Tuesday, October 14, 2008

ULTIMATE!

The Ultimate game! Part of our 255 teaching experience is working with others. Our class got together to teach an ultimate unit, this was a very interesting assignment. As a class We created on Unit plan, this ultimate, Ultimate plan was on google docs, so we could all access it and make changes to it. Then our class taught the lesson, the first person taught the easiest skill and then each person's task got more difficult as the lesson went on. It was really interesting to teach. just a part of the lesson, you had to make sure that your part fed off of the person before you and set up the next persons topic. I taught the class how to catch the disc on the tip of your finger, catch behind your back, and how to set up the stack drill. It was fun showing the class how to catch the disc in different ways, both ways can be used when your trying to outdo your opponent to catch the disc and move your team forward. The stack drill is very similar to the stack drill in soccer and basketball, and just as in theses sports... it works! The teams all understood the drill and performed it correctly but when they were playing against another team they didn't use the play which made me wonder if they truly understood the value and purpose of the drill.
A copy of the transcript of this lesson.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Teaching Dribbling again

Basketball!
After teaching the first day of class I felt like I knew what I was talking about and I was confident in my abilities. Then I watched the video and realized that I had a lot of things to improve on. I was very excited when I learned that we were going to be able to teach our first lessons again. I felt that Michelle and I could do a really good job if we got another chance. After teaching basketball again I realized that I was correct in my assumptions. It was more fun teaching the second time, I understood what was expected a little bit more and knew what things to focus on. The only thing that was worse than teaching the first day was the fact that all the basketballs were flat! How do you teach dribbling when the balls don't bounce? I'll tell you how, you improvise. I had the students use the few basketballs that would bounce and then I had the rest of the students use volleyballs.
I think teaching the second time around worked much better, the students were focused in on our instruction, and listened to everything we said. I also learned the importance of the meanings of the words. For example, the first time I taught I told the students not to let the ball hit their palm but instead to dribble with their finger tips. In reality that's not what you want them to do at all. The students need to dribble with their finger pads. Luckily the students in the class understood how to dribble a ball and it wasn't an issue. I could tell the was a big difference between my day one and day two teaching which made me excited to see what was to come.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

SUNY Cortland Mini Conference

Sepak Takraw

My first experience at the SUNY Cortland Mini Conference... All I can say is WOW!


There was so much enthusiasm and energy in Park Center during the mini conference! We started the day setting up D.J.'s Sepak takraw exhibit in the far gym then when to the main gym and met up with the rest of the 255 class. We had come up with a plan to enter the gym from the side doors, stomping into the gym with the Queen Rhythm stomp, stomp, clap, and singing: we will, we will, teach you. It was an idea our 255 class came up with the day before. After that we led the visitors in a warm up meeting all the people in the stands, and who can forget the sociables, and the standing ovations.


After the introduction speeches there was a really great key note speaker, who's speech left at least one thing with me... "There are no disabled people, we are all just differently abled". Then it was off to the activities. My favorite one was the cup stacking... Mainly because we got to keep the cups! But I also enjoyed the very informative polar lecture, and the exergames were pretty cool. The whole building had people running back and forth to all the exhibits it was really a fun experience and I look forward to next year’s!