| About Ted:
Ted is a P.E. teacher at Bay Shore Middle School. He’s been teaching for 16 years total, and has been using Polar technology in his lessons all 16 years! He’s a member of NY AAHPERD, National AAHPERD, and AFCA (American Football Coaches Association). In 2005, he received the Educator of the Month Award, sponsored by News 12 and Dowling College. In 2007, Ted was awarded the “Suffolk Zone Professional of the Year” by Suffolk Zone chapter of New York AAHPERD.
About Bay Shore Middle School:
Bay Shore Middle School is part of the Bay Shore School District in Bay Shore, New York. In this suburban area about 45 miles east of Manhattan, the typical P.E. class size is between 25-35 students. Students are in grade levels 6-8 and have been using Polar heart rate monitors (HRMs) for the last 16 years as well as the TriFit620. They recently started using PEManager and Companions. Bay Shore Middle School was awarded the AAHPERD "School--Community Recognition" award in the spring of 2005. Additionally, in 2005, Bay Shore School District was awarded the National School Board Journal MA GNA Award based on the development of the Wellness Alliance. They received a PEP Grant to increase the amount of HRM’s used in the district at various levels and add more E600’s at the middle school.
Core Activities:
Ted and his co-workers use a variety of sports to teach P.E. as well as traditional lifelong activities such as rollerblading, walking wellness, yoga, and project adventure. He also uses the Wellness Center, which is similar to an exercise physiology class/lab.
Using Polar:
Ongoing fundraisers and donations provided and continue to provide the funding to get Polar technology in school. After starting at Bay Shore, Ted's Athletic Director placed the Polar HRMs on his desk and said "you are new-- figure out how to use these things." Ted had used them during his exercise physiology course in college and was very excited. Ted varies his usage of HRMs depending on what he's teaching. According to Ted, the most important reason to use Polar in P.E is because it "reinforces proper exercise characteristics, it tracks your progress, and it gives validity to what we do!" Ted says that HRMs and TriFit have had a positive change on the students' attitudes towards P.E. and exercise.
The Buzz:
Ted likes that Polar "provides students with realistic and immediate feedback. They also learn to exercise correctly."
Students enjoy "showing up early so they can see who spends the most time in their target heart rate zone."
Administration likes "that we are use technology and that we utilize interdisciplinary instruction. (cross-curriculums)
Personal Highlight:
"The combination of the validity of HR monitors, the value of physical activity, and the technology into our P.E. program makes the job multidimensional. The HR monitors' validity helped to convince a local cardiologist, Dr. William Caracci (Chief of Cardiology at Good Samaritan Hospital at the time) to work with our P.E. program. Soon after, the Wellness Alliance was born as well as the Wellness Center facility. The Wellness Alliance is a group of people who are dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles to the students and community. Members include local doctors, county health officials, teachers, administrators, and parents along with numerous other organizations.
The overall push into wellness over the past decade as increased the districts beliefs to support the notion of providing kids with opportunity to achieve healthy lifestyles. In 2002 the community passed a bond referendum that enabled the High School and Middle School to receive new gymnasiums along with a 5000sq ft wellness center at the high school. The facilities were completed during the 2005-2006 school year."
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