Mario Kart

One of my fovorite games as a kid was Mario Kart, it's no surprise that kids today love it too. We made mario Kart come to life at CFJ with scooters and gatorskin balls! JUST PLAIN FUN!

Team Builiding for the Holidays

Before break our classes had to build a snowman with as much equipment as they could gather. Students were challenged to think creatively on how they could build a snowman differently...Here are some of the best designs!

Subject Integration

To the right is a picture I took during an archery unit. I told students each color on the target was worth a certain amount of points. Once they fired (and it was safe) they had to do the math in the sand. Each student was put into a small group and they were encouraged to keep a running tally. After each round of shooters I would tell them whether we were multiplying, dividing, adding or subtracting. At the end of the period I asked the students to make an equation with the numbers they used! This is one way I integrate math into the physical education setting.
To me subject integration is very important. A student can practice skills outside of the normal learning environment which promotes learning and critical thinking. Classroom teachers and physical educators can collaborate and think of new ways to get students to learn subject material while moving. I believe this is a great way to reach out to kinesthetic learners.

Think of this question and feel free to post below! How do you integrate subjects into your classroom or gymnasium?

 

Parent Coaches

Coaches often see involved parents on the sideline of practices and competitions. This post is about what parents can say to their child to promote a healthy and happy relationship.

I recently read a post by Tim Elmore titled  What Parents Should Say as Their Kids Perform. Clicking the title will take you to that post. Doctor Tim Elmore mentions how sometimes he wanted to play a role that, in some cases, added more stress to his children's life. As parents we never want to steer our child in the wrong direction, nor would we give them advice we thought would hurt them in anyway. However we must constantly think about the role we are playing in our child's life.

"When our kids were younger, we played the role of supervisor. We were right there on top of the issues. And we should be—they were young and needed our support. As they age, parents must move to the role of consultant. We’re still involved, still supportive, but we allow our kids to grow up and self-regulate."

In my opinion if a parent wants to be involved in giving corrective feedback it is important to collaborate with the coach. Ask the coach what he/she is working on in practice and reinforce that outside of practice. However it is important to know that, as a parent, sometimes your athlete just needs to hear six words (mentioned in Tim Elmore's post). “I love to watch you play.”

Playing a supportive role is crucial to developing a well-rounded person. Supporting any decision of your child will help promote a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes the decision made will be a mistake, allowing your child/athlete to learn and grow. Learning by failing is a life lesson often forgotten to be taught. I leave you with a quote from Winston Churchill, who once said “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

I encourage you to leave a comment about what you as a parent do to enhance your child's playing experience. I also encourage you to read Dr. Tim Elmore's post on "What Parents Should Say as Their Kids Perform." I hope this post has given you insight like Tim Elmore's gave me!

Encouraging Students to Learn

I was recently asked to answer this question in an interview. My response is below the question.



Q: How do you encourage students to learn?  Can a student be forced to learn?

A: There are a number of ways I encourage students to learn. One way is by relating to their personal life. I believe that creating a connection with a student will help him/her become motivated to listen to you. I also believe that there are ways to get students to learn even when they don’t want to. “Challenge by Choice” is a teaching style I use to motivate unmotivated students. This style gives the students the option to choose how well they want to perform a task I choose. “Challenge by Choice” also gives the student a sense that they’re in control even though I’ve picked the specified task.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @DanielBertoniPE. Leave a comment below to tell me how YOU encourage students!

Animoto Video, Republished!

My Animoto Video

Here is a video I made when I was at SUNY Cortland. I have to give the credit to @syangman for the motivation to make an Animoto video. Animoto offers a new way to present information to viewers. Technology like this could motivate kids to make their own videos just as it did for me! Implementing technology into the physical education setting is one way I try to motivate students. Using heart rate monitors on exercise machines can give each individual a personal target. Stepometers can keep students focused on trying to reach 10,000 steps a day. I also have used Dance Dance Revolution to keep students moving and dancing at the elementary level. All of these technologies can help kids achieve a healthy heart for life!

Extra Mile

What a great week before an Easter vacation. I was in the gymnasium subbing four out of five days! After bouncing around classroom to classroom it's nice to finally get back to my roots!


One of the pictures below is a small sided 2v2 basketball game I got the kids into. This got them moving and a lot of touches on the ball. Small sided games make it easier for me to go around and give more students corrective feedback. The second picture shows a student going the extra mile.

 

Educators love the feeling of an individual who really wants to learn something. Throughout the period the student above focused on practicing his left handed lay-up. After the class had been dismissed, he asked me what he could do to get better. First, I gave him a couple of drills he could do at home. I then explained to him that doing a left handed lay-up is no different than a right handed one. If a student knows how to do a strong right handed lay-up, he has the tools and knowledge to do an equally strong left handed lay-up. Together we broke down the skill step by step. All he needs now, is practice!

Remember, you don't need a gym to get kids moving. While subbing in the classroom I encourage physical activity by taking a "movement break" after a long period of sitting. This helps kids stay focused and engaged. Some exercises include jumping jacks, running in place, airplane scales, and tree scales!