Physical Education
Paper details:
Pick one of the references from Ch.1 and read that research article for yourself. Did the authors of this textbook chapter represent the research accurately? Obviously, you’ll have to make sure our library provides us access to the article so you can read the full thing first hand. Again, if you find a link that asks you to pay for access, pick a different reference to review. Most of the PDFs are embedded in the chapter reference list.
Write 3-4 paragraphs which include:
Reminder of how the textbook chapter used the reference — what was the viewpoint or fact that was shared when they listed this reference?
Brief summary of what you read in the original research article
Whether you feel the text accurately represented the research or not and why
Important Vocabulary
Mortality – the state of being subject to death. Generally we use this word to talk about rates or risk of death such as mortality rates due to heart attack or higher risk of mortality with obesity.
Morbidity – the condition of suffering from a disease or medical condition. The rate of disease in a given population. Many people have only heard morbidity connected to obesity, but it is more of a general word. Morbidly obese is someone with a BMI of 40 or higher which typically means they have 80-100 pounds they need to lose to be at their “ideal” weight. In other words, they are suffering from obesity, it is limiting their daily functioning.
Stress – pressure or tension exerted on a material object; a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting in adverse or very demanding circumstances
Eustress – moderate or normal psychological stress interpreted as being beneficial for the experiencer. “Good stress” such as getting accepted to graduate school, being pregnant, getting engaged. These are exciting events but also place demands on us that we have to accommodate, so the body still can experience negative stress from these positive stressors.
Quality of Life – quality of life is generally subjective, but it is how we evaluate how things are going. The World Health Organization defines quality of life as an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectation, standard, and concerns. In our field, we want to help people have more years with high quality of life so they are disease free and injury free and can take care of themselves well into their older years.
Plasticity – quality of being easily shaped or molded. Generally you are going to come across this term in relation to the brain’s ability to create new pathways and learn new content. Neuroplasticity is the word that means the brain can modify, change, adapt in both structure and function.
Neurogenesis – formation of new neurons!
Neurons are cells of the nervous system and they send electrical messages to and from the brain and spinal cord. Neuron – Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Points to ponder
How can I, as a physical educator, intentionally benefit cognitive development in my students now and potentially increase the quality of life in the distant future of my current students?
How can I share information about how movement and exercise benefit the brain with my teaching colleagues so they’ll consider offering more movement in their classes and possibly recognize another way that Physical Education contributes to students’ cognitive abilities?
Neurogenesis is needed to sustain neuroplasticity. No new cells, no new pathways, no new messages.