Jenna Evans is a teacher in the Pocono Mountain school district with over seventeen years of experience in the classroom. Jenna has extensive knowledge of best practices in early childhood education, and she prides herself on delivering innovative, developmentally appropriate instruction that reaches all learners. Jenna is a leader in her profession, having served on a variety of committees that support positive schoolwide behavior programs, Read Across America, technology growth and integration, and specialized school events. In addition, she serves on a collaborative writing team that continuously assesses and rewrites the kindergarten English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum to ensure that her school district is providing rigorous instruction that supports all of the PA Core Standards. Jenna is the coauthor of the book Classrooms on the Move: Using Kinesthetic Furniture to Create a New Age of Learning. Jenna received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from East Stroudsburg University and her master’s degree in classroom technology from Wilkes University. She is the co-owner of the educational consulting company ActivEDge and is passionate about integrating kinesthetic education into the classroom. Jenna has formed an instantaneous bond with learning environments that balance movement, technology, and innovative teaching methodologies to optimize student performance while educating the child as a whole. In combination with her teaching career, Jenna also dedicates her professional energy toward private consulting and freelance writing for specialized publications and graduate/undergraduate course designs in the following areas: curriculum development, movement education, applied educational technology, differentiated instruction, and classroom management. Jenna’s experience in technology integration and design, accompanied with her growing passion for kinesthetic education, ignites her desire to find a delicate balance between the two in her own classroom while encouraging other teachers to consider doing the same. As she welcomes continued progress in her current occupation, Jenna is also excited about postsecondary opportunities to develop the future of her profession. When not advocating for positive change in schools, Jenna devotes her time to her family. As a loving wife and a mother to both a son and daughter, she enjoys spending her days in the organized chaos of raising children. She sneaks in date nights with her husband whenever she can, and together, they enjoy movies, day trips, and quiet time at home. Jenna dedicates her efforts to her personal priorities and her professional goals without fail as she strives to continually grow and strengthen her aspirations.
Introduction
Balance in education is like balance in life …
You gotta have it!
Traci Lengel
Imagine a world where technology consumes every fiber of our existence, where learning, socializing, and personal growth are linked and dependent upon screens and digital advancements. Are you able to see that we are already headed in this direction with minimal hesitation or reflection of potential dangers? The Movement and Technology Balance: Classroom Strategies for Student Success places education in the driver’s seat to redirecting this detrimental, singular path by uniting movement and technology to optimize learning while educating the child as a whole. The greatest philosophers of all time heavily advocate the importance of gaining and maintaining balance in life. Balance is often viewed as a critical component for personal and professional success, good health, and overall happiness. This life concept should be equally supported in educational curriculums, goals, and standard practices.
The Movement and Technology Balance is a resource that provides all teachers (in every grade level and content area), administrators, and educational leaders/affiliates with ample evidence and practical applications on how to define, promote, and implement this innovative methodology. The concepts and activities found herein outline a unique balance that incorporates movement and technology strategies to enhance the cognitive, physical, social, and mental/emotional well-being of students to prepare them for life’s challenges and opportunities. Society is engrossed in technology and addictions are intensifying. The movement and technology (MT) balance can help education redirect this course while creating a healthier, more productive alternative. In Chapters 1–3, detailed, thought-provoking research and ideas are presented to encourage the reader to stop and take a closer look at current societal and educational trends regarding movement and technology, along with the roles that each play in the lives of our younger generation. Teachers, curriculum developers, administrators, and parents alike are urged to embrace and develop the MT balance as a necessity for building a brighter, health-conscious, and well-rounded learner.
Chapter 4 describes the concept of using the MOST method in the 21st-century classroom by moving students often with a steady flow of technology as a best practice model. Movement and technology usage and comfort levels are explored to allow readers to identify their own strengths and weaknesses from their individual, personal perspective. Additionally, in this chapter, the acronym STRIDES is defined and described as a means for bridging the gap between movement and technology to uncover an effective balance that enhances learning potential and student success. STRIDES is as follows:
S—Structuring and Managing
T—Transforming with A.A.A.
R—Refining Movement and Technology
I—Interconnecting Communities
D—Defining the Balance
E—Employing SMART Activities
S—Supporting a United Approach
This structure assists the educator (MTE) by providing a step-by-step approach to either increase/decrease kinesthetic activities or technology usage with the objective of discovering the MT balance.
Becoming an MT educator (MTE) is a journey that does not and should not take place with haste. It is a process that requires practice, trial and error, knowledge, and experience. Chapters 5–11 are devoted to breaking down each step of STRIDES to guide the reader on this educational endeavor. Structuring and managing the MT classroom is a concern for many teachers, especially when it comes to physically moving students around expensive technological equipment/devices. Chapter 5 addresses these issues by discussing classroom designs, space fluidity, and management strategies. In Chapter 6, readers are given the opportunity to analyze their personal and professional outlooks on movement and technology while setting goals to uncover their own MT balance. Once specific goals are established, an abundance of functional, hands-on classroom application strategies can be shared to make these ambitions a reality. These suggestions are often the most valued by educators who are open to growth and change and want to provide the best possible learning environment for their students. For this reason, Chapters 7–10 are detailed with a wide variety of useful, viable activities that can be incorporated into any academic setting to increase student achievement while offering a fun, vibrant learning environment for all.
The final chapter of this book emphasizes the significance of fostering a united approach that includes schools, homes, and communities to truly establish and grow the MT balance philosophy. The reality is that change will not come easily, and working in isolation will only take us so far. With educational pioneers at the forefront, we must bond together as a society to establish an all-inclusive, comprehensive attitude that helps our younger generation find this balance in their lives. Technology is here to stay; therefore, we must welcome it with a practical plan that benefits and simplifies our lives but doesn’t include overuse. Physical activity and increased movement are critical to our overall health and well-being.