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The Combination of Elements in the Personalised System of Instruction

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The Combination of Elements in the Personalised System of Instruction

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There will be several resources used over this six week scheme in order to support and contribute to learning that is to be achieved. These will include:

Colourful and detailed learning wall containing written text, photographs, class charter and teaching ques to help students understand the various concepts and terminology associated with the athletics skills and lesson tasks.

Self and peer assessment worksheets so students are able to monitor and reflect on their own development and progression in the task/skill as well as helping others to.

PSI student workbook including a variety of different components such as class rules and disciplinary plan, how to get and return equipment and complete content list and PSI learning tasks with performance criterion, amongst others.

Projector and screen to display video clips that are relevant to the topic of a particular lesson.

Video analysis apps i.e., SloMo, where students can analyse their and own and each others performances in various skills and game scenarios and identify areas of strength/weakness and how to improve.

Video analysis template sheets so students are able to analyse relevant video clips displaying skills and techniques associated with different athletics disciplines.

Exit cards and quizzes will be used to determine students attitudes and feelings/understanding of key material after lessons.

Worksheets, such as crosswords, wordsearches, questionnaires, feedback forms, etc., will be available for any non-participants and be connected to the learning taking place in the lesson for inclusion purposes.

General equipment relevant to each individual lesson will also be used e.g., javelins, shot puts, batons, etc.

Personal equipment such as proper school attire, roll book, whistle, stopwatch, clipboard and markers/pens.

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Staying Well

Learners will be encouraged to demonstrate care for the safety of themselves and others during all tasks in this scheme of work

Learners will be challenged to be physically active in each lesson and to develop their skills and understanding of the various athletics disciplines at a pace that is suitable to them.

Learners will be encouraged and supported to become more competent and confident participants in physical activity through engagement in a range of different tasks at different levels throughout this scheme.

Managing Myself

Learners will be challenged to assess their own ability and progress in different tasks/skills in this module and identify the necessary steps they need to take in order to improve.

Learners will be encouraged to reflect on their own learning in lessons through self-assessment sheets and exit cards as well as participation in group discussion.

Communicating

Learners will be given the opportunity to express their own thoughts and opinions during class discussions.

Learners will be challenged to communicate with fellow classmates calmly, respectfully and effectively throughout each lesson when working as part of a pair/group and when giving peer assessment/feeback.

Working with Others

Learners will be challenged to develop and enhance their ability of working with others through peer teaching, assessment and feedback.

Learners will be encouraged to develop strong and positive relationships with their classmates throughout this scheme, particularly when working as part of a pair/group.

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Targetting Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Fluency Skills

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Targetting Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Fluency Skills

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The National Strategy to improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People in Ireland 2011-2020 (2011, p.8) explain that “Literacy includes the capacity to read, understand and critically appreciate various forms of communication including spoken language, printed text, broadcast media, and digital media” and that “Numeracy encompasses the ability to use mathematical understanding and skills to solve problems and meet the demands of day-to-day living in complex social settings”. Therefore, it is vital that these are targeted by various strategies throughout this scheme. These strategies are outlined below:

Literacy skills

Learners will learn, understand and use the key terminology associated with athletics and concepts associated with the PSI instructional model.

Learners will understand and process the information that is presented to them through the use of the learning wall regarding how to perform certain tasks and skills and the teaching cues associated with this and why they are performing them.

Learners will work together with teacher to design class charter based on how students are to behave during PE lessons.

Learners will read and understand the different information that is presented to them via their PSI workbooks.

Learners will complete written self and peer assessment worksheets based on their ability and progress in certain skills and tasks.

Learners will complete written class quizzes based on their knowledge of a task or skill covered in a particular lesson.

Numeracy skills

Learners will become familiar with the use of timing in relation to athletics e.g., the length of time they can do the 100m sprint in.

Learners will be challenged to use and understand the concept of angles when participating in certain skills and tasks e.g, keep elbows at 90 degrees when sprinting.

Learners will frequently use distance when engaging in different athletics disciplines such as the length they have to sprint, how high/long they can jump and how long they can throw the javelin/shot put.

Learners will be able to process and understand when teacher/peer breaks skill down into number of steps.

Learners will understand different scoring systems when completing peer/self-assessment worksheets.

Digital Fluency Strategies

“Digital fluency is a combination of new and old techniques: a mix of the classic tropes of any discerning historian or journalist with some very specific knowledge about how the internet works. It is an amalgam of established critical thinking and information literacy skills, but also bodies of knowledge and techniques that allow these skills to be applied to a new context posing new challenges and opportunities.”

(Miller & Bartlett ,2012, p.51)

The use of IT and the internet is now becoming increasingly important in education as it’s popularity increases in its use in everyday life. Therefore, efforts will be made to target digital fluency in this scheme to help best equip students in this area. For example, video clips will be used a crucial learning aid when explaining and demonstrating key athletics concepts and skills. Students will also be required to do their own research online regarding different skills to gain a knowledge and understanding of them prior to the lesson they are to be completed in. Furthermore, video analysis apps such as SloMo will be used to assess and break down students’ technique in certain skills i.e., the sprint.

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Assessment is a crucial part of the new Junior Cycle framework in relation to supporting student learning and needs to be supported by high quality feedback as “Research shows that the greatest benefits for students’ learning occur when teachers provide effective feedback to students that helps them to understand how their learning can be improved” (Department of Education and Skills, 2015). Therefore, assessment will be predominantly formative and continuous in nature with some elements of summative assessment also included. In following the PSI instructional model, self-assessment will be commonly used throughout this scheme as learners are challenged to assess their own progress in a skill or discipline and determine whether they are ready to move onto the next challenge and the steps they need to take in order to achieve this (NCCA, 2016). This should prove effective in developing students independent learning and critical thinking skills (López-Pastor et al., 2013). In addition to this peer assessment and feedback will also be used, particularly when students are working in pairs/groups to develop their ability in certain athletic based skills. Melograno (1996, p.161) believes this method of assessment helps to develop the learner as whole as he believes it allows students to “develop assessment skills, concern for others and a sense of responsibility by giving and receiving constructive or critical feedback”. Students ability in performing a given skill or task will be based on the success criteria outlined in the PSI workbook (designed by teacher) and be assessed in both formal and informal manners. Informal teacher assessment will include observation, questioning and oral feedback. Furthermore, video analysis be incorporated and used by both students and teachers to assess specific techniques associated with certain skills. Apps such a “SloMo” can be used to aid this form of assessment.

In order for assessment to be both reflective and successful during this module, it is crucial that the learning intentions of the lesson are outlined at the start of each class. Furthermore, the success criteria associated with each skill needs to be accurate and clearly explained to students so that they can gauge their own progress and level of ability correctly. This needs to be supported by the teacher who plays a significant role in this as they must not only explain the tasks/skills themselves but also provide a visual demonstration of what is required in order to attain mastery in the skill and explain the reasons behind doing certain skills/tasks. For example, when teaching the correct sprinting technique it will be important to explain how this technique is not only important in athletics but also in a range of other sports. This will contribute to students’ overall understanding of what they are doing and allow the teacher, their peers and themselves to assess them in the most accurate fashion possible.

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Fundamental Movement Skills Targeted in this Scheme

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Fundamental Movement Skills Targeted in this Scheme

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There will be a variety of FMS targeted throughout this scheme which will include running and galloping (locomotor), jumping and landing, balancing and transferring weight (non-manipulative) and throwing (manipulative). Coordination will also be kay skill developed throughout the course of this module, particularly in relation to events such as the shot put and javelin.

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Organnisation of the Learning Experience

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Organnisation of the Learning Experience

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This six week unit of work will take place on the school running track and Astro with lessons to take place in school gym if weather disrupts plan for outside lessons. The structure of lessons will allow for incremental developments in different athletic disciplines from lesson to lesson and may need to be occasionally altered depending on the pace of student learning as outlined in PSI instruction model. The key topics that will be covered over the duration of this scheme of work will be sprints and relay, long jump, high jump, javelin, and shot put. A class charter will also be designed with students in lesson one for use in their PSI student workbook and on the learning wall regarding how they are going to behave, attendance and punctuality policies, changing room/gear policies, how to get and return equipment and procedures for starting each class (Luttrell & Chambers, 2013).

Following the general housekeeping routine (bags placed on stage/outside of pitch, roll call, phone and jewellery collection, uniform check, collection of injury/sick notes, assignment of tasks to non-participants), each lesson will begin with the learners being introduced to the learning wall as the outline of the lesson and the learning intentions are shared and discussed. Students will then receive a written introduction to the skill in focus accompanied with supporting material via the learning wall (texts, photographs, learning ques) and a demonstration of the correct technique from teacher or through the use of video clip as learning aid (Luttrell & Chambers, 2013). Students will be then divided up into groups with teacher appointing coach for each group to lead warm up activity that must be specific to the topic of the lesson. It will be crucial that the autonomy associated with tasks is taught i.e., students are taught the skills and reasons why we do activities in the warm and across the lesson as a whole (Chambers, 2018). Students will work as individuals, in pairs and in groups across the course of this module and when working in groups each student will have a particular role to play e.g., coach, equipment manager, progress tracker, etc., - similar to the Sport education instructional model to ensure inclusion and maximum participation from all students (Block & Obrunsnikova, 2007). Students will be required to assess their own individual progression in tasks before decision whether or not they are ready to move onto a task of greater difficulty. It is therefore important that the teacher has a number of tasks differing in difficulty available for students. To facilitate this, students will use self-assessment sheets based on the success criteria associated with a particular task or skill. This level of assessment will help students become more independent and critical in their learning which is a key element of Junior Cycle education (Department of Education and Skills, 2015).

Lessons will generally end with a competitive element or fun game if and when appropriate before students move back into their groups from the beginning of the lesson to complete a student led cool down. Like the warm up, the cool down must be specific to athletics and students should know the autonomy associated with it. Students will then assemble the learning wall as the lesson is debriefed and discussed through discussion and questioning around the learning pathway. A particular focus will be placed on students’ level of engagement and success during the lesson and their ability to recall the learning cues associated with the skills covered (Luttrell & Chambers, 2013). Learners may also be asked to complete a quiz and/or self-assessment sheet based on what was covered during the lesson as a means of consolidating knowledge and developing literacy skills (Department of Education and Skills, 2011). Learners may also be required to complete an exit card as they leave based on their enjoyment of the lesson and/or on what they learned.

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Rationale for the Selection of Instructional Model and Topic

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Rationale for the Selection of Instructional Model and Topic

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Rationale for Selection of Instructional Model and Topic

In differentiated classrooms, teachers ensure that students compete against themselves as they grow and develop more than they compete against one another, always moving toward—and often beyond—designated content goals (Tomlinson, 2014, p.4).

As the students in this class have shown a keen desire to constantly improve and develop their abilities at various topics and skills across their involvement in Junior Cycle PE so far it is important that this level of motivation is well facilitated to help maintain it going forward. As this class contains a largely mixed ability in a range of skills, particularly in relation to the speed students can acquire a certain level of proficiency in a given skill, it is crucial that they develop a “growth mindset” where they don’t judge their progress by comparing their ability to that of another’s but instead against improvement shown in themselves (Gilbert et al., 2010). The use of the PSI model can allow for this to occur as it places a significant emphasis on students individual mastery of skills through determining the pace of their own learning (Luttrell & Chambers, 2013). This model can also cater excellently for differentiation which important in this class as there are some students with SEN (dyslexia and ASD) who will benefit from progressing at a pace that suits them. In order to facilitate this level of desired differentiation students will be afforded the opportunity to work in pairs and/or small group where appropriate so as to allow peer teaching to occur between stronger learners and weaker learners. This will be of benefit to everyone involved because it will challenge stronger learners in their development in the topic as well as provide weaker students with increased individualised instructional time, both from peers and teacher (Ní Chróinín & Cosgrave, 2013).

Athletics is a key part of strand three in the new Junior Cycle PE short course (NCCA, 2016). It is an extremely beneficial topic for students to engage in as it provides learners with the opportunity to develop a range of different FMS across a variety of different athletic events e.g., javelin, shot put, sprints, relay, etc. It is important that learners are provided with the best possible opportunities to acquire these movement skills so as to increase students motivation and overall participation in Physical Activity (PA) both inside and outside school with the Junior Cycle PE short course stating that “Physical education can provide all students with enjoyable and worthwhile learning opportunities where they develop the movement skills and competencies to participate and perform in a variety of physical activities competently, confidently and safely”. Furthermore, extensive research carried out by Lubans et al. (2010) and Fisher et al. (2005) has provided empirical evidence that suggests that there is a positive association between PA participation and high levels of proficiency in FMS. Therefore, athletics is proven to be an excellent topic to impart these skills onto learners in a fun, beneficial and safe manner across a range of disciplines whilst it is also important to note that the skills acquired through athletics are widely transferable to a host of other sports and Physical Activities making it a very advantageous topic for learners to engage in as part of any PE programme.