Portfolio

Last week I attended the professional portfolio showcase that was held in Park Center. At the showcase, there were about a dozen graduating students who were selected to display their portfolios because of their high quality of work along with an outstanding exit interview that is a required part of the Physical Education curriculum here at SUNY Cortland. I got a chance to look through many of my peers portfolios and get ideas of how to enhance my own. I was truly proud and excited for them being that they were all familiar faces I have seen around campus and it feels great knowing that this school prepares us all so well for what we have in store for our futures. I will be graduating in 3 semesters and I hope to display the same qualities as some of these students because they clearly all worked so hard to get to where they are right now and it truly is inspiring!

I am currently working on my electronic professional portfolio. As I complete more courses that relate to the specific standards I will continue to add more work to this. I have been looking at many other portfolios to get ideas of how to make mine stand out!https://sites.google.com/site/shannonnicholsonpe/home

My First Prezi

Please click on the link below to view my prezi presentation that explains one of my best & worst moments in movement. I discussed the low point of my softball career & how it brought me to my best! Its my first one so it took me a while to figure it out but I eventually got the hang of it. This is something I would consider using again for other project because it puts a spin on a typical slideshow.


                                             Click here for my prezi 

Motor Skills

My lab group and I created posters for the physical education classes at St. Mary's School. Each poster showed the proper footsteps and airtime for specific motor skills such as the hop, jump, skip, leap, slide, etc. These are critical skills for children to have if they are to effectively succeed in physical activities. Designing these posters was not as easy as it looks due to the fact many skills look similiar to others (skip, step, hop) so this could be hard for children to read and understand but we tried our best!

Group Dance to Mr. Saxobeat

In this video my lab group & made a quick video which allowed us to practice performing on camera. While it may seem irrelevant, this type of practice is what will help us become comfortable presenting in front of our peers and our students, and also gave us practice with using a video camera. Using technology within the classroom is an innovative way to teach enhance lessons, this is something Mr. Yang has proved to us throughout this course.

Lab 5 - Thankful For Phys Ed!

In this lab we were to assess the students on their dribbling and kicking skills. As a lab group, we came up with games that incorporated a thanksgiving theme which the students got a kick out of! (Literally). There were a lot more students in this after school group than what we are normally used to (about 40) and on top of that we only had half of the gym to work with due to the fact there was a basketball practice going on in the gym as well. This was a challenge that Professor Yang had warned us about from day 1, and while it may be a challenge to work with limited space, it was not a set back. Situations like these are ones we will be dealing with when we become teachers ourselves, and it is important we get the experience now so that we are prepared to deal with these obstacles that may reoccur when we have a class of our own. The students are going to have energy and want to play no matter what the circumstance is, and it is up to us as physical educators to be prepared with a game and be able to make the necessary changes that will allow the students to get an optimal experience within the boundaries given. In my activity, I personally did not have a large number of students to work with because many of the students were playing other games and having snack time at this point. I also had to change my entire game due to the lack of space that I was given (just 1/4 of the gym). I had the students get a partner and one at a time they would dribble to the cone that was across from them. They would then dribble it back to their partner as fast as they could. While the game was not intended to be a relay race, they took it upon themselves to push themselves and really get a workout going. During the activity I made changes such as having them kick the ball back to their partner instead of dribble, etc. This activity was definitely modified from my original plan but I was still able to assess the students on the necessary skills while keeping them engaged as well. This was a great learning experience for me and I'm glad I had the chance to see how important it is to be prepared for any circumstance. This is proof of how even though you may have a game planned a certain way, it can become a completely different activity based on the space provided and the students participating in and it is important to have a backup plan for any activity! Cant wait for the Christmas lab!

Making Changes-In Activities, In Children!

In the photo above, I was doing the cotton eye Joe with one of the students. Being that she was very young and had a disability it was hard for her to follow all of the steps of this dance. After a few seconds I realized how I needed to modify the dance so that she would be able to participate and keep up with the group. With a few steps and spins later, she was having a blast. I learned that not everything has to go as planned and making the necessary changes that will benefit the students can really make an impact on the overall outcome of the their experience.

Lab 4 at St. Mary's - Halloween !

This week at St. Mary's we kept the energy from Halloween and brought it with us throughout our lessons. My classmates and I all dressed up and the students really got a kick out of it. The entire time they tried to guess what each of our costumes were and it was a way for them to see us as inviting, fun individuals rather than their instructors. Sometimes dressing silly and showing the children that we can have fun and be productive at the same time is the best way to go. There were a lot of great activities played today and its always nice to get ideas and advice from fellow classmates. My game was a success which made me very pleased especially because I came up with the game on my own with some help from my lab TA Justen. The name of my game is "Ghost Hunters" and the object of the game is for the good ghosts (or Caspers) to make it through the "cemetery", capture as many people (bean bags) as they could, and bring them back to their side. The obstacle was within the cemetery, where there were several Ghost Hunters trying to tag the Caspers. If the Caspers got tagged before getting to the other side, they had to return to the starting point. There was a lot of running involved in this game and it tired the children out which is something that I want to see so that I know they are getting their exercise while enjoying themselves. The game ended once all of the "people" were saved from the other side.

Click here for lab 4

White Plains Adventure Camp Summer 2011

http://whiteplainsadventurecamp.com/index.html

The pictures below are from the camp that I was a counselor for this summer. It was a two week long camp and each day we took the campers to a new location where they engaged in different sports and activities. For example we participated in kayaking, rock climbing, batting cages, swimming, skating, laser tag, and much more. It was a great experience for myself as well as the kids as they had the chance to be adventurous and explore activities outside of many of their comfort zones.

Excellence Through Enthusiasm - Lab 3 at St. Mary's School

Lab 3 was a superhero theme, allowing the students and our lab group to use our imaginations to the full extent. Each game prepared was superhero themed, which was fun for us to bring back our own memories as kids :) I provided a dancing-cool down exercise where I lead the group through different exercises that were great for cardio. I played an upbeat song and did different moves such as kicking, jumping jacks, punching, etc. and had everyone follow my lead. When the music stopped, I had everyone freeze in a superman pose. The children were definitly tired at the end of the day but this is what proves that each of our activities are working towards achieving the goal we want; and that is to keep the kids engaged, physically active, and to make sure they are having fun.

Lab 3

Mini Conference/AAHPERD Leadership Conference @ Cortland

The mini conference this past weekend was an experience that I will not forget about, and one that I am eager to share with others. I attended the mini conference on Friday afternoon, as well as the AAHPERD leadership dinner on Friday, and breakfast/leadership conference on Saturday. I had not planned to attend all of these events but when I received the email about the AAHPERD conference I wanted to make the most out of my weekend. I am a junior and recently switched my major to physical education, so I didn’t really know what to expect from the conference. I went into it thinking I would see a few examples of activities that I could use for my students, but that’s not even close to half of what I walked away with. Yes, I got to see many examples of games and activities that will help me with my own students, but the connections that I made with some of the teachers as well as other speakers who attended the conference were unlike any other connections I have made before.

            One session I attended was presented by Margaret E. Robelee, a physical education teacher of North Park Elementary School in Hyde Park, NY. Margaret showed us many activities that provided “heart healthy” cardio workouts for students in new and innovative ways. One activity she showed us incorporated the use of a wipe-out board that allowed students to record their steps during the workout. The name of the game was “wipe-out” and it is for grade levels 3-5. The equipment & set up needed is as follows:

·         Students are paired-runner/recorder

·         Designated jogging “track”

·         Designated recording area

·         Song “wipe-out” by the “Surfaris”

Object

·         Record as many steps as possible

·         Experience the intensity of exercise

Description

·         Students are paired for this activity. One student runs while the other is the recorder. During the song the runners run during the music section and use “fast feet” during the drum solo. At the end of the song, partners record the number of steps the runner has logged. This activity can be done by resetting pedometers each time or recording a running total.

Variation

·         This activity can be done as a partner activity. Each student completes on lap at a time taking turns with his or her partner

I enjoyed observing this activity because it gave me a new cardio game that is different than the typical tag game that many of us tend to rely on. I will use this activity as well as the many others that I observed as guidelines for future lessons during my observation hours at St. Mary’s and for future planning as well.

            After the conference was over, I met a man by the name of Rod Mergardt who is a student teaching supervisor in Westchester, County. Since I am from Westchester, I had a lot to discuss with him. He was a former principle, athletic director, physical education teacher, coach, and much more. He also knew many people who I had as teachers and coaches throughout middle school and high school which was great to know. He is now 72 years old and he has had a ton of experience in the field of physical education. I also met a physical education teacher who by the name of Donn Tobin, who teaches at Mahopac in Westchester and he told me to keep in touch with him if I needed somewhere to student teach, etc. I exchanged email addresses and phone numbers with these individuals and am looking forward to keeping in touch with them. The leadership conference on Saturday was also a great experience for me. I once again got to meet with Mr. Mergardt and had the opportunity to hear a very inspiring speech by him, as well as speeches made by several other very important individuals. I also learned teaching skills; resume tips, interview tips, and much more. This weekend was extremely productive and I am happy I had the opportunity to learn so much in such a short time and I’m excited to learn even more at the state conference next month.

Lab 2 at St. Marys School

The second time at St. Marys was a very fufilling experience. Being that it was the second time for us college students, I feel we were all more involved since we were a little more comfortable than the first day we were there. Many of the children recognized us and were excited to see us and participate in our activities. What is great to see is how excited they were to play the games that we have created ourselves; it's one of the first times that I have had a first hand experience for exactly how teaching is going to be. I have been a camp councelor and assistant coach before and while these experiences have prepared me for my future, I know that the experiences I have at St. Marys will prepare me even further.

In this lab assessed the students on their hopping, running, and galloping skills. Now that I am on the other side of the "clipboard", it makes sense to me as to why my own physical education teachers provided the games that they did. To the students, it seems like a game...but to the teacher we are focusing in on the students and their affective, cognitive and psychomotor skills. I enjoy providing the students with games that they not only enjoy participating in but ones that help me see which skills each student needs help with. While some of the students are as young as three years old, its a great feeling being able to help them correct their skills and even greater to see improvement from them.

click here for lab write up

To dodge or not to dodge the ball?

Prior to becoming a PE major, I probably would not have even recognized what could possibly be wrong with the game of dodgeball. Sure, some students may not like to get hit, but if the teachers simply changed the type of ball being thrown, this will take away all of the problems of the game. Right? Wrong.


Being a PE major has opened my eyes and my understanding of positive and educational PE. And while I can see the pros and cons of dodgeball, in my personal opinion the negative aspects of the game stand out a bit more than the positives. Dodgeball is a game that's pretty self-explanatory...the students are to dodge a ball. In the new and improved field of physical education, we should be encouraging our students to do anything but that. The Hall of Shame article makes many valid points that future PE teachers should be aware of, and if we want to continue to make positive changes in this field then we need to make positive and influential changes in our lesson plans and assessments. And to say the least, this all begins with eliminating games that use our own students as throwing targets. There are tons of games out there that can help students develop motor skills such as throwing. Dodgeball is the nothing but an easy way out. As mentioned in Mr. Yangs post along with the Hall of Shame article, any individual without a degree can tell the students to play dodgeball, but can anyone without a degree assess motor development skills? Probably not. This is the beauty of being a future PE teacher. We have the power to help students develop proper skills that will help them live healthy and active lives, and we need to appreciate this!

chapters 1-3 response

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Fundamental skill development and assessment is so important to our profession and the health of our students for many reasons. Physical education provides the foundation for many other aspects of life if the skills are assessed and developed properly. With properly developed skills, one can lead a healthy and active lifestyle. As physical educators it is our job to remove the negative connotations that may have been associated with the words “gym class” and move forward in this profession because of its importance. This step forward can be done by using strategic and critical thinking when teaching students proper fundamental skills. These skills are “an organized series of basic movements that involve the combination of movement patterns of two or more body segments…twisting and turning, running and jumping, and striking and throwing are examples of fundamental movement skills” (52). As mentioned in the Hall of Shame article that we read, anyone is capable of just throwing out the ball and telling students go to play. But as professional physical educators it is important to demonstrate proper skills of each sport in order to reach each student. While some individuals may be skilled in certain sports already, there will also be students who need help learning the different techniques. This is where the teacher has the responsibility of creating lessons that will be physically and mentally engaging for all students, no matter the skill level, so that each student can partake in the activity and benefit from it one step at a time. Because according to AAHPERD, “all individuals [should] enjoy an optimal quality of life through appreciation of and participation in an active and creative, health-promoting lifestyle”.

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Lab 1-wednesday group

First lab of the year

ped 201

This is my first blog ... took me a while to figure it out but I think its a new and interesting way for a class to get involved with one another. This summer break I was a camp counselor for an adventure camp as well as a part time employee at Planet Fitness. I traveled to a new location each day with the camp and we took part in many different activities and sports such as kayaking, rock climbing, swimming, ice skating, and much more. While working at Planet Fitness I was involved in selling gym memberships as well as helping gym users become familiar with easy to use gym equipment. These jobs will help make me a better physical education teacher because of my involvement with middle school students, as well as being in judgement-free environment that was geared towards general fitness while working at at gym.

While I was not registered for class on the first day, today on 8/31 we watched a video regarding child abuse and for the lab today we took a tour of St. Marys school where we will be volunteering.