Today has been a pretty slow day. Not slow as in the amount of work, slow because of lack of sleep (kids not sleeping, not working all night!), hence the posting last thing of the day.
I have had some pretty good feedback from a number of students already about yesterday's class, so I would like to thank those students for their thoughts and reflections.
In retrospect now I think it was interesting, provocative and a little bit challenging. Clearly curriculum planning is something that you really should get your head around - it does and will clearly drive your practice. But hand in hand with this is that I can not reiterate how important it is to do the reading, pre-reading, post-reading, reading, reading, reading. This helps with how you conceptualise ideas and more importantly often gives you a frame from which to operate. My gut instinct is telling me that about 50% of the class is keeping up with it...others see it as a bit of a chore. Perhaps there is no meaning in the approach....... :-)
I am really interested in how each and every one of you will develop this process, (i) as a result of class and (ii) how it might be influenced by placement. I want you to consider it an invite to speak with me about this interesting topic. Come and see me, get me on the phone, tweet me or skype me to discuss your thoughts. The downside of all of this is that you wont get much of a chance to do this exercise when you become a teacher...you will be lumbered with numerous tasks to get stuff done, so I really implore you to examine this when you can now (relatively now!).
I am hoping that my pedagogy was useful and different. Concept mapping I find is really helpful, but like many skills you need to really work on it. It's useful because it demonstrates what you know and understand, what connects with which concept - importantly it also gives you a chance to have a look at perhaps what you don;t know, which is also good also. It provides you with an opportunity to think about how (the process; the people, the places) of finding out information and to support you. {Remember that when you give support there is a small part of you that suggests you need to be reciprocal in the relationship. Great way to develop a community of like minded practitioners which can include me.... :-); twitter, facebook also}. A good tool to use when you are confronted with something that you know a little bit about, but not a great amount. Give it a try...
The individual activity was partially in response to some FB received from students that group work can often been 'choking' and hard to get through the political processes. My rationale for this was to give you some time to think individually about how you might best tackle this problem...yes collaboration is important and I know that some of you really used this effectively. How is it that I can be a little more accessible to all of you as you collect and develop your thoughts>? ANy ideas, pls comment or tweet....I also consider this as an ongoing project so please dont put this in the bottom of your bag!
I would like to have had a little bit more time to present the VCE stuff. I did not know, nor understand the type of reaction that it received. Maybe lecturing this sort of stuff is not really the answer; podcast, vodcast, skype a teacher some other thoughts anyhow....Perhaps the stuff that you have been learning at university is paying dividends in terms of your thinking. Part of me thinks that if you are able to see the bigger picture then as future leaders (who is going to be the next ACHPER president!) you will be able to go through the process of making significant change both socially, practically and politically.
I am still a bit flat, so really short and sharp today. Enjoy and see you next week.
TB
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
My reflections after class on Tuesday 2nd August
Hey there everyone,
I thought that class went OK yesterday. I mean we covered content that I thought is going to be useful for you in terms of POLT, VELS, the E5 instructional model. I am a little sorry that it was only the week before in 4006 that you looked at POLT - I am hoping that by contextualising to PE it made it more understandable...additionally hence some of the difficulties with working with content when staff are on different campuses operating in different programs (Education, Sport and Outdoor Recreation, other).
For me it is important that you understand where and how the VELS and other documents are likely to have developed...does this historical picture get covered in other Education units? I am not sure...I tried to be brief as possible so that I could give over the time to some more productive discussions on POLT and later on unit planning.
In retrospect the discussions around POLT were very intriguing (thanks to all those who brought chairs! Keep it up for next week!) as you had to really be explicit in what you actually do in the class (not classroom as picked up by one student!). But being explicit is really important, not only for this task, but also for putting your thoughts on paper for unit planning and subsequently (next week) curriculum planning. It is likely that it is really going to be the last time you get dedicated 'space' and 'time' to really think/act/feel/reflect on what and how you want physical education in your classes to be like. Without sounding like a broken record, I am really hoping that you understand this...!
I do not know why, but I get a little paranoid in seminars, lectures when students start copying me and my gestures. I found myself seriously thinking about pausing for a moment or two and asking those students whether there was anything wrong with me - but you know I do not know what they are thinking at any given time and I might be completely wrong and ignorant in terms of what I understood them to mean with their gestures. Importantly it suggests that you really do not know what students are thinking or doing at any one given time in the space that you are teaching within.
Not sure I did such a great job introing the e5 instructional model. The 5 e's are important to understand but like the POLT students need time to disseminate these to fully comprehend them. Remember that your teachers should know and understand how to enact these - so use the opportunity during your professional experience rounds to really drill down and ask them how they 'operationalise' them...It just reaffirms for me the importance of the two-way relationship that needs to occur on your rounds, not only are you asking for support from them in developing your teaching, but you need to find out as much information as possible about what they are up to and how they enact some of these issues, models and principles.
I am concerned and frustrated at the same time that students are not really reading that much...for me this hampers the breadth that can be covered in the seminar. Part of the final activities were based on the readings of Rink and case study #2 on Penney and Chandler (a reading that I asked students to complete last week!). There did not seem to be a really positive reaction when I asked how many people had completed the readings...am I reflecting too much on this??? Maybe I am. Maybe the students have done the reading they are just not explicitly stating this.
I really did not give too much time for the discussion to get both case studies completed...what was I thinking presenting two case studies. My rationale was to start with a simpler one on a unit of soccer and then progress to a more difficult one with the thematic approaches. Most of the groups started with the first one (my guess is that they did not want to embark on #3 because they (a) had not done the reading or (b) were too brain dead to start really conceptualising something at 5pm???) - this is also a little more realistic as most of them will be presented with this on rounds and in their first appointments. I am optimistic that some will go away and nut out some solutions for this, however part of me feels that only a couple of the 30 will do this - it is important!!!! Planning, planning and planning will make teaching a little easier, but is important because teachers will teach to their plan - especially if they have done one.
Some really interesting thoughts on how you might be able to get or use student centred approaches in PE in such a short time. Remember 'small steps'. Don't go trying to do a unit of SEPEP in 4 weeks, take some important parts from the pedagogy, but remember that what drives the design is likely to be the unit rationale followed closely by the unit objectives (which can be more than one!). Then think about what sorts of pedagogies are likely to help you succeed in achieving those objectives. Remember that the activity is the 'vehicle' for meeting the planned unit objectives. Planning, planning, planning is important (have I said this before?)
I do not want to overuse the group think and work thing either. Two weeks is enough! I need to think about finding some other pedagogies that get students to critically reflect on the content and ideas that I am proposing to them. I think I need to give them time to individually reflect on the content that I am proposing. What is it that I can do next week related to curriculum planning?? I am going to have a think over the next couple of days...I have some thoughts, might just have to wait and see.
I thought that class went OK yesterday. I mean we covered content that I thought is going to be useful for you in terms of POLT, VELS, the E5 instructional model. I am a little sorry that it was only the week before in 4006 that you looked at POLT - I am hoping that by contextualising to PE it made it more understandable...additionally hence some of the difficulties with working with content when staff are on different campuses operating in different programs (Education, Sport and Outdoor Recreation, other).
For me it is important that you understand where and how the VELS and other documents are likely to have developed...does this historical picture get covered in other Education units? I am not sure...I tried to be brief as possible so that I could give over the time to some more productive discussions on POLT and later on unit planning.
In retrospect the discussions around POLT were very intriguing (thanks to all those who brought chairs! Keep it up for next week!) as you had to really be explicit in what you actually do in the class (not classroom as picked up by one student!). But being explicit is really important, not only for this task, but also for putting your thoughts on paper for unit planning and subsequently (next week) curriculum planning. It is likely that it is really going to be the last time you get dedicated 'space' and 'time' to really think/act/feel/reflect on what and how you want physical education in your classes to be like. Without sounding like a broken record, I am really hoping that you understand this...!
I do not know why, but I get a little paranoid in seminars, lectures when students start copying me and my gestures. I found myself seriously thinking about pausing for a moment or two and asking those students whether there was anything wrong with me - but you know I do not know what they are thinking at any given time and I might be completely wrong and ignorant in terms of what I understood them to mean with their gestures. Importantly it suggests that you really do not know what students are thinking or doing at any one given time in the space that you are teaching within.
Not sure I did such a great job introing the e5 instructional model. The 5 e's are important to understand but like the POLT students need time to disseminate these to fully comprehend them. Remember that your teachers should know and understand how to enact these - so use the opportunity during your professional experience rounds to really drill down and ask them how they 'operationalise' them...It just reaffirms for me the importance of the two-way relationship that needs to occur on your rounds, not only are you asking for support from them in developing your teaching, but you need to find out as much information as possible about what they are up to and how they enact some of these issues, models and principles.
I am concerned and frustrated at the same time that students are not really reading that much...for me this hampers the breadth that can be covered in the seminar. Part of the final activities were based on the readings of Rink and case study #2 on Penney and Chandler (a reading that I asked students to complete last week!). There did not seem to be a really positive reaction when I asked how many people had completed the readings...am I reflecting too much on this??? Maybe I am. Maybe the students have done the reading they are just not explicitly stating this.
I really did not give too much time for the discussion to get both case studies completed...what was I thinking presenting two case studies. My rationale was to start with a simpler one on a unit of soccer and then progress to a more difficult one with the thematic approaches. Most of the groups started with the first one (my guess is that they did not want to embark on #3 because they (a) had not done the reading or (b) were too brain dead to start really conceptualising something at 5pm???) - this is also a little more realistic as most of them will be presented with this on rounds and in their first appointments. I am optimistic that some will go away and nut out some solutions for this, however part of me feels that only a couple of the 30 will do this - it is important!!!! Planning, planning and planning will make teaching a little easier, but is important because teachers will teach to their plan - especially if they have done one.
Some really interesting thoughts on how you might be able to get or use student centred approaches in PE in such a short time. Remember 'small steps'. Don't go trying to do a unit of SEPEP in 4 weeks, take some important parts from the pedagogy, but remember that what drives the design is likely to be the unit rationale followed closely by the unit objectives (which can be more than one!). Then think about what sorts of pedagogies are likely to help you succeed in achieving those objectives. Remember that the activity is the 'vehicle' for meeting the planned unit objectives. Planning, planning, planning is important (have I said this before?)
I do not want to overuse the group think and work thing either. Two weeks is enough! I need to think about finding some other pedagogies that get students to critically reflect on the content and ideas that I am proposing to them. I think I need to give them time to individually reflect on the content that I am proposing. What is it that I can do next week related to curriculum planning?? I am going to have a think over the next couple of days...I have some thoughts, might just have to wait and see.
Monday, August 1, 2011
4423 Tuesday 2nd August Pre-thoughts
Hi there!
I am really looking forward to class today. I know and understand that the content of 'unit planning' might seem boring at first but this is where you can do so much planning that makes and values the educative component of physical education. It is done here, in line with your philosophy of teaching and of the profession (see they are linked!) that you take control of your destiny.
In our discussion last week we talked about the issues that are likely to challenge us and face us in our careers, especially as beginning teachers of physical education. WE discussed occupational socialisation, survival, multi-activity curriculums and so much more. Here is the chance to put your (our) spin on how you want to teach. This is an important pre-cursor to the actual content that you are likely to deliver. I am really hoping that some really rich discussion about the topics of Principles of Learning and Teaching (POLT), the VELS, models-based practice and unit planning are forthcoming.
Using the case studies towards the end, I hope that if provides some 'real-life' examples of what you are going to face in ~6months time. There are likely to be thousands of different examples of these scenarios that you could create in your head before you begin to teach - and I hope that you do. I see this process as only dipping your feet in the water. Much of the work that you have looked at in terms of research (Penney and Chandler; Penney and Jess; Brown and Payne; O'Connor, Ward and Payne; Kirk; Tinning; others) are all trying to get the academic and practitioner community to think/act in this process of unit(/curriculum) planning. But you know what....you as the practitioner can quite easily engage with this process and undertake self-study or action research. You do not need to be an academic to make it real. Take for example sport education. Siedentop first wrote about this in the late 70s and early 80s, but it did not really take hold in the academic community and with teachers until much much later...As I said before this is only the first part of the planning/teaching (for your future process). Discuss, debate, talk, engage, reflect, discuss and debate and reflect some more. Ask questions, but most of all be creative (for those of you who have not viewed Sir Ken Robinson it is a must!). Don't let literature hinder your thought process if there is something that you think could be done better!
I really hope that today's class turns out in the way that I hope, because as I mentioned am looking forward to it immensely.
See you later, Trent.
I am really looking forward to class today. I know and understand that the content of 'unit planning' might seem boring at first but this is where you can do so much planning that makes and values the educative component of physical education. It is done here, in line with your philosophy of teaching and of the profession (see they are linked!) that you take control of your destiny.
In our discussion last week we talked about the issues that are likely to challenge us and face us in our careers, especially as beginning teachers of physical education. WE discussed occupational socialisation, survival, multi-activity curriculums and so much more. Here is the chance to put your (our) spin on how you want to teach. This is an important pre-cursor to the actual content that you are likely to deliver. I am really hoping that some really rich discussion about the topics of Principles of Learning and Teaching (POLT), the VELS, models-based practice and unit planning are forthcoming.
Using the case studies towards the end, I hope that if provides some 'real-life' examples of what you are going to face in ~6months time. There are likely to be thousands of different examples of these scenarios that you could create in your head before you begin to teach - and I hope that you do. I see this process as only dipping your feet in the water. Much of the work that you have looked at in terms of research (Penney and Chandler; Penney and Jess; Brown and Payne; O'Connor, Ward and Payne; Kirk; Tinning; others) are all trying to get the academic and practitioner community to think/act in this process of unit(/curriculum) planning. But you know what....you as the practitioner can quite easily engage with this process and undertake self-study or action research. You do not need to be an academic to make it real. Take for example sport education. Siedentop first wrote about this in the late 70s and early 80s, but it did not really take hold in the academic community and with teachers until much much later...As I said before this is only the first part of the planning/teaching (for your future process). Discuss, debate, talk, engage, reflect, discuss and debate and reflect some more. Ask questions, but most of all be creative (for those of you who have not viewed Sir Ken Robinson it is a must!). Don't let literature hinder your thought process if there is something that you think could be done better!
I really hope that today's class turns out in the way that I hope, because as I mentioned am looking forward to it immensely.
See you later, Trent.
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