The class in general have a good knowledge and wide variety of sporting knowledge in the games strand from experience in football, soccer, rugby, gymnastics and basketball outside of school. Students have completed the team challenges three week scheme and have a vast knowledge of what makes a good team. 

 

Students are of a mixed ability in terms of locomotor, stability and manipulative FMS. They display a good level of communication and working with others skills. One or two learners displayed very poor throwing FMS in activities in the previous scheme.

Learners engaged well with previous scheme and engaged with the majority of activities positively. However upon recapping on the scheme mainly the boys conveyed a willingness to participate in activities in the games strand next.

The rationale for using the Personalised System of Instruction model is one which I feel is suited to the needs of the class. As I have mentioned in the prior skills section, some of the class have quite a low level of FMS competence and therefore, struggle at PE. The idea of using this PSI model is based around the core principle of PSI - which the student is self-pacing – so as to cater for the needs of my students (Casey, 2012). The class seem to respond well to the use and guidance of task cards and clear visuals. I have used the learning wall and all over the hall to educate the class as regards the code of behaviour they signed etc., all designed to place emphasis on literacy and on the written word (Chambers & Luttrell, 2013).

The rationale for pairing the PSI model with spikeball is one which I think will work well. Spikeball can be very difficult for students, especially those with a low level of FMS competency. Given that PSI is based around individual progression, this scheme will aim to give the students the chance to progress at their own level with a huge emphasis on differentiated tasks to allow this individual progression to take place.

 

 

At the beginning of each lesson all illness or injury notes will be taken and a role will be outlined to non-participants. The previous lesson will be recapped upon. This creates continuity and linkage between lessons again scaffolding learning. Then the learning intentions will be explained and learners will be checked for prior knowledge. Any new skill will be explained using a learning wall, explanation and demonstration. Then the students will work on the skill using a variety of drills and modified games. At the end of the lesson the learners will reassemble at the learning wall. The learners will be questioned to check for understanding. After four weeks of skill and tactical development the learners will have the final two lessons to display what they have learnt. They will be put into groups on week four. These groups will ten form teams for the tournament but also they must present a poster on a chosen skill in the game that they have learnt about in the previous weeks. This form of assessment improves creativity, engagement with the material and removes boredom from the lesson according to (McIntosh & Warren, 2013).

 

Wellbeing is to the very fore of what we do as a PE department in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál. Wellbeing is the overarching theme which we strive to promote and include in every PE class, in spite of what topic/strand/instructional model is being covered. The wellbeing indicators are displayed around the hall to make the idea of wellbeing visible to the students. This model of PSI very much drives the idea of wellbeing. Its focus on learning through games ensures that students are active, respected and connected and will become aware as they develop their decision making and physical literacy through the engagement and participation in games. All they will learn from six weeks of spikeball through a PSI lens will very much promote their wellbeing over the six weeks and beyond. Having the wellbeing indicators placed around the hall on posters lends itself nicely to the PSI model where students can focus on the written word and literacy (Chambers & Luttrell, 2013)

 

 

Throughout the scheme assessment work will take place through visual and auditory observation, written tasks, higher order questioning and peer and self-assessment in the challenges. Questioning of students to check for understanding and to establish prior knowledge will take place in introductions, conclusions and any time an activity may be stopped for a discussion. During all adapted games and drills the teacher will observe how teams communicate and work together. The students will complete worksheets at the end of some lessons. These will allow students to self-assess themselves and their peers. They will also allow the teacher to check for understanding. The learners will complete a poster on the final day outlining some of the aspects they have learnt. These will allow the teacher to assess student knowledge. Furthermore students will take place in a tournament which again will allow the teacher to visually assess student development.

·         Communication developed through group work, answering questions, and explaining ideas or views.

·         Key word associated with volley ball learnt

·         Presentation skills improved through presentation on what they have learnt.

·         Reading skills improved through looking at learning wall.

·         Written sheets for assessment improve writing skills.

·         Listening skills improved as teacher explains skills, rules and principles.

 

Numeracy skills 

·         Spatial awareness improved in gameplay.

·         Students recognise pattern of movement in positions on court.

·         Students keep score in games.

·         Students count number of touches.

·         Students relate number touch to a shot type. E.g. first touch is a dig.

·         Learners are designated a number and remember it in some drills

 

 

Students will be digitally active during this scheme/instructional model through their use of video analysis. The school has six iPad’s for PE usage and the aim is to have the students’ video their own individual progression (PSI). They will then critically analyse both their own mastery levels so as to aid and support this individual progression. This task is designed to encourage self-reflection and to improve their actual learning from the PSI model, i.e. become more competent at their own pace while using digital technology to support this.

 

·         Chambers, F., & Luttrell, S. (2013). Senior Cycle Physical Education Curriculum & Instructional Models (p. 258). Dublin: eprint.

·         Community Games - Endless Possibilities. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.communitygames.ie/

·         Grant, L., & Spencer, R. (2003). The Personalized System of Instruction: Review and Applications to Distance Education. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distributed Learning, 4(2), 2. doi: 10.19173/irrodl.v4i2.152

·         Kozulin, A. (2003) Vygotsky’s Educational Theory in Cultural Context. Cambridge University Press.

·         McIntosh, I. & Warren, D. (2013). Creativity in the classroom. Intellect Books.

·         NCCA (2017) Guidelines for Wellbeing in Junior Cycle. Dublin: Government Publications