Cam Scott's Blog

Secondary PDPP teacher candidate at UVic

Author: camscott

I am presently a student in University of Victoria’s (UVIC) Secondary Post Degree Professional Program and look forward to the upcoming practicum. I completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport and Fitness Leadership at Camosun College, as well as additional coursework in Exercise and Physical Health Education at UVIC. This has provided me with a solid foundation in physical literacy, and the relevance of physical activity and its direct benefits in physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being across the lifespan, but particularly for youth.

ADHD

December 1, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I wanted to write about ADHD because it is so prevalent in a classroom. As a future educator it is important to realize that you will most likely have a student who has ADHD. So you have to be prepared to have these students in your classroom, and have different strategies that can help you.

ADHD Is known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is a condition in which a person has trouble paying attention and focusing on tasks, tends to act without thinking, and has trouble sitting still. It may begin in early childhood and can continue into adulthood. Without treatment, ADHD can cause problems at home, at school, at work, and with relationships. In the past, ADHD was called attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Symptoms include:

  • Trouble paying attention
  • Trouble sitting still for even a short time
  • Acting before thinking

This link also shows how ADHD is diagnosed, how it is treated, and how does it affect adults.

 

Ed Tech Presentation

November 30, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Here is our Ed Tech Power Point presentation we presented in class today. I really enjoyed this group project because it made me realize how beneficial using video analysis in high school sport and PHE settings can be.

As a future educator I would definitely be open to using one of these apps if the school that I taught at allowed it, and also funded it. Some apps can be quite expensive but I think it would be worth it, and like we mentioned in the powerpoint it can add some variety into your classroom that could make it more engaging.

I really enjoyed working with my group members throughout this semester. We collaborated effectively with one another, and were open minded about any idea with each other. Another strength of our group was our organization skills. I think the main reason why we were so organized was because of Trello. Trello is  a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. In one glance, Trello tells you what’s being worked on, who’s working on what, and where something is in a process.

Pros and Cons of Video Analysis Apps

November 29, 2019 / / 0 Comments

For our Ed Tech group project our group decided to focus on video analysis in high school sport and PHE settings. This is a topic I’m definitely interested in learning about more because video analysis has been beneficial for me in the past when playing high school sports. In addition, I have had classes in high school and post secondary where we have used video analysis as an assessment tool and it has been very effective. Also my teachable is PHE so video analysis can relate to so many different categories in teaching including: assessment, distributed learning, multimedia learning theory, open pedagogy, personal learning, audio editing, collaboration, communication, image editing, tech tools, and video editing.

The four apps our group focused on were Dartfish, Coach’s Eye, Ubersense, and Sportlyzer. Below I have included a list of pros and cons of all apps.

Dartfish Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Offers a complete set of features for analysis in many different sports
  • Analysts are able to tag, review and edit actions seen in the footage in real-time while continuing to record events that continue to take place
  • Has a built-in capture system
  • Offers a coding system
  • Allows you to record video from static IP cameras around a playing ground and then once video is captured or imported, the trim and time shift tool allows you to edit and replay certain sports of the footage before starting to code it
  • Video analysis has several different features such as: basic drawing features, create slow-motion highlights, fast-forward/rewind less important sections, ability to zoom in/out, snapshots of key moments, and split video analysis
  • Has stats tables and graphs

Cons:

  • Cost
  • Tricky to learn

 

Pros and Cons of Coach’s Eye

Pros:

  • Great tool when trying to breakdown things
  • Offers athletes unique feedback for self-reflection and improvement
  • Great visual aid
  • Powerful video analysis tools and playback ability
  • Able to record video in the app or import clips from a camera roll in slow motion, real time, and frame-by-frame stubbing
  • Easy to find exact moments in performance
  • Easily accessible to analyze and record
  • Able to add voice over commentary, and make side-by-side video comparisons
  • Allows you to share as a YouTube URL via social media, text, or email

Cons:

  • High and hidden costs in add-on tools and subscription fees
  • Need to careful when sharing videos since privacy defaults to public
  • Limited storage

 

Pros and Cons of Ubersense

Pros:

  • Excellent tutorials in knowledge base
  • Offers a complete set of features for analysis in many different sports
  • Fast video processing
  • Especially good at video features like slo-mo, frame by frame, tracking user over time and side-by-side
  • Simple and intuitive user interface
  • Lots of support on it’s website

Cons:

  • Only available for iOS at this time (but Android is in the works)
  • Small annual membership fee

 

Pros and Cons of Sportlyzer

Pros:

  • Great app for coaches, players, and parents
  • Easily accessible
  • Everything you need is in one place
  • All schedules, games, contacts, updates, etc are nicely managed on the web or mobile app 

Cons

  • No separate app for players
  • App isn’t free if user wants everything to be included

 

 

 

Video Conferencing

November 22, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Today our class learned about video conferencing. Again, I found out this class very interesting and beneficial because I didn’t have much previous knowledge about this topic. Our class was split into two groups and each group was in a separate room. Val then proceeded to do her lecture but she bounced around from room to room. Throughout the lecture she asked us some open ended questions about video conferencing that led to a productive collaborative talk.

There are several Benefits of Video Conferencing in Education for teachers and students.

Some other benefits that our group  discussed throughout class were:

-More accessible and convenient

-Decreases anxiety

-Creates digital citizens

-Provides variety in the class

-Improves student engagement

 

 

 

 

 

 

High School Experience on Video Analysis

November 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I wanted to share an experience about why video analysis can be a useful teaching tool in high school sports. When I was in grade 12 I was on the senior boys basketball team. About mid way through the season we filmed one of our games, and also filmed a practice which was heavily focused on shooting. Having these two activities filmed was extremely helpful, and was an eye opening experience to me.

Video analysis allows coaches and athletes to take a critical look at an athlete’s performance in order to improve skills, develop strategy, and to prevent injury. The great thing about video analysis is that it can capture small details in technique that are often missed when watching athletes live, or when a coach is just explaining details to an athlete in a conversation.

Having our basketball game filmed was beneficial because it allowed us to focus on the smaller details that sometimes can’t be seen or shown verbally by a coach etc. Being able to fast forward/rewind and zoom in and out was quite useful. Having a coach giving feedback while also having a visual tool was something that really helped me. Having our shooting practice filmed was amazing because it helped me so much.

Overall I definitely encourage sport teams to use video analysis!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Minecraft as an Instructional Method

November 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

In today’s class five students from Colquitz Middle School and their teacher visited our class and talked to us about Minecraft. The teacher spoke very highly of Minecraft, and mentioned several times how it can be such a useful teaching tool. I really enjoyed today’s class because I have never thought about using Minecraft in a classroom, but after hearing the students and teacher talk so highly about it, I am definitely open to the idea now.

Today’s class was great because I have never played Minecraft before. I have seen some friends and family play before but that’s about it. I found the class very engaging and loud today. So many of my peers were collaborating and critically thinking together.

I was also very impressed by the five Colquitz students today. They were so knowledgable and passionate about this topic. I asked all the students a variety of questions and every time they provided me with a helpful answer.

Would I incorporate Minecraft into my classroom?

This is a tricky question for me because my teachable is PHE. So incorporating this into PHE would be tricky. At the same time, I’m very open to teaching middle school in my career, and if I was in that environment I would definitely use Minecraft every once and a while.

 

 

 

 

 

PSII Visit

October 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Last Friday our class visited PSII. PSII stands for Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry. PSII is very different compared to public schools because the students learn through inquiry pathways that act as the umbrella for projects and other learning activities.

Personalized learning paths are created through the teachers and students. Currently at PSII there are 95 students, and 7 teachers. The students who have chosen to go to PSII often feel like they fit into regular high or school, or struggled, or didn’t feel challenged enough. Their parents most likely noticed this as well. The 7 teachers who work at PSII all have different specialties and collaborate together to give the students the best opportunity to learn and grow. Having only 95 students at the school allows for teachers to develop unique relationships with their students that in turn will benefit the students immensely. From the students I spoke to directly, I got the sense they enjoyed the freedom and independence of inquiry-based learning. Having freedom and independence for students when learning is so beneficial because it allows students to be in the drivers seat, but at the same time it puts the responsibility on the students to critically think for themselves.

 

Learning Disabilities

October 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

A learning disability is not an intellectual disability. A learning disability is a disability that affects a person’s ability to process information. People with learning disabilities possess an average to above-average IQ. Learning disabilities are neurologically-based processing problems. These processing problems can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing and/or math.

Learning Disabilities are quite common now a day. An estimated 5-10% of Canadians have Learning Disabilities, and 50% of students receiving special education have LD’s. LD’s are on of the fastest growing type of disabilities in Canada.

Learning Disabilities often interfere with the following acquisitions:

Oral Language

Reading

Written Language

Mathematics

Organization

Social Skills

This link is an article that provides strategies for teaching advice for students who have learning disabilities.

 

 

 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

October 16, 2019 / / 0 Comments

What is Autism? 

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. For a designation such as autism, “it is estimated that 1 in 59” (Autism Speaks, 2018) will be classified with this learning challenge.

Below are some questions and answers that hopefully will provide you with some more clarity!

How do you diagnose autism?

  • Autism is diagnosed in BC by a diagnostic psychologist
  • Typically the whole process starts with a parent or teacher who has some concerns about the student and they will take them to their family paediatrician who will make a referral to the autism assessment network
  • Diagnosed by a set of behaviours that are observed by parents and doctors
  • Not a blood test or neurological exam

What are the characteristics of autism?

  • Social communication impairments (probably the main one)
  • Stereotypic behaviour, which is a child that engages in repetitive ritualistic kind of behaviours. Examples include flapping hands, tiptoe walking, any kind of repetitive speech
  • Sensory issues, anxiety, and other characteristics

What do students with autism struggle on a day-to-day business?

  • A whole list of social demands including: social interaction, understanding social content, reading non-verbal cues, sharing, co-operating with others
  • Difficulty with organization, mental planning, prioritizing transitions

What are some strategies that support their challenges?

  • Not over talking!
  • Use pictures and diagrams
  • Allowing kids to have breaks
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Having set routines and predictability in your classroom (super important)!!!!!

What are the resources you can use to help these kids?

  • POPARD (Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders
  • POPARD website: https://www.autismoutreach.ca

How do you create a good environment for the students in a PHE setting or even just in a normal classroom setting?

  • Learn as much as you can about autism. Read research, do in-service professional development
  • Have predictability and set routines in your class
  • Provide visual information
  • Be a good role model for the students

I received all of this information from Kari Bennett who is a Special Education Teacher

 

 

 

Introduction and Reasoning for Blog Topic

October 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

For my Free Inquiry I have chosen to focus on students that have special educational needs in Physical Education.  By special education I am referring to students with some type of learning difficulty which calls for a special educational provision. I am very interested and passionate about this topic. My goal for this blog is to provide my peers, and other colleagues, with different strategies and resources that they could use when teaching games in PHE with students who have a special education designation.

As a future educator I believe it’s imperative that more teachers should be educated on how to effectively  teach students who have some sort of a disability. When teaching any class, teachers will always have a wide spectrum of students who learn differently, have different abilities, and disabilities. Teachers must firstly assess each student and then alter their teaching style to cater to each students learning needs. It is the teachers responsibility to work with their students to create more inclusive learning environments, regardless of different students disabilities.

An average school day for student’s who have some sort of disability can be extremely challenging. For typical students who find school relatively easy, it maybe hard for them to fully understand what special ed students go through in a school day, and also on a day to day basis. Social interaction, understanding instruction, not fully being able to read non-verbal cues, sharing and co-operating with other students, and organization and mental planning are just some struggles that these students go through.

 

 

Please have a listen to this video!!! It is only two minutes. Before any teacher starts their career they should listen to these videos because it will help teachers realize and appreciate what students who have a disability go through on a day to day basis. The Dear Teacher video illustrates how teachers MUST listen to the voices of their students, and realize that every student learns a different way. It’s not the students responsibility to change, it’s the teachers responsibility to create a more inclusive learning and working environment, regardless of the disability.

 

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