
Building Character Through Play with Dr. Debbie Rhea | Episode 1
04/06/20 • 70 min
Dr. Debbie Rhea is a full professor in Kinesiology and Associate Dean of Research and Health Sciences in HCNHS at Texas Christian University. She prepares K-12 physical education teachers and is fully invested in her newest research called LiiNK (Let’s inspire innovation ‘N kids) which examines whole child development through the addition of unstructured, outdoor play breaks and character development in the schools daily.
In this episode we draw on her decades of experience as an educator, and time overseas performing research in Finland. We talk about the importance of unstructured outdoor play, increased recess time, and the value of a character development program.
The Liink Project
Wrong Turns, Right Moves in Education
Debbie's 4 Steps to Change Schools:
- 4 Unstructured Play Breaks/Day, 15 Minutes Each
- Character Development Curriculum Taught Daily
- Pre-K-Grade 2 Half Days Only
- Developmental vs. Academic Achievement Assessment Models
Dr. Rhea's Favorite Books:
Timeline:
5:03 - Debbie's backstory
15:14 - Her experience in Finland
20:26 - 4 Steps to Change Schools
27:10 - Character Development
30:42 - Benefits of unstructured play
34:22 - No balls on the playground
41:29 - Ethics/religion class in Finland
51:01 - Liink Project details
MOVRS on Instagram
Dr. Debbie Rhea is a full professor in Kinesiology and Associate Dean of Research and Health Sciences in HCNHS at Texas Christian University. She prepares K-12 physical education teachers and is fully invested in her newest research called LiiNK (Let’s inspire innovation ‘N kids) which examines whole child development through the addition of unstructured, outdoor play breaks and character development in the schools daily.
In this episode we draw on her decades of experience as an educator, and time overseas performing research in Finland. We talk about the importance of unstructured outdoor play, increased recess time, and the value of a character development program.
The Liink Project
Wrong Turns, Right Moves in Education
Debbie's 4 Steps to Change Schools:
- 4 Unstructured Play Breaks/Day, 15 Minutes Each
- Character Development Curriculum Taught Daily
- Pre-K-Grade 2 Half Days Only
- Developmental vs. Academic Achievement Assessment Models
Dr. Rhea's Favorite Books:
Timeline:
5:03 - Debbie's backstory
15:14 - Her experience in Finland
20:26 - 4 Steps to Change Schools
27:10 - Character Development
30:42 - Benefits of unstructured play
34:22 - No balls on the playground
41:29 - Ethics/religion class in Finland
51:01 - Liink Project details
MOVRS on Instagram
Next Episode

Shut Up and Dance! with Guy Thorne | Episode 2
In this episode we talk with Guy Thorne of FuturPointe dance, and a former member of Garth Fagan dance. FuturPointe is a reggae-ballet dance company based out of Rochester, NY that blends a ton of different disciplines and styles into one dynamic show. Guy is the co-founder of the company along with his wife N'Jelle, and together with their dancers have performed all around the world including Trinidad, the Bahamas, San Diego, and London.
Guy shares with us how he got started in dance and why it's important to move more often and more creatively. He also offers some tips for those non-dancers out there like me who have no idea where to start. If you've ever spent a few minutes around a young kid you'll notice their urge to dance, and they do it without caring what the world thinks about them. Guy explains to us ways to use dance to engage kids in learning in fun ways. Check out their company through the links below!
https://www.futurpointe.org/
Instagram:
FuturPointe Dance
Guy Thorne
MOVRS Instagram
Timeline:
2:40 - Guy's background-Guyana-Jamaica-NYC-Rochester
9:30 - Flaws with common thoughts about movement/dance
13:18 - Dance and vulnerability
17:55 - Kids learning through movement
23:20 - How to get non-dancers moving
29:53 - Storytelling with movement
36:15 - "The silliness of it is the vulnerability of it"
37:47 - What is FuturPointe Dance?
40:30 - Advice from his Father "You get good enough at something and people will pay you for it, and you can make a living doing it"
51:12 - Why should people dance?
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/movrs-431530/building-character-through-play-with-dr-debbie-rhea-episode-1-59191121"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to building character through play with dr. debbie rhea | episode 1 on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy