All posts by sonya gaia-maretta

Physical and health literacy

I really enjoyed the physical and health literacy lesson by Cheryl, Elizabeth, Mary and Rob. I liked how there were so many choices for activities and many of them allowed students to be creative. When I first went into the gym I thought there were four stations but then saw that there were 16. I thought that was great because there was less of a chance for line-ups so students can try many different activities. I saw at the obstacle course a group of students made a hungry hippo game with just two crates, 2 scooters and bean bags. They seemed to really be enjoying themselves. I think that is something that we should all be instilling in our students that simple materials can create fun games. They had many games where a person had to be aware of their body and what it could create. The instant activity had you using your body to create letters and the warm up and cool down had you using your imagination to turn into animals or imagine that you were in certain situations.

The discussion we had was very interesting because it made you reflect on how much exercise a child actually gets in a day and what is considered exercise. When you break down the 60 minutes required it is actually very doable. A teacher can do cross-curricular activities to teach subjects that can involve physical activity. Or a quick activity in the morning or brain break can also be incorporated. Sometimes just that little bit of exercise can make a difference. In my school all students have to go outside to play and are not allowed to stay in the classroom unless it is really cold outside and I think this is very good. A child needs to run around or at least have a change in environment to function.

I think the group had a good balance of activities that incorporated all different interests of students. Some students prefer individual activities and others enjoy working in groups. Good job!

Gymnastics Blog

I think both groups did an excellent job of presenting their lesson. They were both engaging and I had a lot of fun participating.

I found that the gymnastics group was very balanced out. I did not feel like I was doing the same thing in each of the four stations. For the forward roll and log roll it was demonstrated for us and then we got to practice it. If we had any problems there was feed back on how we could improve our rolls. When we did the front walk and crab walk we practiced a couple of times and then to challenge us they added a bean bag. I thought that was an interesting way to build on our skills and realized it takes a lot of concentration not to drop the bag. I liked how there were options for the  jumping technique. There was a higher and lower vaulting box to allow students at different levels to participate. Student’s could choose the box they felt more comfortable with and if they decided they wanted to challenge themselves they were given that option.  A student was not singled out for doing the lower box. They also incorportated that for the hoops. The student could either use both feet which was an easier task or one foot. The last station one for the bench really helped with a student’s balance. They had different variations of balance techniques and I liked how when the line for the backwards balance got too long it was immediately addressed and  you were allowed to skip that part so you were not standing around.

I learned in our discussion group that the wooden wall mounted gymnastics equipment is no longer used because of safety. I remember as a child how I really enjoyed playing on it especially when my teacher made obstacle courses where you had to climb over, under and swing on the rings. I understand that with so many children there are more chances of accidents’ happening so I see why they would want to get rid of it. It’s a shame though because it was a fun piece of equipment.

Week 5 Invasion Games

I learned a lot this week about Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU). When I was younger, I remember playing games in physical education and how fun they were but I never realized how the skills we learned could be so transferable to other activities until I got older. I believe in PE we need to expose children to many different skills but also let them know that everything they are learning has a purpose. If a child believes that what they’re learning in PE has a purpose that can be applied to many activities then they may be more willing to participate.

This week for our group discussion we were talking about what is important and I realized that for me it was multi activities. If you expose a child to many different ways to use a skill then the child has more chance of succeeding in one of them. This week’s group nicely broke down how we gradually build on a skill then make it harder to challenge ourselves. At first, when we were playing the main game and our group had to get to the other side I was wondering why the cones on the far side were not closer. The other team’s arms were not long enough to reach us so we just had to walk across. I learned as the game gradually got harder that there was a purpose to the distance. In the last part, the other team could take one step and that allowed them to protect their area, which I found made it impossible to get across. It made me realize the steps we take to teach a game. You want to allow a group to get confident in the game then let them build strategies. You do not want to discourage anyone by making a game too hard where they feel they will not succeed.

Striking/Fielding Reflection

 

 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

 

Striking/Fielding Games (reading summary)

Chapter 6: Assessment and Physical Education

-Assessment: process of collecting and organizing information- students knowledge skills and attitudes

-Evaluation: the subsequent process of judging students’ learning based on that information

Need to do assessment “Before, After and During Instruction”

-Learning Domains:

Cognitive– things that students are able to know. Psychomotor- things that students are able to do. Affective– things that students are able to value

-Principles of Assessment(4)

Continuous– development of students, Collaborative– include students/parents, Comprehensive– balance of curricular    outcomes ought to be assessed- -a variety of assessment strategies be utilized, Criteria Based– what student should be able to know, do or value

Norm-referenced: how well a student does in relation to others (national norms, school norms or class norms).

Criterion-referenced: consideration of students’ learning relative to some sort of ideal outcome. (It is possible for no or all students to achieve the minimum standards for success.)

Validity: measure exactly what is intended to be measured.

Reliability: a measure’s ability to have consistent measurements

Role of Assessment in P.E.

Know what knowledge, skills and attitudes students already process

Pre-assessment: may be beginning of school year or just prior to instruction in any given unit. Formative Assessment: during a lesson. Summative Assessment: end of term/unit. Evaluation and grading: after information is collected

Types of student Assessment:

Exit slips: written student responses. Fitness Tests: focus upon health-related fitness component, though some may also focus on skill-related components. Observation: most common method. Learning Logs: provide students with an opportunity to track their own behaviours in class and outside of school. Performance Tasks usually complete within a class period. Portfolios: for PE, it is important to include items that address all three learning domains. Skill Tests: allow physical educators to isolate and focus on particular skills that are clearly included as curricular outcomes. Written Tests: to assess student knowledge of P.E.

Measuring student learning- rely on checklist, analytic rating scales and rubrics- generally more “grey” than “black and white”

Tradition: Plan àTeach àAssess

Contemporary: Assessment= primary role “backward design”

  1. Decided upon the desired results,
  2. Determine the acceptable evidence
  3. Plan for learning experience/instruction.

Questions:

  1. Reflect upon the assessment practices you remember from your time as a student. How would you describe your former physical educators’ assessment practices? How were these assessment practices similar and/or different to assessment practice in other subject areas?
  2. Sometimes during a performance task students may not perform as well as they are capable of performing. Should students be allowed another opportunity (do-over)?
  3. Of the many possibilities for reporting students’ grades (ex: numerical scores, letter grades, pass/fail systems, and analytic rating scales) what would you suggest would be most ideal?

 

Chapter 12: Movement Domains

 

. Intro: -goal of PE is to assist children and youth to develop skills for a healthy lifestyle

-to do so, variety of physical activities need to be introduced

. Movement Concepts-form basis of the movement lesson (What is the body doing? Where is the movement going? What is the dynamic content or quality of the movement? With whom or what is the mover relating?)

. Fundamental Movement Skills-most basic movement skills found in any complex skill (ie. dribbling a soccer ball requires running, dodging, turning and changing speed)

. DAIGG-Dance, Alternative Environment Activities, Individual Physical Activities, Gymnastics and Games

1/2) Dance and Gymnastics-students can come up with own routines which allows for great self-expression and creativity

3) Games-post popular component of PE, great way to learn new skills in a less competitive environment than sports

. Game Definitions (pg. 218):

Developmental Games: very simple and may involve basic skills such as running or guarding

Lead-Up Games (bit more complex) lead to Formal Games (game/sport that is more rule-based and competitive)

games pedagogy approach involves teaching indirectly and allows for students to work collaboratively while actively constructing their own learning

4) Individual Activities-performed alone or socially (ie. yoga or biking)

5) Alternative Environments (great for field trips!)-often outdoor based (ie. hiking, swimming)

-less controlled environment than the gym so student’s safety is crucial

. Conclusion-whole spectrum gives students competence in a wide variety of activities, creates important skills needed for physical activity within the classroom and beyond

 

Questions:

  1. Are there any physical activities you can think of that aren’t included in the five movement domains?
  2. What factors should you consider when teaching activities from the different movement domains? (eg. Dance, Developmental or Formal Games)
  3. How can you encourage your students to become more physically active outside the classroom?

Week Three- Movement Journal Physical Literacy

Physical Literacy-

After reading the articles on physical literacy I better understand how the current curriculum is trying to combine confidence and control in physical activities. It seems to be taking the whole person into consideration instead of just the activity they are doing. I could not remember how I was evaluated in physical education when I was younger but it is nice to see that the way they assess children is more about what the child is able to do and the long-term effects. I find the Passport to Life a very interesting assessment tool. Since no child is the same it is nice that they set individual goals that involve the parents. I think parents are very influential in a child’s physical life and the more teachers and parents can work together the more successful the child will be. I also like how it’s divided- active participation, living skills, life skill and movement skills. It evaluates how a child can move but also looks into how the child feels, what can be their motivation, what is their previous knowledge and how they interact with other children. They make it so it’s a building block that will be a long journey not just a subject they have to pass and then move on.

Week One Movement Journal – Sonya Gaia-Maretta

Reading the article, “ Over a quarter of primary school teachers say they are not qualified enough to teach PE as worries grow over childhood obesity” is something I worry about as a future teacher. Before I started this program, I did not know that teachers were expected to teach physical education. When I went to elementary school there was a trained physical education teacher who was responsible for teaching the subject to every class plus healthy eating. I think my class really benefitted from this because she was so enthusiastic, passionate and knowledgeable about being active that she made you want to participate even if you did not like gym class. I think it is a shame they took that out of the school system because physical activity is so important to instil in young children.

Reading this article with such a high percentage of teachers dreading teaching this subject is kind of scary and makes sense why so many students leave elementary disliking physical activity. But if you do not properly prepare your teachers to teach something how can you expect them to succeed. It was sad to read the perception teacher’s have about obese children because especially in elementary your teacher is someone you trust and if they can sense you are judging them then that will have a huge affect on their self esteem. I’m really glad they are offering this subject as part of the BEd curriculum because it will make me feel a bit more confident when I have to teach this subject and hopefully the students will learn to love being active.