Obstacles Obstacles Obstacles!!

In my observation during this lab, the obstacle course that the students had to go through using the different motor skills I noticed that Ethan was not really more advanced than Molly who happened to be a year younger then him. Both had trouble with the horizontal jump being as they both took off with different feet and landed with different feet. Both had no arm swing to help their height and or distance. The leap is something that they were able to do, able to get both feet off the ground and take off and land with opposite foot. Ethan had an easier time with the slide, able to shift his body, age might have something to do with this motor skill, and gender does not have an affect on it though.I noticed that when Russell was going through his game on the obstacle course that he used his fellow group member to describe the motions that the children were going to be performing, and giving them an image in their mind that they can have fun relating too. Such as making them imagine that they are in a jungle and that they are going through trees and over water and such. Ending it off with something fun as to jump on the big mat, giving them something to look forward to, making the course seem fun instead of hard work.

Games All Around!

In my observation of the games played at St. Mary’s school, the students were to play a game where they were to take the flags out of the pockets of the other students, and whoever had the most flags at the end wins. During this game I observed Megan, age 6, and Nicolas, age 6. Both of these students were basically the same in most area’s when it comes to running, galloping and hopping. Megan I noticed seemed more mature for her movements though, she had more of a fluid momentum then Nicolas did however they had the same motor skills when it came to playing the games. One big difference that I noticed is that Nicolas had very little to no arm movement in any of the motor skills that the students were asked to do. Megan, however, used her arms more to propel herself in her hops and her gallops.

Some of the teaching methods that I noticed that seemed to be positive was when Melissa was teaching her game of Hungry Hungry Hippo’s. Her technique was to when the students were not paying attention she announced very loudly for everyone to touch their own eye’s when they were looking at her so they would pay attention and be quiet. This seemed like a good way to get the kids to be quiet and to pay attention to the rules that she had for the game that they were playing. The effect of this was very high in that the kids saw it as simple and that they had to pay attention because all the other kids were doing it too.

PE Mini Conference Oct. 10th

As a future Physical Educator, there are many grey area's in the field that I am looking to go into. Most things are learned in the class room by professors of SUNY Cortland, however learning from outsiders, those who have lived through the experiences that you are going through now and can help guide is a major plus. The mini conference that was held on October 10Th was something that helped me see many different area's that someone of my future profession can look further into. I attended two different conferences, the first one was very interesting that was lead by our very own Dr. Steven Yang. Although i was only there for a short period of time, idea's of playing video games have been broadly changed over the years. Proving that there is something that we as Physical Educators and athletic enthusiasts can change a child's life. His presentation on the machine that will incorporate physical activity and video games. Not talking about the Wii, talking about something similar but different. A device from Gamercize called Power Stepper and Gamercize Endurance Cycle, these two devices connect to the gaming console and in order to keep play going you must either step on the Power Stepper of pedal the Endurance Cycle. Two idea's that are going to change the future of video game systems and the health of children.
The other conference that I attended was Sports Stacking, held by an elementary Physical Educator where she had taught us about Speed Stacking. Speed Stacking is stacking specially made cups as fast as possible. Tournaments are held world wide for Speed Stacking where children of all ages can compete. Not only is this something that will keep a child active and motivated, it is something that a Physical Educator can use in their own class. Using these cups you can set up relay races and obstacle courses. Use physical activity and an event that is fun for the student so that the student doesn't feel like physical activity is a chore, it should be seen as fun.

Labrotory #1

During my lab, my group worked with 1st, 5th, and 6th graders at the St. Mary’s school. While working with the kids I noticed many different motor and social behaviors within the group. During our play time out in the playground, the younger kids who played on the swing set needed more help with the monkey bars and such, the older kids did not need any help. Age in motor behavior plays a huge role in what the kids can and cannot do. When we moved to the gym, the social behavior also has its differences between the age group in that the older kids were more up to playing different games and are willing to do more things. Also their understandance of the games that we were trying to get them to play was at a higher level. The younger kids were not really interested in playing any games or interacting with other kids that they really did not know. Also, their understandance of the games was very low in that they needed to be catered to the entire time of the games. Age definitely plays a role in motor and social behavior. I do not agree with gender playing a role in the behavior that they displayed during the time that I worked with them. While working with the group there was obvious differences in their fine motor activities. I noticed them when we were in the cafeteria downstairs when it was snack time. The younger kids played with their food such as dunking their cookies and cheese puffs into their milk and making a mess that they were not going to clean up if not told. The older kids just ate their snacks quietly and were not as messy. When they were finished the older kids got up and threw out their garbage and went to the area after they finished moving on to something else. The younger kids needed to be told what to do and to sit down and more of a authoritative role needed to be taken with the younger kids than the older kids. Also, when they were standing on line waiting to go outside the older kids stood quietly and were waiting to leave, the younger kids were yelling and playing online, being told numerous times to be quiet and get back in line. Again, I do not believe that gender has anything to do with their fine motor activities that I observed, both boys and girls of the same age group acted in the same manner.