21st century skills in elementary Physical Education
Being a Physical Education instructional assistant at The Rabat American School situated in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, I have observed the implementation of many 21st century skills in the teaching curriculum in both physical education and classrooms. Nowadays 21st century skills are vital components that foster student development, knowledge, and success. We all know that habits are hard to change . That being said , elementary is the place to start getting these students in the habit of using these skills . Our objective as teachers is to challenge our students by introducing new ideas that are rooted and governed by the 21st century skills. We want our students to use these skills in the long term and for life.
21st century interdisciplinary themes
There are 5 interdisciplinary themes that schools must integrate in their curriculum to influence depth of understanding. These 5 themes are 1 global awareness, 2 financial, economic business and entrepreneurial literacy , 3 civic literacy , 4 health literacy, 5 environmental literacy .
Global Awareness : 21st century skills will be implemented in order to assist students in understanding what is going on in the world. The Rabat American School has diverse cultures, each one with unique customs and roots which provides a great opportunity for students to learn about differences and similarities in cultures. In physical education, students will learn about sports disciplines, where they originate from , how they are influenced by that culture and how to play them. As teachers we need to create a learning environment that is motivating, fun and interesting to allow them to collaborate and most importantly learn. For example in the badminton unit I will be explaining the roots of this sports which originate from India but were developed in England . At that time badminton was called battledore and shuttlecock. It got its official name at the badminton house in Gloucestershire in England. The point is, students will learn about the roots of different sports and how they were played and what effect the have nowadays on the world of sports. In the case of badminton, the sport is heavily dominated by Asian cultures as the sport originated from India. In addition, students will learn about different behaviors and will learn how to value and respect them. Furthermore, nutrition is a vial component in physical education. So by teaching our students about the nutrition in different cultures, they will have an idea the role it plays in physical education.
Examples:
21st century interdisciplinary themes
There are 5 interdisciplinary themes that schools must integrate in their curriculum to influence depth of understanding. These 5 themes are 1 global awareness, 2 financial, economic business and entrepreneurial literacy , 3 civic literacy , 4 health literacy, 5 environmental literacy .
Global Awareness : 21st century skills will be implemented in order to assist students in understanding what is going on in the world. The Rabat American School has diverse cultures, each one with unique customs and roots which provides a great opportunity for students to learn about differences and similarities in cultures. In physical education, students will learn about sports disciplines, where they originate from , how they are influenced by that culture and how to play them. As teachers we need to create a learning environment that is motivating, fun and interesting to allow them to collaborate and most importantly learn. For example in the badminton unit I will be explaining the roots of this sports which originate from India but were developed in England . At that time badminton was called battledore and shuttlecock. It got its official name at the badminton house in Gloucestershire in England. The point is, students will learn about the roots of different sports and how they were played and what effect the have nowadays on the world of sports. In the case of badminton, the sport is heavily dominated by Asian cultures as the sport originated from India. In addition, students will learn about different behaviors and will learn how to value and respect them. Furthermore, nutrition is a vial component in physical education. So by teaching our students about the nutrition in different cultures, they will have an idea the role it plays in physical education.
Financial , Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy : Our main objectives as teachers here, is to broaden our students knowledge about how the economy operates and affects society, as well as understanding the importance of entrepreneurial skills when making career decisions. In physical education, students will understand the importance of achieving and maintaing a good level of physical fitness . In addition they may make career choices that revolve around physical education such as opening a gym or selling sports clothing . That is where the entrepreneurial aspect comes into play .
Civic Literacy : Students will learn about their roles in society and will understand what civic duty means. They will know their rights and how the government operates according to those rights . My aim as a physical education teacher is to teach my students how to respect themselves and others and how to be leaders. I will implement team activities in which students will work together and value each others opinions and thoughts. My objective is to discipline my students and alter their behavior so that they share common goals.
Health Literacy : Students will understand basic health principles and how to maintain a good health mentally and physically. I will implement many activities to help students achieve wellness in the long run. Here is an example of a game I designed to promote good health and broaden student knowledge on this subject.
Description of the game Stay Healthy : Each team will start on their respective side, on the red line sharing a scooter, so little ones with older students is encouraged for a better cooperation. Each team needs to pick 2 players that will be representing a “Virus”. The ‘Virus” can only stand on the red stand, any stand will work, as long as no one is on it. They will then, try to tag other team players by throwing a dodge ball. If the ball touches one of the two players, they need to flip the scooter (wheels up), leave the cards on top of the scooter (if they have some) and then go to the hospital zone. They will have to do 10 sit-ups with their partner, face to face, feet hooked with their partners’ and by clapping hands together. A ball that bounces on the ground or touches the scooter will NOT count as an “it”, so the players can still play.
Objective: To collect as many healthy cards as possible in 3-4 minutes game.
Environmental Literacy : Students will be aware of the different conditions that operate this earth such as air, water, ecosystems, land and food. My objective as a teacher is to promote a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition. My other objective is to make my students love the earth , treat it with respect and show love towards it. Earth days a great way to promote this chain of thought. Students clean up the school play grounds and occasionally go on a field trip to the beach to clean it up as well. These activities are a great way to foster collaboration and sneak some physical exercise.
21st century skills
Creativity has to be in my opinion the most important skill because it allows students to think outside the box. Being creative allows students to unlock their brain in order to discover new concepts and ideas as well as discovering things about themselves such as their capabilities. In physical education this can be approached in many ways. One method I like to use is to have students create their own team game and rules. This allows them to collaborate with each other and exchange ideas. Another approach is to have them use different motor skills such as skipping, hoping or sliding when performing physical activities. An example would be come up with different ways to get to the other side of the gym with a partner.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving : Physical education and health are highly governed by critical thinking. That is because one learns how to make smart healthy choices when it comes to exercise, nutrition and lifestyle in order to achieve wellness. Without proper nutrition, exercise and overall good health, our brains will have difficulty functioning at full capacity, thus, hampering the ability to think critically and solve problems. As a teacher I want my students to love physical education. I will do this by introducing fun games that get them moving such as fox and chicken. The game "stay healthy" that I mentioned earlier is also a great way to sneak in information on healthy lifestyles.
Communication is another vital skill because without it we are unable to learn. Students learn through listening, exchanging and applying what they learn and see. All of this is impossible with out some sort of communication may it be verbal or non-verbal. Just like in a regular classroom, students will develop their listening skills when the teacher is explaining an activity . As teachers , we need to give feedback to our students so that they can improve and learn from their mistakes.
Collaboration: Students will learn to share ideas and thoughts through collaboration and teamwork in different sport disciplines such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball. They will work together to come up with strategies to approach a particular sport . Feedback can also be used to help each other improve on their skills. I will use a team checklist where each team member evaluates the other with some sort of positive feedback. This exchange of ideas and opinions will bring the students together by making them feel valuable while support their overall health .
21st century technology implementation
Information Literacy : Physical education and health prepare students to access and process primary and secondary sources of information in an efficient and effective manner. A health brain and body allows students to quickly interpret information, detect flaws and keep up to date with rapid technology changes.
Media Literacy: Students learn how to analyze different messages in advertisements and TV commercials that are related to wellness and overall good health. For instance they will know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods even though a Mc Donald's advertisement shows up on the screen or on a billboard.
ICT literacy : Students are able to use tools such as the internet or different applications(ipads) to research on healthy lifestyles , physical education and proper nutrition. They broaden their knowledge on this topic on their own free times.
Examples and non examples of what constitutes 21st century learning
Examples:
- Collaboration amongst students and teacher
- Feedback amongst peers and feedback from teacher as well
- Team work
- Exchange of thoughts and ideas
- Students have the opportunity to be creative and apply new ideas and concepts
- Students are able to take initiative in the long run, adapt to new situations, direct themselves and persevere.
Non- Examples :
- Traditional one way flow of information from teacher to students
- Minimum or no collaboration amongst students
- Students are disjointed in the classroom rather than connected.
- No interactive communication occurs
- Students are evaluated in the same way , no struggling student is taken into consideration.
- Students do not get the opportunity to be creative and think critically and loose this with time
Works Cited :
Currie, Brad.(Nov 13th 2013). 21st Century Health and PE: Engaged and Relevant . Retrieved from http://pe.dpsk12.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/21st-Century-Skills.pdf
P21 Partnership for 21st Century Learning(May 5th 2015). Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework
Physical Education 21st century skills.(2010). Retrieved from http://hlnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/file/view/21st+Century+Skills+-+Physical+Education.pdf
