Oscar The Grouch Appeared and loved Lab 4 (201)

This week we saw some great adaptations and adjustments to pre-planned games as well as on the fly. Be sure to come with even more games and ideas to use with the students. Remember they have 4 closets full of equipment, so as soon as you get there, go through the closets to see if anything else will grab your attention. Be open to ideas and tips I give you as you're leading your games, as I think know most of you are ready for some more practical teaching strategies and refinements to what we started. Remember above all, that it is your job to provide a SAFE and POSITIVE learning environment. You need to clearly give a signal of attention, define boundaries, demonstrate the activity you want them to do, and provide developmentally appropriate tasks for the needs and abilities of your students.  Oscar was a HUGE hit and I encourage you to bring more visual aids and props to generate that buzz that you witnessed.

Is Dodgeball good for PE?

Image via WikipediaHaving some games ready to play at St.Mary's was a good start to our overall preparedness; however, if we are truly going to change the culture of PE and have more physically educated students, then we must be sure to provide developmentally appropriate physical education (DAPE) and avoid games and activities that are in the PE Hall of Shame. After watching some of us resort to games that we played as kids and ones that are not in the best interest of young children...we will now start to explore WHY these games are not beneficial.  


Anybody without a teaching degree and a B.Sc. in P.E. can "lead" games such as Duck Duck Goose, Kickball, Dodgeball, etc...  You don't have to go to a teacher preparation program to use those games and we will NOT be playing these games while we are at St.Mary's.  We are striving to change the environment of the after-school program by using games that are supportive of the needs and abilities of the students and not just convenient to play because they know how to already play them.  When we're not there, they can play them all they want.  While we're at St.Mary's - we need you to explore and be creative to create enticing environments, choose developmentally appropriate and adaptable games/activities that help you assess fundamental motor skills and teach students to perform these skills more effectively.


PE Hall of Shame (Part 2)  (also available here) was released after the initial induction of 6 games that should not be played in PE class. In class we discussed two of the initial inductees (Dodgeball and Kickball) and why (human targets, isolation, no choice, safety, hiding from others, skill level, etc...) they were included in the initial induction ceremony.

It would help if you added pictures like Jack's post on defending dodgeball (posted below). This assignment is due before next class. (Photo via iStockPhoto & Xanga)

ASSIGNMENT

1. Please read Chapter 3, 18-20.
2. Click on the comment link at the bottom of this post to leave your initial reactions (2-3 sentences) to these games and whether or not you agree with them. Also leave a link to your own blog URL (eg. http://www.rockstarpe.blogspot.com  or Twitter handle @syangman or http://www.twitter.com/syangman) where you further expand on your opinions, connect with other professionals, and start developing your own PLN. 
3. Blog about how the games we play compare to the many HALL OF SHAME games (1994 and 1996) we often experienced in the OLD PE.  What is your general reaction to seeing some of your favorite games included?  If you were to play one of these SHAME games, how would you alter it so that it meets the requirement of being developmentally appropriate for your students?  
1. How would you justify playing these games today so that it fits in with NYS Learning Standards and NASPE Standards for high-quality PE?
2. How will playing this game help your students attain the goals of being physically educated and what will be gained?
4. Be sure to use our photos from lab or one from your Zemanta plug-in or from some other Creative Commons source.  
5. Due by next class.

Are games like Dodgeball acceptable in PE?

Image via WikipediaHaving some games ready to play at St.Mary's was a good start to our overall preparedness; however, if we are truly going to change the culture of PE and have more physically educated students, then we must be sure to provide developmentally appropriate physical education (DAPE) and avoid games and activities that are in the PE Hall of Shame. After watching some of us resort to games that we played as kids and ones that are not in the best interest of young children...we will now start to explore WHY these games are not beneficial.  


Anybody without a teaching degree and a B.Sc. in P.E. can "lead" games such as Duck Duck Goose, Kickball, Dodgeball, etc...  You don't have to go to a teacher preparation program to use those games and we will NOT be playing these games while we are at St.Mary's.  We are striving to change the environment of the after-school program by using games that are supportive of the needs and abilities of the students and not just convenient to play because they know how to already play them.  When we're not there, they can play them all they want.  While we're at St.Mary's - we need you to explore and be creative to create enticing environments, choose developmentally appropriate and adaptable games/activities that help your assessment of motor skills and assist students in performing these skills more effectively.

Should young children play sports with long-handled sticks? (201)

We've seen a lot of good responses from the question I posed in class.
Should young children play sports with long-handled sticks? 
Many of you gave some convincing arguments about its use and many of you also cited your experience as kids playing with hockey, lacrosse, badminton, etc.. Take a look at the great responses posted by Jessica, Andrew E, Jon, and Nathan as they clearly make the case of providing a safe and positive environment (Remember environment - task - learner).  Remember to not only state your case, but list the reasons why you feel that way and provide evidence from the textbook or other RELIABLE source (provide LINKS like Aaron did).  Despite all the positive remarks, as a general comment most of you did not mention the importance of being developmentally appropriate and what the general progression is for striking.  Most of us assumed that striking follows stability and locomtion (which it does) but what must we be able to strike with before using an implement of any length? Let's pick up our discussion there.  Here are some other tips for your blogs:

• Use a catchy title. It will draw your readers in and get their attention (think HOOK)
• State your case and use evidence to back up your claim.
• Find images that support your claim and help communicate what you are trying to say in words.
• Finish the post off with an Action Item.  Something that will get your readers to do, think, or react in a different manner. 

ASSIGNMENT

Please read Chapter 3, 18 and 19 and comment in general how these games compare to the many HALL OF SHAME games (1994 and 1996) we often experienced in the OLD PE.  What is your general reaction to seeing some of your favorite games included.  If you were to play one of these SHAME games, how would you alter it so that it meets the requirement of being developmentally appropriate for your students?  In other words, how would you justify playing these games today so that it fits in with NYS Learning Standards and NASPE Standards for high-quality PE?

DUE: Posted to your blog on Wednesday, September 29th or Monday October, 4th (if you ask for the latter date, I will allow it). See last semester's examples from Patrick,  Ben, Jen, Megan, Chelsea, and Jack.

Remember that your Lab 1 reflections (general thoughts and reactions to the lab and working with students) and write-ups (posted and published to Google Docs - PE TECH TIPS ) are due next week prior to lab. See Google Doc PED 201 St. Mary's Games Planner (embedded form below) for more information.

PE Hall of Shame

PE Hall of Shame (Part 2)  was released after the initial induction of 6 games that should not be played in physical education class. In class we discussed two of the initial inductees (Dodgeball and Kickball) and why (human targets, isolation, no choice, safety, hiding from others, skill level, etc...) they were included in the initial induction ceremony.

Click on the comment link at the bottom of this post to leave your brief (2-4 sentences) initial comment about the PE Hall of Shame inductees.  Then leave your blog URL (eg. http://www.rockstarpe.blogspot.com) and then go on your own blog and write and defend how you would seek to use one of these "shamed"games in your PE program (if it all). How will playing this game help your students attain the goals of being physically educated and what will be gained?  Be sure you can defend your claim to use the game(s) be providing modifications to game play, equipment, and rules.  It would help if you added pictures like Patrick's post on defending dodgeball (posted below). This assignment is due by class next Tuesday October, 27th. (Photo via iStockPhoto & Xanga)

The article written by the National Association of Sport and Physical Education on Dodgeball in physical education classes brings about some good points. In the game of dodgeball, there is a great chance the less athletic students that may need the most physical activity because of their health, are the ones getting picked on, and taken out first. I agree with this in some cases, knowing that that situation is always possible. However, simple variaitions made on the game would solve that problem, making the game more fun for everybody. Another argument that this article stated was the fact that kids get hurt becuase they are the target. I disagree with this because I believe that there is a much greater chance of a student getting hurt in some of the other sports such as football, hockey, and soccer, that are taught in our schools curriculum today. Many people tend to generalize dodgeball with the movie that came out a few years ago. First of all, the characters in that film were all grown men and women who are much stonger and can throw much faster that any student in grades K-12. Second, they were using heavy rubber kickballs, while in the league that I play in outside of school at home, we use 8' 1/2" foam balls. Of coarse, if a physical education class is using heavy rubber balls, or sometimes volleyballs, someone is going to get hurt. But that is the fault of a poor physical education teacher. In my league, using the foam balls that work equally well, not a single person has been injured (I have been playing for 4 years). Playing dodgeball the normal way with the normal rules is harmless, however other variations are possible if schools are not convinced. Variations such as making everyone throw with their weak hand only, or make a different target instead of the student, like a cone or ball, also make this game worthy of coming back into schools. Dodgeball also can improve students motor skills greatly, and even more than some other sports. Besides track in high school, Dodgeball was the only sport that I stuck with. After 4 years of playing this sport I found that it really keeps me in shape, and my hand eye coordination and reaction time improved a great deal. If the game of dodgeball should stay out of the schools curriculum, then I believe the association should be taking a look a many other sports too and their dangers, because its only fair. As long as a school has a great physical education teacher who can turn any game into a usefull activity for all students, than any sport should be allowed, including dodgeball.