Monday, February 28, 2011

PE4ME

PE4ME

Just a short clip about physical education that was developed with no script , but only a commentary from the heart . Also , there is a new chat/blog started from Facebook , called PE1 , which now has over 100 memebrs of dedicated and talented teachers. Each week on a Sunday evening at 9:00 PM (EST) we discuss pertinent ideas to share with others . It can be accessed at Live Event for PE or at the following address from COVERITLIVE . There will be the live event and an archive posted .

SAVING PE

SAVING P.E. ?




In the latest issue of PE LINKS4U , Steve Jefferies noted , “ The end . No further justification needed. But , how to explain to others. That is the question that needs answering.” Of course , he was talking about saving P.E.
The main proposition is that there needs to be a leadership model to justify P.E. and that is at all levels. It goes far beyond comparing with the core subjects . The public must be notified of what we do and recognize the fact what the parents and administration experienced in their youth is only part of the dilemma .

There are TV ads and all forms of media such as , the NFL60 and Michelle Obama’s exploits , and the obesity issue , which adds to our countries debt of billions of dollars a year . Why isn’t that enough to change laws and why aren’t the politicians listening? And, who really cares ?

A better question is , are there experienced , dedicated teachers to help with that process . ( Yes, but are outweighed by the uninformed ) How do we send that information to those teachers and school districts that have no clue what P.E. has become in the 21st century .

When I was teaching and later as the Department Head , it was understood that (WE) were all on the same page . That is , you could go to any elementary PE class and we were all doing the same thing. In the middle and high schools, there was a curriculum mapping process that was carried over from all levels , in a sequential process , so there wasn’t any repetition . This sequential approach was set up according to state and national standards. In the present day , since PE meetings have been eliminated and the role of the Department Head is just a figure head , if at all , other than disbursement of equipment and scheduling. After talking with a past colleague it was noted ,” I hate it now , too much busy work and duties , less prep and no direction.” This was from a school that was nationally known , even though it was many years ago .

Along those same lines , there was always presentations to showcase what was done in PE classes. What a great way to show the public and school board the activities and concerns for a healthy lifestyle. All of this advocacy will take more than state associations. It is up to us individually . After a fiery speech and gung-go attitude at conventions ,it still behooves (us) to be the light at the end of the tunnel .
Please believe me , I know the importance of state and national associations that have paved the way for all present and future teachers . They have our backs to disseminate information to save our livelihood .
It isn’t the PE4Life schools that are experiencing distress . Why ? These are the teachers who care and school districts and their representatives that are concerned for best practices in education and physical education is a great part of that . These people know how to work the system and know people who know other people , from superintendents to state and national officials along with exemplary companies and health systems to make the programs survive.
There are reasons some schools are given blue-ribbon status and others that only try to be a facsimile. It takes everybody working together , and the leadership that will make it happen. In addition , it takes hard working teachers who care more about others than themselves. This caring and empathy is a talent that will keep PE alive for years to come.
Why is it that after retirement and more so those teachers that are close to it are the ones included in the process of saving P.E. Of course , included in this is the younger generation who had mentors and universities that all believe in the same thing. This transition is vital in the life of every PE teacher in the country . Yes, we must keep up the fight at he highest level and have a person or group that will keep (us )informed of all that is happening .
For example , there has been a pension crisis in my state for all new and older teachers. Each week there were emails and letters to representatives to uphold the state law. Through everyone’s efforts and thousands of letters , the problem was put on hold. Now! The next fight is vouchers. All these messages were heard and information was given for what to do . What will be our message ? Who gives it ? Or do (we) read about it and still clamor that something needs to be done while (we) are in quicksand.

Many years ago , these messages were distributed with other teachers in the PE-digest , which was highly successful . From there , the bond with teachers around the country was at its highest with the incredible sharing process. At about this time in the late 1990’s , there were software programs that could be used to chat , audio and video with other teachers . All were kept up to date on any new innovations or concerns . Even universities had their students share questions , and all seemed well . Unfortunately, a breakdown in service eliminated this vehicle and also many teachers were lost . Later , a new NASPE discussion group was formed , but even today in 2011 , it has lost its glamour and those teachers who contributed for many years , and with heaps of experience haven’t returned.

Recently , there is a breakaway group( PE1 ) of experienced teachers are looking to form a news advocacy and sharing with others. The format is in the early stages , but will be manned by both retired and caring teachers . Why is it that many of the contributors are still in the game , even through retirement ? Why? Because they care and want to share with others . They want to provide leadership .
Along those same lines , PE Central has devised a chat/blog that shares information to teachers . The contributors are well experienced teachers and educators who want to not only share , but also save P.E.

How many people know about this ? Why not? How do we tell others ? Maybe a tweet or a comment from Facebook will spread through the social networking process in a spider-like web of contacts that can be the glue to bond others to become aware. Are we our own worst enemies ? Only time will tell . The fight is in our corner and hopefully (we) will still be standing long after the bell . PE has taken a standing (8) count , but we’re not out yet . One more punch by everybody just might do the trick .

Or we can listen to our students . Find out what they enjoy and run with it. Isn't PE supposed to be fun ! Children have grown up with games and learned from them. Maybe this is a way we can instill interest in those students who need that extra zip to get them to be involved.
Find ways during and after the school day and explore ways to get into their heads so they can transfer it to their bodies. It will be a slow process , but well worth it. It all starts with the first step and a little enthusiasm , empathy and understanding.

Make sure to choose activities that have meaning to them. Include media and some of the gadgets they have from an Iphone and Wii system to music , TV and movies. Maybe even give them a chance to show you how its done and give them ownership , of course, with your guidance , which includes rules and respect for others.

Finally , at about this time , and on many TV stations , such as CNN and daily newspapers , it is well noted that the economic crunch without a stimulus will wreak havoc with school districts. The news service is reporting lay-offs for teachers as a way to curb spending or at least see that taxes aren’t raised to further the chaos in education .

Add the push for vouchers and the turmoil against public education and its failing schools , will provide a spark that may ignite an upheaval that hasn’t been planned for in the budgets of poor or average schools in performance standards. Something has to go and it appears that PE and other non-core subjects will fill the noose tighten in a fight to the finish line. This should come as no surprise to the educational process and the cry for development of the whole child. Many schools and teachers have prepared with advocacy and exemplary programs.
They have kept pace with all the necessary elements of a blue ribbon school . And , they have exhibited all the tools inherent to showcase their school , teachers , students and programs that meets a very high standard. As previously mentioned , too many people just don’t get it and are unaware what gym?(PE4me) really is all about . These just may be the school board members or students that played dodge ball all day (and got blasted) ; waited in long lines , hated the uniforms , or were made fun of and disrespected. Part of that blame must be tossed toward the teachers, too . They took the easy way out and were a “roll out the ball type.”

I have always stayed with the mantra , “ Nobody from off the streets can do what I’m doing or has the experience , knowledge , empathy ,and cares about the needs of the students more than I could.” The bottom line is to fight in the trenches , share with others and advocate P.E. to an ultimate level . The “cut” will be deep very soon , but when we as physical educators bleed , it won’t be blood , it will be the many
experiences of dedicated teaching that will ooze off the playing fields and gyms for future teachers to remember we walked on the road less traveled and made a difference in a child’s life.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

LINKS

http://www.charactercounts.com/
http://www.internationalsport.com/nsd
Fair Play
Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship

It doesn’t take long to discover that sportsmanship and character have come under a microscope with antics that range from youth sports to the NFL .


This doesn’t count the plethora of sports teams at all levels that engage in organized contests throughout the country. The main question is what direction should be taken to find a solution that can easily be understood ,and then monitor constantly so the problems can’t escalate.

Children watch their parents and other adults to form a basis for charatcter traits . Being a positive role model will be an effective way to help their children toward character building and fair play .They form an understanding of competition and sportsmanship when they are in a school setting.

Physical educators can work on sportsmanship and character by demonstrating proper behavior during classes and activities.This conduct should be taught to all members of the school district including parents , teachers , coaches , cheerleaders and the band.

Within the program , there should be a sportsmanship code of fair play that is recited before every game ,and athletic directors should oversee that it is enforced to promote a safe atmosphere conducive to fair play. This code should include:

· Gain an understanding and appreciation for the rules of the contest

· Exercise representative behavior at all times

· Recognize and appreciate skilled performances regardless of affiliation

· Exhibit respect for all officials

· Display openly a respect for the opponent at all times

· Display pride in your actions at every opportunity

Parents hold the initial key for appropriate sportsmanship and character building. They should emphasize good sportsmanship and expect that winning is just one of many goals their children can achieve. . By taking pride in their accomplishments and improving skills , the athlete can see themselves as winners not only by the final score. Unfortunately, brash behavior that is seen on the national level in professional and collegiate sports seem to have a negative influence .

The next step in the sequence is coaching. A code of conduct should be sent home and signed by both the parents and players to cover what the coach expects ,such as losing temper , cheating , blaming , taunting , arguing with officials , and criticism of teammates.Coaches should attend a district sportsmanship seminar/conference before each season to learn new rules and what is expected from each district or league office .

There needs to be an open communication with the parents , community , school board and administration about rules , judgment on problem behavior and have a plan in place to enforce decisions when the rules are broken .



There is a phenomenon that has taken sportsmanship to a new and different level , which has been propagated through the collegiate ranks , especially those that involve basketball games. It appears the high school crowd has mimicked the frolics that transpire during the games . Student sections are becoming creative , funny and amusing , but sometimes create problems with chants that can be offensive or rude .In past seasons students have chanted during basketball games , but there has been a drastic change as they are louder and have become more creative with chants and garbs than ever before. They have become controversial, with insensitive and sometimes vulgar chants that can be offensive. By using various social networking sites , they can find out some disparaging details about opposing players and their schools. Hopefully , at this point ,the athletic director or a teacher in charge will quell any possible concerns and problems.

March 1st ,2011 is National Sportsmanship Day , which is an exemplary model for information in ethics , promotional suggestions for fair play , and a packet that includes articles about sportsmanship , gamesmanship , coaches and parents forum and contests to promote conduct while participating in a sport.

One of the most difficult tasks faced by athletic directors and administrators is to maintain a healthy school spirit while promoting good sportsmanship. The answer may lie in involving the student body. Administrators can arrange a round table for the students to brainstorm scenarios of sportsmanship to share their thoughts to discuss issues to help their students have fun at these events and still maintain a commitment for school sportsmanship for every team or activity that the school sponsors.

Building character and commendable sportsmanship are responsibilities that physical educators should embrace . The use of Hellison’s Model of Responsibility and John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success are viable ways to help encourage students to prepare for the character building process . This can be accomplished with the physical education classes and carried over through appropriate practices during games and activities. There will be obstacles to overcome as the constant barrage of media outlets , TV ads and articles written in sports magazines and the unflappable “look at me” exploits by many of the professional and college athletes may deter that process . The answer will be to take that first step , which includes students , parents , coaches , administration , and athletic directors to all work together for citizenship through sports alliance.

There are specialty programs that involve mascots to teach the values of fair play and sportsmanship .There are important details with lesson plans , goal setting , teamwork , making a community , encouragement and awards that can be attained through sportsmanship .



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Addendum and Editors note: Within my area near Pittsburgh(PA) is a school that has won the sportsmanship award for two years . Hampton High School in Allison Park last won the award August , 2010 . Mr. Bill Cardone , athletic director , and three other school directors were presented the award at Heinz Field before the W.P.I.A.L. football championships.Hampton realizes that sportsmanship is a key issue from the elementary to high school levels , and this is maintained through meetings with all the principals.

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SPORTSMANSHIP MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the sportsmanship program is to educate , promote and assist in the perception of and the practice of those qualities which are inherent in good sportsmanship . The ideals of sportsmanship apply equally to all disciplines. Individuals ,regardless of their roles in interscholastic athletics , are expected to be aware of their influence on the behavior of others and act in a responsible manner at all times.

Included in this issue will be the WPIAL Sportsmanship Program /Member School Self Assessment Form , a six category rating system with an additional three parts that provides evidence as to why a school is deserving of the award.There is a pre-game speech before each basketball game and a National Sportsmanship Breakfast , which Hampton asked their coaches to nominate students who exhibit leadership that was sponsored by the Institute for International Sport . Also, a WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit , which includes discussion questions and scenarios of examples regarding players , coaches , and grades.

Note : W.P.I.A.L. ( Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) and the P.I.A.A ( Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association ) are the two Board of Control groups that have been involved in making sportsmanship important for all member schools. The PIAA promoted the slogan “ The missing piece is you.” Just recently(1/21/2011) , both groups must decide the fate of a girls basketball coach , who ran up the score in a 100 point win . An announcement about sportsmanship is read before every game across the state and it remains to be seen what decisions will be made . It will take more than a pre game speech to find a solution , but by working together in all aspects of home and school , the problems of sportsmanship can move forward with an encouraging outlook .This can be accomplished with promotional activities , handling conflicts appropriately , crowd control and always have a contingency plan in place.
Sportsmanship