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About Lois:
Lois has her Master Degree from Virginia Tech under the direction of Dr. George Graham in Health and Physical Education. She has published 2 books, and various articles published in the National Journal for Sport and Physical Education and Strategies. Lois is our National Association for Sport and Physical Education Teacher of the Year both at the State Levels for Elementary in 1990 and as the Middle School Teacher of the Year at the State and Central District Levels in 1998. Fargo Public Schools was awarded over million for the Progress for Physical Education Act (PEP) in three different grant applications. Lois was one of four writers to promote fitness in alternative schools and is now the Physical Education Specialist for the district. Lois has been honored with the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Award. She is one of 5 Physical Education Teachers in the National who have received this award for $24,000.00. Lois has also been awarded with a North Dakota Foundation Grant for $25,000.00 which will focus on 4th grade obesity. Just recently Lois applied for a Model Wellness Grant through Dakota Medical Foundation for a council of members to develop and implement a Model Wellness Policy. The award was for 18,000.00. Lois has been instrumental in the development and application of standards, benchmarks, assessments and standard based report cards for her district. She has implemented technology across the country for Polar as a trainer from 1991 on. Lois has been teaching for 32 years with one year being a leave of absence to work with Polar in teaching technology across the country. As a Physical Education Specialist, Lois is a leader in fitness technology and curriculum development for her district.
About Fargo Schools:
Fargo Public School in Fargo, North Dakota is in a rural area; the typical P.E. class size is 30 students. Students are in grade levels 6-12 and have been using Polar heart rate monitors (HRMs), the TriFIT 720 system, Wellness Center, Companion, and TriFIT software for the past 6 years. The elementary schools use TriFIT software along with the Companion handheld to enter all the fitness data. A district-wide data base is traced by school and district and incorporated into our district key indicators. We have tracked our students for the past 4 years using the TriFIT data and will continue to track them through high school graduation.
Core Activities:
Students in grades 6-12 are introduced to TriFIT software and electronic computer assessments. They begin building their own personal profiles and are given choices as to the fitness assessments they would like to participate in. With the use of the Fitness Education Pyramid teachers and students evaluate activities based on Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type, (FITT) and develop a personalized cardiovascular program. Students are assigned projects using the Wellness Center and health risk appraisals found in TriFIT software. They may choose any of the appraisals; nutrition, stress, tobacco, etc. and apply the topics to real life situations.
Using Polar:
Fargo Public Schools were awarded three PEP grants to fund Polar technology at the schools. Lois states “There are many important reasons to use Polar technology in your physical education classes. HRM’s give our students formative assessments and help students better understand what heart rate target zones are and why they are important. Documented objective data is important for students so they take ownership in their personal profiles and make a difference in their lifestyles. Students believe technology and want to use it. It is an easy motivator as formative assessment, the number one reason students take an interest in learning.”
The Buzz:
Lois likes "The effortless direct formative feedback that motivates the students, the objective data for grading standard based report cards, and the interest technology brings to the students in developing and maintaining their personal profiles for a healthier lifestyle."
Students like "The personal direct formative feedback they get."
Administration likes "Objective documented data for standard based report cards and key indicators that students are becoming healthier"
Personal Highlight:
My Greatest Moment
By Lois M. Mauch
I was ready to begin the new school year and was anxiously waiting to meet my new students. My goal in teaching Physical Education is to engage students to learn in an innovative way so they want to remain healthy for a lifetime. However, we all manage to get one class that seems to challenge us. That class for me was period 6. I had a student by the name of Lindsay. She was a bright and enteric red head. I had the students fill out an “All About Me” information form on the backside of their fitness education pyramid portfolio. When I have problems with a student I can usually go to the information they contribute and find some common ground. Lindsay was a leader in that class and if I said put on blue jerseys she would not only put on a red one, but she would take three of her friends with her. It was a very frustrating class to teach. I asked Lindsay’s parents to come in for a conference. They did, and when I showed them my documentation of Lindsay’s activity level, they said “that is not our Lindsay”. Frustrated, I just figured there are some students we will help and others we will not. I left it alone.
Lindsay ran into me that summer and asked how I was doing. Surprised, I answered "Good". I asked her what she was up to and her response surprised me. “I’m working out at Courts Plus,” (a local health club) she said. I remarked “Good for you Lindsay” and went about my way thinking maybe I had some effect on her attitude about fitness.
The following school year, I was once again anxious to meet my new students. I knew I would not have Lindsay this year as I had put in a request not to have her in my class due to personality conflicts. I’m meeting all my new students and the last period of the day in walks Lindsay. I could not believe my eyes. I got through the first class with Lindsay acting quite cordial and then marched to the office to find out how that “schedule change” took place. My Principal pulled out her file and noticed my request, along with a request from her parents to have me as her Physical Education Teacher. I’m thinking one of two things, either she is out to get me, or I have made a difference in her life. We go through that school year just fine and I taught Lindsay many ways to use technology in physical education to assess your health. We participated in health risk appraisals put out by HealthFirst, a Polar group company, and used Polar Heart Rate Monitors to assess her participation levels. It was a wonderful year. Lindsay has gone on to High School but last year I received a letter from her. This is what it said:
Dear Mrs. Mauch,
Hi! I would really like to thank you because you were a great teacher to me. You always made physical education fun, and you taught us new games and strategies. You also taught me a lot about my health, and helped me with the heart rate monitors.
You have affected my life in a positive way by helping me to want to be healthier and more involved in activities. Also, in the beginning, when I was your student, I know I wasn’t exactly the greatest kid. But you didn’t just give up on me you knew I could be better, and I was.
Having you as a teacher has really been a benefit to my life. I’ve never had as much fun or encouraging physical education teacher before. You also are very brilliant-you really know a lot of your subject. I just wanted to thank you very much for being such a great, positive teacher.
Sincerely,
Lindsay
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