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. 

 

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.

 

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. 

 

Literacy skills 

 

Numeracy skills 

 

Digital Fluency Strategies

(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. 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.