Stillwater Area High School - Stillwater, Minnesota
with PE teacher & coach, Darrell Salmi
August 21, 2017by
Heart Zones, Sarah Knapp
Why did you choose the Heart Zones Move Solution?
Following demonstrations with several heart rate technology companies, Stillwater Area Public Schools decided that they wanted to work with Heart Zones.
Sal Edwards, the CEO & founder of Heart Zones, was very open to hearing their ideas and had the best experience and science surrounding fitness training and heart rate technology. For Darrell Salmi, the head PE teacher & Assistant Football Coach at Stillwater Area High School, Sal has become one of his greatest influences. Darrell shares how impressed he was saying how:
"Sal has spent a lifetime promoting and educating fitness and health, while developing what I feel is the best heart rate technology and wearable devices. Her knowledge, passion, and willingness to share and educate really caught my attention and 'sold me' on Heart Zones over other companies.”
Finally, cost was also a huge factor. The teachers and administration at Stillwater Area Public Schools wanted to avoid annual fees and be able to purchase solutions at a competitive cost.
Darrell Salmi teaching students about heart rate back in 2016
Local fundraisers and the persistence of Deb Van Klei, the Stillwater Area district coordinator, led to the district earning a PEP grant which was used to secure three heart zones solutions along with step trackers.
You know faculty really cares about their students when they go to such great lengths to find an alternative solution to enhance the enjoyment of PE and health of their students.
Initially, Stillwater was drawn to the Heart Zones Move Solution because of its ease of use, and now there are endless reasons Stillwater is a proponent of the Heart Zones Move Solution. Read below to hear about what the students and faculty have gained by using it.
Darrell Salmi, a Heart Zones pioneer
A champion for the Heart Zones Solution:
Darrell started using the software and hardware in 2015-2016 as an initial beta tester. He has been a key source of input in development of the Heart Zones solution, always emphasizing “whatever you build, it has to be simple, and it can’t take any class time away from teachers…. Heart Zones has had the biggest impact on my teaching in 25 years.”
Darrell has well demonstrated his dedication to technology in PE, in fact, he shares that:
“I had a focus on using heart rate technology in Physical Education for my culminating project while earning my Master’s degree in Education in 2001. Now 20 years later, I am fully immersed in using Heart Zones Move in all of my Physical Education classes."
See how Darrell uses Heart Zones during PE below!
What are the most important features of the Heart Zones Move Solution for your program?
We use the Heart Zones Fit Points to set daily goals, we like having the ability to communicate with the option to send a summary of the workout using email. It really extends the learning for our students. Darrell remarks how:
“Heart Zones has given us a means to assess effort and activity levels objectively in a formative and summative manner. We are also able to use the reports to help teach critical thinking skills in PE”.
Darrell Salmi and Stillwater student in front of Heart Zones' Big Board
What is one thing the Stillwater Area Public School Students have liked about using the Heart Zones Move Solution?
Stillwater High School students with Heart Zones
" No more chest straps! They also like having immediate feedback on the big board, being able to track their progress, and being assessed objectively "
Darrell Salmi on behalf of Stillwater Students
" I learned how to analyze bar graphs and line graphs to analyze my workouts and compare the data. "
Stillwater High School Student
" I REALLY enjoy just wearing it on my arm because it is so easy and comfortable. I also enjoyed a variety of challenges that my friends and I created. We would set times for each zone and try to pace ourselves and try to have the correct time in zone. "
Stillwater High School student
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It has helped me to compare my classes and figure out where I am in physical education and how hard I am working. "
Stillwater Middle School student
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They help me see how it feels to have a certain heart rate.
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Stillwater Middle School student
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I have had a goal to reach every day I have PE. "
Stillwater Middle School student
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It helps me notice how I feel in each zone. "
Stillwater Middle School student
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It really motivates me to do the best I can every day. "
Stillwater Elementary School student
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I like trying to get the different colors on the Big Board. It makes me move in a lot of ways.
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Stillwater Elementary School student
What have the Stillwater Area Public School teachers liked most about having the Heart Zones Move Solution?
" Teachers like the ease of use and the ability to have meaningful technology to enhance the learning and the Physical Education experience. Assessment is fair and objective. Teachers are not guessing when assessing. Feedback is also more meaningful because it is personalized. "
Lancer Lumby Oak-Land Middle School PE Teacher & Assistant Football & Track coach
" I’ve had several classroom teachers comment on how red in the face their students are at the end of every PE class and how awesome the Boltt Striders are for students. " One teacher said “ they come back to class and talk about how they did for that class period. . . not comparing themselves to others, but with how they did compared to last gym time "
Mike Mustar’s PE class Brookview Elementary
" Students get instant feedback on both the big board and the watch. Teachers are easily able to track student activity levels and offer feedback to students with ease. There is also the ability to send reports to students and parents after each workout. Ultimately, students are able to make goals for themselves about their cardiovascular fitness because they can easily interpret the data. "
Ryan Bartosiewski Stillwater High School PE Teacher/Football & Baseball Coach
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As a teacher of many special education students, I like the fact that they can simply look at numbers and colors on the big board and receive information about how hard they are working. This is a huge motivator for all students. I like that I can assess students using a rubric based on their workout. Most importantly I like the fact that I can spend my time teaching rather than troubleshooting how to get the heart rate monitors on etc. "
Ryan Bartosiewski Stillwater High School PE Teacher/Football & Baseball Coach
" I have been amazed with how the level of activity has increased since our students started usingBoltt Striders from Heart Zones. Students are so aware of their own individual progress as class is going on. It’s so easy for them to check their status on the big board at any time during class. I love how easy it is for kids to want to be active! This provides so much of the motivation for me as a teacher! I can’t imagine not teaching with this amazing tool, and students can’t imagine not coming in and putting them on everyday! "
Mike Mustar
Brookview Elementary PE teacher
Darrell salmi
Prior to entering the teaching field in 1996, Darrell spent four years in the Navy. Darrell enjoys spending time with his family. Darrell and family stay active camping, golfing, playing tennis, fishing, boating, and in many other activities. Darrell obtained his BS from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and MA.Ed. from St. Mary’s University.
If you have any questions, please contact Darrel Salmi at salmid@stillwaterschools.org as he would love to share more about his experience with the Heart Zones Move Solution. Darrell has been a pivotal member of our Smart PE team at Heart Zones. His early adoption and continued pioneering of the Heart Zones Move Solution has been a constant motivation over the years.
