Teacher:
Jean Drennan
About Jean:
Jean is a Physical Education and District PE Resource Teacher at Oxford Middle School and taught at Blue Valley Northwest High School prior to 2013. She has been teaching for 28 years and has been teaching with Polar technology for 22 years. She is a member of KAHPERD and AAHPERD and has received the 1999 and 2010 BVNWHS Teacher of the Year Kansas and Central District Secondary PE teacher of the year 1999 awards. In addition to her teaching job, she also teaches junior PE majors at the University of Kansas how to use the Polar TriFit700 and companions and allows those students to assist her with all of the TriFit fitness assessments.
About Blue Valley Northwest High School:
Oxford Middle School is part of Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas. In this suburban area, the typical PE class size is approximately 30 students.
Oxford Middle School uses Polar Gofit along with the Polar TriFit system. Students use Polar Gofit with almost every activity done in the PE class. Students, teachers and administrators enjoy using Polar Gofit because there is no guess work. Students get immediate feedback and results and are able to work at the level that is best for them – not their classmates. Students and teachers like the easy-to-read reports and students feel empowered to make their own wellness choices after seeing their improvement.
Using Polar:
When using Polar technology, Jean feels her students work harder. Seeing their heart rate and knowing their personal fitness data from the Polar TriFit system is extremely motivating for them to work their best.
Polar technology was introduced to the school 20 years ago and from then on, the school has done what they can to obtain funds to purchase Polar technology. Since their initial experience, Oxford Middle School has worked with administrators and used Building Technology money and District Bond money to buy Polar products.
Core Activities:
Oxford Middle School feels every activity offered in their program can be done with a heart rate monitor.
The Buzz:
On why her students like using Polar technology:
Middle School teacher Jean Drennan says "They appreciate it for the same reasons I like it – because they are not compared to anyone else"
What do you like most about teaching students using Polar technology?
Jean explains "Students work at a level that is best for them, not the person next to them. They get reports that are easy to read and justify what has been accomplished. The knowledge from fitness assessment data is the power students need to make their own wellness choices."