https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8 Angela Picard en-us 2022-01-08 17:04:17 UTC 2022-01-08 17:20:53 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f34e.png apic1191 https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981790429  This article from ScienceDaily, links a connection to sitting down regularly with feelings of depression and anxiety. Participants reported how active they were pre-pandemic and noted their well-being using clinical scales. Surveys in this data have shown that participants who were meeting the U.S. Physical Activities Guidelines, which is 2.5-5 hours of physical activity weekly, before the pandemic have decreased their physical activity, on average, by 32% after COVID-19. The same participants reported feeling more depressed, anxious, and lonely. In a follow up study, the same participants saw their mental health improve over an eight-week period after getting adjusted to life in the pandemic, but for people whose sitting times stayed at an all-time high, their depressive symptoms did not recover the same as everyone else. In the PreK-4^th classroom, teachers can encourage students to take brain breaks such as go noodle videos, yoga videos, independent reading, etc. They can even build these into their lesson plans to ensure that children are getting out of their seats and moving around throughout the day to help students understand the importance of movement as well as mental and emotional health.

]]> 2022-01-08 17:08:24 UTC https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981790429 apic1191 https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981791371 This is article from Fredrick Health, talks about how food can affect your brain both positively and negatively while comparing your brain and your body to a computer or engine of a car. To make a car or computer run and work properly, you need to fuel them properly. The author of the article equates fuel to food and what the right things are to put into our body. High quality food with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourish your brain power the best while low quality food that is refined or processed, can damage your brain and it’s functions. The article also lists healthy choices to make for peak brain performance. In the PreK-4^th classroom, teachers can have students create their own plate using cut out pictures from magazines, newspapers, etc. and glue them onto a paper plate to not only introduce and discuss the importance of healthy eating, but to visually show students what a real-life plate should look like.

]]> 2022-01-08 17:10:17 UTC https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981791371 apic1191 https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981793227 This article from ScienceDaily, talks about how a short ten-minute run can increase blood flow to parts of the brain that help support mood and other executive functions. Participants were given a set of tasks including the Stroop color-word test. This is when a subject is given a color word written in a different color font. The participant then has to say which color the word is written in without saying the word out loud. To do so, the brain must process both sets of information and inhibit the extraneous information. Results demonstrated that after ten minutes of running, there was a reduction of interference effect time, which means that the participants were saying the correct answers quicker. It also shows that bilateral prefrontal activation had significantly increased during the Stroop color task. In the PreK-4^th classroom, teachers can bring their kids outside (weather permitting) and make up a game. If the game involves them running back and forth or in laps for approximately ten minutes maybe before a test or before they are going to learn important information, perhaps they will see an increase in success rate. This will let students see that physical activity is not only important for your body and muscles, but your brain as well.

]]> 2022-01-08 17:14:02 UTC https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981793227 apic1191 https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981794717 This article from CNN, is about how New Year's Resolutions can motivate and encourage children to work towards a particular goal they have set for themselves. The article gives different examples that children have made such as growing their muscles, getting better at swimming, drinking water, etc. It states that each goal or resolution should be age appropriate, attainable and can be reached in a reasonable time frame. The reason being that if children do not achieve their goals, they may give up on themselves or on the contrary, give themselves too much credit if their goal is not specific enough. The resolutions can be split into short term and long term, which will give them a more accurate amount of time to complete. The article also touches on how goals should not be competitive towards siblings. Families should be able to sit down together to create their Resolutions to support one another as opposed to go against them to create a positive and rewarding experience. In the PreK-4^th Classroom: Teachers can use this tactic year-round and have the students set long term and short-term goals for themselves to give a sense of accomplishment and purpose for overall wellness.

]]> 2022-01-08 17:16:29 UTC https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981794717 apic1191 https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981796680 This article from PBS NewsHour, is about how a Supreme Court nominee was associated with an anti LGBTQ group in a private school for a long period of time. The school had created policies that discriminated towards LGBTQ families, students, and teachers. Children of same sex couples were barred emission and made it clear that openly gay and lesbian teachers were not welcomed inside of the classroom. Amy Coney Barrett served on the board of these schools for nearly three years. The policies at these schools were in place for years both before Barrett served in 2015 and during the time she served. Scholars have said that the school’s teachings on homosexuality and treatment of LGBTQ people are harsher than those of the mainstream catholic church. In the PreK-4^th Classroom, it would be great if schools that do hire gay, lesbian or transgender teachers did not discriminate and allowed for the students to see that their teachers have been given equal opportunities and the students can have the same opportunities in the future regardless of differences. Teachers can create a warm, safe, and welcoming environment that allow students to freely express themselves genuinely without judgement.

]]> 2022-01-08 17:19:05 UTC https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981796680 apic1191 https://padlet.com/apic1191/cpc3jpkj5iv6efs8/wish/1981797560 This article from SAMHSA, talks about the rise in teens and prescription drug use. There is a common misperception amongst teens that because these pills are prescribed from a doctor that they cannot be harmful. There is a range of short- and long-term health consequences when each drug is used inappropriately. Stimulants, opioids, and depressants, which are typically prescribed by doctors, can impact developing adolescent brains and bodies negatively. Some examples include perception as well as fracturing developing neural pathways. While there are other drugs that pose a concern such as cocaine and heroin, prescription drug use is the fastest growing amongst teens. In the PreK-4^th Classroom, Teachers should make it a point to educate their students on the effects that prescription drugs, among other drugs, can have on brain development as well as brainstorm other ways to cope with stress and mental health.

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