Nike Secret Soccer Tournament

Bon Appetit Fitness!!

On Monday March 23, 2009, we had our fourth motor development lab at St. Mary's School Cortland. This week, we were assessing the students' motor skills of an overhand throw and catching which were incorporated into the activites present today. The theme of this week was favorite foods. Our group presented an activity to the children in the gymnasium. And after our great performance last lab, we were hoping to top it!

After the first group presented their activity, our group Jumpin' Jack and the Jive Five taught our game. Our activity split the children into four groups each at a hula hoop station. There were balls and pictures of unhealthy food scattered on the floor. On each basketball hoop, there were hula hoops hanging off the rims. The task was for one student from each group to come to play area and grab a ball, go stand on a poly-spot, and attempt to throw it through the hula hoop. If they succeeded, they would pick up piece of 'bad good' and bring it to their 'garbage pails' back with their group then the next student would go. After a few rounds of this, the game was altered such that one student would run out and get a ball and return to their group and the next student would run to a poly-spot. Once there, the student with the ball would throw it to the student on the poly-spot so he could catch it and throw it through the hula hoop. This enabled both motor skills to be evaluated at the same time and see how proficient the students were. The skills of these students were mixed with some being at an elementary level and others at an initial level. But for the most part, they all had a great time!

After we finished in the gym, we headed downstairs to the cafeteria. When the kids finished their snacks, we all played little activities. We played such games as Connect Four, checkers, Legos, and we also colored pictures together. The kids seemed to enjoy playing down here a lot. There wasn't any pressure to follow rules and they got to do what they wanted to. When we were done here, we headed back up to the gym for some open recreation activities. I was playing basketball with Shamus and Liam and they were both making all their shots like Kobe Bryant! We then concluded the day with the Macarena ending yet another fun time together.

After this experience, I learned a lot more about the teaching process. It clearly is not an easy one to follow but it is rewarding. While we have had plenty of challenges as potential teachers, we are quickly learning how to fix them and improve ourselves. I cannot wait until we come back next week to teach yet again!

Project Vacation: Superhero Training Camp

On Monday March 2, 2009, we had our third motor development lab at St. Mary's School Cortland. This week, we were incorporating the slide, horizontal jump, and leap skills into the lesson for us to observe. The theme of the day was 'superheroes' and the kids seemed very excited to begin the day. Our group had the task of putting together and presenting the lead off lesson activity. And after last week, we were prepared with an activity that the kids would love!

Our group, 'Jumping Jack and the Thriving Five,' taught an activity called endless bucket. In order to correct the mistakes from last lab, we met Sunday afternoon to layout what we were going to do and assign tasks to each group member. We eventually agreed on a theme where we would use the game as a 'superhero training camp.' The story behind it is that Batman, Superman and all the other heroes were going on vacation next week and asked us for help. So we were trained to be superheroes by them and had to find new recruits. We would ask the kids for their help and keep the world safe. For the activity, students picked a task from the buckets in the middle and go to the assigned station. The stations included a bat cave crawl, subway chase on scooters, building slide around some mats, flying like superhero, fighting villians, and much more! Between the buckets and the stations, we would ask the kids to either leap, jump, or slide so we could assess these skills.

When we go to the school and began setting up, we immeditely caught the kids' attention. As props, we all wore capes and some wore the logos of Batman and Superman. I had the respoinsibility of explaining the game and each station. The kids remained quiet and listened to all directions. The activity went great! Everyone followed directions and we had all the kids participating with no one sitting out. Each student had a great time and all became superheroes at the end! Our group truly came together and worked hard to achieve their task. Everything went like clockwork and I couldn't be more proud of the job we had done!

After we finished in the gym, we went downstairs into the cafeteria and played games with the kids after their snack. Games ranged from legos to jenga, and checkers to connect four. With the kids I was with, everything had to do with superheroes still! They took legos and the jenga blocks to make Batman and the batcave. After this, we went back up to the gym for open recreation where the kids played what they wanted including one little girl making a 'jail cell' out of hula hoops and pretending to be a lion! We closed with the 'Cha-Cha Slide' and thus ended a great day.


After this experience, I had realized why I wanted to be a Physical Education teacher. Seeing the kids having so much fun and having them listen to you is very rewarding. It confirmed my belief that can have an impact in the lives of anyone and keep them educated and physically active. Next week we lead off again with another activity and I cannot wait to tackle this task once more!

What Not to Do As A Goalie

Barnyard Frenzy!!

On Monday February 23, 2009, we had our second motor development lab at St. Mary's School Cortland. Unlike in our first lab where we simply played the games the kids wanted to, this time, each group had the opportunity to teach a lesson to the students. While we had prepared our lesson and organized what we wanted to do, we did not anticipate the energy and reaction of the kids...

Our group, 'Jumpin' Jack and the Core Four Plus 1,' taught an activity called "Barnyard Frenzy." For this activity, we used the big parachute as the central part of the game. The story is that there are baby animals underneathe the parachute and the goal is to save them and bring them to their parents who are outside the circle. The game began with a 'farmer' who would travel around the circle performing skills such as walking, galloping, skipping, and hopping. When the music stopped, they would go between two students on the parachute. These kids would be the 'farm hands' and go under to get the animal picture and bring it to the cone on the outside. The last one back was the new farmer and the game continued.

These rules seemed simple enough. But we weren't ready for the kids reaction. As soon as they saw the parachute, they went nuts! They started rolling in it, pulling it, and running underneathe. It took a while to start the game because we had to wait for some kids to get out! When the game was played, there was little confusion but due to the low number of kids participating at a time, many became distracted and bored. We eventually adapted to this and changed the game by having everyone hold up the parachute and travel in a circle performing the locomotor skills. And at the end, we concluded by having everyone go underneathe and sit and share a laugh!

This was the first actual teaching experience for all of us in a school setting. We definately were not ready for all that was thrown out before us. The kids were excited and wanted to play and we were the ones who had to keep up. But all in all it went very well and is a valuable experience to learn from. Next week, we're going to try and make our lesson better and keep the kids excited!

No Limitations on a Dream!!

Lights. Cameras. Physical Education!!

And it's showtime!!

On Monday February 9, 2009, we had our first motor development lab at St. Mary's School Cortland. This was the first time I had interacted with young children in a school setting so I was excited to get there and begin the path to my teaching career. And it was much different than I had expected!

Our group, 'Jumpin' Jack and the Jive Five' were placed with the pre-kindergarden children for the first lab. And it was nonstop activities and games the whole time! For such little kids, they all had plenty of energy and desire to particpate. From the moment we entered the classroom, we were drawing, coloring, reading stories, and playing with toy cars and dinosaurs! While each child would love the activity they were doing, they would also quickly grow tired of it and want to play or do something different. While in the classroom, they were still quiet and reserved but that wouldn't last long as we were next to enter the gym...

It was like releasing the flood gates!! As soon as they got into the gymnasium, they started running around and finding things to play with. And even though I'm in good physical shape, it was hard to keep up with them! We played tag games, hula hoop, rolling/throwing/shooting a ball and racing eachother to see who was faster. Each child interacted well with one another and all seemed to be up to the same basic skill level. The energy and excitement was quite a lot to keep up with but everyone did and had a great time!

After this experience, I can say that I had a great time at St. Mary's School. It's fun to work with the kids as well as my fellow classmates. Through this, we will grow together and travel the same path for our teaching career with great experiences like this. I cannot wait until next lab to work with slightly older children to compare with my previous experience and have a great time all over again!

Usian Bolt Sets the 100m World Record!!

Dodgeball Dilemma

One of the most highly debated topics in the world of Physical Education is the use of the game of dodgeball in the curriculum. Many people have their opinions based on their personal experiences with game. Some see it as a rite of passage for students, while others see it as a barbaric sport that needs to be removed from schools. Here is my No Spin opinion:

When I was in junior high school, I was first introduced not to dodgeball but a variation called "angle ball." Dodgeball itself was removed from our schools and the Physical Education teachers implemented this variation so us students could experience it. The rules were pretty much the same; elimination when you get hit by the ball but to ultimately win the game, your team needed to knock a basketball off of the cone on the other teams side of the court. Needless to say everyone enjoyed this.

As a Physical Education teacher, however, I have to decide whether dodgeball would be appropriate to use in my class. I feel that the game helps to develop and strengthen important physcial skills including running, throwing, and catching, while it also includes teamwork and strategy. It is a fun game and should be experienced by all. However, it does have its share of negatives. Many students are not as physically able as others and prefer to sit to the side or not participate at all. Plus, it allows certain students to target and bully others all the while promoting the use of violence. The game has plenty of positives and negatives.

My decision would be to use dodgeball, or a variation of the game, in my Physical Education class. However, I would offer an alternative game or activity for those students who choose not to participate in the game. This allows students who want to experience the game the ability to play it and gives the other students to experience another activity they are more comfortable with that also shares the same skill development.

There are many people who claim that dodgeball is a dangerous sport and needs to be removed from the school. However, sports like football and hockey share the same heightened risk but continue to be played without opposition from concerned parents. If one sport is to be penalized, then all who share the same risk should be subjected as well.

While it will always be a contested subject, there should be a compromise that will give students a choice to participate in dodgeball whether in Physical Education class or as an after school activity. It could be a decision for the best.

No Spin PE Zone

Welcome to the No Spin PE Zone!!

Many people are quick to judge physical education as a joke and not take the class and its instructors seriously. What they don't realize is all the hard work and dedication that goes into developing oneself as a Physical Education teacher.

As a Physical Education major, me and my classmates take many classes at Cortland that lead to our degree. While there are a lot of activity classes, there are also an equal amount rough and difficult classes we take to prepare ourselves to become educators. Anatomy & Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics, and Educational Psychology are just a few of the classes we take to learn how the body works and how to use it (classes like Adventure Activities, Self Defense, Rhythms and Dance, and Basketball are just a few perks!).

On here, we look at Physical Education without any bias and without the spin. We see it for the science that it is here in the No Spin Zone!

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