EXIT CARD #1: See, Think, Wonder
CTL7071 Health and Physical Education Instructor: Carolyn Temertzoglou
SEE
THINK
WONDER
May 30, 2017 Jacqueline Chiu
During today’s Physical Education (PE) session, I was able to observe all the inclusive and cooperative ways in which we could teach PE. As Temertzoglou (2016a) mentions in her PE blog, today’s activities were considered “Exercises in Disguise.” A couple of the games that we played include Everybody Is It and Triangle Tag. For both games I could see how inclusive it was because it involved everyone in the class and it asked us to participate in fundamental movement skills (FMS) that we were all able to do. The concept of having smaller groups when playing tag, like Triangle Tag which had three people per group, allowed for there to be more interest and excitement and hence movement for everyone. In Everybody Is It, there was the similar interest, excitement and movement as in Triangle Tag because everyone was involved to tag others. Since both of these games had the class in smaller groups within the game, and the fundamental movement skill involved i.e. running was not intimidating, everyone was able to participate and hence the games demonstrated an inclusive environment. Based on my observations and the Health and Physical Education Ministry of Education (2015) document, the increase in inclusive activities allows for more students to develop their foundation for healthy, active living that includes interpersonal skills, personal skills, critical and creative thinking skills, movement competence, active living, and healthy living. An inclusive environment in PE class can also begin the foundation for Physical and Health Literacy. Furthermore, Health and Physical Education class is the basis to promote students’ health and well-being so that they reach their full potential and ability to learn. Created by Stepping Stones (2012), there is a model that represents the complexity of human development and incorporates the cognitive, emotional, physical and social domains with the self or spirit and the environment or context. As educators who may one day teach PE class, we need to be aware of a student’s different components of development as a student’s physical and health literacy can be influenced in PE class. I wonder how we can encourage, motivate, and support a student that had a traumatizing experience in PE class and hence no longer wants to participate. I think the method that Temertzoglou (2016a) mentions on her PE blog, by “gamifying” the process of teaching FMS, is an inclusive and non-intimidating way to introduce FMS to those students who have had a traumatizing experience with PE class. I also wonder how to continue to support students with their physical and health literacy beyond the years that I would teach them. Perhaps I can set up a Health and Physical Education club or blog for students to share how they have continued their physical and health literacy journey.