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