First of all, let me start off by saying great job, Emily, Sonya and Pamela! You came up with a creative lesson that approached striking games in a fun, and engaging way. What stuck out to me most about this lesson, was our own assessment practice after the 50 minute session. One of the guiding questions for this week asks which assessment and evaluation strategies may be used to effectively gather information of student learning in physical education. My experience of CITE as a cohort and the education program as a whole, including the EDCP course, has been a focus on inclusion, confidence building for our students. We have talked about belonging, autonomy and competence as key factors to student success. With this in mind, I wonder if rating and reading aloud our comments on the session was perhaps not quite in line with this way of thinking? I left the class feeling as though we had singled out the students in charge of the lesson, as well as those who responded. In terms of applying this to our own teaching practices, I’m curious as to what other assessment forms we might use in evaluating lessons as they occur. I realize that the exercise was meant to foster discussion and insight for future reference (which it did!), but I can’t help but feel that we might have approached in a more inclusive and safe format. That being said, I realize that our group is already an extremely supportive environment, and I know that each of us is open to constructive criticism.
Monthly Archives: October 2015
Week 4- Movement Journal
This week I was really excited because we were focusing on the skills of throwing and catching for games such as baseball/softball. Since I grew up playing softball my whole life, I was eager to see what this week’s group had prepared for us in class. I had fun with the warm up, for it allowed us to use our own dance moves and imaginations as we warmed up. I really enjoyed myself, and found it interesting too. When I was told to dance around like a fish for example, I started how I thought they looked like, but soon noticed that every single person danced like a fish in all different ways. It was interesting to see peoples elaborate ways of dancing like a fish. That was great fun.
Then we moved over to a tossing game. I thought the idea of this game was great! Although it turned out to be a little hard to explain and became a little bit chaotic, I still had a good time playing it. I do think that it could have been usefully to first teach how to do an underhand throw using proper technique first before playing the game. That way the students could have been working on that technique while playing.
The final game was highly inclusive. Everyone was playing at all times, which was successful. I think the idea of the game was easy to follow and everyone was having fun while playing it. It was however, kind of dangerous. There were balls flying everywhere and the mats which were being used as bases, were not secure. I did fall pretty hard because I was getting intense trying to touch as many mats as possible, and tried pushing off of a mat and the mat slipped out from under my feet. I did enjoy the lesson, but I would have just changed a few things. But I think it was well done.
Week 4- movement journal
Friday was my first experience teaching the group in this program and it was my first time teaching PE; therefore, I was extremely nervous. Even though I thought we were pretty well prepared, I was still shaking the whole morning before class. I lead the instant activity without really paying attention to what was going on around me. I still cannot recall what happened during that time, but according to some reflections, it went well and most of you had fun dancing.
To be honest, I was focusing too much on what I thought I should and should not do as a teacher instead of paying attention to my students. I was constantly thinking of remembering to say things such as “when I say go” before giving instructions, and reminding myself to speak louder. Then I was concentrating on not saying “you guys” and focusing on the time, because I was the time keeper. Reflecting now, I wish I had paid more attention to everyone’s engagement level and given some feedback during the activities instead of focusing so much on myself.
I really appreciate how Steve showed us how to evaluate one of our games and modify it for safety issues. The brainstorming for modifications was very helpful, I am glad we got to do this here in Cite rather than during our practicum. Our focus age for this lesson was grade 2, so I was very worried the games might have been too childish for grownups to have fun. However, after class, many people told us we did a good job and that they enjoyed the activities which was very encouraging. Thank you everyone for being so supportive! 😀
Movement Journal Week 4
I think this week the group did well because for the most part of the lesson we were all being physically active. A lot of people felt their heart beats go up after the lesson. I also enjoyed the part where they told us to dance like a bird and dance like your favourite animal. I think a lot of kids would enjoy those activities. I think it was good that Steve always asks us how we can improve activities and how we can make the activity more safe. I think I learned a lot from observing different groups teach and I’m excited but nervous for my group teach this Friday.
Movement Journal – assessment and movement
This week’s team teach was excellent in many different ways. The warm up activity was hilarious. I got so many laughs out of other people’s animal dance moves and it was a lot of fun to be silly with a group of people! What a great fun way to get everyone moving!
The first activity was a lot of fun too. I was confused at first, I think the huge amount of cones set up made it a bit hard for me to visualize but once we got into our groups to play I was not confused anymore. The game was a good way to get students moving and practicing their throwing. There are so many modifications you could do to help enhance student learning.
The last game was an interesting game. I did not like the unsafe elements but other than that it was great. I was running around so much in this game that by the end I was exhausted! This really helped me to see the importance of an active curriculum. After class, I felt awake, alert and ready for the day. Being active in school really does help students in other areas of academics.
Our discussion of assessment was very important. Growing up we were often assessed on how fast we ran or how talented we were at a certain sport. Using strategies such as exit slips, or student evaluation on their performance in class not only gets them involved but also allows those who are not naturally fast runners to be successful.
Week 4 Movement Journal
I really enjoyed this week’s lesson. The games were fun and eventful – I was never standing around and waiting. I think these sorts of activities are really important in PE because they ensure that EVERYONE is participating, even people who are less athletically inclined and may try to avoid participation. I also enjoyed how we stopped as a class and worked to modify the game to make it even safer and more inclusive. This is something that we as teachers should be doing in all of our classes, so that we can continuously improve our lessons.
I also really enjoyed the group discussion. I was in Pamela’s group and she did a great job talking to us about assessment in PE. Lots of us remembered being tested based on our athletic abilities as kids; tests like the beep test, or seeing how many push ups we could do in a minute. Although I usually enjoyed these activities, it seemed that most people didn’t. I agree with the group consensus that assessment based on athletic ability is not fair. Grading based on athletic ability doesn’t take into account that some people are simply more naturally athletic than others, and that this natural athleticism is not a fair representation of a student’s efforts and improvement. I think students in PE should be graded based on their understanding and passion for an active lifestyle, as well as their participation and willingness to learn. I think this way of assessment will be much more successful in encouraging a love for physical activity in children.
September 30th – Tobi’s Group Teach Reflection
It was so nice to finally get outside this week! I had a lot of fun teaching our lesson in PE. I felt like the prep-work and the lesson-planning, and knowing what equipment you needed etc. was a lot of work, but once you finally got in there and started teaching it all came together smoothly and before you knew it was all over! If I were to do the same lesson plan over again I would have wanted to practice a bit before-hand on striking technique and tips on how to get power on the ball. There was also a few rules that could have been put into place beforehand that weren’t (i.e. can you “tap” the ball behind you – probably not!)
I loved watching everyone play Chuck the Chicken! I thought that was hilarious. It really showed how teamwork is a huge aspect of that game. I have to say how supportive everyone is… I always see and hear our fellow classmates sending out positive vibes and feedback and high fives and I absolutely LOVE it!!
Overall I thought it was great! I cant wait to learn more new games and ideas for our PE classes 🙂
Movement Journal: Week 4 Elizabeth Greenwood
I have recently come to understand that one of the fundamental and foundational pieces of education is an understanding of one’s students. Thus, pedagogical approaches for the accommodation of the diverse needs and interests of learners is to first understand what those diverse needs and interests are! Entry and exit slips with simple questions are a good way to gauge students’ feelings about PHE, as well as journals or blogs. After you have an understanding of who you are teaching, you can begin to differentiate your lessons to accommodate a diverse student population. I really enjoy stations as a part of my own Physical Education. Stations provide diversity in the learning environment and account for differences between students. Even if there are one or two stations that students enjoy less, a limited amount of time and a variety of stations ensures that all students’ will be catered to.
In the same way as understanding your students feelings about PHE through entry and exit slips, journals, etc. is important, observing your students throughout physical education is important to give them formative assessment, and to find the best ways to provide summative assessment at the end of the learning period. Formative assessment is critical in subjects such as PHE as many students struggle with testing and performance at the level to which they are actually capable. Observation is more likely to provide those performing assessments with an understanding of students’ authentic ability to apply fundamental movement skills in real-life situations. Observation is another way in which educators can glean a better understanding of their students’ needs and interests. Levels of engagement during a lesson can be observed and lessons can then be adjusted to better suit the needs of the students. Thus, reflective and observational assessment of one’s own teaching is incorporated in the PHE experience.
Striking/Fielding Reflection
- The thing that worked well in our lesson is that everything was connected. We had an idea that we wanted to teach skills for baseball and all of our activities were connected to that. For our Incoming game, we had the student’s practice working as a team, throwing, catching and pretending to run to home when they were done. They were able to transfer those skills into the main striking game. I contributed by coming up with the main activity, and finding ways to modify other activities so everyone was included. I think our group worked very well together and everyone pulled their weight.
- I noticed about planning and teaching that there are many areas you have to consider when planning a lesson- does the lesson flow and does it have a purpose, is everyone included, are any of the games shaming games, is it safe for the children and how much time should you allocate for each activity. Since one of our chapters was about assessment, everyone in class was able to give feedback on what worked. We had to modify our last game to make it safer since some people slipped on the mats and people were running into each other. I think this was good because it helped us see what worked and students were able to come up with suggestions on how to improve it.
- I noticed that all of the students were participating and seemed to have fun so that helped with the lesson. I’m glad we had activities that included everyone because you really got to see the skills everyone had and you did not need to be super athletic to participate in our games.
- The things that I would do differently are pay closer attention to the safety of the children. I would have used softer balls and had them touch the mat with their hands or tap it with their toes instead of running on it. Also, some of my instructions needed to be clearer because some students were a little confused and the passing game would have been good to do twice since after one round everyone knew what to do. I think over all I learned that teaching a physical education class is very different than other lessons I have done because of the size of the gym and there’s more distractions for children. You need to find a balance to lead the class but also participate with them.
Striking/Fielding Lesson Plan
Pamela Tai
Emily Mills
Sonya Gaia-Maretta
Lesson Plan: Striking/Fielding
Class: Grade 2
Objective:
The objective is to teach students where to hit a ball, how to cover the field and how to field ground balls. In addition, students build on their previous knowledge of baseball and begin to visually conceptualize how a formal game of baseball is played. Students will also be able to gain confidence and interpersonal skills by working in small groups and playing with the class in an inclusive and non-competitive environment.
PLO:
B4 demonstrate proper technique for performing specific manipulative movement skills including but not limited to the following: one-handed throw underhand two-handed catch without trapping against body
C1 demonstrate safe behaviours when participating in physical activity (e.g., listening to and following directions, staying within activity boundaries, participating in appropriate warm-up activities, making sure the activity space is free of obstacles)
Equipment Required:
- Mats (enough for each fielder)
- Ball (small- one that bounces tennis ball)
- Soft kicking ball
- Hula hoops
- Cones (small)
Safety: mats are too slippery, tennis balls may be too hard (move to softer ball)
Entry Activity:
Musical Hula-hoops: (5 minutes- Pamela will lead)
This is a warm up activity for a grade 2 PE class. Each student grabs a hula-hoop and places it on the ground to form part of a big circle. The teacher plays music and asks the students to dance outside the circle formed by the hula-hoops (with instructions such as dance like a bird, dance like a bunny). After each round, the teacher will remove 5 hula-hoops. Students need to step into one hula-hoop when the music ends. Students may share the hula-hoops when the music ends. We will start with one person per each hoop then go down to 5-6 people per hoop. To meet the needs of the student we will clarify if they understand by asking them. During the activity, we can look for the overall engagement of the students and how well they seem to be interacting with each other.
Skill Development and Practice:
In- Coming: (10 minutes- Pamela will lead and Sonya and Emily will demonstrate)
Divide the class into six groups. Each group will have a hula-hoop in the corner of the gym. In the middle of the gym are a bunch of balls. When the teacher says go, one person from each group will grab a ball from the middle of the gym and throw it down to each player and the last player will put the ball in the hula-hoop. (students cannot form one line and pass, they should be diagonal from each other). That person will then run to the front of the line and grab a ball and throw it down the line. Each player on your team has to have a chance to be it. The first team to get all of their balls in the hula- hoop wins. This allows your students to practice throwing while working as a team. This prepares them for the next activity by using teamwork, throwing and running skills.
Culminating Activity:
Striking Game: (15 minutes- Sonya will lead and Pamela and Emily will demonstrate)
This is a game that all students participate. There are three parts to this game. First, you will have fielders who each have a mat in the open gym and then you have the batters who are standing against a wall with a ball. When the music starts the batters throw their ball and try to touch every base with their hand while the fielders collect the ball and run to the wall. When the music stops it means every fielder got a ball and the batter has to quickly find a mat. When that is done each team switches. Now the fielders are the batters and the batters are the fielders. Next, instead of the batters throwing the ball they have to bounce the ball and then run to each base. When that is done you can switch. The final is kicking a ball. In this exercise batters are practicing how to run to different bases and the fielders get to practice catching balls in the air, catching them while they are bouncing or rolling on the ground. During the game, we will watch for how strong students are able to throw the ball and their ability to navigate and run to different bases.
Closure:
Yoga: (5 minutes- Emily will lead)
Stretching exercises to cool down their body. Ask students how they felt about the activity and reflect on different strategies that they learned.
Meeting the needs of diverse learners
Physical: use music and rhythm skills, develop specialized skills (throwing, catching and bouncing)
Cognitive: have games that everyone can participate in, allow students to be creative in their animal choices. Be able to have an abstract conception of how baseball is structured (batters and fielders).
Affective: Use entire group sparingly and allow every student to feel included in the activities. Play in smaller groups initially to increase teamwork and play in a non-competitive larger class game which allows students to develop baseball skills without comparing themselves to others.
Modifying/adapting lesson:
Students are able to run at their own pace. It is not a competition on how many bases you can get. If students find that the little tennis balls are too hard to throw we can move to bigger balls.
Evaluation Strategies:
Observation-observe students level of engagement and confidence, cooperation in small groups and the ability to throw and run bases as they’re performing the activities
.Self-Reflection-ask the students about their general knowledge of baseball (ie. batters and fielders) as well as reflect on the strategies they learned during the activities. Receive students feedback about how the activities went and engage them in the learning process.
Assessment tool: (Source: http://www.sparkpe.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/K2_CaT_Rubric.pdf)
| Moving and Doing | Understanding and Applying | Cooperation and Responsibility |
| Participates in a variety of activities
□ comes prepared to participate □ wears appropriate clothing for the activity □ is ready and on time □ gets involved in activities □ is active |
Understands and has the ability to pose and solve movement challenges
□ understands the task □ can demonstrate the task (individually and with others) □ helps other students |
Demonstrates cooperative and socially responsible behaviors
□ cares for the safety of others □ respects personal and public property □ respects others □ encourages appropriate behavior |
| Applies body mechanics in movement activities
□ Applies developmentally appropriate technique for activities e.g.,hand eye coordination (throwing and catching) |
Understands and applies game and movement concepts
□ understands the instructions □ follows instruction □ uses skills and ideas taught in activities |
Demonstrates personal responsibility
□ shows care for personal safety □ cares for personal health and hygiene □ respects self |
| Engaged in movement, motor and athletic skill development activities
□ uses movement and athletic skill in a variety of activities □ tries to the best of his/her abilities in activities □ is on task □ works on skill development |
Understands and applies group dynamics and concepts of fair play
□ contributes to the group □ is a team player □ practices fair play □ practices sportsmanship |
Demonstrates leadership and group dynamic skills
□ work with and include others during activity □ consider the views of others during games and play □ lead by positive example □ value the contributions of all |
| Engages in personal fitness activities
□ participants in personal fitness activities □ works to remain physically active □ works on his/her health related fitness (cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, musical endurance) □ works on his/her skill related fitness(agility, coordination, balance, speed, power, reaction time) |
Understands the application and impact of a lifelong active healthy lifestyle
□ understands the importance of being active □ is active □ takes responsibility for his/her health □ understands that good eating leads to health |
Demonstrates and applies an active healthy lifestyle
□ demonstrates that good eating leads to health □ demonstrates that regular physical activity leads to good health □ takes part in regular fitness activities |
References:
Lewis, Brian. (2011, January 20) “Modified Striking Games for Elementary Physical Education” Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBV7UhjJ2_w
Orphea. Play sport (2014) Retrieved from www.playsport.net/activity/coming
Wenzel, S. (2011, December 5). Classroom Yoga (Classroom Activity Breaks). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeXuf7sOpzA