Gerry
Cernicky |
CELEBRATING
P.E.
What better way to celebrate
this month's section than by sharing
an experience that has lasted
for over 14 years! This experience
involves an exemplary friendship
that has transpired through many
forms of technology, including
instant messaging, text, audio,
and videos. This experience consists
of 2 physical education teachers,
and thousands of students from
more than 10,000 miles away!
It all began when I met Rex Wood
through a message that was sent
via the NASPE discussion group
in 1994. He was a physical education
teacher from Reporoa College in
New Zealand. At that time, I was
teaching in the Kiski Area School
District and at Allegheny Hyde
Park Elementary. The topic of
the message explained a way to
use an instant messaging program,
along with audio and video capabilities,
so that teachers could share ideas,
lessons, and activities. After
a few emails, Rex and I set out
to celebrate physical education
and share an integration process
with our students. |
However, there was a major problem
with the time zones, because New Zealand
was 16 hours ahead of my students in
Pennsylvania. The next concern was how
to choose a viable software program
that was not only free, but also had
the capability of voice and videos with
limited interference. Each week we would
meet on Voxphone
(which is no longer in service). Next
we tried Netmeeting
but it wasn't a capable replacement,
and its use was erratic. We sent links
to try new software programs through
the course of many emails. The next
program we tried was called ICQ,
but that became an advertisement program
and succumbed to our needs. So, we started
the long process of sharing information
about our schools by sending letters;
this process later became an integration
and fitness exchange. We would compare
our scores, share information about
the weather and school subjects, and
exchange various photos of students
in action. Normally, it would take about
a week for the mail to be delivered.
It was at that time we decided to participate
in the Tele-Olympics.
It was an integrative, virtual track
meet competition involving schools from
around the world. Our schools participated
for more than 10 years, but the most
lasting experience resulted from our
students continuing to send emails to
each other throughout their school years.
Each week we would share ideas and lessons,
and help each other explain the difference
between cricket and baseball/wiffleball.
This same experience still continues
when I connect at 11:30 in the Eastern
Time zone each Friday evening. The software
program we now use is Windows
Live Messenger, which has text,
audio, and video capabilities. Many
times we used an electronic whiteboard
to describe the various positions and
game explanations. We had previously
tried SKYPE
to connect, but it proved to be a nuisance
due to background sounds that stifled
complete sentences.
 Allegheny/Hyde
Park is located in western Pennsylvania,
and is about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh.
Reporoa
College is located in Reporoa, New
Zealand, in the South Island. Reporoa
College is a year round school with
4 terms consisting of 10 weeks on and
2 weeks off. Christmas is a 6 week break,
and school starts around February 4th.
There is a Reporoa Primary School, which
are ages 5-6. In the past, the grades
were called "forms," but now
there are grade levels as follows: Year
7 (10-11), Year 8 (11-12), Year 9 (12-13),
Year 10 (13-14), Year 11 (14-15), Year
12 (15-16) and Year 13 (17-18).
It was at Year 7-8 that most of the
sharing and fitness exchange was done
between our schools via email. The fitness
tests were sit and reach, 50 meter,
400 meter, tennis ball throw, and long
jump. Also, these tests were similar
to the Tele-Olympics, which made it
a double exchange of fitness testing.
The facilities at Reporoa College include
a swimming pool, gymnasium, grass fields,
hockey, rugby, cricket and soccer field,
along with tennis courts. The average
class size is around 22 students. There
are 5 periods a day each consisting
of a 1 hour time slot. All sports are
taught including fencing and netball,
which is similar to American basketball.
The students are divided into 2 schools,
called Hillary House and Lovelock. They
were named after Sir
Edmund Hillary and Jack
Lovelock, who was the 1936 Mile
champion in the 1936 Olympics. The schools
colors are yellow (Hillary) and green
(Lovelock). The students are permitted
to take physical education classes in
bare feet. Rex Wood commented there
have been only 2 minor injuries over
all those years without shoe apparel.
There is a regulation t-shirt (yellow)
and shorts (green) worn during most
classes.
The students travel to Australia and
Japan to compete in field hockey and
cricket, but there are also competitions
against 7 different schools in netball,
rugby, soccer, archery, fencing, and
basketball. Included is a debate to
complement the exchange. Additionally,
there are inter-school exchanges in
the North Island city of Otamatea. Some
of the students are Maori, Dutch, and
of European origin. Farms are spread
out throughout the school community,
and many of the students work on the
farms. It is a common for the students
to bring their lunches, especially since
a $5 fee is now charged for healthy
meals. Physical education classes have
some weather issues in August–October
because of heavy frost, but the overall
temperature lends itself to outside
activities for most of the year.
I am currently in contact with David
Flax, a teacher from South Africa. We
have talked twice using Windows
Live Messenger. Once again, the
SKYPE
program wasn't a viable means to connect.
Our talks revolve around the school
system in South Africa and some of the
details about teaching and coaching.
We have shared emails and look forward
to connecting again soon. There is currently
a power situation that causes South
Africa to have electrical issues, but
any time we can share with other teachers
is a time for practicing patience and
understanding. I sent David my pod casts
on CD that I have mentioned to many
teachers on the NASPE listserv. The
mail took close to 1 month to arrive,
probably because it was sent during
the Christmas holidays. David was gracious
to send a unique key chain that appears
to be indicative of the culture of Africa.
In 1997 (thanks to Rex Wood directing
me to a Compaq computer mini grant competition
that detailed our collaboration) my
school at Allegheny/Hyde Park was awarded
a $1,000 certificate to purchase a computer,
scanner, and software. At that time
technology was starting to reach a high
level of interest, and our school had
never had computers or anyone to instruct
them about the internet. This was a
great time to volunteer for in-services
and teach the core-subject teachers
how to become a part of the global community.
This served as a unique opportunity
to prove that we too are real teachers.
It was great P.R., and a fabulous way
to promote physical education.
Even though the integration and physical
education/fitness exchanges are a thing
of the past, Rex and I still maintain
a weekly dialog to celebrate, not only
a spirited physical education promotion,
but also a friendship that has endured
software malfunctions and retirement.
This networking served as a public relations
bonanza when our collaboration made
the front
page of my community newspaper in
1997. The article informed the readers
about the integration project between
our schools.
So, the next time there is a message
from the NASPE
listserv it just might prove to
be a great time to share with other
teachers about ways to celebrate and
promote a healthy lifestyle. |
