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Monday, May 7, 2012

Volunteer Hours



As you have seen over the course of the semester, I am very active in many clubs and extracurricular activities. I have spent countless hours working with APEM, which is the majors club here at SUNY cortland. We put on events including Splash-for-a-Cause, Field day, Relay for life, and Festivus. Field day was a great experience due to the nature of the event. We taught other physical education majors as well as other students on campus how to play many different lifetime activities. Festivus was a great opportunity to work one on one with children form the community. I volunteered for both APEM and RHA. I got to work with kids who played many different activities including kanjam, ladderball, and a giant bounce house. The children were very excited to be able to just move around and engage in many different games. I was able to observe and aid the students in basic locomotor movement and many different manipulative activities. I also throughout the semester have gone to events including St. Mary's 5k, YMCA 5k spring run, YMCA Tween nights, and volunteered at the J.M McDonald complex. If you would like to see some of the post please reference my previous blog posts that include pictures and more information.

Here are the links to some of my previous posts of my volunteer hours:

Splash for a Cause
YMCA 5k Spring Run
Festivus
Relay For Life
St. Marys 5k
YMCA Tween night




Relay For Life

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Hantis

Hello Everyone,
Although my 255 class is over, my blogging most certainly is not. I will continue to post and keep everyone up to date as to what I am doing over the break to professionally develop myself. I want to let you know that I am working with the Hantis "Crators" in developing a presentation for the NYS AHPERD conference. I also hope to present at the National AAHPERD conference as well. Hopefully this all works out. I will create a new Hantis page for everyone. Keep checking back in for updates!


IDance


Two of my fellow TC's taught IDance today. The lessons were both great and really showed me how technology can be incorporated into the classroom effectively. The first lesson used both the actual dance pads as well as ones that were not connected to the screen. I thought that this served two good purposes: in a school setting some students would not want their scores displayed on the screen, and also the cost of the mats were far less than the actual IDance mats. I really liked how both TC used intertask variation and incorporated challenge by choice, allowing their students to level up or down if they felt they would be more proficient on the level. During the lesson Eric had a "seizure" and Mr. Stern had to deal with the issue. I thought that he did a great job of addressing the situation and comforting Eric. The only thing that I would have advised him to do was to call 911 as all medical emergencies should be dealt with, with great care. Also I thought that the styles of teaching were very effective for the Unit. Mr. Stern used a Command style and the student responded very well to it. He gave out instructions and the students would follow what he said and learn through playing the game. I will always be a great supporter of technology in the classroom, and I will continue to expose myself to new technology that one day I can use in my own classroom. 

Monday, April 30, 2012

YMCA Tween Night

This previous saturday I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer for a Tween night at the cortland YMCA. It was truly a great experience. Although I wasn't able to stay for the entire time I got a lot of interaction time with the kids as well as some valued observation time. As teachers it is important to be able not only to stand in front of the class and instruct the students, but also to be able to observe them. I got to see the variability in developmental level of students who were ages 11-13 mostly. It is truly amazing to see how fast many of the students have progressed from just a few years prior. I was also very interested in seeing how the personnel managed the facilities and kept everything running smoothly. Although at times some of the kids got a little rambunctious, the facilities were constantly monitored and everything ran according to plan. The gym space was used to get the kids active and moving around, which I found really great. Also many small sided activities were set up for the children. I really just enjoyed how active the kids were , and how a program as simple as this can really make such a large impact. I hope to aid in organizing events such as this throughout my future career. I was unable to obtain any photos of the actual kids as it was not allowed, but I will attach some pictures of the YMCA itself and the rock-climbing facilties that they have, which are amazing.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Lab D: HANTIS all the way!


As you all know I taught hantis for my Lab C and everyone, including myself, had a great time doing it, so I chose to teach some new skills for my lab D. I started by thinking about what I should teach considering many of the students were already sound in the fundamentals. I talked with the Hantis "Crators" and they told me about the importance of movement and dribbling, so i decided that this is what I would cover. When I first started planning for my lab D I was unsure about how I was going to incorporate the concept of Asthma into the lesson. I finally thought about the idea of showing the struggle of having asthma, through physical activity. I thought that I would first bring about the issue of hypo-kinetic asthma, which is asthma that is caused by inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle. I also planned on having students simulate the struggle of asthma throughout the lesson, but it didn't work out quite as planned. The lab also took a lot of careful planning as I needed to put in a facilities request form, and put in an equipment form for the materials that I needed. This really opened my eyes to how important planning and organization is when you are a teacher. Also I implemented technology into my lesson so I had to reserve a projector. Along with this planning I spent a great deal of time designing and creating visual aids that would be used during the lesson.
When I arrived at the classroom I was very excited to teach my lesson. All of the students were excited to play the game again and learn all of the skills. The set up was a little different from the first time that I taught because I was working on having the students move around, and the tables needed more space between them. I started the lesson out with an introduction and we were off to hantis from there. During my lesson, an issue arose that I had to deal with. One of the students "broke" their arm and it was a compound fracture. I immediately stopped the class and had someone call 911. I then had someone go out into the hallway and wait for the paramedics. The class was restless so I had two of the more advanced students showcase their skills while I dealt with the issue at hand. The only thing that I wish that I had done differently was to actually treat the injury myself. There was a first aid kit that I could have used to keep the arm form moving and preventing further injury.
I thought that the students had really come a long way from the first time I taught the lesson so I allowed for a lot of gameplay. I really felt much more comfortable directing the class and making the transitions. The last time that I taught I was nervous but now I am confident and can direct a classroom on my own.
I have truly seen a huge improvement from the beginning of the year and even from lab C. I really have worked toward creating more effective lessons the captivate the students. I also feel that I am able to take game that I do not know fully, learn them, and then be able to teach them effectively to the class. My time in 255 has truly benefited me, and I am happy with the changes I have made. I think that in teaching, professional development and change is never ending. It is important to practice, get feedback, reflect, and truly make yourself a better teacher. This can be done by doing just some of the things that we do in 255; video recording or conferences. I have developed so much as a physical educator and am looking forward to progressing in my profession. I will post some pictures and a video of my teaching so stay tuned!
Check out my Hantis Tab for even more Info!

Heres the Video of me Teaching:



Time Coding Form
Verbal Transcript
SOFIT Lab D





Sunday, April 22, 2012

Splash For-A-Cause

On Saturday APEM put on an event called Splash for-a-cause. The event raised money for the Golisano Children’s Hospital in NYC. The principle behind the fundraiser was that people would obtain sponsors who would donate a certain amount per lap swam. This is a great way to encourage physical activity while also raising money for a good cause. I want to thank all of those members of APEM as well as the members of the swim team who took time out of their busy schedules to swim for a great cause. As a future educator this is directly relevant. I am honored to say that I was part of the organization and implementation of this event. I will keep everyone updated on how much money we actually raised as soon as I know. Remember it is important to always contribute and teach through the physical. Keep up the great work Cortland!

YMCA 5k Spring Run

Today I was able to go to the Cortland YMCA and help out with a 5k. This was a great opportunity because, like the St. Mary's 5k I got to see the levels of structure and organization that go into an event like this. It is important that we note, as future and present educators we need to be providing our students with opportunities to be physically active outside of class. I think that creating events such as a 5k or even a fun run type of event is very helpful in this regard. I also see the value for 5k's for adults as well. As physical educators we need to be pushing for lifelong fitness goals. 5k's are very motivational for some adults and truly shows how active they are staying. I think that while teaching ever educator should take the time to create his or her own event, as well as helping out at many events that are already in place. I will attach a picture of the advertisement as well as some pictures from the actual race later on. Thanks for looking!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Savenger Hunt: Facts about Smoking

In class on Friday my fellow TC taught a lesson using a scavenger hunt. I want to commend her first and foremost on trying something different and thinking outside of the box. I thought that the way that she used technology (Iphone app) was interesting and it captivated my attention just as it would grab students' attention in high school. I think also that they way she used the entire lesson to teach students about the dangers or smoking and the wide variety of chemicals that were in the cigarettes was well thought out. I liked how she used the name tags with different chemical names instead of just listing them of. It made students think about it and truly showed how even a small portion of the chemicals could be a large amount. I thought that the lesson could be a little bit refined by instructing the students more effectively and proving them with more cues. I also think that with more time alloted more could have been accomplished.
Safety is very important when teaching. Although Kim used the safety statement "avoid all parking lots", students often deviate form instruction. When teaching you must be explicit and also be able to monitor the kids to make sure that they are following the given instructions. I think with these refinements the lesson could have been very well done and effective. I will post some pictures of our scavenger adventure outside.


Festivus


Festivus is an event put on every year by SUNY Cortland SGA. It is a great event in that it brings a ton of local school kids into the college to participate in various events that the clubs put on. This semester I was granted with the privilege of working with three different clubs. I was there as the Vice President of APEM (our physical education majors club), President of RHA west campus, and member of inclusive special education club. I thought that it was great to work with the kids. At one station the inclusive special educations club put on a necklace creating booth. It was interesting to both work with and observe the kids and their fine motor skills as they strung the beads onto the string. There were many children of different ages and developmental levels. I also got to see students preforming some basic motor skills in or around the "bouncy-bounce". Children were running, jumping and hopping around the bounce house and demonstrating a variety of motor skills. It was interesting to note, as I have learned that age is not always directly linked the developmental level. By this I mean that many students who were younger may have been more developed that those students who were slightly older than them. I wish that I could have spent more time observing and talked to the students as well as the parents, but there is only so much time in the day. I think that as physical education majors and teachers alike it is important to be involved in events such as this outside of the classroom. Students are not getting all of the activity that they need and by encouraging events like this we can be sure that they are moving towards a more active life. I will attach some of the pictures form the event so you can see some of the booths that were set up. Enjoy!

Standard 2

Element 2.2: Teacher candidates will achieve and maintain a health enhancing level of fitness throughout the performance. 
Standard two is a very important standard that physical education majors overlook. As a P.E major it is important that we are leading the life that we are preaching to our students. Often times students will judge us on our athletic ability and our fitness before they look at our teaching ability. This is why is it so important that we are maintaining this level of health enhancing fitness throughout the program. My 255 professor, Mr. Yang shared with me a great way to keep track of my cardiovascular activity. The site is called Runkeeper.com. This site allows you to upload not only your length of run but also; the time of day, the amount of calories burnt, the type of exercise (if different from running), and also the date on which you completed the run. The site then generates a report that tells you the average pace you ran and presents it to you. I think that often times students are motivated by sites such as these and we should not only use them to track ourselves but also use the sites to help promote physical activity within our students. Another neat aspect of the site is that you can link up with classmates that you may have exercised with and make a note of that. Often times students are encouraged by other students activity as well as their own personal goals. Along with my consistent running and cardiovascular activities such as; swimming, biking and skiing, I also participate in a resistance training program. I try to keep my body in the best shape possible and achieve this health enhancing level of fitness. Below I will provide you with both the link to my RunKeeper as well as my personal workout program. This will help give you and idea of how you can create a fitness plan that works for you. Thanks for checking out my blog!


RunKeeper Website:
www.runkeeper.com









Thursday, April 19, 2012

Exergaming: A Revolutionary Way to be Active

On Wednesday two of my fellow teacher candidates taught using the new exergame technology. I thought that this was by far one of the most interesting lessons due to the nature of the products. I think that using this new technology is revolutionary in that it encourages activity through games that kids already enjoy playing. Also I thought that both teachers did a great job of incorporating aspects that taught through the physical. Emily began her lesson with an instant activity that was very informative in relation to diabetes. I learned about about ketones in the blood and how they can be prevented and monitored. I also thought that it was a good way to start as it stimulated my brain before we began gaming. Emily did a great job of providing everyone with activity to do during the lesson. I liked how she was able to include the principle of insulin shock into her lesson and have group members aid their teammate. This not only encouraged cognitive learning but also helped students to work on the affective aspects, working as a team. 
Lesley did a great job also incorporating facts about heart disease and cardiovascular health. I thought that  the straws were a good representation of how the arteries could become clogged and how hard the heart would have to work to produce the same result. I think that Lesley did a great job setting up stations of which students could rotate though. This always ensures that all students are moving and that they are active. It is important as a teacher to make sure that the lesson that we teach allow for all students to take part. 
I also got a chance to meet the creator of some of the exergaming equipment. I thought that this was a neat experience as I could work with him in the future to provide my class with the equipment or even come in and demonstrate how to use it properly. I think it is important to make connections and reach outwards in order to gain new ideas and become a more well rounded teacher.
I will attach pictures of the exergaming and the two teacher who taught it.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Some Fun in the Pool!

On Monday tow of my colleagues taught their lab D in the pool. One of the Teacher Candidates taught water aerobics. This was a great topic in my opinion because even those students who may not be proficient at swimming, still were able to be successful. Water aerobics is also a great way to get exercise with minimal joint strain. It is important for rehabilitating injuries as well as training. I think that as Mr. Howard mentioned, many people feel that water aerobics is just for the elderly, but if used effectively it can be a great training technique. It is important that we spread the word about great methods. During Mr. Howard's lesson there were a few students who were off task. He did a great job of getting the students attention and bringing them back into the lesson. I think as teachers it may be hard to constantly be aware of where all of our students are, but in situations especially those similar to the pool, it is utmost importance that we do know. I want to commend Mr. Howard on a lesson well done.

Mr. Morelli also had a lesson in the pool. I think the one part of his lesson that really stood out was the use of technology. He used a timer with wristbands in a relay for the instant activity. I had never seen one of these and thought that it was truly a neat idea. It's small things like this that really make a lesson come together nicely and sets good teachers apart form those teachers who are just average. I also think that he did a good job providing students with feedback. It is important that feedback given is both positive and congruent, and Mr. Morelli did just that. I think that Lab D overall has been a great success so far. It is truly amazing to see how far the Teacher Candidates have come since the beginning of the year.Everyone keep up the good work and show everyone how physical education can be revolutionized!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Relay For Life


I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who participated in the event, not only APEM but all other teams as well. I was amazed by how many people really came together for a great cause. For those of you who could not attend I will try to sum up all of the event thats took place. There was acts ranging form dance performances, and bands and DJ's. The atmosphere was truly upbeat and everyone was happy to be there. There was food and many activities to do in order to keep busy for the full 12 hrs. APEM hosted a bunch of Minute-to-Win-it games. This was a great hit. Many people asked what the games where and were intrigued and decided to play. I think that it is at events like this that more physical education majors should be present. This was truly an athletic event considering the fact that a minimum of one person from your team had to be walking for the entire 12 hour duration. I know of a few select people who walked almost the entire time. What great stamina! As the vice president of APEM I want to extend an invitation to all students and teachers who want to get more involved on campus. We have quite a few events still remaining including Festivals, Swim for a cause, and the PEP awards. I think as physical education majors we need to be involved with all that we can and truly help the community in which we live. If you would like to find out more about doing these events talk with me or come to the next APEM meeting Tuesday at 6pm Poolside. Below I will post a picture of my team (minus me) and some other pictures from the night.


Table Tennis Teaching Lab D

On Wednesday two of my colleagues taught table tennis as their final teaching lab. This was a great teaching experience not only for Eric and Justin but also for all the students involved. In this lab they were presented with behavioral problems that they needed to address. Often times it is difficult for new teachers as well as seasoned teachers to address and resolve behavior problem correctly. In Eric's teaching segment a student was angered by the fact that her boyfriend cheated on her and took it out on the girl who supposedly her boyfriend cheated with. Eric addressed the issue by placing her in a corner. Although this may be a good way to get her to cool down, I feel that less aversive methods could have been used first. For example Eric could have simply gotten closer to the two girls who were fighting and they would have stopped. Also they may have stopped if just separated from each other. Often times as teachers it is important to act quickly and rapidly. If the issue is revolved through a prompt change in environmental factors, it may limit the future problems.
In the second teaching session two female students, openly flirted with the teacher (Justin). Justin did a great job responding to the issue. He promptly asked the two girls to please stand on the other side of the table so that they could see the demonstrations. This is a good way to not draw attention to the issue but to resolve it nonetheless. I also think that he could of had the students demonstrate a skill themselves that way they would be occupied and not flirting with the teacher.
I have been reflecting on the behavioral issues that arose, and have developed a behavior intervention plan of my own. I created a hierarchy of  intervention methods. This is in order form least aversive to very undesirable. This will better help me to understand how I will deal with issues at hand. I have been preparing for my own teaching session. I have thought about many different issues that could arise and how I would deal with them. As a teacher this will help to be prepared and will better enable me to be able to control the situation. Below I will attach a copy of my hierarchy.



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Dancing the day away with Zumba

Prior to the lesson by my fellow Teacher Candidate I had never danced in a Zumba class. I was very unclear as to what Zumba was and how the classroom was managed. Dan came into the classroom with a great amount of energy and got everyone excited to dance. This is key when working with students. Many males and some females may feel that they look silly or don't real;y feel like dancing. If we can show them that we are not afraid to dance and that it can be a lot of fun, then we will be much more likely to get them involved. I think that using dance as a warm-up for Zumba or any other activity for that mater is a great idea. It inspires the students to be active and to be creative. In previous classes we have done a dance circle where students must showcase their individual dance moves. This is great as no one feel left out and create a sorta of ice breaker going into an activity. I think one of the challenges that a teacher faces when teaching Zumba is music choice. You must find music that is both appropriate but also music that the students would be interested in dancing to. Dan used some traditional Zumba music and I feel that it fit the classroom atmosphere well. Another way you can get some new music is by asking your students what they would like to hear played in the class, provided that the music is appropriate. This makes the students feel like they are part of the classroom decisions. When Dan was teaching he faced the great challenge of having a blind student in the classroom. When you are teaching it is important that as the teacher you are ready to modify any activity for students with disabilities. Dan did a great job of announcing verbal cues so that the student could understand what needed to be done even though she could not see the demonstration. I think that also you must be able to effectively demonstrate the cues with out any verbal supplementation in the event that there is a student in your class who is deaf or ESL/ELP. Being able to do so will ensure that all students are learning and enjoying the activities. I want to commend my colleague Dan on a job well done and point out a few more good things that he did during his lesson. Dan did a great job choosing two students, one of each gender, to pinpoint. This is great as it allows other students to be able to see how the skill should be performed and also is a boost in confidence for the students who get to demonstrate. As teachers we need to constantly reflect on how we are doing and make adjustments as nessecary. I feel that this is where many teachers fall short. I will be sure to reflect not only on my own teaching but also those good teachers that I am privileged to observe. Below are some pictures of Dan teaching.

Lab D Kickin' it off with Yoga

 My colleague Trisha taught today and the lesson was amazing. She taught yoga to the class and incorporated many different types of technology. I think that it was amazing how much of a difference it can make when students are intrigued by the technology and it is used to supplement the lesson. Trisha did a great job of video recording herself prior to the lesson instructing the yoga poses. This then allowed her to spend her time given positive congruent feedback to the students. It also enabled her to keep an eye on the entire class. Had she only demonstrated the skills during the class, students may have been off task and she would have been unable to attend to them without interrupting the class. Trisha also did a great job of classroom management. Two students were off task as the lesson progressed so Trisha used a few step approach in resolving the issue. First she used proximity in hopes that the closeness to the students would end the behavior. She then addressed them somewhat privately and asked them if they needed any help with the yoga poses. When both of these did not work she then separated the two students who were off task and then the behavior ceased. It is important as teachers that we are prepared for such events. When teaching in a real school, there will be various behavioral problems that we must address and be ready to handle. It is simply unacceptable to displace the problems on to someone else (ie. an administrator). Also I think that as teachers we need to be sure to stop behavioral problems before they arise. This can be done by manipulating the environment in which the learners are in. If there is a positive environment and students are activity engaged in activity then there is less of a chance that they will become off task. I will post below some of the pictures and a video that demonstrates how Trisha did such a great job of controlling the class and teaching the lesson at hand.


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

St. Mary's Fun Run and 5k

On Saturday I was privileged with the opportunity to help facilitate the St. Mary's annual 5k and fun run. I  must start out by saying I was impressed with the turn out. I also have come to appreciate the amount of time and organization that it takes to coordinate an event like that. I really think that volunteering gave me good insight as to what is required to set up a large scale event. This is important because even though I will be teaching my students and promoting physical activity, the limited amount of time I see them is far from the amount of time that needs to be spent being physically active. Events like this one provide both children and adults with opportunity to be physically active and use resources within their community. It is important as teachers that we are both aware of such events and actively involved. Also there is a strong need for people who can organize such events and having the proper knowledge has put me one step ahead in facilitating such an event. I also thought that the people who put the event together did a good job thinking out all parts of the race. They had flaggers and also water attendees so that the race route was properly marked and so the runners could stay hydrated. I would love to coordinate an event such as this for all my students or for anyone in the community who could attend. I have been working closely with the Rec. league in Ballston Spa Ny, in creating a bunch of parents/kids soccer games on the local fields. The kids and parents both throughly enjoy the competition and it really gets everyone active. I think that physical educators everywhere need to be doing the same thing so as to encourage more students to be active. Keep up the good work everyone!


Relay for Life











As many of you already know Relay for life will be taking place on April 14-15th 6pm - 6am. As the Vice President of APEM (P.E Majors club) I am honored to be the team captain. We have seen support form many of our students but we can always use more. As a club we will be running Minute to Win it games. These games were presented at the NYS conference and can be used in your own physical education classes. It is extremely entertaining for the students all eliminates any chance of the students becoming bored as the activities change, well every minute. I hope that all of you can find the time to contribute in some way to the cause. I feel that as physical education majors and teachers we need to set a good example and show how involved we really are. Also for those of you still at the undergraduate level, it makes for a great resume builder. I will attach below some information regarding signing up and information about the cause in general.

Relay For Life
Team Name: cortlandapem
Cost: 20$ minimum donation


Saturday, March 24, 2012

Including Physical Education in Regents Scores

As a member of the physical education profession, I find that it is extremely important that physical education be valued just as strongly as all other subjects. It detracts from our devotion and professionalism if we teach a class that is thought not to count, above just passing the class. Many professionals feel that it is important to include these scores in a report card. You may ask, "what results would be shown?" Well as far as NYS learning standard 1A it would be that members of the senior class were competent in 6 skills and proficient in 3. This means as physical educators we need to teach more than just striking sports and throwing and catching. This may present a challenge, but it is a challenge we must undertake for the good of our students. As far as NYS learning standard 1B. Student will be able to create a life-long fitness plan and follow this by their senior year. This is important because often times physical education programs fail to focus on life after high-school. It is important to note that although during high school games such as football and baseball may be popular, after high school very few people continue to play these at a competitive level. We must move way from these and begin to teach more non-traditional sports such as tennis or golf. There are also many other sports that originate from various countries around the world, that we as physical educators must find the time to incorporate into our curriculum and take the opportunity to teach through the physical rather than just the physical. In my Effective teaching methods class (255) I have learned a lot about non-traditional games. I will be teaching Hantis again for Lab D and I will be sure to teach through the physical and make the best use of my time. I value my ability to make changes in the way that physical education is taught and will do my best ot become the best physical educator I can be.

Here is the link to the Shape of the Nation. The results really show the need for quality physical education:

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

St. Mary's Run for the Stars 5k and Fun Run

St. Mary's will be putting on 5k and fun run. I will be attending this event as it is a good opportunity for me to showcase my physical fitness and cardiovascular endurance. I think that as physical education majors we need to be involved with as many activities and events on and off campus. This event will provide me with interaction with many different students and teachers of St. Mary's school. This is an excellent opportunity for me to network with other teachers and possible other physical educators. I also think that in the physical education profession it is important that we learn the organizational skills necessary to set up events such as this 5k. Attending this race will provide me with the opportunity to meet with those people who did organize the event and learn how to do so effectively. I will post the link below for those of you who want more information. The race is free for runner and 5$ for non-runners. Registration is on the day of the race, March 31st.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Frisbee

Ever wondered what we can do as physical educators to mix up what we are doing with our students? How to effectively overcome budget cuts? Provide our students with fun activities that promote movement and many skills concepts? Well I propose to you FRISBEE. The possibilities are endless with frisbees. Today in 255 we played a game of ultimate frisbee, modified with on throws over half court for safety. This was great as everyone was moving around and being active. It also focused on hand eye coordination, and strategy. It is important that students play new games, and have fun while doing them. Keep in mind frisbee can also be used as a good warm up. You can have your students jog around in a circular fashion and pass the frisbee between them and their partner. You can have students stand back to back handing the frisbee off to the side, under their legs, and over their head. Often times as physical educators we overlook these simple ideas. We need to become aware of all the different ways we can teach our students new skills. Lab D is coming up and the preparation is going to begin. I will be teaching Hantis and hope to progress the students even further. Everyone Keep up the good work! Lets go Cortland PE.

National AAHPERD conference.

Unfortunately due to power outage in Boston, MA, many of the scheduled events were cancelled. This did not deter me and some of my fellow dedicated physical educations majors from getting the most out of the conference. Although I was unable to attend any sessions I was able to attend a few socials. This provided me with a great opportunity to network with many other physical educators. I met a group of teachers who taught down in South Carolina near the Myrtle Beach area. They shared with me how it was at little different in that the weather stays warmer a little bit longer and they are able to have their students outsides on fields and grass for a longer period of time. I also asked them what types of games they love to do with their students that are no traditional. I found out that in many of their classes they play a game of ground polo. This is done without the use of horses but the concepts and tactics are similar. They also told me that they have started to do a Bocce ball unit with their students. I think that as physical educators we need to think outside the box. We need to be thinking of ways that we can move away from the traditional sports and incorporate new movement skills. I also met with a teacher who was from Florida. I talked with her about challenges that she has been presented with. She made mention to the fact that many cuts have been made to the physical education program and that it has really been a struggle to provide students with equipment. I told her about some of the great activities I learned in 255 with the frisbee and jumprope. She loved the ideas and ensured me that students would be trying them in her class. Overall an eye-opening experience. I learned that it is important to be flexible and be able to adapt to changes. This is something that I will take with me into my career.






Thursday, March 8, 2012

Physical Education: constant learning

Over the break I have been able to spend my time working with an indoor youth soccer team. Over the summer I coach a soccer team for middle school aged students, and really enjoy it. I think that being able to work with this indoor team has improved my abilities to adjust and formulate as a coach, since the perimeters and age is different. I am currently enrolled in PED 414 at SUNY Cortland which is a soccer coaching clinic. I have applied many concepts learned in this course towards how I coach these children. I have most certainly noticed rapid changes in the way that I work with the kids and how I run practices and manage games. I think that as a Physical Education major, I constantly learn and progress towards the type of teacher, and coach that I want to be. I am also looking forward to the National AAHPERD conference when I return to school. I have previously only attended a NYS conference and can't wait to see Physical Education on a wider scale. I think that these conferences really provide future and current physical educators with the opportunity to see great examples of teaching and be exposed to new products and games. Last year I learned a newly emerging game called Rigoball. It incorporates some aspects of baseball but tweaks it so that everyone is far more involved and that students are no longer standing around. I will be sure to post a video so that everyone can see how much fun it really can be!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Lab C Shinty: A new experience

I was exposed to a new game called Shinty. Shinty is an international game that is often played in Scotland and across England. The game is similar in concept aside from a few differences. In shinty the player can play the ball in the air and they also may play the ball with both sides of the stick. Also in shinty the stick may be used to block as well as tackle. The teacher candidates who taught last class did a great job of teaching through the physical. I really liked the flag of england that was used as part of the warm up. I thought that the teachers not only did a great job of providing the students with education through the physical, they did it in a manner that was not limiting to the game and did not slow down the teaching. I also though that as a group they did a great job with their cues and visual aids. I think as teachers it is important to display to our students what we want from them as well as good examples of correct play. I think that although movies are not in order small video clips may really help you to convey to your students what you are saying. I will be sure to post pictures of some good visual aids and small video clips that are good examples of what can be shown in class.

Lab C Omnikin Ball



Today my fellow teacher candidates taught the game of Omnikin. This is a great game that can be played at all ages if modifications are made. I think that often times teachers of younger students, those younger than 4th grade, overlook a good opportunity to teach basics of games and introduce new sports and games. I think that although it is obvious that students at a kindergarden level will not be able to handle a full out game of Kin ball they can work on some basic motor skills and some object control skills, with a larger object such as a Kin ball. I also was greatly surprised at the amount of activity that was achieved during the lessons of Kin ball. When playing Kin ball it uses a muscular component as well as as the cardiovascular component. I also liked the way that some of the teacher candidates incorporated some education through the physical, which is greatly important in our profession. I thought that there were many lessons and great facts that could have been incorporated about where the game developed and facts about international activities. It is important that we take advantage of any opportunities that are presented to us and make them into a teachable moment. I know from attending conferences that there are brief classes and sessions that will teach you effective methods using the Kin ball, as well as proper inflation and storage. I recommend that all of my fellow teachers look into using Kin balls and start creating lesson plans that can be used in all different grade levels. Please take a look at the videos below of both my fellow teacher candidates teaching and also a video of professionals playing the game.


Sunday, February 26, 2012

Lab C Moving Forward

On Friday 4 more of my fellow teacher candidates taught their lab C. I want to recognize the excellent job that everyone did. I am both shocked and pleasantly surprised by how far everyone has come. I think  that it is important to think back as individuals and really see the progress we have made. This will motivate us to not only continue but also to push ourselves harder and strive for excellence. I want to point out also, that although many of you taught age groups that you may not want to teach in the future, or wouldn't prefer to teach, being able to teach them is a great skill. Often times as physical educators we will be running events, or programs that will include a wide variety of age groups. In order for us to be effective in teaching and creating an environment that is conducive to learning we need to be able to understand their development and how to teach specific skills. The conference is coming up on us fast. I encourage everyone to go. I have been to the NYS conference and it was truly an amazing experience. You are exposed to new games and equipment that you can use in your classes. Also it is a great way to get your name out there and to meet people and formulate connections in the physical education world. These connections may be the stronghold upon which you find a career or develop successful programs. I will post some pictures and videos of last years NYS conference so that you can see the real value behind it. I look forward to seeing many of you there!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Lab C- Hantis

In class I taught my lab C. I taught Hantis at a fourth grade level. I really think that this newly emerging game could be a big thing in physical education classrooms. It uses a good deal of object control skills, while still incorporating activity and strategy. For those of you who have never heard of the game, it is a mixture between ping-pong, and foursquare, where you can hit the ball only with your hand, and are allowed two hits. The game is played with four people at a time but the rotation is very quick, as with foursquare. This allows for many students to be active and also get a rest in between games. I have been working directly with the "Crators"of Hantis in creating lesson plans and progressions. They are very interested in getting this game out there in the PE world and I am working with them so that teachers will be able to effectively implement it in a classroom setting. I am really excited to be part of this new game and I will be sure to keep everyone on here updated on how it is progressing. I also want to commend my fellow teacher candidates as they did a great job teaching at the 8th and 12th grade level. I think that this game is very inclusive in that the concepts and some of the skills can be taught to pretty much every grade. I think that it is important to realize that full game play, while often very fun cannot always be used first. Skills must be taught and refinements must be made. Often times even after getting into games, you may need to revisit the skills and refine them. I will post a video that the "crators" send to me and will also give the link to more Hantis info. I will also include some pictures of me teaching and keep everyone updated!

Time Coding


Verbal Transcript

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Preparing for Lab C

Teaching is a very complex skill. For lab C I am going to be teaching a game that I myself have never played (Hantis). I think that Hantis is a great game and will teach the students a great deal of skills. I have resolved to break my game down into many progressions that will help the students, most of which have never played the game before either. I think that as a teacher it is important to understand that through the use of progressions we can help our students to work up to an eventual skill that we want them to acquire. I think for the grade I am teaching (fourth) it may never progress to the actual game with the official rules. I think that it is important not to try and play a game with the students that is too far above their developmental level.

Hantis is a great game that works on hand eye coordination as well as  body eye coordination, as you can use any part of your body for your two hits to return the ball. It also involves teamwork as the person that is on the table next to is working with you to get one of the opposing two out. Along with this it is very fast paced therefore allowing people a lot of participation time with not a lot of time being inactive. I think that a lot of games using the same concepts can be used and developed based on the principles of this game. I will also be showing a video of the creators of Hantis as I think that this will give the students a good sense of what the rules are and how to apply the skills to an actual game. I think that everyone will enjoy this game and will find a way to use the skills from the game in teaching their own lessons and games.

Below is the link to the Hantis Instructions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQY-7soDS6M

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Checking for Understanding

The answers to the following questions should provide a good idea of what is highlighted in chapters 4 and 5:

Chapter 4:
2. When teaching it is important to always be clear when communicating with our students. Some of the ways which we can do this is by orienting the learner,presenting in a logical order, giving examples,and check for understanding. It is important that we set and induction as this often times can make the student feel more comfortable with what we are going to teach. This does not need to be a long explanation but rather a brief overview. It is also important that we go in sequence. Although backward chaining can be effective sometimes, more often that not the students will learn the skills more effectively if the progressions go in a logical sequential order. Although there are many other ways to make sure we are communicating effectively, one of the most effective ways is to check for understanding. This may include asking students about what they have just heard or what they are about to do, as well as asking if they have any questions as to eliminate confusion that may be detrimental later to the learning of the skill.

Chapter 5:
1. Extension is a task which adds complexity and makes it more difficult for the students providing them with the opportunity to showcase their skills. Refinement is also important for progression as this makes the qualitative aspect of the performance more important. And application is very important as this is why we teach so that students can generalize and apply their skills across a wide spectrum of activities. This section may also include a self-test or assessment.

3.A progression for a closed skill differs from that of an open skills in a few ways. First and foremost the closed skills will be practiced and results will be produced in a set environment where the goal of the open skills would be eventual application or generalization across many environments. For example for a closed skill you would establish prerequisites that the students needed to have to perform this activity. Also you may modify the skill or equipment to ensure that the students will be successful. Teachers would also want to establish a progression of intent. This way the goals are modified so that it ensures success of the students.
In developing open skills the teacher wants to ultimately help learners to develop skills that can be applied to complex and ever changing environments. This may first be taught using closed skills but not for too long as the learner may become highly developed with his closed skill and will not be able to adapt to a higher level or open skill. The end result would be a much more complex progression as far as open skills. For example of you were teaching basketball you may start out very shortly on fixed shots and in place dribbling. Then you would have them dribble at different speeds, in different patterns, dribble and pass, dribble and shoot, do so while defending the ball and maintaining possession. It is important that we progress with out learners so they may get the best learning possible.

5. Extensions closed skill baseball:
Practice bat grip
Practice batting stance
Practice hitting off tee
Practice catching simple toss
Practice Base-running

Open skill:
Practice Hitting simple pitch
Practice different pitches (fastball, curveball, knuckleball)
Practice catching form different positions on field
Practice catching differently hit balls
Practice running bases as different speeds using strategy
Full game using all skills combined



Thursday, February 16, 2012

255 Advances

As I progress through EDU 255 I have learned a great deal. First and foremost I am learning the challenges of being a teacher. I think it is important though not only to understand these challenges but also to overcome them and have the greatest success possible teaching. As a future educator I think that it is important to be well educated and also also be looking for ways to be involved with professional development. In March I will be attending the National AAHPERD conference and I encourage all of you to do the same. I think this is one of the best opportunities for students to be able to see great teachers in action. Also the showcases and presentations give a wide variety of ideas that you may be unable to think of on your own. Physical Education is not about creating new ways of teaching it's about modifying it and making it the best it can be. By watching fellow teachers showcases their teaching skills we can being to acquire our own personal ways of teaching. Below I will attach a link of the conference and the organization as a whole. I encourage all of you to check it out and at minimum join the organization. Anyone wanting to attend the conference there is still time! I think that if you check out all of the various events and presentations you will be sure to find that there are a bunch that peak your interest. Keep up the good work SUNY Cortland PE Majors!

www.aahperd.org

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Teaching Lab B

Teaching Lab B was a great experience. Before I had posted about my fellow teacher candidates teaching and their strengths and shortcomings, now I will tell you about my own. Below I will attach the link to the video of my teaching the lab so that you can see first hand what I am referencing. First and foremost I wish that I had done instant activity. I think that it is very important to get the kids moving right away. This time can be used to pre-test the students abilities so that you know where they may stand and how small of progressions that you may need to take in your lesson. Also I think that it would have been more beneficial if I had demonstarted the skills from a few different angles and also had some students of both genders come up and demonstarte their competency. I think that my hook was good since it was getting close to Valentine's day. I think it is very important to give a hook that interests the students and that they can relate to. It is also great if you can reuse the hook in conclusion as to create a whole feeling, and to peak their interest for next class. I did put of the fact that students would be preforming another hard jumprope skill the next class and that it would be good for them to practice at home. I think teachers should always encourage students to be practicing at home so that they can achieve a higher level of competency. Also I think that many of my fellow students did a great job of creating a challenge for the students. Although I had them compete against themselves often times it is better to get them to compete against each other within a certain time. I will be sure to include this in my lessons from now on. Great learning experience!

Time Transcript
Verbal Transcript


Link to me Teaching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb6_GH8BP6o&list=UUb6j26RCqfk7VmOqM7DfwXw&index=12&feature=plpp_video



Sunday, February 12, 2012

Lab B: Learning by Example

Watching my fellow teacher candidates I have learned many great ways to teach. Not only have I been exposed to new skills that I learned by them giving cues and demonstrating I have learned effective ways to teach using these cues. I want to start off by congratulating those of you who have taught already. I think that everyone did a great job and I was amazed by how calm, cool and collected some of you were. I think it's great that we can give and receive feedback form out peers who are going through the same steps as us, as well as Professor Yang and the TA's. It really helps us to see where we are strong and where we may need to put in some work. I also wanted to make mention to the great posters that everyone has been making. Often times visual aides are put by the wayside and forgotten. As teachers we must remember the value that these can have to our students. The cues on posters can reinforce students activity and can help them when we may not notice they need help. Also great job with classroom rules. It is important as teachers that we include rules that we expect our students to follow. It is crucial that the rules are specific and that we use economy so as not to bombard our students with too many rules. I think a mnemonic device as one of the TC's used in the lab is a great way for students to be able to easily learn and remember the rules. I am attaching a few photos that I think so how hard some of our TC's are working to become professionals. Also make sure to look that the great job that was done on the posters with the cues and classroom rules.





Thursday, February 9, 2012

Lab B

First and foremost I want to congratulate my fellow teacher candidates who taught their lesson already. I really thought that everyone did a great job including many new teaching strategies that perhaps they lacked in Lab A. Jump roping can be such a great way for students to get active and enjoy themselves while working on cardiovascular fitness. I think that often times teachers do not use jump rope enough even if it is for only a few minutes to get the blood pumping and the students ready to be active. Teaching the front cross really gave me the experience of showing others how to preform a skill that they have not been able to previously preform. I think that as teachers we need to expand our repertoire and be able to incorporate many games and skills into the classroom to keep the students active and interested. One of our biggest goals is to keep students interested in what we are doing so as to get maximum participation. I also like the idea that with jump ropes you can work at an individual level on your skills in the classroom and at home. For many of the skills all the students need is a jump rope and a small space. This means students can practice at home and in their free time. I also think that it can be greatly beneficial to include motivational music, as Yang did in almost all of his classes. Often we become better movers without even knowing it, at the sound of music. Overall great success!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Soccer Coaching Clinic

In my coaching clinic we are learning how to develop our personal statements and eventually our coaching philosophies. Although with experience our philosophies may change greatly, it is important to formulate our ideas into a philosophy. Formulating a purpose statement and a rough draft of my coaching philosophy has really opened my eyes. I have realized many things about myself as a coach that I had previously overlooked. I think that as I progress towards becoming a teacher it is important for me to expand my knowledge and experience as wide as possible. I think through being exposed not only to others great teaching and coaching but also seeing where they may have fallen short, will in turn help me to become the proficient educator I am striving to be. I think as teachers we need to convey more of our own feelings about teaching and education to our students, parents and fellow educators. This will help inform them of the impact that we are having and also will open ourselves up to feedback and constructive criticism. I hope that all my fellow educators and peers can take as much from their coaching clinics as I am taking away from mine. Applications from coaching can be used in not only teaching but many aspects of everyday life. I hope that my teaching can generalize across many fields also. In conclusion, it is important to get the most out of what is available to you, take your time, do all you can and make sure it's worth doing. Keep up the great work current and future physical educators of the world!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Raquette Lake experience

This summer I will be going to Raquette Lake as part of PED 308. This promises to be a great experience for my and my fellow colleagues. I hope to learn many skills and ideas that may help me in my future profession as a physical educator. Some of the skills that I think would really lead to me becoming a better teaching are those that are used in team building activities. I think communication is greatly important. When teaching not only do you need to be able to communicate with your students, you also need to be able to communicate with fellow teachers, administrators and the students parents. I think that our profession can be greatly misunderstood if not vocalized correctly. With these skills, physical educators as a whole can turn the profession into what we would like it to be. I also think that being able to rough it out in the wild will be a great experience. I think that learning to live a simpler life can be a truly eye opening experience. I will be sure to take the lessons that I learn and new skills I may acquire into my future teaching. Hope all my fellow teacher candidates will find this experience rewarding and take as much away from it as possible. Keep up the good work Cortland P.E

Second Time Teaching

Today in class it was our second chance at teaching. This time everyone had a better lesson planned including things such as hooks,good demonstrations,and cues that would help their fellow students to learn more effectively. I took away a few main points from the feedback that was offered to my fellow students and myself. First and foremost always be loud. In a physical education setting you can't be too loud so don't be afraid. It is greatly important that all students hear the instructions. Another things that many of my fellow classmates did incorrectly was that they themselves jumped into the games or skills practice. Although it is important to demonstrate the skills properly and explain them throughly, by the educator becoming involved in the game, it limits the amount of observation time and time to give feedback. It is important that we step away from the activity and observe, help and guide our students. I also think that through watching other teacher canadates' successes and failures we will learn effective teaching styles,ideas, and methods. It it far better to learn form others mistakes rather than our own. I am going to continue working on where I fall short and to reinforce those things that I do well already. This will lead to me becoming a far more effective teacher and giving the kids the education they deserve.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Effective Lessons

Both Professor Yang and the TA's have done a great job of showing me and my fellow classmates how to create effective lessons. I learned today the an effective hook can be a useful tool in drawing the students attention on what you are teaching them. Also it is important that as teachers we always get the students active immediately. Physical education classes are not nearly as long as they should be therefore we must make proper use of all the time so that students can be as physically active and learn as much as possible. This can also work to our advantage as it will warm students up so that we can do stretches and move right into our lesson. Cassie who is one of the TA's gave me some great pointers on how to create a good hook and I will be looking forward to implementing this hook into my lesson next class. Furthermore I will continue to strive to become a better physical educator. I think that it is great that as teacher candidates that we have so many great resources here at Cortland. I think it is also important to notice professors Yang's attention to voice volume and inflection. He himself who does a great job leading by example, shows all the students how important it is to be loud so that all students can hear the instructions and also so that you don't have to waste their time by calling them in. All in all great work and a great learning environment. Great Job 255.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

In the previous 255 class my fellow teacher candidates engaged in a few various activities with frisbees. We started moving and throwing, getting warmed up immediately upon the class starting. This allowed for us to get warmed up before we stretched. For stretches we did a bunch of different Yoga poses that incorporated various muscle groups, including those which we would use later in the class. We then moved into throwing the frisbee. The teacher aids did a great job of helping those who were having trouble, by demonstrating correct form and technique. We then moved into a frisbee game that got us moving around in order to score points. This was fairly challenging but became even more-so when the TA's were defending our passes. Overall great lessons and a great way to get everyone physically active and thinking.


Monday, January 23, 2012

Today I discovered how active you can be with very limited equipment. Using frisbees me and a partner perfected our throwing and catching. It is important to be able to throw in different ways so that when a defender is incorporated, you can have success throwing it. It is also important once a defender is added that you move around in space a lot. It serves to be beneficial if you throw in some fakes and jukes.
Also a great tool for not only relaxing but also for muscular strength and flexibility; Yoga. Yoga incorporates much more than the average person may see. Many of the poses use a great deal of muscular strength and endurance. Also modifications can be easily made to fit the fitness and strength level of the class. This is a good exercise that you can use with pretty much any grade level, although lower levels will need more instructions and prompts.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

First Class Experience

The first class of 255 was a great experience. Everyone including myself had the chance to teach the other members of the class specific skills. I personally chose volleyball skills. I started out with an underhand serve and once they grasped the concepts I moved to a simple bump, and set. I concluded by making this a little more practical and challenging  by asking the students to use them in series. I thought that overall everyone else who taught did a great job, and I really value the feedback that Professor Yang and the lab assistants offered. I am looking forward to a great semester.

First Impressions

This is my first time doing a blog and I am excited to get started. I think that it is great that as future educators we get the change to tell the world what we are learning and what we plan to do. I like the ability to easily convey my ideas to other people including my fellow classmates. I also have a lot to share about things I did over break to better myself as a physical educator. I have read through various book that  entail the ideals behind effective coaching. I did this in order to prepare myself for a coaching class that I am taking this semester at SUNY Cortland. I also love to read new and emerging research on sports and athletes alike I find that the more you know the more effective teacher you can become.