This blog has emerged out of a manufactured chance retweet on twitter. My preferred means of access my twitter account is through tweetdeck as it allows me to view concurrent columns very easy and navigation between them is simple. One of my column is a search on the term "phys ed" in the hope of getting a feel for what people are saying about my subject. Late last night I spied this tweet:
rickweinberg said:
Working on school work. Should kids ever fail Phys. Ed because they refuse 2 change their cloths? Please help me w/ your thoughts
My first reaction was to retweet the message to my followers (knowing that I had a number of physical education teachers following who might offer an interesting and considered opinion) and to offer a reply myself.
@rickweinberg Phys Ed should be about helping kids be lifelong participants in physical activity and that take attitude not kit. #inspire
However as soon as I posted these words I wondered if they were the politically correct reply of an academic sitting in an ivory tower rather than the true feelings of a PE teacher. Did I answer to save face? Is that the way to address issues like this? Was I becoming a fence-sitter? It took a counter question for me to ponder the truth of my reply and ultimately to write that blog (so thanks Jonesy).
jonesytheteachr said:
@DrAshCasey I'll ask you a Q back. Should maths students fail coz they don't bring books? Prob not, but do they meet course outcomes either?
This seemed to me to be a more honest reply. Would a kid fail maths if he or she refused to bring their books? Or indeed if they brought their books but refused to get them out of their bag or out of their locker? Is there a requirement in school for kids to match the expectation of the teachers and the school as 'learners'? There is certainly an expectation in society that school is a place of honesty, awareness and responsibility where people look after each other and themselves. Indeed much of the order of school life is built on discipline and this is certainly a trait in schools and individuals that is admired. It is a two way process and the school and its teacher as have a responsibility to cajole and encourage students to be involved.
ConservativeFBC said:
@DrAshCasey No...but they should be disciplined...we give 2 freebies, then a detention
This sounded more like me as a PE teacher. Did I honestly think that lifelong learning could be achieved without some cooperation between teacher and student? This was more of the truth. I vehemently believe that learning is about cooperation and mutual respect. I acknowledge that my teaching was a one-way process (i.e. one that came from me and went smoothly to the students) but that is why I engaged in a seven-year self-study to ensure that learning became a mutually constructed process that occurred between my students and me. I also acknowledge that while I loved physical education – regardless of the pedagogical approach used – many of my students hated it because of the instructor-led and drill-focus nature of the subject.
Then two new colleagues joined the discussion and started to debate the situation; allowing me to see physical education from the position of one who didn't always aspire to make the subject his and her career.
MitchSquires said:
@DrAshCasey @rickweinberg I almost did in HS. Lugging that bag around all day made me far more resentful than doing sport ever should.
DrAshCasey said:
@MitchSquires @rickweinberg you won't be alone but we need to make phys ed somewhere all kids enjoy being.
MitchSquires said:
@DrAshCasey @rickweinberg I agree! Also to be avoided: a handful I kids involved and the other 25 lining up. Noone enjoys that.
shhartley said:
@MitchSquires @DrAshCasey @rickweinberg I hated public humiliation of PE. Can't catch. Can't run. If not changing wd save me, I'd choose it
MitchSquires said:
@shhartley @DrAshCasey @rickweinberg How much could you get away with that?
shhartley said:
@MitchSquires @DrAshCasey @rickweinberg About 1 week in 4.
rickweinberg said:
@MitchSquires @DrAshCasey I got it now. r there any educators that think "ya know, if a kid is 2 lazy 2 dress than mayb they should fail
MitchSquires said:
@rickweinberg @DrAshCasey I guess it somewhat depends on your system's version of what fail means
rickweinberg said:
RT @MitchSquires: @DrAshCasey I guess it depends on your system's version of what fail means.~how abt get an F and going 2 summer school
DrAshCasey said:
@shhartley shame to hear that but this is not uncommon and we need to find a way of teaching Phys Ed that doesn't humiliate
MitchSquires said:
@DrAshCasey @shhartley I find at Primary level when all kids are involved no one has time to watch, so no one feels embarrassed - eventually
This made me think about the amount of money we spend on technology in education and more recently in physical education and wondered if this is still appropriate when the situations mentioned by shhartley and MitchSquires continue to happen in classrooms around the world. Could the money be spent in better ways to alleviate the commonality of these issues? Should we buy iPads and heart-rate monitors when we need to redesign physical education kits to allow students to feel comfortable in lessons and then need to provide this sort of kit for those who struggle to bring it to school (for whatever reasons)?
Yes we should!
Why?
Because these are tools to help us broaden the appeal of physical education for all – especially (perhaps) the least able. These are ways to inspire children to be involved and to understand themselves as physical learners. However, these are not the solutions but are important tools in the journey towards a more inclusive approach to learning in physical education. Others supported this notion (although I apologise if I am putting words into their mouths).
MatthewKoogler said:
@DrAshCasey kids shld nvr fail, but look at it in context of being prepared for lifetime of activity r u ready to hit the gym or go play?
MatthewKoogler said:
@DrAshCasey look at standard of lifetime activity or being ready to participate. its legitimate life skill to be sweaty and in school/work
rickweinberg said
@DrAshCasey thank you so much for responding. Gym should b designed 2 avoid humiliation & advocate participation. Remove obstacles
