Camp Caesar PE Conference

Wow, it has been a long while since I posted some thoughts. I have actually been sharing quite a few things through my facebook page (www.facebook.com/ctriolet) but this might be a better way to share some thoughts with all.

Now, let's get to business at hand.....Camp Caesar PE Conference.Camp Caesar is a rustic 4H camp near Cowen, West Virginia. the conference is held over a weekend, usually at the end of May. This past year, I was invited to be one of the paid presenters along with two excellent teachers from Winchester, VA (Mac and JT) who presented together. We were given 4 presentation opportunities over the two days to share a variety of activities with the attendees. There were about 240 participants for the conference, interestingly enough about half were NOT physical education teachers (due to the fact the the University of West Virginia offers college credit for attending the conference.....smart!). It was a collection of classroom, special education, and resource teachers. There were even a couple of nurses.

What makes Camp Caesar special is the atmosphere. The rustic 4H camp gives the conference a more laid-back feel. The meals are held in a large hall with a huge collection of 12 foot tables and metal chairs. All the meals are family style and you know it's time to eat when you hear the dinner bell. Throughout the conference, there are opportunities to mingle and socialize (especially during "Social Fitness" which occurs nightly from 9p - 12a). There are break-out sessions, campers, a plastic duck race ("ducky derby"), a four-square tournament, campfires, and much much more. Along with all the fun, there were plenty of great sessions to attend and tons of ideas that could be taken back to any educational setting (I used about 10 ideas before the school year ended!).

If you are looking for staff development, college credit, and/or fun......Camp Caesar is the place to be!!

For more information about the Camp Caesar PE Conference, visit their website; www.ccphysed.org/301.html.


Chad Triolet
The "Noodle Guy"
www.noodlegames.net

Using Technology in Physical Education

Over the holidays, I was speaking with a friend about heart rate monitors. He is a businessman who works for a local computer company. He also teaches "spinning" at a local recreation center a few times a week. We started chatting about his using heart rate monitors during his classes which of course made me happy. When he started teaching several years ago, I mentioned that it would be great to have all of the people in his class use a heart rate monitor to assess their individual performances during the class. After giving him some basic information about heart rate monitors and several suggestions about what types/ models he should get, he went out and bought several to try with clients. He now requires that all of the "spinners" in his classes wear a heart rate monitor while he teaches a class. The rec. center has purchased several that people can borrow if they have forgotten their own or are new to the class. He mentioned that his regulars have all purchased their own heart rate monitors and really love using them. I am so impressed by what my friend, Scott, has done. He has gotten the rec. center to buy into the importance of using heart rate monitors to improve fitness and he has gotten many people interested in keeping track of their own fitness level using a heart rate monitor. What was really interesting is that Scott mentioned how surprised he is how many people had never really heard of or used a heart rate monitor prior to being a part of his class. This, of course, got me thinking.

How many physical education programs across the country are teaching students how to use technology tools like pedometers and heart rate monitors to keep track of their fitness levels? If not using pedometers and/or heart rate monitors, what is the reason? As a physical educator, isn't it our responsibility provide students with a knowledge of how to stay fit and healthy for a lifetime? Why are there physical education programs who are not teaching students how to use these important technology tools to assess fitness, amount of activity, and performance? It would be like teaching math without teaching students how to properly use a calculator or teaching science without teaching students how to use the Bunsen Burner or a microscope.

I teach elementary physical education and in first grade we introduce the concept of heart rate. In third grade, we introduce and use pedometers throughout the year. And, in fifth grade we teach students how to use a heart rate monitor, let students use them, and discuss why they are important. Although the exposure to these tools is somewhat limited due to the age of the students and the amount of time we have them, I think introducing these items is critical. It is sad that more programs (including athletic programs) don't take advantage of these technology tools to help students train more efficiently.

There are many great lessons on heart rate monitors and pedometers that can be found on http://pecentral.com.

Chad Triolet
www.noodlegames.net

Surgery to combat type II diabetes and obesity?

Last night I watched a report on the news about using gastric bypass surgery to help extremely overweight teens reverse type II diabetes. As I sat there watching the clip, I became disturbed by the entire concept. This is the lazy-man's cure to growing trend in the United States (and across the world for that matter). How are these teens getting so obese? Is this problem behavioral or genetic (I think we know the answer)? Is our society as a whole enabling this unhealthy condition? Aren't these children seeing pediatricians as they grow and develop? Don't they have Physical Education on a regular basis in schools? Are we worried about calling them "fat" or "obese"? Where are the intervention programs to help these kids (walking programs, physical therapy, nutrition and wellness classes, etc.)? What is the cost of the surgery? Isn't intervention a cheaper and safer alternative to a major surgery with possible life-threatening complications?

What troubles me the most is this concept that surgery is the answer to this problem. Has anyone seen the show, "The Biggest Loser?" They assess each participants wellness prior to beginning the exercise the program. Many of the participants have type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and signs of serious heart disease. After being involved in the EXERCISE program for a period of time, they are reevaluated and it is amazing to see how much these results change. Is anyone aware that regular exercise and lowering body fat will have similar results as this procedure. I understand that maintaining a healthy body weight can be a challenge for many individuals. No one said it was easy, it takes discipline, a basic knowledge of nutrition, making smart health choices, plenty of exercise, and time. Simply put, we need give these overweight teens an opportunity to be active in a successful environment that is fun, and allows them to make choices maybe surgery won't be necessary.

As I sit writing this blog, I am wondering if I am doing enough as a Physical Educator to help my students who are overweight. I have done walking programs, had before school and after-school exercise programs from year to year, but can I do more? At this point, I am not sure what the answer is but I will say that I think that society (especially the medical community) needs to take a bit more ownership regarding this obesity "epidemic". Sadly the future cost of our health care insurance is going to reflect this obesity problem and we will ALL have to pay for it!

For more information on the surgery and the study related to the use of gastric bypass with teens, see - http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20081229/surgery-reverses-type-2-diabetes-in-teens

Chad Triolet
The "Noodle Guy"

2008 NCAAHPERD in Winston-Salem, NC - WOW!!!

What do you get when you use a spacious conference center and add over 50 vendors, and over 2200 physical & health education and dance professionals?? The best state AHPERD conference I have attended in the 2008!!!

Kudos to the NCAAHPERD Executive Director, Conference Coordinator, and the Board of NCAAHPERD for putting together a very professional and fun conference. During the conference, I was able to do three presentations (1-Noodle Mania, and 2-Omnikin). All the sessions were well-attended (of course, with 2200 participants that is not difficult to understand).

It was great getting to see my buddies from Socci (www.socci.net), Grant Scheffer and Dale Slear! Sadly, that will be the last time I see those guys until 2009. If you ever get the chance to check out their sweet multi-purpose 3-D goal, it'll blow your mind!

Unfortunately, I was unable to take a lot of photos. When I download them, I will be sure to post a few on this blog, so be sure to check back later.

Thanks again to NCAAHPERD and all the awesome professionals I met....what a great time!

Chad
www.noodlegames.net

NY AHPERD - Catskill Zone

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of traveling to New York for a one day mini-conference in Circleville, NY. This conference was sponsored by the NYAHPERD's Catskill Zone. There were over 220 participants at the conference. There were 5 presenters at the conference this year including Noodle Games. I had three presentation slots and was very busy. The teachers who attended the sessions were awesome and most participated during the presentation.

One of the teachers was kind enough to take some photos of the first session. Please look below to see a slideshow from that collection of photos.

For more information about Noodle Games/ Noodle Mania/ Noodle Madness, please visit my website, www.noodlegames.net.

Thanks! ~ Chad

Noodle Games in Norfolk, VA

Norfolk Public Schools asked me to present to their middle school and high school teachers during their in-service training day.

It was a great day with lots of teacher participation and fun. One of the critical points that I try to make during my presentations is the importance of student engagement and maximizing participation during physical education classes. According to NASPE (National Association of Sport and Physical Education) a quality physical education lesson has four main components; 1) all students are active and engaged in learning, 2) the teacher interacts with students giving instructions and feedback, 3) the teacher is continuously assessing student performance, and 4) there is a strong connection to lifetime health and wellness. Noodle Mania activities are designed to help teachers meet the requirements listed above. It is my hope that the participants at any of the trainings I provide will understand how important these concepts are when teaching and will be able to use some of my activities in a quality lesson at their school.

Why use Noodle Mania in Physical Education?

This is a question that people outside of physical education ask the most. So here is a simple list why Noodle Mania makes sense in Physical Education;

1. The equipment used (pool noodles) is inexpensive compared to other items used for activities (more bang for your buck!).

2. Noodle Mania provides activities that provide many opportunities to develop a variety of fitness related components (muscular strength, muscular endurance, aerobic capacity, and flexibility to name a few).

3. Instructors can use Noodle Mania to develop and important cooperative concepts (teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship).

4. The activities included can be used to teach and reinforce a variety of sport related skills using light/safe equipment.

5. There are a variety of health related activities included that can be used to teach or reinforce concepts (i.e. - nutrition, personal hygiene, fitness (heart health), etc.).

6. The concepts and activities provided are designed to maximize participation for all students. Many other activities and equipment does not allow for all students to participate at the exact same time because of the expense of the equipment and the safety of its use.

7. Students LOVE playing with the noodles. They come in a variety of colors, they are easy to grip, and they are durable.

My students are always excited to see the noodles out. They know they are going to have some fun and get some quality exercise. If you haven't tried them out, you don't know what you missing. If you'd like more information about Noodle Mania, please visit my website - http//www.noodlegames.net.

Enjoy Noodling!
Chad

Beijing Olympics and Noodles

As the 2008 Beijing Olympics quickly approaches, I thought I'd share a few ideas how to use Noodles to get students excited about this special sporting event.

1) One of my classic activities is called the Noodle Duel (A.K.A. - Noodle Fencing). This partner activity can be used to introduce the sport of fencing, which is an Olympic event. In this game, partners will face on another while holding a demi-noodle. Each partner will hold one end of the noodle and touch the other end to his/her partner's noodle (the starting position). Both partners will say, "1-2-3, GO!" and the activity begins. The objective is to be the first to touch the opponents shoe. If a shoe is touched, the round is over and the students resume the starting position and play again. (Teachers can discuss the finer points of fencing, the equipment, the rules, etc. throughout the activity to add that Olympic touch).

2) Track and Field is one of my favorite Olympic events. As a former track athlete (pole vaulter), I find this to be one of the most compelling sports to watch during the games. There are several ways to incorporate Noodles into track and field concepts. First, using a demi-noodle or a long noodle, students can take part in the Noodle Javelin. The history behind this event in interesting (Google it!). Students can take turns throwing their noodle javelins. They can discuss strategy and decide which technique works best. Putting students on small teams (3 or 4 individuals) will promote teamwork, communication, and cooperation as they determine the best way to maximize success. When they make their "official" throws, they can use math when measuring and adding up the total distance thrown by the group. They can also use additional math skills in determining the average length of all throws, ordering the distance from longest to shortest, and comparing distances with other teams. Second, use the same concepts listed above for the Noodle Shot Put. For this activity, students will need a noodlette. The teacher can allow students to throw the noodlettes or to add a challenge, he/she can require the students to use shot put throwing technique. Again, working on teams and adding math components can make this activity fun and challenging. Third, Noodle Relays can be used to develop cardiovascular endurance and teamwork. A foot-long noodle (Noodle Baton) is most like a track baton and considerably less-expensive. Students will work in small groups (2, 3, or 4) to complete a variety of relays. The relays portion of this activity is where the teacher can get creative. The students can run a tradition relay (like the 4x100 or 4x400) or come up with something completely different. The teacher can require different locomotor patterns; give each team two Noodle Batons to include more students; incorporate obstacles (hurdles, pits, tunnels, etc.) to make the relays more challenging. The possibilities are endless.

3) Baseball is an Olympic event that received it's "official" games status in 1992 in Barcelona. Previously, it had been considered a demonstration sport in previous appearances during the Olympics. Baseball is a popular sport in the United States and children really love a chance to swing the bat and hit the ball. Noodle Baseball is a great way to practice the important striking skills necessary to be successful in the game of baseball. It also encourages the participation of all students. To start, each student will need a hula hoop or polyspot (to mark home plate), a noodlette (noodle baseball), and a demi-noodle (noodle bat). When they have collected their materials, they should all find an open space. Each student will stand next to their home plate, hold the noodle bat in one hand (dominant hand works best) and hold the noodle baseball in the other hand. When the activity begins, the students can toss the noodle baseball up in the air above their home plate and attempt to hit it with the noodle bat as it falls toward the ground. If the students can hit the noodle baseball, they will put their bat on home plate and carefully collect the baseball (while watching out for others who may be swinging their bats) and return to their home plate and continue the activity. This is a great activity to engage all participants, develop hand/eye coordination, and practice striking skills.

I hope that you find these activities helpful. If you like these games, consider purchasing the book Noodle Mania, the book includes 60 active, engaging, and fun activities using pool noodles. If you would like more information about Noodle Games or Noodle Mania. Please check out my website; http://www.noodlegames.net.

All the BEST!

Chad Triolet
the "Noodle Guy"

Noodles and Wii Tennis

This past week we have been using Wii Tennis with our students in physical education class. As many of you already know, Wii Tennis is one of the activities included in the Wii Sports game that comes with the Nintendo Wii console. As a culminating activity for our racket skills/ striking unit, we (my teaching partner, Tristan, and I) decided to play Wii Tennis with our students. We used the Wii as a station and used 4 controllers so we could maximize participation. To encourage students who were waiting in line to "shadow play", we placed polyspots behind the individuals using the controllers and gave them each a foot-long noodle to use like the controller and practice their timing. It has worked beautifully and the students have really enjoyed playing the game as part of physical education class.

***Note - Using the Wii is a great way to discuss how to keep score in the game of tennis, how serving and serve receive works, and how to keep score (15, 30, 40, deuce, etc.).

Southwestern VA Physical Education Workshop

Well, I learned something new this week......Radford University is a LONG way from Chesapeake. In preparing to attend the VAHPERD sponsored workshop at Radford, I thought it would be smart to Mapquest my trip. When I typed in the information and hit enter, I was shocked to find out that it was a 5+ hour trip. How could this be?? I can get to Pennsylvania or South Carolina from here in 5 hours....how could it possibly take 5 hours to travel somewhere in our own state?

Anyway, it was a 5 hour trip, but it was well worth it!! I arrived on Thursday night just in time for dinner at Sal's. I joined the workshop's planning committee (Kathy, Mary Alice, Rose, Regina, and Susan) and my fellow presenters Betty, B, and Nancy. It was a nice time.

On Friday, we got up early and headed over to the university to get set up. There were over 120 attendees (almost double the number they had last year). I did two Noodle Mania presentations and then finished the afternoon with an hour + Socci presentation.

It was a blast!! I have never been treated better at any workshop I have attended. Everyone was so pleasant, motivated, and easy to talk to. The food provided (breakfast and lunch) was awesome. And, the planning committee was helpful and accommodating. I really can't imagine a better way to spend a Friday afternoon.

As an added bonus, after I got home, I discovered that the local paper (the Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com) wrote an article and took some video which has been posted on their website. Look below to view the video.

Howdy Ya'll

Howdy ya'll,

Just arrived back in Virginia late last night from an awesome trip to Fort Worth, TX for the 2008 AAHPERD National Convention. Thanks to anyone who attended my Noodle Mania session on Friday morning. There were over 250 spectators and I was able to get at least 80 of them up and moving during the session. I had so much fun..... I am already thinking about what I can do in Tampa for next year's convention.

For more information about me and Noodle Mania or Noodle Games, check out my website @ www.noodlegames.net. You can also contact me via email, noodlegames@gmail.com.

Chad Triolet
"The Noodle Guy"

Recent Noodle Mania email feedback

**I recently received the following in an email. I have edited out personal information at the request of the sender.

“I witnessed your Noodle presentation” (recently). (After the conference), “I proceeded to perform some of the games/activities you had presented complete with rules (like 'put the noodle under your arm' when I was explaining or collecting them) and I wish to let you know my students were "ecstatic" about working with them.” “When working with my students and these noodles even on the basketball court, it was glaringly apparent each child was experiencing the many different P.E. skills I taught while having fun.”

“In addition, please be advised that my Kindergarten plus First Grade students were actively devising ways to use the noodles plus pucks for balance and coordination activities on their own when given the chance to work with them.”

“In conclusion, I feel what you have done here with this concept of using such a simple tool as pool noodles has "hit the mark" of what we all try to do as P.E. educators with attempting to create the best possible learning environments/outcomes for our students.”

“Well done.”

Anonymous

***Hope you enjoyed that email selection as much as I did. I am always pleased to hear that my presentations have had an impact on physical education classes. If anyone else has experiences to share, I would love to get them.

For more information about Noodle Mania, check out - http://noodlegames.net.

Chad

Trip to New York

Made it home safely from the wonderful state of New York this afternoon. What a trip!!!

In addition to having two successful presentations this weekend (Noodle Mania and Socci), I was able to get my brother to join me on the road trip, stay with a close personal friend, Kevin, and his wife, and we were joined by another buddy, Dave (who flew into town from North Carolina).

Three days later.......and lots of Wii, delicious beverages, good food, and excellent company, it's easy to say that the trip to NY was a blast. I am already looking forward to heading back next year.

More blogs to come, in the meantime, checkout http://noodlegames.net for more information about Noodle Mania. - Chad

2008 NY AHPERD Zone E Mini-Conference @ C.W. Post

Well, Noodle Mania had another successful presentation opportunity at the 2008 NY AHPERD, Zone E Mini-Conference. There were over 50 participants who attended the session. After the session I was able to sell 25 Noodle Mania books and gave away 2 Noodle Packs. Dee and Shannon appeared very excited to receive their prize!
-- If you'd like more information about my Noodle Mania book, go to the Noodle Games website, http://noodlegames.net. --

It was a little noisy in the gym due to a very loud sound system being used on the other side of the gym, however, with a little patience, a lot of yelling, and squeezing together as a group, we made it work. I was able to demonstrate a variety of fun and innovative noodle activities in the hour that I had to present. We covered partner activities, instant activities, large group games, and sport skill activities during the presentation.

The entire conference looked to be a tremendous success. There were over 250 participants. Congrats to Dr. Mara Manson and the rest of the conference staff for an excellent job! Also, special thanks to my proctor for the session, Ryan. He was a tremendous help and took some fine photos of the presentation which will be posted on the NoodleGames website (http://noodlegames.net) soon.

Chad Triolet
the "Noodle Guy"
www.NoodleGames.net

Welcome to the Noodle Games & Noodle Mania Blog

Thanks for stopping by the Noodle Games/ Noodle Mania Blog. I am excited that you are interested in the what Noodle Games and Noodle Mania may have to offer you, your school, your camp, your recreational program, or your after-school program. I believe that Noodle Mania will have a lasting and positive impact on any program that is designed to get children up and moving.

Chad Triolet
the "Noodle Guy"
www.noodlegames.net