"The Subject Matter Preparation of Teachers" Response

1.           My outside-school experiences have expanded my subject area content knowledge, physical education, a great deal. I have always participated in sports both recreationally and competitively. Participating in sports has enhanced my understanding of physical education in many ways. While participating in sports I learned the basics of those sports, how to throw a softball, how to trap, dribble and kick a soccer ball, how to complete all four different swim strokes, how to cradle a lacrosse ball, and how to complete fundamental dance moves. I participated in all that I could as a child and always needed to be active. Taking part in these activities allows me to give first hand knowledge to my students. Although, the biomechanics and skills sets to all these sports are important and part of what I teach, I think I have also learned the benefits of exercise through these outside of school experiences. The friendships I had formed, the higher self-esteem I had gained and obvious health benefits that went along with exercising are all a part of my experience and my goal while teaching is for my students to find those activities that make them feel that way.

2.           I thought that our class discussion of Ball’s “The Subject Matter Preparation of Teachers” was really interesting. I have to admit I was one of those people after reading this article to view it as a negative message. I just thought Ball spent a lot of effort stating that even with content knowledge and pedagogy it will never be good enough to educate your students. After our class discussion on Tuesday I realize that I may have been making out this reading out to be harsher than it really was. Listening to my classmates discuss what they thought Ball was trying to covey in this reading really helped me understand what I was supposed to take from Ball’s work. I learned that all Ball was trying to say was that we as teachers need to be ever evolving, life long learners and I complete agree. I would not do our students any good to repeat the same curriculum year after year. We must always work on staying current with our subject content as well as always trying to better our teaching practices. The main idea was to always try to improve and I think it such an important message to teachers.

3.        For my capstone project I am looking at the positive effects of exercise for females. I would like to see what Title IX has contributed to these positive effects. So as of know my question is… How does exercise and fitness affect females in a positive way? And how has Title IX helped contribute? At this point I am satisfied with my question. I think I will be able to find plenty of research to help my understanding of these questions. I have seen several articles on specific struggles females have and how exercise has helped prevent these struggles, so I am very much looking forward to finding out more benefits of exercise for females through research articles. For experiential learning source I have thought about visiting an all girls school and seeing what they feel the benefits of exercising are and I also thought it would be fun to find some history of women and sport through out the years and was hoping to visit Art Exhibit to Explore Women and Sports in Arlington, Virginia. 

                                                        Blogs I Have Responded to:
h                                                     mat-smc-mignano.blogspot.com
                                                             krishasty.blogspot.com

jocelynrohan.blogspot.com