Health education is so much more than just nutrition and fitness. It teaches students about all aspects of health, including mental, emotional, social, academic, environmental, and consumer health. Students learn not only about each of these aspects of health, but also about how these many aspects work together. Health education, in short, revolves around the whole individual. Continue reading “What Is Health Education?”
Author: Katie Carone
Carone Learning Announces Partnership with Edmentum
Carone Learning is excited to announce a partnership with Edmentum, a leading provider of technology-driven individualized learning solutions. Carone Learning’s suite of quality health, PE, and career & elective courses will now be available to the thousands of school districts that use Edmentum’s online learning course libraries.
Read the full press release: http://www.edmentum.com/news/edmentum-announces-partnership-carone-learning
Essential Skills Our Students Gain through Online Learning
Our online health and PE courses offer a different kind of learning experience and teach students essential skills and healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Here is a look at some of the skills our students practice most when they pursue online education with Carone Learning. Continue reading “Essential Skills Our Students Gain through Online Learning”
What Makes a Quality Online Course
Just as with face to face courses, best practices have been established for online learning to ensure students receive the high quality education that they need. Standards of quality for online courses have been outlined by organizations such as the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) and Quality Matters. At Carone Learning, we pride ourselves on consistently meeting and exceeding these quality standards. Here is a look at some of standards we hold ourselves to when designing our health, PE, and elective courses. Continue reading “What Makes a Quality Online Course”
Help Your Child Succeed in Online Learning
Online learning can be a major advantage for your child. The flexible schedule is a lifesaver for kids with complicated schedules and obligations. Students get to set their own goals and focus on the areas where they need the most help with personalized curriculum. Through online learning, students can also receive personalized feedback from a highly qualified instructor.
However, distance education can come with its own challenges. As a parent to an online student, it can be hard to know how best to support your child’s learning. Here are some tips to help you both succeed:
Have a Set Schedule
Although one of the many benefits of online learning is the flexibility, it’s still important to have special times reserved just for learning. If your child simply waits until the whim strikes them, they’ll get distracted with other things. As much as you can, set a definitive schedule and help your child stick to it every day. Monitor breaks and make sure that they’re just that–breaks–instead of an excuse to get distracted.
Give Them an Appropriate Space
Have a zone (in your house, or elsewhere) specifically reserved for learning. This will put your child in the right mindset for online learning. They’ll need sufficient computer resources and tools, but they also need to have minimal distractions, so it might be appropriate to set up restrictions on the internet for certain study-only times.
They’ll also need enough space for whatever activities the course requires. If there are physical exercises involved, your child will need an area to perform activities, and any exercise equipment would be welcome as well. Support them with all the materials and resources they’ll need to be on top of their game.
Be Involved in their Learning
Most online learning takes place using technology-enabled interface with the curriculum and instructors. Although this one-on-one learning is effective for most students, it’s still nice to have someone to talk to in person about the subject matter. As a parent, you have the power to help ignite passion for the subject in your child. Learn what your child is excited about in their course studies, and discuss it. Be in contact with their instructors so you know what they need to work on, and above all, keep track of their schedule, deadlines, and personal goals so that you can follow up regularly.
At Carone Learning, we believe that parents are a vital part of each student’s education. We want you to be actively engaged in your child’s success, and we partner with you to make it happen. Contact us for more information.
PE: The Solution to America’s Health Crisis?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of decades, you are well aware that America is having a health crisis. Every year, our nation pays $320 billion to treat cardiovascular disease and stroke. Every year, we pay $300 billion to treat Type 2 Diabetes. While the causes of these diseases are diverse and can’t just be limited to one thing, the vast majority of these cases could be treated, mitigated, and even prevented with proper diet and exercise.
Inactivity has been called the new epidemic. In fact, some studies show that a sedentary lifestyle is even more damaging to your health than smoking. More people die each year from health effects of a lack of movement and exercise than do from the many health problems caused by smoking.
What’s the Fix?
The problems has gotten out of control, and it’s hard to see how we can make changes as adults who are already confronting these health problems.
However, we should be able to find a solution for our children.
Obesity among children has doubled in the last 20 years, and among adolescents, it’s tripled. 80% of the children in the US are at risk for health problems that are related to inactivity. And yet, there’s never been a time in our history when we’ve put less priority on the solution!
Physical Education Is at an All-Time Low
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that youth and teens participate in at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. According to the CDC, only 29% of high school students receive daily physical education. Each year we are seeing numbers drop more and more when it comes to the number of children and youth who are involved in physical activities in and outside of school.
In an attempt to cut education budgets, many schools have dropped PE altogether. Even schools who still have physical education programs are getting by with less than $1000 a year budgeted. To make matters even worse, many schools are cutting back on, and even eliminating, recess, arguing that this leaves more time and resources for academic work. It’s obvious that even though physical activity has been proven to improve academic performance, it’s being given shamefully low priority in our public schools.
Benefits of Exercise
Just in case we need to enumerate the many benefits of exercise, here’s a list:
- Exercise – even a minimal amount – greatly reduces your risk of diverse health problems; cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and also things we don’t hear about as often, like vision problems and gum disease.
- Exercise boosts mood and can even counter severe mental illness like depression and schizophrenia.
- Exercise leads to better interpersonal skills among children, making for healthier communities and more opportunities for that child in the future.
Physical Education Benefits Individuals for Life
The real question, perhaps, is whether physical education actually has a positive impact on habits and lifestyle beyond the classroom (or gym or field). The answer is yes! Adults who had PE classes are twice as likely to live active lifestyles. A taste of the benefits of physical activity when we’re young will carry on into our lives as we grow. Even higher results are shown if a physical education program teachers principles about health and fitness and allows students to practice self-management skills. This is exactly the kind of program students can find at Carone Learning– PE that is personalized to their needs and interests where they learn the skills and principles they need to be successful for life.
If your child isn’t benefiting from a physical education program, they’re missing out. You can change that with Carone Learning. Check out our options for online physical education courses that can give your child a healthy foundation for a lifetime.
4 Signs Online Learning is for You
With schedule constraints and a need for more personalized programs, it’s time for a new way to learn about health.
Online learning is here to fill the gap. After all, modern technology enables us to create customizable solutions for health and physical education. At Carone Learning we teach in the way that most modern students learn best; using online media and guidance to enable self-motivated learning.
However, anyone who has taken an online course knows that it takes more than a username and password. It requires a certain degree of personal accountability, and an affinity for technology-enabled communication. Here are 4 signs that you (or your child) will be able to succeed with our online health, physical education, or career courses:
1: You Thrive with a Personalized Curriculum
Health and fitness are such personalized subjects, it’s difficult to use a one-size-fits-all model. Furthermore, negative social pressure in some schools can provide an atmosphere where it’s hard to succeed for many students. However, with online learning, you are able to create a well-rounded exercise program, explore your personal interests, and determine your level of social interaction in physical activity.
2: You’re a Self-Motivated Learner
You like to set your own goals, and explore things that you’re curious about. Most children start with this mindset. They love to learn, and are endlessly curious. However, squeezing students into standardized measures and methods can drain a child’s thirst for learning. Online learning can re-spark the love of learning, and the satisfaction in physical exertion that all of us naturally have. Paired with the support and resources that an accredited program can provide, many students succeed in online learning much better than they do in traditional programs.
3: Your School Schedule Is Cramped
Many online students participate in this way because the focus of their life makes traditional school schedules impractical. This might be due to:
- Health challenges
- Working ahead or behind
- Traveling and transitional periods
If your schedule requires flexibility, or your time or physical ability is limited, that doesn’t mean that you should miss out on the advantages of health or physical education, particularly when required for graduation. Taking an online class can provide the flexibility you need to meet the other demands of your school schedule and your life.
4: You’re Comfortable with Technology
Online learning will, of course, require a certain level of tech-savvy. You need to be able to interact with teachers and other students across a digital interface, including emailing, participating in online discussions, and downloading and uploading assignments or evaluation. If you know how to navigate your way around an online portal and stay organized using computer programs, online learning could be your perfect fit.
Still wondering if online learning is right for you? Take this quiz and see where you stand.
Skills from Online Courses Translate as Lifelong Learning
Health and PE are provide principles that should act as a foundation for continued practice and learning throughout your life. Through personalized learning, you can find what works best for you, and how to support your own health and fitness, even after the classes are over.
If you have more questions, contact us today. We can give you more information on our course catalog, and what a class structure will look like.
Meet Kristen M! Carone Learning Student of the Week
Let us introduce you to our student of the week, Kristen M.! Kristen has taken multiple courses through Carone Learning’s cFitness Academy. Learn a little more about Kristen and find out what she likes most about our courses, teachers, and flexible online learning program.
What do you like most about your Carone Learning course?
I like that I can do my work independently without any classroom distractions. I can work at a pace that works or me and I can challenge myself more than if I was in a classroom environment.
What have you learned in your Carone Learning course that will most help you in your life?
I have learned how to pace myself and change habits. Last semester and at the beginning of this semester, I have learned how to change habits you have formed over time. I think this is helpful because I’ve been wanting to make my habits better and the course has taught me how.
How has your Carone Learning course helped you improve your level of health or fitness?
Now that I have learned about health habits and how to pace myself, I am drinking more water and staying hydrated. At the beginning of the summer, I barely drank any water or other beverages, but now I drink at least two bottles a day.
How has your cFitness Academy instructor helped you with your course or your goals?
My instructor gave me an email and phone number to use in case I had any questions or problems throughout the course. Whenever something happens or I have a question, I email her about it to see if it can be fixed. My instructor is very helpful is always willing to work with you through your problems. When you email her, she always gets back to you within about 24 hours.
Why did you sign up for a course through cFitness Academy, and how has taking this course online been beneficial?
I signed up because I did not have room in my schedule to take health. I wanted to get my credit this year (my 9th grade year) so I would have three years to get my other two credits. The online course is beneficial to me because I can take all the classes I wanted to take this year and still have my credit for health. I wouldn’t be able to take the classes I’m in right now if it wasn’t for cFitness. Because of that, I am grateful.
Please share any other comments you have about cFitness Academy or your Carone Learning course.
cFitness has allowed me to work through health at a pace that fits my schedule. I am being more challenged and learning some great self studying skills because of online health.
Here’s what Kristen’s teacher had to say about her:
“Kristen always wants to do her best no matter what. She is willing to retry an assignment to fix even a small mistake. I appreciate her thoughts and views and that she’s kind and caring to others.”
In Kristen’s Life Skills health class she has been exploring her own identity– what makes Kristen who she is? As part of an assignment she identified her own personal mission statement, personal values and talents.
Mission statement: “Make no enemies.” This was my grandpa’s life motto, and now it is my own. Personal Values: 1. I believe in love for everyone. 2. I believe in equality. 3. I believe in respect and loyalty. Talents: 1. I am artistic. 2. I am intelligent.
Just as all of our students are unique, we think Kristen is pretty great and we’re proud to have her in class! Thanks, Kristen!
Set Healthy Back to School Habits
A new school year is well underway and our kids are out there being busy and productive (…hopefully). As you are establishing a school time routine, it’s the perfect time to set some goals for both ourselves and our children. The way that your child eats, the amount of sleep that he or she gets, and whether or not there’s exercise incorporated into the day can all make a huge impact on your child’s performance in school, not to mention their health and happiness.
Here are some tips for healthy habits to make the school year a success:
Prepare Healthy Lunches
This undertaking often consumes more time than we like to spend in the evening, but a healthy lunch can make a huge difference in your child’s day. Have your kid help you to pick healthy, appealing options, and take extra time to prepare or cook something exciting. It could be anything from leftover dinner to a fun and unique veggie salad.
Have Healthy Breakfast Options
One of the biggest ways that excess sugar sneaks into our diets is through our breakfast foods. This sets a pattern for the rest of the day, causing us to crave sugar to maintain our energy levels, when actually, healthy protein, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables are usually the best way to go.
Start checking the sugar content for many common breakfast foods, like yogurt, granola bars, juice, and pastries. Just a glass of orange juice and a granola bar can exceed your child’s recommended sugar allowance for the entire day! Fortify your kids with oatmeal, omelettes, or fruit smoothies.
Incorporate Play and Physical Activity Into Their Day
Whether or not your child’s school has recess, or a physical education program, it’s up to you to encourage your child’s physical play time. The CDC recommends that children and adolescents get 60 minutes of physical activity every day. This can include sports, climbing, running, biking… just about anything. Physical activity helps your child focus and improves healthy brain development in addition to keeping them physically fit. If you don’t think that your child is getting the physical education that they need, take a look at our home-study courses. They’ll help your child get active, and get school credit at the same time.
Set Specific Bedtimes
In order to perform his or her best, your child needs a set amount of sleep each night. Even more than that, they need a steady pattern that their body can adjust to in order to promote better, more restful sleep. Set a specific bedtime for your kids, and don’t waver on it. Encourage them to finish homework long before that time so that you can maintain a steady pattern.
We know all of this is easier said than done. But, as they say, nothing worth doing is really easy. Set an example for your children by prioritizing health and wellness this year.
Physical Activity Contributes to Better Grades
Over the last couple of decades, budget cuts have hit our physical education classes in public schools hard. The idea is that cutting these programs will leave more time for academic studies, and therefore, improve test scores.
Unfortunately, this short-sighted practice has had the opposite effect. It’s crippling our students; not only physically, but also academically.
Evidence Shows that Activity is Beneficial to Grades
The fact that exercise improves health isn’t something most people bother disputing. It’s obvious that physical activity protects against common health problems plaguing Americans: anything from high blood pressure to gum disease. However, an oft-overlooked benefit of exercise is its ability to improve cognition. Here are a few select examples from a large body of academic and professional studies that show the mental benefits of exercise for students:
- Think your child is fine because he or she isn’t overweight? Well, they could still be at a disadvantage from lack of physical activity. A study published in the Journal of American Pediatrics in August of 2013 tested children on both fitness tests and academic standardized tests. It was found that regardless of size, those who scored higher in fitness also scored higher in academics.
- Elementary-aged children with a physical education program integrated into their classrooms scored significantly higher over a four-month period on tests measuring fluid intelligence.
- One study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine found that children who were given 10 minutes to run around before a test scored higher in said test than children who were told to sit quietly for 10 minutes beforehand.
- One study of after-school programs found that periods of sustained play could improve children’s ability to memorize information and block out distractions while learning.
- A study at Dartmouth, published in Frontiers of Psychology in June 2014 found that it only took 12 minutes of exercise for children to improve in reading comprehension and visual focus.
Increasing a student’s physical activity isn’t just good for health, it’s good for grades! Schools and parents that understand these principles and support physical education and fitness programs will be more apt to see positive results in a students physical, mental, and academic well being.
