Betty Axelson-McClelland

In the Maine Twsp. H.S. Dist. 207, any of our continuing education credits must be college credit or "CPDU's" as stipulated by the Il. State Board of Education. You have to be an authorized provider meeting all requirements set forth by the State Bd. of Ed., in order to give CPDU's to teachers. I used to go to all the IDEA workshops as well as several other fitness workshops and kept up my certification through IDEA, but once our school dist. wouldn't give any academic credit that would apply to hours beyond your masters degree, I let my cert. lapse. Instead, I go to the I.A.H.P.E.R.D Convention every Nov. and go to as many fitness sessions as possible. This past Nov. I attended Judy Chisolm's Pilates session (Prof. at Northern Il. Univ.), Yoga by Victoria Otto from Highland Park, Il. (her book is coming out soon-it's incredible), and to Terri Andrew's Bosu Ball Training session. These fitness professionals give us the necessary information on progressions, safety precautions, muscles involved, and variations of exercises and challenges for the next level. I also went to a step session and to a stability ball session and to a hip hop session, as well as observed one of the water training sessions in the pool. This IAHPERD convention is held at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, Il. I have many college credits for fitness courses from various university classes in Illinois as well as lots of CPDU's for fitness courses taken over the past several years. The best course I have ever taken was the week down at the Cooper Aerobics Institute in Texas, and then took a college course up here in Chicago for a week taught by several professionals and doctors from the Cooper Aerobics Institute. I have taught at the Grand Lido at Braco down in Jamaica the past 2 years through your placement. The first year I taught mainly aerobic activities along with water aerobics, and last year I taught Yoga/Pilates, Water Aerobics, and Power Walk.