Team Teach Group 5 – Chapter 4 and 5 Summary

Lisa Jensen, Cristina Moretti, Christine Park and Audrey Sargent

Discussion Questions:

1. Which considerations must a physical health educator take into account while planning a lesson or unit, and why? Are there any considerations that you would add to the ones discussed in the textbook?
2. How might physical health educators communicate with and give feedback to students effectively?
3. Why is it important to reflect on different teaching styles and take risks in your teaching methods?

Ch 4: Planning for Instruction

• The “instructional process” according to Randall and Robinson has three components: planning, teaching, and assessment (p. 47).

• Planning has to start from the intended learning outcomes, that is “what students are expected “to know, value, and be able to do” (p. 49). While the learning outcomes derive from the curriculum, it is up to the educator to choose which activities will help their students reach those goals. To ensure that outcomes are met, both a long-term plan, spanning the entire year, and more specific unit and lesson plans need to be articulated.
• These are some aspects/elements that need to be taken into account when planning:
  • Documents and guidelines such as the curriculum and policies
  • The attributes and culture of the school and of its surrounding community
  • The needs, interests, and age of students; teachers must also consider carefully if what they teach benefits all students or whether it disadvantages some of them
  • The knowledge, values, and approach of the teacher
  • When, where, how long, and with which resources the educator will teach P.E.
  • The “hidden curriculum” (p. 53), the messages and values that are indirectly transmitted to the students during the lessons
• While outcomes constitute the general goals, objectives (that Randall and Robinson divide into “motor, cognitive, and affective”, p. 56) are smaller in scope and refer to shorter periods of time. They are the starting points for units and lessons plans.

Ch 5: Teaching

– Communication is a crucial aspect of teaching. To be effective, educators should communicate clearly, demonstrate movements and techniques, use cues throughout the lesson, and check that students have an understanding of the activities and are engaged. Actively observing students is also important for an effective communication.

– When teaching, educators should offer positive, specific feedback as soon as possible after the activity. Rather than always telling what they saw, they can ask student what they think they can do to improve.

– It is important for teachers to reflect on their teaching style and on the relationship this establishes with the student. Teaching styles can be more teacher centered, or give more freedom and responsibility to the students. The “Gradual Release of Responsibility” model, for example, encourages intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation and gives students the opportunity to direct some of their learning.

– Educators need to set up routines and rules to make the PE class more predictable and effective.

– When organizing students, teachers should be aware of a variety of group formations and how these will help students learn (ie. formations for instruction, game play)

– Minimizing transition time is important to maximizing learning/play time. Transitions should be well thought out and students should know what to do during a transition.