Monday, December 6, 2010
Physical Education and Technology
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Fighting in Class?!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Power OFF
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I choose to power down the day after Thanksgiving. Also know as Black Friday. I woke up at 4am not by my alarm but by my mom waking me up. If I would have used the alarm I would have violated the power down day right at the start. I was unable to make coffee and had to settle on coke as a morning pick-me-up. My mom drove use to several stores, in which we battled the crowds to shop. After a few hours, we came home and I went back to bed. Later that day, my family went to pick out a Christmas tree. We went out into the field and cut one down using only a hand-held saw. We spent the rest of the night decorating the Christmas tree together.
The next day, I checked my phone first thing. Had two missed calls, one from a friend and one from my mom. At first, I was confused why I had one from my mom because I was with her most of the day. Turns out she left me a voicemail at 5:46 am because she had lost me for a few seconds in a crowed store and was ready to check out. Half way through the voice mail she remembered I was powering down for a day. I also had eight missed text messages from an array of people. When I really looked at them, I realized actually only one of them was somewhat important. My best friend, who knows I usually have my phone right next to me, sent me three text and the last one seemed a little panicky because I wasn’t responding. On Facebook I had two new friend request and 9 new notifications.
This challenge made me realize that without technology I spend a lot more time with my family. Not just time, but quality time. Instead of texting a friend, I was talking with my family. I also realized that sometimes days like this are needed. It was nice and relaxing to get away from the world for a while. Looking back, some other days it may have been hard to do this and taken a lot of planning, especially if I was at school where I use technology so much. I picked a really good day to do a power down because I didn’t have to plan too much, but I also learned a lot. In the future, when I’m home, I am going to strive too not use technology too much and just spend much needed quality time with the family.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Physical education reaches new heights
Everyday teachers are looking for innovative ways to get kids excited about physical education and give them new, valuable skills. This middle school is doing just that! With the rope challenge course the students are getting a sense of confidence and adrenaline rush as well as learning balance and teamwork. I believe more schools need different activities like this rope course instead of just the regular game of dodge ball in the gym. So often, gym becomes a repetitive class. An activity like this would really change it up and give the kids something to look forward too. If only every school had the funds, space and motivated teachers to offer such inventive ways for kids to stay active and excited.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Omnikin!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Unicycle it up!
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More and more I keep hearing that kids of all ages are learning how to ride unicycles in gym class. From 4th graders to high school aged kids it seems to be a new trend occurring in physical education. Not only are schools offering unicycle units in gym but also full classes. Some schools are even lucky enough to have their own unicycle clubs. The school district I graduated from has a unicycle club that meets every Wednesday before school starts. Ever since, there has been a huge jump in the number of unicycles popping up around town. The kids parents have even starting to get involved with the program and ride their unicycles together to school. When normally, they may have just ridden in a car to school and dropped their child off. This new program that requires a little skill and lots of fun will keep kids and parents happy and fit in the long run.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Jing
Any teacher could utilize this to clear up directions or even introduce a home work assignment over the Internet. A teacher could also be showing this on a projector or smart board while walking around the class room helping any kids. Also, it saves the teacher from repeating directions over and over again. If you record it once, then every individual student could watch it as many times as need and on their own time. I could definitely see myself using this in my classroom.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Back in Action... Sorta
We've all been there. In a dark classroom, with a monotone professor and the lecture dumped into a power point that students in the back can barely see. What a great way to get a college education. That is, if you can keep your eyes open. Technology these days are off the charts, but the professors trying to use it to make their classes better aren’t quite making the grade. Universities are spending thousands to millions of dollars for smart classroom and smart technology. However, the professors are uneducated in this area and most fail to us it successfully. The most common program used is Power Point. This can make or break the class. If a professor posts a Power Point to a form of Angel or Blackboard, attendance can drop 20% or the students that actually attend will pay less attention especially if they know they can view it later. If universities would just take the time to train teachers how to properly use the smart technology our kids would be smarter. Training would eliminate that extra 15 minutes wasted at the beginning of class trying to plug USB cords in the right outlets or tracking down someone else to do it. Schools with great technology are nothing but money suckers if they don’t have teachers who correctly and effectively use what is offered. Students love technology, but if not used in a practical way will hate the class. Artin Bastani, a senior at Miami University says it best, "If you're going to attempt to use technology, either use it right or don't use it at all."
Thursday, April 29, 2010
On a Closing Note...
ps. This is not the end of my blog... just the end of the beginning. :)
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
Art everywhere!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Dodge ball?
However, my teacher has come up with a unique way to play dodge ball, but still have everyone safely participate and get a workout. The game starts off with three kids in the center circle of the basketball court. They each have a basket full of the softest balls the school owns. Around the outside of the gym are several large objects set up. Such as, mats, trashcans, and ball carts. The students then run around in a circle and try to hide behind the large objects, while the kids in the center try to throw balls at them. It gets everybody moving, yet still makes the kids feel safe because of the objects they can hide behind. Also, you are never ‘out’ like you can be in regular dodge ball. They run around until all the balls are thrown. Each time they successfully make it one time around, without getting hit by a ball, they get a point. If they get hit, they lose a point. And yes, it is possible to have negative points. This also is slightly less competitive than regular dodge ball because there are no teams. This new style of dodge ball is more of an exercise and includes everybody. So, dodge ball anyone?
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Core observing
During tumbling it was easy to listen in on student to student conversation. The girls were genuine in trying to help each other to become better at each skill. If one girl knew more or was more skilled, she would show the girls that were interested and then explain how she did the tumble. The teacher gave guide lines and from there it was mostly each girl working to better herself at a specific skill. The only problem I noticed was there was one girl that was very good at gymnastics. She did dominate at times and I could sense some intimidation from some of the girls that were less skilled. However, it was helpful to have this girl in the class because if my teacher couldn’t do a certain tumble, she would ask the girl in gymnastics to show the class.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Ut-Ohhh
Here's the Layout...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Ethnicity and Procedures
The dress code is very strict for a public school. The girls must wear long shorts and are not allowed to have low-cut or revealing midriff tops. The boys must have their pants pulled up and can’t wear cut offs. For gym class, everyone must have properly tied tennis shoes and their hair pulled or tied back away from their face. The policy also states, that the students must bring a set of workout clothes for gym class. If the students chose not to bring their gym clothes or they do not follow the policy, the student is given a demerit slip. The teacher I’m observing follows this procedure very strictly and does not go lightly on anyone who refuses to abide by the rules.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Creative Games
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Volleyball Stats
For example, if a boy named John Smith was serving, the teacher would find his name on the chart and give him the go ahead to serve the ball. Then, circle the number if the ball cleared the net or put an X through the number if the ball didn’t make it over or didn’t clear the net.
This method insures that every kid is evaluated fairly and accurately. This way, if a parent calls in asking why his or her child didn’t receive an acceptable grade, there is evidence to show the parents why their child was giving a particular grade. The stats chart also inhibits the teacher of giving suggestive grades.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Teacher to teacher interaction
Thursday, March 4, 2010
As promised...
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Sunday, February 28, 2010
A glimpse of what’s to come
The school I am observing at is located in a conservative northeast Ohio town. Walking into the school for the first time I became highly aware of my surroundings. Each hall was labeled and said precisely how many rooms were down the hallway. The architectural aspects of the building, such as the ceiling, floor tiles and lockers gave off a very modern vibe. Even the style of the unique green chairs gave off a sense of contemporary design. To me everything was shinny and sparkling. The lights are bright and the paint on the bricks is fresh. When I got to the gym, the first thing I noticed was the almost new floor. The next thing that stuck out was the bleachers. They are dark green and plastic, not the old wooden kinds like most gyms have.
The eighth grade students were piling into the gym in clumps of three or four kids at a time. They all went directly into their respected locker rooms and knew exactly what to do without question. They had clearly been previously taught a routine. The teacher greeted a select few and without stopping they responded. Within a few minutes they all made their way out of the locker room and sat against the gym wall. Boys on one end, girls on the other. The female teacher was with the girls and the male teacher with the boys. They each took row call and then class began.
A few key points I found intriguing:
Instead of being told to run around the gym so many laps, the teachers play popular, upbeat music while the kids run, skip, and dance while moving to the rhythm.
Also, on the second day I was informed that none of the kids in this school district are taught Sex Education. (More to come on the thoughts of no sex education)
This school also has one of the ingenious things I’ve ever seen. They have a volleyball net that is suspended from poles and ropes hanging from the ceiling. Meaning, no poles in the floor to set up the nets. To help visualize, the net is on the same type of contraption as a suspended basketball hoop.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
You gotta start somewhere...
First, I'd like to give you an idea of how I got here:
Growing up, I hated school. I hated everything about it. The bus was too loud in the morning, I had to sit still the whole day, I had to memorize spelling words and locations of states, math flash cards scared me, and the word 'test' made me pee my pants. The only part of school I actually enjoyed was gym. I saw gym class as a chance to move around, play, and be competitive. I was truly my goofy, outgoing self.
As I became older, I fell in love with sports. I've played soccer, basketball, softball, and track and field. I've played soccer since I could stand to kick a ball and have always loved to just run. I have had many P.E. teachers and coaches that have inspired me. My goal: To be just like them.
Ever since 6th grade, I kind of just knew I would pursue physical education. I want to make a difference in kids lives and make them healthier. I want to share my passion of competitiveness with others. I want kids to fall in love with a game. I want them to be so excited they run home to practice. To me, healthier kids means a better world for tomorrow.