Assignment 3A

A grouping pattern that I would use and I read about in multiple places is called flexible groups. In flexible groups students work in either partners, small groups or large groups. All of which are done in a physical education setting in a one to two 50 minute class per week. Flexible groups allows students to work with all of their classmates over a period of time, well before half of the school year is over. I want all of my students in a class to experience working with others because using positive communication and collaboration strategies is important for their futures. 

As for heterogenous grouping in a PE setting, I would put students of different physical abilities in the same cooperative learning group. Allowing the students the opportunity to work with different physical abilities to learn different and new strategies from one another. A homogeneous group in a PE setting, students of the same level of physical ability would be placed in the same group. This grouping strategy I would try and stay away from because I do not want those who are advanced learners all together and those who are low achieving learners together because the low achieving learners will see that they are not the best and this could lower their self esteem and that is the last thing I want in my classroom. I will always lean more toward a heterogenous group in PE so that different physical ability students learn and work off of one another. A mixture of both would work too because it would have different abilities and some students with the same level of ability and those with the same level of ability can collectively work together to help others or learn from others. 

Based off Gardner's Intelligences the first group configuration I would pick would be bodily-kinesthetic. This would work for, whole group, small group, peer pairs and individual design. In all group settings the students can interpret the content of a lesson and execute it with their bodies.The second that I would pick would be linguistic, finding the right words to express what you mean, this would be best for whole group, small group, peer pairs and individuals. It would work for all groups in a PE setting because I want my students to be able to think about their thoughts and the content of a lesson and then find it within themselves to use the right words to express themselves with themselves or others. Working with others and being able to collaborate effectively is a skill students will need throughout their entire lives. Intra-personal would be the last of the intelligences that I would pick and this would be specifically for individual design. I want the students to learn how to understand themselves, what they feel and what they want. By understanding themselves it will help them to be able to work in small or large groups, especially if they know how to effectively share their thoughts. 

All students learn differently and interpret information differently as well, so by mixing up groups and having all kinds of learners contribute to large and small groups and students doing work individually it gives the students many different opportunities to not only learn the content and understand it to increase their performance. In physical education I feel it is easier for students of all abilities to work together toward success because they can ask questions to learn off one another or observe and watch and execute a skill. Standards are different for all grades in a PE setting, they build off of one another as the children get older but there is differentiation for the students. Differentiation is important because if there was only one pathway to reach those standards then not all students would be successful. By differentiating it gives the students multiple different pathways for success. 

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose." - Lyndon B. Johnson

Assignment 3B

A lesson that I would create in a physical education setting that incorporates project based learning would be at the end of the year and it would be based off of how the students do the science fair. Instead I would call my fair the "Health & Wellness Fair".  At this fair the students would take an activity/sport, fitness component or health related component they learned about throughout the year in my class and create their own project after finding more information, research and interviews with businesses, companies and people in the community. The point of the Health & Wellness Fair is to connect the concepts learned in school and connect them to real life. I want the students to be able to see why learning the basic components and concepts in a physical education classroom setting only sets them up for more knowledge that can be gained in the outside world. Being physically active is something that every single student can do and be for their entire lives, even if it is just riding a bike or walking around the block, that is being physically active. 

With this project the students will have the opportunity to work in groups of 4 and design a project that is a blog, podcast, video, poster, pamphlet, presentation or play. Giving the students so many different opportunities to express their findings and understanding differentiates the projects as a whole from one group to the next, but it also differentiates their findings and understanding through the chosen work of their project. Also, with having the students go out into the community and interview people and businesses, it allows the students to see that there are resources that can be used outside of the school setting. 

This project would be based more toward the high school level, only because I would not want my elementary school students going throughout the community alone, it would not be very safe. High school students can drive themselves to get together, work together online and make phone calls if needed to get information. 

The Health & Wellness Fair would be posted up in the library, cafeteria or wherever there is space for each group project so that the entire school can go through at one point throughout a one week period. It will also benefit other students make the connection to physical education at school and physical activity concepts and components outside of the school environment as well. 

"To keep the body in good health is a duty....otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." -Buddha

Assignment 2B

Since I want to be a future physical education teacher below I have written some of the ways I can differentiate instruction for the different populations of students I will encounter. It is all about finding ways for the student to be involved and still learn the content of the lesson.

English Language Learners 

• Partner with a friend/translator
• New students generally always make one close friend when meeting an entire classroom of students so I would try and recognize this as soon as possible and when working in groups or pairs I would make sure that the ELL is always with the student they feel most comfortable around.
• Visuals with pictures 
• Pictures are universal so by having a visual that the student can look as provides extra clarity as to what is being asked of them in the activity.
• Instruction translated in their native language 
• Translated instruction in the students native language tells them specifically what the content of the lesson is and what I am expecting from them. Producing written instruction in their language gives the student much needed clarity when I am giving most of the instruction verbally in English.
• Give objectives/vocabulary/lesson content beforehand 
• By doing this it gives the student the opportunity to prepare for the upcoming content/lesson. By providing the vocabulary it also prepares the student for words I will be using in my instruction, it will help the student slowly become familiar with the vocabulary and improve their English speaking skills.
• In daily journal that the students are asked to do allow this student to draw or narrate their experience, feelings, understanding and concerns 
• Giving the student the choice as to how they want to express what they learned gives them more of an opportunity to be creative and I want them to feel free in their expression where I am assessing what they learned and how I can better my future instruction.

Special Needs Students

• Modify equipment, a lighter/bigger ball for the student to kick 
• This will help the student feel more comfortable if they have a disability that does not allow them to perform the skill with a soccer ball 
• If the student does not do well in a big group put them in a smaller group or with a partner(advanced learner) 
• A smaller group should help with their social interaction and not having too many people to communicate with. Putting them with an advanced learner, the advanced learner can help "coach" them on what and how to do the activity/skill
• I will give them a specific task like being the equipment manager, where they clean up the equipment when the day is over - or line leader - something of importance for them to want to be engaged in activity 
• Giving the student a specific task will hold an important value to them and with it being important it will hold the students attention or allow them to be involved in an activity that their body may not allow. 
• Find a common interest like music and let the student pick a few songs to be played while activity is going on, keeping them engaged 
• Finding a common interest in general will build a relationship between the student and myself and with that relationship the student will feel more comfortable being out at PE. Here, by letting the student pick the music it keeps the student close to me since once I am done giving instruction and send out the students the music will be played. With having the student close they will hear all of my instruction closely and still gain some understanding of what I am asking of the students. 
• If they do not like loud noise have them wear headphones and give non verbal cues, so when I raise my hand with one finger that will mean go, rather than hearing me loudly say go or hearing the whistle
• Reducing the loud noise that the student is sensitive to reduces the stress level of being out at PE. I want the student to be comfortable and minimizing the sound for some students does this. I bring up this example because as a para we use headphones for our moderate-severe special education students and by reducing the sound with headphones they are more willing to participate. 
• In the daily journal that the students are asked to do, allow this student to draw or narrate their experience, feelings, understanding and concerns
• Giving the student the choice as to how they want to express what they learned gives them more of an opportunity to be creative and I want them to feel free in their expression where I am assessing what they learned and how I can better my future instruction. 

Advanced/Gifted Learners

• Become the coach/pairing with other students
• Since this student knows the majority of the content and excels at the skill(s) being taught this student can act as a coach or second teacher in the class. There will be boundaries set for this student on their delivery and interactions with the students but they are to help students who are struggling. In soccer in a kicking lesson, they can show the proper technique and add in some extra tricks for those who are ready for more of a challenge. This keeps the student engaged and challenges their thinking process because they have to know enough about the content to help others and be confident in their knowledge.
• Live demonstration
• Live demonstrations by students are always better than an adult like myself doing it because the students have someone the same age and body type doing the movements required for a skill and the students can mimic them. This keeps the student engaged and not just sitting listening to my instruction zoning off. 
• More advanced content/skill
• The student is clearly much better at the content and skills being asked of them to engage in so engaging in instruction that is made for the general population of students can be boring for them. Giving the student more advanced content/skill within the lesson challenges them and extends the time they are engaged in that activity. 
• Create a skill within the lesson
• Here I can give the student the opportunity to create a different skill within the activity the class is participating in. For example, if I am doing soccer, a kicking lesson, the student can come up with an activity/skill that can be used when kicking a soccer ball and share it with the rest of the class.
• In the daily journal that the students are asked to do, allow this student to draw or narrate their experience, feelings, understanding and concerns
• Giving the student an extra choice as to how they want to express themselves provides more of an opportunity to be creative and I want my students to feel free in their expression where I am assessing what they learned and how I can better my future instruction. 

Most of these differentiation strategies I have explained here will be used in my future physical education class, but they can all be used in each of my lessons as well. From soccer to basketball and softball everything listed above is generally the same across the board. 

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." -Pele

Differentiation

As you can tell I have had this blog for previous courses. I am choosing to keep my other blog posts up so that I can add onto the information I have already learned and shared. Also so I can look back on my posts and use them in my future of teaching physical education. I do have an introduction about myself that is at the bottom of the page, so if you scroll all the way down you can read a little bit about myself and why I picked teaching as a profession. 

Differentiating instruction in physical education has a lot to take into account when developing a lesson for the students. Learning levels, body development, age/grade level and special needs to name a few. I am currently a para professional at the elementary school level and help teach grades transitional kinder all the way to fifth grade. If we are doing a lesson on throwing and catching I cannot teach the same content to kinders who are five years old like I would to fifth graders who are ten. There are so many different ways to teach a skill in physical education that at times I feel like it is never ending. Although it may seem challenging, it is a fun challenge because the students are not the only ones who are learning, I am learning as well. Throughout my career I will always be learning new things and strategies that I can use in my teaching and instruction. I find that collaborating with my peers will be beneficial and finding online blogs and data bases with information and experienced shared by other teachers is extremely helpful as well. Not all strategies used for differentiating instruction will be beneficial for my students and lead them to success but it does not hurt to try because out of all the students I see throughout a week of PE, it might just help one person and that is what matters. 

Throughout my time as a teacher I always have to remember to self-reflect and get feedback that I can take and analyze myself and make changes to my instruction so that I can reach a bigger population of students to help them be successful. For those that I do not help become successful in a PE setting I have to find new ways of differentiating instruction and help them as well. It is a never ending process, but I want to be a teacher to help the students, it is not for myself and it is not for the money, clearly, I am there to help the students learn through being physically active. 

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney