In 2018 we participated in the Pau Te Hau research. Pau Te Hau or 'Get Puffed' and is a program of high intensity interval training (HIIT) that was devised by Dr Nigel Harris and his team at AUT. This program uses technology to motivate the students to challenge themselves to up their intensity. Heart rate monitors anonymously projected onto the screen show each student how they are going and encourages them to get puffed by turning their colour from green to red. What was great about that was the fact the students who didn't have high levels of fitness achieved the red zone first, this increased efficacy and motivation across the group. The challenge is against yourself and not the person next to you.
This year Panmure Bridge School is excited to be one of the randomly selected schools who have been offered this opportunity again, so last week Dianne, Greg and I spent the day at AUT with the Pau Te Hau team. The focus of the day was set the teachers who will be carrying out the HIIT sessions up with the tools and knowledge needed to run successful sessions. After a tour of the incredible facilities at the Millennium Institute of Sport we took part in one HIIT session. What I noticed is that as soon as our heart rate monitors appeared on the screen both Greg and I pushed ourselves to turn our colours red. We weren't competing against each other as we didn't know who was wearing which monitor, but were both definitely motivated to succeed. Immediately afterwards, apart from being completely puffed, I felt alert and was fully focused.
Professor Dave Lubans, Newcastle University, Australia
Shared with us the benefits of running HIIT sessions has on learning. Apart from improvement in metabolic health, fitness and body composition, research has shown that the more energy our students burn, the better they learn with improvements being seen in cognitive performance, focus in class, memory and on-task behaviour. A real eye opener were the findings of global trends in fitness in kids which showed Australasian children would finish a 1 mile race 200m behind their parents at the same age due to the change in our lifestyles and the introduction of easily accessible screen time.
Dr Isaac Warbrick, AUT
Telling the stories that inspire these exercises will help students make connections to the learning. These activities are connected to maramataka - cycles of the moon based on the observations of the tupuna from yesterday and the changes in nature that comes from responding to these cycles and rhythms with the movements connected to story of the creation. Creates links to tikanga and NZ history where two worlds are blended by valuing both worlds. Maori stories are not myths and legends - they are Maori science and understandings that explain why things are the way they are - it’s is the talk that is passed down - is called purakau.
Dr Denise Atkins, AUT
Shared with us ways we can connect to the curriculum and encourage our students to reflect on their own performance. By monitoring feelings before and after exercise students will be able to reflect and see the benefits (physical literacy). Feedback strategies should be formative. The fact this program allows individual students to anonymously monitor their own progress removes the feeling of being disenfranchised from constant failure. If the reflection is done 10 mins after exercise students will be able to appreciate euphoria from exercise. It is also important for teachers to reflect and observe the impact this program has on the students.
- What did you like/not like?
- How would you rate your performance?
- What could you do differently next time?
- Did you achieve your target?
- Could you help someone who was struggling?
- What progress have you made?...
