Superhero Time!

This lab was tons of fun.  I almost forgot how much fun it was to be there having the break for prep.  Showing up dressed in costume with the kids all excited was great, they especially liked Trent (superman).  Getting the games going was fine and we all observed while the gym group had the kids play games.  Watching how the kids are and how just a little effort can make a world of difference for them makes me excited to be a teacher.  My costume of Clark Kent turned out to be perfect seeing as I did the interviews for special projects.  The people who got interviewed were great and more than willing to answer questions which was appreciated greatly.  After interviewing people, I took over taking pictures, maybe I was a little extreem but it was fun.  I find myself suprised at how fast the time goes by at St. Mary's, I guess time really does fly when your having fun.

PE mini-conference Drum-tastic fun!

After finishing up my classes on Friday morning, I stoped into Park Center to attend a presentation on something going on in PE.  After looking over the sheet with the presentations on it, I went to the Aerobic Drumming class.  Once I got there, my mind was fliped...we weren't going to listen to someone speak, we were going to experience something new and participate in it.  After everyone got an exercise ball and set up in a circle, we all got drum sticks.  What came next was a BALLIN good time.  The lady giving the presentation started music, and then started doing drum beats on the exercise ball (with music playing).  The class then started doing what she was doing and before long we were all dancing and moving with the music.  This type of exericse was wonderful because you don't have to be in the greatest of shape to do it (if I did it anyone can)  It can also be used for athletes trying to come back from an injury, some movements were great for stretching and getting the body moving.  I had so much fun doing this and it opened my eyes to the possibilities that PE has to offer.  These kind of things just get me more excited to start teaching!

Dodgeball: Can it be Healthy without being Hazardous?

Dodgeball can be an exciting game and also a extreemly physically active.  Many students enjoy playing this because it is a way to release stress, and agression; but what they don't know is that it can also be good for the body as well.  Unfortunatly, dodgeball has taken a bad wrap in the public eye and has actually been banned in many school districts.  As a physical educator it is important for me to both keep my classes interested in the things that we are doing, but also keep them safe at the same time.  What if my students wanted to play doedgeball? How can I maintain the excitement of the game while keeping my sutdents safe?  The first thing that I would do would be to use the Gator balls instead of the old-school rubber balls.  Doing this would make it less likely for a students to get hurt by actually getting hit by a ball.  Second I would have the students play in a small room like the wrestling room, and have mats down.  Having the mats down would decrease chances of a student falling and hurting themselves on the hardwood of a gym floor.  Another thing that I would do in the game is try to introduce a different aspect to the game.  Maybe try to have three bowling pins set up behind the teams and when all the pins are knocked over the game is over!  This way instead of just having one person left and everyone going for the one person, the people on the other team are now also try to get the bowling pins knocked over.  These minor alterations will help keep the students safe while adding a new, exciting twist to a classic game they already love.

Lab 2, What aRRRush!

Lab two did not start off the way I had anticipated; but the best laid plans, right?  The kids from St. Mary's came in like usual and sat down.  We started off observing Adam and Nicole, to see how they would do with their gallop, hop, and run.  We were to pay specific attention to certain things that the kids were doing with their hop ( if foot not being used was in front or in back of them), and with their gallop ( if it was more of a skip, or they actually could gallop), and the run ( if trail leg came to a 90 degree angle).  After observing the kids we all split into groups.  My group and I went outside to play with the older kids (grade 3-5) and they were playing kickball, one of my favorites!  After playing kickball with the kids we brought them inside to play our games.  My game was first and I had a lot of difficulty getting the kids attention.  The ones who stuck around to play my game had a look of, here's another college kid having us play his game.  Fortunately with the help of my lab leader we were able to explain the game and once we were playing, others saw how much fun we were having and came over to play too!  In the future, I should deffinately come up with a creative way of getting the kids attention.  Every one else's game went great on the day and we all had a lot of fun...hope the kids are having as much fun as I am.

My Thoughts on Chapter 1!

While reading the chapter 1 of the text, I couldn't help but picture myself teaching.  Just the idea of being a PE teacher is very exciting.  As I read, I put myself in situations in my head and try to see what I would do.
The text outlines why it is becoming more important for there to be good PE teachers in the world.  The first thing for being a good teacher is following the NASPE standards of teaching.  The book then also talked about why it is important that PE teachers go into the world of teaching with the determination to make a difference in young kids lives, and allow them to live a physically active lifestyle.  The text also discussed some concerns that teachers have with keeping their students safe.  A teacher must take every precaution to making sure that there is a safe environment for all of their students.  One thing that I was happy to read about in the book was how our goals as teachers are never met and we must continually stride to make ourselves better and always work tward influencing kids in a positive manner.

Lab at St. Mary's on 9/15

Lab was awesome with the kids, they really seem like a fun group and willing to play new games.  That age group is a lot of fun because of their willingness to play just about anything.  Laura and I played walk to dog with a hula-hoop, and then Holy and I teamed up to play the pass the hula-hoop game with several kids and they had a blast...so did I.  I can't wait to go back and play new games with the kids!

How lax sticks and baseball bats effect young athletes.

I think that it is important for young kids to learn new sports and to always be trying new things.  With that being said it is also important  that while the kids are using things like lax sticks, baseball bats and hockey sticks that they are taught how to use them properly.  It is also important that they understand that they are used in sport and not as a weapon.  These things used in sports is especially good for young kids because of their constant yearning to learn new things, it also expands their hand-eye coordination beyond their own limbs.  It is on the parents to control how much the kids use these tools of sport.  It is also very important that parents understand that their kids have to get the basics of their own motor development down before they extend it with lax sticks and baseball bats.