MEDIA
REVIEW
Target Audience/Purpose:
The author is writing for middle school or high school teachers
who are looking to improve the quality of the physical education
program by emphasizing healthy lifestyles and lifetime physical
activity. She wants to provide information on how to develop
a program that uses the National Association for Sport and
Physical Education (NASPE) standards as the foundation for
instruction and assessment that aim to improve the health
and fitness of students in physical education.
The author uses the PATH (Planning, Activity, Technology,
Harmony) approach to physical education to teach her students
the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Content:
The book contains information on how to use technology to
help with authentic assessments that promote a healthy lifestyle
beyond the traditional "dressing out" approach.
There are examples of rubrics for physical activity and fitness
goals, as well as ways to assess sport skills and strategies
that align with the NASPE standards.
The author provides great examples of lifetime activity lessons
(e.g., snowshoeing, backpacking, and disc golf) that encourage
students to be active beyond traditional sports and outside
of school. Another great strategy that is included are fitness
warm ups that emphasize immediate activity and promote the
components of fitness, but also ways to incorporate fitness
concepts and nutritional information as well. Plans for staff
wellness programs and tips to implement after-school and summer
sessions are also included, and this further supports the
PATH approach for holistic healthy lifestyles at school.
Strengths/Limitations:
What is immediately apparent is the author's passion for her
students and their needs. She provides great examples of how
to develop a high-quality program that encourages students
to lead active and healthy lifestyles. There are great assessment
tools, as well as unit and lesson ideas, and ways to promote
a healthy lifestyles school wide. This type of program is
highly dependent on technology, which serves to motivate students
and provide accurate information about student progression
towards their goals.
However, this demand of technology may make this type of
program inaccessible for some schools or districts. The activities
are specific within the context of a school that was successful
in earning a large grant, so many schools will not be able
to replicate these activities as the technology and equipment
needs are great. The author does provide some hints on how
to gain funding or financial support, but there are few options
on how to modify these activities for other settings that
do not have extra funds to buy heart rate monitors, pedometers,
snow shoes, backpacks, GPS units, and disc golf sets. Also,
there is little research evidence to support the implementation
of some of these activities and assessments, although the
author does state that this book contains information that
is based upon the results of the program at her school.
Summary:
Overall, this is a well-written book that promotes high-quality
physical education as a way to encourage students to lead
a healthy lifestyle. There are great examples of authentic
assessment and lifetime activities that are challenging and
motivating for students. However, the high demand of technology
in this program may be difficult to replicate in other settings,
and there are no modifications or alternative activities suggested.
Recommendation:
If you are a physical education teacher that is motivated
to implement an innovative program that will require additional
funding, then this is an excellent book to get you started.
However, if you are in a setting that does not have access
to technology or certain outdoor pursuits, then you will need
to adapt the information in this book to suit your needs.
Reviewer: Kent Lorenz, Graduate Student,
Arizona State University, Mary Lou Fulton College of Education
(2014)
 Biography:
Kent Lorenz is currently a doctoral student in physical education
in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University.
He is interested in the behavioral aspects of physical education,
and how high-quality physical education programs can be integrated
into the public health model of health and physical activity
promotion. Kent has a background in exercise physiology, strength
and conditioning, and is working towards a graduate certificate
in statistics along with his degree. He also enjoys spending
time outdoors, playing different sports, and is looking forward
to becoming a professor at a research University upon graduation.
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