We’ve been using the Go Noodle videos at my practicum school, and they really are great! The kids love them, and it is such a breezy way for the teacher to conduct and participate in a movement break. Well, if the technology works. I get nervous using technology in the classroom at times, because when it fails… Then what? Contingency plan at the ready? I feel like technology in the classroom is wonderful when it aids and enhances student learning, but it can just as easily hinder the process when not dealt with carefully. I know that I personally have a journey ahead with the elusive SMART Board. It was great to learn about all the different tech apps and gadgets exist out there for educational use, like Edmodo.

As for the dance component of today’s lesson, I imagine that teaching a choreographed dance number is not an easy task! I wonder how I will remember all those dance moves when I have to be up there leading a class of little ones. It was good to have each dance move broken down and modeled, so that I knew what I needed to do as the music played. I enjoyed having some time to invent dance moves with buddies, I bet the kids would love it! I wonder how dance would be assessed in PHE class, since not everyone is blessed with the grace of ballerinas and hip hop stars. Effort, participation, working knowledge of moves, and skill?

Overall, I believe our outdoor education lesson was a success. Our team worked together very well, clearly delineating roles and responsibilities. My contribution was safety considerations outdoors, leading “Go – freeze” practice, co-facilitating “Quick Frozen Critters”, and leading the mindfulness walk.

I wrote myself a script of my important discussion points, but in general it was easier and more fun to go with the flow of the lesson. As we did the “Go – Freeze” activity, it was useful to see how much was learned or what needed improvement by checking in halfway. I realized that some people couldn’t hear me well, and we also discussed strategies for stopping quickly. I used my whistle to call freeze instead, and I noticed that the locomotor freezing motion became more coordinated on the way back.

We ran out of time for the Eagles to try being predators, and in a real-life class this situation might upset kids if they were really looking forward to a turn. It seemed like the class enjoyed this game for the most part, lots of smiles but some really tuckered out people as well. It requires a lot of cardiovascular fitness to survive, so playing this game a lot might be demoralizing for children who have less stamina than others. Everyone was being a really good sport about the game: the affective skill of respecting others was observed throughout and I could see that runners were careful to avoid delicate plants.

Thank you ABCs for being a wonderful class to teach! 🙂

I had a great time playing invasion games this week. Prairie Dog PickOff was surprisingly difficult to play: one must be able to multitask by having an acute awareness of both the opponent’s object and the defended object, not to mention the physical prowess involved in throwing and blocking. It was very useful to practice in smaller groups ahead of time; excellent job finding a way to simplify the game to teach specific skills, Group Teach 4! I feel like the approach this group took towards the invasion game was in line with the TGfU curriculum model. Instead of reducing the game into boring skill and drill time, an altered version of the game was used for practise in order to develop game appreciation. Also, in between rounds, the leaders decided to motivate people who were spending the whole round defending by introducing a new rule. This had the effect of ensuring that all students developed tactical awareness of offensive and defensive technique, another important aspect of TGfU.

Before this lesson and Chapter 3 reading, I had no idea how many curriculum models existed for PHE. It is both inspiring and intimidating to realize how many ways this subject can be taught. I am inspired because I see the strengths and weaknesses of the various models, but I am intimidated by the selection and application process because I would be concerned that I might create a hodge-podge curriculum that makes sense on the individual activity level, but lacks clarity and cohesion overall.

The series of fun net games we played for session 3 contained a fantastic cross-curricular element. The inclusion of Indigenous history and value teachings into the lacrosse component was an excellent idea since it met multiple educational goals. Simultaneously, Indigenous history was taught in an appropriate manner and attention was called to safety through promotion of respectful intent towards classmates.

This part of the lesson jumped out at me as an embodiment of the depth of physical literacy. As Chapter 13 of our textbook relates, in PHE we must avoid focusing solely on simple motor drills, instead ensuring that we address “‘mindful’ qualities of movement on which the philosophy of physical literacy is based.” (Robinson and Randall 232) Students need to develop understanding of the flow and strategy of physical activities, which must engage the brain and heart as much as flexing the muscles. Respectful play does more than reduce injuries on the field for the day, it sets the tone for personal accountability to others in the long term. The textbook draws attention to the problematic aspect of using the building block metaphor in fundamental movement skills, as this model does not necessarily develop the use of walking, running, throwing, and other movements as they need to be applied in real life situations. On a more personal note, I never looked forward to the drills. If drills don’t improve fundamental movement skills in a fun or meaningful way, their use should be questioned and adapted to more relevant ends.

In primary school, PE slowly became the class I disliked most. I loved it up until grade 3, since those years were mostly unstructured and non-competitive sport activities. The beginning of the first 320 class was a nostalgic throwback to the “stations” where we freely did whatever we pleased (within reason). As the activities increased in competitiveness and skill, I began realizing that I ranked low in athleticism compared to other students. We could pick our own teams, and I was an undesirable choice, so I quickly came to dread PE. To this day, I still prefer cooperative and non-competitive activities like hiking and yoga over organized sports. Looking at the DailyMail article from our readings, I would be very curious to understand the reasons behind why 39 per cent of children are leaving primary school disliking physical activity. I have fears of teaching PE related to my own abilities in sport, but it is assuring to know that through seeking out the proper resources and education, I can still become a good PE teacher.

I think the emphasis in the redeveloped provincial K-9 curriculum on teaching the relationship between physical, emotional and mental health is fantastic. I don’t remember learning this concept until high school, and by that time many children have already become entrenched in poor habits. I believe teaching this fundamental relationship in the early years constitutes proactive teaching, and so is an important change to the way we teach physical literacy in BC.