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Project Goal

Programs that highlight the use of heart rate monitors offer a wonderful potential to counteract a lack of support. Cardiovascular fitness education programs in physical education that feature heart rate monitors promote individualized instruction and assessment, resulting in outstanding accountability. Data from heart rate monitors can
be sent home on reports to increase communication between parents and physical education specialists. Moreover, physical
educators may be alerted to potential health problems. The information is also a wonderful asset for prospective research on the effectiveness of physical education programming. Ultimately, a premier benefit from the use of heart rate
monitors is that elementary physical education and classroom teachers can assist students in developing appropriate physical activity habits prior to middle school. 

 

How Project Benefits Students

Being informed about heart rate monitors goes a long way for students toward strengthening beliefs in their benefits. Among many advantages, monitors assist children in learning aerobic pacing and target heart rate, staying in the zone, comparing the effects of varied physical activities on the heart, visualizing changes in intensity, and being excited about seeing their personal heart rate progress on charts and printouts. Monitors are of equal importance to teachers for enhancing instruction, increasing comprehension about
healthy heart concepts, planning for safe progression, and establishing accurate data on programming and testing. 

 

Expected Outcome(s)

We aim to follow the example of Alimacani Elementary in Jacksonville, Florida and their extremely successful program titled, Heart Health...Tomorrow's Wealth wherein the monitors and lessons are 100% in line with the Florida State Standards of Physical Education and by being centered on grades four and five with modified involvement of grade three we will optimize learning. Experience has shown that comprehension and motivation were not impacted as well in the primary grades. "We have become more successful using heart rate monitors.
Teaching the concept of aerobic fitness and time in the THRZ (The target heart rate zone is a range of heart rate percentages that a person aims for when exercising. The range is expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart hate (Max HR). Your Max HR is defined as the maximum amount of times your heart can beat per minute.)
been developed through borrowing
published ideas such as Lessons From the
Heart (Kirkpatrick & Birnbaum, 1997)
and strategies from the American Heart
Association Heart Power Kit (1996),
and also by creating our own lessons."
The Heart monitors create an environment where children can actually visualize their heart rate while working out in the varied physical activities in physical education. During the activities, they
receive immediate feedback and make adjustments to their intensity level and duration on their own. As a result, students learn that independence and a physical activity routine are keys to lifelong fitness. We want Corr students
to become so capable with the heart
rate monitors, interfaces, and the software in the computer lab, that students take ownership over their own fitness. It is obvious to us that elementary school is the appropriate starting place to develop aerobic knowledge and habits
through technology. For example, students will
understand that a consistent exercise program can make the heart stronger and reduce the number of beats per minute. They can explain
that their heart rate will return to normal much quicker after exercise as the heart gets stronger. (Meeting Florida State Standards in Lifetime Fitness) They readily can adjust their walking or jogging pace in order to be in the zone. Moreover, they comprehend that the heart is a pump that
increases in strength and efficiency as healthy guidelines and choices are implemented. They can also make heart rate comparisons among different activities and find out the best
activities for cardiovascular fitness.
It is not a coincidence that physical fitness scores have steadily risen since the onset of the Heart Rate Monitor program for students of that school. We want Corr students to not mirror the youth fitness problems that are publicized in America today. According to Alimacani Elementary faculty, "The Heart Monitor effort has not only enhanced the fitness levels, knowledge, and habits of children, it has promoted the attitude of the surrounding community toward physical activity and physical education." It truly appears that the use of Heart Monitors being added into a rigorous physical education program is a better way to
increase student motivation for pursuing lifelong fitness while also providing valuable information on physical education effectiveness.
 

 

Detailed Cost Summary

Each heart monitor costs $27.99. We feel we can run this program with only 2 class sets at a quantity of 50 heart rate monitors and share them between classes for Long Term Investigations and cross analytical data analysis costing a total of:
$1399.50 .
 

 

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