Can technology help the child obesity?

eSchoolNews.com

What's new at the Houston Zoo?

Parents,
Below is a video clip of the newest member to the Houston Zoo. It just so happens that Baby Baylor's worldly debut was yesterday while we were visiting!

Heart group backs video games in obesity campaign

http://www.chron.com/news/science/

By JOEL SCHECTMAN AP Business Writer © 2010 The Associated Press
May 17, 2010, 5:42PM
NEW YORK — Talk about strange bedfellows. The American Heart Association and Nintendo Co. are teaming up to promote the popular Wii video game console, as the health advocacy group concedes that its campaign for traditional exercise isn't working.
The surprising partnership, announced Monday, comes amid growing concern about obesity among kids who spend much of their time watching television and playing video games.
Nintendo will be able to brand its Wii products with the AHA's iconic heart logo to let consumers know that the organization considers the items a healthy choice. Nintendo will donate $1.5 million to the Dallas-based AHA as part of the partnership.
"We can keep beating the drum on traditional exercise and make small changes to the obesity epidemic, or we can try something that is really provocative and new," Clyde Yancy, the AHA's president, said in an interview.
Numerous studies show a correlation between obesity and the amount of time children spend with television and video games. Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, said the best solution is simply to cut the cord and encourage youths to spend less time in front of screens.
But the AHA said it is endorsing the Wii because it will encourage sedentary Americans to take the first step toward fitness. With 70 percent of Americans doing no regular physical activity at all, the AHA wants to find a way to reach out to people turned off by gyms and traditional sports.
The organization said its studies show that 40 percent of those who don't exercise say that it's not entertaining enough. The AHA says the Wii addresses the fun factor.
The Wii, which has sold more than 30 million consoles across the Americas, comes with a controller that encourages people to physically move as they play. Sports-style games such as baseball and boxing let players move their arms to simulate the pitching of a ball or the throwing of a punch. Nintendo also makes a foot pad accessory, the Wii Fit, that allows players to try dance steps or yoga.
The heart icon covers the Wii console itself along with two of its more active games, Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort.
Many of the Wii games are less physically demanding. Some puzzle titles, for instance, let players adjust shapes through small twists of the wrist.
Wii players say that the level of physical exertion varies greatly by player.
Maria Lambiris, an 18-year-old illustrations student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, said the game system recently helped her lose five pounds.
"You really get into it sometimes and you can use your whole body," Lambiris said.
But her classmate Maki Yang, 19, was quick to point out that sometimes it's easier and more fun to cheat.
"You can just do this with your wrist," Yang said while flicking her wrist slightly, "and you do even better in the game."
But while many of the games may not offer the same level of physical activity as traditional sports, they may help get some people started on a healthier lifestyle.
"It is a first step for someone who is entirely sedentary," Yancy said.
Yancy said that once that person becomes motivated, he or she can access a website Nintendo and the AHA are developing to help monitor exercise and diet plans.
Rival game console makers Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp., cognizant of the Wii's popularity, are also developing motion controllers. Microsoft's Natal, for instance, wouldn't require a physical controller; players would use their bodies to control their video game characters. The AHA said it wasn't currently in discussions with those companies.

Summer Reading Program

Sign up for the 2010 Summer Reading Program and earn a chance to win an HP mini netbook, board games, books, craft kits, coupons to cool restaurants, and more! This Year's Theme: From Fables to Fantasy!

The Summer Reading Program (SRP) is a free incentive program to encourage kids and teens to read.

The SRP includes many diverse free educational and fun programs including entertainers, storytimes, science activities, crafts and other fun programming for kids and teens up to 18 years of age.

PROGRAM DATES: June 1 - August 1, 2010

HOW TO REGISTER: Early online registration begins
May 1, 2010!
REGISTRATION CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST 1: Visit any Houston Public Library location or register from your home computer, through August 1.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
Read or listen to books, enter book titles or time read on your online reading log either at home or with the help of your librarian, and come to your local Houston Public Library location to pick up your prize at 5, 10 and 20 book level.

The more books you read, the more prizes you are eligible to win. See YOU the summer!

Nutrition Survey

Parents,
Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey on how www.playnormous.com has impacted your child's life.

Click here to take survey

Shocking News - Childhood Obesity

Older Women...

Run for the Arts 5K

Set your goal today to particiapte in the Spring Branch Education Foundation Run for the Arts 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, May 1 at Memorial City Mall.

Interested or have questions, please contact our RCE PTA Liason to the Run for the Arts, Robin Jensen at: robinrjensen@yahoo.com

More details to come!

"Let's Move" together this Thursday!

Walking / Running Log

For each day you participate in the Geography Running / Walking Club, you get a stamp worth 4 laps. Then, for each lap you run / walk, please put a tally mark in that day's box. Bring the passport / log into Coach Moore on Friday, and she will give you a sticker to place on the US Map in the Gym. For each lap, you will earn 100 miles on the map. Your sticker will show how far you have run / walked.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I don't normally do this, but this show caught my attention and I felt it was worth sharing. I do have a disclaimer: This is more for parents, than for children.

There is a new series on ABC. It is about childhood obesity and how we can prevent it. In this series, Jamie Oliver heads to West Virginia, where he investigates the state of cafeteria food and challenges a mother to rethink her family's diet for their health.

Here is a preview of what he is about. It was taken off of this website: http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html



His next production will be this Friday, on Channel 13, ABC at 8:00 pm.

If you would like to see yesterday's production, follow this website:
http://abc.go.com/watch/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/250784

Spring Break

Welcome back to school! Did you know that Saturday was the first day of Spring? To kick off this new season, I am joining our First Lady, Michelle Obama in her campain: Let's Move!


To learn more about her initiative, you may visit this link:
http://www.letsmove.gov/

1. What types of activities did you do over the break that included exercise?

2. What sport activities are you going to be joining before summer?

More questions to ponder...

1. If a friend asked you to make a healthy snack for them, what would you make?
2. Name a vegetable you ate with your dinner.
3. What fruit did you pack in your lunch today?
4. Are push ups part of an aerobic routine? (Bubble Rubble game)
5. What part of your body do sit ups benefit? (Bubble Rubble game)

Information for the play...

Tracking Food Form

We will be discussing these within the next few days. If your child has completed their Square Meals Scorecard, please return it!

Playnormous has inspired us!!!

Videos

If you were unable to see them before, please go back and try again. I had a "glitch" and needed to work out the "kinks"! Thanks for understanding!!!

Problems Viewing Movies???

If you are unable to view the videos that were uploaded when Mrs. Howard came and spoke to our class, you may need to update your Adobe Flash. You can get the latest one at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

Questions to Think About...

1. What will you pick for your snack this afternoon?

2. How many servings of fruit should you have each day?

3. What is better to chose for a snack.. Chips or Whole Grain Chips?

4. Why do you need to eat different colors of the rainbow?

What we learned...

Food for Thought!

How many servings of fruits should you have in a day?
What will you pick for your snack this afternoon?
Why do you need to eat different colors of fruits?
What is a better snack: Chips or Whole Grain Chips?

Video Clips From Mrs. Howard

Cartoon

Mrs. Howard shared this cartoon with our class before we had a discussion about childhood obesity. Mrs. Howard taught us that 20 out of 100 kids, can be considered overweight due to lack of exercise and nutrition.

www.enchantedlearning.com

Today we did a puzzle search using the Internet, and our 2nd grade learning buddies, to help us locate answers to our food and nutritional riddles. The kids really learned a lot - including some dictionary skills!

Playnormous Games

PLAYNORMOUS
Games for Health

PLAYNORMOUS
Games for Health

PLAYNORMOUS
Games for Health

PLAYNORMOUS
Games for Health

PLAYNORMOUS
Games for Health

Playnormous Questions

Parents - just have your child respond to the question as a "comment" to this blog. Thanks so much for your help!!!

1. How are Playnormous games used in your classroom or library?

2. Which one of our health games is your favorite and why?

3. Why should you be selected to win a free Monster iMac?

4. How have Playnormous games impacted you, your classroom, or your library?

If you have trouble signing in because you do not have a gmail account, then go ahead and have your child email me his / her answers, and we will get them posted onto the blog!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Playnormous iMac Contest

Dear Parents,

One of my colleagues recently entered a contest on www.playnormous.com and has won a Monster iMac. This is exciting news and I would like for us to win one too!

Playnormous.com is a website that incorporates computer games that are based on food and nutrition. It helps kids decide how many types of food (from the food guide pyramid) that they should eat on a daily basis. It also helps them make healthier decisions on foods.

What I would like for you to do to help me win this contest is:

Allow your child to go to www.playnormous.com and play any one of their games.
Go to my blog (I just recently set this up) and respond to the questions I have asked. (In order to comment on the blog, you need to have a gmail account. If this is something you don’t have / cannot figure out – simply email me the responses to the questions and I will help your child respond on the blog.)
Have your child track his / her diet, for one week, on the form that is coming home.
Of course, if you have ANY questions, you may always ask me and I’ll be glad to help!

Welcome

I am so excited to have a blog! Hopefully, you will find it imformative and learn new ways to help your child at home.