4 minute read
Learning Through Movement
LEARNING THROUGH MOVEMENT Physical Education is about learning in, through and about movement.
In other words, we have the wonderful and unique opportunity to use movement as a way of helping students learn. Our key concept focuses on the wellbeing of self, other and society and all our curriculum and learning stems from this key principle and interestingly has done so for the last 20 years. Although we have key learning intentions, we co-construct the programme with the students wherever possible. We find this improves engagement. One example is that we allow the students to often choose the context or physical activity as this is not relevant to the actual focus of our lessons or what we are trying to achieve.
Contrary to what many people believe, developing students’ physical skills is only 1 of 15 key objectives within The Physical Education and Health Curriculum. Equal emphasis is placed on other objectives such as attitudes, personal health, identity and interpersonal skills. Hence, whether the students choose “Colours” or “Capture the flag” is often not important when the learning focus is Decision Making or Hauora.
Our Year 7 students have spent the year learning the “what, how and why” around our school values and more specifically, what they look and feel like in real life. We have built on this with learning to make positive and effective decisions and more recently a deeper understanding of Hauora. It has been really pleasing to see the students understand that being physically active not only impacts physical Hauora, but their spiritual, emotional and mental wellbeing also.
Year 8s on the other hand have been facilitating their own learning by running Dodgeball and Unihoc competitions within their class. The key focus has been around improving their social responsibility and looking beyond themselves to the needs of others. It has been wonderful to witness some students displaying high levels of social responsibility outside of the Physical Education environment.
Our Year 9’s have been focusing on improving their self-management and perseverance. We chose the context of Gymnastics to help the students with these key life skills. Their reflections indicated how much they enjoyed working outside their comfort zone and that they can achieve more than they realise when they persevere at an activity. This is such wonderful learning that we hope they use in other aspects of their school life.
Similarly, our Year 10’s has been focusing on Leadership where each has taken the chance to lead their peers in an activity of their choosing. They have needed to plan, facilitate, and review their session and the strengths and weaknesses in their leadership, communication and planning. We have been delighted with the excellent organisation and implementation many of our Year 10 students have displayed and the willingness to invent new activities and games. Their personal reflections on this experience have highlighted the improvements in their self-belief, willingness to work outside their comfort zone and eagerness to have more leadership opportunities.
All our junior classes have also partaken in Health classes throughout the year. We have placed emphasis on communication skills, friendships, decision making and ensuring they have the necessary information to make safe choices. These health classes play an integral and important part in our learning programme.
Our Level 1 optional classes have used their year to learn about biophysical principles around anatomy and biomechanics and applied this to a skill of their choice. They have also examined the involvement of the Gen Z generation in physical activity and the reasons for opting out. Our final learning focused on risk management whilst mountain biking and participating in a high ropes course. Students at Level 2 enjoyed their surfing practical at the beginning of the year and the opportunity to critique their own training programmes. In Term Three they began working with a student from Ferndale, a special needs school nearby. This wonderful and unique relationship has been underway for over 25 years. The students planned a physical activity programme for each of these students. Unfortunately they had only undertaken three sessions with their students before COVID-19 restrictions meant they were unable to continue. However, the experience and learning the students took away from those sessions was immense.
The Level 3 Health students have had a very interesting year delving into several interesting and very relevant topics as part of their NCEA course. Students have had the opportunity to investigate issues around alcohol, alternative health practices and more recently, have taken an indepth investigation around Euthanasia. This has been extremely pertinent as many of these students voted for the first time this year.
Year 9 PE in the Pool
students have spent time recently looking at “issues” within physical activity and sport. These range from drugs to transgender to the advantages and disadvantages of sports scholarships. It has been really pleasing to see the level of critical thinking some of these students are achieving. We also have five students undertaking Scholarship PE which involves completing a major research assignment on a topic of their choice.
We are delighted with the programme we have from Year 7 to Scholarship, the learning undertaken and the results we achieve both at NCEA but more importantly in the students themselves. However, much of what we focus on at the junior level cannot be “tested” or objectively quantified. However, as teachers we see changes in attitude, confidence, interpersonal skills, and the willingness to persevere and undertake new challenges and work outside their comfort zone. It is these personal attributes and achievements that, as a learning area we are most proud of.
Words by Debbie Robertson HEAD OF LEARNING AREA – PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
