Personal Best

With the Buddy Run approaching students have been training for the event in P.E. with a daily run. We have also been doing short 40 yard sprints to train for the finish line. At first the 3-5 minute run seems daunting to students, but now after 6 weeks of training I already see an improvement in the students ability to pace themselves, and also push themselves.

In an effort to practice our 21st Century Skills in P.E., I found an App called SprintTimer that uses a unique timer and photo finish process that employs the same techniques as the professional equipment used at the Olympic Games. SprintTimer creates an image composed of narrow slices, enabling separation of competitors with a resolution of 0.01 s as they reach the finish line. All you have to do is direct the iPad camera towards the finish line and start the timer! SprintTimer also includes a motion controlled Lap Timer and a Video Finish tool for longer races.

I have used the Video Finish to record the longer distance run and the Photo Finish to record the short 40 yard finish line dash. Unfortunately the app does not allow you to upload the Video Finish but here is an example of a section of Mrs. Stephenson's 4th Grade class finishing the 40 yard dash:

We are going to be charting using the students first finish time and then recording it each week leading up to the race. The goal and lesson will be using some of our math statistic skills in trying to find the difference between their original and final time (determine their personal best) and also the class median, and average times. 

While there will always be students that want to compete with every activity we do, my main goal in "training" for the Buddy Run is to teach the students to concentrate more on their personal best. Not every student plays a sport, or will play a sport when things get more competitive in high school and college--but every single person should feel great about who they are and what they can do. When a student learns to not only feel their physical improvement but to also have a number to see the difference in their improvement it is motivation and encouraging. Our goal at St. Paul's is to help our students find their niche and also help them to set goals and value who they are rather than who someone else is.