Music Video Backs National Fitness Campaign

Reposted from SUNY Cortland News:



05/13/2011 

About 50 SUNY Cortland students from two physical education courses took to YouTube recently with a music video parody to promote awareness for First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity.

The clip, which features Assistant Professor Stephen Yang’s students, is a response to Beyonce’s "Move Your Body,” a workout video re-written with new words to her hit song "Get Me Bodied." The Grammy award-winning singer released the tune earlier this month to encourage dance exercise among children as part of the First Lady’s effort.

Yang saw an opportunity to teach his students, mostly aspiring physical education teachers, in a memorable way. Students performed a choreographed routine similar to Beyonce’s, with old dance moves like the Running Man and new ones like the Dougie.

“We can’t just talk about current issues,” Yang said. “We’ve got to give students opportunities to create social moments.”

Yang’s students banded together to form a group dubbed the P.E. Rockstars. All of his students are required to maintain their own blogs related to physical education. Yang has even created an all-inclusive blog of relevant course material.

J. Trenton Jones, a junior from Clifton Springs, N.Y. and a physical education major, volunteered to edit the raw video footage, which was shot from four cameras.

“Dr. Yang gives you the tools and he allows you to teach yourself,” said Jones, who knew little about video editing before Yang’s class. “He puts you in a situation and you have to work through it.”

The production of a music video made sense, given the relevance of the First Lady’s fitness campaign and the fact that May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

“This was a great way to move and get people doing cardio,” Jones said. “Dancing is lifelong fitness activity and that’s pretty much where physical education is heading – lifelong fitness.”

Yang said he would like physical education students to create exercise-encouraging music videos every year. SUNY Cortland’s Department of Physical Education is one of the largest and most respected in the United States, attracting about 800 students every year.

“Obviously, we’re not professional dancers,” Yang said. “But this is a baby step towards a much larger goal: to create agents of change.”

30 Under 30: Innovative Educators - Pat Colgan (PE Alum)

Cortland APE Alum Pat Colgan - Prince Georges County in Maryland. Lots of Cortland PE Alum (approximately 30) in the same or neighboring districts including recent grads Jerry Greenlaw and Caleb Olsen.  They love fitness and Jerry's elementary school just got a bronze level for the national healthy school program. Congrats and keep up the great work Cortland Alum!

Name: Patrick Colgan
Age: 26
Location: Beltsville, Maryland
School: Buck Lodge Middle School and High Point High School
Position: Adapted Physical Education Teacher, Girls' Varsity Soccer Coach, Unified Bocce Ball Coach and Middle School Girls’ Soccer Coach

Technology and television screens aren’t always counterproductive to physical education, a fact popularized by the Nintendo Wii’s Fit. Patrick Colgan is popularizing this technology at Buck Lodge Middle School and High Point High School. By incorporating the video game console, LCD projectors, and board maker software into his general and adapted physical education program, Colgan makes it a whole lot easier for his students to design and enjoy their own individualized education program. Possibly more unique is Colgan’s involvement in the creation of a fully inclusive fitness club called Tutors and Tournaments that combines education, physical fitness, and technology into one club allowing students with and without disabilities to work together.

What are your goals for your work?
“My goals for the Wii Technology is to provide students with a[n] innovative way to develop their fitness and skills while having fun. I also hope that if students are stuck in the house that they may be able to use what we do in the after school club and in the classroom at home.”

What challenges do you face trying to break the mold?
“The biggest challenge is securing enough funds to hook up the 15 Nintendo Wiis to televisions and LCD projectors. We have significantly more Wiis than televisions, which prohibits us from using all of them during class and the after school program.”

In your opinion, what’s the biggest flaw with the American education system today?
“To me, the biggest flaw in the education system today is standardized testing. It takes a lot of creativity away from the teachers and how they use their specific curriculum. The high stakes testing can be stressful for teachers and students.”

Growing up, what educators made the biggest impression on you and why?
"My father, Ed Colgan, was a high school biology teacher and a coach for over 30 years.  His incredible work ethic, discipline, morals, values, and ability to balance a successful career and family are a constant inspiration to me everyday."

What do you hope your students take away from you?
“I teach students with disabilities in Physical Education and I would like to see them being physically active in the community when they graduate high school. Whether it be at a fitness center or at home. I also would like my students and athletes to take the ideas of respect, commitment, humor, dedication, discipline, an open mind, and a serious work ethic wherever they go.”

PE Students Recieve Teaching Awards

Jaime Atencio Named Australian Teaching Fellow

On June 7, Atencio, a 2009 SUNY Cortland graduate, who majored in physical education, will board a plane headed for Mountain Creek State Primary School in Queensland, Australia. He will spend the next 18 months in a fellowship program teaching physical education to kindergarten through seventh grade at the same school where he student taught last year.
Atencio is SUNY Cortland's third Australian Teaching Fellow, the result of a collaborative effort among the College, Education Queensland and the University of the Sunshine Coast. The fellowship has been offered to SUNY Cortland alumni who have a provisional or initial teaching certification in New York state.

Alway and Tesori Awards to PE Seniors for Student Teaching

The Alway Award honorees and the schools or school districts where they completed their teaching are as follows:

• Erin Brooks of Macedon, N.Y., at Fairport (N.Y.) Central School District and Newport (N.Y.) Central School District;
• Nicole Corcoran of Massena, N.Y., at Ithaca (N.Y.) City School District and Southern Cayuga (N.Y.) Central School District;
• Susan Dittrich of Cortland, N.Y., at Fabius-Pompey (N.Y.) Central School District and Cincinnatus (N.Y.) Senior High School;
• Lauren Friedlander of Cortland, N.Y., at Marathon (N.Y.) Central School District and Ithaca City School District; and,
• Katharine Spader of Larchmont, N.Y., at Mount Vernon (N.Y.) City School District and Rye Neck (N.Y.) Union Free School District.

The Tesori Award honorees and the schools or school districts where they completed their teaching are as follows:

• Keith Greene of Bay Shore, N.Y., at Connetquot (N.Y.) Central School District and Brentwood (N.Y.) Union Free School District;
• Shaun McGee of Pawling, N.Y., at Peekskill (N.Y.) City School District and Brewster (N.Y.) Central School District; and,
• Richard Miglietta of Port Washington, N.Y., at New York City Geographical District No. 28 and Glen Cove (N.Y.) City School District.

Dr. Columna on L.A. PBS show

Dr. Luis Columna was recently on the Spanish language Los Angeles PBS show called Los Niños en Su Casa to discuss the importance of providing quality physical activities in the home. The topic of the day was El movimiento (Movement) and the host of the show was Alina Rosario. One of Dr. Columna's research areas includes physical activity for migrant workers and their families, so it was a great opportunity for him to share his expertise with the public. In the link to the article, you will find some written advice on how to make fun activities for kids of all ages. The filming occured in February 2009 but the show did not air until June 2009. ¡Felicidades Dr. Columna!

Assistant Professor Stephen Yang radio interview at 2009 Games for Health Conference

At the Games for Health conference (June 2009) in Boston, MA, PE faculty member Stephen Yang was interviewed on the Dave Graveline Radio show, a weekly radio network program covering the latest in consumer electronics and technology. Professor Yang researches ways to use technology (exergames) to increase healthy behaviors, knowledge and attitudes in children of all ages and all abilities. His research blog (www.exergamelab.blogspot.com) serves as a place to highlight the latest exergames, technology, and research invloving electronic games and technology.

"Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" is a 3-hour radio program (as well as 60 second Daily Features and ITTV Video Reports) covering the Latest in Consumer Electronics & Technology available today and ... into tomorrow. The show airs on over 100 AM & FM radio stations around the U.S., on SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, radio stations in Germany, Bermuda, New Zealand, Canada and several other sources including Mobile Broadcast Network, BeOS Radio, Sprint Radio, TiVo, CelleCast and many others - every weekend. "Into Tomorrow" is also heard around the world on the Armed Forces Networks in several other countries. In addition, they stream all their audio and video via their web site and provide free Podcasts of all show archives.

The ONLY international show covering Consumer Electronics exclusively for 14 years, "Into Tomorrow" highlights the way technology is changing our lives! From Gadgets & Gizmos to Home Theater, Digital Photography, Car Audio, Security & Navigation, High Tech Recreation, HDTV, Technology On-The-Go, GPS and everything else that people are talking about.

Check out the rest of the broadcast and interviews at the David Graveline Into Tomorrow Radio Show.

Be sure to catch the other great interviews with Ole Petter Høie, Managing Director – Positive Gaming, Kyle Ward, Musician/Engineer – Positive Gaming, Gary Florindo, President & CEO – LIGHTSPACE Corp., Jerry Heneghan, Managing Director – Virtual Heroes, Seth Sivak, Chief Product Officer – Deep End Interactive, Ben Sawyer, Co-Founder – Games For Health Project, and JoAnna Darst, Project Manager – Humana Games for Health.

And here is the rest of it.

Yang & Foley receive Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Outreach Award

In May 2009, Stephen Yang (Assistant Professor) and John Foley (Associate Professor) received the Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Outreach Award in recognition of being the assessment team for a Department of Edication - Carol M. White - Physical Education Program grant.

The purpose of this project is to collect and analyze data to support the implementation of the Cortland County Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant from the Department of Education that is intended to improve physical education classes district-wide. SUNY Cortland graduate and undergraduate students will assist in the collection of teacher and student data such as attitudes towards physical activity, time spent in physical activity, and motor skill testing. Results of the assessments will be reported back to the grant administrator to include in the grant progress reports to the U.S. Department of Education. School level reports will also be generated to inform administrators and educators. (Cortland Excels)

Ast. Prof. Stephen Yang quoted in OPRAH Magazine

Assistant Professor Stephen Yang was contacted by Sari Harrar, a health/medicine journalist for OPRAH Magazine, to see if the GoWear Fit (a physical activity monitor that is worn on the arm) might help people lose weight.  His research involves measuring physical activity and has been using the Body Media Sensewear Armband for a number of years - it is the parent company of their commercial unit GoWear Fit (mentioned earlier in the article).  Here is the link to the article that was posted online earlier this month (my comments are in the final paragraph).  To find more information on Yang's research on physical activity and video games, click on the Exergame Lab website or Exergame Lab Blog.

Exercise researcher Stephen Yang, PhD, an assistant professor of physical education at State University of New York College at Cortland, says this innovative armband takes the guesswork out of one side of the weight loss equation. "Until recently, mainly research labs used devices that measured calorie burn this way," he says. "Seeing the numbers can be a real motivator and will help keep you from missing workouts." Use the GoWear Fit to figure out how much additional activity you need to burn an extra 500 calories a day. If you keep up that effort, you should drop about a pound a week.

Assistant Professor Stephen Yang quoted in USA Today

Can games like 'Wii Fit' really work it?

Stephen Yang, Assistant Professor in Physical Education was contacted by Kim Painter, Senior Health Columnist for USA Today, for comments on how effective exergames are for cardiovascular benefits and overall health. Here is the excerpt of the article referring to my comments and the full article can be found by clicking on this link.

But games that are more demanding, more interactive or both are on the way or already available, says Stephen Yang, assistant professor of physical education at the State University of New York-Cortland. For addictive, calorie-burning fun, Yang recommends Eye Toy Kinetic (for PlayStation2), a workout game that points a camera at the user to track movements and provide instant feedback.

He also likes tween favorite Dance Dance Revolution (for various game systems), which is not marketed as an exercise game but fits the bill. And he directs parents to Gamercize, a British import that connects to any video game system — and keeps it running only as long as the user keeps moving on a mini-bike or step machine.

The future will bring games that track heart rates and keep exercisers working at a challenging but safe pace, he says. Virtual group workouts, with participants connected online to a live coach, will happen, too, he says.

But the games that work best, Yang says, will be the ones that are the most fun.

To find more information on Yang's research on physical activity and video games, click on theExergame Lab website or Exergame Lab Blog.