Field Experience Day 18 - April 23th 2012

Our Poster Displaying the Cues

Today we were able to teach our lesson to the class. It was centered around the skill theme, rolling. More specifically, the forward roll. Our lesson was able to hit all of the 3 domains. We were able to create an obstacle course that kept the students busy and active while having a forward roll station to assess the children. This method allowed us to see the children multiple times to assess them and allowed them to not get bored by rolling over and over. Instead, they were able to move on to different stations and practice other skills. We tried to tie in a theme with it so we chose "Tarzan." This theme is something that the children know and something that can definitely be related to rolling (gorilla roll). Also, during the activity, we were able to play music that made it a lot of fun ("Jungle Boogie").



Assessments of Student Learning:

I believe that this lesson was very successful. Our psychomotor objective was general enough that it was able to incorporate all skill levels but specific enough to gauge improvement. The objective asked for improvement based on a rubric we made to assess them before this lesson. Using a holistic rubric as an pre-assessment allowed us to see the level in which most of the children started at and then we planned our lesson from there. Based on our post-assessment, these cues, paired with our guidance, allowed the students to be more successful in the forward roll.

Our affective objective was also successful. We were able to witness numerous students speak kindly to one another and be respectful when sharing the equipment that was used. At the end of the lesson we were able to verbally quiz them on the cues for the forward roll that we had explained. The children had to be prompted for one of the cues but were able to name “Tuck Chin” and “Body in a Ball” the first time it was asked.

Our assessment was a holistic rubric that we were able to create using ideas from the Generic Levels of Skill Proficiency (GLSP) model. This assessment allowed us to observe the children as they were going through the obstacle course. As they came to the forward roll station (the wedge mat) we had table on a clipboard in which to record their score based on the rubric. 

Tarzan

One of our issues was that there was some back up on some of the stations, which caused the children to have to slow down. We would like to improve upon this if we were to do a stations type lesson again. It may be beneficial to add more stations so that the students are more spread out, or we could remove the stations that constantly get backed up (e.g. the higher balance beam). Adding more stations could be more beneficial because then the students could have move activity time doing a larger variety or tasks.This would increase time on task and activity time.

Field Experience Day 17 - April 20th 2012

 Skill Themes: Catching and Collecting

During this lesson the we were able to see the other classroom of students who we do not normally see. They were also introduced to the lesson with lacrosse ground balls. Similarly with the other class, there were a few students (all boys) who have had experience with lacrosse before. Our job, as practitioners is to teach the basics of the skills, the most we can really aim to achieve in any skill is getting to the Utilization level of the generic levels of skill proficiency (GLSP). These are the levels of the GLSP in more detail.  It is extremely difficult to get to the proficiency level of a skill without outside practice. Because of this, those boys who raised their hands saying that they were playing lacrosse outside of class will have a better chance of becoming proficient. Needless to say, we must start somewhere so this lesson gives the children the basics of "collecting" or picking up ground balls.

Softball Ground Ball

This skill theme can then be used in transfer in multiple other skills including baseball and softball. It is probably more likely that these students will have been introduced to picking up softballs and baseballs before lacrosse balls, in which case there should already be a little bit of transfer which can make it easier for the students to learn it.

These students were introduced to cues that encouraged them to "get low" put their "knuckles to the floor" and "scoop like shoveling snow." Getting low is a common theme in collecting things off of the ground. This is a "Manipulative" skill theme. Because it is manipulative, it requires equipment and more finesse as opposed to power. This is another reason why it is very important to give students practice for them to excel. I believe the the host teacher had a great way to practice. As stated in the previous blog for the lesson right before. The game where the students had to go and pick up all the balls was a great idea because it got every one involved and gave all of the students many opportunities to practice the skill of picking up a ground ball.

Lacrosse Ground Ball

Field Experience Day 16 - April 20th 2012

Lacrosse

In this lesson, the students were introduced to lacrosse and the ground ball pick up. Some of the students had previous knowledge of the skills that were being taught because they played outside of school. We began by identifying parts of the lacrosse stick (head, neck etc.) and how to hold it properly. Also, general safety and procedures were addressed before any equipment was handed out. Next, we allowed the students to obtain one lacrosse stick and one lacrosse ball. We described the way to pick up a ground ball, with cues to help them (get low, knuckles to the floor, scoop it up like shoveling snow). Ground ball Tutorial The children were allowed to practice on their own. After they were able to get the basic movement pattern down, we were able to run a simple game that let them practice their new skill while employing a bit of competition.

Ground ball

NYS Standards and Curriculum:
This lesson does cover quite a few of the NYS standards. Standard 2 was definitely emphasized with the "personal responsibility." A lot of these students have never used lacrosse sticks before and so it was very important to make sure they used them responsibly. We made sure the students understood that they must respect the equipment as well as their fellow classmates.They were educated in personal safety and how to handle the equipment with care. There was very heavy emphasis on being aware of your surroundings and playing fairly in the last game we played. It involved getting ground balls and placing them back in their respective bins. They had to be honest and courteous to their teammates and classmates.

Standard 1A was also addressed by introducing the students to this skill (picking up a ground ball) it will get them started on being competent in the game of lacrosse.

Field Experience Day 15- April, 17th 2012

Students with Special Needs:

In an earlier post, I mentioned a boy who came into the gymnasium before out Pre k class. Just in observing him , it seemed as though his physical education was just him, playing by himself for a half hour or so. When we questioned our host teacher, we were informed that he is the only special needs student in the school and that that is his physical education. This is definitely unacceptable for this student. None of the NYS standards are met, purely because he is given no instruction, but instead, he plays on his own.

IDEA

It must be difficult for a smaller school with only one physical education teacher to justify dedicating a large portion of time to one, individual student, but it should be done. Maybe the school could include the student in the other physical education classes of students his own age (LRE) in integrated settings. At first I thought that the school may not have to comply with these policies but after looking at  the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), I found that it mandates these things for public as well as private schools.Info About IDEA

Field Experience Day 14 - April 6th 2012

Reflection Of Lesson:

Leaves can be fun, but they are not really appropriate for school days

We remained outside today with the other pre-k class. I have never been involved in this class before so I had a bit more difficulty learning about the students. It was interesting to see the similarities between the students though. Even though this is a whole other group of students, they all seem to want to do dangerous things and get as dirty as possible.

Being a helper in this class, it would be most beneficial to speak with the teacher before hand to ask about the procedures. These would include rules of the equipment, where they can and cannot go and specific procedures for entering and exiting the fenced in area. There was a group of children playing in leaves in one of the corner, they were throwing them all over themselves. I saw it from across the space and as soon as I spotted it, so did the host teacher and immediately put a stop to it. There were also children playing in the dirt. I do believe that it is good for children to play outside and get dirty, etc. but not in the middle of a school day. I'm sure their parents would be very displeased.

I was also playing with a group of 4 girls and it was so sad to see 3 of them turn to the 4th and tell her that they did not want to play with her anymore. These are pre-k students and they are already leaving people out. I have not seen such bluntness in a while though. I suppose it is the honesty of being a child. I did not say anything to the girls but now I wish I had said something about including classmates. I found this article about how bullying can being in young children, so we, as teachers, need to be on the lookout.  Instead I spoke to the girls about how it is not good to pretend you are hurt if you are not (they were all holding their ankles and saying "ow ow ow") because it can cause people to be worried and then very angry if there is no emergency. I hope that they thought about it for at least a little while after that.

Field Experience Day 13 - April 6th 2012

Reflection of the Lesson:

Safety is Important

Today was a Friday and it was beautiful outside so our host teacher took the kids outside to play on the playground. There was no lesson taught but being around and playing with the children was able to show me a lot.

First, it is very important to go over the rules of the play ground before going onto it. Some of the equipment can be dangerous for kindergarteners and so it is always good to make sure they are aware. One thing that the children were doing was jumping off one of the apparatus to the ground. It was quite high up and some of the students needed to be told twice. It would be beneficial to have a consequence for disobeying the rule. This would be beneficial because of maintaining authority and for safety reasons.

Playground Apparatus

Another thing that crossed my mind when I was out on the playground was what the emergency procedure should be if someone was to get hurt on the playground. The playground is only about 50 yards from the school but it may be just far enough to make it difficult to contact someone. We were out there with the host teacher but if you were by yourself, how would you contact help. These were kindergarteners. If it was me, I think I would send one of them (the one I trusted the most I suppose) to run in the school and tell an adult. It is clear that you cannot leave all the students by themselves to get help, but you cannot take them all with you either (especially if time is of the essence). Here is an Example of "Playground Guidelines" that a school created that covers everything from surveillance to maintenance.

Field Experience Day 12 - April 3rd, 2012

Assessments of Students Learning

Indiana Jones

Today in class, there was an Indiana Jones Obstacle set up for the students. It was similar to the kidnastic routine that was last time except this time there was Indiana theme music playing in the back ground. Also, the host teacher added a "snake pit" made of jump ropes and some "hot lava" using the cones. Some of the children knew who Indiana Jones was so it was extra fun for them.

Today was the day of our pre-assessment of the students doing the forward roll. We decided to make it one of the stations in the obstacle course so we were able to observe and assess the students as they made their way around the course. This allowed us to see it multiple times. This assessment strategy is suggested by NASPE in assessing elementary students. We assessed them based on a holistic rubric that we created for the forward roll: We were able to see each each of the students around four times and it was an excellent way to keep them moving while still assessing their current level of proficiency. We will take this pre-assessment and plan a lesson to teach so that the students can learn and improve to a higher level of proficiency.

Holistic Rubric Pre Assessment- Forward Roll

1-  Student  is unable to perform the forward roll. The student is unable to use the cues.

Cones

2- Student is able to perform the forward roll with maximum concentration. Rigid.

3- Student is able to perform the forward roll correctly with minimal   concentration. Lacks fluidity.

4- Student is able to complete a forward roll using all three cues correctly. The motion is effortless and fluid. 

 

Field Experience Day 11 - March 30th, 2012

Students with Special Needs

There does not appear to be any students with special needs in the pre k  physical education class that I regularly participate in. However, there is a boy that is in the gymnasium before the class and since we are usually there 10 to 15 minutes early most days, we can observe him as well. In my host school, it does not appear that there is a very good physical education program for students with special needs. This boy appears to have autism, but is high functioning. As we come in, he is usually off in a corner playing with some equipment while his aid sits on the bleachers and watches him. The boy appears to be content with playing by himself.

He also appears to be scolded often for lying about certain things. Whether is it about telling another teacher that he has permission to play with certain equipment when he does not, or about breaking another piece of equipment. I believe these are characteristics of his age rather than of a possible disability.  I have not yet had much experience with students with disabilities in a gym setting. 's I like to reference PE Central's Adapted Phys. Ed page.  I will be taking 356 next semester and hope to learn a lot. In the past I have been a volunteer for the Cortland adapted swim team and taught private swim lessons to a boy with severe AHDH.

Special Olympics Logo

Although I have not seen it, I do hope that the times when we see that boy before our class it is just a play time for him and not his "physical education." Because that would not be sufficient. Physical Education should be available to all students. Recently, I was in Indianapolis for a swim meet and at a banquet one night we were able to listen to a first hand testimony from a girl who has been actively involved in the Special Olympics for a few years. She participates in many sports but bowling is her favorite. The way she spoke about her activities was truly inspiring and it would be a shame if others did not get the same opportunities just because of a disability. It should always be a priority.

Field Experience Day 10 - March 30th, 2012

Today we were able to observe a pre-k classroom after our regular field experience.

Classroom Observation

Meeting Time

The classroom is decorated with very bright colors and all of the walls are covered in posters, words, and art projects. On one walls was filled with jelly fish and ice cream cones that the children made. The others have all of the numbers, letters of the alphabet and birthdays of all the children in class. There is a special corner with the month, days in school, the weather and letter of the week. This pre-k classroom is different than the gymnasium because it is much more decorated and colorful. BUT, the classroom is much smaller than the gymnasium so it would make sense for it to be more difficult to fill with artwork and such. The gymnasium is similar in the sense that there are posters, charts with student progress, and words of encouragement on the walls. Educationally, the classroom appears to be more controlled in the sense that it is smaller and more easily managed. There they are learning while sitting, but in the gymnasium, the students are learning by moving.

The atmosphere in the classroom today was a little bit tense, the children seemed to be a little antsy, perhaps because it was Friday. I would imagine that it is difficult to keep pre-schoolers on task for most anything. The portion of the lesson that we observed was their "meeting" where the teacher and students discuss the days of the week, month, weather outside and how many days they have been in school. The teacher has them recite the days of the week, and their prayer. All of the students sit around a circular carpet in their designated spots. The teacher is sitting in a chair on the edge of the carpet while she talks with them.

Arts and Crafts

These students have a basic level of language and literacy. They are able to count and know the months and days of the week. It appears to be appropriate for the level of education that they are at. The teacher was able to engage the students by speaking in a higher voice and constantly drawing them back into what she was saying by calling on a students, repeating herself or pointing to an example. She was able to have them all in view and constantly monitor their attention. There were a few boys that were sitting next to each other and because they were fooling around during her lesson, she had to separate them slightly. It seems as though the boys sit next to boys and girls sit next to girls. After the lesson we were able to join them for snack time as well and then they were allowed to play with "Friday toys and dress up." The teacher had to remove one of the dress up accessories because the students had difficulty sharing. It seems at this age they are quite self centered.

This insight will help me because it shows what to expect out of this age group of children. Also, it was good to see how the children acted in a classroom versus a gymnasium. There is definitely a greater level of freedom in the gymnasium that can be very beneficial to the students if it is managed correctly.

Being in this classroom brought be back to my elementary experience. I had forgotten the basic knowledge that is taught to these children. There was a large emphasis on place values and counting. I feel that a lot of people forget learning this because it comes to naturally for them now. This also applies to the gymnasium. For the elementary school is where these children learn the building blocks of movement. They may not remember it when they are older, but without it, they cannot progress to activities with more difficulty.

Field Experience Day 9- March 28th 2012

Management Strategies: 

Forward Roll

Today in my host school we continued our kidnastic unit. The host teacher mainly focused on forward rolls but also incorporated balance beam, ropes, climbing wall and rolls. In order to maximize the activity time for the children, my host teacher created a circuit of stations for the students to go through. This way, there would be constant motion and the children would be able to get a lot of practice in. The stations were as follows:
1. Forward Roll on an incline mat (with assistance)
2. Over and Under Hurdles
3. Scooters***
4. Log/pencil roll/cartwheel
5. Walk across thick balance beam
6. Log/pencil roll/cartwheel
7. high balance beam (with assistance)
8. Cargo net/rock wall traverse
9. sitting/standing on hanging ropes (with assistance)
10. low balance beam

***was added

Beam

The host teacher first spread out the students to different parts of the course. Once we began, it was clear that the students were getting caught up at the beam and rope station. To combat this problem, the host teacher created a new station so that the students would have a longer time getting around. This was a very good management strategy to create a better flow with the class. It is crucial for all teachers to be able to adapt to the current situation. This lesson showed me how it pays off to have other, additional ideas in case there is a problem with the current lesson. In the lesson plans there are spaces for alterations and it seems like something extra that is not necessary but this lesson proved to me that it is.

Even after the lesson, my host teacher and I discusses how to make the loop even better and flow even more smoothly. This concepts related back to being a reflective teacher; a recurring theme that constantly reveals it's importance.

Field Experience Day 8 - March 16th, 2012

Log Roll

In this lesson, the students were introduced to some basic kidnastic skills. My partner and I each took a station to help the students develop while the host teacher instructed on the forward roll. This was a kindergarten classroom so the other two stations were basic as well. They included log rolls and walking on a balance beam (Example of elite beam routines). The majority of the students were in the control stage of the log rolls and walking on the balance beam.

Knowledge of Students:

Balance Beam

It is extremely important to know the abilities and limits of your students in all activities but even more so in those such as kidnastics, where there is more chance for injury. As each of us approached the task at hand, we began by quickly assessing the skill level of the students. For the beam, it was good to start off by having a point of contact between you and the student so that they are able to make it across. As you get an idea or the abilities, you may choose to give them a little more space and attempt to balance on their own. This particular beam was about a foot and a half off the ground, which would be decently far for any of these kindergarten students.

In addition to it being a safety concern, it is also very important to have a knowledge of the students behavior so that you may be more proactive in designing and performing lessons. From the time I have spent at this school, I have learned which students require a little more supervision during the class. If there is prior knowledge to the task, one can strategically position themselves closely to those students who tend to act out in order to reduce disruption.

Incline Mat

Lastly it is key to knowing your students and their skill level so that you can track learning and/or know where to begin teaching. Without accurate knowledge of the children's skill level you cannot to teach them effectively. In the case of the forward roll or log roll, it was good to know that these students had the ability to perform it and were not going to get bored.  

Field Experience Day 7- March 9th, 2012

Communication With Colleuges:

On this field experience there was a substitute. On Tuesday my host teacher informed me that on Friday we would be beginning a lesson on basic gymnastics: rolls and such. I was actually really excited to begin this with the students but instead, the students had free play because my host teacher was absent. The substitute did not have any lesson plans to go off of. This is a good example of how it is very important to have backup plans for your substitutes in case of a an emergency absence. It was a good thing that I was there to help the substitute with basic rules of the gym, I was able to assist him.

From this I have learned how difficult it is to be a substitute for a gym class if there are not good lesson plans to go off of. All of this practice in class on writing detailed lesson plans is very important for the future. For a substitute who is not familiar with a school to go in and teach a physical education class is nearly impossible. They would not know the procedures, rules or what the children have been learning. The possibility of needing a substitute can also be a good reason to make sure that your gym is decorated. A decorated gym can display rules and procedures that can help anyone come into the gym and immediately know what is expected of the students.

I think that when I become a teacher I will be sure I have accurate and up to date lesson plans. I would also like to have at least two emergency lesson plans (detailed) in case I was unexpectedly ill or had an emergency. I would decorate my gym and have the rules visibly posted. Lastly, I would have a list of the basic procedures for every class and a few notes that would help the substitute have a successful physical education class.

Field Experience Day 6- February 6th 2012

8. Communication with colleagues, others:

There are only two instances surrounding the physical education class where I get to observe the host teacher interacting with his colleagues. Everyday when the students come into the gymnasium my host teacher greets the classroom teacher and she informs him which students are missing. At the end of class they also speak about any behavior issues that occurred during class.

Today, there were 3 boys that had an argument about spots in line and it became physical. Some shoving and pushing ensued. It was not the first time this had happened so it was discussed between my host teacher and the classroom teacher what action should be taken. The boys were separately spoken to and given appropriate consequences.

It is extremely important for all teachers to have good, open communication at all times. This way, knowledge of the students can be passed on between them. If something happens in the classroom or in the gym, it is good to alert the other teacher so that they can deal with the situation accordingly and there is no confusion when a child misbehaves as to what the consequences should be

Communication

Lab 16: Feburary 29th, 2012

Speed

Balance

Agility

Flexibility

Muscular Endurance

Muscular Strength

Coordination

Reaction Time

Cardiovascular Endurance

Explosive Power

Field Experience Day 5- February 28th, 2012

7. Assessments of Student Learning:

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This past Tuesday we were able to see a part of our school's physical education program that starts in kindergarten and continues until the upper grade levels. It is called "Run Club. Run club is something that the instructor has chosen to implement to teach the children about pacing while running/jogging. The students are asked to try and continuously jog around the gym for a set number of minutes and while doing this, the main goal is to try and stop (and walk) as little as possible. This is achieved by not running extremely fast in the beginning (PACING: How to Pace). I was able to participate in run club with the kindergarteners. At this age, they do not run for very long (only 6 minutes) but it gives them some experience with trying to pace. There is a talk before hand about how to do it and what should be done if the students get tired. In kindergarten, this modified version of run club (which happens once a month) is used as a beginning teaching tool. As the students get older, they are observed by the teacher and their progress is tracked on a chart in the gym. Those students who were able to run/jog for the whole duration are able to be in the "run club" those who are not yet there will track their progress on the chart and see where they have improved. This chart allows the instructor to see changes in fitness and knowledge of pacing. It can give solid evidence of growth or digression.

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Many of the kindergarten students ran extremely fast and had to walk shortly after, they would continue this cycle the whole time. It shows that they have not yet grasped the concept but I think it is a good thing to explain and teach to them early on in their physical education. Pacing during activities is an extremely important skill that even some adult have trouble with. Addressing this part of physical fitness so early on is very beneficial.

Lab 16: February 27, 2012

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1. I observed kindergarteners in a class setting during their floor hockey unit. These students began with Stage one: the control of an object. The first activity had them walking slowly around the gym with their own floor hockey stick and gator ball. They were told to practice controlling it. The speed was changed a bit but it remained individual. A few activities later, the students were told to hit the ball with good form wherever they wanted in the gym (provided the coast was clear) and then chase after it. This is still and individual activity that works on themes such as possession. These students did not progress any higher than stage one. Some recommendations for improving their level of play could be: (1) continue to begin practice with games that incorporate individual ball manipulation (2) Begin to assign partners and progress to partner passing (3) incorporate games that have two students working together with passing to achieve a goal (4) watch the skill levels of the students and do not progress too high in the four stages.
Support of Rink's 4 Stages

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p

2. I would use the four stages of game play as a rubric in my physical education classes by taking out the important information in all four stages and placing it in block format. Stage one would be assigned to a student if the only part of the activity they were able to be proficient in was "control of an object." Stage two would be assigned to a student if they were able to be proficient in stage one and stage 2 "combining skills." Stage three would be assigned to a student if they were able to be proficient in stage one, stage two and stage three " Offensive and defensive roles." Stage four would be assigned to a student if they were able to be proficient in stage one, stage two, stage three and stage four " Modified and full games." The four stages will act like levels that the students have achieved. To assess them, after a unit has been taught, I would do activities that progressed up through these stages and observed where my students landed along the spectrum.

Lab 11: February 22nd, 2012

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1. The word parachute literally means "protect from fall" deriving from the french words paracete and chute. It was named in the late 1700s by a french aeronaut and is typically made out of some strong, lightweight material. It was originally made of silk but is now more typically made of nylon. A parachutes job is to slow down an object as it falls through the atmosphere by creating drag. Parachute can be used for supplies, people and for fun in the gymnasium!

2. Using a parachute in class, the students would begin with the children picking up the parachute and walking clockwise in a circle. Next, the students would switch directions and walk the other way. Next: stop and make small ripples, then big ripples, then small ripples. Finish the routine by lifting the parachute up high and bringing it down behind your back and sitting on it.

3.  Practice the yoga routine for a week and keep a journal of how you feel. Simple Yoga Poses

4. 

Lab 15: February 20th, 2012

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1. Today in lab we each taught an 8 minute lesson within our squads. My lesson was about fitness concepts and I chose to focus on the heart and the importance of cardiovascular fitness. How the Heart Works  The purpose of this lesson was to teach the children how to take their pulse and allow them to discover that doing more activity made their heart work harder and get stronger. I was to do this lab again tomorrow I would attempt to make my activities more exciting. I do think that I did a good job in explaining how to take the pulse and why the heard needs exercise just like your arms or legs. I thought it was good to ask the students questions such as "what is physical fitness?" "how do you exercise your heart?" etc. As with most lessons, I think that it would be beneficial to be even more prepared for different situations. I believe that you can never be too prepared, so it is always helpful to run through your lesson once more even when you think you have reviewed it enough.

2. One of my most effective teachers was a professor here that I had my freshman year for "Anthropology of Gender." The reason that I loved having class with this particular professor is because she was so passionate about the subject that she was teaching and it really showed. She had extensive knowledge in her field and she loved sharing it with us. I probably did the most reading and writing for that class but I really love going to class. The teacher was always willing to explain a topic if necessary and offered herself for help whenever we needed it. I felt comfortable in her class and she was very approachable.

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3. Over the summer I work with elementary children every day, BUT I work with them/teach them in a pool setting. I am shocked to see how different it seems when they are on dry land. In my pool/lessons I control every aspect of their movement because I have to, if children don't follow the rules in the pool there are consequences that can be life threatening. In a gym, children seem to be much more at ease and indulge in more freedom. As I prepare to teach in the field experience I hope to gain more confidence teaching children on solid ground and learning a new set of behavior management techniques. My biggest fear is probably students misbehaving and me not knowing the correct thing to do to salvage the situation. I hope to learn these things while in the field.

Field Experience Day 4- February 17th, 2012

6. Skill Themes and Student Abilities:

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Today we started the lesson off by practicing the skill theme: throwing. The underhand toss to be exact,  using bean bags and hula hoops. My host teacher had each of us take a group of children and practice. We were instructed by the host teacher that wanted us to encourage the children to bring the arm under the shoulder and possibly discuss a step into the throw. But because they students were in preschool, it was better to focus on only one part of the throw. After that we were given free reign to instruct and interact with the students as we liked. I tried to get some of the children to throw certain color bean bags into certain hoops to add even more accuracy. Incorporating color with the throwing is another thing to reinforce what they are learning in the classroom. Some of the children were able to do the step with the underhand throw and be successful at getting the bean bag in the target while other had difficulties controlling the throw. It was a first hand look at how different the children are in skill level.

Later in the lesson, I was dribbling basketballs with some of the girls and even between 4 preschool girls there was variation in skill. Cues for Dribbling a Basketball Two of the girls were able to dribble the ball about 5 times while the other 2 could only hold onto it for one or two (while having their eyes on the basketball the whole time). With the same basketballs and same girls we played a passing game where we would bounce the basketball to pass. 2 of the girls were able to catch the ball off of the bounce while the other two were unable to control it. These girls are all in the same grade and yet they have different abilities.

Lab 9&10: February 15th, 2012

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1. My fitness themes would be muscular endurance, flexibility and core strength. There will be 3 stations: one would be the "inch worm" station where students would walk around in a designated area using the inchworm method. Another station would focus on flexibility. Students would do the "butterfly" stretch. The last station would focus on core strength and balance. Students would balance on their bottom only with their feet in the air.

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/k/klimt/kiss.jpg

2.  Gustav Klimt was the artist behind painting such as "The kiss" His combination on oil painting and gold to create beautiful artwork. Another extremely creative person is Andy Goldworthy. He is an artist from Britain who creates his artwork using natural things (leaves, rocks, ice, sticks). Many of his pieces of work are temporary.

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3. For a rubric that assesses a group acting out inanimate objects I would have the it be on a scale from 1 to 3. A 3 would be: all members of the group are involved and contribute ideas/positive feedback and other members of the class can correctly guess the object that is being acted out. A 2 would be: all members are actively involved and only come contribute ideas/positive feedback. A 1 would be: not all members were involved and they do not contribute ideas or positive feedback.

Field Experience Day 3- February 14, 2012

http://www.how-to-draw-and-paint-smart.com/image-files/cartoon-frog-30.jpg

4. Management Strategies:

Today was the first day of the student's floor hockey unit. The students warmed up with a tag game involving hula hoops as lily pads.  These students are all in kindergarten and there were a few students that had difficulties playing fair. There were were issues regarding students that did not freeze when they were tagged. Our host teacher dealt with the situation quickly and fairly. He immediately talked to the boys, found out that they were upset and spoke with both (reinforcing that both the tagger and the runner that they must play fairly and play by the rules). One of the boys was not very happy after and chose to sit on the side and the teacher let him. I think that I would have encouraged the students to continue playing but I understand that you cannot always focus on one student when there are so many other students in your class. An instructor must always have eyes on the whole gymnasium.

http://www.kidsclubfunandfitness.com/rte/my_documents/my_pictures/floor_hockey2.jpg

As we progressed into the lesson, my partner and I assisted the host teacher in the beginning field hockey lesson. We first had all the students with their own field hockey sticks and gator balls. They were to move freely around the gym while softly hitting their gator ball. I think this was a good way to give them practice without making it like a practice (full of drills). Progressions were used to increase the difficulty but the students still were able to move where they wanted in the general space.

The next activity allowed the students to practice hitting, the first progression had all of the students facing a wall so that they could hit the balls in one direction and not get in other peoples way. It was a little difficult for the teacher to view everyone at once but for the activity it would probably be the best way to set them up.

The class finished up with a game of temple tag before they left to have a little competition before leaving to go back to the classroom.

Lab 8: Feburary 13th 2012

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1.  Hoop play can be very beneficial in elementary physical education. First, it is a form of stimulus variation. This change up allows the children to practice similar skills (throwing, catching, etc.)  with a different object.  It allows children to develop hand-eye coordination, foot-eye coordination and body awareness. The hoops can be helpful in creating different learning experiences that can reinforce lessons learned in the classroom.
2. The hoops can be used to represent lily pads in a pond if the children are learning about ecosystems. In a pond ecosystem, lily pads are very important for frogs to rest on and use as shelter. The children could be frogs using the lily pads for rest and shelter (from the taggers). 
3. The hoops are a fun alternative to playground balls or beanbags, so it is a good way to teach your students that new equipment must be treated with respect. The students must handle the hoops gently and respect the personal space of others.
4. Ponds, and backyard ponds in particular can be very helpful for the environment. Apart from being fun to take care of and pretty to look at, back yard ponds can create an oasis for animals that may have had their environment taken away such as birds, newts, salamanders, frogs and toads. A pond is a great way to show a food chain. Video about Aquatic Ecosystems



http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/Biology/PGclass/chespeake/foodchainjpeg.jpg

5. Mosston's Teaching Styles:

• command-yes
• reciprocal-no
• practice-yes
• self-check-no
• inclusion-no
• guided discovery-yes
• divergent-no
• individual-no
• learner initiated-no
• self-teaching-no

Lab 7: February 8, 2012

http://www.d-project.jp/museum/free_illust/schoollife/images/original/nawatobi.gif

1.  A child in a wheelchair can enter the front door because the student would be able to follow the rope around (the rope goes down past your nose). They would be unable to enter a jump rope from the back door though. It would be easier if the child entered the jump rope from and angle. I would make the jump rope longer so that there was more space to move. Also, it would be important to have the rope spinning at an appropriate speed.

2.  For this lesson, goal setting could be included by having the children see how many time they can do some of the activities with a time limit on them. An example of this would be "double rope over body while sitting", you could see how many times they could get it over their head in 15 seconds and then try it again to see if they can beat it.

http://tailsnscales.net/images/692_baby_snake_cartoon.jpg

3. A rope jumping routine for two students jumping at the same time could be: 10 basic two foot forward jumps, then 5 vertical jump using a scissor kick only. Next, the two students will lay the ropes in front of them in a straight line and jump side to side across them 10 times. Repeat twice.

4. Critical Elements for two-foot Jumping Rope: 1) start with rope behind heels 2) big swing over the head 3) jump before the rope hits toes 4) jumps on the balls of the feet -shock absorbers-

5. If I was to organize a rope jumping club for my elementary school I would first like to ask the children if they would be interested in doing more fun things with the jump ropes. If the children seem to be excited about the idea I would contact the principal and ask permission to send a letter home to the parents asking about interest. Parental cooperation and support would be crucial. If the support and interest is there I would send a letter home to parents for them to sign their child up for the after school club.

http://sport.maths.org/content/sites/sport.maths.org/files/iStock_sports-balls.jpg

6. Stimulus variation is when lessons contain the same types of skills that are being learned but the implement used to teach them is changed. An example of this would be throwing and catching with different objects. The instructor could start the children with bean bags, scarves or balloons. They could then move to sport balls. The change in objects is the stimulus variation.