# data[].attributes.body
Akhavan, P., Dehghani M., Rajabpour, A. & Pezeshkan A. (2016) An investigation of the effect of extroverted and introverted personalities on knowledge acquisition techniques, Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 46(2), 194-206.

Gallahue D.L. & Ozmun JC. (2006) Understanding motor development: infants, children, adolescents, adults. 6th edn. McGraw-Hill, Boston.

Good T.L. & Brophy J.E. (2000) Looking in Classrooms, 8th edn. Longman, New York.

Kirschner P.A., Sweller J. & Clark, R.E., (2006) Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: an analysis of the failire of constructivist, discoverist, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based learning. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75-86.

Kyriacou, C. (2007), Essential Teaching Skills, 3rd edn. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham.

Lubans, D.R., Morgan, P.J., Cliff, D.P., Barnett L.M & Okely, A.D, (2010), Fundamental Movement Skills in Children and Adolescents, Sports Medicine, 40(12), 1019-1035.

Rogers, B. (2006), Classroom Behaviour: A Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behaviour Management and Colleague Support, 2nd edn. Paul Chapman, London.

Wulf G., Lauterbach B. & Toole T. (1999) The Learning Advantages of an External Focus of Attention in Golf, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 70(2), 120-126.

# data[].attributes.body
Our final gymnastics lesson progressed onto a more complicated form of gymnastics in the forward roll. We were sceptical about including this in our lesson plan due to safety concerns but the students were generally very capable of performing the activity safely, although we did have to cue several students to tuck their head more to prevent putting weight straight down on top of their head. I learned that 4th class students are competent enough in gymnastics to perform forward rolls safely and effectively. I think we could have progressed the activities a little more over the 3 sessions, but lack of experience combined with the mixed experience level of the group meant that we wanted to include everyone.

# data[].attributes.body
I learned that we must improve upon my time-keeping as teachers going forward. Planning lessons with more definite times in the lesson plan would help with this. We progressed activities from individual balances in week 1 to partner balances this week. Less time could be spent revisiting the rolls from lesson 1 and more time spent on partner balances. The students both enjoyed and were challenged by the lesson. I learned that some children respond well to certain types of instruction and others may not respond well to the same instruction. I feel that we were better at managing the students this week compared to the first session, as we got to know them a little better and were able to keep them active for more of the session.

# data[].attributes.body
In our first week in CETNS, we taught our first lesson plan to the 4th class students and it went quite well I felt. Allowing the students to discover new ways of crossing the mat was very good for them I felt, as it gave them the opportunity to enjoy gymnastics without being given direct instructions and were allowed to simply enjoy moving. Despite limited space I feel the students in my group were able to be active for most of the session when I lead the warm up, although subsequent warm ups could be done without the use of mats to maximise movement opportunities. In the tasks perhaps we could have used more mats so that all students could have been more active, instead of 1 student performing and the others watching. Students were given feedback in my group that body tension was important in the rolls, as it created smooth and controlled movement.

# data[].attributes.body
This week we practiced teaching our first lesson plan to our classmates. It went well and was a useful exercise as it allowed us to practice time management and transitions between the different sections of the lesson plan. I learned that my voice projection is good and that I can be heard in a loud space such as the Mardyke Arena. I think I should try to say less in my teaching as I have a tendency to try and give too much feedback to students which could overload them. To step back a little and allow the students to practice their movement could be beneficial to them, which could be assisted by planning the lesson plans with a more student focused teaching style such as guided discovery.

# data[].attributes.body
Dylan really enjoyed the 2nd gymnastics session, rating it 9/10 for enjoyment. He found the partner balances challenging and this was a major factor in his enjoyment of the session, along with being highly active for the 30 minute session. the most challenging aspects of the partner balances were getting correct foot positioning for the partner balance, which enables the partners of different sizes to balance effectively. Dylan was highly competent in performing forward rolls in the final gymnastics lesson we conducted in CETNS, displaying mastery of all the elements of the skill from the start, due to his previous participation in gymnastics classes. the challenge therefore, when teaching students with mixed ranges of experience in the same class, is making the lesson challenging enough for the most capable and still easy enough that the less experiences students can feel a sense of competence and confidence.

Dylan is highly competent in gymnastics for a 10 year old child, and provided good quality demonstrations for the group when I asked him to. If he didn’t feel confident in his own ability (low self efficacy) he would have been more reluctant to demonstrate the various techniques in front of his peers. His fundamental movement skills (FMS) are obviously quite well developed due to his participation in gymnastics and swimming for a number of years. This is important for his general health higher FMS ability has been shown to be linked to better fitness levels and lower body mass (Lubans et al. 2010), which reinforce the importance of children learning FMS through a variety of sports and activities from a young age.

# data[].attributes.body
Dylan’s statement also reinforces the value of using a learning wall and/or task cards for assisting the students in their learning, which may also increase the level of independence with which they can learn new skills and movements, however care should be taken with allowing too much freedom to children of this age as research has shown that allowing freedom is best achieved when learners have enough competence and knowledge to instruct themselves (Kirschner et al. 2006). Furthermore, appropriate practice, effective instruction and feedback have been shown to be crucial in purposefully developing fundamental movement skills in children (Gallahue & Ozman, 2006). I suggest therefore, that a combination of giving positive feedback to Dylan, in conjunction with visual resources such as task cards and learning walls, are the most appropriate methods for helping him to further develop his range of fundamental movement skills and expand his physical abilities. These strategies would benefit Dylan as he would hopefully feel valued and respected and continue to enjoy his participation in sports and physical activity, and remain involved in them for his whole life.

# data[].attributes.body
After the 2nd lesson, we had a discussion and I asked him what he felt was the most useful way of being given feedback and instruction and he replied that being shown visually was how he understood best what was expected of him. This means that technically correct, effective demonstrations were his preferred method of receiving information and feedback. This statement from Dylan reflects the observation that suggests he may have an introverted personality type, as research has demonstrated that introverts prefer less verbal communication in learning environments (Akhavan et al. 2016). After the final lesson, he also clarified why he finds it easier to visually receive feedback, because ‘you can see clearly what you have to do’, and also told me that his class teacher provides a lot of imagery for him in class in order to facilitate his method of effective learning. There is conflicting opinion on the use of personalised learning. Kyriacou (2007) recommends that students learn in both their preferred ways and through styles that may not be their preferred way, as they can then learn in multiple ways, not solely through their preferred method.

# data[].attributes.body
Dylan is a 4th class student in CETNS. He participated in gymnastics on a weekly basis for several years and really enjoyed it before the club moved location and he stopped going. He enjoyed gymnastics in particular because he found it challenging, and felt driven to improve his own abilities in the. He also currently swims competitively twice a week, attending early morning and evening sessions, which suggests to me that Dylan is quite a competitive child and embraces a challenge when faced with an activity he can’t quite master. This suggests to me that he is happiest when challenging himself to perform to the best of his ability, and that is probably his main motivation, rather than participating in a team sport and relying on other people in other to achieve success. My first impression of Dylan during the lessons was that he didn’t appear to be enjoying the class as he wasn’t smiling during the lesson, however upon discussing the lesson with him at the end of the 1st lesson, he said clearly that he really enjoyed the lesson. I suspect that he is a quite an introverted child and doesn’t display a huge amount of emotion exteriorly.

# data[].attributes.body
I try to maximise the visual aspect of learning walls, and include only the most important key words, so that the learning wall is easy to engage with and draws the learner in rather than push them away by being overly ‘wordy’. For example, in our primary school lessons we are teaching gymnastics, and so we primarily have images of the gymnastics movements we are going to perform in the class and a series of key words on the learning wall. We used the learning wall as the focal point for the lesson, to conduct explanations at the learning wall in an example of ‘gather & disperse’ teaching.

# data[].attributes.body
I give feedback to students in several ways, but I always try to give positive feedback to students (Good & Brophy, 2000), deflecting away from incorrect performance by suggesting they try something different next time. I gave feedback in peer teaching by telling students they were doing great work, but could they try to change up the levels or direction of travel in a gymnastics lesson. I gave feedback in a nonverbal way by simply applauding students’ best efforts, which reinforces their positive behaviour. I gave feedback to students in the 1st primary lesson in two ways. Firstly I gave individual feedback to students who needed a little prompting to get the correct performance of a single balance by verbally cueing ‘hands up to the sky’, which gave an external cue for them to concentrate on (Wulf et al. 1999). I also gave the group feedback during a task on rolls by using the analogy of a pencil being straight and rigid, not floppy and bendy. I sometimes use students who are highly competent as a demonstration and highlight their correct performance of a factor in a skill as a way of correcting poor technique.

# data[].attributes.body
Questioning of students is a key tool in effective teaching as it promotes thinking on behalf of the students and can allow the teacher to assess understanding on a topic (Rogers, 2006). I ask questions of students at various points in a lesson, both to the whole group and to individuals. I ask questions to help them to think of their own performance of a skill or in a game and help them understand how to master the skill/ task, as they usually know the answer to the question but they need help in voicing it. In a gymnastics routine, I asked the students during a break between repetitions, how can you make this transition smoother? and follow up then with another question or perhaps a suggestion if I feel they need it. In an invasion game context, I asked ‘how can we create space in order to open up opportunities to attack/score?’ and follow up with another question during a natural break in the game. In a skill practice context, I asked a student ‘what is the most important factor in executing this skill?’, follow up questions would then be asked, such as ‘why do you think this is happening?’. In my first primary teaching lesson I asked ‘how can we make the task more challenging?’, and they reacted by performing more complex movements in the warm up of the lesson, which was the desired outcome. In an adventure education peer teaching context I asked students ‘how can we complete the task more efficiently?’, which caused the group to pause and think about the task, and several suggestions were put forward by the group. These examples of questioning effectively cause the learners to think about their own performance, and not simply be spoon-fed feedback by the teacher.

# data[].attributes.body
ED2314 E-Learning Journal