Golden Super Star PE

New School Lunch Rules

2012-02-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

The battle for quality school lunches has been an ongoing process for way too long. On January 25th of 2012, the new USDA School Nutrition Standards were announced. This means that schools will deliver much healthier meals to children all across the nation!

The Standards include:
- both fruit and vegetable choices
- increased whole grain options
- offering only low fat or fat free milk
- insuring proper portion sizes based on age
- focus on reducing saturated fat, trans fats and sodium

Now these are just small steps in the right direction to help make our students healthy and get them to make healthier live choices but our efforts should not stop here.

Some other things we can do as educators should include making a bulletin board or display table in the cafeteria showing off some of the new food options that will be coming to the school's meals.

Create simple fact sheets about the new guidelines for the staff in your school. Share them at staff meetings and invite them to try the new, improved school lunches.

Have surveys about the new menu choices or have a small group of students answer questions about their favorite fruit, vegetable, and whole grain choices to help assist with future menu planning.

Boston... Here We Come!

2012-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody I know it's been a VERY long time since I've last blogged but I'm back online! For those of you who don't know the National AAHPERD conference is right around the corner and this year it's in BOSTON, MA! Keep an eye out on the blog for details about from sessions, the expos and more in the coming weeks. If you want more information about becoming an AAHPERD member or signing up for the conference please click here.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day everybody! Now you may be asking yourself, what exactly is earth day? Back in the 1970's during the hippie and flower-child era, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry was releasing smoke and sludge into the air without a second thought about the consequences of their actions. Environment was not a word you saw very often on the evening news but the problem was already being brought to people's attention due to the publication of Rachel Carson's New York Times bestseller Silent Spring in 1962. This book raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and pubic health.

So, the idea of Earth Day came to founder Gaylord Nelson, a former U.S. Wisconsin Senator, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He was inspired by the student anti-war movement, he came to realize that if he could use that energy to show the public about air and water pollution, it would then force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a "National Teach-In On The Environment" to the national media and as a result on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.

Since that time Earth Day as grown and helped create over 5,000 environmental groups in over 184 countries. But how can you relate this to physical education?

Click here to see one lesson plan from PE Central on how you can celebrate Earth Day with your own class. It's important for us as educators to not only teach the physical but also teach through the physical! We as educators want to mold well rounded individuals that are competent and proficient in physical skills but also relate our work to other subjects they learn and teach them about things they may not know about. We need to look at our students as a whole and not just where they are physically!

So today go out of your way and be a little eco friendly to do your part this Earth Day! Maybe not go on your computer tonight or go for a walk instead of driving your car... it's little things like this that when we all do our part, make a big difference!

For more information on Earth Day, click here.

To see animals that are currently on the endangered species list and see animals that are discovered every year, click here.

Under Armour's New Innovative Technology

2011-04-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Technology has certainly come a long way and as days turn to months and months to years the technology only gets more and more advanced. I happened to stumble across a friends Facebook page and found an article about a new innovative technology from Under Armour. This new technology is the first of it's kind!

It's called the E-39 and is the world's most innovative athletic evaluation and improvement tool that measures accuracy and precision. It's an electronic compression base layer that tracks your heart and breathing rate, G-Force and horsepower gauge as well as body positioning. The data stored in the heart of the shirt transmits to a computer or handheld. It's a great way for anyone to look at the data and use it to create your next work out. The E-39 will not be released until sometime in 2012 but the E-39 has already made an appearance at this past years NFL combine.

I feel like this will be a great asset to any athlete because as an athlete who wouldn't want to see how they're performing? Also who wouldn't want to get better? The information athletes and coaches can see from this little device can help direct which way to take training and practices. The only thing I am worried about is how much this product will cost. Under Armour typically usually runs around $50 before tax. In addition to that you need to bring a computer outside which how many places to you know of that has Wi-Fi outside? Also the program will no doubt cost some sort of money, so I'm interested to see how much this will cost the average consumer. What about the rain? Is this product water proof? I would love to be a test subject for this product and I'm super excited to see the possibilities for sport performance and enhancing sport performance from this product.

For more information and receive updates on Under Armour's E-39 click here.

To see the E-39 at work, watch the video below

To see a look inside the technology, watch the video below

New York Health Officials Refuse To "Legislate Fun"

2011-04-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Today, New York State health officials backed down from a proposed plan that would place new regulations on classic children's games such as tag, Wiffle Ball, Dodgeball, etc. at day camps within the state. Lawmakers stated that such activities "pose a significant risk of injury". The department said it would continue to gather information until May 16th, and would formulate new safety regulations that are much broader.

The New York State Department of Health created a list of risky recreational activities in response to a state law that passed in 2009. The law was supposed to close a loophole that legislators said "allowed too many indoor camp programs to operate with oversight". Under the new regulations, any program that offers two or more organized recreational activities (with at least one of them being on the risky list) is deemed a summer camp and subjected to state regulations.

The List of Games/Activities on the "Warning" List:

- Capture the Flag

- Crab Soccer

- Dodgeball

- Flag Tag

- Flag Football

- Ga Ga

- Kickball

- Nuk- em

- Red Rover

- Steal the Bacon

- Tag Game of all varieties

The games are not banned at camps, but do they do pose a "player be warned" attitude. Camps that want campers to play the games will be required to pay a $200 registration fee and have medical staff on hand. There are about 2.300 regulated summer camps in New York that are required to be under permit and be inspected twice a year by the state's Department of Health. The state claims that this has resulted in markedly low levels of serious incidents. State statistics also claim that of more than 640,000 children who attend camps, less than two-tenths of one percent are injured in any manner.

Isn't it our job to teach children not only skills to use throughout their lifetime but teach them games they can use outside the classroom so they can socialize and have fun? I believe "play" is a crucial part of children's development and if they're taking away time in phys. ed and there's no phys. ed during the summer... where are these kids going to learn about being active and learn new games to play? I remember going away to summer camps and wanting to teach my friends all the cool new games I learned while I was away... children can't learn when supervisors and camp counselors can't teach them games just because they could potentially hurt them. Children can get hurt running down the block! In addition to that, children are really going to get hurt because the obesity rate is just going to get higher and higher. Play is something that is a necessity for children... who are legislators to put a price tag in play?

For more information on this, please click here.

April Is National Youth Sports Safety Month

2011-04-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

The month of April has been proclaimed as National Youth Sports Safety Month! The national health event was initiated by the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, Inc. in 1993 to help promote safety in sports organizations. It is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to reducing the number and severity of injuries youth sustain in sports and fitness activities. This foundation is the only organization in the country solely dedicated to this objective!

The foundation's mission is to promote the healthy development of youth and to keep them physically active in sports for life!

This organization is just one of the ways to bring about the importance of keeping children active but also keeping them safe! Now you may be thinking to yourself... what can I do as an educator to help promote youth sport safety? Here is a small list of things you can do to help educate your students as well as others.

- Celebrate National Youth Sports Safety Month in your classes

- Create a list of your community's sport fields and playgrounds. Check them for hazards and let someone know of these dangers.

- Write letters in support of youth sports safety to school boards, athletic directors and administrators of youth sport programs. Encourage them to have an emergency plan and an immediate first responder in case of an injury.

- Hold a sports safety event for your community!

- Offer to speak at PTA meetings, schools, health clubs, recreation centers and youth sports groups about sport safety.

- Invite local professional athletes to talk with students regarding conditioning, training and sports safety.

This is just a small list of things we as educators can do to showcase the importance of youth sports safety! It's our job to inform students of issues regarding safety, so let them know about Youth Sports Safety! For more information please visit the National Youth Sports Safety website by clicking here.

UCONN Wins Dog Fight!

2011-04-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

NCAA basketball came to an end tonight with UCONN winning 53-41 against Butler before 70,376 to secure UCONN's third national title in 13 years. For a recap of the game click here.

Surf's Up Dude!

2011-04-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

With temperatures in the 80's, we decided to take a trip to the beach for the day! We slept in, had breakfast and made our way to the Ferry. We just missed the first ferry and had to wait an hour for the next one. During our waiting time we walked around the Naval Park and were able to see the sights! After seeing the sights we finally got onto the ferry and walked to Coronado Beach! The beach was beautiful! There weren't a lot of people which was great! The sun was shining bright and the water had gold flakes in it! It felt so good to be with friends in the sun! We played a big game of Ultimate Frisbee and then decided to try surfing! I've always wanted to learn to surf ever since I was in middle school and today I got that chance! It was tough to get up because the board was made of foam but I got up on the board once which was a huge accomplishment! It was an awesome feeling riding the waves! The salt water didn't taste so great when I fell into the water but it didn't stop me from trying! After a long day of surfing, frisbee and laying out on the beach we walked back to the ferry and took a shuttle back to the hotel. After a long day in the sun, we all took a nap to recharge to get ready for the rest of the night! I'll never forget my first experience on a surf board and I can't wait to get back to the beach and try again!

More of the National AAHPERD Conference!

2011-04-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of the National AAHPERD Conference was an all day experience! I woke up extra early to get down to the Convention Center early enough to catch a session on how to get unmotivated students motivated. I was a little disappointed because this session was more of a sales pitch but the idea discussed I believe has some real potential. The product was called a Zamzee.

visit http://www.zamzee.com/ for more information

The Zamzee is an online rewards program for teens that helps promote physical activity. You wear the "Zamzee" which is like a high tech pedometer and it records how much you've moved around. You can walk your dog, jump, run, dance because it all can be recorded. Next you connect your Zamzee to your computer where you can track your activity, which powers your online account. You can convert your activityto currency that you can spend online at the Zamzee store. I feel this has great potential to get teens active but I still would need to more information and do more research on the product.

After this session I quickly moved to see John Ratey speak. For those of you who don't know who John Ratey is he is a MD, an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a Research Synthesizer, Speaker and a Author. John Ratey wrote SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. In Spark he guides the reader to an understanding of neurobiology and tries to help the reader reach their full potential and embrace exercise because it is crucial for the brain and body to operate at peak performance!

During his speech at the conference he discussed many things from his book but talked about how we are the agents of change and that we need to understand the correlation between exercise and the brain along with the body. We placed emphasis on the need for fitness and how we as physical educators should not teach skills but fitness because fitness is what children need. I do believe what Mr. Ratey says but I believe in balance and that skills along with fitness should be taught to students because it is the combination of these two things that will help keep students healthy for a lifetime.

After this I ran over to the Hilton Bayfront Hotel to see Drew Brees speak! Our very own Lynn Couturier was the speaker for this event and allowed all of SUNY Cortland students to come up on stage and be recognized. Drew Brees talked about his various foundations and organizations like Play60 and The President's Challenge.

For more information on the President's Challenge click here.

For more information on Play 60 and the NFL click here.

After this session, I made my way back over to the convention center to a session on ABL (Adventure Based Learning) for elementary students. This session was very much like the Adventure Activities course offered here at SUNY Cortland. We played many games that I had played before but many different games I've never played before. After about 2-4 games we would all sit down and "debrief". We talked about how the activities made us feel and from people's responses the coordinators would ask specific questions based on ideas like success, teamwork and patience. I learned many different ways to debrief with elementary students which I feel will be beneficial to me because I can incorporate adventure education into my classroom curriculum.

The final session I attended was a coaching philosophy session which really helped me gain insight on aspects of coaching I over looked and aspects I forgot being an athlete.

Needless to say it was a long day! I came back to the hotel and took a nap in the beautiful sunshine! It's okay to be jealous!

Getting Up and Getting Active!

2011-03-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of sessions at the National AAHPERD conference here in San Diego. I started off my day at a session called Imagination in Motion: Guiding Active Play Through Children's Imaginations.

This session was all about having students use their imagination during activities to help teach them words, shapes, animals and most importantly locomotor movement patterns. This was a fantastic lesson! I've never sweated so much during an hour and half session like I did during this one! The presenter was enthusiastic and really made things interesting. We all know how hard it can be to come up with new games and new ideas... after being in this session I acquired 12-15 games that I could use and make variations for!

For more information on these and other games please click here.

After this session I sure had worked up an appetite! I headed down to the Exhibition area and explored what they had to offer!

If someone were to ask what they had on display at the convention I would tell to them ask what they didn't show at the convention because it'd be a shorter list!

After lunch there was one more session I wanted to attend that that was Bringing Disc Sports Indoors. This was another active session that involved learning what Frolf is and how to play! The session started out with learning the different types of frisbees used in Frolf. They're very different from Ultimate Frisbees! So after learning about the different types of frisbees used we watch the World Champion Frolf player for men demonstrate how to putt using the putter disc. We learned how to shift our weight and not really rotate as much like you would playing frisbee. From there we were given the opportunity to actually use the putter disc and practice putting. It's a lot different Ultimate and it took me some time before to get used to snapping my wrist more. After this we went over some basic throws in Ultimate (backhand, forehand, hammer throw, etc.) After we learned how to Disc Lacrosse! Now you may be thinking to yourself, how in the world can somebody play disc lacrosse? Well you need disc golf cages and then you mark off 9ft around that cage. Students use the same rules as Ultimate only they can only score by getting the frisbee in the cage. The trick is they can't pass the cones! They also can't take 3 steps once they obtain possession of the disk. Again, the rules except for these little details are just the same as Ultimate rules.

Overall it was a great first day at the conference! I was able to network with others and introduce my self to other professionals! One lady even told me to come to her school in WI because they love Cortland students! It's truly an experience that I wish everyone could experience! I can't wait to see what the conference brings my tomorrow! Can't wait to get Breezy with Drew Breeze tomorrow too!

To see more from today's conference please visit Amanda Caloia's blog here.

Great Times in San Diego!

2011-03-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well folks I'm writing from poolside. No I'm not talking about Poolside in Park Center at SUNY Cortland but actual poolside in sunny San Diego, CA. It was a long day yesterday filled with great adventure! We went for an early run yesterday and explored parts of the convention center and parts of downtown. After coming back to the room and getting ready for the day we set off to find food! We ended up stopping at this little restaurant called "The Local". The food was fabulous! It was the first time I had fish tacos and I loved them! The people were so friendly and it was just a great experience! Next we went shopping for groceries and finally made our way back to the hotel. The rest of the day it was just laying out by pool trying to get some sun and get some color. The sun zapped us of energy so then we all ended up taking a nap. When we awoke we all went out to dinner in preparation for our best friend Edwin's 21st birthday! We ended up going downtown again, but it ended up taking us a lot longer to find a place to eat. We finally stumbled upon this little gem called "Fred's Mexican Cuisine" With stomachs full we made our way back to the hotel and just spent the rest of the night a food coma! The first day in San Diego was truly epic! It was so much fun! I can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings!

California... Here I Come!

2011-03-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Keep your eyes peeled for videos, pictures, etc. all from sunny California! Why am I in California? I will be there for the National AAHPERD Conference! So let the fun begin!

Grab Your Broomsticks, It's Time For Quidditch!

2011-03-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Today started the first day students from Professor Yang's EDU 255 class would begin teaching their Lab C. I was involved in a lot of really activities like Cricket and Krumping, but the one activity that I was really excited about being involved in was Quidditch!

Now most of us probably have seen at least one Harry Potter film or read at least one Harry Potter books. Quidditch is the fictional sport that they play at Hogwarts which is described as being a extremely rough and semi-contact sport. Since 2003 many teams from over 200 colleges are affiliated with the International Quidditch Association. This game not only appeals to Harry Potter fans but many college students in general.

For a list of rules and a guide book on everything you'll need to know about Quidditch click here.

Now I had to admit when I heard there was a club team here at Cortland all I could picture was a bunch of kids in capes riding around fake broom sticks getting hit with soccer balls. Since my experience today I have a new found respect for these individuals.

Not only in this game unique it's a bit challenging! Most people have a hard time catch a ball and throwing a ball, now imagine holding onto a broom stick that is stationed between your legs and trying to catch that same ball! Sounds difficult right? It took me a few tries but eventually I had the hang of it. You couldn't just try and catch the ball one handed, if you did chances are the ball just bounced off your hand, you had to give a little in order to catch the ball. It was so much fun just running around with a lacrosse stick (normally it'd be a broom) between your legs trying to dodge people and catch a ball. Another thing you had to look out for was the bludgers! In the Harry Potter world bludgers can break bones and give people concussions this however is not the case for actual players, although getting hit by a soccer ball will hurt! So as you're trying to run with a stick between your legs, catch the "quaffle" one handed, you have to keep your eyes peeled for "bludgers". It's really something every college student should experience! So once you dodge the bludgers, your objective is to score the quaffle into a net to score points. Now usually games can last a while but whatever finds the "golden snitch" is the winner and the game ends. Now sadly I didn't get to participate in a full game and be put in a game like situation due to time but I'm sure playing in a real game would be an incredible experience!

It's important for us as future educators to break out of our comfort zone because sometimes we may shy away from something that looks "silly" or is different from what were used to. If we don't experience new things then we can't grow as people and as future educators. So what are some things that you tried and experienced lately? What were your opinions prior? How did you feel afterwards? Leave a comment below and share your stories! Let your voices be heard!

WRUP - What Are You Playing?: Wiffle Ball

2011-03-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Now many of you might not be familiar with this logo but this is the official Wiffle Ball logo.

Don't know what Wiffle Ball is? Wiffle ball is basically the same thing as baseball only players use a ball with holes in it and a plastic bat.

For official rules click here.

It started off sunny with temps in the high 40's yesterday in Buffalo, NY so my friends and I decided it was time we start bringing out the bats and wiffle balls and get our season started. We started our game at 5PM at Como park. The field was moderately dry but mostly wet with patches of mud. This wasn't going to stop us though. We played for a solid two hours! Towards the end it was freezing cold and everyone just wanted to go home. We decided that we couldn't let the game end without a winner. The score was 0-0 at the top of the 3rd but then Team A scored 1 run. With two outs following the score, my team took to the plate. My friend Brian hit a single but was tagged out, and my friend Max was intentionally walked to bring me to the plate. I had two strikes right from the start but then caught a break with 2 balls, the next pitch was thrown and hit it right into right field where nobody was standing. It was only a single but it allowed for my teammates to make bases loaded. My friend Brian was up next and hit a homer all the way to center field helping us win the game! It was a glorious day for Wiffle Ball!

Now we love Wiffle Ball as much as the next person, but some people REALLY love Wiffle Ball

Click here to watch a video about people who loved the game so much, they built their own stadium in their yard! What are some sports or activities that you are playing over break? Leave a comment below and let me know! Also let me know some crazy things you've done for sports and activities you liked to do.

SCOPE MEDIA: Historical Figures In Education/NCATE

2011-03-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone check out the latest webisode from SCOPE Media!

WRUP - What Are You Playing?: Mario Kart Wii

2011-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Now I'm sure you're wondering... Mario Kart? How can anyone be active playing Mario Kart? That's what ordinary people may think but my friends and I are no ordinary people.

My friend Jay is a physical education major at Brockport and we started talking about what we were doing in classes and then I started telling him about technology and we intergrade it into our major. He loved the idea! So all my friends are home now and we all got together at a friends house to play Mario Kart Wii. (It's a little tradition we have) So I started talking to my friend Jay as we were playing and I asked him "Jay, what could we do to make this game more active?" Immediately the ideas started pouring in from not only Jay and myself but all my friends. We decided on rules and wrote them down a piece of paper... we all agreed to follow these rules and we began to play! I'm always Bowser because he's big and bulky and when push comes to shove, he does both!

So we can up with a way to incorporate physical activity while playing Mario Kart. The rules we came up with were very simple.

Mario Kart Movement Rules:
-Game must be played on 150cc circuit
-Before the race the player must be doing push ups. When the light turns green the player may stop, grab his controller and start the race.
-While the kart is moving the player must be running in place until the race is over.
-If you were flattened any time during your race you had to sit in the squat position against a wall until you returned to normal size.
-If you spun out, you had to do 180 jump turns until you returned to normal.
-If you lost you had to 30 jumping jacks.
-If your performed a special jump, you had to perform a special jump in the air as well.
-If you were hit with a green shell, red shell or blue shell you had burpees until you returned to normal.
-If you fell off the track on Rainbow road you had squats until you returned back on the track.
-All players must cool down with a 50cc two race minimum.

So as you can see this got pretty intense! We were all dead tired after the games but some of my friends said that it was the best workout they had in a while. You don't Wii Fit or any of the new dance games to get a sweat going, all you need are rules for the game, a goal you want to achieve while playing and little imagination. We took a well deserved rest after with some ice cold water and went back to playing again. Needless to say my Sunday night was a blast!

Historical Figure in Education: Jean Piaget

2011-03-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Click the video below to find out what historical figure, Jean Piaget, had to say about education and what he contributed to education today!

Spending Too Much Time On Sport Too Soon?

2011-03-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

In a recent news broadcast, 11 year old Sam spends 12 hours a week practicing gymnastics with the Ohio State University Kids Club. On top of the countless hours put into his practice, his family spends about $5000 on travel, uniforms, events, etc. just so Sam can participate in something he loves.

Click here to view the story

After watching the story on Sam I began to think about my own career as a young athlete and the amount of time I spent on athletics.

I first started athletics when I was in 6th grade which would put me around the 11-12 age group. I would have practice from about 4 or 5 until 6 or 7. Some nights I had practice from 7-9:30. Now average that out for the week and you'd a total of about 10-14 hours a week. Also we had games on Saturdays which took up about 5-6 hours of time. So is spending 12+ hours a week on athletics too much for an 11 year old? I would have to say no. I say no because I had fun playing football and socializing with my friends. Sam appears to be having as well, so can you really say that there is too much time spent doing something you love? I would say the only time when something becomes too much is when academics begin to suffer. If you can't balance school with athletics then you need to put more time into one thing and less into another.

National Outdoor Track and Field Meet 2008 at University NC A&T

Also think about this, when students get older, sports become a critical aspect of their lives. I remember countless hours I would spend working on block starts and hand offs for our sprint relays. Some people thought we were just wasting time but for me I saw it as time to better myself. Think about great athletes for a moment. Aren't the best athletes the ones that put in the most time practicing and perfecting skills. They're the ones that "Eat, Sleep and Breathe" the sport right? I feel it's almost necessary to put in a solid amount of time towards your athletics because if you want to go somewhere in that sport you have to be the best. You get what you put into it.

Sam might not appreciate it now, but his parents are making huge sacrifices for him by spending the money on travel, uniforms, etc. I always felt grateful for my family and how supportive they were. If I needed new spikes or new spandex, they'd run me to the store and buy whatever I needed. This occurred about every year from the time I was in 7th grade. I would say that my family spent anywhere from $800-$1500 on just track things alone. (I also did football and they also had my brother to worry about) My parents knew the importance of having the right equipment because they knew it would help me be the best. They knew I couldn't win if my spikes were all beat up and heavy. They wanted me to be the best and provided me with the newest and best equipment. I am so blessed to have a family like mine that would provide me with new equipment and take off work or get out of work early to come see me run or get up at 5:30AM in sub zero temps, to drive me to the school so I could get ready for away meets, which they would attend too! Some kids aren't as lucky and I feel bad for this kids. There were some kids on my team that parents would just not provide them with the money or show up to the meets. I would always get super nervous about my parents being at meets because I never wanted to screw up or fail in front of them but looking back on it now, I'm glad they were there to see me fail because they also had the chance to see me win and sometimes win big! Other kids could have run the best race of their lives and nobody was there to see it and cheer them on.

How many hours did you spend on sports when you were 11 years old? Did your parents support you during your athletic career? Leave a comment below and explain what sports were like for you at a young age!

License Plate For Your Bike?

2011-03-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves riding a bike during the summer! It's a great way to stay and shape and get a breath of fresh air! But what if you had to pay a fee to have a license plate on your bike? Would you still want to ride your bike? Law makers in Albany are desperate for cash and are considering legislation that would require license plates for all bikes. This idea has people all over New York furious!

This legislation would require bikes to be registered, licensed, and pass inspection. One bill will apply to privately owned two-wheelers. The other bill will address commercially-operated bikes and require insurance. The plates would cost $25 for the "family" version and $50 for the "commercial" tags. The $25 license plates would produce nearly $2 million for the state in the first year, and with annual renewal fees, about $300,000 each year after the law becomes effective.

The author of the bills, Queens Assemblyman Michael DenDekker says that bicycles are considered moving vehicles in New York and more bike riders are using public thoroughfares and someone has to pay. The bills would also exempt riders 18 and under.

I personally feel that this is a horrible idea! How can someone put a price on being active and put a price on the enjoyment that others get from riding bikes? I personally ride my bike all over my town during the summer and have bills and shool/books to pay for, and now I'm supposed to give more money to NYS? This is outrageous! A lot of people train on bicycles during the summer and often will take the reflector off the bike. Make them put a license plate on their bike and that might start a riot! If the bill does pass, what comes next? Do we charge people to put a license plate on a skateboard? Or make people wear a tag that says their name and contact info when they run?

What do you think about the idea of this law? Answer the poll and leave a comment below!

To see more on this topic click here.

Good Coaching Or Over The Top?

2011-02-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

Matt Kravchuk, a sophomore at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, was knocked on the ground and kicked by his coach during a basketball practice. Kravchuk was involved in a rebound drill when his coach confronted him physically. His coach cursed him out and then kicked him out of the practice while Kravchuk was bleeding.

The video can be found by clicking here

Now as a former athlete I'm sure that we have experienced some great coaches and some not so great coaches in our athletic careers. For me it seemed I knew more not so great coaches especially on the Rugby team. One coach in particular that my family and I will never forget. For privacy let's call him "Coach Wittenberg"

"Coach Wittenberg" was our JV Rugby coach. It was my sophomore year and I played running back and safety. Our coach was very intense but we knew that we needed everything to be intense because we wanted to be the best. It wasn't until the first day of practice that we all realized what were getting ourselves into. The first day of Rugby two-a-days, our coach was just yelling at everyone for everything, telling us that we needed to work harder and move faster. He wanted us to do our best and he was our coach so we did what was asked of us. It was our first inter-squad scrimmage against ourselves with full equipment and the coach felt we were doing a horrible job because we didn't know the offense that well yet. We had about two weeks to learn 20 something plays. At the end of the scrimmage our coach pushed a player and snapped a clip board over his head because he was frustrated with us. We all laughed because we thought it was funny but looking back on the situation now I know that this was a sign of bad coaching.

So we're mid way through our season, and we're playing against one of the teams in our division at home on a friday night! The lights were blinding, our stomachs were filled with agitated butterflies and the fans were roaring with cheers. There were three running backs on the team myself included. The coached started the other two before me and they couldn't get anything started. He then put me in the game. Pacing up and down the side line he screamed a play at me and shoved me on the field. I couldn't tell my quarterback the play so my quarterback picked his own play. I ended up getting gang tackled by 3 defensive players. The coach was screaming my names from the sideline. I ran over to him and as I'm nearing him, he grabs my face mask and makes me look into his eyes while he shakes my face mask. He then pulls my face mask downward. He then told me if I ever did something that stupid again I'd never play another down for him, all season. My parents, in the stands, watched as he shook my face mask and then pushed me away from him when he was done screaming at me. The next day my doorbell rang and at the door was my coach. He came in and sat down and apologized for his actions to me and my family. He told me I would get more playing time and that he thought I was a great kid and had a lot of talent that he needed on the team.

I continued to play for him and endured his actions. Why you might ask? I felt it was all part of the game. My parents tried to get him fired and went to the press but the school wanted no part in the discipline of the coach. They felt it wasn't that serious. I didn't want to start anything either because I felt if I did say something he might punish me by making me run laps or do push ups until my arms couldn't hold me. In addition to this, I didn't want to jeopardize our season. He was my coach and I did what I was told. He could have stepped on my head and I still would have played because football was life to us during the football season. You had to eat, sleep and breath football and you never questioned the coaches. If I didn't continue and quit all my friends would have looked down on me and questioned my loyalty to them and the sport and the tradition of the game. You don't realize the rights and wrongs committed by a person until you are able to step back and reflect on the experience, or you see it happen to someone else ad think about your own experiences. Knowing what I know now, I would have left the team because my coaches actions were not right. I do understand he wanted to bring out the best in us and provide us with intensity but as a coach I would never lay a hand on my athlete. There are different ways to "toughen" up a team or an athlete and becoming physical is not one of them.

I feel the basketball coach had no right to lay a hand on his student especially when the athlete was not looking! Also the coach had no right to kick his athlete while he was on the ground bleeding. Saying he was toughening up his players is a poor excuse and should be suspended. The physical of an athlete should never happen. The physical abuse of a person period should never happen! A coach needs to be able to express his/her emotions what went wrong and had the athlete perform the task again.

Coaches are teachers that focus on particular skill. They must demonstrate the passion and concern much like a teacher would for his/her students. Just because you have the title as "coach" and doesn't give anyone the right to abuse an athlete because their not in a classroom setting. It's sad to see that people who abuse their power still have jobs when good, caring and passionate teachers and coaches are out there looking for a job. Leave a comment below about your opinion on the situation.

Choices: What Kind Are You Making?

2011-02-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

Did you ever take the time to stop and think about the choices and their impact they've had on your day? Did you wake up early or did you wake up with just enough time to catch the bus? Did you eat breakfast or are you going to wait because you have a test study for instead? All of these little choices may or may not have a dramatic impact on our lives but still play a role in our everyday lives. Now think about big decisions you've made in the past week. Did you start your paper or early or did you spend all night working on it the day before it's due? Did you tell someone something and it's still having an impact four or five days later? Again, the choices we make have crucial impacts on our past, present, and future.
As future physical educators we need to be aware of the choices we make but more importantly the outcomes associated with those choices. The choices we will be making will not only affect us but our students. What choices are you making to help yourself become a better physical educator that will ultimately affect your students. I made a choice Spring semester of my sophomore to be try and better myself everyday! Everyday I would pick one thing from the day previous that I could improve on and try to better myself. Then I made the choice to become more involved here at SUNY Cortland with clubs, volunteer work, the program, etc. I understand everyone has their own agenda and everyone has about a million things on their plate but your making the choice not to do these things because of other commitments. Your choices don't have to be to join clubs or do volunteer work but just think about the classroom. In PED 201 or EDU 255 what ways can you make yourself better? For me, I would look at everything I did right and then made a choice everyday to work on something that I found not up to my standards. I made the choice that I would work hard and give 150% effort to becoming the best physical educator that I knew how to be. How many people do you know that once they fail at something they give up? Or they don't even try something new? That's their choice... but how many people try new things and if they fail want to try again to succeed? If your a physical education major you should never say things like "Oh I can't do this!" or "Man, I hate doing that, I'm doing that" I wanted to become a better person, a better learner to ultimately help me be someone that stands out in the phys. ed program. With 800 phys. ed majors alone how are you going to make yourself more marketable and unique? Or are you not going to do anything? The choice is yours...

Someone that I would call a friend and an idol once told me a story and he said "There once was a old wise man that lived at the top of a hill. Everyone that lived in the village always consulted the wise man. Well one day a small boy thought to himself that he was going to trick the wise man to see if he was really as wise as he claimed to be. The boy caught a sparrow in his hands. He would bring this sparrow in his hands to the wise man. He would ask the wise man if the bird were dead or alive. If the wise man said it was alive, the boy would smother it and kill it. If the wise man said it was dead, the boy would open his hands and release the bird. So, the little boy walked up the hill to see the wise man. The wise man was waiting for him. The boy then called out "Hey wise man is this bird dead or alive?" The wise man then said "The bird is in your hands, only you can make that choice"

So the moral of the story is that we all have a choice. We have a choice to get better, and work harder and do incredible things! But nobody can you do anything. The choice to be proactive and an agent of change starts with you. Choose to inspire greatness with your students, peers, family members, etc. Make the choice to be the very best person you can be everyday! because if you're not doing or being your best, then your wasting your abilities and your time. Everything you do should be with passion and should be done for a purpose. Leave a comment below on things that you did great today! Things you want to improve on! and some choices you'll make to help you become a better person, physical educator, etc. Just remember... if not you, then who?

What is Family and How Does it Affect Us?

2011-02-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

What is family? Some might say they're parents. If you have a mother, father, brother or sister and grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins then most would say you have a family. Things today are nothing like they were back in the 50's or 60's or even the 90's for that matter. The family is no exception. "Leave It To Beaver" was a television show from the 1950s-60s that depicted what a family should look like. They had a dog, a white picket fence and lived in a nice suburban home. The father went to work while the wife stayed home and kids went to school. In the year 2011, the word "family" can be seen as many different things. A person's family can consist of two dads, just one mother or just a sister. The term family can also be used in many other different arenas.

I remember the days when I used to play high school football and high school track and field. I remember my teammates and how close we were. Many times we referred to ourselves as "family" Now it obvious none of us were related but we shared a camaraderie because we were together almost everyday practicing, playing games, and attending the same school. I was able to e-mail one of my old teammates from my track team and let's call him Mike. I asked Mike what family meant to him and he replied with "family can be your mom and dad, brother and sister but for me a family are people who I can trust and people who I know will get me through tough times. They don't need to be blood related they need to show that they care for you and are willing to give you the shirt off their back for you."

Many of us probably have played a team sport sometime in our lives and consider those people "brothers" or "sisters". Why? Because they posses traits that we like or practice ourselves. Spend enough time with those people and eventually you consider them part of your family because you see yourselves as one unit, accomplishing goals and looking after one another. I e-mailed another friend of mine from high school and asked her what she believed the word family meant and she replied with "I consider my best friends as part of my family. Yeah sure I have a mom and dad and brother along with extended family, but I feel as though me and friends were separated at birth almost lol You're bonded by beliefs and morals/values and common interests. You don't have to be blood related to be a family. Love is the glue that binds us all together and I love my friends and would do anything for them"

My Brother and I New Years 2011

People everywhere have different opinions of what a "family" is. But how does family affect us in school? Think about this... can you remember the first day of school? How nervous or excited you were? Who was with you when you got on the bus or walked you into class? Chances are it was someone you consider family. If you had trouble in school with homework or a bully or trouble in a sport who did you talk to? Probably someone you consider family? I believe family is the back bone for students! Why do you think there are parent-teacher conferences? Because family members have a direct role in the attitude students have about school and their values, morals, work ethic, etc. I know my parents are very involved with what I do and are probably reading this right now! (Hi mom and dad) Other students however might not be as lucky to have someone who cares and look for people that care for them. We as educators need to be aware of students that need a role model and be that role model and backbone for them, pushing them and instilling a positive attitude and good values to help over come any problems they may face. Many students may not have a good home life and it affects school work, sleep, and attitude. If nobody steps in by the time they enter middle school or high school they're ready to drop out because nobody cared. I have a best friend in the NAVY and I also contacted him about the importance of his "family" and what role they played in supporting him during tough times. He replied with "My family and friends are like crutches, they're always there for support. I wouldn't consider many people apart of my family but I have my mom, dad, sister and her husband along with my nieces, in addition to six friends I can truly say I'd do anything for and I know they'd do the same in return. I have faced many obstacles while in the NAVY and sometimes it's hard because I miss everyone and I want to just come home, but my family is always there for me pushing me to be the best I can be. I can honestly say I don't know what I'd do without them. The love and support I receive from them in indescribable."

So after reading this I want you to ask yourself these questions... what does the word family mean to you? and who do you consider family? and where would you be in your life without that "family"as a backbone? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Controversy on the Wrestling Mat

2011-02-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

I was skimming across the news online today and one article in particular really caught my eye. It appears that an incredible Iowa wrestle, refused to compete against a girl at the state wrestling tournament this past Thursday. Why didn't he wrestle you might ask? The young athlete stated that wrestling a girl would conflict against his religion. This topic has created a lot of buzz in the world of athletics because it raises the grand old question of "should girls be allowed to compete against boys, in a boys sport?" Many people feel the young male athlete was scared to wrestle the girl in fear of losing. Other readers feel the young man did the right thing. He believed in something and didn't go what he went against.

In my personal opinion I feel the athlete did the right thing. My family has always taught me never to lay my hand on a female. When I was younger, I was enrolled in a karate class. In this class was one girl and one day I had to spar against this girl. The instructor told us to fight and I just stood there. I couldn't hit her because it went against everything I had ever learned from my parents and I felt if I hit her that I would be disobeying my parents and my values/morals. This young athlete made a decision based on his values and morals, so how can someone be criticized for what they believe in? How might this relate to physical education?

Like I stated previously, this young man is considered “scared” because he didn’t want a girl to be him at sport where men are dominant. This shows the stereotype that men are supposed to be strong and women are weak. Men can’t lose to girls because it will make them look weak and if a girl beats a boy at a sport she is seen as a tomboy or someone who doesn’t belong with the men. We as physical educators need to stop the reinforcement of these types of stereotypes. We should encourage all students to do their best and do whatever activities bring them happiness. We need to let students know that there is no dominant gender. In a perfect world all these ideas would be accomplished, but I will leave you with this question… What types of things will you teach your students? Will you teach them that everyone is equal? Or will you continue the trend of categorizing boys versus girls and limiting students potential? A wise man once said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” So be an agent of change and find the true potential in yourself and in your students.

Leave a comment below and let me know your stance on the article. Was he right by practicing what he believes in? Or was he just trying to protect himself from humilation? You be the judge!

To view the full article click here.

Student Profile: Gerald

2011-02-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

   Diversity is something that we all have faced or will face in our life time. If you're a physical education teacher, cultural diversity is something you'll want to bring to the class. Incorporating games and ideas from different backgrounds will help students learn that there are other ways of living and other traditions other than their own. It didn't take my long to encounter my first taste of cultural diversity. It was back in the 7th grade when I met "Gerald".

   "Gerald" was an African American student that grew up in the same town as me. He lived with his grandma and grandpa along with his mother and four other brothers and sisters. Also living in his house were many cousins. His family on some weekends would make him miss football games and track meets because he played drums in the choir for the church they belonged to. I learned a lot about his family and the way they did things very quickly. Every Sunday his family would invite us to their church. We would get up and sing and dance and then after, they'd have the team over for dinner. At this dinner we would all set the table, and then pray before eating. After dinner they all sat around and told stories and just enjoyed each others company. It was different but this was a normal Sunday for "Gerald". Everyone thought "Gerald" was cool because he could somewhat rap and everyone thought he was really athletic because of his size and speed. Coaches loved him because he was always "gave 100% effort". He was a student in the resource class at school. Teachers would always tell him to do good on the soccer field but I never once heard them say anything about his school work ethic. He took advantage of his easy schedule and thought because he was "Gerald" the great soccer player/basketball star that he could get away with things. Soon "Gerald" started blaming others for problems that were beginning to arise in school. Later on in my senior year, when we were asked about college "Gerald" would tells us that he only wanted to go to college to play soccer like his brother Gary. As a friend, my fellow teammates and I would try and tell him that he needs to think about life after soccer. He was stubborn in this aspect because he would just ignore what we say and tell us we were jealous. "Gerald" would eventually be known as the african american student that was athletic and dumb. He stopped hanging out with his white friends and started making more african american friends. I was able to watch as friend and teammate how people around me that were once accepting of his behaviors and beliefs were now stereotyping "Gerald" as a typical black kid. It didn't take much for this idea to spread and the "Gerald" I once knew, quickly fell victim to stereotyping.
   It's important that we understand the diversity within our classroom and how easy it is for students who are considered "different" based on beliefs, religion, race, gender, etc. We as educators need to bring up the importance of diversity within our class and let students know that everyone is different and that some people have different ways of doing things. Having students embrace diversity, will help make them a more educated and well-rounded individuals.

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Now everyone usually puts the symbol of flowers and chocolate together with Valentine's Day but does anyone actually know how this holiday got started?

For starters, did you know what the holiday is actually called Saint Valentine's Day?

It is believed that the Christian Church had two Saints named Valentine and two other ideas centered around them!

One belief is that the Roman Emperor, Claudius the II forbade young men to marry in 200 A.D. He believed single men made for better soldiers because they would be free of family concerns. So a priest by the name of Valentine disobeyed the Emperor and married couples in secret.

Another belief is that the next Saint Valentine was a lover of children but did honor other Gods. He was then imprisoned. The children missed him so much that they wrote messages of affection to him and they would throw their notes to him through the bars of his cell. This is believed to be the start of how we exchange Valentines!

Sadly on February 14th, 269 A.D. he was executed. On February 14th, 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius named the day Valentine's Day after him.

The next idea behind Valentine's Day is based off of the belief that birds pick their mates on February 14th. It was believed loved birds in particular, chose this day to begin mating!

It is believed the modern day celebration of Valentine's Day that we know began in France and England. On Valentine's Day Eve, young people would gather and pick names becoming a valentine to whose ever name they chose.

So there you have it folks! Just a little bit of history for you on this Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day and Look out for Cupid's Arrow!

FUN FACT: Cupid was the Roman God of Love and that's why we usually see his face associated with this holiday! Along with him, we use hearts, flowers, roses, chocolate and arrows to symbolize this holiday!

Too Cold to Get Out and Exercise? Try Mall Walking!

2011-02-13T12:09:00.001-08:00

   Have you ever just gone to the mall just to get a good walk in? Chances are you're saying no to this question but did you know hundreds of people just go to the mall to exercise? Mall walking is a great way to get up, get active and if you want, do a little shopping!
   Walking a lifetime activity that anyone of any age can do! "Mall Walking" is exactly what it sounds like, you walk around the mall! How many times have you gone to one end of the mall, walked to the other end just end back at the same end from where you started? Or how many times do you go to the mall and come home just exhausted? Well that's because walking the mall is a great source of exercise! One perk is people can either join groups or go by themselves and just walk the mall! Another benefit is that it's free! No gym memberships, no 6 month trial, just get up and go! You're protected from the elements and no tough terrain to face. Another big perk of mall walking is getting out and meeting new people! Socializing is great because it allows you to meet new people and everyone loves networking! Another great thing about mall walking is that if a person gets too tired. They can stop, sit down and catch a breather. When you feel rested get back up and start walking!
You might not know it but in fact many people across America are doing this and malls are loving it! Having people in the mall earlier has the potential for more business. Malls usually open their doors bright and early allowing individuals an opportunity to come in and walk the mall without there being a lot of shoppers and distractions. Some stores take advantage of the opportunity and have special deals for the walkers.
   There are many guides that a person can pick up to learn more but one key piece of equipment you'll want is a pedometer. This will come in handy so you can log number of steps taken, number of miles walked and even calories burned!
   So if you're interested if being apart of a club or organizations just search the internet or ask around at the local mall. It seems today we're so busy with things in our lives that working out and our health get pushed to the side! If you're one of these people, then I encourage you to just try something as simple as walking around the mall. You owe it yourself and your health! So get up, get out and get active! Happy Walking!

SCOPE Media: Multiculturalism, Stereotypes & Diversity

2011-02-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Lancaster Central School District On the Higher Side of Educational Productivity

2011-02-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Center for American Progress now has an online interactive map on their website that allows users to see just where each school district rates for educational productivity. Why is this important you may ask? Well just how productive was the school you went to?

When I came across this information during class, I was curious to know where my home school district would end up. My home school district always placed a lot of emphasis on passing tests and I knew my district was very large. From the Full Report on my home school district I was able to see the enrollment number along with how many schools are actually in my district. I always knew numbers would be high with enrollment because I alone had 503 students in my graduating class. The enrollment was 6,232 and there are 8 schools within my hometown district. The district had the highest level of ROI (Return on Investment) in both Basic and Adjusted. In the Predicted Efficiency Index it was shaded with the second highest ROI. I knew my hometown was predominantly caucasian with some other ethnic families sprinkled throughout the town and I found that 96% of people in the district were White. I was however very surprised to find that we have a high number of special education and low income in my district with a 16% special education and 14% low income. From here the user cane find how much money is being used and other financial statements.

I was very surprised to see other neighboring school districts around my hometown like Depew, Alden, etc. having just as high if not a little lower ROI. All seemed to do just slightly lower than Lancaster as far as percentage of students passing in Math and Reading but I figured these numbers would be much lower because these typically had a bad reputation as far as academics and graduating students was concerned.

I assumptions about Lancaster being as "perfect" and "elite" were spot on. From the time I was very young I was told Lancaster was the best at this and the best for this. Eventually you just start to believe it because you hear it so many times. As I grew older I started to see the results and started making my own opinion about the schools. This report has shown me a lot of valuable information that all teachers should know about a district before getting a job. It could be the difference between having a good job in a great district or having a job in a district that is struggling. Overall, I was happy with my findings and happy the information I uncovered supports my belief that Lancaster is a great school district. I'm happy to say I am a graduate of district that based on these findings seems to be one of the better districts.

Get Active with Video Games!

2011-02-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Andrew DiRienzo (left) and Jake Knier (right) teach us how to "Jerk"

Video games have come a LONG way since the days of Atari. As technology and lifestyles changed, so did our video games! So it should be no surprise to see more and more video games incorporating fitness and movement onto their platforms. More and more people these days want to lose weight and become more active but some may find it tough to fit in a work out with busy schedules. Others may not want to pay an expensive gym membership fee and be surrounded by strangers looking at them while they work up a sweat. All gaming companies have some kind of movement branded to their name. Who ever says video games are a bad thing for children... well they're just looking at the wrong types of games!

Nintendo's Wii was the pioneer you could say to bring about motion in the gaming world. Using the Nunchuk and Wii remote gives players the ability to box, golf, swing a baseball pat, play tennis, and even shoot hoops! With games such as Wii sports and other great titles, users use the controllers to play the games. Depending on the game will determine how much moving you do! I personally have the Wii and with games such as Mario Galaxy and Zelda, you really don't do much moving at all. Other games like Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit, these games really incorporate the whole body. Wii Fit users use a balance board remote and allows them track BMI, work on balance and stability and create work outs based on what you want. Another very popular game on the Wii is Just Dance and Just Dance 2. Both are outstanding and really gets the heart rate up! Users pick different songs and follow the onscreen dancer. Do the dance steps correctly to earn points! It's a great party game and just an over all great fitness game! The Wii is great for anyone of any age, so challenge a friend, become committed and you'll see the results on the scale and in your attitude!

In addition to the Wii, Nintendo has also incorporated movement with their hand held, the Nintendo DS. Motion gaming is not as popular on the handheld devices but if you're a fan of Pokemon like me then you'll appreciate this next part. Nintendo re-released a remake of Pokemon Gold and Silver. These remakes came bundled with what they like to call a PokeWalker. A PokeWalker is a device that is much like a pedometer. It tracks the users step count and gives them "watts". These "watts" are used to catch different Pokemon, find items and play mini games on all this little device that either goes in your pocket or clips on your waist. This may seem like nothing but it's just another way Nintendo is trying to get more children active and fit obesity. Now let's look at XBOX.

XBOX recently just released it's KINECT for the BOX 360. The KINECT is a sleek black bar that does a full body scan. It has no controllers because YOU become the controller. With swipes and various movements you can access just about anything. It also has a great feature that allows the user to set his or her face as a sign in for XBOX Live. The KINECT scans your face and if it isn't you then it won't allow you to continue. The KINECT works with all new sleek style XBOX 360's. My brother and myself purchased an XBOX 360 and Kinect bundle package for about 300 which included a new game. We also purchased a game Dance Central. Little did I know the work out I was in store for! It's a steep price but it's well worth it. My brother and I have spent countless, sweaty hours on this game just trying to mimic the dances. My dear mother who does not like games let alone moving in front of people plays this game with us! My GRANDMOTHER even plays this game! The only down side to this system is that not all the games are as fun, some games I feel lack a bit of excitement but besides this minor complaint I love the KINECT! The other game that came in the bundle was also a lot of fun to play with our friends and got us jumping, hitting, smacking, covering holes and a whole bunch more! Click below to watch how the KINECT works and see just how involved the user is!

This is a video from MightyMeCreative on YouTube

Last but not least brings us to SONY and the PlayStation Move! What SONY offers is very similar to Nintendo's Wii. The Playstation Move has a primary motion controller which has a bulb at the end of it with various colors such as blue, red, green, etc. which runs about $50. In addition to this controller you'll need the secondary controller which runs about $40 and an eye camera.You can get all of these devices in a bundle for around $100. The camera reads the bulb and mimics your movements on the screen. I can honestly say this is the only motion gaming system I have not tried but to be honest I've never been a huge SONY fan! It's a great system for the whole family and there's many packages you can purchase for this but on the flip side there is a lot to set when it comes to this system. Also many other features take much longer to access then say something on a Wii or XBOX. I'd have to at least try it before I say anything negative about the actual games.

But there you have it folks! All the new motion gaming systems and what they can offer you! Which system do you feel would best fit you? Leave a comment and let me! Do you feel like Wii is better than all the systems out on the market leave a comment and let me know why! Don't stop learning after reading this post! Ask questions and keep learning!

WRUP - What Are You Playing?

2011-02-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

So it's the weekend! Classes are over, time to just sit down and relax right? Well not necessarily... This past weekend I went up to summer home in Jamestown, NY and although we were cooped up inside we got pretty active. My girlfriend Amanda showed this game to me a few weeks called Catch Phrase. It's a handheld game you pass around in a circle and you have say clues to teammates without giving away or saying the word on the screen. If you can't explain what the word is before the time is up you lose a point. First team to 7 wins! So change things up and make it more difficult we decided you had to act out the word on the screen. We choose sports but we didn't know there were so many thing associated with sports. Some of us had to act out push ups and lay ups while others had to act out dribbling and touchdowns. There's tons of categories to choose from but having each other act out the words really got the blood flowing because you want to do it as fast as possible so you can hand the game off to the opponent in hopes they'll hold onto it when the buzzer goes off. Catch Phrase is a game for the whole family and a great way to get active while being indoors!

EDU 470 Reflection 2.04.2011

2011-02-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

It happens everyday without us even thinking about it. When you look at someone or meet someone you already have an idea of how you will categorize them in your life. It isn't until you get to know someone and develop some type of relationship with a particular individual that you then change your perspective on how you see that person. Stereotypes are absolute beliefs that all members of a group have a fixed set of characteristics. Think of some stereotypes that people usually make about others such as all asians like math and all mexicans like taco bell or all african americans are good at basketball. These are all common stereotypes but stereotypes not only hurt people but they block learning. Stereotypic thinking obstructs a search for new information. The willingness to engage in complex thinking is what students need. It's important for us as educators to put an end to these stereotypes because stereotypes can lead to stereotype threats and bullying. If students think that one race or group is naturally good at something or naturally smart at something it lowers the students self-esteem. Teaching isn't just about subject matter but about teaching good ethics, values and character to the students so that they can be a more well rounded and well educated person, open the new things and new ideas. One thing we as educators can educators to help diminish stereotypes is build a curriculum that incorporates different ideas from different races,cultures, religions, and socioeconomic class. Also address the topic directly and explain stereotypes in the class and explore ways on how to stop it with students.

As a junior in college I think back to my freshman year and all the stereotypes I had bottled up in my head. When I first came to orientation I had a blast and I assumed that college was just parties, having fun and pretty much everything you see in the movies. I thought all long island people were annoying with their weird little accents and I thought all fit and athletic looking people were physical education majors. I quickly learned that college is not all parties and everything the movie industry makes it out to be! I learned that some people from long island don't have accents and they can actually be pretty nice. I also learned not all fit and athletic looking people are phys. ed majors some are communications or athletic training. I feel if I wasn't open to learning about new environments and just everything there is about to know about different people and places I would have never learned what I know now! You can't just live your life with your set rules and assumptions on things, you have to take the rose colored glasses off and see things for how they could be.

SCOPE Media: Multiple Intelligence Theories & Learning

2011-02-04T04:53:00.001-08:00

PED 356 Breakdancing with "Lazylegz"

2011-02-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Luca Patuelli a.k.a. "Lazylegz" is a Canadian b-boy. He was born with Arthrogryposis, a muscle disorder that affects his legs. If you truly want to see something amazing then watch this video of him performing on So You Think You Can Dance: Canada. This guy will truly blow your mind! He shows everyone that no matter who you are, what condition you have or how tough your situation may be, everything is possible if you have the right mind set!

EDU 470 Reflection 1.31.2011

2011-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

Everybody is unique and different! What appeals to one person might not appeal to another. These ideas are true in almost every aspect of our lives. Think about a roommate you may have had at one point in your life. Did your roommate like to study with music playing in the background while you liked to study in silence? Were you better in subjects like art and music while he or she may have been better at math and social studies? If you answered yes to any of the following questions it's because we as students and future physical educators must know that students have preferred learning styles and that teaching to these styles will increase our educational success! There are three styles of learners that students commonly fit into and they are Visual Learners, Kinesthetic Learners and Auditory Learners. It's imperative that we as future educators understand that not all of our students will be the same and need to build our curriculum for students of all learning styles. Now you may be asking yourself how can we as physical educators encompass things in our lessons to meet the needs of all these different types of learners? Let's start with visual learners!

Now if I'm a physical education, it's important to have things students can see like visual aids or pictures. These visual aids can have cues and little reminders that the students can look back on during the lesson. This will also help you remember what you're looking for in the lesson when giving constructive feedback. Pictures are a great way for students to see what something should look like so if you're playing soccer or in a track and field unit students can see proper form of a runner and how his or her hands move.

By using visual aids and pictures the visual learners should have a good grasp of the subject at hand but now you have to explain it. So with the help of your cues and pictures you address what is happening in those pictures and state out loud the cues. This helps auditory learners get a grasp of what is being asked. Also during your lesson you may get creative and come up with a little song that the students can remember and sing during the class and outside of the class to help them remember cues or rules, etc.

So now that you've covered the visual and auditory learners it's time to help out the students that are more "hands on". So you've covered you're visual aids and given the students a little song to remember. So now it's time to have the students get out and practice. Most students love practicing and playing games and moving! So it's especially important as physical educators get the students moving as soon as possible (usually within the first 30 seconds of class starting) Practice makes perfect right? As physical educators it's important to have all students moving and build lessons that get the students as much practice at a particular task as possible! *Remember to give feedback! Start with a positive and then explain what needs work. Additionally end with a positive!

As a physical educator I feel it's important to understand all learning styles and try to become as well a rounded a learner as possible. I have personally taken tests that have shown me that I am about equal in all these categories meaning I can be shown something or hear something or actually perform the task and understand it all the same. I feel I couldn't pick just one that appeals to me because they all have a critical role in helping students become more physically educated. So ask yourself, if somebody where to ask you what learning style is most appealing to you and why, which one would you choose?

EDU 470 Reflection 1.28.2011

2011-01-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

Whenever I heard somebody say "WOW, you learn something new everyday" I thought to myself do we really learn something new everyday? On this date I declared that I truly do learn something new everyday! It's important for all physical educators to know all there is about the job and that includes what organizations are associated with it. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are two organizations that all physical educators and/or all future physical educators should be familiar with. These two organizations work to improve the salaries and the working conditions of teachers. In your first few years as a teacher, you will find yourself without the protection of tenure. Teacher associations like the NEA and AFT can help by providing you with collegial support, opportunities for professional growth, and the security that one derives from participating in a large influential group. Now I'm sure you're head is probably spinning from all the information you're learning like mine was the first time I read it. I felt a little overwhelmed because I'm not even done learning all there is about the teaching part of a the job and now I have to worry about once I get the job all the behind the scenes stuff! But after reading the benefits of both organizations I feel if I had to choose right now I know which one I would choose.

The NEA is the largest professional and employee organization in the nation. If you join the NEA, you receive free legal services and training opportunities on issues from technology to academic freedom. The NEA is very political in the sense that it works to elect pro-education candidates and to promote legislation that benefits both teachers and students. I'm not a very political person, although I do find debates and issues interesting. I don't feel as of now I know too much about academic freedom or what's involved with that topic so that wouldn't benefit me. So let's take a look at what the AFT brings to the table...

The AFT is exclusively of teachers, by teachers, for teachers! This organization takes a leadership role in education reform. It supports national standards for teachers, charter schools and induction programs. I personally like the idea of teachers, by teachers, for teachers! I feel as though the NEA is just a major corporation and the more people that are in that organization the better for them. With the NEA I also feel as though I would just be another number to them, where as with the AFT I would be a much smaller number because it's a much smaller group.

Overall after reading this I felt as though I had a better understanding of what an educational organization is and how it benefits us as teachers. I still feel as though I need to do more reading and more research to truly find an organization that fits my particular needs once I get into the profession and have my own job! I find it's just crazy the amount of things teachers have to do as far as their job goes. Anybody who says teaching is probably not a teacher because it's a lot of hard work. As I read this I found myself asking questions such as "Why do I need to be involved with one of these groups?" I understand it's for salaries and working conditions but shouldn't that all be settled in some kind of contract or law by the state, at least for working conditions? "Aren't I protected by the school district I will work for?"These are questions I hope to find the answer to while I'm a student here at SUNY Cortland. I also hope this blog post finds it's way onto other future physical educators computer screens and gives them some helpful information that they can use for the future. It always helps to use the internet to find out more about these types of organizations because there are many more out there than the two I just mentioned.

*I highly recommend visiting the website www.inspiringteachers.com just click the link and it will send you to the sight.

EDU 470 Chapter 1 Question #5

2011-01-24T17:14:00.000-08:00

Why do I want to become a teacher? I've heard this question over and over again. Most people want to be a physical education teacher because you get all the benefits and holiday's off but I personally want to become a teacher because I love working with children! I love knowing that I have the tools and supplies to help build physically educated individuals. I love working with younger students because they don't know the right way to perform skills yet and I can show them to correct technique on how to perform a skill so they don't develop bad habits.I believe that we need to start instituting good habits and healthy ideas at a young age. Also the younger students say some of the funniest things I've ever heard! I love being active and learning how to be more fit and I want to be able to share my knowledge with the students. I don't ever think I could teach a math class or science class but I'm too animated as a person. If we can start showing students at a young how to eat right and exercise right then obesity should become a thing of the past. I believe students can accomplish great things but they need the help of teachers that are passionate about what they do. I believe I posses a passion and enthusiasm for physical education that I hope to spread to my own students one day. I love being in front of people and showing them things they've never learned before and seeing them accomplish things that they themselves see as impossible because everything is possible! As a student I feel I am still currently developing reasons why I want to become a physical educator but for now this are just some of the reason why I want to become a teacher!

255 Final Part 2 Autism Awareness Video

2010-12-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! If you want to learn about Autism or know anyone with Autism please watch this video!

Anthony DiRienzo - Daily Burn

2010-12-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

III. I thought Daily Burn was a great program and I really enjoyed using it. I loved the challenges feature and I think that's something that anybody could find essential to any workout because we all need challenges and to be honest some of them are pretty tough! I liked how it tracked my calories also because I know some days I don't eat enough calories and I feel tired so it was nice to see where I was at as far as my calorie intake especially when working out. Overall I thought this program was fantastic and I can't wait to show it to my family to help them become more fit and monitor their fitness. I currently do not use any other online exercise or nutrition tracker just because I didn't really know they existed. I always just kept a journal of my work outs but never even thought of using an online tool. Now that I know they exist I plan to find other programs as well as stay apart of the Rockstar Group because I find it really helps monitoring your fitness level. In addition to all the great features like sleep tracker and nutrition tracker you can actually see your results in charts and graphs. The graphs and charts defiantly added to my experience over the past 4 days because I was able to actually see my calories burned during work outs versus how many I was actually eating instead of just looking at numbers which can sometimes get confusing.

IV. This website would be great for a physical education class especially accomplishing the recommended regents level for Learning Standard 1B. I would have students use the website to see where they are at as far as how much physical activity they're getting each day and see how they're doing with nutrition and diet and then from there I would have the students create a fitness plan. Each week students would have to blog about their progress and add challenges for themselves. Based on the information they receive I would sit down with each individual student and we would go over if there's anything they want to change for example a student might want to lose some weight so we would modify his/her fitness program to fit his/her needs. If there was a group goal in mind I might have them all agree on one group goal or challenge for that week and they'd have to motivate and work together with each one another to make sure that group goal is met. There is also a motivator section on the website that allows you to sign up a group so we could also use that feature for group goals. The possibilities are endless with this program and allowing students to create their own fitness plan and hopefully their fitness plans will continue even after the class or school year is over.

V. An electronic tool I could see as being useful for capturing data and reporting for the recommended regents level for Learning Standard 1A would be using a program like Dartfish. Using Dartfish in a class room would give students the ability to see themselves performing movement patterns and provide them with automatic, instant or delayed visual feedback along with teacher feedback explaining what was done correctly and what needs to be worked on. This could be a great tool because many students may be visual learners and if they can see what they're doing wrong in a movement then they can try and fix what they're doing because sometimes hearing what you did wrong and how to fix it just isn't enough. I could break down movements and compare videos clips so students can see what correct form is versus what is poor form. These videos could also be put on dvd and sent through e-mail so at home students could practice movements outside of the class room and practice to become more efficient in that movement. Students could also take these videos and post them online and reflect after each class the progress they've made. I feel this program would help out a lot in helping students becoming competent and proficient in skills (6+3 across 3). Along with helping the students, Dartfish can also help teachers see the progress students make over a period of time and get to know student abilities, so they can help give feedback based on their needs in that particular skill.

EDU 255 Final - Part 1B and 1C

2010-12-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Part 1B

I. The website is from Toronto, ON Canada. The school is located in South Saskatoon, Canada. There is also another school talked about in the news piece that is located in Naperville Chicago, USA.

II. I found this new piece to be extremely interesting. This news piece is proof that you learn something new everyday. We as students sometimes believe we know everything about physical fitness especially those in the physical education major and this new piece presented a lot of information that I didn't know before. I found myself very captivated at the information presented about Nero genesis and how physical activity affects the growing of new brain cells and the ability to learn new information. I always knew exercise was important and I knew some benefits but I never really knew how it affected students behavior especially those with behavior disorders such as ADHD. I surprised to see the impact it had on the students making them more attentive and more focused. I was also surprised to see that the students were behaving, not acting out and actually attending class. Another piece of information I learned from this news piece was how elevating the heart rate turns on the front part of brain which may be a little "sleepy" and how turning on this front part of the brain has a lot to do with impulses and the ability to control those impulses. If students can control the impulses they're more attentive and teachers can teach while students can learn. I also learned about neuro growth factors like BDNF and how it is basically a growth fertilizer for the brain.

III. I feel the reason we didn't hear anything about PE teachers in this experiment was because they're probably just standard PE teachers meaning they had a standard PE program like most of us experienced from K-12. They did mention briefly a typical class in which most students stand around waiting for a turn at bat or something along those lines which gives me reason to believe this is why we didn't hear about the PE teachers in the experiment. I will ensure that my PE program will be a benefit to the students and faculty of my school by working with other faculty members to look at the topics that will be talked about in class and have those topics reinforced during a PE class. So for example if a teacher is working on multiplication then during a PE class I would have students for an Instant Activity do station work where they would read a card that says something along the lines of "What is 3x3? Do __ Burpees" So not only am I incorporating math and helping them work out the mind but also working out the body. As physical educators we don't want to build athletes, we want to work on the student as a whole but with a focus in being physically educated.

IV. The outcomes of this program were to help students become physically active, help them be able learn and focus, as well as help them with behavioral issues. The benefits of this program were that students were able to read and comprehend better in school. The news piece stated that most students were able to go up a whole letter grade. This was significant because most of them started off at a grade four. Another benefit of the program was that students felt happier both with there ability to read and write but also with the person they were becoming. I was not surprised by their findings because the research seemed very thorough had strong evidence of the benefits of exercise. These outcomes are very similar to the NYS standards. The program defiantly met learning standards 1a and 1b. The program had students becoming competent and able to perform basic motor skills because they were doing different movements on the treadmill and challenging themselves every week. The program I'm sure also had the students creating their own fitness plan based on that students needs. NYS standard 2 was met because by being involved with this program students were able to control their behavior and manage their own behavior. The exercise they received from class allowed them to feel good about themselves and allowed to take control of their own behavior to get rid of any issues that they may have had in the past. The only thing I would say with this program wasn't met by NYS standards was NYS standard 3. The equipment was donated by an unknown source. If the teacher would have taken them to a gym or something then NYS standard 3 would have been met but the students were just placed on the equipment and I believed didn't have any knowledge on resources. What happens after the class is over? Do the students know where the local gyms are? Do they know how many parks are in their neighborhood? Maybe? Maybe not? So I would say the program had everything to do with the NYS standards except for NYS standard 3.

V. BDNF stands for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF is a protein found in humans and is neuro growth factor which is like miracle growth for the brain. BDNF helps support the survival of existing neurons and encouraging the growth of new neurons and synapses. It's active in all areas of the brain vital to learning, memory, and higher thinking. BDNF is present in aerobic activity where the heart is working at 65%-75% such as walking, running, jumping rope, swimming. One book mentioned in the news piece that supports these finding was the book Spark by Dr. John Ratey. The second book that outlines the benefits of exercise and learning/academics is The Kinesthetic Classroom by Traci Lengel and Mike Kuczala.

Part 1C

There are lots of categories that students can be competent and proficient in. Such categories include (FROM B-9 in EDU 255 PACKET) Team Passing Activities, Net/Wall Activities, Target Activities, Striking Fielding Activities, Aquatics, Dance & Aesthetic, Outdoor, Fitness and Personal Performance Activities. Within these categories are numerous activities that students can take part in however most of us have only experienced maybe 5 or 6. These 5 or 6 are known sometimes as the "Tired 6" because PE classes have been teaching the same activities probably since they were invented. Students should be excited about coming to PE class and experience lots of things that they never might experience outside of the class. This is part of the reason why students love EDU 255 because we get to experience activities we've never done before. I believe the recommended regent's level for LS #1A should be 95%. The only reason I state 95% is because nobody is perfect and when you strive to perfect your fail, but when you strive for excellence you achieve! 95% of the senior class should be competent in 6 activities and proficient in 3 in 3 different activity categories because if you think about it if we implement this idea even from 9th grade forward, there should be no reason that 95% of the senior class shouldn't be competent in 6 activities and proficient in 3 in 3 different activity categories.

It's our job as future physical educators to get rid of the "Old PE" and bring in the "New PE" If 95% of students are competent in 6 activities and proficient in 3 in 3 different activity categories then 95% of students should be able to meet "competency" in their Personal Fitness Plan for the regents level for LS #1B. Being a physically educated individual is more than just being able to meet the 6-3-3 standards. As a physically educated individual students need to be able to take tests such as cardiovascular & flexibility tests or strength tests and be able to take that information and design a fitness plan in which they have goals to meet and design a plan they will be able to use throughout the year to help them meet those goals. I would say as a Final much like we have exit competencies for our activity classes students would have to test their fitness again and see if their plan worked. By being able to take information and design a fitness individualized fitness plan and be competent in their fitness plan then outside of the classroom they can make fitness plans based on individualized needs. By having standards and recommended regents levels for physical education, students can grow up and live long, happy and healthy lifestyles.

These Pictures Are Worth More Than A Thousand Words

2010-12-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this collage I made using pictures taken from this semester in EDU 255!

Lab D - Sport Stacking

2010-12-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

Now, after reading the header you're probably thinking to yourself... cups? in a physical education class? Well that's right folks! Sport Stacking is a new sport and it's got anyone who tries it hooked! I stacked my first set of cups when I was in high school and I've been a fan ever since. For my Lab D I taught students how to perform various cycles in Sport Stacking such as a 3-3-3 and a 3-6-3. If you don't believe how fast, fun and crazy this sport can be then just feast your eyes on this Youtube video of the Kenneth Liao performing his recording breaking 3-3-3 cycle. (Which he holds the world record for!)

Overall I thought my Lab D went fairly well. We had 20 minutes to teach but it felt like I was teaching for 5 minutes. I didn't get to do a lot of the activities that I wanted to get to but that's because I spent a majority of time demonstrating and showing the students how to up stack and how to down stack for the 3-3-3 and the 3-6-3. I received some very constructive positive feedback from Professor Yang. I feel as I watched my lesson I hit all of the marks on the C-9 form with the exception a few things missing here and there.
One thing I thought I did an excellent job of was addressing the NYS and NASPE Standards. Now for NYS Standard 1 I feel as though the students really were getting the skills down and really worked on their motor skills when they were stacking. I could further their motor skills for next time by having them cup stacking but incorporating fitness elements so they're using their whole bodies. I also felt I had a strong representation of NYS Standards 2 and 3 because for Standard 2 all the students were safe and demonstrated that they understood they needed to be safe. They also seemed to be having fun when they were stacking so they understood that this type of physical activity can be challenging but also enjoyable! I felt that I did an excellent job making sure students knew where to find more information on Sport Stacking by telling them about the website and knew of where to get cups and different ways they could get involved with Sport Stacking such as who to contact and different workshops students could go to. All of these things would cover Standard 3. Having the NYS Standards addressed would also encompass NASPE Standards 1,2,5 and 6.

One thing I defiantly need to work on is getting the students active quicker and giving smaller demonstrations. 14 minutes on a demonstration is way to long and especially if I'm going to working with small children. Looking at my time coding form I spent a majority of the class just demonstrating and that's not good at all. This is something that is fixable and I will continue to work on as I perfect my teaching abilities.
Another thing I want to work on is incorporating different teaching styles into my lesson. Throughout the semester I really only stuck to Command and Practice. I want to try new teaching styles and see if they work for me and as we said today in class it makes for an interesting class. So this is something I want to try and work on/improve.
Something I was pleased to see when looking at my feedback analysis form was that I was to get around to everyone in the class and provide feedback. I found that although with a few students I gave general feedback, most of the students I talked to I gave positive congruent feedback. This is something I've been trying to work on since Lab B. I'm really proud of myself that I was not only able to get around to everyone but provide students with the proper feedback so they can continue to do better.

I thought this was a great lesson for everyone to experience because how often do we as students get to learn about something such as Sport Stacking? I feel even though the lesson didn't go exactly to plan that the students got a lot of knowledge and practice in art of sport stacking. There's always room for improvement and that's exactly what I'm going to keep doing!

Click on the videos below to see my lesson!

Here you can find view all my Lab D forms:

Portfolio

2010-12-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I just finished my online portfolio!
Just click here to view it

Lab D Reflection COMING SOON!

Day #22 of EDU 255 11/1/10 LAB C

2010-11-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Get your compasses and grab your hiking boots because for Lab C it was all about Orienteering!

I was very excited but at the same time I was very nervous because this was the first time I had ever had to come up with progressions and activities for a lesson. After my lab I felt like I let myself down and that my lesson was very poor however, after asking TA's and peers and review my C-9 I found that I didn't do as bad a job as I thought which made me feel pretty good about myself and my ability to teach. My teacher evaluation form also gave me positive feedback with all 1's which is considered "High" in all the listed categories.

Here is a video of my lesson:

Feel free to leave feedback!

One of the major things I will have to work on for next time will be making sure that the students are safe because that was a huge issue for my lesson. There were lots of objects on the floor and somebody could have seriously hurt themselves. I also didn't have the equipment ready. I misplaced the equipment and had to stop the class which made me very upset because I should of had the equipment right next to me. Along with these things I need to make sure I work on my Intratask Variation and Demonstrate more. Here you can find my Lesson Plan along with my Task Progression sheet.
After completing my Time Coding I was able to see that I spent an extraordinary amount of time with instruction, so for Lab D I will be sure to have the class more active. Instruction is an important element of teaching so students understand what is expected of them but they also need to be active! Another thing I will be doing more of next lab is providing feedback to students on there skill. In my Feedback Analysis you can see that I hardly provided feedback to anyone in the classroom. If I did provide feedback it wasn't congruent to what I was teaching about. Here you can find my Content Development. Overall I feel as though my lab went okay. It wasn't my best performance but it's time like these that help us in the future so we don't make the same mistakes twice. I feel after looking at my video and the other various tools for measuring my performance that I will be better prepared for Lab D and that I will knock that Lab out of the park!

Day #19 of EDU 255 10/18/10 LAB B2

2010-10-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

It sure was cold outside but it didn't take long for the blood to get flowing! Today I taught Catching the Pull and passing with a defender! I thought my lesson went great! I really felt like everyone was being active and having fun while getting a better understanding of how to move with a defender in their path. I love watching the videos of my lessons because every time I watch them, it makes me more confident about my abilities to lead a lesson even if it is for only 4 or 5 minutes.
The students for the psychomotor domain ran drills that were designed for them to maneuver around defenders and make completed passes to teammates at least 5 out 10 times. This attributes to NYS Learning Standard 1A and NASPE Standard 1. Students also were able to demonstrate the congnitive domain by reciting back to me the 3 cues and also demonstrating those particular cues (Look, Pancake, Move) This domain attributes to the NYS Learning Standard 1A and NASPE Standard 2.

Here is a video of my lesson:

It's one thing to just watch your video and see what you did right and wrong or what needs to be improved on but with the help my Verbal Transcript I was able to see what I say the word guys a lot and I use the words "All right" a lot. I was very pleased I didn't have very many words like "um" or have any real pauses in my lesson, it all flowed very nicely. I feel very confident using my voice and I like using that instead of a whistle. This lab I tended to not have my back to the "wall" and my back was to students sometimes but over all I thought I did a good job of providing feedback while still keeping an eye on all students. In my Feedback Analysis you will find that I was able to talk and provide feedback to more than 50% of the students. Now some things I have to work on are providing feedback that is congruent to what I'm teaching. It still something that I need to work on but it defiantly helped teaching for a longer period of time but providing congruent feedback is something I will strive for in LAB C.

Another thing I very impressed with was how quickly I got the students active and how long they were active. From my Time Coding analysis I was able to see how much time was truly spent on activity and instruction. I was very pleased there was no time when students were waiting or time when I was setting things up. All my cones and everything were all ready and so that meant more time in movement.

Overall I was very pleased with my lesson and how well it went. I was very pleased with the time of activity the students were engaged in. I was also very pleased that nobody got bored with the game like drills. I think it was because not one team was dominating and everyone could have fun which is the most important part of the drills and things we do in class. I know I still have a lot to learn but looking back at my first lab to now it's very rewarding to see myself grow as an individual and teacher. It's also a great feeling seeing what I learn being put to practice and seeing myself succeed at putting that knowledge into action. LAB C is just around the corner so stay tuned for that!

Day #13 of EDU 255 9/29/10 LAB B1

2010-10-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't been updating my blog lately! When you live the life of a Physical Education student life is always active! Today I taught the backhand throw to a partner for Lab B1 and I thought it went really well! Professor Yang and the T.A.'s all seemed very impressed with my confidence and the use of my "P.E." voice. It excites me to see that all my hard work and practice and paying off! I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my ability to teach but I know I still have a lot to learn and I'm okay with that! Here the video of my lesson! Feel free to leave comments on what you liked and think I need improvement on!

Overall I thought my lesson went very well. I thought my signal of attention was very clear for students to understand and when I counted down 3...2...1... they all did as instructed. Everybody understood that they needed to be alert and keep their eyes open for frisbees. The students understood the importance of safety. I felt my hook was funny and everybody could relate to being at a school dance and wanting to dance with somebody and I think it tied in with my cues perfectly. Although my cues were picked out for me, I feel as though I did a good job using my visual aid and demonstrating what each action should look like. I also made sure I demonstrated more than once and that my demonstrations were done at full speed in context of the task/activity. I thought my voice was very loud and very clear so everyone, no matter where they were could hear me and the T.A.'s liked how I kept my back to the wall so as I was talking to a student I could still look at other students.

Some things I think I need some work on are demonstrating with common faults and also slowing things down and breaking down parts to show each step slowly. Another thing I need to work on is demonstrating too many things at one time. I know I showed students the activity and the challenge at once so for next I'll split them up and only when the students are ready will I demonstrate the challenge. Also I need to work on giving feedback that is congruent to my cues! Here is a copy of my TIMING CODE for this lesson. After completing my form I can see that I need to get the students active quicker and have them physically moving more and not do so much instruction at once.

All in all however, overall I thought my lesson was very well planned and I felt everything went smoothly.

Day #9 of EDU 255 9/20/10

2010-09-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today we were outside and we were practicing our skills of throwing the frisbee and working around the defenders. The importance of us running and cutting and trying to get open was not just for game purposes but later we talked about some standards that need to be met and displayed when making a lesson plan. These requirements were either Health-related fitness or Skill-related fitness. We also touched on what a few of things on the lesson plan meant.

Day #8 of EDU 255 9/17/10 Lab A2

2010-09-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

So today was the big day! Today was the day that we would be teaching a 4 minute lesson on a particular skill. The video of my particular lesson can be found below:

Feel free to comment on what you guys think was done well and what needs improvement!

*We're in school for a reason and to make mistake, if we weren't we would have jobs already!*

I was excited/nervous for today! I had practiced over and over what I was going to teach and how I was going to word everything and over all I think my lesson went very well! Even though I wish I had a little more time to get through my lesson I was glad to be over prepared than under prepared. Some things I thought I did well with today was having a good Hook. I also felt I did a good job of making sure everyone was aware of the Safety precautions and that students needed to be aware of surroundings and other individuals in order to not injury themselves or others. I felt my Demonstrations were spot on and students were able to replicate what I showed them. I also felt my Closure was good because I was able to recap what the students learned and they were able to tell me what they learned so I know they were actually listening to what I was saying. I felt my Feedback was good given the amount of time I had to put students in an activity and get them to the next activity. I knew everyone's names and was specific on what they were doing right.

Some things I will need to work on for the next lab would be having a Protocol/Signal of attention. I should also work on giving the students clearer and more precise explanations of things. With more time I would be able to give more Feedback and work on Intratrask Variation. Also with more time I can work on my CFU Overall though, I feel this lab went very well and I'm sure there will be tons and tons of things that I will learn to make myself a better teacher and learn things to help spice up my lessons and be able to hit all the points referred to in the C9 form.

Day#7 of EDU 255 9/15/10

2010-09-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today in class our IA (Instant Activity) was a game called "Dragon Tag" this is a type of tag game where people are divided into two teams. The students from both teams stand in a line and place their hands on each others backs and the person at the beginning of the line is "the head" of the dragon and the person at the very end is "the tail" of the dragon. The head of the teams dragon must tag the tail of the other teams dragon. We played two rounds of this and then we did breathing exercises to help really project our voices and develop our "P.E. voice". After this we got into 4 groups that were pre determined by Nicole and we did almost a dry run of what we would be teaching on friday. We learned valuable tips from the T.A's and learned lots of things to avoid when teaching. When we finished with our groups we met up again and has a class discussion on some things that we've learned so far from class about teaching.

Day #6 of EDU 255 9/13/10

2010-09-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today in class we took a quiz which I thought I did fairly well in! After the quiz we played Blob tag. Blob Tag is where one person is it and once they tag somebody then those two people link arms and they become "the blob" and try to tag more people. When 6 or people are linked up they can split into two blobs. After playing blob tag we talked about what we would be doing over the next couple of days. We found out we would be teaching friday and then proceeded with a demonstration by yours truly! I taught a very short lesson on setting the volleyball. Some things I did really well was getting the students involved and transition time. Some things I needed to work on were actually let them do the skill, assessing their ability and then knowing where to go from there. After my mini lesson we played "Ain't No Ants on Me" This was a game we played in order to work on our confidence. We need to be able to speak really loudly and this game makes you look at others and yell really loud or use our "P.E. voices". All in all I thought the class was very informative and really helpful because now I know some direction to take my lesson.

*On a side note Professor Yang told me I should signed to a major singing contract and that just made me feel really good about myself and my singing talents. It's nice to get someone's opinion that has never really heard me sing and then hear me and tell me I did a good job... so that really made me feel good and put me in a great mood for the rest of the day!

Here is a link to my band's old MySpace: www.myspace.com/deliriumlancaster

Day #5 of EDU 255 9/10/10

2010-09-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today we were in the gym and we were told get a partner and work on our forehand and backhand techniques. We then got into groups of 4 or 5 which were already set up by Mark. We introduced ourselves and had to think of our favorite song. After we did that, we were asked to stand in a circle and say the name of the person before us the song they sang and then say our name and sing our favorite song.

These are the names of the students and the songs they sang from memory:

Professor Yang - I'm only gunna break break break break break your heart.
Ben - Didn't start the fire
Andy - Feel it coming in the air tonight
Nicole - Revolution
Mark - Ride with the Wind
Holly - Lean on Me
Ryan - Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
Jeremy - We Will Rock You
Jack - It's tearing up my heart when I'm with you, but when we are apart I feel it too!
Jen - Get this party started
Kevin - Gimmie the Loot
Kayla - Just looking for a good time
Rachel - Just a lonely girl, livin' in a lonely world.
Greg - California Gurls
Rob - Your words just hypnotize me
Jenna - Barbie Girl
Myself - These eyes are cryin'...
Nick -Jessie's Girl
T.J. - I'm Blue
Laura - Free Fallin'

Day #4 of EDU 255 9/8/10

2010-09-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today we were in the classroom (I was very surprised that we weren't playing a game or moving around) but today we went through our teacher candidate forms and look at all the different aspects that we would soon be graded on. We learned the importance of Instant Activity and how important it is to get students hooked and leaving them wanting more, so the next time they come into class they're eager and ready to participate!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TFPdZLg_Ik

*Here is a video from the first day of class... I'd love feedback on what you guys think I did right and some things that need improving!

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER ONE:

1.) What is meant behind the idea that teaching is a goal-oriented activity is that the curriculum is determined by the content standards at the national, state and local level that clearly prescribe what students should know and be able to do in physical education. Each standard is broken down by grade level so teachers can identify what students at each age should know and be able to do. This means that we as teachers need to look at our goals and what the students need to learn. Then we need to come up with ways for students to learn the skills and better themselves to be able to build off the skills they already know, so when they move onto higher grades they can use the skills they've learned already to help them learn new skills.

4.) The process that teachers choose to use to teach content is important because that teacher has to choose a process that can reach a specific objective and reach specific goals. They need to be chosen intentionally. Learning experiences must be designed and developed for specific outcomes because "What is not taught often is not learned". Some goals might including teaching about fair play or positive social interaction and they require specific conditions and processes. Choosing a process to teach content is crucial for students to get the most out of classes!

5.) The movement task - student response unit of analysis is so important in physical education because it's the heart of the instructional process. Movement tasks are content for students. This allows the students to work on a skill, practice and improve the performance of that skill. Teachers then get a better understanding of the students level of performance because then they get to asses the response of the students to determine an appropriate next teaching move. Students at this time can get feedback on their performance from teachers. Teachers design movement tasks as a progression of experiences to meet their objectives or goals. The movement task - student response unit of analysis also helps with the process of content development. All these things combine to help meet particular standards for students.

Day #3 of EDU 255 9/3/10

2010-09-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Freddie Mercury of Queen

The sun was up and we were outside again for the beginning of class! Professor Yang had us throwing around the frisbee again only this time working on getting the frisbee to a teammate while having a defender close by. This made us pivot and zig-zag all while keeping our eyes open for the frisbee. We learned about the different elements involved to how students learn. Students learn by having a good example to learn from. They also learn from having a good demonstration of the activity and repetition. After a quick lesson outside he brought us inside to look at a video on the lead singer of Queen Freddie Mercury and what makes him a Rockstar. We then made a list of all the things that made Freddie a rockstar and came to the conclusion that being a rockstar is no different then being a teacher!

*I think the only other reason Freddie Mercury was a rockstar was because an awesome mustache!

Day #2 of EDU 255 9/1/10

2010-09-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

So I've never done this before but I'm going to try and put up a new post for every class in 255 this semester. I want to get the most out of this blog and I feel it will be a great tool to use and look back on further down the road!

Today we were outside and got our bodies moving! Professor Yang had us playing Ultimate Frisbee! I love Ultimate Frisbee and I'm glad I got a chance to throw the ole fris around. Professor Yang walked around and tried to give feedback to all of us students. I really like when professors walk around and treat us as individuals because it makes me feel like I'm not just a number and the professor actually cares about me and is trying to help me better myself as a person/future teacher and help me succeed with the task at hand. He really surprised me with his ability to throw! After being outside he took us inside to show us a video to give us an idea on what we'll be doing for the rest of the semester. From the looks of video... I think this semester is going to be a blast!

First Day of Class EDU 255 Fall Semester 2010

2010-09-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

So it began another year at SUNY Cortland. This year as a junior meant I would be starting EDU 255, the second hurdle I would have to jump over in order to get that much closer to becoming a physical education teacher!
Everybody expects the first day to be super easy and all the professors will do is talk about the syllabus and then let the students go. Professor Yang's EDU 255 class was the exception! After a brief role call, we were asked by professor Yang to give a 4 minute lesson to a group of peers (pretending to be students) on a particular skill. The skill could be whatever we chose but it had to be 4 minutes. I was kind of sweating bullets because usually I like a little more time to prepare what I'll be teaching and what I'll be saying, but I finally decided to give a lesson on some different kinds of stretches a student could do in order to prevent injury and help get his/her muscles warmed up before activity. I've never encountered a type a teacher like professor Yang but I found that the mini lessons we were very helpful in a way that helps me in becoming a better teacher. After looking at the video of myself I was able to pick up little things that I can practice not to do and things that I seemed to do pretty well. I was very surprised by the request but what's life without a few surprises right? Professor Yang seems to be really passionate about what he does and it makes me want to be just as passionate about I want to do. If the first day was any indication on how the semester will be then I really look forward to being in this class!