Leaping Lizards invade St.mary's

The lab today went really well, We had a blast working and learning with the students. And here is the rest of it.

Interpretation as Inspiration

arning to teach is a lot like being a musician/singer and I've given you this analogy many times before. Think of the thousands of times a young artist sings a song or practices parts of songs, both by themselves then in front of a few close friends or family and then gradually if they're well received the audiences get bigger.  All the while you are interpreting the songs and notes in your own way, just the same way a young teacher interprets and executes lessons with their own style.  We are not asking you to invent anything revolutionary, but to interpret what is being made available to you. As we've told you before, to become a confident teacher you first have to realize that there are standards to be met and you have to be professionally accountable to these national and state standards of teaching and learning. Secondly, you MUST know your content.  If you don't know where you're going, how are you expected to guide your students and how much can they truly learn?

Lab A you got some practice starting a lesson, giving demos and getting people moving.  

Lab B1 is another chance for you to show you can master demonstrations (DEAD or Whole-Part-Whole), manage and organize your students, and provide meaningful feedback/intratask variation. (4 minutes). You are only teaching the one task that you are assigned at the bottom (simple) of the task progression.

Requirements:

- Demo

- Task - Cue - Challenge

- Feedback

- Intratask Variation

Optional

- Pinpoint

- Scaffolding

Lab B2 is a big step up because you are given 5 more complex tasks to know how to teach and we may ask you to teach any of the 5 tasks, which will force you to be ready and flexible. (6-7 minutes) 

 

Watch this clip from last season's American Idol and see what the great Smokey Robinson said about Adam Lambert's interpretation of one of his most famous songs.:

 "I love to hear other people's interpretations of my songs.  I've never heard The Tracks of My Tears sung like that, I've heard by a lot of people."  

The importance of Feedback in student learning

We all know implicitly that feedback is crucial to student learning and this screencast will help explain in further detail how to use our Feedback Analysis Form to determine how much feedback we're giving and to whom.



See these blog posts for examples of feedback forms:
Chris Infante's bowling lesson
Nick Mangan's DDR lesson

Homework Assignment

Here is the information I sent everyone in the email... See everyone Friday!!


For Friday please have the following done:
-Fill out the Time Coding form, that was shown in class on Wednesday. Make sure you color coordinate each section so we can see what you have done.
-Once the Time Coding form is all filled out upload the form to your blog and make a post about what you get out of looking at this form. Try and let us know how you could make things a little better or even different the next time you teach.
Time coding form (10 second intervals)
Transcript
Feedback Analysis
Content Development

Don't Forget:
Friday we will be in the GYM redoing your first teaching assignment!!
Geo and Alex be ready to teach your instant activity if you need help with an idea or what to do contact one of the TA's that is what they are here for!


Here are some helpful links for your blog-
Chris' help screencasts

Picasa 

http://screenr.com/SVd

Google docs and embed videos to your blog

http://screenr.com/02d

Sample blog postings:
http://winkpe.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-is-it-lets-dance.html 
http://nospinpezone.blogspot.com/2009/11/ariels-under-sea-adventure.html

255 Spring 2010 Starting Quickly out of the Gates!

Welcome to RockstarPE where we help you to define your teaching style and philosophy. Together with the help of our TA's, we will help make your lessons exciting and engaging to maximize student interest and learning opportunities.  It will take a lot of effort and self-discovery on your part to succeed in this class and I know you are up to the challenge - otherwise you wouldn't still be in class. 

I welcome you and encourage you to take a hold of your own education and define who you want to be and what you stand for as a future physical educator / teacher candidate (TC). If you don't know what you stand for, you'll fall for anything.

Here is the Blog Introduction Playlist

Here is the Lesson Introduction Playlist

Find your videos and watch them a couple of times.  Get the embed codes for your videos and place them into a blog post and reflect on what you watched.  Pay particular attention to your voice (volume, clarity, pronunciation, vocal pitch / inflection, etc.), your body language (hands, eyes, shoulders, head, feet, etc.) as well as what you said.  Was the intent of your message communicated clearly?  Was it easy to understand? Were your directions clear and intelligible?  What would you want to say next the next time you teach?

Check out this Vocal Awareness Tipsheet. Very useful and important for you to understand as an educator and effective communicator.

Vocal Awareness

By Arthur Joseph

Vocal Power Empowers You

Ten Tips For Enhancing Vocal Presence

1. Identify how you want to be perceived (create a “persona” statement – “persona” means through the sound.) This will help you choose the best way to reflect an idealized you. 
2. Don’t “present” who you are – “Be” who you are. In other words, be less concerned of what others think of you and more concerned with what you believe about your Self. 
3. Remember the adage, “breath is fuel”. You have to put gas in the tank of your car before driving anywhere; you have to breathe efficiently if you want to speak effectively. 
4. To find your optimal pitch level (“the hub of your voice,” your core sound,) – gently descend on the sound of hmm. Where hmm ends where you speak from. 
5. Sing a lot. Singing is freeing. It is also an emotionally and spiritually healthy thing to do. Singing is a creative way to enhance your vocal range, power, and color. 
6. Realize that any professional encounter – from the casual in-office meeting to a business call to a prepared talk should all be considered “performances.” They are opportunities to put your best foot forward, so whenever possible, rehearse them. 
7. Take conscious ownership of every verbal encounter. Don’t feel as though someone is not interested in what you have to say or that someone is too busy which would then make you hurry the conversation. Take your time. 
8. Only 8% of all verbal communication is retained be the listener’s unconscious mind through the words themselves; 37% is conveyed through the sound of the voice; 55% is body language. Be aware of eye contact, monitor nervous habits, use good posture (stand in stature.) 
9. Whenever possible, tape record yourself and listen “without judgment.” A great deal can be learned from objective listening. 
10. Create rituals. A daily structure to help you achieve your desired professional and communication goals. Begin your day by thoughtfully practicing them and strategizing how to integrate them into your personal and professional life.

Creative Commons: What every Educator needs to know

Check out this SlideShare Presentation from Rodd Lucier (http://www.slideshare.net/thecleversheep). Click on the play button to listen to the Audio track included.

Creative Commons: What every Educator needs to know

View more documents from Rodd Lucier.

SUNY Cortland PE Rockstars

Here is a great representation of what we do in EDU 255 and especially what happened this semester of PE Rockstar Training at SUNY Cortland.  It was compiled by Jack Murphy.  Please take a look at his blog for some of his many accomplishments and also follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

ExerGame Experts wish you "Healthy Holidays" with Video Games

The holiday season is always a health rollercoaster. We eat too much, watch too much TV and exercise too little and then make New Years resolutions that we can’t keep. This year, make a change with Exergaming. The Exergame Network (TEN) reveals five ways of getting fit with video games, perfect for school kids to silver gamers with the focus on fun.

The good news for these holidays is you can over-indulge in fitness and fun by Exergaming. Exergaming is the combination of video games and exercise, ideal for a fun, social way to keep fit during the festive period. The Exergame Network brings you five Exergaming methods to suit everyone regardless of their age, ability or fitness level.

Most health and fitness resolutions revolve around dieting and joining a gym, but this doesn’t work for everyone. So what about the rest of us, those that dislike gyms, dieting, boot camps or just find conventional fitness boring?

Exergaming succeeds because it makes exercise fun and involving. The exercise seems less difficult and second to the enjoyment of playing. Choosing the right style of Exergaming is vital in making it fun for you! The following CREWS list is a ‘something for everyone’ selection from five Exergaming catagories (for an interactive tour visit CREWS):

1. *C*amera Exergaming: Your whole body becomes the controller as your movements are motion captured into the game (Eyetoy Kinetic/Groove/Antigrav, Your Shape, Project Natal, Trazer 2)

2. *R*hythm Exergaming: Become the musician or dancer and be guided by the music while the exergame records your dance steps or your musical timing. (Rock Band, Guitar Hero, We Cheer, DDR & iDANCE)

3. *E*xergaming Machines: Using real fitness equipment, the fun of the games takes your mind of the exercise. (Gamercize, Gamebike, Fitclub, GameCycle, BrainBike & Espresso Bikes)

4. *W*orkout Exergaming: Follow your virtual personal trainer as they guide you through your workout giving feedback on your form and storing your progress. (Yourself Fitness!, EA Sports Active, The Biggest Loser, Your Shape & Wii Fit/Plus)

5. *S*ensory Exergaming: These commercial exergames get you jumping and running for your score. (Lightspace Play, Makoto, SmartUs & TWall)

TEN reminds you to think of ‘CREWS’ as an amazing way to engage, motivate and sustain exercise over your lifetime! To discover more about Exergaming, get practical advice and more information from TEN or connect with us on twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. Now enjoy what some of the leaders on Exergaming have to say and how Exergaming can truly benefit everyone!



“In Physical Education, we strive to provide a safe and positive learning environment that supports the needs and abilities of our students. Exergaming, in its many forms, is available in schools (before and after-school), at home, and in the community and thus has the potential to impact students physically, cognitively, and socially”. Stephen Yang, Ph.D-ABD, M.S., B.S., Co-Director ExerGame Lab, Assistant Professor, State University of New York College at Cortland.

“Exergaming Machines are a time saving way to keep me fit. Last week I clocked up over 9 hours of genuine cardio, just by playing the latest Xbox release! It is important that everyone finds the Exergaming method that works for them, if you enjoy the activity there’s more chance of keeping at it and reaching the fitness benefits. Nothing kept in the back of the cupboard will improve health.” Richard Coshott, Gamercize Founder and CEO.

“People who normally don’t like to be physically active are willing to try Exergaming because it’s FUN. Parents tell me that this is the first time they’ve seen their kids sweat this much, and they don’t want to stop playing the exergames! Exergaming is the best intervention for the (couch potato), and introduces physical activity that’s fun for the first time in their lives.” Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH, CHFS, preventive care specialist, Beaver Medical Group; CEO & (Exergaming Evangelist), MedPlay Technologies.

“Exergaming offers an alternative method of increasing heart-rate and building muscle bulk for those with disabilities. Real-world boxing, for example, offers an excellent aerobic workout for many able-bodied individuals, however is impossible for many with disabilities. Video-game based boxing, however, allows for simulated boxing with an avatar that is safe and achievable, while simultaneously being aerobically challenging.” Sheryl Flynn, PT, PhD, Co-Founder Games4Rehab.com.

About The Exergame Network (TEN)
TEN is a not-for-profit advocacy group (not affiliated with Games for Health) which promotes an active and healthy lifestyle by combining video game technologies and exercise, known as Exergaming. Exergaming is proving to be an excellent way to increase motivation, energy expenditure and overall fitness. TENis a collaboration of dedicated health and fitness practitioners, exergame developers, researchers and clinicians, health and fitness entrepreneurs and passionate individuals devoted to highlighting the best solutions offered by exergaming.

Dream Big and Work Hard - Panic Attack!

 
I love the story of people doing amazing things, and Fede Alvarez fits the description. Using $300 dollars, Fede was able to create this incredible complex looking trailer of robots attacking Uruguay's capital, Montevideo - ,Ataque de Panico (Panic Attack).

"I uploaded (Panic Attack) on a Thursday and on Monday my inbox was totally full of emails from Hollywood studios," he told the BBC's Latin American service BBC Mundo."

Fede received emails for Holloywood studios but ended up taking a development deal from "Spider-Man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures" with a $30 million budget.  If you can dream about it, then work towards that dream and don't ever give up. If you stop dreaming and working, it's time to change jobs and roles because it's not fair to your students.  They should be your # 1 priority - You Are My Mine! Happy Holidays to you and your families and travel safely:-)
And here is the rest of it.

Dance class a gift for special students, instructor

Boston, Massachusetts (CNN) -- It's early on a Saturday morning, and Sarah Markowitz limbers up before her dance class begins. Sarah stretches on the bar at the school run by the Boston Ballet as her fellow students start to wander in. They are all excited, because today they get to perform for their parents.
"I like dance because I like Gino," Sarah says, referring to Gianni di Marco, the instructor for this class of more than a dozen very special dancers. Gino, as his students call him, has taught various ballet classes for the school but now focuses mostly on this one, Adaptive Dance. It is a class specifically for kids with Down syndrome. "It's about movement," Di Marco explains. "It's about trying to coordinate the body with the music and have joy."

As a conga drumbeat fills the room, the class begins. Di Marco starts in front of his students. They are all seated, facing the floor-to-ceiling dance studio mirror.
He leads them through a series of motions timed to the rhythm, gradually working to a standing position. They are all smiles, and Di Marco encourages them with "Oh, yeah!" as they shout with enthusiasm, bodies swaying, feet stomping.

"Dance is something that has no limitations," Di Marco says. He leads them all in a circle, a pied piper with his loyal and happy group. They each take turns, one at a time, in a freestyle dance in the center. High-fives, hugs and fist bumps are common as each of the friends completes his or her routine.
The program started in 2002 and was the idea of Michelina "Mickey" Cassella, a physical therapist from Boston Children's Hospital who also works with dancers from the Boston Ballet Company.
"They've had physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy," Cassella says of the kids in the Adaptive Dance class.
"I wanted them to come into this building," she goes on, "and to be able to participate in a class like other children."

Though not a dance instructor, Cassella is always there to help guide the students if one of them becomes distracted or just needs a little encouragement.
"They're moving to music beautifully," Cassella says. "They're developing moves we didn't even know they could do!" She has seen these kids grow into teenagers during their time here and has been amazed by their progress. "It's just been a beautiful thing to watch."
In the studio, Di Marco has brought the parents in to watch their children perform. Anne Markowitz smiles as she watches her daughter, Sarah, lead the class through spontaneous poses, using the opportunity to ham it up a little.

"I think it's fabulous," Anne Markowitz says of the program, and Sarah loves every minute of it.
Down syndrome is nothing new to Markowitz, nor are the many capabilities of her daughter and the rest of the students. "It doesn't matter what your special needs are," she says. "You can do; you can dance; you can express yourself."

Di Marco explains that his students were sometimes hesitant to join in when he first started teaching them. But now he thinks dance has given them all a confidence that goes beyond the dance studio.
"It's not just to learn how to dance," he says, "but also to learn how to be who you are, and I think they're developing that very well, here, in this environment."

The reward goes both ways, however. Di Marco says that seven years ago he was nervous when the classes began. But now, he says, "Here I am having the time of my life teaching these children."
This is the last class of the session, and the students won't be back until March. Di Marco invites the parents to join their children in a dance. They form a circle again, but this time each student shares a dance with their family members instead of solo. The excitement culminates in one large group hug in the center. They are all exhausted and all smiling.

Di Marco, his arms outstretched as if to embrace every one of them, says, "This is life. I love you guys. Thank you for bringing your children to play with me!"