PED212 - Week Four Journal (Due tomorrow)

Learning Outcomes
This week students will:

1. Apply the concept of inclusion to educational settings.

2. Describe how to implement the Four S’s of inclusion within a physical education lesson.

3. Reflect on the influence of home and school environment on motivation and motor development.

Introduction

This week you will discuss how inclusion extends beyond formally recognized disabilities, and into having more sensitivity and respect for others. In the text, you will read how inclusion can relate to children from different cultural backgrounds, where certain beliefs, values, and practices are different from traditional American ones. Therefore, you extend the notion of inclusion to children who may face barriers while engaging in physical education, not only from a particular disability, but also perhaps due to their body composition, the language they speak, or their cultural background. You will discuss how you can use teaching strategies to provide an enjoyable physical education for every child.

Required Resources
Required Text

1. Foundations of Moving and Learning

   1. Chapter 8 – Including All Children for Success

      • This chapter explores the concept of inclusion as it applies to educational settings
        .

Recommended Resources
Multimedia

1. Goodman, R. (Director) & Read, M. R. (Producer).  (2005). Special needs students in regular classrooms? Sean’s story [Television series episode].  In J. Tomlin (Executive producer) Turning point.  New York, NY: ABC News. Retrieved from Films on Demand.

   • This is the story of an 8-year-old boy with Down syndrome who was part of a battle over "inclusion," the practice of placing mentally or physically challenged students in regular classrooms.

PED212: FOUNDATION OF MOVEMENT AND MOTOR ACTIVITIES

Instructor Guidance

Week 4

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. 

Attitude determines how well you do it. ~Lou Holtz

Welcome to Week Four of PED212!!

Welcome to week four, class!   This week we will address inclusion and respecting one another as individuals.  According to Hastie (2012), inclusion can relate to children from different cultural backgrounds where certain beliefs, values, and practices are different from others as well as children with diverse abilities.  We will reflect upon our own personal experiences and discuss how adults can utilize teaching strategies to provide a fun, educational and engaging physical education for each child or student.  We will be delving further into the “four S’s” and the importance of providing appropriate lessons or activities in a physical education program.  We will also address how childhood experiences can impact children or student’s physical activity.  Let’s begin Week Four.  Ready, set, go!

Overview of the Learning Week

By week’s end we will be able to: 

• Apply the concept of inclusion to educational settings.

• Describe how to implement the Four S’s of inclusion within a physical education lesson.

• Reflect on the influence of home and school environment on motivation and motor development. 

Instructor Expertise

Ask yourself, “How would you define inclusion?”

According to Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Smith (2004) inclusion consists of placing children with diverse abilities in general education classrooms and integrating their learning experiences.  In an inclusion setting children and students spend most of their time in a general education classroom with their same-age peers.  In a full inclusion setting children and students with diverse abilities spend all of their time in a general classroom.  Mainstreaming consists in the practice of educating students with special needs in regular, general classrooms during specific time periods based on their skills. (Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Smith, 2004).
There are several different beliefs and sides to the practice of inclusion.  Some individuals believe that inclusion is not possible or effective.  Others strongly believe that all children and students belong together and should receive the same education (Race to the Top,2014).  It specifies that adults need to make the necessary adaptations and accommodations in order to meet the needs of every child or student.  This is true in classroom settings focused on academic content and it is also true in a physical education program.   

In your first discussion you will be asked to reflect on how the game Red Rover violates the Four S’s as outlined in Chapter 8: safe, success, satisfying, and skill appropriate.  Planning age and developmentally appropriate lessons or activities in a physical education program is important. We focus on how each lesson or activity will benefit their gross motor development or mastering function skills, but there are other factors that are important to remember. 
The video, 101 Fitness Games - Game #1 - Red Rover shows how the game is played.

Ask yourself: “Does this activity single out a child or student?” “Does it open them to ridicule by their peers?” 

Adults consider many factors when creating lesson plans.  For example, we consider how the different developmental domains inter-relate and overlap as we plan.  A child singing a song while engaging in hand and body movements is developing both communication and physical skills and abilities.  As with all lesson planning, physical education planning must also take into account the interplay of the developmental domains.  As we saw in the activity shown in the video clip this week, some of the traditional activities provided in a physical education program can negatively affect a child or student’s self-esteem or emotional well-being.  Such activities are inappropriate and should not be utilized.  
According to Von Hofsten (2004), motor development has all too often been considered as a set of milestones with little significance for the psychology of the child.  Nothing could be more wrong.  From an action perspective, motor development is at the heart of development and reflects all its different aspects, including perception, planning and motivation.  The Physical Education Hall of Shames website shown below was created to assist adults to identify lessons that are not developmentally appropriate.  For activities qualifying for the Physical Education Hall of Shame click the link below.

Physical Education Hall of Shame

After you have read this information Ask yourself, “Does the children’s game, Duck, Duck, Goose affect a child’s self-esteem?” “Will a game such as dodge ball have a negative impact on a student’s emotional well-being?” 
For your second discussion you will examine your critical thinking, inquiring, and communication skills within the subject of physical education.  To be able to think critically is one hallmark of an educated person.  It is a quality that Ashford students are supported in developing throughout their academic careers.  One way to develop critical thinking skills is to create what is called a “KWL chart.”  A KWL chart consists of three columns with the column on the left reserved for writing down “What I KNOW.” In the column in the middle write down “What I WANT to Know.”  And in the column to the right, you will write down “What I LEARNED.”   Below is an example of a KWL Chart

You will be asked to create a KWL chart in your second discussion this week so this week we will do a variation on our usual “Critical Reflections” Section.  Before you watch the video create a KWL chart for yourself and jot down what you already know about the topic, and what you want to know.  You might do this with one of your classmates or a friend to make it more fun.  Then, after you have watched the video, fill in the third column describing the highlights about what you learned.

Critical Reflections

I want to know what you think and challenge you to think outside the box!  This section of the instructor guidance focuses on topics of discussion and critical thinking questions.  These topics can be up for debate so watch the video and think about where you stand as you ask yourself the questions below.  You can share your insight by starting a conversation in the Ashford Café. 
This video Motion Moments: Toddlers shows toddlers developing physical activity to avoid obesity.  After watching the video, please reflect on, and ask yourself the following questions:

• Does physical activity important at such as early age such as toddlers?

• How many developmental milestones are present in the video?

• How can teachers or ECEC providers teach children at a young age the importance of physical activity?

• How would you explain the importance of toddler’s physical activity to families you work with?

This week in your journal you will recall your own childhood and the physical education lessons and classroom environment in which you engaged in and what influenced your motivation to participate in physical education.  This week you will reflect the activities you participated in when you engaged in physical education in school.  Do you see a connection between your physical activity when you were young and your physical activity as an adult?  As a child did you have an interest in engaging in physical activity and did your activity level remain the same, decrease, or increase?  As you might discover in your own reflection, physical education activities and the adults who plan and facilitate such activities for children and students play an import role in guiding children and students to be physically active.  Quality physical education programs can play a part in assisting individuals to make an effort to be physically active.
Have a wonderful week class!  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Additional Materials

For those who want more...

National Association for the Education of Young Children
NAEYC is the world’s largest organization that focuses every aspect of the field of early childhood education. It is a great resource for information regarding physical development for younger children.

The Natural Child Project
This website is dedicated to treating all children with dignity, respect, understanding, and compassion.

References

Hastie, P. (2012). Foundations of moving and learning. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc
Race to the Top. (2014). The White House. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/race-to-the-top 
Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R., Shank, M., & Smith, S.J. (2004). Exceptional lives: Special education in today’s schools (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Von Hofsten, C. (2004). An action perspective on motor development. TRENDS in Cognitive Sciences.( 8,6. . Retrieved from http://www.liralab.it/projects/mirror/docs/ThirdYear/papers/TICS2004.pdf 
Sources for Visuals
Duck Duck Goose: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ADuck_Duck_Goose.jpg
Inclusion: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Inclusive_Education.jpg
Quote: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/louholtz450789.html
Red Rover: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kyra__m/4681259456/  
 
Thinking: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wadem/2808468566/