Practical Volunteer Experience - Motor Development

Tuesday Feb the 14th  I went to my first lab experience at Dryden Elementary School for my Motor Development course. Needless to say I was extremely anxious. I anticipated that I would be a nervous wreck the whole time and this wasn't the case. After about 5 minutes things seemed to fall into place and I was able to focus and give my full attention the students. The lab was informal and was basically geared towards building a rapport with the children and have a good time. However, there was a underlying  objective which was to asses throwing and catching skills of elementary school students. While instructing numerous activities I began to fully appreciate the importance of establishing playing boundaries and safety statements. Without these managerial tools students easily get off course. My group, The Minions, started with "Everybodys It Tag" which I feel was fitting. This was a instant activity that required little instruction and got all the children engaged and running around. Also it was a fun way to break the ice. We followed up with  Toss-A-Name Game as it was appropriate for the theme and was a good way to learn students names. We then did  a "Group Juggle"; however given the age/developmental variations there were some difficulties. One of the children was 5 years old and was still in the initial stage within Gallahue's Theoretical Model of Motor Development. In my opinion, mistakes and all, the activity was beneficial in that it allowed students the opportunity to practice throwing and catching. Our next activity was the throwing and catching lab assessment. It was during this activity that motivating the younger students was necessary as this activity was a bit challenging for them. Also the younger child needed more specific instructional feedback to help them be more successful. However, it was more effective to give them instructions through demonstrations rather than words alone. Not only are they able to gather some information from the verbal instructions but through the visual instructions. This is crucial as children are maturating within the cognitive, affective, and pyschomotor domains. After the lab assessment were continued with different throwing and catching activities giving student time to practice in fun ways. The experience way great and I have a fun time working with the children at Dryden Elementary School and would to thanks for having me and I'm looking forward to visits to come! 


Tuesday the 21st, I went to the Dryden Elementary school for the second field experience. I was less apprehensive about it, which is encouraging for me since I tend to be someone who lets my nerves get the best of me. This experience seemed so different from the first. One major difference was that me and my lab group faced the obstacle of only having one child for the first hour and a half. Although one may think that this could only simplify things but on the contrary, it most certainly did not. Most of the activities that we had planned needed more than one participant. This caused a bit of a breakdown in the structure for the day. Additionally, the intent of the lab was to assess catching and jumping abilities. The one child that we had was only five and therefore had little opportunities to develop his jumping skills. He did however do very well with the throwing and catching activities that we had planned. It appeared as though he had previous exposure to throwing. He continually impressed me with throwing and oppositional stepping. Furthermore, he stepped in opposition almost every time and with various different throwing objects. This lab showed me how important it is to give cue to students that are learning new skills. I worked a little bit with this child to teach him basic locomotor movements in preparation for a game of Magician Tag. He was able to get the basics of skipping. We did it side by side while at the same time giving him exact verbal cues. This approach seemed to be pretty effective. I'm not saying that he could repeat a skip but he did successfully execute a few skips in secession at the time. I was please and it was neat to see the look of surprise on his face as he realized he was able to do it also. Essentially as a PE teacher you need to work to bring out the abilities that people don't think or realize that they have.

On Tuesday 28th, I had another practical experience at Dryden Elementary School. I was really impressed with how well things went. Pervious labs proved that if you set up your equipment in a fashion that looks interest children are more likely to come and check it out. During prior labs my group had trouble recruiting children to come a play with us. Therefore I made a point last week to create some inviting looking activities seem ever were up against the reins of the Playground. Right away two children came over to play. That was a good start. We began with a kicking to an open space and then to goal. There was not much variation in performance levels within the different task. We ran these simple tasks/activities for a bit. As more kids joined we created different challenges for them by changing the distance and with a few that were more advance we asked them to try to kick with their non-dominate foot. This allowed us to give cues to all the students. Plant your foot, make contact with the inside of your other foot and follow through. It was great because as a group I felt that we were able to give useful informative cues that all the students could use to help them perform better. After a while and it seemed as though they understood the correct way to kick we played Red Light, Green Light Kicking activity. The girls loved this and couldn’t get enough of it. They played for about 15 minutes. However the boys became less interested and few went back to the playground. It’s challenging to keep the interest of such a diverse groups of students (K-5, boy/girl). None the less we started up a game of Kickball and it was a huge success. By the end our game there were some 20 students engaged in Kickball with a wide range of skill levels. They all really seemed to be having fun and enjoyed playing. There was a piece of me that went to my childhood and could remember the neighbor kids getting together in the cul-de-sac to play kickball. I did however wonder if by playing kickball we neglected the teaching of fundamental skills. I rationed that we began with instructing the fundamentals of kicking and provided an appropriate progression. It’s not just about skill acquisition but rather a combination of learning skills and being excited to learn the skills.  It was a lot of fun and it was great to be a part of it. Thank you Dryden Students!

This experience gave me some really experience with managing a larger number of children. I was grateful that my group really shared the responsibilities as there were numerous things that came up. For example there were a few children that said that their foot hurt or that fell.  One child even took a ball right to the chest and it threw him back and knocked the wind out of him. As a group we managed to effectively handle these situations by bring them to the side and giving each child the time and attention to make sure that they were ok. However I’m not sure how we would have done this without my group; trying to manage the other students while tending to a single child. Definitely would appreciate some input.

One last thing that I thing is worth mentioning is this game of Kickball didn’t just bring in the “jocks” but a wide range of abilities. Therefore something that this lab helped me realize that if the activity is truly FUN kids want to be a part of it. As I’m preparing for my next lab at Dryden Elementary School this reflective lesson needs to be a crucial part of my planning. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish with the children. 

On Tuesday the March 20 I went to Dryden Elementary School for another hands-on experience working with the children there. It was a good learning experience. There were a few things in particular that were significant. During this lab we had to create our own assessment model.  My group assessed the underhand ball roll. So, we ran a bowling activity. It seemed like a great idea but there were some execution flaws.  At first, everything was ok. We only had two children and we could easily accommodate. However, as more children joined in it became difficult to keep everyone on task since many on them were just waiting around for their turn. It became apparently that although the activity enabled us to do the assigned assessment it did not allow us to engage all the children at the same time. We then moved on to a cup catching activity. There were also some difficulties running this task. Some children really enjoyed this activity; however, the task was too demanding for the younger aged children.  It was during this activity that these two boys decided to try me. I had yet to experience this.  I didn’t even know how to react. Even looking back, I am still not sure what the best approach would have been.  The only reaction that I could muster up was to say to them, “That’s not nice.”  Besides that incident was great to be able to apply some of things that I am learning from 255 Basic Instructional class.  I found that give very clear, specific instruction help students stay on target. Also giving congruent feedback, even if that meant telling thank you for following instructions “stabilized” the environment. Giving the children guidelines and reinforcing them help my group and I earned the respect from the children. In addition, giving feed that was congruent with the cues focused the children and motivated them to accomplish more. It was a rewarding experience.

Tuesday March 27^th we went back to the local Elementary school to teach volleying skills. This visit was a lot of fun. I feel like I’m really getting to know some of the children at the school. In addition, I finally am beginning to get a handle on what and how an instructor can do to engage and help students grow on. It’s a PE teacher’s responsibility to help students achieve things that they never thought possible. During this lab my group was lucky enough to experience some great moments.  Let’s start at the beginning. Volley is a fundamental skill that doesn’t get as much attention as let’s say catching. Thus, students really benefited from our activities. We were able to teach them the correct way to volley the ball. It was really awesome to watch as they got it.  There was one child in particular that largely benefited from a few  mini-challenges. You could just see the sense of confidence building, as he was success at the little challenges we gave him. It was really great. This lab gave me some much need motivation.  This is the best kind of receiving and I would like to thank the students of Dryden Elementary for the welcoming us into your school.

Our final Motor Develop Lab was last Tuesday April 10th. It was less formal than our pervious labs as we are winding down. We did not prepare activities however; we were put on the spot to come with some. In the face of this, I was surprisingly not nervous. Moreover, I was excited for the spontaneity. In addition each group had to teach a dance. Well, we taught the Chicken Dance and I use the word taught loosely (since most of the children already knew the dance).  We also played a few group activities with the Parachute. Overall, the last day was a fun and relaxing farewell to the Dryden students.  

Throughout the experience, I feel that I have grown. Given the opportunity to work hands on

with children K-5th grade,  I now have a better understanding of different activities and task that are developmental appropriate for children at these varying levels. In addition, I gain some useful information about how to work (talk, manage, busy) younger-aged children.  Although there is still much to learn, I am grateful for what I have acquired and excited for further opportunities for professional growth. Thank you Dryden Elementary School and students for all the great times we shared. 

Parting

Monday, April 30^th 2012 was the final class for my EDU255 course Basics in Effective Instruction in PE. First, I would like to say thank you Professor Yang for you contagious enthusiasm and passion. It has been eye opening and soul-searching semester. It is through this class that I feel even stronger about my pursuit to be a Physical Education teacher, and for this I thank you. You said something that really sunk in and was great to hear. If you don’t want to be totally submerged in these children’s lives then being a teacher in not for you. When I applied to Cortland, one of my motivates was to be able to reach out to those children (through the physical) who are looking for someone. It was source of strength for both my mind and my body in my youth, and I want to give that back. This semester has showed me just some of the ways I can reach my goal. In addition, it is through this class that I expanded my view of how and what Physical Education can and should be. To Rockstar PE!

Standards

During Friday’s class, we reviewed the Senior Level Regent Report card for PE. 6/3 This ratio is the hopefully standard that will soon be require for NYS students to graduate. The 6 represents capabilities in 6 different activity categories while the 3 represents proficiency in three of those categories. In order for PE to be regarded as a needed and serious program in schools PE teachers, need to establish a higher outcome criterion. We also discussed the importance of creating appropriate assessments for PE lesson. Up to this point, we mostly use verbal checks. But that’s not enough. There needs to be quantifiable, concrete assessments to be able to establish and prove the creditable of PE programs. 

Cup Stacking/Hantis

Wednesday’s class was brought to us courtesy of Kyle and David. David always does well, as he has good stage presence if you will. His lesson was on cup stacking. At first all I could think was this was not appropriate for PE class. I could not have been more wrong. This was a fun and instinctually challenging activity. Furthermore, cup stacking really helps the development of bi-lateral movement as well as brain functioning. Even though cup stacking is low-energy it’s a great activity to do in PE classes for many reason. You do not have to be an all-star to be fully engaged. Anyone and everyone can participant and enjoy it. We need more of this types of activities to help student find their place in the PE classroom. Remember, only 20% of all children like physical education classes, thus it’s up to instructor to try new things and help every child find their place in the PE. Kyle taught us another lesson in Hantis, which is truly a neat game. One nice thing about Hantis is that is easily adapted. Tables and balls can be modified with whatever the school has on hand. It’s a good activity to promote cooperation and teamwork, Thanks guys for the lesson. I look forward to incorporating both of these activities into my own classroom one day.

DDR

During Monday’s class, we were in the ExerGaming Lab again. I could get used to this. Both Max and Stephanie did an excellent job developing their lessons and task progression. Both taught a lesson using the DDR system. I liked the way that Stephanie had students who scored high during each round write their name up on the broad. It was an interesting way to assess while creating friendly competition. It was a good idea. Max was thrown a curve ball during his lesson. Our professor staged a student having a seizure. Although there were things that Max could have done different during this “happening”, I think that he well. Furthermore, I think that I was a good way to integrate and practice the application of what we have learning in our First Aid courses. Max had one task in particular at the end of his lesson that was fun. We were playing with our feet, doing the crab walk. This was an interesting twist. Thanks for the lessons Stephanie and Max.

Hunt Reflection

My last teaching experience for Basics in Effective Teaching course has come to a close. The experience, however challenging it was for me, revealed my potential. It was a great learning opportunity. As I reflect back, there were both positive and negative outcomes. I know that I have come a long way from that four-minute skill-teaching lab at the beginning of the semester and yet I there are still mountains in the distance. I can see that I have developed a certain confidence talking in front of a group that I never had. However, I still need to be careful with my words, as at times I'm less than precise with my words.

This last lab gave me a change to be creative and original. I believe that some of the components really enhanced the experience for my classmates. I presented them with a Challenge By Choice in which they would link up with classmates during the scavenger hunt. This forced every last person to work together and cooperation with each other. I would do something similar to this again, however I might use a Hula Hoop instead and have only two or three people in a group. Either way, the concept lends itself to a true cooperative learning experience. Additionally, I started the class with two different lead in activities.  I felt that both activities were necessary to begin to establish the working climate between students. They quickly played a game of Blog Tag and then I had groups work their way through three stations to introduce the topic of the scavenger hunt (the harmful effects of cigarette smoking). The class did the final station together. FYI, I had planned to do all the station in groups but I rotated the groups incorrectly. Nonetheless, I was glad that I goofed up because I think that the last station activities created a fun and spontaneous atmosphere.

were a few near fatal flaws in my teaching. First, I failed to provide students will emergency contact information. Since one group was on their one during half the class, I should have given contact numbers if there were any problems. Second, I planned to do the first pinpoint location on the Mobile Adventure Apps together. This would have allowed me to make sure that each group took a different route. In addition, at that time I knew that had to give them cues on how best to work the app. I should have address how to determine their next destination. This mistake did cause some hiccups. Also, I never told the students who were the acting touring guides to read the question aloud as they reached each location. Futhermore, I should have better explained what they were looking for and what they were to do at each location (take an index card and leave the item in the container). All of those glitches could have been avoid had I remember to complete the first location together.

Another significant problem of my lesson was that I gave them too many tasks to complete while the hunt was in progress. I asked them upload pictures to Twitter, complete a worksheet, and create a jingle. Looking back I probably should have left the assignment to the end of class as a take home assignment. They had too many things in their hands.

On the other hand, many qualities about my lesson were strong. My lesson was structured to educate the participants, learning through the physical, as my professor says. It was not just a simple scavenger hunt but rather a means to have student begin to understand their own health as it relates to personal decisions and smoking cigarettes. It is this concept that inspired me. If you don’t already know, I currently work in the healthcare field. The reason for my transition into Physical Education is largely due all that I have witness in my career. Physical Education can’t just be about promoting athletes and good PACER scores, but must be about teaching children the ways in which to develop and maintain their own personal health. This is vital; so that future generations will not continue to experience the same health aliments that are facing our nation now.

Lesson Plan
Activity Progression
Block Plan
Scope and Sequence
Assignment to Assess Leaning
Behavior Management
C-12 Form
Transcription
Time Coding

Final MD Lab

Our final Motor Develop Lab was last Tuesday. It was less formal than our pervious labs as we are winding down. We did not prepare activities however; we were put on the spot to come with some. In the face of this, I was surprisingly not nervous. Moreover, I was excited for the spontaneity. In addition each group had to teach a dance. Well, we taught the Chicken Dance and I use the word taught loosely (since most of the children already knew the dance).  We also played a few group activities with the Parachute. Overall, the last day was a fun and relaxing farewell to the Dryden students.  

Throughout the experience, I feel that I have grown. Given the opportunity to work hands on

with children K-5th grade,  I now have a better understanding of different activities and task that are developmental appropriate for children at these varying levels. In addition, I gain some useful information about how to work (talk, manage, busy) younger-aged children.  Although there is still much to learn, I am grateful for what I have acquired and excited for further opportunities for professional growth. Thank you Dryden Elementary School and students for all the great times we shared.