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Wednesday, April 11, 2012


*Lab D*

iDance Prepping Time!!!






Today I sat down and went through the entire playlist of the iDance system so I could have a set playlist for my teaching session! I've also just about finished my Lab D Resource Packet that has tons of information on my Lab D experience! 

My playlist for iDance lesson is as follows:
- Chopstix 1:44m  [Warm-Up]
- Aerial     1:42m
- Come On, Come On 1:41m
- Do It My Way 1:41m
- July 1:39m
- Elder God Shrine 1:39m  [Partner/Closing Activity]
- Million Feelings 1:33m *If time permits*
- Oasis 1:48m *If time permits*

Linked below are preparations for this teaching session, feel free to take a look!!! 



Full Lab D Resource Packet to be posted soon, along with pictures, video, and more!!





Thursday, April 5, 2012

Trish Teaches Yoga!

The first of the Lab D experiences was taught today and to say the least, 
Trisha has set the bar high for the rest of us! 
She taught us all yoga while using different, interesting, and fun techniques. She incorporated technology, gave great feedback, had a great control on the class, and did a lot more! 
We all really enjoyed the lesson!



Friday, March 30, 2012

The iDance Equipment Has Arrived!!

The iDance equipment is finally here and in working order!! 
Everything is wireless and turns on and off with one simple switch, the game is also just software uploaded to a pc which is connected to a wireless detector which can detect up to 32 player pads at one time. 
What's awesome about the game is that each person can be at a different difficulty level and at the end of each song you get your own personal stats about how you did! 



The equipment really is cool and I can't wait to get in the lab and get to try it out more. 


Next week I'll be in the lab constructing picture & video instructions on how to set-up the system and work the iDance game so keep coming back for more info! Happy Weekend!!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

iDance - Lab D!!

So for my final teaching lab of the semester I will be introducing my class to iDance! 
A full system can accommodate up to 32-players at once and they can play up to 3 different difficulty levels, all with real-time performance feedback!



I get 20 minutes to teach my iDance lesson and I will be incorporating the FITT principle of training.
Frequency
Intensity
Type
Time

I will be teaching April 20th and I am very excited about it!! In the mean time I will be posting Lesson Plans, Task Progressions and details for the next few weeks!!  
Also, check out my recently updated Professional Portfolio! 
Thanks for viewing! :)


To view more about iDance check out: iDance Games 

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Lab C - Shinty Time!!

So the week before Spring Break brought about my Lab C teaching session and I was super excited for it! I had 10-12 minutes to teach my tasks and the scenario was that I was instructing a group of 4th graders! One thing I did great was my instant activity! It got the group going, got them working together, and also incorporated some cultural information about Scotland. Shinty came from Scotland a long, long time ago and this was a great way to get the students into it! I had four blue triangle pieces spread out in the middle of the court. Each piece had magnets on the back that would lock on to a corresponding spot on the white board. Also, on each blue piece there was a math problem, the answer was on the white board where the piece should be put. When the students solved each problem and put them on the board, it made a complete Scotland flag! Everyone really enjoyed it! 













My main task for today was to continue working on passing skills for my students and then get them into small game play. After a few short warm-up activities we got into our game positions. One thing I did not do so well was after I informed my students the rules of their small game and got them situated to play, I did not make clear boundaries of play. This was a small mistake that could cause injury and confusion and at first I couldn't believe I forgot to. It was a simple forgetful mistake that I fixed quickly. The students didn't even notice and they kept playing and having fun! 




















Even though I did make a simple mistake I did not let it affect me in how my students were cooperating in their activities. I moved past it and still taught an effective lesson. I saw that my students improved on their passing skills and even incorporated game-like skills. Reflecting on how I taught this lesson makes it possible for me to know what I do good and what I need to improve to become a great teacher. I am learning in every situation I am in and it is benefiting me greatly. With reflections and experiences during these labs I will become a great instructor for my future students. 



























View my activity progressions by clicking here!
Want to see my C9 Form for this lesson? Click here!


My Statistics for Time Coding were as follows: 
56% Activity
16% Instruction
13% Management
2.5% Waiting









Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Improving Communication With Learners!

As a future physical education teacher one of the most important things to take into consideration is the level of communication I will have with my students, especially in task preparation. 
There are many things a teacher can do to improve communication when presenting their students with a new task and I will be discussing some of them. 
Listed below are key things one can do to improve such communication:
1. Sequence the presentation in logical order
[This will make it easier for students of any age to learn a task from simplest to most complex]
2. Get the attention of the learner 
[One effective way to do this is to personalize the presentation and draw on the personal experiences of the students]
3. Give examples, Improve clarity, and Repeat things that are difficult to understand 
[All of these things will immensely increase the understanding of your lesson]
4. Check for Understanding
[This is key especially for younger children but should be done for all ages]
5. Choose a way to communicate that is effective
[Verbal communication, media tools, demonstrations]
6. GIVE GOOD CUES
[They must be accurate, brief & critical to the skill, also appropriate to the learners skill level & age to ensure maximum benefits]

Another thing a teacher must do is develop lesson content appropriate for their students. Teachers can use a progression of tasks to develop content that makes it possible for the learners to go from one level or learning to another. There are three different content moves that establish progression & represent the way a teacher develops lesson content. They are as follows:
The first part of the process of developing lesson content is using Extension Tasks.
These are tasks that change the complexity of difficulty of the prior task. 
Next, Refining Tasks which are the qualitative aspect of the extension task.
Lastly, Application Tasks or Assessment Tasks. They are the competitive, self-testing, or performance based tasks. 

When talking about Open versus Closed skills the established progression should differ. I say this because Closed skills can be practiced by reducing the complexity & difficulty while Open skills require gradually increasing difficulty to their practice. Closed skills are also practiced primarily in the conditions in which you use the skill while Open skills are not.

Below are examples of extension tasks for closed & open skills!
An example for an extension column of a closed skill such as a forward roll would be:
1. Perform down a large incline
2. Perform the roll down a small incline
3. Perform the roll on a flat surface
4. Perform the roll up an incline mat

Here is an extension column of an open skill such as a soccer header:
1. Perform the header sitting on your bottom
2. Perform the header on your knees with a forward motion
3. Perform the header on your feet
4. Perform the header walking forward