Pre Lab #3

The lab theme for the 3rd lab was "western." We played some very interesting games this week. I actually really enjoyed playing the games that the other people came up with. I did not get to practice mine but hopefully I will be able to run through it with my suite mates or the other members of my group. 

Pre Lab #2

I got to try out my game at pre lab and it was very nice to see how it would work in a real life setting. I know now that i will have to tweak it so that it will be easier to understand. It is called "Pizza Shop" and our group is dressing up as the teenage mutant ninja turtles. Those guys love pizza so I will tell the story of them liking pizza.

First motor development lab at St. Mary's

Going into the first lab at first lab at St. Mary's I was pretty scared. I didn't really know the other members of my group but it was a great experience. We first all met up in the large gym and watched the one group teach their games. I noticed that I actually knew a few of the kids and some girls came up to me and told me my hair was awesome(it is pink and purple). We then went down stairs and met up with the kids that we would be spending time with. I talked to a few of the older girls and then went to color with two young girls. I tried to make conversation with them; asking what they have been doing in school etc. They were very talkative. We went upstairs and played a few games. The kids were pretty attentive for the most part. I did not play by game. We played with them for a while and then all of the groups came in. We then played a group game and did a cheer. It was not as bad as i expected. I was quite nervous but it worked out very nicely. Lab Write-up

First Pre Lab

      Today was the first "pre lab." It was basically an introduction to what we will be doing in the future. I was kind of nervous at first because it would be my first time with the Monday group (I went to the Wednesday lab the previous week). We started playing games right away that the TAs had organized and it was pretty fun. It allowed me to see how things were done and it gave me some ideas for when I will have to teach a game. We were in the gym for about 45 minutes before we went down to a classroom and broke up into groups. It was a little difficult because I didn't know anyone but I was readily accepted into the "Hop Scotch Heroes." We were then instructed on how to write up the lesson plans, how to post blogs, how to work google documents and how St. Mary's worked. It was all very overwhelming. I hope that I will get used to it. My TA, Elena, is very friendly and it will be excellent to have her as a resource. I am excited to get started.

Assignment Number 1

         In the present day United States, childhood obesity is a rising issue. As physical educators, we can no longer the teacher who “throws the ball out,” A new approach must be taken. Having children learn-to-move and learning-through-movement are crucial for their motor development. It can also positively influence a child’s affective and cognitive development. The education must first be based on the individual, and then the age-group. Fundamental skill development in the motor, cognitive, affective domains are very important to becoming physically educated . The motor domain deals with movement (locomotion, manipulation, and stability) and health-related fitness. This domain is directly related to keeping kids fit and healthy. The cognitive domain focuses on concepts and improves the mind through movement. Lastly, the affective domain helps children improve social and self-concept skills. It helps kids work better in groups and get along with peers. Collectively, these three domains are the keystones to our profession as physical educators and the most important factors to keeping students healthy and physically fit.

      The National Association for Sport and Physical education (NASPE) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD), both advocate high quality physical education. 

(image from mycollegeoptions.org)

Creating a Blog

   My first reaction to creating a blog was that it was quite overwhelming. I do not consider myself very "savvy" when it come to new technologies and that notion was definitely reinforced when creating this blog. However, I am very willing to learn and I believe that I have now gotten a handle on not only how to find my blog but how to actually post something.
   This break I only had a few days home with my family before I had to go to Florida with my swim team for our training trip. I was in Florida for 10 days and then came back to Cortland for the remainder of break. All I did during the time I was with my team was eat, sleep and swim. With practices twice a day, there was not time for much else.  During the practices, however, I had to constantly maintain a good attitude and push through the tough workouts. This gave me a lot of practice maintaining a good attitude when things could go awry with a lesson. Believe it or not, being in such close quarters with the same people wears some's patience very thin and it is key to keep your cool and maintain the peace between everyone. I was able to work on keeping order between people and getting along with my teammates.
    Our first lab at St. Mary's can not be described with a single word. It was chaotic, nerve wracking, scary, entertaining, and definitely fun. I was quite confident I knew where it was but still had trouble finding it. On first entering the gym, I was a bit overwhelmed by how many children were playing around. A part of me was concerned about the safety of the kids that seemed to be getting too rough. But then I was unsure what type of authority I had or even if they were being too rough. I have been teaching swim lessons over the summer for 4 years so I am better at detecting unsafe situations in the water. We got into groups and was introduced to the different places where we would be. When we got back to the gym it was a little scary having to walk up to kids but once I did, I had a great time. The children were very friendly and willing to talk to us. I am excited for the next time we will get to go there.