Starting off Genius Hour

The genius hour question I decided on was, how can I get more people involved in physically active? Being in a classroom for five days’ week and the additional hours that people spend doing homework pushes physical activity to the side. My goal for this project is to learn how I personally can be more physically active but also how to get others involved in a healthier lifestyle. The goal will to be to increase my physical activity level as well as at least two other people by the end of the next two months. The two other people would only be the start of a much larger goal but hopefully will give me a good idea of what was needed to increase the physical activity level of the individuals. To measure the progress that is made throughout the activity I will record the physical activities that the people are involved in at the start as well as at the end and compare them to see if there is a difference between the two times.

            My motivation for this project is the lack of physical activity that occurs throughout the school year. During the summer many individuals have the opportunity to be outside on a constant basis interacting with others and being active in their everyday life. When the school year starts in September many people, myself included, lose the focus on physical activity and its importance because of the demands of education. I hope that his project will help me find ways to increase the physical activity levels that people have throughout the school year and ways to keep that level up.

            A lesson that I would use in a classroom as a teacher is the different resources that Google offers. The multiple aspects of Google were unknown to me before this class. I feel that the use of blogger, slides, hangouts and draw could all be used by students to enhance the work that they are already completing. To adapt this material to a younger age in the classroom I would have to make sure that the students fully understand the uses of the Google presentations before allotting them time to complete the assignments on their own. From first hand experience I know how confusing and difficult it could be to navigate these many resources if you do not fully grasp the concept of what each can do. Planning and management considerations that I would consider while completing the activity are making sure that I am available to the students if they need help, creating an atmosphere where they feel comfortable asking their peers for help and provide them with clear instructions and directions on what is expected of them. Through these adaptations and considerations I feel that these lessons would be an interesting avenue for the students to use in class.