Piaget TIPR

Current Teacher Behaviors

What evidence do you see in your field experience of specific teacher behaviors that are related to Piaget's theory of cognitive development? 

Since physical education is an active class, it is directly related to Piaget's theory of cognitive development because Piaget's central idea is that children are active and motivated learners. The students are active throughout the entirety of the class and are motivated both extrinsically and intrinsically. They are required to wear heart rate monitors during the workout portion of the course. They must hit and maintain their target heart rate for at least 80% of the workout in order to receive full participation points for the day. 

I have noticed that some students are in disequilibrium when they are introduced to a new sport or exercise that they have never been introduced to before. After a demonstration and oral explanation of the specific skill, drill, or exercise, my cooperating teacher will observe his students and notice is some of them seem confused or if they seem to be in disequilibrium. When this happens, he will go up to the student one-on-one and further explain how to do the exercise safely and correctly. The majority of the students assimilate the new specific exercises and relate them to ones that they have previously learned. I have not noticed any students fall into cognitive dissonance.

He uses stage 4, formal operations, to help students explore new concepts (exercises, sports, drills, skills, etc...) 

Student Needs

What are these students' needs through the lens of Piaget's theory? 

I think that students need more information to add to their schema. Schema is how people organize knowledge into categories in their head. I think that the students should be given more explanation as to why a specific exercise is important and how it physically benefits your body which can help with any disequilibrium that students may be experiencing. I think also introducing more exercises that the students do not know so they are continuing to think abstractly and compare exercises to one another (stage 4) could be very beneficial. 

Plans for your Lesson

How will you address these needs when you teach your mini-lesson in this class?

I will address these needs when I teach my mini-lesson in this class by explaining the importance of the exercise. I think that if students understand why they are doing something, then they are more likely to participate. Also, if the students understand the importance of the exercise, then they also may continue to do it when they are no longer taking my class. 

Assessment TIPR + edTPA Prep

Current Teacher Behaviors

1. How does the teacher assess student learning? Identify specific instances of informal and formal, formative and summative assessment and explain the types of assessments (e.g., self-assessment, portfolio, project, performance, etc.) that are used. 

The teacher assesses student learning in almost every lesson. This is done in many multiple and different ways. The most popular that my cooperating teacher uses is informal assessments. For the majority of the class, the students are working either on their own, in smaller groups, or larger groups. The teacher will walk around and ensure that the students are on task, are completing the exercise safely and correctly, and are discussing on task. Formal assessments also occur almost every day. On a normal day, the students will play a sport for 45 minutes and then do a workout for the other 45 minutes. During the 45 minute workout portion, the students are required to wear their heart rate monitors. In order to receive full participation points for the day, the student must hit and maintain their heart rate for 80% of the workout. This is more of a formal assessment. An example of a formative assessment that he does is exit slips. Sometimes, he will have his students fill out a quick exit slip on paper responding to a question that he asked them. He also uses lots of peer teaching throughout his classes. 

How valid, reliable, biased, and practical are these assessments?

In my opinion, I think that he does a fantastic job at incorporating assessments into physical education. I think that sometimes it can be harder to incorporate these concepts into physical education, but he does a great job at doing this correctly. I am thankful that I have been able to observe his classes to see the various ways that these ideas can be used in physical education. 

edTPA Prep

Also answer the following questions:

1. How does the teacher use formative assessment to monitor learning throughout a lesson or unit?

He uses formative assessment to monitor learning throughout a lesson or unit in various ways. One way that he does this is by doing self-reflecting on his lessons. This is something that he discussed with me one day after class. He was telling me that he always reflects on his lessons at the end of the day. He will note things that he thought went well and ones that did not go well. He will then try to adjust the lesson the next day to change what went wrong or implement what went well. This is an example of reflecting on formative assessments. He also will have pre-planned formative assessments for the lesson each day. He will usually write questions down on white boards which the students will discuss in either groups or reflect on paper.

    

2. How does the teacher design or adapt assessments to allow students with specific needs to demonstrate their learning?

An example of when the cooperating teacher adapted an assessment for a student was when a student had a broken hand. He had a badly broken hand so he could not do a lot of the exercises that were planned for the day. After explaining the workout plan to the class, he pulled the disabled student aside and gave him alternate exercises. He had preplanned these alternate exercises for the student before hand so he was not just making something up on the fly. Another example was in his weights training class there was a student who had disabilities to where he was confined to a wheelchair. He adapted every single workout for the student to complete while he was in his wheelchair. I thought that this was absolutely amazing. He went above and beyond to make sure that these students felt welcomed. 

    3. How does the teacher (a) give feedback on these assessments, (b) help the students understand that feedback, and (c) encourage/give opportunities for students to use that feedback to improve?

The teacher gives feedback to the students I discussed above by following up with them after the day to make sure that they felt comfortable completing those exercises, but that it was still challenging and getting their heart rate up. He would constantly encourage all students, but especially his students that had these physical disabilities encouraging them to keep pushing and that they are doing great. He will also let students know if they are completing an exercise incorrectly. In this instance, he would remind them the proper way to complete the exercise correctly and safely, give them cues, and then have them demonstrate the skill while he is observing. 

Student Needs

2. What are these students' needs with regard to assessment in this class? What more could or should be done?

I think that the students should be assessed in more formal ways--quizzes, tests, exams, etc... I have yet to see the students receive or take any sort of formal assessment in this nature. I think that this could be a good way of making sure that the students are learning the specific rules of the various sports. 

Plan for your Lesson

3. How will you address these needs when you teach your mini-lesson in this class?

I will have my students take a short exit ticket quiz which will have them reflect on what we did in class that day. This will give me a good idea if the students are on task, if they learned the importance of the lesson, and if they liked it or not. I will give them open ended questions as well as a few multiple choice questions about the specifics of the lessons. I will also make sure to do other assessments such as checking up on students throughout the exercises to make sure that they are doing them correctly and safely. 

Classroom Management Reflection/ Goals Check In

1. What are your concerns about managing a class that is using technology? What are your plans for addressing those concerns? 

A concern that I have about managing a class that is using technology is making sure that all of my students are on task. With technology, it is very easy to have multiple taps or web browsers open making it easy to toggle between each. I want to make sure that my students only have the assignment open that they are supposed to be working on--not being off task. Another concern that I have about managing a class that is using technology is not implementing it enough in physical education. I know that the use of technology in all subjects can serve an important purpose, but I am struggling with how much is too much or not enough.

I am going to address these concerns by having great classroom management when it comes to tech use. I want to make sure that my expectations are clear in the syllabus and disclosure document that both the student and parent/guardian will sign. This will help prevent miscommunication between me, the student, and the parent. I also want to collaborate with other teachers--those in my content area and those who are not--and how they manage technology in their classes. Getting input from other educators is a great way to have new ideas. 

2. How is your lesson planning going for your field experience? What issues do you need to bring up with your cooperating teacher? What questions do you have for me?

My lesson planning is going great for my field experience. I am actually teaching tomorrow and could not be more excited. It worked out perfect for me because the students in the fitness for life class, which I will teaching in, using have a 45 minute workout portion and a 45 minute sport play portion. Tomorrow, is a short day. Instead of two 45 minute portions, the will be having two 25 minute portions. I will be teaching my lesson during the 25 minute workout portion. 

I do not have any issues that I need to discuss with my cooperating teacher. We will be using the heart rate monitors as the technology in the lesson, which he already taught me how to use. 

I have no questions for you, Dr. Cox. 

3. Look back at the goals you wrote at the beginning of this class. How are you progressing in meeting these goals? What do you need to do to meet them? What can I do to help?

The first goal that I wrote down earlier this semester was that I wanted to learn more about online grading and course websites such as Canvas, Skyward, etc... I definitely have learned how to successfully do this since we have created our own Canvas website and collaborated with other students on their Canvas website. 

The second goal that I wrote down was to learn more about various websites that can help all students expand their learning on various topics. I have also learned more about this topic this semester in most of my education courses. Learning about the various online tools that can be used in the classroom has helped me become more creative. 

The third goal that I wrote down was to learn more about how and why technology is so important in future classrooms. At the beginning of the semester, I did not understand the importance of technology in the classroom since I grew up with little technology and I felt like I did just fine. After a few weeks of this course, I have grown to better understand the importance of technology in the classroom. Since technology is growing at such a fast pace, students are more than likely going to be more advanced with technology than I will be as their teacher. Since the students are so in tune with technology, they are more likely more comfortable with it. Being able to implement technology in my classes, I can help my students become creative with it inside and outside of the classroom. 

Technology Artifacts, Part 1

3 tools that we explored in class that I think would be useful to use with my future students: 

1. FlipGrid

What is it? 

FlipGrid is a mobile app that allows teachers to ask a question, then the student will respond with a short video. The students are then able to respond to one another, creating a "web" of discussion. 

Why did I choose this tool? 

I chose this classroom tool because it is a great way for students to get active outside of the classroom. I can have my students physically show me their progress with an exercise, demonstrate proper form of an exercise or skill, provide differentiation for students who prefer alternate ways to submit assignments, etc... 
For students who do not have access to devices outside the classroom, I have issued iPads to those students who have filled out the technology permission slip form. 

My example:

https://flipgrid.com/fea4f17c


2. Canva

What is it?

Canva is an online tool that allows users to choose from hundreds of various designed layouts, or create their own if preferred, for use in presentations, posters, infographics, social media, business cards, etc... 

Why did I choose this tool?

I chose this classroom tool because it provides a great resource to students who prefer to be creative while using technology. Students are able to create visuals through a free and easy to use website. I can have my students create infographics discussing various physical education and health topics, create pictures to add in presentations regarding physical education and health, and much more. 

My example:

*Made using Canva

3. Quizzizz

What is it?

Quizzizz allows teachers to conduct student-paced formative assessments in a fun and engaging way for students of all ages. It is very similar to the popular online assessment tool, Kahoot! It is also a free tool, which is great for teachers and students. It can work on any device: web browser, iOS, android, and Chrome apps. This is great since we will be using Chrome Books throughout the semester. 

Why did I choose this tool?

I chose this tool because providing various ways to assess students can make the classroom more fun and engaging. Quizzizz is a great way to implement technology in the classroom--which most students love--while also being educational. I also love this tool because I can easily check up on my students and see their progress, if they are understanding the material, and see which topics I need to put more emphasis on. 

My example:

https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5d956d15ef7ede001ef1a31e

*Made using quizizz

Growth Mindset and Motivation TIPR + edTPA Prep

Current Teacher Behaviors

A growth mindset, according to Dr. Dweck, is "the understanding that abilities and intelligence can be developed,"(mindsetworks.com). Using this theory in the classroom can be very beneficial for students because they can understand that putting in effort is beneficial and can greatly improve their academic achievement. The teacher who I am observing uses the idea of a growth mindset by giving the students the opportunity to learn how to play a different sport each unit and how to incorporate heart rate monitors into different types of workout plans. He lets the students know the importance of living a healthy lifestyle outside of the classroom and incorporates the use of the heart rate monitors to show the students why it is important to have a higher heart rate during physical activity and exercise. He uses extrinsic motivation, which is "behavior that is driven by external rewards such as money, fame, grades, and praise," (verywellmind.com) in his Fitness for Life class when he grades the students on a four point motivation scale. The motivation scale is based solely off of the heart rate monitor. There is a set heart rate zone that the students are motivated to be in during the exercise. In order to receive all four points, the students must be in that goal zone for 80% of the time. This is considered extrinsic motivation because the students because this type of motivation comes from an outside source--their grade. This idea is directly related to the Extrinsic Theory of Motivation. It is also related to the Goal Theory because the students are given performance goals that they are encouraged to reach during class. My cooperating teacher also uses intrinsic motivation, which is "the act of doing something without any obvious external rewards," (healthline.com) during his weight training class. The weight training class is an elective at the high school that he teaches at, so many of the students already are using intrinsic motivation to lift weights to begin with since they chose to take the class as their elective. I also noticed that he is much more relaxed with the weight class than he is with his fitness for life class. I asked him what he does when his students don't participate (which is much more common in the weights class) and he said that he will encourage them to start moving and lifting, but if they are not going to workout, then that is on them. I don't know if I necessarily agree with this concept, but I can sort of understand why he chooses to go about in this way. This concept of intrinsic motivation is directly related to Intrinsic Theory of Motivation. It is also related to the Self-Determination Theory--Ryan and Deci--because the self-determination theory, more specifically, autonomy (the universal urge to be causal agents of one's own life and act in harmony with one's integrated self) is used every day in his weights class. This is then related back to intrinsic motivation.

edTPA Prep

1. How does the teacher design lessons in a way that challenges students to engage?

My cooperating teacher designs lessons in a way that challenges students to engage by using both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in every lesson that I have observed. By using both of these types of motivation theories, the students are definitely more engaged than they are in other classes that I have observed. In his fitness for life course, all of the students are required to wear a heart rate monitor for the exercise portion of the course. I noticed that almost every student is very engaged and motivated to participate in the exercise portion because they can see where their heart rate is at during the workout.

2. What does the teacher do during class to further challenge students to engage?

Other than using the heart rate monitors, I have noticed that the teacher connects to the students personally and individually to further challenge students to engage. An example that I witnessed last week was that there was a student who was complaining about the workout being too hard and that he felt like he was out of breath. My cooperating teacher started talking to him about the upcoming soccer tryouts--which the student was planning on attending--and how this workout will help him with those tryouts because he will be working on his cardiovascular strength. This is just one example of engaging students in many ways which the teacher uses with multiple students throughout the day.

3. What does the teacher do to build mutual respect and rapport with the students? 

The cooperating teacher does not allow phones or other tablet devices use during his class. Since he expects this out of his students, he also does not use his phone or any other device during class. The same thing goes with dress code. He has an expectation for his students and he also abides by this dress code. I think that by doing this, the teacher is building trust and respect with his students. He also speaks to them like adults, not children. He does not demean them or talk down to them in any way. Because of this, I have noticed that the students seem to be more comfortable with him.

Student Needs

I would say that the majority of the students have a good mindset when they enter his fitness for life class. I am surprised to say that I have not noticed a lot of complaining regarding the workouts or activities that the teacher has prepared for the students. The majority of the students are also very motivated. I think that a lot of this comes back to the heart rate monitors and participation points. The students all wear heart rate monitors which track their heart rate during the 45 minute exercise portion of the class. In order to receive full participation points, the students must keep their max or goal heart rate for 80% of the workout. I think that the students could be more motivated if they had personal goals that they were trying to reach throughout the semester instead of goals expected of them.

Plans for your Lesson

I plan to address these needs when I teach my mini-lesson to this class by giving each of them the opportunity to write down their own personal goals for the day. I think that by writing down goals and putting them on paper can drastically make a difference in the drive and motivation that a student, or anyone, has.



Sources:
https://www.mindsetworks.com/science
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-extrinsic-motivation-2795164
https://www.healthline.com/health/intrinsic-motivation
https://www.learning-theories.com/self-determination-theory-deci-and-ryan.html

Equity Reflection

1. Compare the results of your interview with the results of your peers' interviews. Do you feel that students are getting equitable access to and use of technology in your content area? Why or why not? 

Myranda, Peter, and I's cooperating teachers all use the same technology--heart rate monitors. Lacey was the only one whose teacher did not use any sort of technology in their PE class. I think that the use of heart rate monitors are extremely beneficial for physical education classes because it provides students the knowledge of the importance of heart rate during exercise. If they learn how to properly use the monitors at a younger age, they are more likely to use them when they are no longer in school. Since Lacey's students did not have access to heart rate monitors, I do not think that students are getting equitable access to technology across the state. It is just a 45 minute drive up the I-15 from our schools to Lacey's, yet the technology that is being used is much different. 

2. Compare the results of your interview with the district that school is in and with the state overall. What does the data say about the equitability of what is happening in your cooperating teacher's classroom?

Jordan school district as 54,394 students. As of 2017, 1 device per student ratio statewide was 0.84 and Jordan school district is 0.85, so Jordan school district is about the same ratio compared to statewide. The district's average age of wired gear was 35% less than a year old and the state is only 11%, so the district is above the state average. In the fitness for life class that I am observing, every single student has access to their own heart rate monitor, so the relationship is 1:1. 

3. Compare the results of your interview with the overall state data and that of a VERY DIFFERENT district. What does the data say about the equitability of what is happening in your cooperating teacher's classroom?

Jordan vs Juab

Jordan-54,394 students 

Juab-2,553 students

Juab school district as of 2017 has 1.14 devices per student, which is significant compared to Jordan school district. Juab has over 1 device that is completely accessible to each student. Compared to the state, which is 0.84. On the contrary, 100% of the districts average age of wired gear is 4+ years old, and most likely should be updated in the near future. 

4. What does all of this mean for the kids?

In just the comparison alone of an urban vs a rural school district, the rural school districts have more devices per student, but their wired devices need to be updated sooner than the urban school districts does. I think that overall, the state of Utah is doing a great job at providing technology for their students and I think this is something that is going to continue to flourish over the next few years. 

Metacognition TIPR

Current Teacher Behaviors

1. My cooperating teacher is helping the students develop metacognition and become more self-regulated by providing learning strategies such as setting goals (planning and focusing attention) and self-questioning/self-testing (cognitive monitoring). These are mostly used when the teacher incorporates the heart rate monitors into his lesson. He uses heart rate monitors twice or three times per week during the 45 minute, workout portion of the class. The students have goals that have been pre-set by all the physical educators. The heart rate monitors have been preprogrammed to have a heart rate goal set for all the students. The students must hit the heart rate goal for at least 80% in order to receive full credit for the day. The only issue that I see with this, is that all the students are going to have different heart rate goals during their exercise. I think it would be more beneficial for the students to set their own heart rate goal to work towards, instead of having one already set for them. He uses self-testing (cognitive monitoring) throughout the workout to also have the students self-test themselves regarding their heart rate.

Students Needs

2. I think that the students would benefit greatly by being exposed to other strategies. I think that the students would benefit greatly by having a workout chart and having the students check off with one another when the complete the exercise safely and correctly. I also think that the students could benefit by explaining to a peer the benefits of a particular exercise so they know the real reason why they are doing it. If the students are given more appropriate strategies, I think that they would apply themselves even more then they already do. This could be very valuable for them.

Plans for your Lesson

3. I have lots of ideas to incorporate more of these learning strategies into the lesson plan that I will be teaching here in the next few weeks. One of the strategies is to spend more time on the demonstrations of the more difficult workout exercises that I have planned. This will go under the "study the right information in the right way" section of the textbook provided in the module--page 361. I will also use questioning to check the students understanding of the workout stations.