After an adventurous video shoot, we finally had our footage and it was off to the editing board... it's a gem.

Oh baby you got those reflexes

Final cut of our song about infant reflexes! Music Video in the works...



Lyrics...

The palmer's grasp is in the first four months
you wrap your fingers around but you don't use your thumb
When you move my head, my body goes too
it's called righting and you better see that fool

Another kind of righting is when you move my body
My head will go with it, i swear that to you mommy (MOOMY)
In the first four month's, when you stroke my sole
the babinski makes me extend my toes

after four months, the plantar reflex is found
once you touch my feet, my toes curl round
when i'm tipped backwards I try to stay upright
i'm doing the pull-up, to keep my figure tight

The sucking reflex is when i am really hungry
I search for nourishment from my big mommy
The palmer mandibular makes me close my eyes
if you touch my palms my mouth opens real wide

(Chorus x3)
Oh baby you, got those reflexes
but you say it's postural
but you say it's primitive

When mommy holds me over the water I start to swim
it's a reflex i can't control, i move my every limb
When my daddy holds me up like superman
i extent my legs and arms, and i brace so i can land

The fencing reflex makes my limbs extend
but only on one side, i look like the heisman
When moro is involved, i flex my legs and arms
Then I'll extend them with a smile, i have so much charm

Crawling has some cool reflexes too
i bend my knees, my arms reach out, i make it look cool
when I'm being held up on a surface that's flat
my weight goes forward and i primary step that

when i am tilted sideways, I do the Labyrinthine
my head wants to upright so it makes me align
just like the labyrinthine, but uprighting with my eyes
it's called the optical, it should come as no surprise

Thank you for listening to our baby song
We hope you like our diapers, its better than a thong

(Chorus x3)
Oh baby you, got those reflexes
but you say it's postural
but you say it's primitive

Reflection

1. Based upon observations and interactions with the St. Mary’s students, describe what you have learned about young children? Provide examples of activities you felt were appropriate. Why? Were there activities that were not appropriate? Why?

I have learned that young children are very impressionable. They like to tell you things about themselves and impress you by exaggerating their stories. Young children have ups and downs, but mostly they are full of energy and want to run around, screaming. Young children like closeness with people they like and they love to laugh.
I think many of our group’s games have been age appropriate. Our first game was “Zany Zoo” with the kindergarteners and 1st graders, which proved to be fun and challenging. Most of the kids could do the movements (or some version of it) and since there were tons of cards, they were engaged even when waiting in line. They all had the fundamental movement skills, but they still needed to practice them to develop more. Our first shot at improvising on a game for pre-k was somewhat successful. We set up an obstacle course that proved to be easy enough for everyone to do, until they got up to the scooter section and they had to push themselves along the floor. Most were very slow or could not do this, which led to traffic jams and the loss of interest while waiting in line. After we saw that the obstacle course was not working well, Emmie started follow the leader and all of the kids loved it. Next, the pre-k’s suggested a lily-pad tag game, which was appropriate because it was one of their favorite games and everyone played. In the “Super Hero” lab, our car game was very successful. The kids could do all of the movements, followed all of the directions and everyone had a smile on their face. I had a blast playing that game and was impressed because it incorporated all of the movement skills we were focusing on during that lab. Our food lab, in my opinion, was our best executed and planned game. We decided to make a pizza chef/cook game where one side of the gym was full of pizza topping that the kids had to throw over the "oven" to the cook to put on a big pizza. In order to be able to throw, the kids had to answer a question about healthy eating and exercise. I thought it was very successful as a way to evaluate the stage at which the children are at for throwing and catching, as well as a cognitive game with questions about physical education. We used small rubber chickens, tennis balls, hockey pucks, and fish to represent the toppings. This offered a chance to evaluate the ability to throw and catch objects of different size and weight. This game was the most appropriate, as we offered for the kids to read their own cards or have their college student read it to them, as well as put an array of different objects out on the gym floor for them to pick to throw. The Easter egg hunt as both age appropriate and school appropriate. I read Dora the Explorer’s Easter Egg Hunt to the pre-k students, who were all enthralled in the book and all loved Dora. Since St. Mary’s is a Catholic School, we can focus on the holiday and use it as a theme. Before reading the book, we had the kids color bowls and then staple strips of paper to make it an Easter basket. After we read the story, we went to the gym and the kids had so much fun searching through the area for the eggs. I thought it was very age appropriate because all of the kids have done an Easter egg hunt before and they all could do the activities leading up to the hunt. It worked fine motor skills as they colored and picked up small eggs, and they learned some Spanish words and practiced reading as I read the Dora book.

2. Based upon your interactions with St. Mary’s PRE K program, describe your experience. How was this different from working with the older age students? Did you enjoy working with younger age children? Why or Why not?

Working with the pre-k was very calming. At that age, they are in awe of you and seem to follow all directions and rules. Whenever you tell them something, they whole-heartedly listen and take in what you say. They are very impressionable and some have infinite wisdom way beyond their years. It was so different working with the older students because the older ones have their own opinions and have learned to rebel. Trying to give directions to the older students without any distraction is almost impossible, but the pre-k kids seem to give you their undivided attention and follow your directions. I really enjoyed working with the younger kids, first because they are so cute, and second because they were so interesting and respectful.

3. During your field experience, each of you worked with children in the cafeteria setting. Describe the fine motor activities you observed. Do you feel that working on fine motor activities is something we should work on in Physical Education.

The games that I observed that involved fine motor skills in the cafeteria included mancala, checkers, coloring, lego’s, mr. potato head, cards, and jenga. All of these games involved using you fingers to pick up small pieces and place them somewhere else. I noticed that everyone was successful in what they wanted to do, leaving the impression that their fine motor skills were developed. In physical education, we can work on fine motors skills but I think that gross motor skills should be the focus. Developing fundamental movement skills like hopping, skipping, jumping, galloping, running, throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling should be the main focus. Of course, if somehow there were a way to develop both fine and gross motor skills then that would be very beneficial for the student’s development.

4. Reflecting on your growth as a future teacher, what have you learned from this experience that has given you insight as to your individual “teaching style”. Has your teaching style emerged based upon your experience and interaction at St. Mary’s. If yes, in what way. If not, how else might this occur?

From these 6 weeks at St. Mary’s, I have learned that I have to be confident. I know that I can be a really great educator some day, that I have interesting ideas, and that I have effective ways of passing on knowledge to my students, but I need to be more confident in myself. Lack of confidence and nervousness leads to my voice not being loud enough, as well as second-guessing myself. My teaching style reflects my personality in that I try to make everyone smile and that I try to get everyone else psyched about what we are doing, no matter what it is. Having enthusiasm and a positive attitude can be infectious and the students will pick up on how committed you are, making them want to participate that much more. At St. Mary’s, I noticed that when you commit to showing intense interest in an activity, the kids will follow suit and get even more involved in the activity. Also, when you give the kids positive feedback on multiple occasions, they will focus more and try to impress you with whatever they are doing. Not that “sucking up” isn’t annoying after a while, but that mentality of wanting perfection is good for kids to have and can even make other kids strive to do better. Overall, I think St. Mary’s was a great experience and that I got a lot out of seeing others teach, as well as having another opportunity to teach myself.

Lab #5

Today, the other groups executed their games as we observed basketball dribbling and soccer kicking. We observed, recorded our data, went to snack time with the 1st graders, then returned to the gym for some dancing. If you haven't guessed by the picture already, we did the YMCA :)

1. Consider the activities/games that you have utilized so far during the past four labs. Were they appropriate for the students at St. Mary’s? Why or why not?
I think many of our group’s games have been age appropriate. Our first game was “Zany Zoo” with the kindergarteners and 1st graders, which proved to be fun and challenging. Most of the kids could do the movements (or some version of it) and since there were tons of cards, they were engaged even when waiting in line. They all had the fundamental movement skills, but they still needed to practice them to develop more. Our first shot at improvising on a game for pre-k was somewhat successful. We set up an obstacle course that proved to be easy enough for everyone to do, until they got up to the scooter section and they had to push themselves along the floor. Most were very slow or could not do this, which led to traffic jams and the loss of interest while waiting in line. After we saw that the obstacle course was not working well, Emmie started follow the leader and all of the kids loved it. Next, the pre-k’s suggested a lily-pad tag game, which was appropriate because it was one of their favorite games and everyone played. In the “Super Hero” lab, our car game was very successful. The kids could do all of the movements, followed all of the directions and everyone had a smile on their face. I had a blast playing that game and was impressed because it incorporated all of the movement skills we were focusing on during that lab. Our food lab, in my opinion, was our best executed and planned game. We decided to make a pizza chef/cook game where one side of the gym was full of pizza topping that the kids had to throw over the "oven" to the cook to put on a big pizza. In order to be able to throw, the kids had to answer a question about healthy eating and exercise. I thought it was very successful as a way to evaluate the stage at which the children are at for throwing and catching, as well as a cognitive game with questions about physical education. We used small rubber chickens, tennis balls, hockey pucks, and fish to represent the toppings. This offered a chance to evaluate the ability to throw and catch objects of different size and weight. This game was the most appropriate, as we offered for the kids to read their own cards or have their college student read it to them, as well as put an array of different objects out on the gym floor for them to pick to throw.


2. What might be some limitations to games or activities when using them in the process of assessing motor skills?
When assessing motor skills, you have to have a clear view of the child performing the skill as well as repetition to assess them accurately. With this in mind, a game has to be set up so that every child has to perform the motor skill multiple times, and there is enough space for everyone to be seen. Next, the equipment has to be modified to assess correctly. If assessing kicking, the ball should be about the size of the age-appropriate soccer (they range in size and weight depending on age). When assessing throwing, the ball should be able to fit into the child’s hand and be light enough as to not cause difficulty in throwing. Lastly, do not make the activity a race. When racing, children will tend to abandon proper form in order to win. Set the game at a slow pace, where the children will focus on the skill, not the outcome.

Food Lab

Today was food lab day, where we made up games that had a central theme of throwing and catching with food involved. My group decided to do a pizza chef/cook game where one side of the gym was full of pizza topping that the kids had to throw over the "oven" to the cook to put on a big pizza. In order to be able to throw, the kids had to answer a question about healthy eating and exercise. Halfway through the game we switched the throwers and catchers. I thought it was very successful as a way to evaluate the stage at which the children are at for throwing and catching, as well as a cognitive game with questions about physical education. We used small rubber chickens, tennis balls, hockey pucks, and fish to represent the toppings. This offered a chance to evaluate the ability to throw and catch objects of different size and weight.



Task A:
1. Reflecting on your experience so far at St Mary’s, what do you think have been some difficulties or challenges you have faced? Consider all areas – environment, children, etc.
One difficulty that I have faced is getting the undivided attention of all of the kids. At some points, most of the kids are looking at me and listening but the 2 or 3 that aren’t become very disruptive and attract the attention of the kids who were listening. Giving clear directions is hard when you have to say “listen up,” or “eyes of me, please,” after every couple of words. Another difficulty is coming up with a fun, engaging, and beneficial activity. Sometimes the games we have do not keep the interest of the kids and we can tell that they are bored or not enjoying it. Lastly, a difficulty I have noticed is finding gym space when we have all the kids in the gym at the same time. I was playing basketball this week with a 1st grader and we had to use a hoola hoop as a basketball that I had to hold up high in the air. Eventually, a basket opened up but we ran the risk of accidentally hitting the surrounding kids with our ball.

2. What ideas/suggestions do you have to resolve the difficulties or challenges that you wrote about in #1?
One way to resolve the attention issue is to use a whistle or have a loud enough voice to get everybody’s attention. Once we have their attention, we have to speak clearly and have important things to say so that the kid’s stay engaged and focused. Having one speaker/leader at a time has proven to be very effective as well as using a clear, loud voice while making eye contact. When it comes to activities, we have to make sure we have age appropriate games that everyone can get something out of. The games have to be well thought out, we have to be prepared and bring the right equipment, as well as have a plan if we need to change something or offer a variation. Lastly, I think that the gym space issue can be resolved only by making due with what we have. Adapting to the environment is part of being an effective educator and is a great quality to have if there is little money in the budget for equipment or a large group of students with a small gym or field.

Superhero Lab #3

This lab was really fun. The group that ran the Superhero endless bucket did a really nice job with it and you could tell they put a lot of effort in with all the capes and symbols everywhere. The activity was well thought out and executed brilliantly, as you could see how much fun the kids were having with it. Our group played a car game where you had to stay on the lines in the gym and when Emmie called out a command, we had to do the corresponding activity. The kids (and I) seemed to enjoy it, especially the tagging portion. After that, we went downstairs for snacks with the 1st and 2nd graders. I played "mancala" with a few of the girls and they talked my ear off about animals. One girl exaggerated everything she said, claiming that her cousin owned 8 lions, 3 elephants, and 16 panda bears. I'm pretty sure she was trying to impress me but I was skeptical because she had cheated while playing mancala with another girl. Anyhow, after snack and games we went upstairs and played unorganized games of jump rope, basketball, and football. This seemed to work because we had so few kids and so many teachers. I played basketball with a 1st grade future MJ who was extremely good at dribbling and shooting and I was surprised at how fast he was. I'll be sure to get his autograph for when he becomes famous :) We ended with the electric slide and I have come to the conclusion that everyone should dance at least one time during the day. Until next time...



1. Observe the St. Mary’s student(s) as they participate in the activities. Describe the variability of the movement patterns you observed. Be sure to note with whom you worked, what grade they were in, and any differences in age, gender, or ability.

We observed kindergardeners and 1st graders participating in the Superhero endless bucket activity. I noticed that when told to leap, most of the kids just ran really fast. The girl that I was observing, Rowan, went at a slower pace and correctly leaped, but only after being shown how to do so. The boy I was observing, Anthony, had the basic concept of the leap down but could not distinguish the leap from running, as he didn't get both feet off the ground at the same time at any point. For the horizontal jump, Anthony was successful and showed proper form with his preparatory movements, he correctly forced his arms upward, took off and landing on both feet simultaneously, and brought his arms down during the landing. Rowan was successful in everything but extending her arms forward and upward over her head. Sliding came easy to almost every child, but I did notice that some had trouble turning completely sideways. Rowan was an example of this, as she was somewhat sideways but also somewhat turned to see what was in front of her. Anthony performed sliding very well. Another thing I observed was that many of the boys were faster with their movements than the girls, who tended to move slower but more gracefully. I also noticed a girl who could hoola-hoop for days and a boy who couldn't hoola-hoop at all, so most of my observations were of the majority, not on an individual basis. Generally, the kids were of the same ability except that the boys tended to move faster.

2. Describe “teaching strategies” that YOU used today towards connecting with the children. What were they? How did YOU use them? What was the effect? Were there any strategies that were more effective than others? If so, why?

I only got to teach for a few minutes until we had to move downstairs but what seemed to work was having the kids sit down in front of me while I gave them clear, concise directions. At one point I gave them a choice to pick their team name and that was a bad idea because they all disagreed. It is better to tell them what they are going to do and give them clear-cut directions instead of options because at that age, none of them will agree. During the car game, I participated in the activity with the kids and noticed that when they weren't sure which movement to do, they looked towards me or the other teachers doing the activity. This helped because instead of a bunch of kids verbally asking a question, all they had to do was look around quickly and find their answer. The Superhero group did a really great job with their activity as they had one designated speaker and one designated demonstrator. The other group members were there to make sure the kids were paying attention and to break up side conversations. We had a similar set up, as Emmie lead in the car game directions and the other teachers demonstrated the movements.


3. After being at St. Mary’s for these past weeks and observing and working with the students, can you briefly describe an effective strategy (or strategies) that you used to capture the children’s attention and keep them on task for your activity.

Having the kids sit in "criss-cross applesauce" is a good way to make sure they are all sitting and paying attention. Also, having a signal (hand raised high in the air) or clapping in a rhythm really gets their attention. Music can help too, as it is really fun to have in the background during an activity, and when it is stopped, the kids know too look and listen for directions. Having one designated leader clears up confusion about who to focus attention on. To keep kids on task, my group has found that by having a smaller difference in the ratio of teacher to student is beneficial. By having 6 teachers at each cone or area, we can make sure the kids are doing the activity right and be there to resolve conflicts or answer questions.

St. Mary's Lab #2

Our second lab day was very hectic. It was the monday back from vacation and the kids were off the walls. There was trouble getting them to listen and follow directions. Although the Cortland students had troubling getting their attention, we all eventually got to our planned activities and were somewhat successful. Today was the first time I got to interact with the pre-k kids and it was wonderful. They were all coloring or playing dress-up quietly and they were so cute. I was chatting with a few of them and found that they really liked telling me things even though they barely knew me. After play time we went and had snacks and they all were quiet and respectful while nibbling on their maple cookies and drinking milk. It was a nice change of pace. We then took the pre-k to the gym for an obstacle course that Emmie and I set up and they seemed it enjoy it but some of them had trouble sitting on the scooters and pushing themselves. Follow the leader and a lilly pad tag game proved to be more fun for them than the obstacle course. Oh well, we tried. We ended with the chicken dance and I had to practically sit on the floor to swing with my pre-k partner named Nik. Everyone loved this game and you could see that the kids really enjoyed us being there.

Task A:
1. We worked with kindergarten and 1st graders who ranged from age 5-6. There was an equal divide between girls and boys, as well as ability. At my cone during Zany Zoo, the kids had trouble doing a snake army crawl, probably because the have little upper body strength. Most of the students at my cone could gallop, hop and run effectively but not correctly. Galloping seemed new to a few of them and they were dragging their back foot with their arms swinging everywhere (maybe they were being lazy?). They were using their dominant foot to lead and if they had to use their non-dominant, I am sure they would have trouble with the concept. Running was easy for all of them but they were not perfect. The nonsupport leg was barely at 90 degrees for all of them, but I did notice a brief period when both feet were off the ground and opposition was present. When I observed hopping, the kids were using all leg power but no arm swinging. It sort of looked like they were going to fall but no one did. All in all, the kids had all of the locomotor skill fundamentals but they still need to develop them. My cone really enjoyed the idea of acting like animals and some even wanted to do more after we were done. The "race" was not very emphasized which was beneficial because then the students focused on the movements they were supposed to do instead of hurrying to finish the activity.

2. Effective teaching strategies were hard to come by because the kids were so riled up, but I did notice my lab instructor was able to get all of the kids quiet at one point by talking very softly. He brought the kindergarteners and 1st graders in to sit in a big group and spoke with a loud voice and then got softer and softer until every kid was listening intently. During the Barnyard activity, I noticed it was hard for the kids to focus when they were by the parachute. An effective way to deal with that would be to keep the parachute away until the game was explained and then put it out. That way, the kids can focus on the directions without the distraction of the amazingly fun parachute. With the chicken dance, Emmie kept everyone's attention by making herself the center of the circle and attention. She was loud so we all could hear her and she was clear and concise with her directions.

Paul Alexander Lecture

On Thursday night head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Alexander, came to SUNY Cortland to give his lecture titled, "Coaching is Teaching." He attended Cortland as a Physical Education major and then went on to Penn State to get his masters in Exercise Physiology. He talked about his life and all of the schools he went to (from elementary to college) and told us about the teachers and coaches who positively influenced his life. He told great stories about his life and what he has learned from his football experiences. Alexander emphasized that because of his knowledge in Exercise Physiology, he was able to become a better coach and teach his players how to move for the best results. He showed us his invention of the "Lev Sled" and explained how his educational background helped him create a very effective and popular football product. Alexander talked about how musicians are also athletes who "perform under pressure," as they have to play thousands of notes at a precise time. He talked about his pianist friend, Albert Muhlbock, and told us to attend his concert if we wanted to see a real "athlete." It was a very nice presentation with a lot of lessons in teaching and coaching and I really enjoyed his stories and jokes about defensive line-men :)

Willie Anderson with his hands in right spot!!!

St. Mary's Lab #1

          Our first visit to St. Mary's was an enjoyable one but also a learning experience. My group was assigned to the cafeteria first with the older kids (mostly 4th and 5th graders). We went downstairs and waited until they finished their snacks and then proceeded to interact with them as they colored, played with lego's, checkers, Jenga, and cards. At this point in the afternoon they were all pretty relaxed and talking to them was easy. They answered my questions and even asked me things, while including me in their games. It was nice to start the experience off with a calm, sit-down session of games and fine motor activities. 
           Next, we went upstairs to the gymnasium where the environment drastically changed. As soon as we entered, the kids went "wild" and released all their built up energy. It was hard to get their attention and to get them to listen. We finally got the whole group to agree to play blob-tag, which was successful until it ended. We were unprepared because we didn't have many other games to play and after blob-tag the kids wanted to play other games. It was hard to get a consensus on what the best game to play was, so we split into two groups and gave two options of games (either knockout or red-rover). After a few minutes on the red-rover side it became apparent that the kids were bored and I noticed that some just wanted to chat with their friends. The goal for next time is to come with really appealing games for everyone to participate in and have fun. I really enjoyed my first experience at St. Mary's and look forward to making it a great experience for both myself and the kids.

Task A: Gross and Fine Motor Observation
1. Motor behavior wise, I noticed that the older children (third and fourth graders) could do things like shoot a basketball into a hoop, dribble a soccer ball with their feet, and put small lego pieces together all with a high amount of skill. Most of the kids got along, but when deciding what activities to do in the gymnasium, there was a lot of arguing and talking out of turn. When the younger children (pre-k to first grade) came to the gym I noticed that they listened more attentively to the college students and they really wanted to play and have fun with us. The older kids wanted to do things on their own and some sat out for a little while saying that they were tired or injured. Many of the girls played with the hoola hoops, jump ropes, and gym mats, while many of the boys played basketball, soccer, and ran around. The girls tended to play with other girls and the boys played with other boys. 
Grade level definitely has an influence on motor behavior because as kids get older their muscles develop and their hand-eye coordination improves, so they are able to be more proficient in their motor skills. While first graders might only be able to bounce a basketball 4-5 times, a fifth grader will be able to bounce it correctly, change directions while maintaining the dribble and continue dribbling until they decide to stop. Natural ability can influence motor behavior but I didn't notice much of a difference between the skill levels of kids of the same age at St. Mary's. The only difference I noticed was gender related and that had more to do with interest than ability. 

2. A fine-motor activity that I noticed at St. Mary's was when the kids were playing with lego's and they had to put small pieces together. The older kids that I was with had very little trouble putting lego pieces together to make structures and hardly any trouble taking things apart. They could carry on a conversation with me and still put the pieces together. I did not notice a difference between gender and fine motor skill. If I had the chance to observe younger children playing with lego's, I would notice that they had more trouble putting small lego pieces together because their fine motor skills are not as developed/practiced. As we played with lego's, I looked around the room a few times and saw kids playing cards, coloring, playing Jenga, and eating their snacks, all with great hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill.

Verdict is in... Dodgeball is out

        Dodgeball is a classic game that everyone associates "gym class" with. My dad played it (and got his face smashed in) and his dad played it (and smashed the germans faces in). I have had the opportunity to play classic dodgeball, as well as modified versions of the game and have come to some conclusions...
        As the argument goes, the reasons why we shouldn't incorporate dodgeball in the classroom are that we would be using humans as targets, weaker players get hit first and sit the longest, and the more athletic kids get to flex their muscles (i.e. bullying). Not only that, but the rubber ball that was initially used stings like a bee.
        In theory, dodgeball can help improve skills like throwing, catching, running, agility, and jumping. That is great for motor development, but what does that do for kids who haven't developed those skills in the first place? Are they really going to get better at certain skills if they get hit in the first minute of the game? No. They will sit on the sideline and begin to resent physical education. There are plenty of other games that don't cause psychological or physical harm that can teach these important skills. I think at the elementary level there are plenty of other games and activities that have a much better effect and help every student perfect their skills.
        I do think that dodgeball is fun and that modified versions can eliminate the formerly listed problems. In class we talked about using a cone as a target to eliminate the use of human targets. Also, using gator skin balls (or any soft, throwable ball) takes away the pain factor. But with those changes, we can't really call it dodgeball anymore, can we?

P.S. I found this great website with a whole list of dodgeball alternatives as well as literature on why not to play dodgeball in physical education.

The Title

The title of my blog comes from the joke that those who have "really easy" majors take made-up classes. More commonly the phrase is used to mock the course loads of division I athletes who take random classes in order to be eligible. As a Physical Education Major, I have encountered many who have mocked my choice of career path and say how easy I must have it. But, as many of you know, that is not the case. Phys. Ed. is a very challenging major with classes like Anatomy and Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Educational Psychology, and Motor Behavior (just to name a few). Not only do we take hard classes, but we also have to be passionate about teaching and have a love for helping kids. Some things cannot be taught in college classes, they are learned through experience. Some people are born with the characteristics that make a good Physical Educator and I encounter them every day in my "not so easy" classes.