Going Out With a Bang

          With our last lab upon us, and our last chance to impress the students at St. Mary’s with our games and activities, we wanted to leave a lasting memory in which everyone gets involved and actually wants to participate.  To do this, we had to bring out the secret weapon: the parachute.

          For some reason when students see the bright, colorful, large cloth, their eyes light up.  Watching the student’s heads perk up and watch as my classmates and I unraveled the parachute you could already tell this was going to be an awesome activity in which everyone was involved.

          It cannot be just fun and games, however.  When talking with Dr. Yang beforehand he made sure to stress to me the importance of incorporating as many motor skills as possible, so that was in the back of my head as we started.  The easiest way to get everyone moving was to just walk around in a circle.  From there we skipped, reversed both, and then it was time for the real fun.  For some reasons all kids act like they have never done this activity before, so as I started explaining how we were going to bring the parachute high, and then quickly snap our arms down and climb underneath forming a dome with us inside, they started freaking out.  When under the dome, I would call out colors and if the student was sitting on a stripe of that color they had to run and change spots. We also walked at different levels, both high and low.
          From there it was too cold to go outside so we went downstairs  to the cafeteria and played little games and other small activities.  I chose to work with a few girls playing mancala, before making my over to some other girls playing dress up with paper dolls.  The fine motor skills in mancala really impressed me, especially with how rapid fire it is from player to player, that they can continue talking and take their turn without even thinking.  Also, I loved watching how creative the girls got with the dressing up, and their responses to my antagonizing questions.  When I asked one girl why the doll had bright pink shoes to go with her black dress she responded, "Well it's her birthday and she got the shoes as a present," without even lifting her head up or having any signs of confusion.  

          When we finished up in the cafeteria I went upstairs to join the pre-K in their game.  In the first game, the group had the kids match up rubber chickens, six-sided die, and plastic numbers but color.  At each station they had to do an activity to how ever many the corresponding number was.  It amazed me how well some of the kids did.  The one girl literally had a flawless push up, bending at the elbows, back flat and everything.  Even those who struggled at first, especially with the sit-up, were very teachable when correcting their form.  After that a game of "Simon Says" was played, and since no one likes being called out for not following directions I teamed up with a little girl who seemed to be struggling grasping the concept of only doing things when Simon says to.  By the end she picked up on it and was all smiles, and it was great to know I played a hand in that.
         When it came time to do the group game, I made one of the biggest mistake an educator can make.  I let me competitive side take over and I put the children in harms way.  While playing "Sharks and Minnows" I attempted to dodge a tag made by my group member Luke and absolutely crushed a little girl who came up on my blind side to my left.  I fell right on top of her, very hard, and she immediately burst out crying.  I got her an ice pack and talked with her for a few minutes but I felt absolutely horrible.  While I will take it as a learning experience and move on, I really wish that was not my last memory at St. Mary's this semester.  She was fine by the time I left.
          As we brought it in for the team huddle and breakdown at the end of the lab, I started to think of all the memories I have collected.  I started to reflect on how far I have come as a physical educator in just four months.  Thinking back to when I arrived or my first lab and how nervous I was really blew me away.  I did not know how to talk to children as a teacher, I did not know what to do when things did not go as planned, and now all of that seems second nature to me.  Seeing as how this was my first real PE class here at Cortland, I could not have asked for a better experience.  The little cues I have picked up from my time at St. Mary’s have made me think, act, and plan as a teacher, something I was not aware of previous.  I am going to miss the kids, the environment, and really acting like a teacher.
          It has also made me aware of how important field experience can be, and I am going to do my best to find more opportunities both here in Cortland and at home to improve my skills as a future PE teacher.  Watching how far all of my classmates came was also something awesome to witness.  Each and every one of us improved tenfold in our ability to present our activities and keep the students engaged.  I credit most of that to Dr. Yang, and the advice he would give as opposed to the criticism when something would go wrong. I greatly enjoyed and appreciated my time at St. Mary's.

Check out my Lab 6 for some reflection questions on my time at St. Mary's!

Taming the Wild

                In my first go around with the preschoolers they ate me alive.  I was not prepared, out-manned, and did not know what I was getting myself into.  This time I had my boys with me, brought supplies, and was ready for battle.  The results?  Hit and miss, but much better overall.

                For the first and only time this year the PE 3 were able to take on the pre-K as a group.  The first lab I had at St Mary’s I was fully in charge of keeping them busy as Luke and Kyle had a swim meet.  It did not go well.  It was a great reality check for me however, since I was able to learn that children that age do not have a short attention span, it is non-existent.

                This time around it helped that the kids were able to burn some energy on the playground.  The last lab I worked with them they scattered like bees out of a hive when they got through the gym doors.  We met the kids out on the playground, where they already had their separate games set up.  Some were climbing up the jungle gym equipment and jumping off, some were playing hide and seek, and others were playing house.  I teamed up with a group of girls to play hide and seek, except with different rules then I am used to.  In this version I have to count to ten very slowly before I go and look for opponents, and if I tag anyone or not I am “it” again.  Also, after each game someone gets bored and leaves, which turns in to saying “do you want to play tag?”  This is fun for a round, and then someone gets bored so the question “do you want to play hide and seek?” is asked, and the circle goes on and on.     I was also able to play with a girl who seems to be intellectually disabled, which was my first hands on experience to work with a child in an adaptive PE teacher role.  I learned quickly not to doubt her.  As she began climbing up the jungle gym I asked her, “Oh are you sure you can do that?” and was answered with a face as if to say, “Yes I am, and who the heck are you to doubt me?”  When she got to the top and jumped off, she used her hands to catch herself, resulting in dirt and wood chips to dirty them up.  She looked at me, stuck out her hands, and when I stuck mine out she gave me a double-low-five until they were relatively clean, and thanked me with a beaming smile.  We continued this for several minutes, and unlike the other kids who seem to lose attention in activities very quickly, she looked like she could repeat the climb-jump-clean off process for hours.

                After some more tag games, Luke and Kyle got a large group together to play sharks and minnows so I joined.  Surprisingly almost every child participated and seemed to enjoy themselves.  There were some tears by a few who did not like the idea of being a shark, but those tears quickly turned to smiles when I told them they could simply return to the game as a minnow.  Several rounds of this were played before we went in for snack time.

                After snack time it was time to return to the gym.  The place where I was run over by a bunch of four and five year olds just a couple months before.  This time I was prepared.  In an attempt to incorporate more cognitive skills, I went to the dollar store the day before lab and got supplies.  I bought some magnetic alphabet letters, and some toys of animals.  The goal was to print out pictures of animals, have them find the corresponding animal and bring it over, and also have the kids find the letters that spell out the animal.  For example, a picture was hung up of a cartoon lion, and four large dashes beneath it.  The kids were to find the lion under the cones and bring it over to the picture, and find the L, I, O, and N and the ground and stick it to the poster.  Well, I did not think this through clearly enough, as a few problems arose.  For one, the letters were far too small, and were choking hazards.  Secondly, I did not specify how many letters each student could pick up so they would walk over to us with 10-12 letters in their hands looking confused.  Also, I did not incorporate enough movement and exercise in the activity.  And most importantly, I did not realize that all kids this age could not spell the words.

                If I had to do it over I would spread out the letters enough so that they are not jumbled.  I would make the kids do some sort of movement, be it a hop, jump, skip, back to the posters after they pick up one, and only one object.  On the posters, instead of blank dashes I would outline what letters should be placed on top of them.  All in all though, I was impressed with how the students handled the activity. 

                Well, it wasn’t sweet redemption like I anticipated, but it was a vast improvement.  I had the kid s under control for pretty much the whole time, and that is a very large upgrade from the first time I worked with them.  As much of a pain as it may be sometimes, the pre-K is a blast to work with and I’m going to miss them.

Safe to say, I kept it funky today.

Check out my Lab 5 for details, and more photos below!

A New Generation of Fitness

    Spending a day at the Exergame fitness lab was such an eye opening experience.  I've seen and played games like DDR and Wii before, but these games brought fitness to a new level.  There were fitness appropriate activities ranging from the toddler age, to the adult age, and everything in between.

        I started out dancing on the iDance mats with everyone, but my competition was minimal so I moved on after a few rounds of domination.  I then tried out by far the most tiring thing I did all lab.  I saw people playing an NBA basketball game on an Xbox so I figured I would go check it out.  When I got over there the person playing immediately handed me the controller so I figured "sure, why not."  What I did not realize, however, was that the controller I received was powered by a stair master application, so in order to play you must constantly be moving your feet.  I did not think it would be that bad until I tried, and halfway through the 8 minute quarter I was literally dripping in sweat.  It was exhausting, and by far the least fun, yet most rewarding video game I've ever played.  I continued on to a more vintage, realistic version of Wii tennis, but we could not get the controllers to work (which I was fine by, I needed a few minute break after that basketball game).  

        After domination yet again, this time in Wii, it was time to head over to the next room and see what games they had for the younger crowd.  In this room, there were more early childhood level equipment, still technology based however.  We started talking about the benefits of such technology based games in PE, and the discussion went real well.  The obvious reasons such games work is that they are different, and can easily attract someone's attention.  A game for a pre-K student in which they hear the toy say a number and they have to run and find the cone with the corresponding number on it and scan it like a bar code, is a lot more exciting than just saying, "go find the cone with the number 3 on it!"  There is no dodging that technology is taking over our society, so as opposed to fighting it, we as physical educators should be embracing this change because of all the good that can come from it.  Getting kids to become engaged in PE is more of a challenge now than it arguably ever has been.  Incorporating video games with fitness and lessons is a great way to keep them engaged, while working at improving their overall well being in something they enjoy.

        We then were assigned the task of coming up with different types of games using the equipment that could be used at the pre-K level.  The cut outs of the animals with the letter the animal started with immediately caught my eye.  While it may not be technology based equipment, it certainly was creative and it got me thinking.  Since there was not enough to make a full set, I wanted to build off that, and get the kids minds thinking.  I went to the dollar store today and bought toy farm and wild animals.  I also bought five packs of alphabet letters.  I am going to scatter the letters on the ground, and cover the animals under cones.  I will have pictures printed out of the animals covered (a pig, a cow, a lion, etc) in which they have to work together to match the animal with the picture as well as spell it out (which is why they will be simple, animal words) using the letters.  We could expand on this idea and have them write out their name, and whatever else we want.  I feel this game is a great way to incorporate animal recognition, spelling, and physical fitness since they will be running around doing this.

Hopefully the kids think this is as funky as I do, check back soon to see my Lab 5 report and to see how things went.

The PE3's Hit Single: "Don't Have Babies"

It's here...it is finally here...what you have ALL been waiting for...the debut of the PE3 and their hit single "Don't Have Babies."  The song is depicted from our lab book and chapter 5: Prenatal Factors Affecting Development.  Luke, Kyle, and I, get down with our bad selves discussing what parents should and should not do when pregnant and after they give birth, to maintain the highest level of well being for their child. 


Lyrics are listed below the video, enjoy!

Yo Fellas

Kick it one time boy

Yo PED, let’s kick it!

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Alright stop

Put down your drink and listen

What you doing what that cup? just listen!

Something, you have to think of nightly

While you’re with your brand new wifey

Will it ever stop?

Yo, I don’t know

When you turn off the light, say no

Do you really need all that scandal?

Child support is a lot to handle

DANCE

But don’t make the wrong moves

Sex fillin’ your brain

Like a planet of fools

It’s Deadly,

To you and your babies

Spreading stds should be a damn felony

If you don’t love it

then leave it

Don’t give it away

You better be safe,

Or a kids on the way

If there’s a problem,

Sex won’t solve it

Wait till your mature,

you’re babies applaud it

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies 

Now that the baby is kicking,

Time to stop partying, and to stop drinking,

No FAS, you wouldn’t be joking

No tobacco either, can’t be smoking

Burning cigs? kids won’t be quick or nimble

All these problems? definitely preventable

But could be gene based, like sickle cell disease

or how about club foot? that’s called talipes

get tested!

Keep track of the pregnancy

All nine months, give or take two weeks

Stage 1, 2, 3, then you’re at delivery

After that, you know what's left?

Both parents stay involved, that’s what’s best!

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

Don’t have babies

The Grouch Still Gets it Done

     I remember sitting in front of my TV when I'd get home from Pre-K and Kindergarten and being captivated by the likes of Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, and the rest of the gang on Sesame Street.  I would have never thought that it would have the same effect on kids of today's generations which are all about computer animation and high tech graphics.  I was wrong.  However, it did not look like I would be at first.
     This week the PE 3; Luke, Kyle, and I, were assigned the task of coming up with games and activities to play with the Kindergartners and first graders that would test their overhand throw and catching abilities  While we were instructing, the rest of the students from our 201 class would grade one or two students on their form in each of these categories.  Thinking about how important it is to catch the interest of the students in order to get their full participation, I needed something clever, so I went out on a limb and picked a game that had to do with Sesame Street, not sure if kids today even still watched it.
     When the kids we were working with came in the gym and settled down after their normal ,"Aw man! Not the college kids!" routine, I sat down with them and asked what they thought about Sesame Street.  A few heads turned, but most of them shrugged their shoulders with no interest and a few even piped up and told me, "That's for babies!"  These are Kindergartners remind you.  Well that had me quite nervous in the fact that my whole first game was predicated around Oscar the Grouch, and "feeding him" by overhand throwing the yarn balls and gator balls into the "garbage can" of panel mats I had set up.  I went to Lowes, K-Mart, and Wal-Mart all in hopes of snagging a large refrigerator box that I could paint to look like a garbage can, but in the end I had to settle on the mats which still worked out well.  
    When it was time to start I did an instant activity, temple tag, just to get the students moving around, their hearts beating, and their minds in the state to be active and participate.  After about five or so minutes of that, it was time to see if Oscar the Grouch could still capture minds like he did when I was young.  I started explaining the game and pulled out a picture of Oscar the Grouch, asking the students if they knew who he was.  It was a resounding, "OSCAR!!!" with much excitement, causing me exhale a big sigh of relief.  After I explained the rest of the game, and told them to "put on their gloves," they were already racing to the center of the gym where the gator-skin and yarn balls were. 
     Unlike the last lab in which there were very few participants, and those that were participating were quite rebellious, everyone seemed to want to play this game which felt great is the instructor.  I had to keep pushing the students back behind the 5 yard perimeter I set up with cones to ensure they were throwing correctly and not placing the ball into the garbage can, but other than that it went smoothly.  
     After about six or seven minutes of that, I modified the game to have Kyle and Luke waive their Oscar heads back and forth like a pendulum and for the kids to try and hit Oscar.  Originally I was going to place a panel mat across the top of the other mats and have bowling pins to knock off to "free" Oscar, but I was not sure the panel mats were sturdy enough to endure a beating like that and I figured a target practice was a better test of throwing anyway.
     While viewing how the game was being run, I got plenty of tips on how to be an effective teacher.  With help from Dr. Yang, I circled the perimeters of the game, always with my back to the wall (or sideline) and always with all the students in front of me.  I also would randomly praise a student if he or she was showing correct form, or I would try and help a student if they seemed to be off task or struggling.  It was great to add even more knowledge to how to be an effective teacher.


     After that it was Kyle, and then Luke's turn, and both of them did very good as well.  We then went outside on the playground and go to just run around and play with the kids in a non-organized setting which was super fun to do.  I played star wars with one of the kids pretty much the whole time, as he would not let me do otherwise.  It was great to make such a strong connection in a teacher role, but also as more of a mentor since I am not yet seen as a grown up in their eyes.  At the end of the day we were given the task of collaborating a whole program game, and an end of the day song to dance to.  We were not aware of this beforehand but adapted quickly and with Dr. Yang's help was able to configure a "bulldozers and builders" game, as well as danced to "the wheels on the bus."  It was great to succeed as a group after being put in an adverse situation 
     
     I would say the lab was as close to perfect as you could get.  And it's safe to say that Oscar's still got it.  Check out my Lab 4 report, and stay funky everyone.

The PE 3 Unite at Last

Today was a really odd day.  Going in, I was anxious and excited.  My group mates, Luke and Kyle, were back and we were going to teach in a group for the first time as "The PE 3."  We had an extra week to get our games ready, and I was more than ready to just hop right back into the swing of things and give my best effort for things to run smoother than my first go around. Unfortunately, things did not go expected (as should have been expected) and life though us another curve ball right off the bat.  For some reason most after school activities were canceled, and the number of students who attended the after school games program drastically declined from our first lab.  Its tough to decide which is more difficult; trying to corral a large group of kids and retain their attention long enough to listen to brief directions and participate in the game, or try and convince a small group that the game will be interesting enough to play so that there is not ZERO people joining your activity.  It was quite the challenge, but a challenge the PE 3 took head on.

Image via Wikipedia

First we went down to the cafeteria.  I went and watched the usual barn burner of a connect-four game which always seems to last long and draw a crowd, but it got a little too heated for my liking.  After I attempted to calm the kids down before a teacher eventually took over, I then made my way over to the legos.  Again it amazed me at how creative and meticulous some of the kids are in their constructions. One student sat across from another and tried to create his face, and surprisingly the proportions and color choices of the blocks made it look somewhat recognizable. The girls on their other hand had their own agenda, and each was building a part to their dream house they were all going to live in.  One girl was creating a car, another the house, and the third a garage.  Even in the 3rd and 4th grades these children's ideas and imaginations were running wild and it was a pleasure to witness.  

I then challenged one of the boys to a game of checkers.  As an extremely competitive person it was tough for me to let him win, but with all the rules he came up with along the way I have a feeling I would not have lasted until the end anyway.  I then attempted to teach the boy how to be a gracious winner and the importance of this, but it did not seem to get through to him,

Image via Wikipedia

Up next it was time for the gym, and my game of Hawaiian Handball.  Since only three girls and three boys chose to participate at the start, I chose to skip my story of how each team was a tribe defending their island.  It was important to keep them interested.  When initially recruiting kids the name "Hawaiian Handball" would perk their interest simply due the fact that they knew enough to be aware it could be fun, but there was still room for intrigue.  We went right into game play after a brief instruction period with my group mates and our TA Matt generously played to add to the numbers.  The game went smoothly expect a few of the rules, like traveling, were not paid attention to by the students no matter what I tried.  There were no safety concerns while playing which was a big plus.  However, the game did not last very long, and the adaptation of playing with their feet similar to soccer had them boycotting to leave so we moved on.

Luke and Kyle's games seemed to go very well, and all in all it was a good day.  The low number of students made it better and worse in their own ways, but working with students always seems to have its up and downs.  We stayed positive and did not get discouraged a very good sign.  All in all, the PE 3 had a solid debut, more than I can say about Miami's big three in their debut.

Even though it was rocky to start, it was another great experience at St Mary's School.  Stay funky and take care everyone

Check out my Lab 3 for more!

Are Line Sports Worthy of the Hall??

When looking at the games in the "Hall of Shame" it is clear to see the differences between these games and the games we play at St. Mary's. Our games involve more than a simple winner or loser (in fact our games often have neither), more than just raw physical skills, have much more movement and interaction, and do not look to single any of the kids out or put them on the spot. The games in the "Hall of Shame" are the reason that PE teachers get a bad rap, and are seen as a joke. They involve concepts and objectives that anyone could instruct a group on, and have little to no benefit once the students are out of class.

The games we choose to play at St. Mary's all involve motor skills we look to improve on each lab, or if it was a regular class environment each class period. If they do involve a loser it is a team, not one or two students getting put on display for their inability or inefficiency. A lot of times our games will involve cognitive development, using thinking and other subject areas to be successful. Our games also provide affective growth in the interaction with fellow students, as well as the positive reinforcement gained by the attainable goal of the game.

Line soccer is another game I was surprised to see in the "Hall of Shame." While I have never played line soccer in a class (or at least do not remember), I often played what I guess would be referred to as "line basketball," which was the same concept just a different sport. Looking back there certainly are flaws. Many students sit out, many do not touch the ball, many do not break a sweat, and many get bored fast.

However the game is not totally useless. This drill was a very beneficial and commonly used drill for my varsity basketball team to work on defense, offense, and most importantly, intensity. This drill always got the team fired up, while also allowing my coach to critique certain skills that he may have noticed are lacking in regular game play. When I become a basketball coach I plan on using this drill no matter what grade level.

While it may be a great drill for a practice, the fact remains it needs adjustment before it can be implemented in to a PE curriculum. The game must be adapted so that NYS Learning Standards are met, as well as NASPE Standards for high quality PE.

An easy way to do this is to approach this game as a warm up game for a tactical lesson on basketball. To do this it is important to occupy more than one hoop. In my gym in middle school, for instance, we had 6 basketball hoops. Instead of playing at one hoop, with the whole class watching the 3 or 4 students participating, the class should be broken up in to equal sized, smaller groups. This gives more playing time for each student as well as puts their nervousness at ease a little with fewer eyes watching them. When numbers are called out, instead of simply running to the ball, different motor skills could be worked to achieving possession. Crab walk, hopping, horizontal leaping, or galloping, are all ways to do this and appropriate depending what age level you are teaching. You could also work on specific skills within each mini game. This drill could be used to emphasize whatever you want to be the key piece of information you want your students to obtain for the class, and could change daily. Instead of playing the traditional “first team to score wins,” you could say that five passes must be made before you could even shoot, which works on ball movement, v-cuts to and from the ball, as well as backdoor cuts. If you want the non-hand to be emphasized you could start the class with this drill and say you must shoot and dribble with your offhand, and can only shoot a lay-up. Also working 3 on 2 or 4 on 3 is another adaptation that will work on actual skills as opposed to just the normal 1 on 1 or 2 on 2. For those 1 or two students in each group that do happen to be sitting out, they might be able to shuffle from place to place and be an extra option out of bounds for the offense, and they may only be able to pass a certain way if that is the class emphasis. Having clear boundaries will keep everyone out of each other’s way and maintain a safe environment.



To me, there should definitely be a list of games outlawed that make PE look bad and that do not incorporate the knowledge and skills we learned in school.  However these games are classic and kids are familiar with them.  The more familiar, the more willing they will be to participate which is the main thing you look for in a class.  Modifications can make it a more appropriate lesson, while still incorporating the traditional game concepts. 



If you disagree please do not hesitate to comment and leave your opinion.  Until then, stay funky everyone. 

Lab 2: Reality Check

Going into Lab 2 I was both excited and nervous.  I was excited in that it was my first chance to work hand in hand with the kids as their instructor, but nervous in that I was doing it by myself.  While I did have my TA Matt with me, who helped me tremendously, I was without my fellow group members who had their conference swim meet.  So, it was up to me to step up.


Before anything, my first task, along with all others not assigned to directing the group, was to observe and asses during the opening activity of the first graders.  Two students, a boy and girl, were chosen by Dr. Yang to be assessed.  The games that were played were tag games, but involved all three skills we were to look at: run, gallop, and hop.  In assessing it was clear that while not perfect, the students lived an active lifestyle in that they did the three skills fairly well.  The boys seemed to be very coordinated and had just a couple flaws in his technique.  The girl was not far behind, with just a few things that if given time to concentrate on could definitely be changed for the better.  The group running the activity did a great job choosing games to show these skills effectively.  


From there it was time to work the the Pre-K group in their play rooms.  This was easy enough.  I got to enjoy playing legos with a little girl who was building a telescope, a little boy who seemed fascinated moving the blocks on the wires of the toy that is often found in doctor's offices waiting areas, and much much more.  It is really interesting to see how captivated kids can be when they use their imagination with simple toys.  When I sat down to play toy cars with a little boy he explained to me that the big tractor was on its way to the farm to collect the hay to feed the cows so that they can provide milk for the family.  I was shocked that a child that age could connect all those dots to a simple toy tractor. 


In the other play room, where the toy kitchens are set up, children are always playing "house."  When I asked to play one of the girls was adamant that I was too big, but another said I could be the "soccer coach" so I sat and showed them how to kick properly using a toy tomato.  When it was time for me to read to the class I asked one of the girls to pick out a book.  She picked out a "Bob the Builder" book but when I asked the class if they were ready to sit on the rug and listen to me read no one was interested.  I did not know what to do since I figured they would just come over, so I simply went back to playing with them. 


Since I was not aware I had to bring my own supplies for my craft, I was 0-2 going into the gym, my last shot.  As I set up my game Dr Yang had me explain it to him and when I finished he asked, "Ok that will last about 1 minute, what else do you have?"  I was floored at this pessimism, but went to the supply closet to think of a game regardless.  Well, he was right.  After my warm up of follow the leader lasted about 2 minutes, my featured game which involved the capturing of opposing bean bags didn't get passed the instructions.  It also did not help that a group of girls decided to rebel and while I attempted to give instructions they chanted, "We're not playing! We're not playing!" over and over again in unison.  This certianly through me for a loop.  I then made the mistake of bringing out the bean bags first and when the students got sight of that it was over.  Any hope of getting their attention was lost, they were 100% focused on obtaining a bean bag.


While the second game went a little more smoothly, I quickly ran out of ideas.  I then was told by Dr. Yang to ask them what they want to do, and when they said tag I was so relieved.  I finished up with tag and I was done.


During reflection I felt real down.  I was shocked at how different everything was druing the real thing.  The kids are much more wound, have a smaller attention span, and are less cooperative than anything I could have imagined.  However after given praise from Dr Yang and my peers fro sticking it out and not giving up I reached a somewhat of an epiphany.  This is what its all about.  If it was easy, everyone would be great PE teachers.  That is not the case.  Now I know I have to work harder, be better prepared, and must stick to it no matter how difficult it gets.  At first I looked at the day as discouraging, now I see it as enlighting and eye opening.  It was a real reality check.


Check out my Lab 2 for more info on how the day went.


Stay funky everyone.

Putting the Funk Back into Phys Ed

Luke, Kyle, and I bringing some funk to physical education.

Preparing for Funk: Stereo Assembly (Pictures and Video)

As I reported in my blog of Lab 1, physical education often goes outside the boundaries of traditional education and observing activity and lessons.  Preparation is key, as is implementing creativity such as music.  At St Mary's School we do both of these often, as the music often energizes the students as well as those in charge of the activity.


Matt Henrie and I compiled a step by step process of how to correctly assemble the music equipment, as well as a video at the bottom of the page...if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

1) The first step would be to turn down all volume on the stereo itself.  This avoids the loud "crackling" sound that occurs when volume is amplified when the power is turned on.  It is important to not only turn down the master volume (the far left knob), but all the channel knobs as well. 


2) The next step would be to attach the stereo system to the speaker.  Two cords will do this; one which looks like a plug that you attach to a computer monitor, a cord that looks like a 3 prong plug but with holes instead of plugs.  This obviously plugs into the 3 prong outlet in the back of the speaker.  The second cord is a skinnier cord that looks like a microphone attachment, a smaller 3 prong outlet that again corresponds to a plug on the back of the speaker.

3) The next step would be to power the stereo on using two power switches.  The first is a black button located to the top left of the stereo while the second power button is located in the middle right and is big and red.






4) Adapting the music cords is the next step.  This starts by taking the long white adapter cord which has white and red prongs that adapts the black 2 pronged adapter.  Make sure it is the red and white (not yellow) cords and make sure they are being plugged into the corresponding holes in the black adapter

5) After this, take the other side of that two pronged black adapter.  It will have one small prong at the end.  Take the large head adapter and plug it in this. All we are doing here is giving the adapted cords a larger head that will fit in the channel one slot on the back of the stereo.




6) As I just said, the next step is to plug this combination of cords into the stereo itself.  The back of the stereo is filled with different slots and cords.  On the very top of the back, above the several 3 prong outlets, are the slots with corresponding channel labels.  Take the large head and fit in in the "Channel 1" slot.






7) After this take the other side of the original white cord which has the iPod adapter on it.  Take the adapter and plug it into your iPod.  Pick a song on your iPod and start playing it.


8) The last step is to return to the front of the stereo and trun up your volumes.  Start by turinign your master volume (farthest left knob) to about halfway.  Since we plugged in our ipod to the channel 1 slot, we will then turn the "level 1"  knob which will raise the volume for you to hear it.  It is important to find a solid balance between the two where the music is not scratchy, too low, or too loud.


Well, there you have it.  To disassemble, just work backwards.  It is fairly easy once you get the hang of it.  Again, if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.  Also, here is a video of the same procedure:

VIRTUS Training and Child Abuse Scandals

I was very impressed, surprised, and informed, from the VIRTUS training, but would like to start with the fact that I could not have been more impressed with Sister Harriet.  For a woman that age to be that with it and still command the attention from a room of college students shows what a great principle she must have been during her time at St. Mary's.  I loved how she incorporated her own stories to the already chilling ones portrayed on the video.  The fact that she had stories to back up everything was very telling on how real and important the issue of abuse is in the school system.


As far as the training itself, it really opened my eyes to several topics, some I knew basic information and some that was completely new to me.  As far as spotting child molesters it was great to see what signs I should be looking for and what predators tendencies do.  It was also great that Sister Harriet gave us advice on what to do in these situation when we have suspicion of abuse.  Instead of calling police it would be more beneficial to you to just call the child abuse hot line where you can keep your identity anonymous in case you are wrong.


Another great thing I learned from the training are things to avoid while teaching that could get me in trouble when it is undeserved.  Never going somewhere alone with a child is something obvious that never crossed my mind when thinking of teaching PE.  Not picking up students or tapping them on the head are two more pieces of strong advice that we were given and this is simply to avoid injury that may result in a lawsuit that is ever so popular in today's world.


Besides getting certified in order to work with the children of St Mary's, it is important to discuss the topic of child abuse.  With scandals coming out in large universities such as Penn State University and Syracuse University, it is a growing problem since those abused often do not tell anyone until later in life.  As PE teachers and educators in general we have a duty to protect all children from an earth shattering and life altering situation that could be easily avoided with a keen eye.  It is safe to say that the world is not perfect, and there are people out there that will attempt to hurt kids.  If we can stop them before it happens it may save many more lives than we realize.  On behalf of the class I want to thank Sister Harriet for her time and a great presentation.  

Lab 1: A "Special" Reflection

My first lab caught me a bit off guard.  For one, none of my fellow group members could make it, so it was just me and our lab assistant Matt.  I was then expecting to work in some way with the kids right away, however, this was not the case.  Matt and I were assigned to the "Special Projects" group of the lab in which we were assigned the task of creating a video, as well as a step by step word document with pictures, on how to properly hook up and disassemble the music equipment.  Usually the special projects group also performs the closing song with all the kids, but it being the first day we were told that that was already being done by someone else.  Instead, took pictures of my fellow classmates working and interacting with the students for the rest of the class.  At first I was kid of bummed I would not be gaining any teacher experience first hand, but I quickly came to the realization that this can be just as important.  

A malfunction in the classroom can go a long way in disrupting and losing your class.  While the class sits and waits for you to figure out what is wrong with the music that is essential to your lesson plan, they become anxious, less obedient, and often quite rambunctious.  This has happened many a time while I have been a student and its not as thought the children are being restless and loud to be deviant, they simply are bursting with energy and want a chance to run around for what is likely the only time throughout the day. So doing things such as having step by step directions or an instructional video ready and available to fellow classmates, or colleagues in the future is a great way to assure things run quickly and smoothly so the fun can begin for your class. 

While taking pictures of my classmates working with the students it gave me a good idea of what works and does not work when trying to instruct students.  Seeing others succeed, or fail at first and adapt to the students was very beneficial and offered me a lot of information on how to be successful when it is my turn to teach.  It was clear to see that the younger the students are, the shorter their attention span is so short, concise instructions are key when explaining games.  It was also clear that pre-K students can not handle a full version of the cotton-eyed-Joe dance, but a simpler version would be very fun for them.

All in all it was a great first experience to lab.

Lab 1

Affective Growth

Through the concept of, "learning through the physical," children can develop cognitively and experience affective growth through effective physical education.  Affective growth is learning that increases the ability of children to act, interact, and react effectively with other people as well as with themselves.  Many things can impact a child's affective growth both in and out of school.  Parents, culture, and the school itself are major contributors in whether a child develops well or not.  Affective growth also has a lot to do with self-esteem, and the ability in the child to say "I can" vs "I can't."  If the physical education setting is set up so the child can progress in skills and develop confidence in the activity, they are likely to carry this confidence and use it as motivation in other aspects of their life.  Self-esteem is a huge part of children's lives and development with positive social interaction with other students raise their self esteem, again allowing confidence to pour over in different aspects of the child's life.  Affective growth through physical education and physical activity allows the student to have a positive self concept about themselves, where as some might not get it anywhere else.  Being on a team or doing something productive allows the student to feel worthiness and gives them a sense of belonging.  Positive socialization is also an important part in affective growth in that participation in physical education and/or sports implement a sense of pride and responsibility in oneself and the team.  Sports and physical education also provide the valuable lesson of character education in respecting rules, teammates, officials and themselves.

Learning through the Physical

When the term "learning through the physical," is used, or, "learning through movement," the basis behind the two are the same.  They both indicate that physical education does not just positively effect you muscles and rest of your body.  While physical education and physical activity obviously are advantageous to keeping fit and staying healthy, the purpose of physical education is based on the fact if it is used effectively, it can influence both the cognitive and social-emotional development in children.  This is something that many use to argue for daily physical education in schools, and one that is very hard to argue with.  With giving kids a chance to run around for even just a half hour or so a day, it stimulates aspects of the brain that will help them in a more rigid class setting such as math or social studies, when their mind might otherwise wander.  Phys-ed also gives them a chance to interact with others, both classmates and teachers, building friendships and teaching them how respect in relationships work with other people at a young age, continuing this throughout their schooling.  Learning these values at a young age and growing as a person and intellectually without even realizing it is one of the best things about the concept, "learning through the physical."

First Class

Our first class was pretty basic.  Dr. Yang walked us though our syllabus and gave us the breakdown on what we should expect moving forward.  With a very much technology based class it is important to go into it with an open mind, not with a "I am horrible" at technology attitude.  In regards to helping out at St. Mary's Dr Yang let us know what he expects of us as well as rules to follow for the first few days an in general.  After this he explained what we will be doing next week. 

So far I think blogging is pretty exciting.  I like being able to publish my thoughts in a setting suitable for others to view at their leisure and inquiry.  As a future educator I could not be more exited.  To change the life of a child or young adult for the better simply by interacting and being a role model is a dream.  Many PE teachers I have had have done just that, so it would be great to pay it forward.  It is also exciting to think that it is professionals like me that can help combat the obesity epidemic across our country.  Many people diminish the PE profession but those educated in what PE is really all about know the truth: we are the future, and we are very important.

How I Became Better Over Break

Up until now I have never blogged before.  I am a huge sports fan so I have read many, from famous columnists and what not, but have never had the reason to write one myself.  I'm excited to do so, however, because blogs are a great informal way to convey information to friends, family, and peers. 

Over break I did a few things to better myself as a PE teacher.  One was working with kids in the middle school in the basketball setting.  I am getting more and more comfortable in this age group as I coach the same ages in baseball in the summer.  While I did not coach this break, I had a chance to observe the coaching of a friend of the same kids I had my hands full within baseball. I picked up on many tips to be more effective and I am excited for the baseball season to come.