I am finding myself to be more and more excited about PE class, and delving into the topic of physical literacy. Many of us are leading very busy lives with the demands of the program, family obligations, work, etc. that leading a balanced lifestyle may not always come up as a priority. I found that even in the 15 minutes of free play at the beginning of class the past two weeks really sets a positive tone for the day, and increases my awareness. This makes me realize just how important physical activity is to the youth, and the importance of education surrounding a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle should not just be about making sure you get your daily 30 minutes of physical activity (although it is important!), but it should take on a more holistic approach, and really pay special attention to emotional and mental well-being, in addition to physical activity.
I particularly really like the idea of linking ideas across the curriculum. For instance, by having students experiment with gardening allows for time outside, as well as teaching students about larger ideas and other subjects such as food processes, ecology, and the sciences.
Lastly, physical education should be something that students look forward to, and that includes everyone in the class in a supportive environment. I thought that the Target Group did a really great job of demonstrating how to modify the Hall of Shame game dodge ball, into a game that really focuses on skills like, aim, and the underhand throw.
Hey Jen, I was feeling the same way as you getting more excited about teaching PE. Particular after hearing those Participaction stats on children’s physical education in Canada. I like what you said about getting children outside and in the garden. I think this is so key to future of physical literacy. I have always held the view that children should have the freedom to be outside, get in the dirt and maybe hurt themselves a little. I spent the last couple years working at an out of school care program. One of the rules we were to enforce on the children was no climbing trees. For me, this was so hard to try and enforce because I loved climbing trees growing up (and I still do) and I found it hard to bring myself to say no to children who just want to have the same freedom of outside play as I did. As a supervisor of someone else’s children however, it’s hard not to be thinking about the possibilities of them hurting themselves. It was encouraging to hear that the new recommendations were for children to play and learn outside as much as possible in forest-like environments where they are at risk of minor injuries. It’s helpful to know that if we allow for this kind of play, there is research to back us up in the case we have to defend our actions.
I love what Jen and Megan have both said about the direction that PE and health needs to be moving. What Jen mentioned here really resonated with me as I feel that 1) I love being able to start the day off being active, especially at the end of the week when I am so tired! and 2) It is just so incredibly important for kids to be active for more than the recommended daily 30 minutes (which they often do not get). Not only do i think it will help their mental and physical health as was mentioned, but it also create a much more rewarding classroom experience.
As I was reading Jen’s post I started to think about the cross curricular aspects of PE, and then she mentioned it! I think this is such a brilliant way to incorporate a healthy and active life style into to lives of these children. This is where we need to model for our kids that being active isn’t just in PE its all the time and it can impact all areas of our lives.
I think this ties into a theme we have discussed in our other classes about making topics relatable to kids. If we can find a way to deliver PE so that every kid can determine how it is useful in their everyday lives, I feel we will have a much better chance of changing the statistics we looked at last Friday.