April 27th- Field experience #18

Student with Special Needs

This would be our last visit to St. Mary's. We would show up a class period early again to see the special needs student. He started off the class talking about the weather. He would go off on several different tangents as he started to walk off around the gym. He would grab onto a jump rope lying in the corner of the equipment closet and bring it out to the middle of the court where a cone sat. He would give himself a few feet between the cone and try and lasso it as if he was a cowboy. Instead he would just end up whipping the jump rope into the cone trying to knock it over or hit it with as much force as possible. He would continue this mayhem for a little while before giving up and getting some water. There is no schedule or curriculum for him. He does not seem interested in doing anything else but what is on his mind. It also seems that he ultimately gets what he wants regardless of the situation.  There is no real concern for the students physical education teaching. I am unaware of his activities outside of school. He is overweight. It seems like a very bright student but really could use a physical activity to keep him active. It is almost like he should be integrated into his grade. I would've liked to have seen what he is like in a classroom setting or with his class in physical education. He only has his one guide to interact with. I hope they can get him active and interested in a sport or activity he likes.

April 24th- field experience #17

Other Areas: Taught in class
Today in class my partner and I taught our lesson on rolling. The classes previously have been going over multiple gymnastics skills. We decided to have a george in the jungle themed obstacle course which would give us time to post assess the students while they were still active in other stations. The class went pretty smoothly. We started it off with temple tag to warm them up. We gave them instructions on what we wanted to see on the forward roll and went through the rest of the stations with a capable classmate that could perform all the skills. Our host teacher helped spot the kids that went over the balance beam while I helped with the rope swing and injuries. My partner was doing the post assessing as the kids performed the forward roll down a decline mat. Things went pretty well most of the class except one student that continuously got hurt. We were able to complete everything we needed to do. The kids finished the class with a sweat and smiles on their faces. I got to give them high fives on their way out and finish up cleaning the gym. Overall I wouldn't change too much. We weren't able to figure out how to untangle some of the lines but things went well to say the least.

Field Experience April 20th - #16

Students with Special Needs
Today in field experience we went in a little earlier to watch one student with a very mild form of autism. His autism is hardly noticeable and is a very bright kid. As smart as he is he is not very active. He is overweight and not very active in this class period. He has a teacher that watches over him but doesn't know how to help him out in physical education. He is given choices of activities to participate in but does not have any ambition to do anything. It does not help that he is the only one in his class and doesn't have any other student interaction. I would like to have seen him have some more direction in this class so that he can be more physically active. I will probably see him again in one of the upcoming sessions and hope to see more on his attitude in this class. Maybe their will be more of a guided instruction the next time I see him again.

Field Experience April 18th #15

Reflection of Lesson
Today in class we spent our time going over scooping in lacrosse. This is a more advanced skill that not even I learned until close to 3rd or 4th grade. There was a wide variety of skills from a visual stand point. Some were able to scoop every time and some were able to just push the ball along tried with the head of their stick as they tried to scoop. The teacher started off the class with labeling the different parts of the stick. Head, shaft, neck. Showed how to grip it. He compared scooping to shoveling snow as an analogy which actually makes a lot of sense but is hard for kindergarten students to completely relate too. He asked them if they have ever shoveled and most of them said yes. He could have gone over the footing to scooping a little better. Many of the kids understood the arm motions but did not know the proper foot work. They would not approach the ball from the side but from behind making it more difficult. I would try and fix this and emphasize the scoop by saying that it needed to be done quickly in order to get the ball off the floor. I do feel like lacrosse can be incorporated into PE early but maybe not this early. Catching and throwing are important skills too but may be inconsistent but will require good scooping skills in order to get to that stage. It is good to see a new rising sport being incorporated into physical education.

Field Experience 14 - 4/3/2012

Assessments Of Student Learning
Today in class was another day of gymnastics. There were several more stations added to the previous courses. This time me and my partner would be assessing the forward roll down a decline mat. The course itself was Indiana Jones themed. Music from the movie Indiana Jones would be playing as kids quickly made their way through the course. We would have students come up to the mat and grab a bean bag ball. They would stand on top of the mat with the ball pinned between their chin and chest. This was so that kids remembered to tuck there head to avoid injury. Each student would perform the task three times. We would use a holystic rubric that we previously made to determine each child's performance. Many of the kids were pretty good at performing the skill. They would move on to the next task without any hesitation. There was only a select few students that were slightly intimidated and struggled performing the skill. The assessment will be put into an Excel spreadsheet. We now have some time off for easter break to get ahead on the curriculum project.

Field Experience - 3/30/2012

Curriculum and NYS standards

Today was another class with the Pre K group. I have come to realize that the Pre K class kids are only three or four years old at the most. They are just getting a hold of the skill themes we are learning in class. So I've been wondering this whole time when these kids are going to get started on an actual lesson. But then when I started thinking about it I realize how creative these kids are on their own and with just a little spark given by a teacher. I would like to see what classes were like before our experience started. With three or more older idolized people playing and directing the kids there is sometimes no need to have an organized lesson. Just by tossing out different types of balls, hoola hoops and bean bags kids incorporate skill themes by themselves. There are also ropes and mats that work on other skill themes that don't require objects. Kids find some form of a game or activity to play with you or another group of kids. As I look around I notice that all kids are active and moving with a smile on their face. There has been a few times where I wanted to help kids by giving them a few cues but for most of them they don't stick with them for more than two or three attempts. They then revert to their old ways. I think it it is too early for a specific curriculum to be implemented for kids so young. Most of it should be by feel. I hope to see how these progress within these next few weeks. 

Field Experience 3/30/2012

1. How is the classroom arranged and decorated
1. The classroom has big tables that has name tags for assigned seating. There are two more desks for the teachers and an open space for other activities. There are cubbies for the students stuff. The walls of the classroom are covered in many colors and posters along with decorations that the students have already made.
2. How does the classroom differ from the gymnasium as an educational setting?
1. These students are working on their numbers and counting still. So the teacher went over the amount of days of school that the kids have attended. The class reiterates the numbers over and over and over. This does not happen as much from the physical education standpoint. We do reiterate some skills from a physical standpoint but not as much from the mental side.
3. How would you describe the classroom atmosphere?
1. The classroom atmosphere gives off a positive feeling. There are a ton of pictures and bright colors. They even have some projects that they did themselves up on the wall.
4. What was the topic and structure of the portion of the lesson you observed?
1. The lesson we listened in to was mostly about counting. It was almost the last day of March and the teacher talked about the change in months. They also went over how to count by tens to one hundred. They also counted the amount of days that they have been in school in total.
5. How would you describe the language and literacy levels of the students?
1. The kids are in a Pre K class. They are at a developing level where they are just learning the basics to everything. The tenses of verbs are off occasionally along with the pronunciation of some of the numbers while counting.
6. How did the teacher engage the students in the lesson segment that you observed?
1. The teacher had the kids sit in a circle while she sat in a chair. She talked at a good level making sure that most of the kids were trying their best to pay attention.
7. How would you describe the social behaviors of students in this age group?
1. Most of the students were not used to having other people in the classroom and were distracted because of it. Many of them were just saying things out loud without raising their hand. When they were sent to their seats for the birthday cupcakes they all started to get a little out of control when we started talking about their penguin poster.
8. What did you learn from this observation that will help you teach this age group more effectively?
1. Having student teachers or observers leads to the kids becoming more rambunctious. Prepare the kids for having guests but also staying in control of themselves.
9. What other insights did you gain from this observation?

1. I got to see what the atmosphere of the classroom and how and elementary school teacher approaches their kids. 

Field Experience - 3/27/2012

Management Strategies

During tuesdays class we continued our gymnastics unit. Our host teacher set up several stations. He  added the rope climb and the rock climb to the activities incorporated in the lesson. He split the class up into groups and let  me know that things will probably bit crowded over by the balance beam (where I was working at). He was right. Within the first minute of rotations the balance beam line became extremely crowded. The next plan was to add another station so that it could keep the kids more occupied. He brought out a couple 4 wheeled scooters for the kids to maneuver up and across mid court. This would help delay the line getting longer but would not prevail. After everybody got a few rounds of getting on the beam I was told to skip students that already proved that they were more than capable of performing the task at a proficient level. By doing this it would eliminate the delay for the beam line but right after it was the wall climbing line which took just as long. I would have to move the kids along past the rock climbing wall too. This management of activities need to be organized differently so that everybody gets an equal opportunity to do the tasks without feeling rushed or uncomfortable.

Field Experience - 3/23/2012

Communication with colleagues, others  

Friday consisted of another beautiful day out on the playground. I was previously told by my host teacher that we would be inside regardless of the weather. He informed me on my arrival that we would be going outside because of future weather conditions being poor. I was also not informed that we would be combining two of the Pre-K classes. So there was around 30 kids running around on the play ground. A few other people in the class working also showed up. There was four of us essentially being attacked by most of the class. The kids continue to be entertained and active just by playing tag. Tag turns into more of chase the teacher. The whole time we kept the kids moving and active. We did not communicate well at organizing a game or activity. We let the kids have their freedom and let them become active on their own. During the tag games the teachers were the ones being chased. When we were caught we were put in the “lava.” At this time we all understood that we were to play along and continue to stimulate their imagination. By the end of class the host teacher and ourselves talked about upcoming assignments we need to do for curriculum project. Hopefully a step in the right direction.

Field Experience - 3/20/2012

Knowledge of Students

I spent another day with the kindergarten class. Since the weather was nice outside my host teacher decided to take the kids out to the playground. The playground was still wet from the night before when it rained but that wouldn't stop the kids from being active. I have come to notice that simple games like tag are a go to game for younger kids. Many of the kids can play this for a full 30 minutes. I have noticed that a select few of the students get agitated when they are constantly being targeted. This tension built up and lead to a small altercation that was settled shortly after. This class consists mostly of boys with only a few girls. Some of the girls participate in tag for a majority of the class but aren't chased as much or can't always tag somebody. Today they spent the last ten minutes or so pretending to be ice cream saleswomen. They would hand out imaginary ice cream to those that came buy their shop. In return you would have to give them imaginary money. Tendencies have shown that boys will run themselves to exhaustion while many of the girls will be conservative and play along until they become mentally tired of the activity.

Field Experience - 3/12/2012

Skill Themes and Student Abilities

Today in class the kindergarten started a gymnastics lesson. They started off and ended the class by playing Temple Tag. The three teachers split up the class into three different activities. There was log/pencil rolls, summersaults, and balance beam. I took the balance beam. There were about 6 or 7 kids to each group. There was one foam bar that laid on the ground with no distance to fall. The other bar was raised about a foot and a half off the ground. This was more realistic to regulation balance beams. I would have one student walk the main one as I spotted them from a close distance. If the student didn’t feel comfortable I would give them a hand or two for them to use as support. The rest of the kids practiced on the lower bar as they waited for their next turn. A majority of the class was very skilled and were able to cross the beam without any help or hesitation. I challenged these kids by telling them to stop in the center of the beam and stand on one foot for “two Mississippi seconds.” This made it a little more difficult but just about all of the people that attempted it except one were able to do it. The entire class showed good coordination and balance. There was only one student that struggled and required guidance the whole way through. She was very timid and clearly not comfortable attempting it by herself.  

Field Experience - 3/3/2012

Curriculum and NYS standards
Friday was another average day for the class. The kids were given tons of equipment and activities to choose from. They used their imagination to make up and play games. Since we do not get to see what the class does on the other days I am not sure of what their curriculum consists of. This class is a Pre K group that doesn't need to worry about the third standard. Students work on gross and fine motor movements during the different activities that are done. They learn through observation of teachers and through listening to cues given by teachers. So when I'm interacting with the students I can demonstrate and give them a word of advice as they practice that skill. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.