It's Not Roll Out the Ball... It's Go Sit on the Equipment... Still Lame

I have been able to make connections in cognitive developmental trends between my observations at Meigs High School and what I have learned in EDTE 200. I have noticed that the physical and social environment plays a factor in the students learning. Students benefit from cooperative learning in physical education class. The students in the classes I observe demonstrate aspects of the theories about cognitive development presented in class.
Piaget assumed that interactions with an individual’s physical and social environments are essential for cognitive development. According to the EDTE 200 text book he believed that, “active experimentation with the physical world is critical for genitive growth.” Piaget also believed that social interaction was just as important to the cognitive development of young people. In the physical education classes that I observe, I get to experience this assumption every day. The students at Megis have been playing volleyball for the last few weeks. During their games of volleyball they get to develop through the physical world and social interactions. The students reflect Piaget’s because they learn about cause and effect relationships. They see how others react in a social setting and can process their own beliefs on how the think social situations ideally should be. The text also states that these high school students are in their formal stages of operation. I see this demonstrated in the classroom with the students’ abilities to think for themselves. During a game of volleyball, it was obviously that one team was better than the other. Instead of just allowing themselves to get beat every point, they started to come up with strategies that would give them some help. Their first idea was to ask me to play on their team. They could use their logical thought processes to know that I probably have some volleyball skills due to the fact I am studying to be a physical education teacher. After they found out that they could get no help from me, they started to form strategies on the court to help out their play. They had one guy who always tried to make the first hit to get the ball under control, and then the other three players would work on getting the ball over the net. These physical and social interactions are so important because the same type of cognitive development cannot be developed while sitting in a chair in the classroom. Sitting in class for hours on end without talking or moving around does not provide real life learning for the students. According to a lecture in EDTE 200 students should be participating in authentic activities that relate their learning to real world contexts. The students in physical education class are receiving these authentic activities everyday as they grow in the physical and social environment.
Working collaboratively in groups helps students develop knowledge. Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism identifies why working in groups can benefit the students. The students mutually construct knowledge when working together, and the ETDE 200 text states that the “collective efforts impose meaning on the world.” When students are demonstrating social constructivism they are working together to achieve a common goal. I see this theory reflected in the physical education classes I have observed. When the students are playing a game of volleyball the students are all working together to win each and every point. A game could not be won if just one person was putting forth the effort. All the students work off of each other and learn from each other. The students who are not as skilled are seeing constant demonstrations from the talented students in the class. During a lecture in EDTE 200 we were told that “it’s not just about putting students in groups.” It is believed that sometimes people get put in groups just to split up the work load and make life easier. However, that is not the goal of social constructivism. I see this reflected in the classes I observed when the students were given a new warm up activity. They jogged around the room in a single file line, passing a soccer ball backwards with their feet, and passing a medicine ball forward with their hands. The teacher did not give them many instructions on how to perform the task, but the students used their social constructivism to mutually learn the task together. Working together helps students develop knowledge that they may not have been able to develop on individually.
I feel that my observations this week were redundant. The students at Meigs high school have been playing volleyball in physical education class since the school year started about 8 weeks ago. I understand that during volleyball season the net has to remain up in the gym, but I do not believe that students should have to play volleyball for so long in class. Unfortunately, this is reality for PE teachers. There is always something that can throw our class off. In the future, if I am in this situation I would develop activities to work around the net. My observations make me hope that when I am a teacher I will be able to be creative to write lesson plans to work around the obstacles thrown into my path, while keeping the students physically active. I am not passing judgment on the teacher, but personally I made a mental note that 8 weeks is far too long for one unit. I am continuing to enjoy my time at Meigs and am learning from each encounter I have with the students and staff.
It is evident that what we are learning in class on cognitive development is reliable, due to my observations of the material in a real classroom. Students develop from participating in a physical and social environment. Student’s learning is also enhanced with the help of social constructivism and group work. Seeing the theories in action, helps me understand them and realize why they really are important.