Guest Blog: Thoughts by Marina Gijzen

03/01/2012

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A bit about Marina:


Marina Gijzen comes from Canada and has a number of years international teaching experience having worked worked in Yemen, Azerbaijan, Germany, and China. She is a colleague of mine at Nanjing International School. Marina is a recent Growth Mindset Educator contest winner as her article on increasing student motivation was selected as a winning entry. Please view link if interested in learning more about Growth Mindset (http://grow.mindsetworks.com/cms/the-winners-of-the-third-growth-minded-educator-contest)

 I asked Marina to share her excellent article which she was more than happy to do. I believe that her model for increasing student motivation can easily be applied to physical education. The model involves selecting a goal, identifying what may block you from achieving that goal, and setting intentions to overcome these obstacles. Please view Marina's article below and think about how you may be able to take her ideas and apply them to your own PE program. Thank you Marina for your valuable contribution. 

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PYP PE: Integration with Grade 3 Unit of Inquiry on Processes

02/23/2012

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When the timing is right, great integration can take place with the single subjects. Grade 3 teachers, Marina Gijzen and Kath Adams, have been collaborating with me on their current unit of inquiry taking place in the classroom as it fits very nicely with my movement composition unit in PE. 

The central idea and lines of inquiry that they are using are as follows:


Central Idea:
A work of art is the product of complex processes.


Lines of inquiry:
 1. the features of artistic expression (form)
 2. people respond differently to the same stimuli (perspective)
 3. artists reflections shape the final product (reflection)

As I am in the last couple of weeks in my movement composition unit, the students have started to work on creating their final routines. I will highlight the importance of ensuring a process is followed when creating these routines as they are working on complex processes in their unit of inquiry in class. I am focusing on the 4th line of inquiry mostly, but will also have a look at and consider the 3rd as well.

Objectives of Summative Assessment Task

A)Create a routine, in groups, based on Cirque Du Soleil, Stomp, Gymnastics, and Yoga
B)Choose one element/action from each of the above areas to integrate into a final routine
C)Record their progress through the assessment task in booklets

I have made up movement composition booklets(please see slide show below of booklet) in which the students will:


1.Use a check box to indicate when they have completed each step of the movement composition process
2.Write a short reflection at the conclusion of each step of the process
3.Draw and explain each of the elements that they have used on their routine
4.Complete a self and peer assessment rubric at the end of the task


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Flat Classroom Collaborative Peer Assessment Project in PYP PE

02/09/2012

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PYP PE: A Flat Classroom Collaborative Project

Skype has allowed people from around the world to connect for various purposes. Be it good friends, our own families, or for job interviews, Skype has become an extremely valuable tool used by millions around the globe. The main basis of the flat classroom movement is to connect educators globally in an effort to share collaborative practices that ultimately enrich the learning experiences of our students. 

Bearing this in mind, Skype has already been used quite successfully to connect classrooms from various corners of the world. Creating peer assessment opportunities in PE via Skype has been a goal of mine, but the logistics of finding other PE practitioners, the scheduling of classes, finding time to collaborate, and time zone differences can make a task such as this very difficult to get off the ground. 

Through a genuinely shared interest in PYP PE, Cameron McHale, an experienced PE teacher from United Nations School in Hanoi and myself have been in communication over the past several weeks, by email, discussing the possibilities of setting up such a project. We decided the time had come for us to actually schedule our first Skype meeting to try and get this project afloat. 

We will be documenting the entire process on my blog, beginning with our first meeting yesterday. If you are interested in the way this project unfolds, please check out the blog each week for new details. We feel as though it will be an excellent learning experience for the students, but also valuable professional development for us as it is the first time either of us have undertaken such an endeavor. We are confident that it will work and are willing to put in the time and effort to see it through to its completion.

Thursday, Feb. 9th Skype Meeting Summary

Grade levels and scheduling of classes:

It was determined, based on our schedules and current PE units that this project was logistically possible with grade 2 and 3 Movement Composition as Cam and I were both doing this unit with these grade levels. The scheduling of classes also suited as there was similar overlap despite the one-hour time difference. 

The Assessment Task

As my grade 2 and grade 3 classes have already begun their movement composition units, Cam agreed that it was best to follow the plan that I have had in place with my students. I have already blogged about the PE/Drama integration that I am doing with grade 2. Please see following link for specific description of the task (http://www.pyppewithandy.com/2/post/2012/02/pyp-pe-pe-and-drama-integration-the-process-unfolding.html). Essentially, the summative assessment task will require the students to work in groups at creating a short routine based on the idea of the “Wind”. The students have already brainstormed many ways that the wind moves and how it sounds. These elements are expected to be infused into their routines. 

The Assessment Tool

I already created a rubric based on the brainstorming sessions and ideas of my students. It was introduced to them this week. Cam will introduce the same rubric next week to his students at United Nations School of Hanoi. His students will be encouraged to add their ideas to the rubric at which time these ideas will be sent back to me. I will revise the rubric and re-introduce the enhanced version next week to my students. It will be this rubric that will be used for the Skype peer assessment summative task at the end of the unit. Rubrics will be scanned and emailed back in order to give feedback to the students. 

Scheduling 

Monday, Feb. 13th-17th students at UNIS and NIS will work on their routines. Cam’s students are a few weeks behind, but this does not create any issues as they will perform their routines on Skype to my students a couple of weeks after we do ours. By the end of next week, the final rubric will be in place. 

Tuesday, Feb 21st:

Cam and I will set up Skype and be sure that everything is in place as my students will perform their final “Wind” routines from 2:00-3:00pm Nanjing time (1:00-2:00pm Hanoi time). Cam’s students will view our routines, on Skype and peer assess using the rubric which was collaboratively created by both teachers and students from UNIS and NIS. 

Tuesday, March 6th: 


My class will watch Cam’s grade 2 students perform their routines using the same rubric to peer assess. 

Potential Issues:

We highlighted the fact that due to potentially dodgy internet connections, Skype could be disrupted. In the event that this happens, we will be recording our routines and will immediately upload them on to You Tube. Cam and his students will access our routines on You Tube and still be able to assess. 


Next collaborative Skype meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 15th

On Agenda: New ideas for rubric

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PYP PE: Grade 1 Movement Composition Lesson Plan(Partner Balances)

02/07/2012

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Lesson Objectives:

A) The students will learn 6 partner balances and practice these balances safely.
B) The students will look at pictures of themselves doing these balances and compare to exemplar pictures shown on Smart Board making necessary modifications and adjustments.
C) They will create a sequence of 3 partner balances to be repeated in a pattern in a final routine (to a short piece of music)

Learning Experiences

1. We will revisit the central idea for the unit and practice individual balances previously learned.
2. Using photographs taken from my gymnastics unit at my previous school, I will introduce partner balances to the students.
3. Safety will be discussed and students, in pairs, will find a safe spot on the mats in their own space. Emphasis being on finding enough space to be sure that they land on the mats if they fall. 
4. First exemplar partner balance put up on Smart Board (see slide show for these balances). Body position and best points of support discussed.
5. Students practice this balance. When ready, they ask me to take picture. I show them the picture and they compare to exemplar on Smart Board. They identify what needs to be improved upon and make necessary adjustments. 
6. Steps 4 and 5 repeated for all 6 partner balances. 
7. All 6 partner balances are posted on Smart Board. Students must select three balances for their routine deciding upon the order. They must practice this order minimizing unnecessary movements. 
8. Music is introduced and they practice more.
9. Perform routines to students at end of class. 

Teacher Reflection

This lesson was organized and went very well. The timing was right. Perhaps having them infuse individual balances in with partner balances would have made for more variation. 
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