Im a second-year student pursuing a degree in Sociology with a minor in EPHE, driven by a desire to become a high school teacher. This interdisciplinary approach reflects a holistic understanding of student development, recognizing the interconnectedness of social, emotional, and physical well-being.
Strengths:
Interdisciplinary Thinking: I effectively connects sociological concepts with principles of active health.
Goal-Oriented: A clear career goal of becoming a teacher provides strong motivation.
Reflective and Analytical: Blog posts and peer responses suggest a capacity for critical thinking and thoughtful analysis.
Communication: Demonstrates an ability to articulate ideas clearly in written form.
Learning Preferences:
Im interested in applying theoretical knowledge to practical, real-world scenarios, particularly within an educational context.
I value opportunities for reflection and discussion, as evidenced by his engagement with blog posts and peer responses.
I am motivated by the desire to use my knowledge to positively impact the lives of young people.
Potential Areas for Growth:
Further developing practical teaching skills and strategies.
Exploring diverse pedagogical approaches to effectively integrate active health concepts into a high school curriculum.
Continue to explore the links between Sociology and EPHE.
As mentioned during my first blog post, EPHE is something I plan to minor in in hopes of working as a high school educator. Coincidentally this happened to be the first EPHE course I have taken for my minor, so I was completely new to the topic coming into the course. My initial view of what PE was was definitely old-fashioned, I viewed it as completelysport and competition-oriented. Throughout this course I have learned that PHE is not what I simply viewed it as butinstead a much broader subject that covers multiple health competencies. Learning that PHE doesn’t just focus on physical literacy but instead also incorporates Mental well-being, Healthy and active living and Social and Community health. How all these topics are now integrated into the PHE curriculum is something I have learned and retained through this course.
Something That Has Caught Your Interest
The 24-hour movement guidelines are definitely one aspect of this course that has caught my interest. I found it fascinating how only 4% of children 5-17 meet these guidelines. It has also made me reflect upon my habits and what I need to fix to properly meet these guidelines. For sleep, I now have gotten into a good routine of managing to get 7-8 good hours of sleep every night. For sit I’ve attempted to reduce my screen time and sedentary behaviour to the recommended 2hs a day. With school I have found this to be difficult, I have shortened my screen time but have not gotten it low enough yet. For step, I have incorporated a 30-minute treadmill session into 5 of my gym sessions a week. Of all the changes I’ve made this one has made the most impact, it has helped me to lose excess weight whilst retaining muscle. Lastly for sweat, I continue to intensely work 6 days a week and play for a soccer team that has me getting active multiple times a week. The 24-hour movement guidelines have been a great tool for me and something from this course immediately caught my interest.
Reflection on Your Personal Growth
Reflecting on what I have learnt over this course I can confidently say this course has changed the way I will teach PHE as a future educator. As a student growing up, I was one of the rambunctious lads who loved nothing more than competing intensely in any sport or game chosen in PE class. So I always expected one day when I’m in charge of running a class I’d just instruct the same sports and games I enjoyed growing up. This course has taught me that this style of PE doesn’t appeal to everyone and that it’s much more important to design a diverse curriculum that covers all elements of PHE. When it comes to activities I can’t just teach the sports I enjoy, instead I must display a wide range of different activities to maximize student engagement. Ultimately, I came into this course seeing PE as no more than a fun block at school that was used to burn energy. Now I have grown and can see the true depth and importance of PHE and plan to reflect on my learning in my future career.
Hello Hannah, this seminar plan is incredibly comprehensive The link between active living and nutrition is spot on. I like the useful exercises you’ve added, such as the hydration challenge and the “Build Your Ideal Athlete’s Plate.” Those will be very interesting. And it’s a great touch to highlight dietary diversity by culture! Your emphasis on mental health and the gut-brain connection is exactly right. It’s excellent that you’re highlighting the fact that diet affects more than just athletic ability. A fun way to address misconceptions is to take the myth vs. fact quiz. All things considered, everyone will find this seminar to be very beneficial and educational. I look forward to seeing the finished product presented in class.
Hello Allison, This seminar plan is excellent. The way you’re addressing the connection between social media and mental health is fantastic; it’s crucial for aspiring teachers. The case studies and interactive conversations will be really captivating. Those research papers and “The Social Dilemma” are excellent resources for introducing various viewpoints. The brainstorming exercises, such as the “Social Media Detox” week, are my favourites. It is useful and provides people with actual tools. Your emphasis on maintaining equilibrium and promoting mental health is excellent. This seminar will be very beneficial, I look forward to hearing what you have to say during the presentation.
Hello, Logan You have picked a very significant topic for your seminar. Examining the relationship between mental health and athletic performance is, in my opinion, extremely importat to Active Health.I appreciate how you intend to integrate practical methods, real-world examples, and research. Everyone will find the information relatable and helpful if case studies and mindfulness exercises are used. It’s a great idea to start with a class discussion because it will engage everyone from the outset.The articles from Henry Ford Health and Montana State are among the reliable sources you have provided. It’s encouraging to see you tackling the stigma associated with mental health in sports and putting an emphasis on fostering a positive atmosphere. The addition of the video about the effects of anxiety is excellent. I look forward to taking part in your seminar soon!!
Hello callum, Your approach towards physical literacy resonates well with me and, it appears that you do know the effects of physically engaging in exercise on one’s mental and physical health profoundly. I love the way you captured the importance of confidence and comfort through various sporting activities. As we become more skilled in different activities, our self- esteem increases. I can relate with your observation that some physical activities provide us confidence—be it martial arts, soccer, or just working out. The ability to control a variety of situations is a great confidence builder I would say you have captured exceptionally well the role of physical literacy in relation to living a healthy and balanced life. I look forawd to hearing your inclass seminar.
Ty, I enjoyed your overview of physical literacy, QDPE, and the CSH model. I noticed that you were very clear when you said that physical literacy was not just about skills, but also understanding and self-confidence. Your mention of QDPE being inclusive was also very insightful – making physical activity fun for everyone is very important. I think your integration of the CSH model is great. The concept of having varying activities, working with other teachers, and having school-wide wellness activities is a whole-systems approach to student health. Focusing on developing long term habits instead of short term fitness is exactly what the students need. It is clear that you are very committed to providing a positive and supportive environment, which will greatly improve the situation.
Olivia I enjoyed reading your blog and could relate to many of the things you had to say. One of your points that caught my attention in particular was what you had to say about key issues in youth physical activity. You talk about how PHE can often be way too sport oriented, an opinion I also voiced in my blog post. Yet I’ve always viewed it more as certain students who lack physical ability won’t be able to participate with the higher skilled children. You mentioned this but also reflected on how some children with higher skills may lack engagement when being forced to relearn basic drills. Your solution to this issue is recommending various skill levels be implemented into class teachings. I look forward to collaborating with you on our seminar!
Health Competency Seminar: What topic is your group considering for the Health Competency Seminar? How does it connect to the broader themes of Active Health, such as physical literacy, healthy and active living, social and community health, or mental well-being? Be sure to explain why this topic is relevant to your group and how it aligns with the goals of the Health Competency Seminar. Consider how you will create an engaging learning experience for your peers by incorporating interactive elements such as class discussions, group activities, or hands-on experiences. How will you balance both providing informative content and allowing for meaningful peer participation?
I have discussed possible topics for the seminar with 2 of 4 group members. We have yet to decide on what exactly our topic will be, but we have narrowed it down to just a few options. One option we are strongly considering that I am particularly interested in, is promoting active living for youth. This broad and important topic can be broken down to cover other aspects of active health such as physical literacy, social and community health, or mental well-being. My blog this week will discuss how we can cover these topics and incorporate interactive activities to engage the class during our seminar.
Promoting active living inherently fosters physical literacy. Providing youth with the information to find a form of activity that best suits them will motivate them to progress in whatever the activity is. As they incorporate activity into their lives, both their physical competence and confidence will grow as they develop skills and understanding of their chosen physical task. To help youth discover forms of physical activity that best suit them, it’s important educators display a diverse range of different modes of physical activity. During our seminar, we could use this as an opportunity for class engagement. We could have our classmates brainstorm different modes of exercise that are suitable for promoting to youth.
Active living often involves participation in a range of communal activities. Whether it be team sports, spin classes or running groups, these are just a few of the many examples of physical activities that can contribute to social and community health. From my personal experience, growing up playing many team sports helped me to connect with my community and allowed me to form many social connections that I hold to this day. I no longer play team sports but I use weightlifting as a way to remain fit. Not only does it help me stay active, I also connect with many friends at the gym and have met lots of people through the gym community. These are two examples of the connection between active living and community from my own life. In the seminar, we could interact with classmates to hear how active living has made an impact on their social and community health. Sharing these stories could allow for classmates to connect and collaborate in their active communities.
Promoting an active lifestyle to the youth can improve their lives and teach them habits that are crucial to living a long and healthy life. My blog has touched on how physical literacy can be inherently taught through promoting an active lifestyle, and how living an active lifestyle can open many doors to new social opportunities in your community. Both of these benefits of active living can positively improve physical and mental health by keeping active daily and positively contributing to the community. Ultimately, I believe this topic would make for a great seminar, our group has not yet decided if it will be the one we do, but I will make sure I state my case for why I believe it’s important.
Laine, right off the bat, your statement regarding active health being something you have integrated into your life since a young age is a blatant lie. I have known you for nearly two decades and have always considered your active ability to be subpar and lackluster. However, I can relate to the statements you made about Gordon Head being very walkable. Growing up, I too got in much of my daily activity by walking around the neighbourhood. I love that we share the memory of playing football at lunch hour. I do find it strange that you left out the part that you would routinely get embarrassed by me and my fellow grade six friends beating you grade 8s in the lunchtime games. All jokes aside, I enjoyed reading your blog mainly because of all the connections I could make to my childhood. I bet our similar experiences will aid us in working together in the pod group.
