Successful Inclusive Physical Education - Essay Example

Discuss Whether Flexibility of Teaching and Learning Strategy is Central to Successful Inclusive Physical Education? xxxxx School: xxxxx Course: xxxxx Instructors name: xxxxx Due Date: xxxxxx Introduction The teachers of physical education help the students to develop the required motor skill, knowledge, fitness level and personal and social skills to obtain the ultimate goal of a lifetime, of health and physical activities. Other than this, they also provide students with the awareness, ability and understanding, which are necessary to perform a variety of physical activities, maintain physical fitness, and to enjoy as well as value physical activities as an ongoing part of a healthy lifestyle (Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, 2007). While giving students lessons, which will not only help them with their health at that particular stage but also in the rest of their lives, the teachers must adopt the flexibility in the content so that the students may feel free towards the course. Hence, the course experience would be a success. What is Flexible Learning? When a variety of techniques are used for teaching, learning and administrative practices that meet the needs of a diverse student population, in the current social context it is known as flexible learning. This type of learning is easily supported by mixed modes of access to learning opportunities. Some of the common modes include combinations of weekly or intensive face-to-face classes. Here, the meaning of flexible learning is different for different people. For some, it means an interactive class in which the students and teachers can discuss their goals, content or assessment. For others it means to broaden up the admission criteria of learning programs. For the rest of the people, flexible learning means to use new technologies to make the time and location more flexible and available for them (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). Approaches to Flexible Learning In certain disciplines, when the teachers try to adopt flexible learning strategies, it opens the gate of opportunity for the students to learn effectively or in a way that is appropriate for an individual’s needs. Necessarily, it does not mean adopting new ways of teaching and learning practices altogether, but it means to consider what is most appropriate for encouraging students learning in a particular set of conditions or content (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). Few of the approaches for flexible learning are: Flexibility of access: It helps the student to enter or exit from the course at any time. Such condition helps the students from the diverse background to choose their own area of interest from the list of different courses (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). Flexibility of participation: In this approach the provision of a range of learning interactions, like face-to-face communication between students of different culture or between staff and students are done (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). Flexibility of content: Through this approach students negotiate the content of their own learning programs, and flexibility of learning content itself (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). Flexibility of teaching and learning methods: By this approach the student gets a chance for individualised learning, and it encourages them for independent learning and also gives student an active role in determining the procedure of how they learn (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). Responsiveness: Using this approach, teachers make sure that the students are receiving the desired support and it maximizes the benefits for students of flexible learning (Institute for Interactive Media & Learning, 2007). .These are the certain approaches that are used in the flexible teaching environment. If the teachers of physical education also adopt such approaches then it becomes much easy for them to flourish in the subject. How they affect pupils In the recent years, young people’s lifestyle that includes their physical activities and their health status has changed and focuses more on unhealthy and inactive behaviour. Increasing sales of electronic games have doubled globally. Nowadays in United Kingdom, there are more young people suffering from mouse wrist than ‘soccer knee’ and ‘tennis elbow’. The computer stimulation games offer the young students to play range of competitive games varying from mountain bike ride to swim, cricket and football. This all is available for them without moving a step out of their arm chair. As a result, the children are getting out of the habit of exercising regularly therefore, their energy expenditure levels have fallen drastically (Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, 2007). Since, apparently, the children are not as active as they were supposed to be therefore, the wide variety of social ills and behaviours that put their health and lifestyles at risk are more evident. Such a standard of living has now demanded the need for the promotion of active and healthy lifestyles among children and young generation. This change is only possible if the schools introduce an interactive and flexible physical education environment in their premises and without making a burden on them. The subject of physical education helps them to introduce an active environment for them. In addition to the traditional sports system, if the students are introduced to changes with the basic game extend its boundaries then it can make the game a bit more challenging for them and hence they develop their interest in the physical training. To counter the high cost health risks as well as antisocial behaviours it is necessary to develop an effective physical education curriculum, which can help the students to enhance the quality of life through generation and develop positive attitudes within them. If the school and government properly resourced the school curriculum of physical education, it can foster a healthy lifestyle and behaviour and general cultural, psycho-social, and moral positive attitudes of young people (Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, 2007). The Curriculum The flexible learning promotes the creativity within the subject curriculum for the students. It also promotes collaborative working within, and between the staff and students. Other than this it helps in effective innovations in the pedagogy of teaching. Physical education is a springboard for involvement in sport and physical activities throughout life. It is also considered a source of communication with others. Other than that, it can involve an appreciation of the natural environment and effectively contribute to moral education and development (Curriculum and Standards. 2004). The curriculum of physical education does not provide students personally meaningful and socially relevant experience. The authorities that design the curriculum must pay attention to philosophical ideals as well as societal trends to offer balance and flexibility in the learning for the students and teachers as well. This can help to maximize the attraction from the young generation and they can find joy and pleasure in such activities (Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, 2007). The physical education curricula must emphasis on the learning in a physical context, whose purpose would be to promote physical development and to foster understanding, knowledge and skills. The purpose of which would be to develop the attitudes that are necessary for the physically educated person. Physically educated persons might also be described as being physically literate, who are acquiring culturally normative skills that will enable the engagement in a variety of physical activities (Curriculum and Standards. 2004). These activities can help them to maintain healthy well-being throughout the life. The curriculum must be having such a quality that the students not only participate regularly in the physical activities because they enjoy them, but they also should be able to understand the value of these activities and cherish their contribution to a healthy lifestyle. Such a curriculum can only be possible when the flexible learning is introduced in the discipline which can successfully engage the students in the number of activities irrespective to their aptitudes, interests and abilities. This addition in the curriculum will make it a balanced and coherent curriculum that can be challenging to all, and the students can show more commitment to physical education and school sports. They will also show willingness to participate in number of activities and likewise they will develop the knowledge and understanding of what they are trying to achieve. Physical Education Teachers Most of the schools provide regular physical education. However, the duration may differ between offering the class once a week, twice or thrice week or offering it throughout the week. The task of the physical education is to provide maximum physical activity experience within the class period. They have to teach them the skills and activities that transfer into a healthy lifestyle outside of the physical education class. In children, they develop the concept of being physically energetic and motivate them to practice it not only during the specific physical education classes but in other classes as well (Rink, Hall & William, 2010). The physical education teacher has unique responsibilities in the school. They ensure that students remain active during the class as well as outside the class. For this reason, they tend to use maximum flexible ways to grasp the attention of the students (Education and Skills, 2004). To make the class active and to ensure the maximum participation by the students, the physical educators have to provide flexible learning skills so that they can teach the task successfully. To attain this goal the teachers should organize the space equipment and students effectively. They should also provide adequate equipment, to accommodate all the children so that they all should remain active at the same time. The teachers should minimize the teacher’s talk, like instruction time, and enlarge the activity time for the students. The activity should be planned in such a way that they ensure the maximum participation for the children and the structure of the plan should be arranged in such a way that the students learn comfortably while they are in the ground (Education and Skills, 2004). Using the flexible teaching methods the physical educators can encourage and motivate children to become active by including them in community activities or by assigning them physical activities as homework (Rink, Hall & William). To make students practically attach themselves with the discipline the physical educators can promote the activities in the community by making regular announcements in the school, by using school website or bulletin boards. The homework of physical education can be introduced as “Home fun” in which they have to practice some simple exercise in the home. In addition to this, continuous appraisal by the teachers can also bring them close to the students. While the gap of the teacher student relationship decreases, the students become more interested in the discipline and tend to work actively in the field (Rink, Hall & William, 2010). Examples Few of the examples that can help to make the physical education more flexible for the teacher are: In middle school the teachers can arrange an activity in which by using the ball they can demonstrate the motor skills and movement patterns. It would be practiced with a partner; they will volley the object repeatedly only by using their forearm pass. After practicing it for a while they will start striking it first against the wall and then with a partner, using paddle for the forehand stroke and the backhand stroke. Once the teacher sees that the students have gained control over the ball, he or she should instruct the children to strike the ball consistently so that it travels in the intended direction at the desired height. After maintaining the ball in this way the teacher should guide the students to dribble and pass a ball to a partner while being guarded. Later the students should throw the ball accurately towards each other with applied forces using the underhand, overhand, and sidearm movement patterns one after the other. The teacher can make sure that the learning is flexible and students are developing interest in the activity by demonstrating each step in front of them. Other than this to maintain the friendly environment of the activity, the teacher can introduce small penalties, missing a chance, in case the students are not working out the procedure properly. In this way, they can interact with the students and keep the ambiance light without making the practice much difficult for them. The other example that the can help the students to enjoy the session of physical activity is that the teacher designs a two-week personal physical fitness plan for the students. Through which they can understand the concept and principles of physical fitness and try to comprehend the strategies that can help them to improve health and performance. In this two-week plan, on the basis of their weight, the teacher should specify the proper warm-up and cool-down activities for the students. The teacher should also identify the principle of exercise for each of the five components of health-related physical fitness. The teacher will also explain the appropriate activity if an individual skips the physical fitness program due to the disruption by the weather, travelling from home to school, a minor injury or some other major problem. The program should be designed in a way that it gradually increases the ratio of physical activity in daily routine and should explain the different types of conditioning for different physical activities. Other than this, the program should also explain and apply the basic principles in weight resistance training and safety practices. While designing the program the teacher must explain the effects of different nutrition and their role in weight control, physical performance and self-concept. Such an activity within the school premises between the teacher and student can increase the interaction time between them and the chances of knowing each other will definitely increase. Therefore, the introduction of such activities in the curriculum can enhance the interest level of the students and surely attract other students too. Through these activities the students can surely understand the concept in a better way as they are practicing the course while they learn it. Hence, the ability to grasp the concept and to develop the understanding will reach to its maximum level while learning in such a friendly learning atmosphere (Department of Education, 2010) Conclusion Flexible learning and teaching strategy provides excellent learning opportunities for all the learning disciplines including physical education. It promotes creativity and innovation in the students that help them in developing excellent research skills. The flexible learning helps the students to enhance the quality of the students learning experience. It also provides the students a safe yet challenging environment, similar to the outer world, in which they interact with fellow students from diverse backgrounds and identities (Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, 2007). Physical education is an eminent element in all cultures. It is available either in formal or in informal institutional settings. Thus, irrespective to the setting, it is considered an important component of the educational process. On the base of broad, balanced and coherent range the main aim of physical education is to contribute in the development of an individual’s potential including development and growth as well as physical and psycho-social competencies. Since physical education contribute uniquely in the education of all students (Canterbury Christ Church, 2001), therefore, there should be no school education without it. Keeping in mind its importance, the schools should try to focus more on the development of the subject that helps it to become more flexible so that teachers as well as students learn and joy the true essence of it. References Canterbury Christ Church, 2001. The Role of Physical Education and Sports in Education. Accessed on 2nd December 2010 from http://spined.canterbury.ac.uk Curriculum and Standards. 2004. Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in Secondary School. Accessed on 2nd December 2010 from http://www.derby.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C708453C-3AE3-4AFA-8DD4-8CFEC1C118D2/0/WSAL_Leadershipguide.pdf Department of Education, 2010. Physical Education Model Content Standard for California Public School. Accessed on 2nd December 2010 from http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/pestandards.pdf Institute for Interactive Media & Learning. 2007. Flexible Learning. Accessed on 2nd December 2010 from http://www.iml.uts.edu.au/learnteach/enhance/design/flexible/index.html Policy Department Structural and Cohesion Policies, 2007. Current Situation and Prospects for Physical Education in the European Union. Accessed on 2nd December 2010 from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/studies/download.do?file=16041 Rink.J, Hall.T & Williams.L. 2010. The Role and Responsibilities of the Physical Education Teacher in the School Physical Activity Program. 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