Reading Reflection: "Fitbit One Teaches Students Benefits of Healthy Living"

In this article the author addresses the idea of using the Fitbit One in a K-12 classroom. Ken Felker used the Fitbit One in his higher education fitness class, and goes on to discuss how it can also be a useful tool in K-12 classes. He discusses how it can help teach students about proper nutrition, and also maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The best part about it though, in my opinion, is that it tracks sleep patterns. Too often I think students don't realize how important sleep is to your nutrition. A good night's sleep can positively affect how well they perform in school, as well as help them make better decisions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's also important for parents to also realize the amount of sleep their child is getting. Especially at a young age, while the brain in still developing, sleep is crucial, and parents sometimes need help in realizing this. The Fitbit One gives a good visual representation that sleep is good for a healthy child. It also helps to make the kids responsible in knowing that they need to get more sleep, if they want to be healthy. I think the Fitbit One could be a great tool to help teach students about healthy living early on in their education. The earlier we can show them how to live a healthy life, the better habits they will create. This is a great way to incorporate technology into a subject area where technology would not usually be.

I believe that this article demonstrates standard 3 from the ISTE Standards for Students. Particularly it pertains to standard 3d, "process data and report results" (ISTE Standards for Students, 2008). The Fitbit One allows students to track and record all of their fitness data. This also means that students can report the data acquire through the device, interpret it, and come up with a conclusion about how they can maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Fitbit One allows students to easily record their data using technology. It may not be the typical way to record data and do research, but it gets kids more involved in knowing how they treat their body and what benefits it.

Felker, K. (2013). Fitbit One teaches students benefits of healthy living. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(6), 32-33.