Robyn Bretzing: Keynote Speaker at 2011 Resource Conference

We are so excited to have Robyn Bretzing as Keynote Speaker at the Resource Conference this year!

Check out this article from Brigham Young University's McKay Today Magazine that highlights Robyn's teaching philosophy and what her program is all about.

"What is knowledge without health?" This question drives Robyn Bretzing, an award winning high school physical education instructor, to teach PE classes that include Mountain Biking, Pilates, Land Paddling, Bouldering, Kickboxing, Spinning - anything that promotes lifetime fitness - to her high school students. "My dream is that every student will leave my classroom with a passion for personal fitness and a desire to lead an active lifestyle. A lofty dream, but a dream worth pursuing and planning for every day I teach."

Robyn leads out in a physical education movement that aims to teach students traits and habits that will keep them active for life. Honors on the state and national level for teaching and coaching have put her in demand as a lecturer: Utah's AAHPERD Teacher of the Year 2007, SWD Teacher of the Year 2008, Alpine School District Golden Apple Award 2007, Addidas Region IV Coach of the Year 2004, and Utah Soccer Hall of Fame 2007.

Robyn is also changing professional expectations. She admits that in many places there are not any expectations for PE teachers. Principals are content as long as kids are out of the halls and in the gym. Robyn labels this perception as "sad" and advises other PE teachers, "You are the only one who has to take pride in what you do - and you have to exceed expectations, because PE expectations for the most part are very minimal."

It is clear that Robyn's passion is to educate students for a lifetime by providing a curriculum that keeps the whole class moving and having fun while at the same time learning to think about fitness and its effect on health. Her purpose is to make a difference in students lives now and 30 years from now. Robyn concludes, "I tell my kids that if there is one subject they will use for life, PE is it!"

To read the entire article on Robyn's program at Timpanogos High School, go to: education.byu.edu/news/magazine/liveit

Learn more about Robyn's Keynote Presentation at the Resource Conference.

About Robyn
After years of research and revision, Robyn has developed one of the most progressive PE programs in the country. She has been asked to present at UAPHERD, SWD and Central District Conventions and continues to travel the country presenting and inspiring teachers to push the limits in PE and design curriculum relevant to current fitness trends.

Robyn was named the UAHPERD and Southwest District Teacher of the Year in 2008 and is currently the Physical Education teacher at Timpanogos High School and the Alpine District PE Specialist.

The 2011 Resource Conference will be held on Oct. 10th and 11th in Overland Park, KS. Register now. See you there!

iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch Apps for Use in Physical Education

Looking for the most useful iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch/ apps to use in your PE class? Check out this list below. To download the list, click here. Also check out these websites for more information on technology use in education: www.thepegeek.com and www.EmergingEdTech.com.

Game Changer: Phil Lawler's Crusade to Help Children by Improving Physical Education

“It’s about enabling each student to maintain a physically-active lifestyle forever. It means emphasizing fitness and wellbeing, not athleticism. It eliminates practices that humiliate students. And it assesses students on their progress in reaching personal physical activity and fitness goals. A [quality] program exposes kids to the fun and long-term benefits of movement – it’s really that simple.” —Phil Lawler

We are so proud to have played a role in bringing this book to life. Read a description of the book below and purchase the book in the PE4life Pro Shop.

Engaging and inspiring, Game Changer: Phil Lawler’s Crusade to Help Children by Improving Physical Education charts Lawler’s tireless mission to refocus physical education to a wellness-based model that encourages fitness for lifetime. Game Changer captures the passion of this legend within the field of physical education who believed that every child—regardless of athletic ability—should be given a chance to find an activity they can embrace and enjoy for a lifetime.

The renowned Dr. Kenneth Cooper of Cooper Aerobics Center names Phil Lawler the "Father of the New PE." Game Changer offers an inspiring and informative glimpse at the life of Lawler and his “New PE,” the wellness-based approach to physical education that has energized an important revolution in the world of education.

Full of ideas, tips, and strategies, Game Changer provides both the information and motivation to develop, implement, and support PE and community programs that encompass all children, not just the athletically inclined. Messages from leaders within the physical education field provide lessons learned in the development, leadership, promotion, and on-going advocacy of wellness-based PE programs.

Game Changer takes readers through Lawler’s beginnings as a “stereotypical” PE teacher and coach and his dawning realization of how physical education class can be a positive tool to encourage a lifetime of health and physical activity. As Lawler’s work received a boost from the mounting research connecting physical activity to academic and behavioral improvements, “the New PE” gained momentum nationally and abroad. Readers will be inspired by Lawler’s vision and commitment, despite his own health challenges, to improving the health and fitness of children throughout the world.

Though his battle with cancer cut short his own work, Game Changer carries the torch of Lawler’s “New PE” by providing information and tools to assist physical educators in developing more inclusive PE programs that emphasize developing, attaining, and renewing personal fitness goals across the lifespan.