Tuesday’s Ideas

I’ve already told you before that I’m hesitant to endorse things.   I just don’t think my opinions on 'things' are that valid.  On the other hand, I love getting new ideas and am more than willing to pass them on.  Conversation that shares ideas is stimulating and fun.  So with that disclaimer and endorsement, here is an idea worth considering. 

www.sparkspeople.com 

I have no clue if this website is affiliated with protecting the penguins, supporting the slave trade, or running orphanages behind the scenes.  In short, I know nothing about it other than I have really appreciated two of the free features on the site:  the nutrition and the fitness plan.

I’ve been using sparks people for nearly three weeks.  One day a student told me about “this cool site that my aunt suggested to my mom for my sister and so I tried it” (she said it about that fast, too).  I looked at the website and found that it is a place that helps you track the energy you spend in exercise and the nutrients you receive in your diet.  You can use it to help you lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight.  Every day it runs a nutrition report for you that entails what you are lacking or getting in excess.  For example, I have noticed that I routinely don’t get enough protein, but often eat too much fiber.  Who knew? (I like it best when the report says that I need more carbohydrates for the day or warns me of not getting enough fats or calories for that day.  I strictly obey those reports because it’s nothing a bowl of ice cream can’t fix.)

Within a few days of tracking things through sparks people I mentally felt better.  I like it when things mess with my head in a positive manner.  Within a week, I noticed I felt physically better even though I thought I already felt good.    

That’s Tuesday's idea.  I thought I'd pass it on.

Oh wait.  I have another idea.  Once while I was visiting Ande at college we watched an impromptu comedy show.  One of the segments was unrehearsed acting.  The participants were given a scenario and they had to act it out in 40 seconds.  After they had finished their act, they were told to act it out again in 20 seconds.  After they finished the speeded up version, they were told to do the act in 10 seconds or triple time.  It was very entertaining to see it in faster motion. 

I have used the same idea in teaching, except I give them time to prepare the story scene so that it is accurately taught.  Then I have them speed it up by acting it in half time, then again in quarter time.  The benefit (besides being entertaining) is that everyone sees the story three times and retention is increased.

Another option is to act the scene out again but in s-l-o-w  m-o-t-i-o-n.  That is as funny as in fast forward.  Or have them act it out in a British accent (ever heard Moses try to get his sheep to water in a British accent?  It’s pretty funny).

One other idea for skits/charades/acting is to give each group the same prop.  They must use that prop in their skit, it doesn’t matter how they use it but it must be used.  It’s pretty entertaining to see where each group will use it.

Have you got an idea you’d share tonight?  I’d love to read it.