Blog: In this week’s blog, consider how the work you have done during this program fits within Touro’s values and how you are going to take what you have done into the world to make a change. Will you share your work with your principal or colleagues? Will you post about it on twitter or other social platforms? Or will your focus be making a change within your classroom or something else? What practical thing will you do to be of service?
I’ve enjoyed talking about my research with family and colleagues when I get the chance. I feel like I have dedicated so much time and effort to this research that I have to spread the word about what I have been doing. People are responsive and genuinely receptive, but most don’t fully understand what I am doing. They don’t have a background in physical education or Adapted physical education and working with students who have special needs. My goal is to network with groups of people who understand what I’m trying to accomplish. Nothing against other teachers or family members, but I want someone in the trenches. I have not reached out to other PE teachers or APE teachers because I want to finish my research and projects first. I want to make sure that I have a strong foundation to stand on before I start suggesting that other individuals should give what I have been researching a try. I’m glad that I have collected some solid quantitative data that should give a good platform to jump off of. I think I will start small with other educators in PE that I know personally, and then hopefully branch out from there. I will continue to implement my heavy work training program and maybe individual tweaks to each student's workout. I would like to see over the course of next year if I can get some more conclusive evidence to support an increase in self-confidence. I believe that time was the limiting factor in some of the data that I was seeing. Overall, I’m going to keep exploring new ways to better meet the needs of my students.
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Blog: Write any final thoughts you’re having about your whole master’s experience.
Overall, this has been a really positive and rewarding experience for me. I’ve enjoyed developing professionally and taking a deep dive into APE and its effect on my students. This is the first time in my seven years of teaching that I have devoted this much time outside of work to thinking about my teaching. The reflection process has been so useful thinking about new ways to meet the needs of my students. It has been great exploring so many new applications that I most likely would have never stumbled upon or known that I have a use for. I’ve become considerably more comfortable on the computer and using various programs that can enhance my teaching. My brain is going about a million different directions right now as I feel about 95% complete on all of our projects. Each one needs a little tweaking and I’m hoping in the next couple days to officially check some of those off to move onto the next one. This year has flown by and it's hard to believe that this program is coming to an end. It really feels like we just started our first class this past summer. Perhaps it's the crazy and endless busyness that has occurred from then to now that has seemed to evaporate time. A masters program is supposed to be challenging and tough, but it was achievable. We have had tremendous support from our teachers that has really helped manage everything along the way. I feel like I lucked out with such an awesome cohort. I’ve appreciated everyone's unique background and the knowledge that they have brought to each and every class. Of course, the laughs along the way are exactly what I needed to keep going. So thank you all! Blog: What is your biggest takeaway from the 703 class? What’s been your favorite part of the class? Where did you struggle and what did you do to push through your struggle? How do your skills in transliteracy relate to the TPACK model?
Transliteracy is "a fluidity of movement across a range of technologies, media and contexts" (Sukovic, 2016). It is an ability to use diverse techniques to collaborate across different social groups. I have really enjoyed our 703 class. We have explored so many new things that have really got me out of my comfort zone. I always say that I am not much of a tech person, but I sure had to be in this class and I’m grateful for that. Everything from creating a logo, to making an infographic and poster, to creating and editing a video has all been very new. I don’t think that I struggled too much with anything in this class other than just finding ways to get things done. Everything was straight forward and achievable even if it was completely new. It just took a little diving into and playing with and most fell into place. When we look at TPACK, we are trying to find ways to not just implement technology in our teaching, but how technology can enhance our teaching and learning. Transliteracy and TPACK go hand in hand. Diversifying the way we teach and the way students receive information is so important. I think what is most enticing about transliteracy and TPACK is the flexibility. It seems as though there are endless possibilities in the classroom and outside where students have access to so many varying modalities of information and content. I know I have been exposed to so many in the last year just in this course. As I have been pulled to sub, I’ve realized that everyone has their own flavor of what is working. Transliteracy and the TPACK model support the 21st century learner. TPACK Journey
TPACK encompasses the key components necessary to be an effective lesson designer and ultimately a great teacher. It focuses on the concept of pedagogy, content, knowledge, and how they are intertwined with technology to enhance student learning. This program through Touro has really allowed me to reflect on my teaching practices. What is working, what needs to change, and how do I better present content to meet the needs of my students? This research project encompasses everything that TPACK represents. You must have a strong understanding of your content and abilities as an instructor. You must be able to reflect and build knowledge on what is working and what isn’t. You must ask questions every step of the way. I must admit, when I started this program, I was very technologically challenged. Or at least, didn’t give it enough thought. Though I do not use much technology in my classroom as a Physical Education teacher, I sure did as I was analyzing data for this research project as well as each class to complete this program. I do feel more confident in my ability to navigate and use technology in my classroom, but it comes down to finding the right tech to implement as well as the logistics that come along with it. My next step and goal is to outfit my APE students next year with fitness trackers to record activity levels during and outside my classroom. My hope is that it is a constant reminder to remain active outside of PE and to set daily step and heart rate goals. This data can be easily collected and reviewed with the students to help them better understand the importance of physical activity. How are you doing with making progress? Where do you need to manage your time and energy resources? How will you complete everything by the end of class? What organizational strategies are you using to get things done on time? How can you translate those strategies to your students in the classroom? Where do they struggle with time or resource management? What lessons might you need to develop to help them cope with classroom assignments?
1-2. Overall, I feel like I am making progress with most of the categories that are listed above. I have completed my logo design as well as my infographic. I was even able to transfer my color palette to my infographic. Logo has been uploaded to the website and will upload the infographic shortly. 3. I have collected A-roll and B-roll, but I’m not completely satisfied with the content that I have for either of them. I’m planning on completing a round 2 of both and putting together a rough cut before next class. Sounds like a lot, but I think once I start combining it, it will work itself out. 4.I have a good start to my executive summary, I was able to copy and paste a lot of content from my paper. The main issue I am running into is that it is too long right now. I have not filled in all sections and already over the 4 page limit. I need to get more concise with some of my sections and find a better way to report my results that is not too wordy. 5.I have not had a chance to start my poster, but it seems as though it contains a lot of the same content as the executive summary. I would imagine I would be able to transfer a lot over. I have been utilizing late nights, early mornings, or lunch breaks to complete everything. It can be challenging to have two kids under 4 at home to get anything done while they are awake. I have really done my best to complete what is due each week to keep me on task. I know that if I stay up with the spreadsheet I will be able to complete everything before the program is over. My goal is to just keep chipping away and continue to make progress. I’ve joked with my wife that I’m getting my Masters on my lunch break. I have found unique times to get work done. (Typing this in a staff meeting right now!). The luxury of being a PE teacher and not having much that pertains to you. Blog: Blog: For this week’s blog, please write about two things:
The main reason that I chose the research topic that I did was that last year I completed my Adapted Physical Education Authorization. This allowed me to work with students with special needs in an intimate PE setting. Much like completing the credential program, I was left feeling overwhelmed and wondering exactly how I was going to implement a new program that still seemed foreign to me. I was fortunate enough to work with a wonderful mentor from the Sonoma County Office of Education that opened my eyes to training practices that he was using in his class. It made complete sense to me and I was eager to try some of what he had been discussing. The students were motivated and enjoyed the array of things that I was throwing at them. It seemed like it was working, but how was I going to quantify the results. This program timed out perfectly and gave me the opportunity to research the questions that I was developing as a result of implementing heavy work training. After my first round of action research, I am seeing positive results with heavy work training as it applies to overall gross motor performance. My plan is to keep implementing these training techniques and recording results over time. There are mixed results for building self-confidence with heavy work training. At least that’s what the surveys are showing that I gave to my students and their teachers. For the future, I may just ask the students how they feel and take a more quantitative approach rather than have them fill out surveys. I feel like when I talk to them they give positive feedback and approach confidence differently overall than on the survey. I also plan to possibly implement fitness trackers for my APE students to quantify their level of activity both during class and on a daily basis. My hope is that this would encourage students to meet certain thresholds each week and promote movement and a healthy lifestyle. Blog for the week: How was it to be in front of the camera? Where was it challenging? Where, in your classroom, do students encounter these same challenges? What strategies did you use to overcome your obstacles? How can those strategies be applied in the classroom?
Some affirmations that might help you and that foster a growth mindset:
Where can you infuse a growth mindset in this project? How often do you personally do the projects that you ask your students to do? Where are you in your learning pit experience right now? I have yet to jump in front of the camera for this project. I think I will do some filming of myself this Wednesday. I have filmed a few of my students as well as done some brief interviews with my APE students to get some A and B Roll. It’s always a little awkward to jump in front of the camera. Fortunately, I filmed myself numerous times during our shelter in place and would post weekly videos of myself to google classroom. It always takes a little bit to warm up and then it kind of starts to flow and work itself out. I definitely would just start over if I needed to and it always got easier the more attempts I did. I think the difficult part for me is going to be where I decide to film and how I want to approach that side of things. I’ll try some different locations and see what works. If the location isn’t great I can always lay some B roll over it! I think this whole program has been a test of a growth mindset. We have been faced with so many obstacles. I feel that I do a good job of managing stress and breaking things up into chunks that are manageable. “Just chip away” is my motto. Do a little bit here, do a little bit there and I know I will get it done. I have done so many new things in this Grad program that staying open-minded has been really important. I’m getting better at not judging how hard something is going to be before I start it. Oftentimes, when I jump in I realize it is doable. I actually jump in quite a bit and participate with my students during various sports that we are playing. Sometimes it’s to work with a student that doesn’t have a partner, maybe a team that needs a little help, definitely lots of demonstrations, or just me looking to have some fun. This is a tough one for me though. I consider myself decently athletically gifted and well-rounded. I have many years of experience with them, so judging what my students are working through is difficult sometimes. I do know from my own experiences though, the amount of training and practice that it takes to be competent in these sports. It will take much longer than our 4-week unit to develop those skills. I do approach it with grace.
Calistoga Joint Unified School District: https://www.calistogaschools.org/about_us/about_the_district Mission StatementWe are a collaborative, culturally rich educational community, where a rigorous and innovative curriculum prepares our students to be successful contributors to our global society. I’m not seeing anything on our “About us” page about technology or 21st-century learning. As seen above, it does mention “innovative curriculum” which is pretty broad but could definitely encompass technology and 21st-century learning. The fact that it is not mentioned, means that it could probably use a little nudge. I definitely think that the mission statement implies these things, but can be ambiguous and not explicit. There is a goal section that would be a really good spot to add something about tech/21st-century learners. I’m not sure the last time the webpage was updated or even whose responsibility that is. It would be interesting to see exactly what they meant behind the statement. I have a feeling they wanted to keep it broad. Covers more that way. Sometimes when we get precise in our wording, we leave things out. Maybe open for interpretation is okay? It definitely has some education power words in it that are common in most mission statements. I must say that I do like that it is short and sweet. I’ve definitely seen some that are a page long and they lose you after the first couple sentences. The mission statement is amongst a lot of other things, but a simple scroll and a quick read get you what you need. Blog for the week: Give us an honest appraisal of your journey around trying to produce your Capstone Project. What problems have you encountered? How will you solve them? What aha’s have you encountered as you watch mini-documentaries and past capstone videos? How are they different? Think about who you are creating the mini-documentary for? What essential points will be most important to them and how will you address them in your storytelling?
I need time, time, and more time. For whatever reason, these last 2-3 weeks have been unusually busy. It seems as though there isn’t enough time in the day. I’m currently still working on my paper which has made it difficult to focus on my capstone. My attention is divided between the two and I’m looking forward to the day that I can submit my paper and just focus on the capstone. My paper has been a journey, to say the least, but it is slowly coming along and will be a huge relief when it’s complete. The Capstone project seems straight forward and what I have completed so far has been easy enough. I have not got around to linking my pages yet, but here in the next couple of days, I’ll be able to do that. (All that tech stuff makes me nervous haha). In terms of the mini-doc, I’ve noticed that many of them did not use their real classrooms or images. As much as I would love to do this, I just don’t think I could pull that off right now with permission slips and filming. That was a relief to see that. They seem straightforward enough and just like everything else, it will take me diving into it to figure everything out. I think my mini-doc is for APE/PE teachers who are looking at new ways to improve gross motor skills. I hope my mini-doc inspires PE teachers to go out and try some Heavy work training with their students and to further explore my website. The point that I will be trying to make in my mini-doc is outlining the current issues in APE and how Heavy work offers a solution. Blog: On your 792 Blog page in weebly write a paragraph answering the following questions: Choose a website that you liked from above. Who was their audience? Were they effective in presenting to them on every page? Why or why not?
Part 2: Having explored several capstone websites, write a blog about who you think the audience of your capstone is going to be and why. Build a Unit Tool Box Link: http://www.learninginnovationlab.com/saslow-home.html Author: Alexander Saslow Audience: The audience is the Science community. The great thing about this research is that it would work across multiple grade levels as well as disciplines. The standards links on the website are specifically for science, but you could follow the same steps and use whatever standards that you wanted or as they relate to your teaching. It seems as though he kept the audience in mind on every page, keeping the content clear and concise, and easy to follow. Part 2: The audience for my capstone project will be the Adapted Physical Education community. Specifically, teachers who are looking for new ways to teach students with special needs outside the traditional framework. My research could be used in a Gen Ed PE setting for teachers that are looking for ways to improve gross motor skills. My research has shown that Heavy Work training does improve scores in gross motor activities. This could be beneficial to PE teachers who are looking to improve these skills and who are looking for an innovative training program. |
AuthorMy name is Bailey Tucker. I teach Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education (APE) at Calistoga Elementary School. I have a strong passion for sports, athletics and fitness. I've been involved with sports my entire life and that is what ultimately led me to the path of teaching. I have recently obtained my APE Authorization to teach PE to students with special needs. This has been a growing passion of mine and I have immensely enjoyed working in this new field with my students. I'm looking forward to this next chapter and working towards obtaining my masters degree. Archives
February 2022
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