The Movement and Technology Balance

Traci Lengel is a Health and Physical Education teacher in the Pocono Mountain School District.  With more than twenty-six years of experience, Traci’s knowledge in movement education, kinesthetic furniture, motor development, lifelong fitness/wellness, health education, movement/technology balance, curriculum design and educational/content publication has contributed to the success of her insightful programs and consultations.  Additionally, Traci is an adjunct professor at La Salle University in Pennsylvania and The College of New Jersey.  In conjunction with these positions, she is a designer/coauthor of three graduate courses.  These highly esteemed graduate courses, titled Wellness: Creating Health and Balance in the Classroom, The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement and The Kinesthetic Classroom II: Moving across the Curriculum, have had a profound effect on the personal and professional lives of thousands of educators. Furthermore, Traci is coauthor of the book The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement, which was published in 2010 and is a best-selling educational publication. Her most recent publications, in 2017, are Ready, Set, Go: The Kinesthetic Classroom 2.0 and in 2018, Classrooms on the Move: Using Kinesthetic Furniture to Create a New Age of Learning. As co-owner of her own educational consulting company ActivEDge, Traci is a consistent leader in her field.  She also balances an additional career position with the company Kidsfit. This corporation manufactures and sells kinesthetic furniture while providing educational experiences for instructional usage and application for these innovative designs.  These careers allow her to show others how to utilize active teaching methods in a variety of settings to enhance educational achievement and peak performance of learners of all ages and abilities.  Traci travels extensively to support and promote her passion for improving the health and well-being of children all over the world, while bringing learning to life. Known for her enthusiasm, innovation, work ethic and passion, Traci devotes much of her time to both her personal and professional successes.  With her motivational teaching methodology, she presents and facilitates professional development trainings and workshops. Traci provides keynote presentations for active education along with meaningful programs in the areas of movement/technology balance, wellness, stress management and teaching/learning through movement in a kinesthetic classroom.  Her ultimate professional challenge is to inspire educators at all levels to incorporate movement into their daily teaching.  Traci’s greatest joy is the unconditional love and support she shares with her family and friends.  She is kindhearted and committed to bringing fun and laughter to education and the people who share her journey. Traci is persistent, dedicated and leaves a lasting impression.  She can be reached at theactivedge@gmail.com. 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 alike. Jenna is a leader in her profession, having served on a variety of committees that support Positive School-wide 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 her school district is providing rigorous instruction that supports all of the PA Core Standards. Jenna is the co-author 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 her 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 design 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 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. A loving wife and 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.  

Foreword by Eric Jensen
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
Chapter 1 • An Undeniable Shift
Movement and Technology: The Adversarial Relationship
A Society on the Move
The Decline of Movement >
The Digital Age
The Rise of Technology <
A Change of Course
Chapter 2 • The Power of Movement
WANTing Past Values Back
Movement Matters
The Brain–Body Connection
The Supportive Research
Common Sense: As Strong as the Research
Chapter 3 • The Technology Machine
Technology Overload
Learner Benefits
Current Educational Trends and Learner Options
Future Expectations
Best Practice in Question
Chapter 4 • Making the MOST of It
A Balancing Act
Blended Teaching and Learning
Brain-Based Learning
Core Human Needs
Bridging the Gap with STRIDES
Education’s Responsibility
A New Brain, A New Learner—A Reasonable Perspective
Chapter 5 • Structuring and Managing
Space Fluidity
Classroom Designs
Planning and Preparation
Safety at the Forefront
Management Strategies
Chapter 6 • Transforming with A.A.A.
Movement: It’s All About You
Digital Responsibility
Defining A.A.A.
A Personal Outlook
A Professional Agenda: Finding Your Balance
An Educational Mission
Prevention and Urgency
Chapter 7 • Refining Movement and Technology
The Inevitable Climb
The Significance of ALL
The ABCs of Movement for ALL
The ABCDs of Technology for ALL
Education’s Ascending Champions
Chapter 8 • Interconnecting Communities
Brain Priority
A Societal Scare
The Significance of Restoring Skills
Building Positive Classroom Culture
Community Connectors
Chapter 9 • Defining the Balance
Implementing the Power Play
Balancing Approaches
Planning Priorities
Classroom Applications: The ABCDs
A Bright Future
Chapter 10 • Employing SMART Activities
The Mental/Emotional Learning State
When Productivity Is Lost
A Proactive Approach
The Benefits of SMART
SMART Activities
Implementation Considerations
Chapter 11 • Supporting a United Approach
An Educational Pioneer
A Comprehensive Action Plan
Reaching the Home
Reaching the Community
Final Thoughts: A Motivational Magnet
References and Resources
Index