PDFE #14

In class on Monday November 15, we were told to get a partner and do the task laid before us. One of us was to practice juggling using part practice segmentation while the other was just supposed to start juggling. The person who did the part practice got to evaluate each part of juggling and could gradually master each step toward juggling before they reached the final result. However for the person who just had to start juggling, it was much more difficult. I was the person who was just trying to see how many times I could juggle, and considering how I had never juggled before, it was not very pretty. I gradually appeared to get better at it toward the end. However, Marley, who did the segmentation practice, did much better than me on the retention test. It was predicted that the person practicing each step would do better in the end because they had a better grasp on each individual task that is required in juggling. Yet, these results do not always occur this way. Sometimes segmentation is not the best way of practice like when one skill is dependent on the other, such as juggling. Nonetheless in our experiment segmentation was the best practice. This could have been persuaded also by different factors. One factor that could have slurred the results is that she went first in the lab and had plenty of time whereas I had to hurry because we were pushed for time. This could have had a very large impact on my results and therefore messed up the desired or expected results.

PDFE #11

For PDFE #11 we were required to observe a formal physical activity setting such as a class or a practice. I observed the Berry College Cheerleaders practice. The practice consisted of things such as running, learning new things, practicing stunts, and reviewing the practice and discussing the next one. I only observed from the time they learned new dances to the time practice was over. This consisted of sixty minutes which consisted of two hundred and forty 15 second intervals. Of the time I was observing one of the cheerleaders, she was waiting for 8% of the practice, Management was 18%, she received instruction for 32%, and was active for 42% of the time. Most of the time that she was waiting, she was either waiting for instruction or waiting for the other cheerleaders to finish whatever it was they were doing. The management time was merely rolling out and putting away the mats. Both of these percentages could have been less with more preparation and planning. The cheerleader I observed wasted a good bit of time waiting to hear what to do rather than the captains already having it planned out. The mats could have been rolled out a few minutes before practice so that they do not waste valuable practice time. By decreasing both of these percentages, the percentage for activity should increase while instruction could probably stay the same or maybe even increase a little 

Meeting #5

Date: November 18, 2010
Start Time: 8:30
Agenda:
    - Old Business: Discussed each one of our in depth sections
    - New Business: Add more to powerpoint
Next Meeting:
    - Monday November 22 10:30-11:15
End Time: 9:30
  

Meeting #4

Date: November 13, 2010
Start Time: 1:30
Agenda:
    - Old Business:Went through and discussed what we found in the articles and books
    - New Business: Started powerpoint and summary
Next Meeting:
    - Go into signed sections in more in depth
    - Thursday November 18 8:30
End Time: 2:45

PDFE #12

There are two types of extrinsic feedback: Knowledge of results (KR) or Knowldege of performance (KP). Knowledge of results is when the teacher or observer tells the learner or the one performing the action something about what they did. They are usually repetitive in the sense that the observer reminds the person performing of what they did and how to improve it. But it is usually just a reminder of what the performer did during the task. Knowledge of performance, also known as kinematic feedback, when the teacher or instructor is being more critical and telling them what they did wrong rather than just reminding the performer on their actions during the activity.

During our activity in Monday night’s class, we were required to be blind folded but yet make a mark on a line on a piece of paper. We had partners who could tell us how far off we were or if we were right on. However, one partner had knowledge of results feedback while the other could only have knowledge of results when they requested it. I received knowledge of results consistently from my partner as I performed this lab. After every trial she would give me a little criticism but usually tell me how my marks were looking. She was acknowledging me on my results every time. She however was only allowed to receive results when she asked for them. I only told her how she did when she asked. But when she did ask I critiqued how off she was or told her if she was right on. I told her how far off or how close she was when she asked. But I rarely applauded her for getting right on because I was not allowed to tell her how close she was. We each did three sections of ten trials. When she went, she only requested knowledge of her results a max of 3 times during each section. Then during the retention test, I was not allowed to give her any feedback. The same went for me as I did the retention test. Note that the point of this lab was to practice making marks on a line while either receiving or not receiving knowledge of results. Then we were to do the final retention test without receiving any information about the results. The results, according to the book, should have been that my partner, who only received information when she requested it, should have done better because she was basically coaching herself. Where as I, who had criticism the whole practice, should not have done as well. Our results were a little off according to the book because I actually did better on the final retention test. However this could have been persuaded by many factors. She could have misunderstood some of my criticism therefore doing poorly during the practice thus resulting poorly in the final test. Or I could have been able to retain memory of where the line is better than she did. There are quite a few things that could have thrown off the results. However, we know that in a perfect setting that she should have actually done better than me during the final test. 

PDFE #10

In class on Monday, we did an activity in which allowed us to see varied practice compared to constant practice. We got into pairs and were each given a packet of instructions to follow. The objective of this activity was to practice throwing a bean bag into a hoola hoop a certain number of times and to see what is the highest score we could obtain. In this packet, the instructions said that one of us was to perform constant practice, the practice or activity that did not change, while the other performed varied practice, the activity was altered throughout the practice. This meant that one of us was to stand at the 5 ft. marking and throw the bean bag in the hoop. While the other partner throws the bean-bag from the 4 ft., 5 ft., and 6 ft., marking. We each did a number of rounds in throwing the bean-bag into the hoop before doing the final five throws for the retention test. During the practice, I did the varied practice while Marley did the constant practice. The results from the practice should have been higher for me than for her because I could get closer to the hoop and therefore had more chances of getting easier points by putting the bean-bag in the hoop. However, the final results after the retention test should have been that she maintained better muscle memory than I because she practiced from the same spot that the retention test took place from. Whereas I moved around from 4, to 5, to 6 and then had my test at only the 5 ft. marking. But our results did not quite match these. In our results we were about equal during the practice rounds. And after the same retention tests, I actually did better than she. But there were many different factors that could have influenced these results. During her practice and final test, we were talking more and she probably had less focus. But when I went, we were not talking as much and I believe I might have had a less resting period because we were rushing to finish. So therefore it was not really a final test after practice, it was merely five more throws after the many others I had already finished. So we did not achieve the estimated results that were anticipated to occur but we were influenced by many factors that might have had something to do with these skewed results. 

PDFE #9

My past P.E. classes were undoubtedly fun but they were not the P.E. class that they should have been. From what I can remember, in the majority of them we just played games. In some we were actually learning about different types of sports and their rules and such. It was good in that I was learning about sports I had never played or understood. It was wrong in that all we were doing was learning about the sport and then playing it. Obviously the classes got slightly more intense in learning about health as we got older. But we really only learned health in the classroom and not in an active setting. My P.E. classes did their jobs by getting the students active but they lacked in the educational part of it.

            I personally feel that the P.E. requirements are very reasonable and are on the right path. Students should take P.E. serious just as they would for any other class. Although they should take it seriously, there should be that slight fun aspect of it as well. If it being active is not fun, students are not going to want to participate in it. Also, from personal experience, school systems need to work it out so that P.E. is not the first class in the morning. At a middle school age, this had a negative affect on that some students who wanted to look nice for the rest of the day, did not want to participate.

             It is important for students to learn to like getting physically active at this age. At this certain age level how they feel about certain things in life or their attitude toward things begins to develop. Also at this age they are not as conscious about other things such as how they look or how cool are they acting. After these stages their lifestyle tends to change so it is important to nail them in their younger years.

            The two types of approaches of getting students active are similar yet different. They are similar in that they are both getting students active in some form or fashion. However one tends to be more productive in some environments and is a better approach. Skill theme is more focused on getting the students actively moving and how to do it in an educational sense. These are things like skill games and activites, certain practices and activities, and improving skills. The traditional approach is usually just sports and games and is focused on the basic winning concept. Traditional tends to make some students feel secluded or left out. While skill theme is getting everyone active and performing certain skills.