Annotated Bibliography: Modern Urban Parks

Young, T. (1995). Modern urban parks. Geographical Review, 85(4), 535-551. 

This article discusses the evolution of park spaces in urban environments.  According to the author, parks in urban areas were originally created to  be monuments of nature in congested urban environments; places where people could relax and be at peace with nature.  Modernization eventually caused a shift in the purpose of these spaces as they began to be used more for recreational programs.  The author cites San Francisco's Golden Gate Park as a case study, but claims that this trend has been taking place in urban parks all over the country.  Parks are now primarily used for recreation and usually feature things like courts, playing fields, and playgrounds.  They are seen as a valuable way to "guide" youth and help them develop beneficial social and life skills.

Physical activity and preventing anti-social behavior

Sandford, R. A., Duncombe, R., & Armour, K. M. (2008). The role of physical activity/sport in tackling youth disaffection and anti-social behaviour. Educational Review, 60(4), 419-435. doi:10.1080/00131910802393464

This article was written to highlight and summarize research findings from studies which looked at the link between physical activity programs and improving student behavior.  The article states that it is fairly obvious that many governments have put faith in the ability of physical activity programs on preventing youth delinquency and anti-social behavior, however the reasons why such programs work has not been extensively studied.  Studies such as HSBC/Outward Bound and Sky Living for Sport are highlighted, both of which examined physical activity interventions and both of which demonstrated short-term and long-term improvements in student behavior.  The article suggests that it is the processes within these programs such as teaching personal responsibility that make the biggest impact on preventing anti-social behavior.

It's TPACK, Jack!

Here is a VT explaining how to use TPACK for integrating technology into your lessons to make them as awesome as possible.

Annotated Bibliography: Physical Activity for Urban Students

Physical Activity Programs for Underserved Youth

Hellison, D. (2000). Physical activity programs for underserved youth. Journal of Science and

Medicine in Sport 3 (3): 238-242.

This article briefly summarizes the lack of opportunities there are for “undeserved” youth in urban environments to participate in organized physical activity programs.  The scarcity of youth physical activity programs leads to more time spent unsupervised for youth who already lack supervision.  The author describes the current efforts being made to increase programs such as Soccer in the Streets and Midnight Basketball.  These programs are effective in decreasing crime rates and boosting academic performance but are not especially tailored to meet the learning styles of most undeserved youth.  The author briefly explains his Social and Personal Responsibility Model (RM) that he designed for urban physical education, and how to apply it to urban physical activity programs to make them more effective for undeserved youth.

Annotated Bibliography: Sports and Delinquency

SPORT AND DELINQUENCY: EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATION IN SPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENT ANTISOCIAL AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR

Rapagna, P. (1996). Sport and delinquency: effect of participation in sport on the development of antisocial adolescent and delinquent behavior. Informally published manuscript, Department of Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved from http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/-?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=26756&silo_library=GEN01');

This manuscript described a longitudinal study that was performed on a large sample of students from age 11 to age 17.  The study tracked their level of participation in sports and their tendency towards delinquent behaviors.  The hypothesis for the study was that there is a relationship between level of participation in sport and degree of delinquency.  The study found that general participation in sports during the adolescent years does not necessarily lead to lower levels of delinquency.  However, for students who increased their level of participation in sports over their adolescent years, there was almost always a marked decrease in delinquent behavior.  This study can be used as a rationale for increasing youth physical activity programs in urban environments.

UbD Stage 1: FITNESSGRAM

Youth Subcultures: "420"

For people who advocate for the legalization of non-medical cannabis, April 20th (4/20) has been an important date for quite some time now.  People gather in places around the world (mainly college campuses) to smoke pot on this date, at 4:20 in the afternoon.  The term "420" has actually evolved beyond just a date and a time; it is now used to describe this particular subculture.  Youth who say that they are "420" are saying that they are avid cannabis users and implying that they are also advocates for legalizing the substance.

Google Map- Dodge Renaissance Academy

My first attempt at a Google Map for Dodge Academy.  I outlined approximately 1 sq. mile around the school and marked off parks, churches, grocery stores, and other schools in the area.

Dodge Renaissance Academy Map

Social Situation- Cardinal Fitness

I chose to observe a social setting at my local health club, Cardinal Fitness in West Chicago.  I have been working out at this particular club for over six years now, since they first opened.  I was also an employee there until just recently, so I have had countless opportunities to observe some pretty interesting social situations.

The "place" that I chose to observe was the freeweight area of the gym.  I find this area of the gym most interesting because it seems like it's the only area of the gym where people (mostly young males) are actually trying to gain weight as opposed to lose weight- very different goals.  This place is always messy- the staff tries their best to keep it neat and organized.  They post signs all over the place reminding people to re-rack their weights.  But they simply can't keep up with the endless swarm of men (I am going to be sexist here because I rarely see women in this part of the gym) who forget pick up after themselves.

The "actors" in this place are the members of the gym.  The members all have their own fitness goals and are very focused on accomplishing them.  Most of the members in the freeweight area are trying to either gain weight or gain strength.  They are focused on their goals, but at the same time many of them are focused on something else: themselves.  They are constantly aware of the image they are putting out.  My observation focused on two young males who looked to be in their later high school years.  They both wore t-shirts with the sleeves cut off.  One of them was clearly playing the "teacher" role- he had a much more impressive physique and was lifting much heavier weight than his comrade.  He also chose to cut off a lot more than just his sleeves- his t-shirt was shredded into little more than just a poncho.  His hair was perfectly gelled and he looked like he had just climbed out of a tanning bed.  He looked like he put a lot of thought into his appearance for that day.

The "activities" in this place are weightlifting exercises.  What I found very interesting about these two young males is that they invented their own very elaborate exercises.  Instead of performing a decline bench press on the decline bench that was built for that purpose, they chose to drag dumbbells over to a makeshift decline bench and invent their own version of the exercise.  They also dragged another bench all the way to the cable pulleys in order to invent their own form of a flye exercise.  The mastermind behind these exercises was the boy with the gelled hair- he clearly wanted everyone to know that he had a plan in mind and he knew what he was doing.  Every so often I would catch him glancing up and down at himself in the mirror.

Overall, this was an interesting observation.  Honestly, I've seen much more interesting things take place in this gym.  I was actually disappointed that none of the usual characters were there on this particular day and I had to settle for these two.

"Mr. Woodcock"

"Oates, I can hear you wheezing from here.  Take a lap.  Lose the asthma."

Mr. Woodcock, played by Billy Bob Thornton, is the classic stereotypical "mean" P.E. teacher.  In his class he plays the role of the dictator, much like a "drill sergeant" in boot camp.  He has absolutely no sympathy for weakness or disability.  He is ruthless, aggressive, impatient, and seems to get satisfaction out of belittling his students.

His students are his "troops."  They have absolutely no say in what goes on in the gymnasium.  They are all obviously terrified of Mr. Woodcock.  They line up like soldiers at the beginning of class and they follow his every command, although when he asks an open-ended question, they are all afraid to answer.  They are so used to being constantly bullied and belittled by him that nobody really reacts when he insults them or hurls basketballs at them.  Mr. Woodcock probably gets away with being so verbally, physically, and emotionally abusive towards his students because they are all too scared to tell anyone about it.

Mr. Woodcock's curriculum is based on the idea of "toughening up" his students.  He really doesn't care whether his students learn anything about basketball or fitness.  His goal is that every student leaves the gym "stronger" than they were before.  The activities and assessments that Mr. Woodcock uses (if any) are probably not very difficult- the challenge for the student is trying to survive the constant abuse.  That's what Mr. Woodcock wants his students to learn about life: that it's full of constant abuse from every angle, and only the strong survive.

ADDIE Design Phase: Squat Lesson

ADDIE Voicethread

I sure do hate the sound of my voice.  If I ever do another one of these I will hire someone who sounds like Morgan Freeman to do the talking for me.

My Educational Philosophy

I remember having to write about my educational philosophy back towards the beginning of my undergrad career.  I was having trouble trying to find it on my home computer until I realized that my educational philosophy has naturally changed since I was an undergrad.  If it hadn’t, then I probably wouldn’t be here today, a grad school student about to start a career in one of the most challenging educational environments in the country.  When I was an undergrad I believed that the purpose of education was to mold students into professionals, ready and willing to compete in a global marketplace.  When I started thinking about the implications of this theory, however, I realized that it reinforces the false parameters of success that have been set in this country.

In my last job I worked as a vocational rehab specialist for a not-for-profit organization, helping youth with disabilities gain competitive employment in their communities.  Professionalism was always part of the discussion when I sat down with my students and performed various job development tasks.  Whether we were filling out applications, getting ready for interviews, or browsing job postings, I was constantly trying to reinforce the idea that a professional is someone who is constantly focused and constantly learning.  And that’s the key: someone who is always learning is always adapting.  Someone who is always learning is always growing.  Someone who is always learning cannot possibly be unsuccessful in life because he/she will always find a way to rise above any obstacle.  This should be the very simple job of educators: to transform our students into lifelong learners.

This takes numerous shapes throughout a student’s development and there are countless ways we can assess it.  One simple way is college.  On the surface, a student who chooses to enroll in college shows a desire to rise to the top of his or her chosen field and make considerably more money than someone who does not go to college.  But beyond that, this student shows a desire to continue learning.  That should be the reason we encourage students to go to college.  We should no longer reinforce the idea that success is defined by things like net worth, employability, and what kind of high school you can afford to send your children to.  Money does not bring happiness and therefore should not factor in to our discussion about what defines success.  Success should be defined by an innate desire to learn, among other things that have nothing to do with finances (Like physical health... which is why we need Phys. Ed.! But that's another topic).

Now, I realize it seems kind of anti-climatic to write this huge blog post about my personal philosophy of education only to come to the conclusion that the purpose of education is to make students want to learn.  That probably seems fairly obvious.  Then again, if everybody in the education field truly believed this philosophy, would we have as many problems with the educational system in a huge city like Chicago, full of countless free resources and opportunities to learn?  I doubt it.  Too many teachers teach without much care as to whether their students are actually learning anything, or whether they even WANT to learn anything.  That’s why I’m sticking with this seemingly very simple philosophy.  I want to keep learning for the rest of my life, and I want to instill that same desire in my students.

My First Post

My name is Tom Filline and I am a grad student at NLU.  This is my first blog post for my TIE 535 class.  My favorite "classroom" technology tools are heart rate monitors, pedometers, and stop watches.  This blog will serve as my portfolio for this class.  ENJOY!!!