Physical Education and Technology

Many teachers today are going the next 'step' and integrating technology in to their physical education classes. This is a quick slide show that gives great examples of how to incorporate technology into your gym class. It talks about everything from ipods to pedometers. Educators are always looking for new activities that entertain students. This day in age, we need to do all that we can to teach kids about obesity and how to prevent it. With the use of new technology, this challenge will be a lot easier to complete. With ipods and Mp3 players becoming more and more accessible, students can now jam out to their favorite tunes and get on track to a healthy lifestyle. All this new technology, if used right, can only help our students become more active.

Fighting in Class?!

I found this awesome video of unarmed combat being taught in gym class. An activity like this would be great for high school level students. Safety is always first, so I would definitely talk with my students first about proper technique and the only appropriate time to use this skill is in this class. I think this would really teach the boys (and girls) the definition of meek. Meek means power and strength, under control. This type of controlled combat would also relive a lot of aggression and perhaps help some students get through the day. Basketball and soccer are great sports to play, but it's nice to change it up over once in a while for kids to get a chance to experience the most they possibly can.

Power OFF

I recently took my technology teacher up on an interesting challenge. The challenge was to power down for an entire day. This meaning, no computer, cell phone, video games, ipod, radio or TV. I wasn’t able to check Facebook or Twitter. I couldn’t Google anything and I couldn’t respond to any text messages or phone calls. To go the extra step, I even omitted all electronics. The only thing I made an exception to was bathroom facilities, lights and cars. (for obvious reasons)
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.

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.

Omnikin!

Want a fun easy game everyone can play in gym class? Well, Omnikin is your answer! There are so many different games you can make from this one ball. A few example are shown in the video. I have also seen a game played with two omnikin balls and a volleyball net. Two teams, one on each side. They hit the ball over to the other side at the same time and try to get the ball to land on the others teams' side. The catch is that sometimes there are two balls on your side and your team has to divide. With communication and teamwork your team can be successful.

Unicycle it up!

More and more I keep hearing that kids of all ages are learning how to ride unicycles in gym class. From 4^th 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.

Jing

Jing is a web 2.0 tool that would be great for any classroom teacher. This cross-platform screen casting program can be used for creating tutorials, screenshots, and much more. You can easily share anything you do in Jing on the web, email, IM, Twitter or even your blog. You can take a picture or make a short video of what you see on your screen. Its extremely simple and can eliminate phone and email time. The best part is that you can download it for free.
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.

Back in Action... Sorta

When Good Technology Means Bad Teaching
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."

On a Closing Note...

Welp, the semester is over and so is my observation time. Overall, the experience was wonderful! I can honestly say that I STILL want to be a physical education teacher! I enjoyed everything from meeting the students to learning the ins and outs from my teacher and from playing active games with the kids to having the experience of a lifetime. And even the not so enjoyable stuff like grades, hall duty and waking up early. At first, getting into a routine was a little difficult, but after a few times I stated to settle in and feel comfortable. By the end of my observation, I felt very confident and sure of what to do. I loved when the kids finally felt comfortable with me to come up and ask me questions about rules or how to do a tumbling move correctly. I really loved just being there and observing everything I possibly could. As my education teacher would say, you will learn wayyy more out there than you ever will in here. Needless to say, she was definitely right! This experience just further confirmed the fact that I want to pursue physical education as a career.
ps. This is not the end of my blog... just the end of the beginning. :)

Check it out!

A few times in conversations my teacher mentioned her home page or website that she had for the students. So I deiced to hunt around for it and see what it was all about. After some searching on the Web, I found her site. Here, she had some quotes and her schedule. What I found most impressive was that she had the rules and expectations for the class, but also a general guidelines of the tasks she expected the students to participate in and complete. I feel like this is a great idea. It helps everyone out. She can have the students look at it to learn the rules or she can tell parents to view it to have a better understanding of what is being taught in physical education. Also, it gives the vibe that she is caring and wants to let the students know what is expected. She is not one to ‘hide’ how she grades. Even though her site is very simple, it severs a great purpose- to inform. This is certainly something I could see myself having for students when I have my own class. Heres the link.

Get Involved

A small town with a small school means everybody knows everybody. And caring is in large abundance. It’s not uncommon for me to hear the teachers ask the students how their parents are, or how they did in an afterschool activity. My teacher is very involved in the community. To the extent that she pretty much knows every students home life and personality. This care that she gives out to the students really shines through. Anyone can tell that when my teacher asks the kids about something they are involved in other than school, they lighten up a bit and are excited to talk about whatever she is asking them. She has made clear to me that the best way to truly understand your students is to be active in the community in which they live in. Caring is how my teacher makes personal connections to the students.

Art everywhere!

You know the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover”? From the outside, my school looks uptight and strict. Well, upon entering my school, I was relieved. I saw art everywhere! But not just any art. Healthily art. Signs students made to promote a safe school, such as anti-bullying and respect posters were taped throughout the school’s hallways. You can’t take two steps without seeing one. Along with these signs, they also have the school motto placed everywhere. Not only is it posted, but the students know it. Impressive? I sure think so. Another thing that was very shocking to me was the 3-D art in the hallway. The eight graders made 3-D characters from recyclable cardboard and other products. They made things such as Snorlax, the Pokémon, Kevin, the bird from UP, Wall-e, Scooby-do, and the PINK dog from Victoria’s Secret. These large, incredibly real look looking characters added a sense of liveliness and creativity to the school. Throughout the time I was observing, I realized the students had a lot of admiration for the art in their school. They never ruined or vandalized the art and wholeheartedly appreciated it.

Dodge ball?

In many school districts, dodge ball is the most controversial game played in physical education. Why? Because it consist of the most athletic boys whipping balls that are supposedly soft, back and forth at each other like their life depends on it. Girls and the less athletic boys get trapped between the crossfire and can get seriously hurt. The athletic kids have been known to sacrifice their bodies on the hard gym floor to win a game or just bragging rights. The kids that are afraid of the game may lose participation points and get no exercise for the day. If this still isn’t enough of a reason for you, remember these are middle school kids. The prime age for bullying. One team may chose to gang up on one specific individual on another team, which frequently ends badly.
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?

Core observing

Sometimes as an observer I feel as if I’m a fly on the wall. In my gym class, which is segregated by girls and boys, I have noticed that the boys are much more active than the girls. They are focused during the games and participate often. The girls on the other hand, usually have to be asked more than once to get involved. This is not true everyday or even to every student, but is definitely a trend. Right now the boys are playing team hand ball and the girls are tumbling. Having the boys and girls do separate activities helps each sex to feel more comfortable with what they are doing. Although the boys are more involved in the games, the girls have a longer attention span when it comes to listening to direction and explanation. The best way I’ve seen my teacher get their attention is blow a whistle. After she has their attention she make them sit down where they are and put any type of equipment down on the ground. No middle schooler can listen and hold a ball at the same time!
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.

Ut-Ohhh

Disrupting class, cheating, horseplay, tardy, no gym clothes, violation of dress code, and profanity are just a few things that will earn you a demerit slip. At the school I’m observing at, this is the universal discipline system used throughout the school. If a student misbehaves or does not follow direction, the teacher issues a demerit slip. The slips are printed on carbon paper, which means there is a different color slip for the office, student, and teacher. Through this process, everyone is one the same page and helps avoid future conflict. The record of the demerit slips are tacked throughout the day by the office and teachers. If a student receives five demerit slips, they are then given a detention. The more slips a student gets the more severe the punishments become. It can lead to an in-school suspension, or a Saturday school. Obviously, if a student does something extreme, this system then goes by the way side and other actions are taken by higher authority. Most the teachers in the building take this system seriously and believe the system teaches the students discipline. However, I have witnessed a few students that are favored by the teachers get out of receiving one.

Here's the Layout...

The classroom I’m in is a typical middle school physical education gym. There is a basketball court in the middle, with medium sized bleachers on one side. There are two locker rooms, one for the girls and one for the boys, with a storage room in between the rooms. There is also another gym at the other end of the building. It is used for the smaller kids in the school, grades K through fifth and is much smaller than the gym for the middle school students. It does not even contain bleachers. In the big gym, that the middle school kids use, there is direct access to the outside. When it’s nice outside, the teachers have the option of taking the kids outside to play in the field nearby. This school is fairly new, and has modern and updated technology. They are fortunate enough to have access to a projector that can be set up and projected onto the walls of the gym. They use this on special occasions to play Wii Fit. I recently observed them playing “Just Dance”. Surprisingly, all of the kids were into it. Although four students can actually only play the game at one time, everyone gets up and dances along to the songs. I was very impressed that this game made eighth graders want to dance in front of their peers. They also have a surround sound stereo system and microphone, which the teachers use to start off every class. They turn on a popular song and that’s the students sign class has started and they need to run to get warmed up. The only flaw I can see in the set up of the gym and the locker rooms, is there is not a lot of room for storage. They store mats in the locker room and everything else is jammed into a small storage room between the locker rooms. The rules for the class, such as proper dress and expectations are posted in each locker room. Tornado and fire drill escape routes are posted by the gym entrance.

Ethnicity and Procedures

The demographic makeup of the students in the school I’m observing at is much like the school I attended. The students are primarily Caucasian, with a few African Americans and a hand full of Latinos. From what I have seen, the kids mesh every well with each other. I have never witnessed any bullying or harassment from other students because of race or ethnicity. To me, it seems as if the students are almost unaware of the differences.
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.

Creative Games

It’s great to have a change of pace sometimes. Today, the 6th graders took a break from volleyball to play some creative games. The most interesting one to me was similar to bocce. The gym was split down the middle and 7 hoola-hoops were placed in a straight line across the gym floor on each side. The kids were divided into two even teams. Then, several different types of balls ranging from play ground balls to soccer balls, and from soft, foam balls to volleyballs were put on the center line. Each type of ball was worth a different amount of points. For example, the soccer balls were the most, at 25 points each. The object of the game was to roll the balls into a hoop and get them to stay in the hoop. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. At first, the kids were rolling the balls WAY to hard. They would just skip right over the hoops. Then, a few of the kids started getting the hang of it. They were able to figure out on their own that if you could get one ball in a hoop, you could then use that ball as a barrier to help the other balls stay in the hoop. This game was great because the kids were running around chasing the balls, but at the same time had to really focus on slowing down and being accurate when they were rolling the balls. I can definitely see myself playing this game when I have my own class.

Volleyball Stats

Currently, the kids in my PE class are in the volleyball unit. The gym is able to facilitate two courts, so the kids are split up into four co-ed teams. With almost 50 students for two teachers, it’s impossible to evaluate mentally how well a student does without some type of written recording. My teacher came up with a great way to tally and record how each individual kid does in each aspect of the game. First, it is broken up in to the activity. Such as serving, passing or setting. Then, has a line for the period and the day. Next, a line for the team number which is one through four. It is then divided into boys and girls, with their names listed down the side. Each name is followed by ten boxes with numbers one through ten in them.
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.

Teacher to teacher interaction

As much as teaching may be about how you interact with your students and teach them, there also comes a time when you must interact with other teachers or your co-workers. In physical education there is often more than one teacher within the class, usually because the greater number of students. In my observation class, there are approximately forty students for two teachers. I am often surprised by the interaction between the two adults. They work well together, however they talk loosely about co-workers and students when class is in session. From what I have observed, I feel that this loose talk may be hurting the chemistry of the class. Also, sometimes they are so involved in their own conversation they miss what is going on in the gym. A few times they have missed something important such as one student bullying another. To me, this shows unprofessionalism and lack of caring. The teacher I am observing is great at teaching and a good role model. This type of negative interaction however, is one thing I will not be doing as a teacher.

As promised...

I previously mentioned the students in my school are not taught any form of sexual education. After I got over the initial shock, I was able to ask my cooperating teacher about why this is. I was informed this is a very conservative district. The superintendent is touchy on the topic of sexual education. Therefore, it is not taught… ever. Not even in high school. The teachers are told to not teach any type of prevention or conception, or even abstinence. The health teacher had to send home a permission slip to be signed by the parents just so he could inform the students about HIV and AIDS. Surprisingly, out of 90 students, 4 of the kids’ parents didn’t want them to be informed of the transmission of these diseases.

A glimpse of what’s to come

There are three ways to learn something: to read about it, to watch it, or to actually do it. This is the watching part of me becoming a teacher. The closest I can come to teaching, as a college student without an actual degree, is my field experience. This is where I observe a teacher and learn everything from how effectively teach to how to handle conflict in the classroom efficiently.
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.

You gotta start somewhere...

So, here I am. My first blog post... ever. In this blog, I'm going to share my experiences of learning how to teach, and eventually, once I've become a teacher, how to teach more effectively.
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.