This is an excerpt from Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children-19th Edition by Robert P. Pangrazi & Aaron Beighle.Integrating Health Content Into PEWhy Integrate Health Concepts?In an era of accountability that places great pressure on classroom teachers to increase academic achievement by improving high-stakes test scores, physical educators can support classroom teachers by offering to supplement the classroom content related to health educations. This proposal shows classroom teachers that physical educators are team players concerned with student learning. Integrating also motivates classroom teachers to observe or visit the physical education setting to see how concepts are being integrated. Lastly, if physical educators are integrating health content and showing an interest in the classroom, classroom teachers may be inclined to integrate physical activity into their classroom instruction. If this situation arises, the physical educator should assist classroom teachers with ideas and strategies for teaching physically active students (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Pangrazi, 2009). Specifically, classroom teachers may need assistance with management strategies and equipment. Show
Types of IntegrationSeveral models are available to guide the planning of health integration. Models range from the physical education teacher working alone to a group of teachers working together to develop learning experiences in various settings. The individual model involves the physical education teacher working to develop ideas for integrating health content. For example, the teacher might integrate concepts related to stress during the game part of a four-part lesson. This idea requires reviewing information about stress and determining how best to integrate that content in a game. Again, the stress-related game must contribute to the physical education lesson outcomes.
How to Integrate Health ContentAs stated earlier, integrating health content must be carefully and thoughtfully planned to ensure that the activity is a quality learning experience and that it maintains the integrity of the physical education curriculum. The following topics are a series of steps for initiating integration in physical education, identifying what to integrate, and learning how to enhance the effectiveness of the integration activities. These suggestions are most suited if the classroom teachers are teaching health education in the classroom as well. Step 1: Decide on the Integration Model The individual model requires a fair amount of research to determine what lessons to teach, at what level it should be taught, and how to teach it. The partner model requires you to choose a potential teacher to partner with. The key is to find a fellow teacher who is equally interested in what is being taught in physical education. Ideally, the classroom teacher is also interested in strategies for teaching health concepts through physical activity in the classroom. Choosing the group model requires that you select teachers who are generally interested in all the activities, not just those they are teaching. Step 2: Ask Teachers What Concepts They Will Be Teaching Take an interest in the concepts that classroom teachers are teaching. Doing so shows that you are an interested, supportive teacher who wants to help students reach health outcomes. Classroom teachers can provide a calendar that lists the concepts being taught in the coming weeks. From this calendar, you can generate integration ideas. Classroom teachers may also have ideas about concepts that could be taught through physical education. Step 3: Ask How Concepts Are Being Taught After the health concepts to be integrated are established, find out how those concepts are being taught, if at all, in the classroom. Using key terms or similar ideas and slightly modifying them may be helpful when teaching the integrated material. Approach the classroom teacher to find out what concepts students are having trouble with in the classroom. Physical education may offer an excellent opportunity to teach the same concepts with a different strategy—namely, teaching the concepts with movement. If this is the case, discuss the idea with the classroom teacher. In some cases, teaching the same concept with two different methodologies or perspectives may confuse children rather than help them learn. Step 4: Share What You Teach With Classroom Teachers Invite the classroom teacher to a lesson involving integration. This offer serves two purposes. First, the classroom teacher can provide feedback concerning the integration activity that you might use to make the activity more effective. Inviting the classroom teacher also exposes the teacher to physical education. Often, classroom teachers have little knowledge of what is being taught during physical education. Having them observe a lesson will show them that physical education is educational and makes an important contribution to the school curriculum. Step 5: Reflect When reflecting on your instruction, review integration activities you taught as well. For example, did the integration activity sacrifice any of the activity planned for the physical education lesson? Could you have integrated the concept with less interference? Did the students understand the health content? How could you change the integrated activity to make it more effective? Would the integrated concept fit better in another part of the lesson or in another lesson? |