Improving Activity Skills Over Time:

Avoiding the Dreaded Plateau

Dr. Matthew Cummiskey

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Why This Presentation? Informal comments by middle school and high

school teachers as well as colleagues over the years.

Why Require Competent Skill Performance?

Shouldn’t we just expose students to a variety of skills which they can pursue as adults.

Why Require Competent Skill Performance?

Individuals naturally gravitate towards pursuits in which they feel competent.

It’s our job A math teacher doesn’t simply expose

students to division, he or she expects them to become proficient.

Many other reasons which would take too long to go into

Q & A

What factors may account for the lack of skill growth in some classes? Rank factors later.

1. Make class fun 2 3 2 3 3 132. Developmental appropriateness 3 1 2 63. Challenging (not boring) 3 2 3 2 1 2 13

1. Differentiated instruction

4. Outside of class reinforcement 2 1 1 2 65. Undiagnosed disability 6. Time on task 17. Just doesn’t care 2 3 5

Make class fun

Successful experiences Playing at their level

Diff instruction (allow equipment choices, allow rule variations, task selection)

Fishbowl – students participating simultaneously

Small group and large group (opportunities to respond)

Ability grouping (teacher selection, student self selection) Intimidation factor

Challenging

Sliding scale for goals Individualized challenges

(competition with oneself to improve) Appropriate level of competition Small learning groups Grouping

Peer teaching for more highly skilled or separate into ability groups (change groupings periodically)

Vary partner (different learning experience)

Cues – identify and execute

Outside of Class Reinforcement

Town leagues Periodic conflicts

Intramurals Mandatory in some places

Lower skill? Offer to provide coaching

training – local rec leagues

Group Work

Planning

Engagement ALT-PE: Academic Learning Time in PE

Activity Time (NASPE goal?) Knowledge Management Transition Waiting Off-Task

OTR’s: Opportunities to Respond Volleyball example

Planning

Keep Class Interesting & FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Vary the teaching style

Command, practice, reciprocal, self, guided discovery, problem solving, individual

Tactical games example from Rhode Island College yesterday.

I always believed that every class should be fun. PE is not coaching; we must address 100% of students (not 10%) and our focus is lifetime activity (not winning). People do what they enjoy.

PlanningTask Variation Allowing students to choose their level of

challenge (same idea as the slanted rope) Forward rolls Hitting in softball Hurdles

Units of Sufficient Length In CT, BEST portfolios (submitted by 2nd

year teachers) must be a minimum of 6 lessons. I would suggest more.

Planning

Organization – grouping similar activities into categories of activities. This promotes learning connections across various activities.

Example categories: Invasion, net/wall, cooperative, team, individual, aquatic, fitness, striking/fielding games, target games

Alignment – Each year, the skills should be progressively more difficult and complex. When skills aren’t improving, teachers often teach the same skills again thus leading to boredom, dissatisfaction, and the genesis of a vicious cycle.

Vestal basketball example (colleague)

Planning

The activities used to teach a skill are divided into five levels. Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 are essential for promoting skill acquisition.

1. Discrete skill 2. Combinations of skills3. Strategy (may be incorporate throughout unit) 4. Small sided games5. Full game (often not necessary)

Must provide the intermediate skills (levels 2-4) and avoid units such as bump, set, spike, and a game of 6 on 6 with one person serving 10 times in a row.

Planning

7th Grade Unit in Basketball Day 1 – Dribbling Day 2 – Passing (combo) Day 3 – Pass to shoot, pass receive and triple

threat Day 4 – Defense (protecting the ball) Day 5 – Offensive – basic plays (pick and roll);

inbounds Day 6 – Construct and practice plays in

groups Day 7 – Small sided game Day 8 – Small sided game

Planning

Lobby for more time from your administrators, the school board, and the state.

Activity Selection

Depth v. Breadth Twice per week at 45 minutes = 47 hours Beware trying to “cram” too many units into a

year.

Suggested middle and high school activities

Give students choice whenever possible, especially in high school (build elective program).

Activity Selection

Middle and high school PE have different foci, meaning different missions.

Middle school – emphasis is on traditional team sports and fitness

1. Project adventure and affective/personal growth are also emphasized

2. Experience in physical education may also lead students to join interscholastic teams.

Activity Selection

High school – emphasis on lifetime activities and fitness

1. Some activities that are taught in middle school may also be taught in high school but this is infrequent. There are so many lifetime activities, why waste time repeating?

2. Point of Emphasis: Students began learning basketball in 3rd grade (dribbling, passing, etc). By the end of middle school, they have fixed, meaning mostly established, skills, attitudes regarding the sport, and tendencies regarding future lifetime participation.

1. Continuing to teach basketball and other traditional sports in high school is inappropriate. Student skill discrepancies are large, they are bored with the same activities, and forcing them to repeat the same unit only fosters negative opinions of physical education.

Power of Choice

Students near-universally respond favorably to being offered a choice of activity. If ultimately, students choose activities as adults,

why not allow them that same choice in high school so they may be prepared when that day comes.

Giving Students the Choice- Methods for providing choice

1. Registration- Students register for activities through the guidance department

1. Register for individual courses such as tennis.1. Not likely due to scheduling limitations

2. Register for groups of related activities such as 1) racket sports, 2) group exercise, 3) non-traditional, 4) adventure, 5) fitness, 6) outdoor activities, 7) team sports, 8) aquatics, 9) dance

Giving Students the Choice- Methods for providing choice

2. Intra-class choice - Students within one period taught by multiple PE teachers are offered choices. For example, if one teacher offers a unit on tennis and another offers a unit on swimming, students are able to choose between them.

1. Students select individual activities or groups of activities (similar to previous slide).

2. Difficulties with this approach:1. Record keeping (attendance, grades) for

students not registered to the teacher. 1. How overcome this?

2. The large number of student names teachers must learn

Giving Students the Choice- Methods for providing choice

3. Specialized Classes – Classes for students who have fulfilled their PE requirements for graduation. Similar to option 1.

1. http://www.brownsburg.k12.in.us/Curriculum/Secondary/PE/

2. http://www.brownsburg.k12.in.us/Curriculum/Secondary/PE/

Giving Students Choice - Suggestions

Student input - Distribute a survey the first day of class to gauge student interest in activities. List all of the possible activities and have students rank

or place #’s alongside their preferences. Require that students acquire a diversity of experiences.

To promote this, require students to complete a unit if 6 of the 9 content areas listed on slide three.

Or require all students complete 3 specified courses/units and allow choice for 2 additional.

PE teachers must engage in continual professional development to acquire the skill to teach “most” units listed on the previous slide. Part of being a “professional” is learning new materials

to meet the needs of students. This includes activities which have yet to be invented.

Review Instruction

Revisit concepts at least two times throughout the school year. Activity skills are a use-it or lose-it proposition. Too often, physical educators teach skills such as the soccer trap in 6th grade and don’t address it again until 7th grade, one year later. This is a major reason why student skill levels may not be improving.

Could you imagine trying to remember this presentation one year later without any review. No, yet we often require our students to do just that.

Instead – Twice throughout the school year, teach the same unit at a higher level. This will mean less breadth but better quality.

Assessment, AKA Accountability

What is the biggest reason given for not assessing?

Assessment, AKA Accountability

If time is the issue, then conduct authentic assessments This could be as simple as having checking

off fundamental movement patterns in elementary school or scoring a skill cues rubric for tennis.Set up the activity such that you maximize opportunities to observe student performance.

Example Example

Suggest “form” based assessments vs. performance based ones

Technology

Create video clips (clone yourself) Webcam, digital camera, etc

Record and play back student performances via a digital camera hooked up to a TV One station in badminton be designated for

video feedback Pedometer to record activity

Extension Activities

Ideal for students who are having difficulty improving their skill level. Before, during, or after school “open door”

policy Intramurals Community applications

How did we do on the Q&A factors identified early. Any not addressed

Any Questions?

Enjoy the rest of the conference

Additional Materials

Dr. Cummiskey’s Website http://www.ccsu.edu/physedhltfit/faculty/c

ummiskey/wikipe.htm

Contact me: cummiskeymad@ccsu.edu