Lab16- Feb 27, 2012

1. Observe elementary students in a formal or informal play setting as they play any sport such as basketball, softball, soccer, tennis. Utilize the four stages of game play to carefully determine what stage represents their level of play. Provide a brief written description of their skill level and stage of play. Write a three to five recommendations for steps that could be taken to improve their level of play.
There has only been one class that has incorporated any form of noticeable sports play. The kindergarten started playing floor hockey. They only reached stage I of the the four stages of game play. They were given a stick and a ball and were working on stick skills. This included ball handling and shooting. They were not combined skills but separated. Moving on to Stage II I would combine the two skills learned in stage one. I would set up some lanes so that the kids can try and stay in between the lines. As they approach the end they can take a shot on goal or the wall. As they progress you can then put cones in the way so they have to avoid them. I would then switch the cones to students. I would have them stand on a polly spot where they could try and swipe the ball away. This makes it more realistic to a scenario in a game. I wouldn't make it too much more difficult because these students are still in kindergarten and won't fully understand all of the concepts for offense and defense.
2. Explain how you would use the four stages of game play by Rink as a rubric with students in your own physical education classes.
I would use them as progressions from lesson to lesson. It would help set up the scope and sequence of the sport or skills being taught. This would be more applicable for older grades that has students that can understand rules and concepts. It does work nicely for three on three game play and is a good way to lead up to games.

Lab 15- Feb 27th 2012

1. Reflect upon your lab teaching experience. Describe your teaching strengths and weaknesses for teaching in this lab.
I was actually pretty proud of the quick lesson that I taught. I got some good feedback from my classmates and teacher. I was able to use an appropriate voice while teaching my activities. I was also told that I did a good job motivating the students and switching up the difficulty of the tasks. I could have worked on the creativity of my first activity that involved dodging imaginary seagulls. I could have used foam noodles or balloons for them to actually dodge instead. Overall I was happy with my presentation.
2. Identify one of your most effective teachers. What teaching behaviors did you admire most in the way he/she taught?
One of my classmates did a good job involving themselves in the lesson. The lesson comprised of fitness activities which is not an easy lesson to work with but by involving herself in the lesson the students were able to copy/follow along and make it interpersonal. It also challenged the students to work harder and enjoy it.
3. What goals will you set for yourself as you prepare to teach in the Education 300 Field Experience?

I would like to continue to give a good professional voice as I interact with the kids. Making the activities fun and creative will have to be a priority though.  I hope to make my class an enjoyable and informative class.

Field Experience 6 - Feb 28th 2012

Assessments of student learning

Today was the first day back from the kids spring break and you could tell that they were all happy to be back with their classmates and to be back in physical education.  The teacher introduced an activity that the kids were already well aware of. It is called the "run club." Depending on the age group kids are asked to be constantly moving for a certain period of time. This class was asked to walk, jog, or run for six minutes straight without stopping. There are several cones set up on the outskirts of the gym that they stay on outside of. Music is played as kids move at their own pace. "Pace" is a term that is clearly defined and taught to the class. Even though many kids know the meaning they do not adhere to it during their exercise. Many kids sprint the first two laps or so then start to split up. If a students continues jogging for the full six minutes they get their name placed on a poster on the wall of the gymnasium. This grade is not assessed on their capability to keep moving the entire six minutes but in the later grades kids are assessed on their progress. This activity is done once a month. The younger kids were thrilled to be doing this simple activity. Some of the kids walked in and started screaming just at the thought of running in circles for circles. This activity did incorporate both the psychomotor and cognitive domains. 

Lab 11

1. Find information on the history of the parachute and how a parachute works.
Da Vinci is given credit for being the first person to come up with the idea of a cloth that would lower man as a maximum drag decelerator. By the 1800's people that used parachutes were known as dare devils. As planes started to develop in the early 1900's people started to jump out of them and use their silk parachutes to guide them safely to the ground. A parachute works because of its huge surface area. This creates drag and gently lowers its user safely to the ground.
2. Create a parachute routine composed of various parachute activities learned in class.
I would start off with ripples, waves, and storm. Then make a cloud to stepping under. I would then do an Igloo game incorporate games inside. Depending on the class I would then do Cook a Healthy Soup. I would then incorporate some more fitness activities so that I could end with an Air Conditioning activity.
3. Practice the yoga routine for a week and keep journal of how you feel.

4. Use pictures to diagram each pose in the Salute to the Sun yoga routine.

Equestrian pose

Mountain Pose

Cobra Pose

Field Experience 5 - Feb 17th 2012

Communication with colleagues and others
On Friday communication was not easy for me because I was sick. I had a sore throat and speaking was not comforting. Communication between the host teacher and field experience students was important for setting up the activities done in class. Directions were given to lay out hoola hoops and bean bags at three different stations. Kids would be sent to their stations where they were already instructed on what to do. Since I was having trouble speaking I did the best I could to monitor the kids and make sure that they were staying on task. Our host teacher did a good job letting us know that we would be doing this for several minutes and to make sure the kids got to throw at the different targets. After that the kids were given time for free play again. The kids are taught very basic locomotor skills and are then observed as they demonstrate them in free play.

Field Experience 4

Management Strategies
At tuesdays field experience there were several subtle things that our teacher did to keep the class together and in line. So far all of his classes have entered the gymnasium and gotten into a line around the three point line of the basketball court. From here he gets across any information he needs to or if the kids have any questions everybody can hear them. The games then shortly begin with the usual playing of music. When the activity is coming to an end the teacher blows the whistle quickly and the entire class freezes and listens to the next set of directions. Even though these kids are only in Kindergarden they behave pretty well for their age. The only trouble during last class was one student hitting the ball with his foam hockey stick clearly after the whistle. The teacher took his stick till the end of his directions were explained and then returned it to him after. When he gave out the sticks he had kids line up along the baseline. From there they took their sticks and chose a foam ball that was rolled out. He then understood that all kids want to hit the ball as hard as they can. So he lined up one half of the class on one sideline and the other half on the other sideline. From here he had them face the wall and swing on his count down. There would only be one hit taken for safety concerns. By the end of class he instructed how he wanted everything properly put away and gave directions to what order the line up was in. Girls were first followed by boys. Everything was very organized and flowed very nicely.

Lab 10

1. Identify a fitness theme and design appropriate fitness stations to enhance various health and skill related components of fitness.

The fitness theme is the Hulk.

Station 1: Strength-Wall Pushups 

Station 2: Power-Frog jumps on elevated mats

Station 3: Speed- Curved run around cones

Station 4: Cardiovascular Endurance- Jump rope

Station 5: Catching and throwing- use bean bags

2. Identify people that are famous for use of imagination and creativity such as Einstein, Picasso and Bach.

Phil Jackson, Muhammah Ali, Shaquille O'neal, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. 

3. Design a rubric for assessing the acting-out of inanimate objects by students in small groups as described in the activity close of this lab. 

Everybody is involved in group- /1

Acting is of inanimate object- /1

Creative demonstration- /1

Total: /3

Lab 8

1. Explain three important benefits of hoop play.
Hoola Hoops are able to work on several fitness aspects such as muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance. They can work on skills such as agility and coordination. They can also set up classroom management opportunities because of their different colors.
2. Give an example of how hoops can be used to reinforce a cognitive concept linked with classroom learning.
Hoola Hoops can be put used as a analog clock. You can give directions to walk around the hoop to show the time. You can also teach the kids the difference between clockwise and counter clockwise.
3. Describe how hoops can be utilized to promote growth in the affective domain.
Students can be put into pairs and be asked to hold hands with their partner as they make their way into each hoola hoop that has the color they chose. The partners aren't allowed to talk and must communicate non verbally in order to be safe and make their way through all the hoops.
4. Utilize the internet to gather information about ponds and related ecology to use in your field experience teaching or future teaching.

What lives in ponds? Turtles, fish, ducks, snails, dragon flies. Use props and pictures. Can incorporate groups as different animals. 

Field Experience 3

Knowledge of Students

With my third trip to St. Mary's I got to see the Pre-K class for the second time. A bunch of them remembered my face but could not recall my name. This was the same way for me. I remembered only three or four kids' names and felt ashamed not knowing all their names. Even though I was still getting a hold of their names I did remember their faces and some of their abilities from the first time we met. A few of the boys I played with in the beginning of the class were shooting/throwing various balls on the small hoop and asking for me to shoot their ball on the main hoop. Many of the kids would get very close, borderline underneath the basket, and try and push the ball with all the power they could create. As they continued to shoot I would move them a foot or two back so that they could get a better angle to shoot. A few caught on and realized that it made it easier. I then made my way to two kids having a Frisbee catch with a soft, bendable, cushioned Frisbee. They were both pretty talented for Pre-K kids. They were able to throw a proper backhand toss. They stepped with the same foot, snapped the wrist, and followed through. Not until two other classmates joined did I notice a difference in skill level. The one student with the most trouble did just about everything right but the timing on the release needed work. He would hold it too long and throw it behind him instead of the intended target. Otherwise I was rather impressed by the classmates abilities that used the Frisbee. Lastly I made my way to the rope and rock climbing wall where kids are allowed to climb on their own up to a certain area as long as there are mats in place underneath. A few of the girls really enjoyed climbing the ropes and wanted to prove to me that they could do it. They were able to climb up and down with ease but when I challenged them to the rock climbing wall they were all hesitant. A few attempted it but were too timid to reach for the next rock because it was just a little bit out of their initial standing reach. With a little bit of time this could be taught and the kids could do it. It was another good trip to St. Mary's and I am looking forward to Tuesday.

Lab 7

1. Can a child in a wheelchair enter the front door and the back door? What modifications would you make?
It is possible for a wheelchair student to enter through the front door. This way allows any students to just pass through. By going through the back door you have to be in the air for a short period of time. I would tie two jump ropes together and do big loops to give more time for those trying to go through.
2. How would you apply goal setting to this lesson?
Each child should set their goals from a previous class. They can set a reachable goal for the amount of jumps in a row. This can apply to and of the different jumps learned in class. Can range from one footed jumps to partners adding their scores together. This will also work on the cognitive component of teaching.
3. Design a long rope jumping routine for a pair of students jumping at the same time.
Students can tie two jump ropes together and put two kids jumping at the same time. If there is enough time teach the kids a sing along song that goes with the jumping. Sesame street made on designed for elementary kids working on the alphabet.
5. Describe how you would go about organizing a rope jumping club for your elementary school.
I would probably have kids sign up that would like to participate. Jump ropes could be assigned to certain students to use during recess or after school to bring home. There can be a binder with different songs and activities if the kids are old enough to read and comprehend the activities. There could be posters set up with big pictures showing the activity.
6. Find out what stimulus variation is. Provide an example.
Stimulus variation has to do with the ability to keep the students attention for a period of time. This may mean that a teacher will have to move around. Move their arms to create physical gestures along with other non verbal ways of communication.

Field Experience 2

Skill Themes and Student Abilities
Today was my second day at my field experience. It was with a different class that were kindergardeners. The host teacher gave us another proper introduction and had an instant activity that helped us learn the students name. As the class continued the host teacher set up a catching and balancing lesson very similar to the one we learned in lab the other day. Bean bags were set up on polly spots and each kid was to listen to the teacher as he explained the task. It started off with balancing of the beanbag on your head, then the shoulder, then elbow and so on. The students abilities varied along with their self esteem. Some said it was "too easy" as some said "I can't do it." The real change in abilities was in the catching. Everybody was pretty good tossing the bean bag from hand to hand with little vertical tosses. When the tosses gradually got higher the catches became more inconsistent. The tosses were less controlled and could be tossed several feet away from their initial position. Students that thought the task was too easy still did not catch the ball every time. This was a good lesson to teach this class because each kid had room for improvement and was challenged.

Lab 5

1. Use the internet to search for information about turtles and how they live.
Turtles are able to spend long periods of time under water depending on the amount of physical energy is used. They are able to also absorb some oxygen from the water through two sacs on their backside. Since their lungs are placed in between their carapace and their back. By rolling on their back they put too much pressure on their lungs creating oxygen deprivation and a choking like effect.
2. Identify the fitness components being addressed in squad square fitness. Where are these components located on the NYS Conceptual Framework for K-12 PE?
Muscular endurance was constantly used throughout the song. This is used in the step ups, ski jumps, sit ups, and plank walks. This also works on body composition.
3. Prescribe a series of ball handling skills for a second grade boy or girl that is afraid of catching a ball. What kinds of objects might you prescribe for throwing and catching?
Start off with very soft objects such as bean bags, scarves and foam balls. Make sure the partners are very close together and are making soft tosses. Show that there is no need to be afraid of the ball(s).
4. What are some of the guidelines you would follow in pairing students for throwing and catching?
I would previously know what skill level the kids are on and make sure that certain kids get set up together so they can get the most out of the activities. They could also be put in a group of kids with similar skill levels and rotate them.
5. How would you help a special needs student learn to catch that displays delayed motor control and lack of fine motor control dexterity?

Depending on the lacking fine motor movement I would adjust the motions in order to simplify the catch. The distance and speed will make a difference. It would also help to give the student a warning as to when you are going to throw it so that reaction time is quicker and anticipation is in effect. The location of the toss will also make a difference.

Field Experience Day 1

Reflection on Lesson

The first day of Field Experience was a great way to start off from my standpoint. I got to meet several people at the front desk along with the Principal. It was pajama day and everybody was wearing their favorite sleeping attire. My partner and I made our way to the gym to meet our host teacher who was also dressed very nicely. The Pre-K walked in with their classroom teachers in a straight, formal line. Our host teacher was nice enough to introduce us to the kids then move on with the class period. The kids did not have a formal class but had a class period to play with themselves. Music was put to set the mood. Hoola Hoops, basketballs, and foam soccer balls were put out for the kids to play with. The kids were told to go and as soon as they heard that they were off! Me and my partner quickly chased after them wanting to make new friends. I initially helped some of the students play basketball at the lowered portable basketball hoop. Even on a seven foot hoop the kids had trouble reaching the rim. Regardless whether or it went in or not the kids had a blast heaving the ball to the sky. They got tired of shooting and proceeded to kick the basketballs as I chased after them. The game quickly changed to tag with eight or so kids. Each one of them had a smile from ear to ear. We would later take the hoola hoops and put them together to make a modified hop scotch. Most of the kids were able to hop or jump depending on the next hoops placement. Before we knew it the class was over and the kids were back in a single file line on the way to their next class. Even though a formal lesson was not taught it was an inclusive class that had all kids moving and showed us what some of their capabilities were.

Lab 4

1. Explain how a unit based on lessons of this nature would serve as a foundation for acquiring specialized throwing and catching skills.
This lesson worked on the very basics to catching and throwing. Bean bags are a great choice for kids that are very young. They have a solid amount of weight to have a feel but also are soft enough to not hurt anyone. It always helps determine if the kids have "soft" hands. This is one of the first lessons in teaching catching and throwing.
2. Identify a theme that could be applied to health hopping appropriate for young children.
I like the Lion King theme that we had in class. At an early age Space Jam was one of my favorites. It has several popular songs that are easy to tap your feet to. There are a ton of characters that the kids could relate to. You could then design certain qualities to each of activities based on the characters.
3. Design a checklist of critical elements to look for when observing a child performing a locomotor movement.
Throwing- Ball/object on pad of fingers ___
                 Step in opposition ____
                Athletic stance ____
                Elbow up ____
                Point with opposite hand ___
4. Two other catching activities with bean bags.
Underhand tossing to partner. Working on soft hands. As kids get good you can tell each of them to take a step back. Work on eye hand coordination and "giving" as you receive the catch.

You and your partner both have a bean bag and have to throw them  simultaneously. Soft lofting  throw. Gets harder as you get further apart. Make sure there is a count down before the throw itself. Works on eye hand coordination and transition between basic motor movements.