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!

Motivating or Bullying?

What do you think? Is the previous video motivation? I highly doubt it. THIS LINK will take you to a CNN article on coaches and bullying players. It is safe to say that knowing the signs of a bully and someone who has been bullied, will help prevent further incidents. The CNN article does a good job of explaining some signs and the video should give you a good visual aid.
Coaching requires a vast amount of knowledge, ranging from  physiology, anatomy, psychology and even motivational techniques. When motivating an athlete you must look at the individual, how do they respond to different tactics. Are they extrinsically motivated or intrinsically? What is going on in a person's life that affects their level of competition? Coaches must find creative ways to motivate everyday. It could be with recognition of a specific skill, changing of the activity or letting the players have input. There are many easy tips to keeping students/athletes motivated. There are 21 ways in THIS article.

Lincoln Ave Yard Games

 During one of the final weeks of the school year I started a recreation unit for the students at the school I was student teaching at. Couldn't ask for better timing either! The weather stayed nice for the entire week, so of course I kept reminding students to go home and play these games with parent/guardians and get outside! In fact we had an activity day the friday after state testing and a few of the activities we played in class were part of that day. Kid's actually questioned me why we were doing this unit and I hope they understood my response.
I told them, these are activities that you can participate in for an entire lifetime! Activities included; washers, bean bag toss, shuffle board, ping pong, mini putt and bowling. If you drive down Lincoln ave in Cortland on a warm spring afternoon, you will see yards packed with college students, enjoying the sunshine and playing these games.





















Although this experience is racing toward the end, I feel the things I have learned will stay with me for a lifetime. I have become a better teacher because of my host teachers and the programs they have instilled in their districts. I can only hope that the students whose lives I have been a part of remember me in a positive way and continue their lives as physically educated individuals.

Last week I had the opportunity to show students that people with disabilities can do a lot of the same activities we do in PE. We were in our last days of team handball, so I decided to throw a curve ball at the students by simulating different kinds of disabilities.  After the class was over we had a discussion about how the students felt when playing. Some of them felt scared and didn't feel comfortable, especially with the visual disability. The disabilities we included were students with mobility, visual and cognitive impairments. The students who had a mobile disability were on scooters with students assisting them by pushing on their backs. The cognitive disability was simulated by having specific students only pass backwards upon receiving the ball. For the visual impairment we had students wear blindfolds and use a guide (above). A lot of the times, people who had a disability never got the ball! This is quite normal in a PE class and that is what I was trying to change! After our discussion, students seem to be more understanding of students with disabilities and how it can affect everyone in the class. I explained that just because the students have a disability does not mean they can't play the game. I also wanted the students to understand that when we play the game, everyone likes to be included. Students with disabilities should have every opportunity everyone else has, and in my class, they will!

Plan Plan Plan

          Today, May 23rd, I completed the appendix of our "notebook" that involves attending an extracurricular activity. This activity can not be an athletic practice, which makes sense because it forces us to learn about another department of the school, while also giving us an opportunity to see the forces behind these before and after school activities.
          When you do your job for a while you kind of get the feeling of what you expect from which class or which extracurricular activity you're doing. I was trying to attend an activity that involved the schools choir unfortunately it didn't work out this way. Instead I was able to stay after school for a day of intramural's. There were only a few other students who showed up today though so their was some improvising, as always. The kids decided they wanted to play Kan-Jam since there weren't enough players to play Ultimate Frisbee. This new game seems to be a hit with every age! From middle school to college students. Even if their not getting their heart rate up, at least the students are getting sunlight and little exercise, both important to having a good day, what happens when you have seven good days in a row? That's a good week. Keep going and see what you end up with!
          It's always interesting to see the behavioral problems that occur during the school day. A teacher can almost be in eight different moods a day based on the class he/she just had. Each class is treated differently based on how they've acted throughout the week, for example; whether you've covered the same material as the last class. The time a student gets to do an actual activity depends on so many things that are out of a teachers control. A student walking out of the door as the bus is driving away, two students tipping the canoe just a little too far three minutes before the bus leaves. Some things you just don't know will happen and you handle them as they come. But as teachers we are always prepared for the worst and ready to jump into action, getting the students to do a self rescue and get to shore in a timely manner all of a sudden was our top objective. And it's always nice to say we still made it back before the late bell rang!

Bouncing Fish

Well yesterday I started observing at the high-school and what a difference it is! The activities we are doing are for the 11th and 12th graders mostly, while only working with the freshmen and sophomore's for one period a day. The juniors and seniors get the option to do a fishing and kayaking unit or a field games unit (kan-jam, bocce, washers, ladder toss). My host teacher is doing the fishing and kayaking unit this week along with track and field. It's unbelievable the resources the high-school has. They may not have a pool but they get permission from the Village to use a pond about a mile from the school. This was no easy thing to accomplish either, my host teacher, his colleague and myself got to school thirty minutes earlier than usual to get the kayaks and canoes where they needed to go. My host teacher has a great way of controlling his students, they knew exactly what was expected of them before we got to the boats, they were prepared for anything, as it should be when you have a risky unit like this one. A shout out to SUNY Delhi for having a great Outdoor Adventure Rec class and teaching me to kayak down the good ol' Delaware River. Its nice to say during this experience I've had a no problem having an ample amount of useful information and tips to provide for the students.

              A couple of the periods we were fishing on the same pond, although I haven't taken a fishing course in college it's something I know how to do from being addicted to fishing for a couple of summers during high-school. And I know how difficult it could be to be patient while fishing, having problems with so much waiting myself I decided to make it interesting, each student that caught a fish got a bouncy ball! I thought it might give them incentive to get there a little quicker the next class and try to catch something. Unfortunately towards the end of the day I ran out of bouncy balls! Still, it's great to see a Physical Education class doing these activities that can be done for the rest of their lives. Now when the students of this class have kids of their own they can teach them how to fish properly, and all of this is because of important teachers like the one I am trying to be. Time is the only thing I am waiting on.

WHAT A JOB!

The few, The proud, The Physical Educator. What a crazy day/week. All week kids in different grades have been participating in the IOWA's, not to mention the students who have to make up certain activities for the fitnessgram. Planning and coordinating times is a part of the behind the scenes work. Whereas dealing with the kids who need a lot of running around to do is on the front lines. During the 8th grade class I completed a SOFIT form. This form is a written representation of; what the class is doing, what the teachers are doing/presenting and what the student is doing. This was very interesting to do, partly because it made me feel like an administrator! The students were again in stations today, Bocce ball, Disc Golf and Kan Jam. Three activities we never did at my school which was awesome to see. The students switch every day, so in theory they usually get one day at each station (weather permitting and length of unit). I also did an interview with an English as a Second Language student today. Imagine your parents couldn't help you with any homework that you brought home. Seems like a tough road, fortunately we all know a teacher is always available for extra help. 

Tomorrow we are doing things in the Track and Field Unit. Students get to try and beat school records in the High Jump, 400, 200, 100 and 50 meter races.This is a lot of fun for the students and you are always hearing them talk about it after class about who might break Bobby Jones' 200 record of 33 seconds from 2002! It's a great thing to see when students are getting excited for Phys Ed and want to participate in the activities they can be doing forever, hopefully they will!

Observing Homer

Well the week started off with a bang!  I arrived at Homer Junior High School  right around 7:30. It was damp from the rain the night before and their was an overcast in the sky. Not typically a great day for physical educators doing a track and field unit. However my host teacher, and his co-worker had great plans to keep the kids interested in the class and have some fun. When I walked into the office to sign in my host teacher (HT) happened to also be there, and we made our way to the gym. In the gym 4 or 5 Kan-Jam stations were set up with 3 ping pong tables and a fooseball table. This already had my attention! The monday students had exhausted their indoor days for the Track and Field unit and my HT thought it'd be better to give the 7th grade students an idea on what they'd be learning next year. As eighth graders do Disc Golf, Kan-Jam and Bocce Ball unlike their younger peers. The kids were split into 3 stations, Kan-Jam, Table Tennis/fooseball and Reviewing for the cognitive test they have coming up on Friday. The stations rotated depending on how many students were in the class. The sixth Graders however didn't have an exam on friday, so when they were at the review station they were just sitting out. Although Kan-Jam and Ping Pong are some of the greatest games ever invented, there is not a lot of movement going on. So while the sixth graders were sitting out I walked over to them and taught them how to play Full Body Rock Paper Scissors. The students were fully engaged and really were intrigued by this new game they had learned. Some, however didn't want to do it which is okay, because 95% of the students really enjoyed what we were doing. I felt good about the situation because now probably 30 more kids can go home and be jumping around all day playing Rock Paper Scissors. So to me, I did my job.

Fit For Life

This is my bulletin board for my 255 class. It is located in park center around the corner from the main doors. I had a pull tab information sheet that would direct students to the cdc website. Where they can find facts about obesity and diabetes or and disease in their county state or country. Students should be informed about the problems in America and how to be healthy forever. Included on the board are fact or fiction questions on fitness related topics. On the right side of the board you see ways to stay active and live a healthier life style.

The last full week we have of 255 is a depressing one. As the projects are passing their due dates its easy to see the finish of the semester sprinting towards us. It's fun to see how much we have developed in the past few months. In such a short time we have accomplished so much. Integrating technology into our lesson plans and responding to emergencies are only some of the experiences we got from this semester. In the beginning of the semester Professor Yang told us that a lot of times the people you have 255 with are some of the closest friends in your major. I find this to be very true in my case. I can't help but see the contacts I have made in this class. How close we all have come is astonishing, especially without the use of group projects. We were not forced to come together and look at each others blogs and steal ideas for our lessons but we do this by choice and accept that it happens. This class has changed my learning experience and I could only hope to have many more like it in my next year and a half at SUNY Cortland. Unfortunately I don't have Professor Yang for 470 next year which is upsetting. But there is one thing he has taught me, don't be afraid  of challenging yourself and trying new things. I feel this class has taught me so many ways to go above and beyond while teaching physical education to students. I can't wait to see how the teachers at Homer Middle School and High School run there classes. This is where I will be doing by 256 experience and I am excited to start observing this summer. As one door closes another opens. Keep checking this page to see how my experience at Homer is doing!

Lab D

Last Friday was my Lab D for 255. Unfortunately I don't feel it was my strongest lesson of the year. However I feel that my Lesson Plan, Scope+Sequence and Block Plan are better than they have been all year. The lesson; failure gives life to success. The whole lesson, from a student being blind to using the technology to my maximum potential and lesson plans and progressions. Some aspects of lessons are better than others, learning from those aspects that are not as good is what makes a teacher candidate a better candidate.

New Animoto Video

Lab D not EYE

Last Friday really tested my abilities to keep cool and trust in my lesson plan development. It was all going great, until I found out one of my students was blind. This really put me in an awkward experience, having no interaction with a blind person before. This was a really good challenge and I tried the best I could to adapt to the situation as best as possible. The difficulties that arose during the lesson were incredible. She couldn't hear what I or anybody would yell out to her which made it difficult for her to do the zumba moves. I also found myself really focusing on her which could tend to be a bad thing, and I tried to get my attention away from her. This was a great experience for me though and learned a lot from it. Check out the collage and slide show!

Collage and Video