Lab 2: Singing to Movement Activities

1.      Explain why exercises such as sit-ups and push-ups have to be modified for kindergarten and first grade students in the DVL 1 group.

Exercise such as sit-ups and push-ups have to be modified for kindergarten and first grade students in the DVL 1 group because at this particular young age instructing students to do these activities bluntly is considered not fun and work for the students. They become immediately turned off and will have a bad experience in their early years of physical education. This could prevent them from ever being interested in activity.

2.      Why is rhythmic activity important for young children?

Rhythmic activity is important for young children do to their natural urge for rhythmic expression. Introducing rhythmic activity develops a system to better remember the activities that are being performed. It also allows for the activity to be fun for the students when relating the activity to themes such as “Busy Bee” and the “Brush Your Teeth” song.

3.      Define laterality and explain why tracing giant letters helps reinforce cognitive learning?

Laterality is taking a concept that humans prefer to use one side of their body for a task over the other. Drawing the large letters stimulates the students cognitively, because young students have a tendency to remember large objects especially if they experience the task of tracing the letters with their psychomotor skills first hand.

4.      Why are educators concerned about young children not being able to keep an internal beat?

An internal beat in a child is natural and is important to all forms of movement. Children who have problems keeping an internal beat can be a concern for educators due to problems that maybe occurring in the brain. This could prevent children from learning important information properly and cause learning disabilities.

5.      Define home-lateral and cross lateral movements.

Homo-lateral movements are movements that involve using only one side of the body to do an activity. An example of this would be raising your right arm and leg at the same time. Cross lateral movement will involve action on the opposite side of the body. This could be alternating planks where you stick one arm out and the opposite leg out.

Lab 1: Questions on Class Management and Organization

1.      Why do class management and effective teaching go hand in hand throughout every day of teaching?

How well a teacher manages a classroom is a significant aspect to how effective that teacher will be introducing material to the students that must be learned. Management has the ability to keep a class of students organized and on track to focus on learning material. Disruption and chaos can cause students to disengage from the class as well as the teacher. Research has also been shown that teachers who introduce and rehearse management strategies in the beginning of the year are considered effective teachers.

2.      Why should your list of class rules be short and positive?

Class rules should be short and positive because the attention span of a student especially at the elementary school level is short. Important one or two word rules that could be represented or relevant to something that students address everyday will help them to remember the rules. Rules should be positive because students sometimes rebel against the word no or things that they shouldn’t do. Students especially at the elementary level are like sponges so it is important to have a positive environment that will give the students the aspect of being positive which will evolve as they get older to hopefully positive goal setting amongst other elements.

3.      List three reasons why students enjoy the squad square structure as well as three reasons why teachers benefit from employing the squad square structure for management?

1.      The squad square structure allows students to be in a squad with friends or the ability to make friends.

2.      The squad square structure also allows for competition between not only other squads but the teacher as well.

3.      The squad square structure can involve a captain or leader which can be considered a reward or privilege.

1.      The squad square structure gives the teachers the ability to organize the class in a way that is helpful for taking attendance as well as set up games involving a team work aspect.

2.      The squad square structure also helps teachers be able to visually see the entire class without distractions between the students.

3.      The squad square structure dividing the students equally helps for full participation between all students especially if the equipment is of low quantity so it will allow for more touches.

4.      What common elements do all of the activities in this management lab share?

The common elements that all of the activities in the management lab share is the ability to organize management of a class of students through rehearsal of participation to strengthen focus towards the teacher and awareness of rules established by the teacher.

5.      How is the affective domain addressed in this lesson? How is the psychomotor domain addressed in this lesson? How is the cognitive domain addressed in this lesson?

The affective domain is addressed in this lesson through concentrating on respect for an individual student’s personal space with the ability to not touch each other.

The psychomotor domain is addressed in this lesson through rehearsal and movement of the students using different locomotor skills and games to address the management strategies in these particular activities and games.

The cognitive domain is addressed in this lesson through the ability to relate the elements in management into games and activities with the use of psychomotor rehearsal it will give the students the ability to remember and effectively demonstrate the rules that are applied into these activities by repetition and involvement.

6.      A particular management game that I would like to introduce to my students would involve musical poly spots. Through different locomotor skills and the signal for attention being the music I would have the students move around until the music was stopped. Once the music was stopped the students would have to find an available poly spot as fast as they could. I would then use a different task assigning each person a specific poly spot. Eventually these chosen poly spots would be the area in which these students would sit in the beginning of class while music is being played. Once that music stops class has begun and all students must be sitting on their “attendance spot”.

EDU 355: The Next Chapter of Physical Education

              As part of one of my first assignments for EDU 355 it is expected of me to introduce myself on this continuing blog to my new talented and intelligent professor Dr. Baert. My name is Robert W. Goldkranz. I am now a senior at SUNY Cortland and have been studying for a career path into Physical Education. Prior to this I was a chef at a Catering company and received a Professional Cooking degree at the Culinary Academy of Long Island. Although the change in my career choice is quite different I feel I have made the right choice. Throughout my field work experiences and classes, I have been able to conclude that I am where I want to be and have been inspired to make a difference in the fields of Physical as well as Health Education. Also I am now trying to expand my horizon by integrating my culinary skills into the education system through the field of Home Economics.

            The interests that I desire on a daily basis include playing Hockey and ASA Softball. Also, I have been bowling since I was 5 years old. I enjoy watching a different variety of movies as well as sports. I hope to be able to coach once I have established myself as a teacher in a school district and look forward to teaching students the importance of being physically educated and healthy.