View as Webpage

Dec. 5, 2018

Take the Resolution Challenge!

The start of a new year brings a promise of new possibilities. For many it is a fresh start or the time to make a new commitment to achieve a desired outcome. As educators, we have the opportunity to use the new year as a time to recalibrate our expectations for students. Over the holiday break, I challenge you to identify one or two areas of your practice that could benefit from a reboot! It doesn’t have to be anything major. Even small shifts can make a big difference to kids. What would have the biggest impact for your students?

While you work toward your resolutions for your students, consider putting a Resolution Challenge to them! Ask them to write down an action that will improve their health, fitness, or well-being. Have your students track their progress and collaborate to determine strategies for turning those actions in to healthy habits. Think about how you might acknowledge the students who stick with their resolution for two or three weeks, or maybe months! Could be a great authentic learning opportunity.

Paige Metz

Health and Physical Education Coordinator

San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)

Check Out SDCOE's Offerings

The SDCOE Health and Physical Education professional learning schedule has the following offerings still available for 2018-19:

Keep an eye out for new offerings in future updates. On-site professional learning, consultation, walk-throughs, and coaching also are available. Contact Paige Metz for more information.

Three-Day Physical Literacy Institute is a Must

The goal of physical education is to develop students’ physical literacy: the knowledge, skills, fitness, values, and motivation to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It requires a systemic approach to pedagogy that challenges many traditional practices. Join us as we identify learning outcomes, create assessment tools, and plan instruction to empower students with confidence and passion for a lifetime of physical activity. Registration is now open for the spring session of the Three-Day Physical Literacy Institute on Jan. 17, Feb. 8 and March 7. 

Choose Your Own Professional Learning at Health and Physical Education I3: Inquiry, Innovation, and Implementation

Individuals and teams are invited to personalize their professional learning at Health and Physical Education I3: Inquiry, Innovation, and Implementation by selecting a focus area to conduct inquiry, plan innovation, and implement change. On training dates, SDCOE will provide access to resources, consultation, feedback, and support to help educators learn, rethink, redesign, and recreate learning opportunities. The four-day session will take place Jan. 29, Feb. 13, March 14, and April 3. On-site coaching will also be provided between meeting dates.  

New Date: Learning and Innovation Summit on Feb. 9

The Learning and Innovation Summit featuring Google has been rescheduled for Feb. 9. It was initially slated for Dec. 1. In addition to the sessions applicable to all disciplines, the summit will feature a strand specifically for physical education. Registration for the event will open in mid-December. Look for email announcements and updated information in the January monthly update.

Local Pair Leads the Way on Adapted Physical Education

Becky Paradise and Katrina McClanahan, both from the San Diego Unified School District Adapted Physical Education (APE) department, played key leadership roles in putting on the National Adapted Physical Education Conference in San Diego on Nov. 8 to 10. This year's conference with the theme, “Incl US ion: Join the Movement,” had 440 participants from across the country as well as Canada, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and Singapore. 

Speakers including inspirational author Alex Montoya (pictured above) and San Diego Unified School District APE teacher Chris Ahrens were featured at the event.

Thank you Becky and Katrina for providing critical leadership to support all students’ access to quality physical education!

Goobric

Goobric works with Doctopus (an add-on for Google Sheets) to provide easy rubric grading of Google assignments (such as documents, presentations, spreadsheets, folders, etc.). With an assessment toolbar, Goobric provides access to clickable scoring for a grid-style rubric and allows teachers to add comments. Submitted scores can be emailed to students and automatically transferred to your class roster.

Create a Winter Break Fitness Plan

It's important that we encourage students to improve their fitness both in class and outside school. Winter break is a great opportunity for students to re-examine their fitness goals. Have students identify three to five things they can do to help achieve their fitness goals while on break. Have them document their activities, and encourage them to maintain their participation in activities they enjoyed even when school is back in session.

Write an Activity Recipe

Give students the opportunity to write an activity recipe that explains how to complete a physical activity or task. Have them start with the ingredients (equipment, surface, location, lines, set-up, etc). Then they should walk someone step-by-step through the process. Think of the possibilities: a dance, movement skill, object manipulation, an offense/defense, you name it -- they write the recipe to success.

Dance Party Stations

Create a circuit out of your favorite dance moves. At each station, post the name and a few pictures of a specific dance move. Give students a few minutes at each station to create their own version of each move. There are no wrong answers. At the end, let students put together a string of movements to create their own dance! This could be a fun (and active) day for students K-12. (Written by Jamila Demby as observed at Otay Elementary.)

The PE Geek Releases 100 Ways to Use Technology in Physical Education

The PE Geek at www.thepegeek.com has 100 ways that physical educators can use technology in their classes. Whether you are looking for fun fitness activities, using video in class, assessments, Google opportunities, active gaming, virtual reality, productivity and useful tools, you will find something worth implementing on the 100 Ways to Use Technology in Physical Education list.

Documents Help Define Quality Physical Education

SDCOE, in collaboration with San Diego Unified School District, created two tools to help teachers and administrators define quality physical education. The Foundations for Quality Physical Education: Observation Guide can be used by teachers as a self-evaluation tool or can help guide administrators’ understanding of what quality physical education looks like in action. The Physical Education Best Practice brochure describes shifts in practice that will improve students’ physical literacy.

Professional Articles/Videos/Websites Worth Your Attention (Don’t Miss!)

Cindi Elrod: A Bright Light in San Diego County Physical Education with a Strong Legacy

It is with a heavy heart that we share that Cindi Elrod passed away Nov. 13. Cindi, a long-time adapted physical education teacher, elementary physical education teacher, advocate and leader, is someone who touched the life of students and teachers alike. She served as a mentor teacher, BTSA/Induction program support provider, was a Nationally Board Certified Teacher, was part of the Physical Education Leadership Academy, received the Chargers Champions Grant, was a regular feature on SDCOE exemplary elementary physical education site visits, and was a champion for quality physical education at the local and state levels. While she retired in 2017, much of her work lives on in those of us who she inspired -- and there are many! Cindi’s heart, passion, energy, and friendship will be missed.

Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Included in FPM Reviews

Districts and sites will now be monitoring implementation of comprehensive sexual health education programs, according to the California Department of Education (CDE). The monitoring will assure compliance with the California Healthy Youth Act, and will be part of the CDE’s Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) process.

Final Public Comment Period on Health Education Framework Closes Jan. 11

The revised draft of the 2019 Health Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Health Education Framework) is available for its second 60-day public review and comment period through Jan. 11. The latest version includes more than 200 edits based on submitted comments during the first 60-day public review and comment period. A public input template is also available for download from the link above.

Arthritis Foundation to Host Annual Jingle Bell Run

The Arthritis Foundation will host its 26th annual Jingle Bell Run on Dec. 8 at NTC Liberty Station. Encourage your students and their families to put on their favorite holiday costume and jingle bells to participate in the event’s 5K. The top finishing school will receive a pizza party.