Baby Got Crib

Way back when, upon hearing my group and I would have to make a music video to a song and relate it to class, I was very reluctant. I soon realized it was the most fun I've had in a while, in class or not. I was able to break inhibitions, let loose and have fun with it. I was able to get dressed up, look ridiculous, and loved every second of it. Every now and then Sir Mix A Lot's 'Baby Got Back' will come on in my shuffle and I cannot help but to sing my part. I hope my group and I can get to perform on the 1st of May so we can knock it out the park and show everyone what we have.

Looking Back

Looking back at the previous labs, the activities and game I chosen to use seemed very appropriate. The games never got out of hand, the students were always on task, very rarely was anyone ever standing around waiting. I made sure my games were always able to get the students moving, it is the basis I like to set. There is always limitations to every game. Whether it is the environment, the learner to what not, it is hard to assess motor skills at some times. I've noticed that the student does not attempt the skill or will not get a chance too. The learner may become distracted and off-task or the game was not well thought out enough towards the motor skill. In the past lab I watched and assessed a student practice her basketball dribbling and soccer shot. Student M performed the task beautifully, the games was set so well to assess the motor skill, and at the age of 5, she was so ahead of the curve I felt. She was able to contact the ball with one hand, not slapping it, at hip height with control of the ball as well. Also, her soccer kick was very nice for a girl her age. Rapid continuos approach to the ball and her trunk inclined. On the other hand, she lacked a forward swing of the arm and a follow-through. Overall, her motor skills were very impressive and the game was well balanced towards it.

Buzz and Woody Save The Day

This past lab, we were fortunate enough to have Woody, Buzz Lightyear and his gang stop by St. Mary's for some fun. Not only that, but we were lucky enough to spend the beautiful day outside! It was a whole new realm for me as a teacher and I learned a lot. Teaching within doors is a completely separate task from outdoors. The environment changes drastically, and as a teacher you need to adjust. I think it was a job well done overall by myself and my peers. Hopefully we can be outside on more time before the end of the semester to hone our skills more but we shall see.

Reflecting On St. Mary's

Looking back on my experience with St. Mary's I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity. The biggest challenges I faced was not being able to communicate and interact with the children as much as I would have liked to. I found it difficult to grasp the students attention, hold it, and communicate what it was I was attempting to, whether it be a game or what have you. The environment never became an issue because fortunately the gym was always available, only problem I've faced is breaking my inhibitions, letting my guard down and communicating. In order to improve, I will just have to work harder and lose the fear I have, raise my voice to better get my point across. I look forward to improving myself in the future at St. Mary's and elsewhere.

Easter Hits St. Mary's

This past monday the Easter Bunny arrived early to St. Mary's in Cortland. The children of St. Mary's celebrated Easter by participating in fun activities and having a great time. Students were simultaneous working on their motor skills, like throwing and catching, while having a great time. I loved to see the kids running around having a ball and knowing that I was able to help put that smile there. This past lab I really feel I was able to communicate to the kids better than ever before. I really let my guard down and began to 'teach' so to speak. I look forward to our future labs and hope to perform even better.

Dinosaurs Attack St. Mary's

This past monday, St. Mary's was attacked by viscous dinosaurs. Contrary to popular belief, these dinosaurs came in peace, hoping to join in on various activities and to have fun. These dinosaurs wanted to practice their leap, horizontal jump and slide. I'm starting to have second thoughts on dinosaurs now, apparently our beliefs on them are wrong, they are very peaceful creatures. Now watching the dinosaurs practice their skills a lot was learned. First and foremost, who knew dinosaurs were so athletic? Secondly, the dinosaurs all develop at their own pace and have to be dealt with individually and carefully. With the right guidance these dinosaurs can become all stars. The teacher's responsibility is to first, make sure the students have the times of their lives, and look forward to physical education, and secondly to ensure that they develop into well rounded adults.

Throughout the lab, I noticed that those who came prepared with props, were much more successful than those who had not. Props are a great way to grab the attention of the student and hold on to it for dear life. The hardest part of teaching, in my opinion, is grabbing the attention of the student. At such young ages they can get distracted easily, thus, making this a vital part in teaching.

St. Mary's Goes Up in Blaze

After viewing the students’ movement patterns this past week, there was plenty of variability seen across the board. I noticed that sometimes age is not an issue, that perhaps, a younger student may be more advanced than an older student. This leads me to understand that different students progress at different rates and that there must be another influence in the students’ life that may be affecting this. There could be genetic reasons for example, or perhaps the environment itself could be another reason. I worked with two students, student A and student B. There was plenty of variability between the two of them for all of the movement skills of leaping, horizontally jumping and sliding. Student A had a hard time grasping the concepts of each skill and how to do them, while student B showed good progressions throughout the class. Throughout the day I used the teaching strategies that I was taught and thought were going to be most productive. I got down to their level, explained thoroughly, used demonstrations, did not ask questions I did not want to hear and so on. The effect went well, I was able to relay my message across and get the students running and playing in no time. In my opinion, the most effective strategy is getting down the students level, without doing so one can never expect to grab the attention of the students, the students will quickly divert their attention elsewhere and the teacher will have no effect at all. The most effective strategy to capture the children’s attention and keep them on task is to use props, props and more props. Props are such a good way to get them to listen to you, understand your activity and have them playing in no time. For example, when Blaze showed up at St. Mary’s all the students energy went off the Richter scale and started to have the times of their lives. Now I know I cannot have a real dragon every time, but it does not always have to be to that extent. As the teacher we have to be innovative and creative to optimize the playing time for the children.