Friday’s PE class was, yet again, a super fun and engaging class! Thank you Vivian for being our choreographer that morning. It was such a fun way to begin the day, and it definitely got us way more energized than any cup of coffee would!
I really enjoyed exploring the Teaching Games For Understanding model (TGfU). By shining the light on critical understanding of the nature of a game, as opposed to focusing on technical skill development, students will also develop skills that they will be able to transfer outside of PE class, and will also be more likely to truly enjoy PE class. For instance, when learning how to play the game of basketball, the teacher would also emphasize that the abilities and skills used to participate in basketball can also be used in volleyball or soccer.
I thought that the group teach by Jenny, Zoe, and Vivian did a wonderful job of applying TGfU in their lesson plan. For example, in the Space Invader game, the group had us first play the game, then they had us think about why we would play a game like this. Once we discussed that the game was meant to create spatial awareness, we developed tactics to create space, and then played the game thinking about how to best create space and how to make the best decisions in the game.
Great job ladies!
Hi Jenn,
I agree this class was lots of fun. The group really did a great job showing us how teaching games for understanding works. In the past I never really thought much about how purposeful gym lessons could be. I’ve always seen gym games as a fun way to get students active. I never really thought about how skill based these games can be.
The way Vivian, Jenny and Zoe taught this lesson was so practical for future lesson planning for myself. It was set up in a way that we really saw how to break down games to build up skills and work towards a more complex skill game that combines many different things learned previously.
Something I was left wondering about this lesson was how much skill to fit into one lesson. Most gym blocks are fairly short so skill building would probably be somewhat minimal for each class. Part of me feels that teaching games for understanding requires lessons over multiple gym classes, depending on the skills being taught. However, it still is important that the children get to play games that are a bit more complex towards the end of the class so that the students do not get bored.
Hi Jenn,
I agree that the TGFU model is really good. It was relatively new to me and totally the opposite from what I experienced and would expect in a regular PE class. However, I think that it is a really logical model for teaching strategy, problem solving and understanding. The model also facilitates a great level of inclusion since it isn’t primarily focused on technical skill development as a right of access to a game. You can play a form of the game right off the bat, and develop skills as you go.
Like Michelle, I also wonder how much time you would spend developing skills specific to different games. But in any case, by teaching transferable skills, you lay a firm foundation for many specific games. This is empowering for students as they will know that they have the basic skills for a great number of games, by learning understanding, strategy and problem solving.
Girls, I agree with in many points you addressed. I agree the group who taught invasion games did a great job last week. I enjoyed the warm up and cool down Vivian led, I had so much fun dancing and trying to follow her moves. In addition, I thought her choice of music was great for both sections.
Similar to Jen, I also enjoyed learning the Teaching Games for Understanding model (TGFU), and I agree with you that they did a great job at breaking down the basic skills and techniques for invasion games (ex: space awareness). It was interesting how they “scaffold” invasion games into three layers . When I read the textbook, I understood the teaching model, but was not sure how it will look like in practice. Therefore, I agree with all of you that it was very helpful that the group demonstrated how the TGFU model can be done in class.
Overall, I agree with both Jen and Michelle that Jenny, Zoe and Vivian did a wonderful job leading last week in planning and leading the activities. It was a great learning experience for me as well!