This week was our first week of Gymnsatics. It is taught across the school, from preps to year 6s in the PAC away from the Winter cold. After considerable groans, from mainly the boys, the week went well (anyone who thinks gymnastics is for girls simply google/youtube Shun Fijimoto). We all discussed the three key ingredients to be a Gymnast – Balance, Flexability and Strength.
Having a key learning intention is problematic in the gymnastics program. The students rotate around 5 different stations they are all quite diverse. The learning intention on the balance beam is to keep balanced; the criterias are not to fall off and hold a still arabesque pose for a 5 count. This is different again for the vault, the trampoline, the jumping block and the rolling mat. 5 stations means 5 different learning intentions and way too many success criterias to focus on in a 60 minute session. On top of that, the real focus for week 1 was safety. Above all else, and with so many new apparatus to experience, it was crucial that safety was in the forefront of their minds which, again, detracts away from Learning Intention model.
In week 2 I aim to focus myself on one station – the jumping block. There will be an opportunity for students to earn a score for their dismount off the jumping block and the success criterias will be very explicit and instant. The other 4 stations will each have a learning intention – explained to all at the start and then reinforced visually by a poster at each station.
Cheers
Hi Dean,
It has been great to observe the enthusiasm of the students as I’ve seen glimpses of your lessons. The YouTube clip certainly did highlight that gymnastics is suitable for both genders.
Regarding the use of learning intentions, could week 1 have been something like “we are learning how to use gymnastics apparatus safely” and then have a success criteria for each apparatus?
Regards,
Rebecca
Hi Dean,
It must be good to see the growth in the students from foundation to grade 6 in the area of Gymnastics.
Kris Hall
Hi Dean,
would love to see some pics of your gym kids. Ask one of the students to do it for you and then post it on your blog.
Maria
Hi Dean,
Your gymnastics lessons sound fantastic and I certainly know that the Foundation children are having a great time in PE at the moment. I do agree about having different learning intentions when you are working with different groups and particularly different learning abilities too which can be challenging. Having the learning intention displayed sounds like a great idea.
Louisa 🙂
Hi Dean, Really enjoyed reading your blog. I agree with Bec and you obviously came to the same conclusion that a Learning Intention can be either one for each activity or one on safety or a detailed one for a particular piece of equipment that is the focus of your lesson. You can’t possibly focus on teaching all 5 or 6 activities in one lesson so if I was taking Gymnastics I would select the one activity that I wanted to teach each week and focus the LI and SC on that activity. After 5 weeks you would have covered each activity in depth rather than cover every activity in a shallow fashion every week. Obviously, this will have an impact on the structure of your lesson, you would need to do a whole class session first and then make sure that every child gets to work through the rotations and has a turn at the one that was the focus of your Learning Intention/ Success Criteria.