Moving Forward

There are so many ways to make physical education exciting again but now it is time to think about how time is progressing forward and how technology is taking over in every classroom. Originally, when this class started I truly believed I would never use any of this in my future career as a physical education teacher. I understand the need for technology and more updated technology in regular classroom settings but what did we need it for in phys ed. When I started my major I was adamant I was never going to use technology in physical education. Now that perspective has changed. My perspective on this has changed not only because some things in physical education will require using technology such as heart rate monitors to collect data, but other things as well can be used. I never truly realized how much technology can be brought into a phys ed setting and be used to make it fun for the kids. For example, if there are enough project screens and game systems, you can get the students active with an in-class DDR (Dance, dance, revolution) or Just Dance, (whichever game is more recent) tournament because not only will it be fun but it will have the kids up, moving and getting those heart beats going which is the whole point.

Fun and Different Games for PE

As an aspiring physical education teacher, I am always looking for ways to make the game a bit more interesting or find out how certain teachers change up their games to make them more fun. Some things in the past that I have gotten to play that I would use in the classroom in the future that have a different twist on them are:

Fitness Kickball

Fitness kickball is just like regular kickball, only there a three-five balls in play at all times and you never stop running. In this game the pitcher keeps pitching and the players keep running until all balls that are in play are returned to a basket next to the pitcher. The person who kicked the ball does not stop running at all until they are told to change sides or have crossed home plate. The object here is constant movement, no down time waiting for someone to be gotten out so you can have your turn.

Scooter Hockey

Scooter Hockey was a fun one at my grammar school. This game is basically floor hockey on a scooter. You get a scooter and a very short stick and usually has two on offense, two on defense, and one in the goal. Numbers may vary depending on space and class size. This game allows multiple players to be playing a time and if you have the gym space you can have multiple games going on at once.

Deck Tennis

Deck Tennis is a mixture of ring toss, Frisbee, and volleyball. This game you play with a rubber ring and a volleyball net. Depending on your class size you can put about four or five students in three rows. The object of the game is to serve the ball with a forehand frisbee throw and then both teams throw it back and forth without switching the ring in the hand you caught it with, until it hits the floor and someone scores a point. The main object of this game is to get everyone in the game at the same time.

Adapted Physical Education

One of the biggest issues today is not enough adaptions for children who are exceptional learners. Adapted physical education is a rarity, full classes of adapted phys ed are rare because most children are integrated and an adapted physical education teacher comes in to help with that student every once in a while. But if these classes and aides are not there, how are these children participating and being active? Yesterday I got the chance to go out to Palatine High School, in Palatine Illinois and watch and adapted floor hockey tournament and it was quite honestly, one of the coolest things ever. Nothing was drastically changed to make floor hockey playable for these students except for maybe a pusher for kids in wheel chairs and earphones for children who did not like the noise. They were able to play the game, at a bit of a slower pace, but they still were playing the game. They were smiling, scoring goals, passing, dancing around, and just over all having a great time and it was an amazing thing to witness.

                Recently I also read an article about an invention the came out in December of 2015 called the Kicker Helper. The Kicker Helper is a device for students in wheel chairs to be able to attach a aluminum pipe with a shoe on the end of it to swing it back and forth to be able to kick the ball. This opens them up to be able to play in the games like kickball and soccer, but it also gives them the chance to interact with their classmates, rather than sitting on the sideline because they cannot play.

                Getting these kids active is extremely important for their motor and physical development. It is our jobs to make physical education for everyone to be able to participate. Place like Palatine and people like the inventor of the Kicker Helper make things like this happen.

Is physical education getting stale?

Growing up my physical education classes were very much sports based. We rarely strayed from team based games.  And it was always the same thing every time. In grammar school it was always a consistent schedule, it was kick ball, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, and softball. High school all these games were also there but included flag football and soccer. And teachers wonder why kids no longer like physical education? It is a stale consistent schedule. Yes, of course there are kids who just in general dislike the class in general. But for most they are just bored. There has to be something done to spice it up. Kids goof off because they are bored.

Now there is the other side of things where students did not like physical education because they are not as athletic as the other kids. The gym should be a safe place for a child to learn the different skills of the sport and have the chance to improve. This should be able to eliminate that self-consciousness they have about not being as athletic. Children are most likely to find a sport they like in their physical education class and this should be the place to get the basic skills they need and the chance to improve those skills, but because the schedule stays the same, students are not getting the chance to broaden their horizons and sports skill sets by teachers doing the same thing every day, every year.