stacking Spots combine Sport Stacking activities with fitness activities. Each set of Fitness Stacking Spots contains 10 Stacking Spots and 10 Fitness Spots plus suggested activities.
Jumbo Speed Stacks are great for PE teachers who want to add something new to their Sport Stacking program. Jumbo Speed Stacks are a perfect way to turn up the fun and add more movement at the same time. Floor relays and Doubles stacking are a whole new challenge with these large scale cups.
Your stackers will take their Sport Stacking to new levels with the new Pro Series Cups. Pro Series Cups include special features to improve stacking speed and are approved by the WSSA for competition use.
Visit www.speedstacks.com and click on ‘What's New' to learn more about all the new products or call 1-877-GOT-CUPS (468-2877).
Order your XaviX Today!
 The XaviX PORT console is the gateway to applications to get people moving. XaviX is a unique lifestyle system that builds real skills, works with your body's natural movements, and provides a great workout for any skill level. XaviX is great for any age and ability level from young children to seniors and everyone in between!
XaviX is not a game, but an interactive system that uses the body's natural movement to truly get one moving in a fun, natural, and stimulating manner to achieve results. Choose from any of the true fitness, sports, and wellness applications to engage your students, your school, your friends, your family, yourself. All XaviX products are scientifically tested and endorsed by experts, and are designed to be used in schools, recreation centers, and other high use settings!
All XaviX products truly make you move and most products will make you sweat. They have products with charts and graphs that show calories burned as well as workout time and total number of actions exerted. XaviX products are gender and age neutral and help maintain or improve Eye/Hand Coordination, Conditioning, Balance, Awareness, Agility, Memory, and more!
Each product comes with a proper, corresponding wireless controller and a System Cartridge. The Main Technology (Chip) is in each Cartridge, so as the technology is upgraded, you will never need to upgrade your XaviX PORT!
XaviX is being used in more than 5,000 schools, recreation and community centers, senior facilities and other institutions throughout the United States, and growing! Visit www.XaviX.com.
Human Kinetics Special Discount for PE4life Associates
Get 10% off select HK catalog products (enter code L830) or 20% off purchase of Fitnessgram manual and software (enter code L837). Also receive a $20 gift certificate when you train at any PE4life Academy Training Center. Visit www.humankinetics.com for more information.
About Human Kinetics
Human Kinetics was founded in 1974 and is now widely recognized as the foremost publisher in the physical activity field. Human Kinetics publishes FITNESSGRAM®/ACTIVITYGRAM®, Fitness for Life, Physical Best, and hundreds of other resources for physical educators.
Visit www.HumanKinetics.com or call 800-747-4457 to request a catalog or place an order.
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