Physical Education for the 21st Century
Documents
Core Planning Document
The foundation of the PE program
This document is essential to the PE program as it takes into consideration the PE curriculum and avenues of integration that can be done with the homerooms. Click on the image for access to the entire document. Or alternatively, for more information, please click on this link to go to the specific page dedicated to this document: 21-PE - Core Planning Document.
Transdisciplinary Skills in PSPE
Addressing skills that go across all disciplines
Transdisciplinary skills are skills that are not specific to a single field - they go across all disciplines within the students' education. It is important to address these in your lessons and to attempt to hit the same skills that the homeroom is covering as well - integration. Click on the image to access the document.
Creating a Central Idea
The gateway to the unit
The central idea is, as the name suggests, the big idea at the centre of the unit. An effective central idea is an enduring understanding, it relates and connect concepts and is timeless. This document is a combination of two different resources that will help you create your own central idea as you design your unit. Click on the image to access the document.
Physical education – can purposeful inquiry occur? A framework for Inquiry-based learning in Physical Education
My Master's assignment to investigate whether inquiry-based learning in PE can lead to Praxis
A short summary if you do not want to read the whole assignment:
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My grade 4s experienced a health and fitness unit
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They chose a factor that affects health and fitness
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We pooled our research and wanted to solve "obesity"
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Learner Profile: Thinker (use critical thinking to solve problems)
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Praxis: Informed, committed action
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My students achieved praxis by becoming personal trainers and training and teaching all of the Elementary School and grade 8 students and teachers.
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Conclusion: Inquiry can occur in PE, praxis can occur in PE.
Can technology be used to foster independent and empowered learning?
This is an action research project I conducted to investigate the role of technology in education.
A summary is below but you can click on the image to access the study:
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My grade 4s engaged in a Striking and Fielding unit.
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I created a PowerPoint to help me teach the unit.
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I laid out all the necessary resources and the students used the PowerPoint to help learn the skills. I was available at all times to help those that needed extra help.
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I used the Spiral Model Action Research model throughout to help me improve the PowerPoint and ultimately, the unit.
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My aim was to determine if technology, specifically PowerPoint, can be used to encourage independent and empowered learning.
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Conclusion: Yes, it does, however, there are caveats that require further investigation.
Tabata Workouts for Kids By Kids
This was a side project led by 2 Grade 5 students who wanted to help keep people active during COVID-19.
Click on the image to access the book:
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As part of our inquiry into Health and Fitness, we were investigating wellness.
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We were prepared to run workshops focusing on specific elements of wellness but before we could lead the workshops, COVID-19 hit and we transitioned online.
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This was one way we were able to take action with our unit, creating Tabata workouts that can be done at home and compiling them into this book that is free for everyone.
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Please download, share it with others, and keep the world fit and healthy during these strange times.
The AtLs in PSPE
The AtLs are incredibly powerful and relevant to all areas of our students' education (and life!).
This document aims to shed some light on how you can implement the AtLs into your lessons.
Masters Thesis
The Development of Key 21st Century Skills Using Project-based Learning in Physical Education
My Masters thesis where I conducted an action research project investigating the efficacy of using project-based learning to develop key 21st century skills. Briefly:
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I investigated how project-based learning can be used to develop grit, critical thinking, collaboration, and motivation
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My population included all of the grade 5s with a sample size of 12 students who were divided into ability groups based upon their ISA results
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I used our Track and Field unit which really pushed for independence, self-motivation, and analysis
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Overall, results were of mixed significance depending upon the ability sample groups.
