Guidelines in Physical Education Programs - Coursework Example

Physical Education 5.2 Benefits and Limitations of Various Management and Discipline Practices Often the commonly held belief remains that physical education teachers and instructors do not have to face the problems of maintaining discipline. However, physical education, just like all other disciplines, needs proper management and discipline practices. The problem of management is inherent in the discipline of physical education too. The central question remains whether various management and discipline practices, which are followed, will be beneficial or harmful to students. True, often many students take physical education classes as a time to rest and enjoy, which makes maintaining disciplinary practices difficult. Some of the common disciplinary activities remain, as prescribed by Dr Ken Shore, is to create classroom rules and stick to them, ‘remind problem-prone students of your rules as they enter class’, and construct a creative scenario by preparing activities for children and allotting to them, besides many more (Education World). Research shows that management and discipline practices are always valuable for physical education practice. However, care has to be taken to deal with each individual, taking into account their capabilities and abilities. Although implementing strict management practices might benefit the majority of the class and help in bringing decorum to the discipline, it might have negative effects too. Curriculum design, group participation, cooperative work, fitness activities, learning practice and many more practices work well and instill exciting learning experiences for most, but there might be some which would be left out and who would need special care. Professional management and disciplinary practices infuse professionalism, strictness, and decorum to any physical education setting. However, too much of management practices may make the physical education setting boring and even unproductive for students. 5.4 Financial Issues Related to Physical Education Programs Physical education programs are considered to be mandatory for almost all schools and places. And such programs held to be fundamental in the development of physical and intellectual, or the complete development of personality. Considering their imperative role in molding and shaping the personality of children and novices in physical education, such programs are mainly funded partly or wholly by state or district authority budgets. The evidence provided by such assistance is provided by the following: ‘Title V, Part D, Subpart 10 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Authorizing Legislation). Federal Register Notice, February 4, 2004’ (White House). Other grants such as the PEP grants which are provided by the Federal government which has been designed to take a more ‘comprehensive, integrated approach to physical activity, teacher training, nutrition education, and fitness assessment for students in kindergarten through the 12th grade’ (White House). State grants are also offered which include ‘National School Lunch Program, or the Child and Adult Care Food Program’ that implement education on nutrition and physical training. Further, there are other groups too such as the Health, Mental Health, Environmental Health, and Physical Education (HMHEHPE) group which help in providing financial assistance for physical education programs, among other things. The ‘Carol M. White Physical Education Program (Discretionary Grants) is offered by the aforementioned group (ED.gov). Such programs help institutions in receiving funds for initiating, expanding, and even enhancing physical education and training for students from kindergarten to the highest grades. 5.5 Care and Maintenance Procedures for Facilities and Equipment Facilities and equipments are a basic ingredient and component of every physical education programs and courses. However, such facilities and equipments have to be regularly serviced so that it would increase the longevity and safety features of physical education equipments. Thus, schools, clubs, gyms, and other centers have facilities, such as sports and other exercising equipments which need to be taken care of and maintained in order to prolong their lives as well as to avoid any injuries to performers or athletes. Fields and equipments must be checked carefully on a regular basis. To enable performers and athletes to exercise and learn without any risks, outdated, worn-out, or defective physical education machines should always be serviced and taken care of regularly, and further, in case of any serious problem, should be always removed. This helps in guaranteeing the safety of the athletes. Research shows that all players should be provided with proper, up-to-date and completely safe equipments. Gershom recommends that there should be periodic checks of facilities as well as equipments in order to ensure complete safety arrangements for performers or athletes. The outdoor facilities should also have a system by which authorities and other officials in charge can inform participants to take shelter in case of dangerous and threatening weather conditions such as during storms, and others (Gershom). UNESCO holds that adequate responsibility should be undertaken by all authorities, such as schools, public authorities, and governments of different countries to use safe and proper installations, equipments, and other physical education facilities. Although safety of the performers and athletes depends to a great extent upon the performers themselves, their skills, and their mode of playing or exercising, the role of proper facilities and equipments can hardly be ignored. 6.4 Safety Precautions in Administering Emergency Care Procedures Almost every year, alarming statistics show that young sportsmen and sportswomen are getting injured during sports, sometimes due to lack of appropriate medical facilities and sometimes due to negligence. Often, such injuries prove to be fatal too. The roots of such situations can be traced to an emergency situation where there is a significant lack of medical assistance or personnel. To avoid such situations, an emergency Action Plan or EAP needs to be formulated which can be used during an emergency situation to overturn a situation back to normalcy when it shows signs of danger. Communication, conduction of PPE or pre-participation physical examination, and provision of first-aid and emergency medical supplies constitute the core of an Emergency Action Plan. Communication among all parties concerned is the first pre-requisite, especially when there has been a serious and hazardous injury to someone. Before the conduction of sports events, it is also utmost necessary to conduct the pre-participation test which can determine the fitness of each performer. After an injury has occurred, it is extremely important not to panic and to remain calm while administering care and treatment. Medical assistance is a must, in case of a serious injury, but even before that, the injured has to be treated with the first-aid kit. Such a kit should include all the necessary items and supplies that might be needed, tailored especially to the kind of sports the children are playing. Some basic items that should be a part of first-aid kit include ‘CPR mask, latex gloves, bandages, compression wraps, tape, scissors’ and many more (Gershom). Sports and physical education and slight injuries go hand-in-hand. But it is important not to neglect injuries and to be precautions and keep at hand everything that one might need in an emergency situation. 7.4 State and Federal Laws and Guidelines Regarding Gender Equity, Special Education, Religious Issues, and Other Aspects of Students’ Rights Imperative and fundamental to the development of all children, physical education and training has been and is still given a priority and value by all schools, clubs, and other institutions and organizations. UNESCO has described physical education as a fundamental right of every person, regardless of sex, religion, creed, and even normalcy as far as physicality is concerned. Recognizing the aforementioned fact, the Federal and State have formulated certain laws which have grounded such education in law. The Federal law which protects every student’s right to physical education regardless of any ground includes IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act extends support to special education and other services and programs. Enacted in 1975, it includes all children and youth with disabilities within its fold. Under this act, ‘all eligible school-aged children and youth with disabilities are entitled to receive a free appropriate education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment’ (National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases Natural Resource Center). Gender equity has also been dealt with by the Federal and State governments. Research reveals that Title Nine, a Federal law, protects the rights of girls and women against unwarranted discrimination in physical education by different schools, clubs, and other organizations. As stated by Wall Street Journal poll results, ‘Title Nine is a federal law that prohibits high schools and colleges that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of gender. Title Nine is most commonly invoked to ensure equal opportunities for girls and women in high school and college athletics’ (Women’s Sports Foundation). Considering their vital role in the lives of children, many organizations are offering opportunities for disabled people as well as children who require extra care, instructions, and accommodations to be a part of physical education classes. 7.5 The Application of Ethical Issues and Guidelines in Various Physical Education Situations Physical education involves cooperation and dedication on parts of both the instructor and performer and even between performers. It is through their dedication and mutual cooperation and respect for each other’s interests, wishes, and talents that physical education takes place in a professional yet friendly atmosphere. However, to attain such an ambience, it is mandatory to observe certain basic codes of ethics in the physical education setting. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, article 1 also stresses on the freedom and equality of human beings. Humans are blessed with reasoning and therefore, posses the essential ability to treat each other with respect and understanding (SLU). ‘Anti-doping’, ‘non-violence’, ‘prevention of sexual harassment’, ‘responsible use of drugs and medicine’, ‘public safety and comfort’, ‘promotion of health and well-being’, ‘openness, democracy, honesty, and fairness’, ‘sustainable development and respect for nature’, and many more are some ethical principles which should be followed in a physical education setting (SLU). The IDEA Health & Fitness Association also prescribes certain code of ethics for personal physical education trainers, which include being attentive to the interests of the client, to maintain a professional code of conduct, and be truthful and use fairness in all relationships and decisions, among others. The application of ethical standards in a physical education setting is an absolute must for creating a healthy, safe, and professional decorum in the setting. Hence, utmost care has to be taken to create, follow, and maintain such ethical standards in a physical educations setting. References: White House 26 July 2006. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/detail.10003313.2005.html ED.gov, OSDFS: Office of Safe and Drug-free Schools 26 July 2006. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/programs.html IES National Center for Education Statistics, “Introduction to School Facilities Maintenance Planning” 26 July 2006 http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/maintenance/chapter1.asp Gershom, Richard, “Creating an Emergency Action Plan For Youth Sports”, The Sport Journal, United States Sports Academy 26 July 2006 http://www.thesportjournal.org/2003Journal/Vol6-No4/action-plan.asp AAP Policy, “Guidelines for Emergency Medical Care in School”, 26 July 2006 http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;107/2/435 National Athletic Trainers’ Association, “A Complete Emergency Plan”, 26 July 2006 http://www.nata.org/publications/press_releases/suggestedsafetyitems.htm School of Occupational Therapy, “Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Real Cases in Teaching and Learning”, 26 July 2006 http://publish.uwo.ca/~shobson/Guidelines.htm SLU, “Fair Play: Ethical Principles for Finnish Sports and Physical Activities in a Nutshell”, 26 July 2006 http://www.slu.fi/slu-esittely/finnish_sports_federation/fair_play/ APS [American Physical Society], “APS Ethics and Value Statements”, 26 July 2006 http://www.aps.org/statements/02_2.cfm CAST Universal Design for Learning, “Classroom Management”, 26 July 2006 http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_classroom.html Cotton, Kathleen, “NW Regional Educational Laboratory”, 26 July 2006 http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html California State Board of Education, “Physical Education Framework”, 26 July 2006 http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/pefrwk.pdf Continental Sports Equipment, “Maintenance/ Service”, 26 July 2006 http://www.contisports.co.uk/maintenance/index.html?http%3A//www.contisports.co.uk/maintenance/maintenance_faqs.html UNESCO.org, “International Charter of Physical Education and Sport”, 26 July 2006 http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13150&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Indiana Department of Education, “Adapted Physical Education Procedural Guidelines”, 1999, 26 July 2006 http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/publications/pdf_pe/pe_guidelines.pdf National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center, 26 July 2006 http://www.osteo.org/newfile.asp?doc=i105i&doctitle=OI+Issues%3A+Education&doctype=HTML+Fact+Sheet Women’s Sports Foundation, “Athletics and Physical Activity: Women’s Health Issues Educational Fact Sheet’, February 200, 26 July 2006 http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/issues/rights/article.html?record=748 IDEA Health & Fitness Association, “IDEA Code of Ethics”, 26 July 2006 http://www.ideafit.com/pdf/Code_of_ethics_PFT.pdf Read More