Archive for category: News

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Physical literacy development isn’t limited to the gymnasium. Physical literacy can be developed throughout the school day: in the hallways, in the classroom, outside – and on the playground! 

Whatever equipment you have available out in the schoolyard, all you need is a little creativity to highlight physical literacy development. 

Here are three ways you can consider using your playground equipment: 

Create Playground Circuits 

Your playground structure is great for circuits! Be creative in how you use what you have. Try including exercises like balance walks on beams or stumps, push-ups on benches, hanging from bars, or running up the slide. Use these as a timed circuit or an Amazing Race obstacle course.

ActionSchools!BC has some great playground circuits for you to try with your students. Check them out here for K-3 students and for 4-7 students.

Organize Playground Games

Playground games such as tag on the play structures, or challenges like traversing the playground without touching the ground show students play possibilities that they can use during recess or lunch breaks. Introduce your students to traditional games like four square, hopscotch, kick ball, gaga ball and British Bulldog.

Helpful tip: Looking for creative tag games to try with your students? Download our Tag for Physical Literacy resource! 

Use Your Softball Diamonds 

Softball diamonds are great for warmups and developing different locomotor skills. Run forward to first base, side-shuffle on the left to the second base, mini-step backwards to third base, and side-shuffle on the right to home base. Try following the leader around the bases, where the leader changes movements at each base.

Interested in learning more about how you can best use your playground to develop physical literacy? Download the Developing Physical Literacy on the Playground resource.

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Although students learn skills through play, and often learn skills naturally, educators have a critical role in helping students learn fundamental movement skills to develop physical competence, build confidence in executing these skills, and increase motivation to participate in and try new physical activities. They also play a critical role in setting up students to be physically active for life.

Educators do so by:

  • helping students develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to be active (physical literacy);
  • modelling a physically active lifestyle;
  • exposing students to a variety of sports, dance, games, and recreation activities; and
  • providing knowledge and understanding to live an active life.

Encouraging physical activity can also positively impact the mental well-being of your students, and give them assets that can address stress, isolation and anxiety. 

By modelling physical activity, you can demonstrate that the benefits of being active are so much more than just physical.

And being an active role model can span beyond just participating in the activities with your class at gym time. Here are three things you can do throughout your school day to support physical activity and physical literacy development:

Create Space 

Students need enough space to safely run around, and even in the classroom, pushing back the furniture to make room is often enough for stationary and movement activities. Utilize different spaces to allow students the opportunity to explore different movements and skills on their own. 

Organize Retrievers

Students learn when they have chances to practice – for example, if students are kicking a ball, have another student roll it or bring it back to them so that they can try again. Encourage students to encourage each other when performing skills, to help build confidence and foster motivation to try again.

Promote Activities

Promote and profile a variety of activities and sports on classroom bulletin boards and in school work. This encourages students to see the diverse possibilities offered in sport and recreation.

For more examples of how you can be a role model and promote physical activity and development of physical literacy in your classroom, download the following resource today: The Role of the Educator to Develop Physical Literacy in Students.

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Are you keen to get your students thinking about how to use their fundamental movement skills, but not quite sure how to teach them in your class’ games? Then the Teaching Games for Understanding workshop is for you!

In this in-person workshop, discover a fun and popular approach to teaching the individual skills of a game, prompting students to learn how to use those skills. 

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to: 

  • explain what Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) is and how it can help develop student physical literacy, and
  • apply TGfU principles in delivering a games-based lesson

As this TGfU focuses on games and requires interactions amongst participants, it is being offered as an in-person workshop.  

BOOK THIS WORKSHOP

The School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project also offers several other workshops that will help yourself and fellow B.C. educators learn more about physical literacy and physical activity. Visit our website today to learn about the other workshops currently available.

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Do all of your students feel included and respected in physical and health education, and in class physical activities? 

The focus of this 90-minute workshop is to equip educators to take proactive actions that will ensure that every student can fully participate in all aspects of physical activity and learning. It provides an opportunity to discuss specific considerations and inclusion strategies, and learn how to make a difference in the enjoyment of physical activity for all students.

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to: 

  • explain the meaning of physical literacy and its connection to physical activity, 
  • see how diversity shapes experiences in physical education, physical activity, and physical literacy, 
  • understand Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the context of physical activity and physical literacy, and
  • Confidently create inclusive physical education and physical activity environments. 

Schedule this workshop today for your school or district:

BOOK THIS WORKSHOP

The School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project also offers several other workshops that will help yourself and fellow B.C. educators learn more about physical literacy and physical activity. Visit our website today to learn about the other workshops currently available.

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As we look ahead into the new year, are you looking for new ways to further your understanding of physical activity and physical literacy, to support your students’ development?

Beginning on January 14, join the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project for the 2022 Winter Institute.  Hosted by UBC’s Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, and the University of Fraser Valley, this course will introduce teachers to Elementary Physical and Health Education (PHE) curriculum, content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, practical experiences, and professional responsibilities of a successful elementary school teacher. It will expand teachers’ level of confidence and competence when delivering the British Columbia (BC) PHE Curriculum.

Learners will work through modules on:

  • the BC PHE K-7 curriculum,
  • the Indigenous holistic approaches to teaching and learning,
  • the creation of equity, diversity and inclusion in PHE,
  • quality physical education,
  • assessment, 
  • physical literacy, and 
  • the comprehensive school health model.

Learners will work on their own and with others, while being guided by leaders from BC school districts, Indigenous Sport Physical Activity and Recreation Council and several BC Universities. The course is available both for credit, or non-credit, and will be hosted both online and in-person (at the University of Fraser Valley’s Mission campus at Heritage Park).

DATES:

Week 1

Friday, January 14 and Saturday, January 15

Week 2

Friday, January 21 and Saturday, January 22

Week 3

Friday, January 28 and Saturday, January 29

Week 4

Friday, February 4 and Saturday, February 5

Find out more about the Institute, and register here.

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Society depends on educators to be a positive guiding force in our children’s lives – often playing simultaneous roles as educator, parent, counselor, and caring friend. For educators to fulfill these vital roles, we need to develop resilience both inside and outside the classroom by supporting their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. 

What are some strategies you can use to do that?

Join the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project on June 1, 2021 from 16:30 – 17:30 PT for “Modelling Well-being as Educators”. 

This one-hour webinar will focus on practices of sustainable well-being for educators, including increasing knowledge of physical activity and how it supports mental well-being, and prioritizing mindfulness and self-compassion as a way of awakening our own well-being to be present for the work of showing up for our students.

Register today >> 

This webinar will be presented by Lisa Baylis. Lisa has been sharing well-being strategies for the last 20 years. A natural born connector with an innate ability to make people feel valued and heard, she is an instructor, a counsellor, a facilitator, and a mother. 

Lisa is the author of Self-Compassion for Educators: Mindful Practices to Awaken Your Well-being and Grow Resilience, which merges self-care, mindfulness, and self-compassion. She has a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. Currently, she is a high school counsellor in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

This webinar will be held virtually on GoToWebinar. It will also be recorded, and made available on the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project website following the presentation.

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Developed in consultation with Indigenous communities and educators, and with leadership from I·SPARC (Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council), the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project is excited to announce a new workshop available to B.C. educators: An Indigenous Approach to Getting Started with Physical Literacy!

This virtual workshop brings Indigenous perspectives that honour the First Peoples’ Principles of Learning to physical literacy theory. Educators have the opportunity to learn some practical ways to start developing their students’ physical literacy, and engage with other Indigenous communities in a storytelling method, to incorporate physical literacy in and around their school.

Interested in attending this workshop? We have several open registration dates coming up this spring and summer!:

  • May 7, 2021 — 13:00 to 14:30 PT
  • May 21, 2021 — 13:00 to 14:30 PT
  • June 21, 2021 — 15:00 to 16:30 PT

REGISTER INDIVIDUALLY

This workshop is also available for schools and districts to schedule for their educators:

SCHEDULE THIS WORKSHOP FOR YOUR SCHOOL/DISTRICT

*Priority will be given to educators working in First Nations schools or B.C. public schools with a high population of Indigenous learners.

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The 2020/21 school year has brought many unknowns and unique teaching situations as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced adjustments, both big and small, throughout the classroom.

How can you create an effective quality movement opportunity for you and your students to support positive mental well-being? 

Join the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project on April 22, 2021 from 16:30 – 17:30 PT for the webinar “Delivering Physical and Health Education During COVID-19”. In this session, learn some tips and tricks on how to deliver an effective P.E. class while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

Register today >>

This webinar will be presented by Lisa Manzini. 

Lisa is a passionate physical and health educator who has taught elementary physical and health education in Squamish, B.C. for the past 25 years. She is also the former president of PHE BC, where she worked on collaborative teams and presented workshops both nationally and provincially, focusing on improving the quality of physical and health education within B.C. and Canada. 

She holds a Master in Education Leadership from Vancouver Island University, where her thesis focused on connecting physical literacy, physical activity, health and fundamental movement skills to cross-age teaching in early primary physical education classes.

Find out more about this webinar >>

This webinar will be held virtually on the Zoom Webinar platform on Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 16:30 to 17:30 PT.

A recording will be available on the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project website following the event for those who are unable to attend.

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Looking for games and activities to promote physical activity and develop physical literacy in your classroom, but having trouble finding things that align with the B.C. Physical and Health Education Curriculum? 

PLAYBuilder might just be the answer to your search. 

With over 700+ games and 100+ activities for Grades K – 7, it’s a time-saving, free and easy-to-use tool for B.C. educators. To gain access to PLAYBuilder, all you have to do is register using your school email address.

PLAYBuilder is already an important resource for hundreds of teachers in B.C. To date, PLAYBuilder has close to 400 users across over 180 different schools. 

You can sort content based on an activity, a lesson plan, or even a collection, making lesson-planning for your school year quick and simple. There are even COVID-safe activities available!

Examples of PLAYBuilder activities include:

Alphabet Balance

Participants try to make their bodies into the shape of letters of the alphabet.

Setup: Participants spread out around the playing space.

  • Teacher yells out different letters of the alphabet.
  • Participants try to make their body into the shape of that letter.
  • Encourage the use of different levels. For example, participants may lay on the floor to create the shape or stand up.
  • Teacher may ask them to spell a short word or try guessing their letter for added fun.

Stick Together

Participants connect various body parts together.

Setup: Participants spread out in the playing space.

  • Teacher chooses a locomotor movement for participants to use each round (e.g. walking, running, leaping, jumping, hopping, galloping, crawling, sliding, skipping).
  • When teacher yells out various body parts, participants must connect the said body parts together. For example, if the teacher says. “Knee and elbow,” participants must connect these two body parts together for five seconds.

 

Quick to React

Participants practice jogging and sprinting by listening to the signals.

Setup: All participants line up on the end line.

Safety: If inside, make sure students have ample room to slow down, so as not to collide with a wall.

  • When teacher says jog, the participants begin jogging.
  • When teacher says sprint, they turn around sprint as fast as they can back to the end line.
  • Repeat a few times, with rest periods in between.
  • Change approximate distance each time.

Interested in accessing more activities like these, to keep your students moving? Register today and gain access to the PLAYBuilder platform.

If you have any further questions about PLAYBuilder, get in touch with us at spapl@sportforlife.ca

 

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