Monday Movie Preview: Wardrobe Planning: Dressing for Your Body Type DVD

Posted on April 15, 2013 by in Movie Monday, New Products

Learning ZoneXpress is pleased to unveil a new title – Wardrobe Planning: Dressing for Your Body Type DVD. It’s perfect for grade 7 (junior high) to adult.

Join wardrobe stylist and personal shopper Carly Gatzlaff as she takes you through the basics of dressing for your body type by creating a flattering, put-together look that is uniquely you. Wardrobe Planning: Dressing for Your Body Type is a compilation of video segments that cover a variety of hints and tips for both women and men to dress and look your best. Topics include:

  • Shopping strategies and clothing quality (6:16)
  • Dressing for your body type (6:06)
  • Using color and pattern (4:30)
  • Accessorizing your look (5:48)

Enjoy the sneak preview below:

Leave a comment

Where’s the nutrition in kids’ meals at restaurants?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by in Health News

One way to keep kids healthy is to cook meals at home from scratch. That way you know the ingredients, you know the cooking preparations and on a good day you can get the kids involved. But every good chef wants a day off. Unfortunately a recent indicates that kids’ meals at most larger chains are not close to the same quality nutrition as we see at home.

The New York Times reports…

A new study of the nutritional quality of meals for children on the menus of the nation’s largest chain restaurants has found that 91 percent do not even meet the standards set by the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program.

An even larger percentage — 97 percent of restaurant children’s meals — failed to meet stricter standards developed by a panel of nutrition and health experts for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit research and advocacy group that commissioned the study.

Subway did get a nice nod…

The center singled out Subway as the only restaurant that did not offer sugared drinks with its children’s meals, instead suggesting water or low-fat milk. All eight of the sandwich chain’s Fresh Fit for Kids meal combinations met the nutritional criteria.

The article also mentions a tool that we’ve promoted before too – Healthy Dining Finder. It’s easy to use and will help you connect to restaurants in your area that have healthy items on their menus. That’s part of the key too. The entire menu may not be healthy but Healthy Dining Finder will highlight the choices that are best for your family.

Leave a comment

Is nutrition an economic issue?

Posted on April 10, 2013 by in Health News, USDA MyPlate

Yes! A recent survey indicates that kids of better educated parents have healthier diets. The Philly Inquirer reports…

Researchers looked at nearly 15,000 children, aged 2 to 9, in eight European countries — Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden — to examine the connection between parents’ education levels and their children’s nutrition.

The study revealed that children of parents with low and medium levels of education ate fewer fruits and vegetables and more processed foods and sweet drinks, which are high in fats and sugars. Parents with higher levels of education were more likely to feed their children foods with more nutritional value, including vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice and whole-grain bread.

The study was published in the March issue of the journal Public Health Nutrition.

MyPlate Healthy Eating Poster from Learning ZoneXpressIt’s not a big surprise but it reinforces the need to target messages to parents with limited education. How can we help narrow that gap? Certainly the MyPlate icon has been helpful. It’s a simple, straightforward icon that demonstrates what foods should be served – starting with making half your plate fruits and vegetables.

Learning ZoneXpress has a range products that help to support the effort to promote better nutrition to all parents. There are handouts for teachers, brochures for healthcare providers and MyPlate posters to reach parents wherever they go.

Leave a comment

Learning ZoneXpress Joins Group of National Collaborators to Host the 2013 Bammy Awards

Posted on April 9, 2013 by in Education News

BammyGoldPartnerWLearning ZoneXpress announced today that the organization has joined the national initiative to host the 2013 Annual Bammy Awards in Washington D. C. on September 21st at the landmark Arena Stage. Presented by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences International, the Bammy Awards is a cross-discipline honor recognizing educators throughout the education field. Based on the notion that it takes a village to educate a child, the Academy hosts the Bammy Awards to identify, recognize and celebrate what’s right in American education across the entire field — from teachers, principals and superintendents to school nurses, support staff, advocates, researchers, early childhood specialists, education journalists, school facilities maintenance staff, special needs professionals, school board members, education school professors, parents and more.

The awards program was created in response to the tremendous national pressure on educators and education leaders to improve student outcomes and the intense scrutiny that today’s educators face as a result. The Bammy Awards honor the contributions made by all of the various stakeholders in the education field. The awards aim to elevate education successes in the public eye and raise the voices of the many undervalued and unrecognized people who are making a difference.

“The positive response to the inaugural Bammy Awards in 2012 was overwhelming. Clearly the notion of collaboratively acknowledging what is going well in American education is an idea whose time has come,” said Errol St. Clair Smith, executive producer of the Bammy Awards. “We commend and appreciate all of the early supporters of this national initiative.”

Modeled on the broad scope of the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, the Bammy Awards accepts nominations in dozens of disparate categories, selects nominees for awards and holds a red-carpet event that brings together constituents from the entire education community to recognize the honorees. The nominations and first round of voting will be done online at www.bammyawards.org starting April 2nd.

Nominations are made by the public on the Bammy Awards website, and two honors, the Educator’s Voice Award and the Bammy Award, will be presented in every category.  Educators Voice Award honorees are selected by popular online vote and will be announced in June.   Bammy Award honorees are then selected by members of the Academy of Education Arts & Sciences and will be announced at the Bammy Awards red carpet event on September 21st in Washington, D.C., at the Arena Stage Theater.

Nominations may be submitted at http://www.bammyawards.org.

About the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences

The Academy is comprised of a Board of Governors, Council of Peers and the executive committee, and includes a cadre of some of the nation’s most prominent educators, education leaders, professors, journalists, activists, visionaries, and pioneers. The Academy also includes the executive directors from the leading national education associations, including the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association for Middle Level Education; National School Plant Management Association; the National Association of School Nurses, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, the National School Supply and Equipment Association and the National PTA, among others.  The full list of Academy members is available at http://www.bammyawards.com/index.php/about-us/academy-of-education-arts-and-sciences.

Leave a comment

Monday Movie Preview: Math in Foods

Posted on April 8, 2013 by in Movie Monday, New Products

Learning ZoneXpress is pleased to unveil a new title – Everyday Math in Foods DVD.

Check it out as Chef Dave Christopherson takes a closer look at practical applications of math at the grocery store and in the kitchen. The lessons suit fifth grade to adult. You can get a sneak preview below:

Leave a comment

MyPlate on Parade

Posted on April 5, 2013 by in Health News

We love this idea we heard about on the Rochester (NY) Homepage. The local Extension Service folks put a healthy spin on spring break by hosting a fair called MyPlate on Parade…

MyPlate Healthy Eating Poster from Learning ZoneXpress“To get people to develop a healthier lifestyle,” says Dora Christian, who is the Nutrition Team Coordinator at Cornell Cooperative Extension. “To begin to eat more fruits and vegetables. To get more physical activities in their daily activities.”

MyPlate uses a place setting as a visual guide for what food groups your meals should contain.

“What we’re doing today is taking the MyPlate logo and making it come alive for people who come here,” says Christian.

There are 11 stations representing each of the food groups, everything from fruit and veggy art, to “snacking IQ,” where you have to guess how much food would add up to 100 calories.

Check the Rochester site for a video for more information. It looks like a great way to get folks interested in healthy choices and to help them understand MyPlate to the extent of being able to use the techniques at home!

Leave a comment

Financial Education: Are New Standards Necessary?

Posted on April 1, 2013 by in FACS Resources

are you readyIn March, the Council for Economic Education, a nonprofit promoting financial education, unveiled new standards for teacher financial education. Time Magazine reports…

The new standards, to be formally unveiled next month, establish clear benchmarks for what kids should know by the end of grades 4, 8, and 12. They are broken into six personal finance categories:

  • Earning income This includes collecting rent, stock dividends and interest on bonds. It also includes a discussion of the labor market and how education may lead to higher wages.
  • Buying goods and services This includes planning, comparing, budgeting and making choices.
  • Saving This includes near- and long-term goals and how time, interest rates and inflation affect savings.
  • Using credit This includes borrowing options and how credit history helps determine availability of credit and the rate of interest that you pay.
  • Investing This includes risk, rates of return and diversification.
  • Protecting and insuring This includes potential loss of health, assets, income and identity, and how behavior affects the cost of insurance.

The Time author however makes a strange observation…

The challenge is getting teachers to buy in. They often lack confidence to teach this material. Let’s hope the new national standards for financial literacy in conjunction with efforts like JumpStart’s and the federal government’s common core initiative gives them the tools they need to get over that hurdle.

In reality, FACS teachers have been preparing students with financial education for generations. For example at Learning ZoneXpress we have a range of curricular materials related to finance, budget and business. It’s been supporting FACS teachers for years.

We are sharing (with permission) another view of the new standards…

Response to “Coming Soon: New Standards for Teaching Kids about Money”

By Cynthia Simmons  March 18, 2013

Family and Consumer Science (FCS or FACS) educators have been well trained in teaching personal finance for over a century.  We have demonstrated that the FCS (or FACS) courses can cover this topic-while incorporating both the FCS and core standards.  As a segment of Career and Technical Education (CTE; vocational), we have always had to demonstrate that the curriculum dovetails with both sets of standards.  FCS teachers have the time to put into such courses at both the middle and high school levels, without also being responsible for teaching specifics related to math equations, poetry and masterpiece readings.  Our curriculum incorporates active learning that includes those types of component too, but associated with everyday life examples that students can personally relate to.  Some high schools require that all students in the district take the FCS Personal Finance course for graduation credit.  Members of the Michigan Board of Education have supported adopting this as our policy state-wide, with Family and Consumer Science teachers being the most qualified to teach the course.

The core teachers often mention how rushed they are to cover the basic concepts associated with their current standards.  Adding more standards and subjects to core classes with educators who were not trained in such areas might lead to low quality outcomes for students. Does this sound like a solid move for our students? The students will need financial skills every day of their adult lives.  FCS educators are prepared to teach personal finance with well designed lessons in an environment where the subject is the focus, not just another standard to check off after a lesson is completed.  The idea of using educationally sound methods to cover such important “life lessons” that are needed by everyone throughout adulthood is very good for our students.  Having the Family and Consumer Science educators teach the lessons is the right thing to do.

Leave a comment

Spring into Easter with Fun Activities Over Candy

Posted on March 30, 2013 by in Inspiration

activeWe have a love-hate relationship with candy at Learning ZoneXpress. We like to eat it – and we approve of candy in small doses but Easter can feel like a free for all. So much candy. So early the morning. So many good lessons about healthy food hopping out the door to make room for chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks and jelly beans. Easter baskets brimming with sugar just seems to counter everything we work towards every other day of the year. So this year we’re striving to emphasis a spring into activity for Easter.

Part of the reason we are looking to spring is because we still have snow on the ground here! For those in southern climates the spring should be even easier. But we have faith that spring will come eventually. So we’re trading in some of our chocolate eggs for gifts that promote spring activity:

  • Jump rope – What better way to celebrate a sidewalk without ice! And did you know that jumping for just 15-20 minutes will burn off the calories from a candy bar?
  • Kite – On a windy day a kite can be a good workout – OK at 80 calories per 30 minutes you won’t get a candy bar off your belt – but kite flying can a good lesson in science and nature. How does the kite fly? And what’s the best way to keep it going?
  • Ball – softball, basketball, two-square – any kind of ball helps a kid (and a parent!) get out and move too, helps with eye-hand coordination and works up an appetite for some healthy spring vegetables.

And now that you and the kids have been active, played together and enjoyed some fresh air, you deserve a little chocolate treat!

Leave a comment

Let’s Move! Active Schools – What is it?

Posted on March 27, 2013 by in FACS Resources, Health News, Special Offers, USDA MyPlate

Here’s the problem – only one in three kids is active every day!!
Here’s a result – active kids get up to 40 percent higher test scores

We need to get kids active. Let’s Move! Active Schools is a national program that promotes active students by encouraging schools to focus on five key areas:

  1. Physical Education – Learn how to build physical education programs that are inclusive, effective, and engaging.
  2. Physical Activity During School – Explore creative solutions for classroom-based physical activity that enhance existing lesson plans.
  3. Physical Activity Before and After School – Access programming guides and toolkits for successful before and after school programs.
  4. Staff Involvement – Find out how staff can effectively advocate for physical activity, from program planning to day-to-day details.
  5. Family and Community Engagement – Learn what steps you can take to make your school your community’s center for physical activity.

To support Active Schools, Let’s Move! has published a range of tools on:

  • Physical Education
  • Physical Activity During School
  • Physical Activity Before & After School
  • Staff Involvement
  • Community & Family Engagement

They also have some grant funding available:

Active Schools Acceleration Project - 1,000 to start the program of your choice: 100 Mile Club, BOKS, or Just Move. We’re awarding Acceleration Grants to 1,000 schools across the country.

Fuel Up to Play 60 – Up to $4,000 per year is available to any qualifying K-12 school enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. The competitive, nationwide funding program can help your school jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements.

Presidential Youth Fitness Program – This funding opportunity supports participation in the Presidential Youth Fitness Program for a period of two years—providing eligible schools with 100% of the elements that make up the three core pillars of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program for Year 1 and 50% matching support for Year 2.

It’s a win-win-win situation. Kids win because they get healthier. Teachers win because kids are better able to concentrate. Schools win with grants and other support.

Leave a comment

When filling your Easter basket, keep foodborne illness out

Posted on March 26, 2013 by in Health News

amazing eggDecorating and hunting eggs during the Easter holiday is fun for kids (and even some adults).  However, the last thing we want to put in our Easter basket is a foodborne illness.  If you have plans for an Easter Egg hunt, the Partnership for Food Safety Education has some great tips to keep in mind:

  1. Only use clean eggs that have been kept refrigerated.   Eggs that are dirty or cracked should be thrown out.
  2. Cook your eggs (hard-boil) before decorating them.
  3. Wash your hands before handling cooked eggs and do so carefully so they do not crack.  Cracks in the eggs are opportunities for bacteria to get inside.
  4. When decorating the eggs, use only products that are considered food-grade.  This includes egg dyes and liquid food coloring.
  5. Store your decorated eggs on a shelf in the refrigerator.  Don’t let them sit out at room temperature.
  6. Hide the eggs carefully so they are protected from dirt, pets, wildlife, insects, and lawn chemicals like fertilizer or pesticides.
  7. If the decorated eggs are to be eaten, they should be hidden, hunted, and either eaten or refrigerated within 2 hours.  In other words, don’t leave the decorated eggs out longer than 2 hours.  If the temperature is warmer than 90 degrees outside (and it has been in parts of Texas) then you only have 1 hour.  Decorated eggs that are kept at room temperature for longer than 2 hours should be considered only as decoration and then discarded.

Personally, I like the plastic eggs that can be filled with special treats.  After the hunt is over, the plastic containers can be washed and reused the next year.  This also allows you to be a little creative in the type of treats that kids get when the eggs are found.

Get more information on decorating eggs safely.

Leave a comment