UKPE Newsletter June 2008

Welcome to the June issue of the UKPE newsletter!

As exams are in full swing and students start thinking about the future, Human Kinetics and BASES are proud to announce the launch of the FREE Guide to Careers in Sport and Exercise Sciences. You’ll also find stories on obesity, UK government initiatives and the largest school sport event ever!

In the UKPE Newsletter this month…
	Product of the month… Learn how to use technology to increase physical activity Help your pupils bounce their way to fun and fitness New career guide from BASES and Human Kinetics Largest school sport event in history Protective parents deny children the chance to get on their bikes Government gives green light to National Sports Skills Academy Exercise ‘does not make obese children slim’ Design your own play space: Ministers launch website to get kids’ views on play Obesity crisis ‘will lead to children having their stomachs stapled’   Product of the month… Dance, like every other human experience, is affected by globalisation. The changes that take place through globalisation often produce new and startling forms of art, and nowhere is this more evident than in dance. Globalisation has opened new possibilities for appreciating and recognising the amazing range of human bodied expression, bringing about an exciting expansion of the meaning of dance.Dance in a World of Change: Reflections on Globalization and Cultural Difference presents a range of international perspectives on dance pedagogy, the body, performance and dance and culture. The text expands the discourse of dance that connects it to the critical, political, moral and aesthetic dimensions of contemporary society, and it explores how globalisation is influencing and shaping the future of dance.The contributing writers hail from around the world: South Africa, Brazil, Croatia, Ireland, Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Holland, Jamaica and the United States. They bring their distinguished records as dance educators, choreographers, critics and scholars to this book as they address: A form of human empowerment or cultural resistance; A means of recognising diverse cultural experience and communicating common humanity; An expression of social conflict, injustice, violence and marginalisation; and An educational process that transcends the particular and encompasses commonality.   Dance in a World of Change is a catalyst for new thinking about dance among teachers, choreographers and scholars in the field. Readers will experience the passion and excitement of the contributing writers, who define the connections that help form a global community. PRICE: £19.50 (29.25 Euros) Read more about the book!                                       Learn how to use technology to increase physical activity It’s widely accepted that the increased use of technology, such as TV and computers, has led to a reduction in physical activity. Nowadays fewer children choose to go on a bike ride or play in the park, but prefer to stay in and play their favourite computer game. Physical Education Technology Playbook is a book which shows how to use technology to increase physical activity, by providing many activities that promote learning and physical activity through the integration of technology. Given that technology is now a permanent part of the teaching and learning process, teachers have a responsibility to use technologies that enhance pupil learning and increase teacher efficiency. Physical Education Technology Playbook will help future and current teachers: Use technology to assess physical fitness, monitor pupil progress towards personal goals, refine motor skills, comprehend new concepts and increase enjoyment of physical activity; Select from numerous activities that promote learning and healthy physical activity choices through the integration of technology; Draw on technologies that enhance learning and increase teacher efficiency; and Build professional portfolios through activities that help teachers immediately.   The book comes with a free companion website which contains editable modules, as well as adaptable lesson plans featuring technology that teachers can use in the classroom with accompanying handouts for pupils. With Physical Education Technology Playbook, teachers will learn to use technology to understand and promote key concepts related to physical activity, and how to teach pupils to make healthy choices. PRICE: £17.00 (25.50 Euros) Read more about the book!                                                              Help your pupils bounce their way to fun and fitness   The benefits of using stability balls are well documented. They are particularly useful for exercising the core abdominal and back muscles and for helping balance. Stability balls have been widely used in physical therapy and adult fitness, but few realise that they are also a great resource for those who work with children. In Having a Ball: Stability Ball Games author John Byl explains how to get kids bouncing, laughing, moving and having great fun – all as they improve their fitness skills. Having a Ball features: 73 stability ball games, with variations, that teach balance and co-ordination; A great variety of challenges, races, relays and team games for all participants; A game finder that helps you quickly find the right activity for your group; and Games that work for youths in fitness centres and schools. The book incorporates several different games into its seven chapters. There are games for partners, individuals or groups, including chase games, games for larger groups and activities that pit two teams against each other. Whether you’re using these games in a fitness centre, youth club or school, you can be sure everyone involved will be having a ball! PRICE: £11.00 (14.85 Euros) Read more about the book! New career guide from BASES and Human Kinetics   Do your pupils want to work in sport or exercise? Not sure what careers are available, what’s involved and what qualifications are required? The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) have published a new and fully updated edition of their career guide, A Guide to Careers in Sport and Exercise Sciences. The free, downloadable guide for prospective and current sport and exercise science students has been written in association with Human Kinetics, the leading information provider in the physical activity field. BASES are the recognised UK professional body for promoting sport and exercise sciences in the UK. Founded in 1984, BASES represent sport and exercise sciences nationally and internationally. With sport and exercise science fast becoming one of the most popular subjects to study at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, this career guide has been created to help students shape their future career paths, with information on the following: Important points to consider when choosing a sport and exercise science course at school, college, undergraduate and postgraduate level, Funding for postgraduate courses, Common career paths that sport and exercise science graduates may follow, Information on how to find a job, A realistic overview of each of the careers and; Profiles written by graduates to give an insight into what students need to know in order to get their dream job. Complete with useful websites and practical information, this easy-to-read guide will provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about careers in sport and exercise science, helping students on the journey to achieving their dream job. The BASES A Guide to Careers in Sport and Exercise Sciences is free to download from the BASES website www.bases.org.uk/newsite/studentcareers.asp Largest school sport event in history   Schools across England are being called upon by the Prime Minister and Dame Kelly Holmes to take part in the first ever National School Sport Week. Their aim is to engage over three million school children, the largest number ever to get involved in PE and school sport at any one time. National School Sport Week, a government initiative managed by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Norwich Union, is set to kick off on Monday 30 June and will be a week-long celebration of PE and school sport. The initiative was announced in February by the Prime Minister and Dame Kelly Holmes, the National School Sport Champion, at the Youth Sport Trust’s Sports Colleges Conference. The National School Sport Week will be shaped by schools and pupils themselves, who have been set the task of coming up with the most innovative activity during the week. Activity during the week will include: Festivals of Sport (including TOP Sportsability festivals, multi-skill and multi-sport festivals). Young Leaders have been trained through TOP Link (within Step into Sport) to plan and run these festivals for primary aged young people. Intra school competition – led by School Sport Co- ordinators and supported by young leaders Inter school competition – led and organised by existing Competition Managers Local activity – innovative and creative ideas organised at a local level The Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “We need to put school sport back where it belongs – playing a central role in the school day. National School Sport Week is a great opportunity to do just that and I’m confident that it will help get young people fit and physically healthy.” Youth Sport Trust, May 14th 2008 Read the full story… Protective parents deny children the chance to get on their bikes   Parents are denying their children the freedom they enjoyed in their own youth to take to the roads on a bicycle. The majority of parents (81 per cent) ban their children from cycling independently or restrict them to circuits of their immediate road or neighbourhood streets, a survey suggests. While three quarters of children today are allowed to cycle for recreation at the weekend or after school, only one in five is allowed to use a bike to get around during the week. Only 4 per cent of children actually cycle to school regularly, according to the Populus survey of more than 1,000 parents for Cycling England, an agency created to promote cycling. This is in contrast to parents’ experiences of cycling as children. More than half (56 per cent) say that they used their bike as regular transport when they were school-age. The survey also found that the most common age at which parents were able to cycle on the roads was 10 – today it has gone up to 12. The main reason that parents gave for not allowing their child to cycle on the roads was safety (36 per cent), yet only 3 per cent said that they knew someone who had suffered an accident. Two thirds of parents felt that their child did not have the confidence and skills to ride on the road and about half thought that their child would benefit from cycling training. Phillip Darnton, chairman of Cycling England, said that today’s parents were creating a generation of “cul- de-sac kids”, with tough limits on when, where and how they may cycle. The Times, May 6th 2008 Read the full story… Government gives green light to National Sports Skills Academy   The Government has made a significant commitment to improving skills by giving the go ahead to a National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure. This move promises to improve the standard of coaching across England, giving athletes training towards the 2012 Games an even better chance of claiming a place on the medals podium. Led by employers in the sport and leisure sector and coordinated by SkillsActive – the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for active leisure and learning – the skills academy will open later this year and will train 85,000 new entrants, existing staff and volunteers every year by 2013. Minister for Skills, David Lammy said: “For the UK to perform at its best in 2012, we need to make a sustained investment in coaching skills, giving our athletes the very best support and training to help them win. However, it’s not just about winning Olympic medals. “I want to ensure that every young sportsperson, at every level of competition, is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. This new skills academy for the sports and leisure industry will ensure world class training throughout the nation.” 24dash.com, May 7th 2008 Read the full story… Exercise ‘does not make obese children slim’   Encouraging overweight children to exercise has no impact on weight loss and they should be encouraged instead to eat more healthily, according to new research. The study claims that obese children are inactive because of their weight, and not fat because they are inactive. The researchers argue that efforts to reduce the childhood obesity epidemic should focus on healthy eating and cutting calorie consumption, rather than getting children to engage in sports and games. The research, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, studied 300 children over five years. It found that being overweight influences activity more than activity influences being overweight, and argues that this is why attempts to promote physical activity as a way of combating childhood obesity have failed. The Telegraph, May 26th 2008 Read the full story… Design your own play space: Ministers launch website to get kids’ views on play   Ministers have launched a fun, interactive website and poster campaign to encourage children to give their views on play and play areas as part of the first ever national consultation on children’s play. The website and posters give children the chance to design their own play space using playground favourites such as see-saws and round-a-bouts mixed with more modern structures such as wooden climbing walls. On the website children can choose from a variety of settings to reflect their local areas, with a choice of urban, rural or sports fields on which to build their ideal play area. In order to add equipment to their play space children must answer a series of questions around the idea of play. The more questions answered the more points they earn to spend on designing their own play space. The views of children and young people will play a crucial part in this consultation, and it is important that as many as possible are able to contribute their ideas. This short, online activity is aimed at 8 to 13 year olds, will ensure that children can give their views while at the same time being creative and having fun. All the consultation questions have been drafted using child-friendly language. Department for Children, Schools and Families, May 20th 2008 Read the full story… Obesity crisis ‘will lead to children having their stomachs stapled’   Primary school children could soon be undergoing stomach-stapling surgery as Britain’s obesity epidemic worsens, a senior medical director has warned. Steve Ryan, of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, said “significant numbers” of children aged two and three were being classed as obese. Conditions normally seen in middle age, such as Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea, were increasingly common among teenagers, he warned. Mr Ryan said it is was “almost certain” that surgeons will have to staple children’s stomachs within a few years. At present, weight-loss surgery is only performed on adults when all other methods have failed. Although the procedure can lead to complications, Dr Ryan believes that for some children it will prove the best option. “In the not too distant future I think we will be starting to consider surgery on children who are grossly overweight,” he said. “In adults it is one of the things that can be very effective indeed, but it is a drastic step. ” The Telegraph, May 16th 2008 Read the full story..