My favorite assignment....

OK, teaching cyber school physical education is unique in itself. Certainly the assignments we post are different in their own right as well. I was thinking how I enjoyed our recent "exercise unit" that we just wrapped up this week. One of the assignments I issue pertains to the 6 factors of exercise (a PA state standard). You know what they are: finances, access to equipment/facility, motivation, physical benefits, personal challenge and self improvement.

My assignment simply asks the students to choose any 3 out of the 6 factors that relate best to the way they go about attaining physical activity each week. In addition, students are required to select any exercise they like and perform and dcoument 4 different days on their own.

If it sounds simple, it is. The students like this assignment as well. They can be introspective here and have the freedom to choose whatever exercise suits them best. You can imagine that finances and access to activity shape the way teenagers exercise these days.

I like to post the following comment to students after the submit this particular assignment: What would you do for exercise if you had unlimited resources?

I know I would work out at the YMCA every day and meet with a personal trainer at least once a week. I would probably get in a tennis game once a week as well as a good swim a few times a month. Wouldn't it be cool to access DDR and Wii systems whenever you felt like it? How about climbing a treadwall? Would having perpetual up to date statistics on recent workouts come in handy?

That would be just the tip of the ice berg for me. I get a wide variety of suggestions from students on this question. Some choose only what they know but others seem to get the big picture and dream big. Some day I would like to get them all to think that way.

PE Field Trips?.....

Teaching in a cyber school does not allow much face to fact contact with students. So, one way to develop a repoire with students would be to arrange a "field trip" of some sorts in the area.

Last year, our school held a trip at the Pittsburgh Science Center. We did take in the Sport Works as well. Although we did not get as many students to attend as planned, it was a successful outing nonetheless.

Next month, the PE department, along with select teachers, will be chaperoning dozens of elementary and middle school students at the Mellon Arena to take part of the Pittsburgh Penguins visit practice day. Interest in attending was fast and furious for students that age.

Our department, as mentioned on other blog posts, is planning on taking high school students to the Camp Guyasuta Ropes course next spring. Interest amongst the students part appears to be favorable with the previews given to them so far this school year.

We are also considering a YMCA invitational type of day as well, if we can find a cooperating facility.

So, have any of you taken your PE class on a field trip? Where and how did it go?

Hey, how about those PITT PANTHERS tonight!

OK, this post does not have much to do with PE or teaching but after sitting through an emotional game like I did today....I had to comment about it.

PITT beat ND in South Bend today in 4 over times. It was a very long game and it could have gone either way. Sure this isn't a great ND team, not a great PITT squad either, although not bad. But a shout out to the boys in Oakland that came back from a 17-3 half time deficit and put it into OT and gutted out a 36-33 win. You don't have to be a panther fan to appreciate what they did, and there are many local sports fans that do NOT like the panthers. Give credit where it is due.

Hail to PITT!