Lab B2 and Lab C RUNDOWN

Fellow rockstars, make sure you know how to fill out your feedback analysis sheet, time coding sheet, and transcript for Lab B2. If you have any questions regarding any of these PLEASE ask either Professor Yang or any of the lab assistants. All of your reflections are looking good so keep up the good work!

Lab C - International Games and Actvities Worksheet

Be sure to communicate with your partner to figure out what game or activity you will be teaching and start researching. This lab is a lot of fun because you get to bring out your creative side. The more interested and enthusiastic you are about what you are teaching, the more fun your students will have. Try to really think outside the box, and really get into the history of the game or activity and the culture of the country. You may also look at E16 in the packet for help. You can also start working on your lesson plans. Make sure you have either Yang or any of the lab assistants look at your lesson plan. That means have it done 3 days to a week before hand! Again, if you have any questions feel free to ask, and have FUN with this lab! We are excited to see all you bring out your inner rockstar SHINE!!!

iDance in ACTION

Instead of having to go in during finals week and write for about two hours on what I have learned throughout the semester in 255, we were all sent individualized final exams that we had to finish. Since iDance was my last teaching lab, for my exam I was supposed to write up new activity progressions as well as a block plan and lesson plan. I also wrote a letter to the superintendent of the school of my "dreams" about why iDance would be an excellent unit to add to our cirriculum. Lastly I wrote out two assessments that I would give if I had taught the unit to see what my students had learned. I actually enjoyed writing about the system and pretty much creating everything I would need to teach an entire unit of iDance. It seems to me that having this as a final exam is more authentic then having a written exam. I was able to get a taste of what I would need to do to get ready for a unit if I were teaching. Click below and you can see everyting that I accomplished!!

• lesson plan
• letter to Superintendent
• iDance Assessment #1
• iDance Assessment #2
  

EXERGAME EXPO!

On Friday December 11th I was able to attend the 2nd annual exergame expo in the dance studio at Park Center.  There were a variety of games that could be played, including the iDance which I taught for Lab D.  There was also an older version of Dance Dance Revolution, a game where used used a bike to drive a car on screen, and a game where you fought your opponent but used feet pads and something to hit.  All of the games were fun to try out as well as watch other people do.  There ended up being a pretty good turn out of people and it seemed like everyone that came had a good time.  I even got to write a letter to Santa for Macy's.  Overall it was a very nice way to end my last day of classes for the semester.  I really liked being able to relax and just have a good time with my friends for a few hours.  It was definitely a great way to end the semester!!

Dancing Like a Star!

For my final lab I got the chance to teach a brand new system called iDance. It is like Dance Dance Revolution, just more advanced. All of the pads are wireless and the system gives the results of each pad after each dance. Every student is able to see what percentage of steps they got right, and which steps they were too late or too early on. Because there is more to the system, it is more appropriate for teaching, and it makes it easier and more interesting to learn how to use the system. There is a wireless remote that controls the system, and you can help the students by turning on a or a "ticking" sound for when each step should be done. Luckily I was able to put in time during class and outside of class to learn how to use the system properly before I had to teach.

The theme for my lesson was "dancing like a star". All the students had a chance to practice a testing song that they would be tested on in the next lesson. The goal was to get a 50% or higher on the easy setting of the song "The Message" in order to pass with the judges and go on to perform in a dance competition. For my first task I had all the students get a partner and get a peer practice sheet. On the sheet were the five cues given in the lesson and a rubric. While one person danced, the other student gave them a number from one to four on how well they performed each cue. After that they switched roles. This activity was done to help the students get to know the cues better as well as figure out what they needed to work on in order to pass the test. After that I had all the students get on a pad and practice "The Message" on the easiest setting. At certain parts during the song I paused and went over the next couple of steps for them and had them practice before turning the music back on. After that activity I wanted to play a few fun songs for the students and allow them to pick different levels of difficulty to see what they were could do with the game, but I did not have time in my lesson. I thought that allowing the students explore with the different songs and levels would keep them motivated and interested in the game, and want to learn more.

Overall it was a fun lesson and I really enjoyed teaching it. I found the new iDance system very interesting and I definitely like it a lot more then Dance Dance Revolution. It has more aspects to it and I think it is more user friendly. I think the students had a good time during the lesson as well. I think it would have been more fun for them if they were able to explore a little more with the game itself, but because it was something new, I think they found it interesting and exciting. It was also very cool to know that we were some of the first students to use this system to teach, and it will come in handy in the future to know how to use this system.

• Time Coding Sheet
• Feedback Analysis
• Activity Progressions
• Lesson Plan

A Trip To the Outback

For Lab C, Stephanie and I decided to teach a little bit about the game of Netball.  The sport actually originated in the United States but made its way throughout the world.  It came to Australia in the early 1900's and is now one of the most predominant women's sports in the country.  It was very interesting to learn and teach a sport that is not usually taught in physical education, and then be able to teach it.  All of the different games that were taught by other groups in the lab gave me some pretty ideas for when I get out into the field.  This lesson was different then the first two labs we taught because we had to teach with someone else, as well as make visual aids, lesson plan, and task sheet.  I was the second person to teach within my group and I focused on the different kinds of cutting.  I taught the front cut as well as the cut back, where the offender uses different tactics to get away from their defender in order to catch a pass.  To end the lesson I had groups of five get into a game-like situation and play 3 on 2.  It was interesting to be able to see how much of the students picked up on what Stephanie and I taught during our lesson.  In addition to watching me teach my lesson on Netball, you can also take a look at my time coding sheet and my feedback analysis sheet as well as my activity progression sheet.  Enjoy!!

APEM Mini Conference!

I was able to attend the APEM Mini Conference on October 9th in Park Center. First I listened to Judy Rink's opening speech in which she spoke a lot about accountability in physical education. I also attended her other session on effective ways for teaching physical education. Just by listening to her talk, I learned all kinds of different ways in which to make physical education better. It is amazing how simple little things can make PE more fun and in the end more valuable for the students. My favorite lecture was the Polar Technology lecture where I learned more about assessment. They talked a lot about utilizing heart rate monitors and how they help assess students. It was mainly geared towards improving cardiovascular fitness, but they can be used in other ways as well. This lecture also had to a little bit with accountability as well. By assessing the students with the heart rate monitors for the mile run, there was data that showed how much the students improved from the fall to the spring. I really like how the heart rate monitors can be used to assess students in PE. It is something that I would love to use once I get out in the field to help students work at their full potential individually. Once you have a good idea of a students physical ability, it is easier as a teacher to help that student improve individually. Students can also figure out where they are physically in certain areas and work on those areas that need improvement. It is easy to tell students to job for the first 15 minutes of class, but how can you make your students work to their fullest potential and WANT to be physically active outside of class?

Pick It Up...

Lab B was the ultimate Frisbee lab where everyone taught a different part of ultimate Frisbee. I taught the pick up, pivot, and pass technique. It was easier to get everything I wanted to get in and have a good amount of activity time with more time to teach. I had the students start out by just pivoting and passing with the backhand throw and then moved on to the forehand and overhand throw. Once they mastered that, I started a new activity where they got into groups of three and had one person as a defender. It was easier for the students to see why having good pivots were important in the game of ultimate Frisbee. This lab was longer and had a little bit more involved in the teaching, but I found it much easier then teaching the first and even the second time. I was able to use what I have learned throughout the semester to make my lesson more organized and more effective then the past two times I taught in class. I have a transcript showing everything I said during the lesson, a time coding sheet that breaks up the lesson into different parts, and a feedback analysis sheet showing who I gave feedback to and if it was positive or negative.

Click here to listen to my lesson!!