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.

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

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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