Identifying what's important:
I did a consensus protocol, or my version of it. I had groups of no more than five, spread out in spots on the gym floor. I had them all put their names on it so I could remember who is in what group. I had them write down what FITT stands for (frequency, intensity, time and type). I gave them the first word; they had to come up with the rest. We talked about this the Friday before. Then, I asked them to write down three different exercises that we did in the weeks prior to starting our PBL. It could be any three, because I change a few of them as we went along. Next, I had them tell me three different pieces of equipment we used during our workouts. Lastly, I had them tell me three benefits of exercise. We spend a couple of minutes most days talking about the health benefits of being active. We came together at the end and I asked a few of the groups to tell what they came up with.
This was important because it let me know that they had been paying attention in class before, during, and after our workouts and talks.
Making Connections:
I had hoped that the little Q&A sessions we had most days would help them to understand how being active could benefit them in a positive way. We would also discussed the use of household equipment as substitutes if someone was on a very limited budget. To my surprise they took to this well, because in subsequent sessions I could tell ideas were popping in their heads. Some of the things they came up with were book bags, milk jugs, cans of soup, etc. The video selfie also reassured me that they were learning how to do certain movements, what parts of the body they were using, and how exercise can benefit them. They'd been paying attention although I was skeptical at times.
Incorporating Contextual Knowledge:
I used what I knew about my students varying levels of fitness to craft the workouts that we were doing in the weeks previous. One of the things we talk about are different ways of exercising that work the same muscles, but may be easier to do. This usually builds their confidence and helps them to better their scores. I always encourage my students to come ask me what their last score was on our fitness tests. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but I always let them know beforehand. I tried to group the students with a pretty fair mix of girls and boys. There were a couple that needed to be traded based on the ability to get along with each other.
Drafting Next Steps:
Overall, I thought it went well. Next time I would definitely have the groups closer together to cut down on my movement. I generally try not to ever turn my back to students, especially 6th graders. However, considering we are coming off a full moon, and the minuscule amount of PE time my 6th graders have had the last 3 days, it went pretty good. It was apparent from the answers that were given that they have been paying attention. The weeks prior to this, we have been working out and having general talks about healthy living and fitness, so that was encouraging.
I did this on October 10th. At the time we had worked a little each day on our PBL. Part of coaching is being able to read your players, PE is no different. Sometimes you just have to change thing up and get away from the normalcy for a bit. I could tell that my kids needed a break by their participation, attitudes, and body language. So, the week after we had regular PE. It seems to have worked, because when it came time to make their purchases it went quickly. This went so well that I did it again for a few days and got them back to working out to get reacquainted with the exercises, muscles they were using, and how a workout should flow. Just doing this has made the time they work on this more efficient
I did a consensus protocol, or my version of it. I had groups of no more than five, spread out in spots on the gym floor. I had them all put their names on it so I could remember who is in what group. I had them write down what FITT stands for (frequency, intensity, time and type). I gave them the first word; they had to come up with the rest. We talked about this the Friday before. Then, I asked them to write down three different exercises that we did in the weeks prior to starting our PBL. It could be any three, because I change a few of them as we went along. Next, I had them tell me three different pieces of equipment we used during our workouts. Lastly, I had them tell me three benefits of exercise. We spend a couple of minutes most days talking about the health benefits of being active. We came together at the end and I asked a few of the groups to tell what they came up with.
This was important because it let me know that they had been paying attention in class before, during, and after our workouts and talks.
Making Connections:
I had hoped that the little Q&A sessions we had most days would help them to understand how being active could benefit them in a positive way. We would also discussed the use of household equipment as substitutes if someone was on a very limited budget. To my surprise they took to this well, because in subsequent sessions I could tell ideas were popping in their heads. Some of the things they came up with were book bags, milk jugs, cans of soup, etc. The video selfie also reassured me that they were learning how to do certain movements, what parts of the body they were using, and how exercise can benefit them. They'd been paying attention although I was skeptical at times.
Incorporating Contextual Knowledge:
I used what I knew about my students varying levels of fitness to craft the workouts that we were doing in the weeks previous. One of the things we talk about are different ways of exercising that work the same muscles, but may be easier to do. This usually builds their confidence and helps them to better their scores. I always encourage my students to come ask me what their last score was on our fitness tests. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but I always let them know beforehand. I tried to group the students with a pretty fair mix of girls and boys. There were a couple that needed to be traded based on the ability to get along with each other.
Drafting Next Steps:
Overall, I thought it went well. Next time I would definitely have the groups closer together to cut down on my movement. I generally try not to ever turn my back to students, especially 6th graders. However, considering we are coming off a full moon, and the minuscule amount of PE time my 6th graders have had the last 3 days, it went pretty good. It was apparent from the answers that were given that they have been paying attention. The weeks prior to this, we have been working out and having general talks about healthy living and fitness, so that was encouraging.
I did this on October 10th. At the time we had worked a little each day on our PBL. Part of coaching is being able to read your players, PE is no different. Sometimes you just have to change thing up and get away from the normalcy for a bit. I could tell that my kids needed a break by their participation, attitudes, and body language. So, the week after we had regular PE. It seems to have worked, because when it came time to make their purchases it went quickly. This went so well that I did it again for a few days and got them back to working out to get reacquainted with the exercises, muscles they were using, and how a workout should flow. Just doing this has made the time they work on this more efficient
Hi Max,
ReplyDeleteI like how at the beginning of the video lesson you began by asking students to think back on some of the exercises that they did with you previously and what equipment was used to help them define FITT with relevant examples from their own experiences. This definitely helped provide a context for students.
You shared how students were able to make connections by connecting everyday items and objects from their homes to possible equipment for their pbl project. You shared in your reflection how overall this pbl project went well because you were able to ensure the flexibility of your implementation to meet students' needs. You wrote about how the week after their initial inquiry you made the instructional decision to have a full block of regular p.e. because you knew your students needed the physical activity and then went back the next week to dive in to the pbl work.
Thanks,
Dawn