Cayuga Heights Day #2

2. What did you learn about these students in all three domains?

In my perspective both classes I observed today were ran extremely well. The students at Cayuga Heights have a 45 minute Physical Education class twice a week. To build overall cardiovascular endurance for both classes, 15-20 minutes of the class time is spent with a large group activity in which students practice the various locomotor skills. Mr. Chase began with a yarn ball tag and Mr. Dumont began with a Rocketship tag using soft foam frisbees for the taggers to use. The locomotor skills were changed frequently and each game was played until every person had a chance to become a tagger. Both teachers then gave a brief introduction into the lesson and demonstration. Safety was emphasised by both teachers numerous times during the introduction and task.
I learned a great deal aobut the students abilities in each domain with in a short period of observation time. These large group activites go through a variety of locomotor skills and it was clear to see how students ranged in psychomotor ability and what skills needed improvement. I noticed that almost all students begin the skill either strong or began a completly different skill, and are needed a reminder from the teacher. After a brief perid, most students focus on the tagging aspect rather than the locomotor skill and resort to running. At this point both Mr. Chase and Mr. Dumont are good at pointing out a good boy/girl to demonstrate the skill before continuing the tag game. Mr. Dumont stated that at the K-1 grade levels it is important not to stress correct technique, but to provide as many demonstrations and opportunities to practice the skill as possible.
Mr. Chase chose yarn ball as a great lead up game for his introduction into the skill of setting the ball up in volleyball. After students were tagged they had to place both hands up high in the air and they had to get double hi-5's from another player, up high, to become un froze and begin playing again. After the game he talked about the proper form for setting and the importance of using two hands and pusing up and out, rather than straight out, because the ball will go into the net. He then gave time to practice with beach balls of various sizes on each side of a net. After setting was practiced for some time, the students practice the various ways allowed to hit the ball over the net including; underhand, overhand and hitting the ball with a single hand or both hands.
I was surprised at how much the students knew about the sport they were practicing cognitively. I learned to ask as many open ended questions as possible in order to assess what they already know and what needs to be reviewed. For example, Mr. Chase began the lesson asking what kind of net is up in the gym and review safety around the net. Volleyball? What do you know about the game of volleyball? The students were surprisingly able to give about 10 facts they already knew before Mr. Chase began teaching how to set properly. This also occured when Mr. Dumont introduced bowling. He asked a variety of questions about the sport and for this lesson only emphasised how to hold the ball and how to slide and release it down the line, he did not give them a variety of tasks to accomplish and only gave two deomonstrations. After the demonstration, the students are allowed to play in lanes and get as much practice as possible.
In both classes students were put into groups for the main task. I noticed that affectively, students prefered others based on sex, girls partnered with girls and boys with boys. The only affective implication I noticed used by the teachers, was that each student is allowed a chance to be "it" when playing tag and Mr. Chase used hi-5's as apart of his lesson on setting, but otherwise it is not stressed in a regular class.