I Want To Be An Astronaut! Huh?

Monday was our last time going to St. Mary's and I really couldn't believe how fast the semester went.  We first opened up playing with the students using the giant parachute.  We played games like making chicken noodle soup, sharks and life guards, and moved around the parachute depending on what color we were holding.  There are so many different games that you can play by just using the parachute and the students will be fully engaged.  It is a great warm up activity to get the students moving.  For the remainder of the day I worked with the pre-kindergartner's again for the second week in a row.  I went into there classroom and played with a few girls and boys in their play area.  They wanted to play house and they cooked me up a fruit salad.  Then I had them join me to color and they had me draw the different students in the classroom.  One of the girls loved the picture so much she wanted to keep it because she said "I was a natural artist."

 Then I read the students a book called "I Want To Be An Astronaut."  The book was a very short story with a lot of pictures.  Although the students did not respect me while I was reading the story.  Every sentence I read they all in unison would say "Huh!?" I smiled twice and then told the students to pay attention and to be quiet but they continued to do it every page for the remainder of the story.  After I went into the gymnasium and played with the students in builders and bulldozers.  I had a student that wanted to play with me individually so we were having a pass.  Then she wanted to pass to me off the wall and try and catch it.  I was impressed with her ability although the ball slipped between her hands a few times.  Then she wanted to carry her ice cream cone around the area.  We both tried to pass the ball from cone to cone because we did not want to get sand on our ice cream.  The day went by so quick and before I knew it it was the final activity of the day.  One young student wanted to be my partner for the activity so we ran around and tried to grab their flag that was attached to the other teams belts.  He was more successful than me!  I had a blast at St. Mary's and would do the semester all over again.  It has been such a beneficial learning experience and it was fun at the same time.  Thanks again St. Mary's School!
Click here for lab six!

Crocodile Tag!

Monday was such a gorgeous day and what better way to spend the day than at St. Mary's.  As soon as we got there we had to observe the different levels of skill amongst the kindergartner's and first graders.  I was extremely impressed with the skill levels of the students.  Any way today my group and I worked with the pre-kindergartner's.  We went outside to their playground and interacted with the students.  Three young girls wanted to play tag with me and they were very good.  They refrained from telling me all the rules because apparently every fence, chair, and tree were "base".

 I had them join me on the bars and they wanted to play a climbing tag which I modified so it wasn't as dangerous.  I had two crocodiles starting in the middle of the circle and every body else moving around the bars.  You could only be off of the bars for five seconds then you had to get back on.  The students loved the game so much it had gained attention of other students that joined.  Before I knew it there was about six students playing the game with me and the game even attracted Dave to join in too.  Next we went inside where the students had a snack break and story time.  While this was going down I was setting up mine/Ryan's game.  His game went well although it was not a game that involved dribbling/kicking which were the two skills that were being assessed.  I decided to have the young students focus on dribbling and if they lose their dribble they would shoot the ball.  The young students did not find the game interesting at all so then I had them just freely dribble/pass with one of us college students which they seemed to enjoy.

 Before I knew it the day was almost over and we were told to clean up and get ready for the last game/song/cheer.  Everyone had a good time playing Toilet Tag especially when they got to flush someone's toilet.  I cannot believe how much I have grown at St. Mary's and I am not shy to run around a break a sweat.  I was tired at the end of the day and I think that that is important to work hard in every activity and be involved because it is boring standing on the side just blowing a whistle or shouting go as a cue to begin.
Click here for lab five!

Relay For Life!

Rest in peace Court<3
10/08/1991 - 12/13/2008

This past Saturday night my field hockey team and I went to relay for life in park center to raise awareness and celebrate those who have fought, survived, or lost their battle to cancer.  I walked around the track celebrating one of my friends Courtney Tomkin who past away almost three and a half years ago.  She had brain cancer and lost the fight after just nine months of fighting.  She was only seventeen years old.  I miss her so much and I was so proud to walk in her memory.  I also walked around the track in honor of my Uncle Kenny who had survived lymphoma cancer but now has terminal pancreatic cancer and in honor of my Aunt Dorothy who has melanoma cancer.  What really touched my heart was seeing the cancer survivors walk around the track holding the relay for life banner.  As a future educator I really hope I can host one of these events to raise awareness and money for cancer research.  I think that it is extremely important to get all of the students involved whether they be involved in different clubs, athletic teams, or if they just want to come support.  I really hope I have the opportunity to do this because this would be a great event to bring the school and community together as a whole.

Sommersaults Live!

The Sommersaults killed it live at Pool Side this past Wednesday afternoon in Park Center. All of the groups went in order of the chapters. I thought that all the groups did a really good job performing in front of an audience and nobody seemed nervous at all. Some groups had choreography which was nice to see and some different props involved as well. As soon as we got up there the crowd was getting a little rowdy. I was a little bit nervous because we were last and I felt the pressure on. Once the music started to play my nerves just magically disappeared and I felt comfortable infront of the crowd. I think we did pretty awesome and I am proud of my group!

Registering Took Way Too Long

The Sommersaults took on the scavenger hunt and completed it first. We ran around Park Center and looked for the clues outside of the box.  Some were underneath tables, on the ceiling, and some just weren't there at all. We ran back to the exergaming lab and figured out that the answer to the riddle was "Red Dragons".   I was pretty disappointed that I did not guess that to begin with.  I unfortunately did not get to participate in the games in the exergaming lab because I had some scheduling issues I needed to take care of with Mrs. Wright. She helped me register for my classes for about an hour changing and moving around different classes/labs to help me get into the ones necessary.  By the time I finished I came back to the lab and everyone was leaving.  I was pretty disappointed that I did not get to join in so I am hopeful that I will be able to have another opportunity before the end of the semester.

The Older The Students Get - The Harder The Control

When we first got to St. Mary's we were assessing the younger students on how to throw and catch. I was really impressed at how strong their abilities were. They were able to throw pretty much on target and many were hitting Oscar the Grouch directly in the head which was pretty entertaining. One student I noticed could sort of throw a curve ball. It discouraged me because I obviously cannot do that! Afterwords my group and I were told to work with the cafeteria group or the older students. We first went downstairs to play some board games. Two students were showing me how to build a face mask out of leggo's to protect my self in any emergency. They said that my face mask was decent for my first time building. Then we all moved upstairs where my group and I introduced our games. The students really were not interested and some of the boys were trying to see how much they could get away with and was pushing us as instructors. When it came time for my game I was a little intimidated because the boys were being rough and loud. I told them we were going to play earth ball and the object of the game was to throw small balls at one large yoga ball and see if they can get it across either teams side to score a point. But some of the students were kicking it and picking it up and throwing it at one another. After about five minutes I had to stop the game because they were out of control. So Dave, Ryan, and I decided to play basketball with the boys to try and control them more which we succeeded. They were trying to cheat a bit and pushing one another. It was not one of the better days at St. Mary's and I am actually glad it happened because now I know I have to be prepared for anything to happen because I will never know the mood of the students I will be getting. Next time I will be working with the pre kindergartener's so hopefully my game will work next time because after this past lab we got some advice from one of the past 201 students saying that the younger ones love to chase. In the event I have the older students again I will try to make my game more team oriented and more sport similar so I gain more interest and trust in the students to follow the rules. Click here for lab four!

Head, Neck, And Body

The Sommersaults are at it again! Ever hear Wiz Khalifa's Young, Wild, and Free?  We wrote our own remix that went along with Rudimentary Movement Abilities.  Listen and let me know what you think!
Be sure to check out Dave and Ryan's blog as well!

Decisions! Decisions!

I was a member of the Board of Education and I was apart of the group that had to really make sure that we chose the most prepared group that was ready to respond to any situation we may have handed them.  We listened to the three groups debate and had them prepare questions for one another to battle out to see which sports/skills would be most suitable/important for the students.  I thought that the individual skills group did a very good job because I feel that every student should learn the fundamentals of where it all begins in stead of jumping right into a sport.  Everyone should be exposed to different environments and learn how to adapt to different tasks.  As the debate was being broadcasted live I saw numerous people tweeting in response to our debate.  Some of the responses/questions they asked really helped us as the Board of Ed members to decide which presentation would help our students further their physically active life because at our school this is only the beginning.  The final decision made was to the lifetime sports/skills and locomotor skills groups. We as the Board of Ed felt that both groups did a really nice job presenting their arguments and had good points to prove that their group was very important to the wellbeing of the students.  We felt that these groups could collaborate together and create a way that they will work together to incorporate both aspects of these skills.  I would also like to thank the Sticks and Sports group because even though we did not choose them I felt that they still did put up good points and we could possibly use their games in the future.   Watch the debate now!
Video streaming by Ustream

Hey St. Mary's! How Do You Do?

My past trip to St. Mary's my group and I were special projects so we had to organize and take inventory on all of the equipment in both of the closets. We also took pictures of every piece of equipment so we could label the boxes accordingly so finding a specific item would be easier for everyone. Next we brain stormed on what we think the bulletin board should be and I thought that we could make a collage of different locomotor movements/lifelong skills and title it something like "St. Mary's Leap Toward Physical Change." After we played with some of the students in the gym for about twenty minutes and then the Sommersaults brought everyone together for a game/song/cheer. We played a game called "Have You Ever?" and if the question applied to you then you would find a new place in the circle and whoever did not find a spot would be the person in the middle to lead the next have you ever question. Then Ryan led the Baby Shark song and everyone was involved in the song. It was a lot of fun plus Professor Yang filmed it so I am eager to see everyone participating. Finally I ended the day with a cheer I learned from my High Schools Cheer Leading squad. It is called the circle cheer. You begin the cheer by saying "Hey St. Mary's! How do you do? The Sommersaults team has got a boogie for you! Then after that I would lead the group by saying "Were gunna turn around, touch the ground, shake our booties, and get on down!" We repeated the cheer twice so everyone could understand and have fun with it. I was a little bit nervous at first but in order for it to work you have to be confident and cheerful. Then I had everyone gather into the middle, put our hands together, and cheer St. Mary's on three. I would say that the day was a success and I had a lot of fun interacting with the students. I love going there and I am eager to return! Check out lab three!

Staying Fit With Dragon City

Maintaining a physically active lifestyle is my new years resolution.  My team and I help influence each other to keep going and not to give up on any work out.  This support really motivates me to want to keep pushing my self and working hard.  I think that I should be voted for because its not about how far you run or what you eat, its about the fact that I am trying to do something on top of my conditioning in season, I have the mental toughness to keep myself motivated, and the ability to keep my self going.

Is This A Hall Of Shame Game? Simon Says NO!

The ever so famous Simon Says has been considered to be under the PE Hall Of Shame Games.  Personally if you adapt the game to be more physically active it can be just as effective as any tag or game with physical activity.  No you may not need a B.S. in PE but having that backround will enable you to incorporate locomotor movements into the activity.  I can remember playing this game in elementary/middle school but we did not incorporate these movements so everyone was stationary and would complain to play tag or kickball.  If I were the instructor I would say Simon Says Squat and sing the national anthem the students will be having to use multiple parts of their brain to perform both activities.  I could have the students lead the class by using only skip, run, hop, horizontal jump, gallop, leap, and fast walk.  This activity can be very effective for the students.  You could even have the students solve riddles because it really makes the students think and concentrate.  If you want to make it even more challenging you can incorporate topics that are being discussed in the classroom such as name the Presidents or solve a multiplication problem.  There are many modifications that you can do to this game to make it more challenging for the students but it will also be fun!

Make sure to check out:
NASPE
PE Learning Standards
Hall of Shame Games

Cupids Path to Valentines

I have to admit I was pretty nervous walking into Saint Mary's because I never had the opportunity to practice teaching my game during our lab because we did not have enough time.  I practiced saying my instructions out loud to myself, peers, and on the phone with my family to get all the stutters out.  Even though I practiced I was still nervous to teach the students.  I called everyone in and most were hesitant to listen at first because they wanted to go on the other side of the gym to do whatever they wanted because Dave's game did not run as smoothly as we all would have hoped.  I assured them that my game would be just as fun as their's and we can even play their game after.  I explained how we were going to weave in and out of the obstacles in Cupid's path to collect our Valentines Day hearts.  I asked Suzy to help me demonstrate the game so everyone can understand.  I had everyone give me a thumbs up to show that they are ready to start.  I separated the students into two groups and had them work on their individual skills on my cue to either hop, skip, or gallop.  All of the students seemed pretty interested in my game and were laughing and having fun.  One student in my group did not know how to skip so I taught him; he caught on pretty quick.  I was proud of myself because my directions and the tone of my voice had the students intrigued, quiet, and willing to follow instructions.  I spoke loud and confident over the music playing and I proved to myself that I am able to do this without second guessing.  Once the game was complete everyone came together and was willing to pay attention to Ryan's game.  We all participated together in skipping, hopping, running, walking, and galloping while the music was playing and when it stopped we all had to get into a hoop with someone else and ask "Will you be my friend?" and shake hands.  It was a good ice breaker activity for those who may not know each other and it could also be used for an opening activity.  I was proud of myself and my group members for working together and making our gym games as fun as we possibly could.  We learned from our mistakes and we now know what we individually need to fix and how to help each other with any errors we may have picked up on.  After we followed the students we were assigned to for the day down to the cafeteria for some snacks.  We all sat together and talked about our favorite animals and how fun the game Mouse Trap is.  We then moved over to the next table and played Seven Up.  We basically had to have our heads down on a table with our thumbs up and those who are "it" go around and push the thumbs down of seven people.  Then those who had there thumbs pushed down had to guess who touched them.  My thumb was never pressed down so I was kind of disappointed but it was just one game.  Then we moved upstairs to go out side and play on the playground for a bit.  I played "Birds" with a few girls.  We had to collect some sticks, leaves, and rocks and cook them so that they would be good enough for the baby birds.  We had specific areas for where the kitchen, living room, and bedroom goes for them. Then I had the girls join me with a few other students and play no tag back tag.  We ran around just tagging some students even if they weren't playing to get them to join in and most of them did.  Then we moved back into the gym and played with everyone whether it was basketball, jump rope, or hand ball which is a combination of basketball/soccer.  More and more students/TA's joined in on the hand ball game and it was a big competition.  One of the Saint Mary's students on the other team asked me "Do you have game?!" and I responded yes and he takes the ball and shoots in the basket and scores.  I did not know how to respond to that because I was clearly "owned" as he said.  I played in that game for the remainder of the time at St Mary's until one of our  final activities for the day which was Aerobic Walk Tag.  Then we all sang/danced to "Were Going To Have A Party" and concluded with a Saint Mary's Cheer.  The day was a success and I am eager to go back next time to bring new games to the table for the students!
Click here for lab two

The Sommersaults

Yesterday, the Sommersaults made their first video of the semester.  They lip synced to Taio Cruz's Dynamite performed by Kids Bop.  I hope everyone enjoys it!

Virtus Training Program

Last week Sister Harriet Hamilton came in to our class and showed us two videos about sexual abuse/harassment through the Virtus training program.  The videos had heartbreaking stories about victims, their experiences and had interviews with those who committed the horrific crimes.
As future teachers we can never learn too early on how to protect our students, our selves and our fellow faculty in any form of harassment.  It sickened me hearing how the sex offenders spoke so nonchalantly about the matter.  We were informed that one of the abusers said that he had to go through seven years of treatment under the impression that he will be cured from his desire or need to sexual abuse children.  The man was asked after completing the course if he had the opportunity to be around children again would he be able to conduct himself in a professional manner and he said no.  It is so true because no program can truly stop someone from committing an act that they truly desire.  It really upsets me to know that there are so many children out there that have been abused and have not spoken about it.  I want my future students to know that if something is bothering them that they can talk to their parents, me as their teacher, a social worker in the school, or to call the child abuse hotline.  There are so many resources available that some people many not know exist.  After going through this program really opens my eyes on how to protect my students and myself.  I have to remain professional twenty-four seven and catch the warning signs as early as possible and acting upon my instincts if necessary.
There has been many different cases regarding sexual harassment in the media lately and one in particular is the case at Penn State.  Former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with over forty counts of sex crimes against young boys.  There is no one else to blame except for Sandusky for these heart wrenching stories.  Jo Paterno was to blame for a lot of this because he was informed about this once before.  In the state of Pennsylvania he was not mandated by law to report these cases.  Although if his child was apart of the many victimized, I believe he would feel that the person first notified should have contacted police or the child abuse hotline.  Either way I feel that Jo Paterno was wrong in not following up on this because he is a role model to many aspiring football players and fans.  Many people at Penn State should have been more involved in the programs to protect the children coming and I feel that this could have been stopped even if Jo Paterno did not do anything about it.  But there is no one more to blame than Jerry Sandusky and he should be severely punished for hurting these boys in more ways than can be imagined.  I cant even imagine finding out that information and keeping it to myself.  It is just mind boggling!
For more information on the Virtus program click here.

Screenr

I watched the video through screenr on Wikispaces and it really helped me a lot.  I was pretty confused at first on how to publish my lab but the help of the step by step video made it so much easier.  I really am enjoying blogging and completing my labs.  I wish I had more to do because I keep finding myself on my blog editing it and changing its colors.  I really like being able to do this for class.  I never have done anything like this before.

Learning Through The Physical

After reading chapter one I have received a better understanding of what "learning through the physical" means and how physical activity impacts affective growth.  According to Developmental Physical Education for All Children by David L. Gallahue and Frances C. Donnelly the learning-through-movement aim of physical education is based on the fact that effective physical education can positively influence both the cognitive and affective development of children.  Cognitive learning is demonstrated by skills through comprehending information, organizing ideas, and evaluating actions.  Physical activity impacts affective growth through the movement experiences and patterns that children engage in.  Affective learning is demonstrated by behaviors indicating attitudes of awareness, interest, attention, concern and ability to listen and respond to others.  It is also a social-emotional development.  When children understand that they can control themselves that is when their is an enhanced sense of self and affective growth.

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The First Day!

This week was the first time we went to St. Mary's to interact with the students.  I had so much fun playing with them and seeing what some of their interests are.  It enabled me to take some mental notes on what I should incorporate when I have to plan activities for them.  At first we jumped right in with the TA's to help with the parachute games which was a lot of fun.  Then we broke up into different groups to see the school and try to connect with students.  It was interesting to see how well they responded to me.  I helped swing the jump rope in the gymnasium for a few students and I couldn't believe how well they were doing it at such a young age! I also was building some lego structures with some students in the pre-k room and played dinosaurs extinct with some other students in the cafeteria.  It is imperative to be fully prepared in any situation because you will never know if you have enough space for the students to participate in physical activity.  I cannot wait to go back next week and have something prepared instead of just observing!
Click here for lab one