Mid Term Reflection

Active Learning - Reflection

During PE this year, how have you shown you are prepared and willing to participate 

in a variety of activities?  On what days have you participated to your best effort and 

why?  What days have been a struggle for you and why?

How do you contribute to the overall success of the class?  What kind of attitude do 

you bring and why?  How do you interact with other students in our class?

Describe your participation during fitness days - have you been able to push yourself 

physically?  What types of fitness activities do you enjoy the most?  What fitness 

goals do you have for the rest of the year? 

What does "leadership" mean to you?  Who are the best leaders in our class - why?

What improvements would you like to make in PE by the end of the year?  What are 

you the most proud of so far?

Finally, what letter grade A, B, C+, C, C- (gulp) best represents the effort you just described? In Grade 10-12 we need an actual percentage as well. :( Like 71%… because…"

Final Post Prompts

For those who are struggling with what to write for their final post: read my example post, read your peers posts (by viewing my full profile and checking the reading list), or check teachervaughan.blogspot.ca for prompt questions and another example. 

Be sure you are writing a new "post" by clicking the white/orange pencil. DO NOT write "new blog" as your teacher can't read that... It is an entirely new blog. If you already have two or more blogs... Copy and paste your posts into the first one you made (it should have your teacher as a "follower"). 

Remember, the further you move from writing this for your teacher the better you will do. Write it as a public document that captures your learning, effort, and growth for the year. An honest personal reflection that a complete stranger would be able to understand. :) due Friday... Good luck!!! 

The Reluctant Runner

I have been encouraging, reminding, and cajoling Sulli students to digitally record their efforts and growth in Active Learning for the last few months. As your final portfolio post approaches you have been directed to begin the process of providing evidence for each of the categories from your earlier self assessments. This can be a daunting task, so I am hoping my exemplar will provide you some concrete ideas for your own posts. You should be highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement, but also honestly recording your not so great habits as a part of your personal assessment of your year. The more you share your thought process and move away from just copying my examples the better. You can also click "full profile" under my picture on the side and read all of your peers examples for inspiration. 

I named my post "the reluctant runner" because this year has been one of dramatic change for me. I grew up playing sports, lots of sports, everything I could register for. After years of badminton, volleyball, basketball, soccer, hockey, and rugby I settled into a rugby career that was demanding, exciting, and a tonne of fun. I always did loads of fitness and trained hard to make myself a better player, but I hated the distance running sessions with a passion. When the ability to play was removed by a neck injury a few years ago, I also lost my spark for training and quit distance training almost all together.

Being a part of the Sulli crew though, I continued to participate in school fitness, getting my calorie burn going in many different ways. I enjoyed the AB partner, trifecta (crossfit) and Insanity days much more than track or community running, but the last year has forced me to rethink my disdain for the pounding the pavement.

As a father of two small children, my time is precious and filled with pick ups, drop offs, swimming, ballet, and a busy bedtime routine. Gone are the days where I could "hit the gym" in the late afternoon or early evening.  Plus, without the need to be bigger, for the abuse of a full contact sport, I no longer need to lift weights and gain mass. So with my school routine helping but not enough... I began the search for a new "healthy" me.

What I found part way through last school year was that I had time to exercise after 9-9:30pm, when the kids are in bed. Most classes at a YMCA were done by then, my need/desire to pump iron was gone, so I was left looking for free ways to keep my family history of heart disease at bay. What kept staring me in the face were my running shoes at the bottom of the stairs. So... with an angry face... I would lace up, turn on the Nike running app, crank the tunes and try to finish my run as fast as I could.

As summer approached I knew that BBQs, beaches, and two months without PE class was going to ruin the small start I had made so I decided to set a challenge for myself. I registered for my first ever half marathon (the 1st ever Surrey marathon too) and set about planning a running schedule to save myself from myself. All that summer I ran. I ran on holidays, I ran in the heat, I ran at night, I just ran... like Forrest Gump... and I hated every second of it. In September when the race day arrived, my training went out the window and I started too quickly. 2/3rds of the way through I hit a wall and spent the last 6km swearing at myself under my breath, watching all three of my friends pass me, and promising I would never do a half marathon again.

One of the things I dislike about running is how solo an activity it is. That makes it great because you can do it whenever you have time (you don't need to coordinate team members) but as a huge talker and social person, I also find it extremely boring. 

As the school year progressed, I was able to use my four PE classes a day (including a senior PE in Blk 5 with the Superfit class) to keep myself fairly active. Normally this would have been more than enough for me, but though the marathon was passed, I found myself in the habit of heading out in the late evenings for a 5-10km run. I still didn't like it, but I kept doing it. As habits are hard to break, the miles kept clicking over, and I began to notice the changes in other aspects of my health. Since last June I have logged 188 miles over 37 runs, outside of the Tuesday/Friday fitness sessions I get at school. 

I improved my diet by eating a more complete breakfast than in the past. The late night training had me looking for some eggs and fruit in the morning to go with my usual coffee. My lunches became less snack mix and more veggies. I had never had a high sugar/junk food diet but I was definitely inconsistent and incomplete in my daily calorie intake. I have regulated some of longer breaks without food I used to take, and I have been getting a little more nutrient dense food into the regular mix as well. The other major dietary change that has been necessary is to increase the amount of plain water I drink. I have never been a huge "hydrator" but this year has seen more glasses of water go down my throat than most. In the evenings the juice or chocolate milk has been replaced by extra waters, and I usually get 2 or 3 large mugs into me on fitness days. I still love my coffees but there is a better balance these days. 

There has been a slow steady improvement in my fitness scores over the last year, but as I no longer need to compete for a spot, the bump from 11-12 to 13 on the beep test is only a small reminder of improved cardio vascular health. I still enjoy the friendly competition of peers and personal scores on the beep as a way to stretch the extra five or six cones out of myself. There has also been a slight drop in my times on distance runs, including this years Sun Run, where on only a few hours sleep I was able to squeeze out 10km in 48 minutes and change. Not amazing or a personal best, but considering the scenario of crowds and poor preparation, it again reflected an improved base level of fitness.

While all of the running has had some obviously positive impacts on my fitness, I am also aware that it comes with a whole set of negatives as well. For one, running improves cardio vascular health and aerobic fitness... but that's it. Running improves ones ability to run, and can be very hard on knees and ankles. It does nothing for strength, core stability, balance, explosive power, agility, anaerobic fitness, or spacial awareness... in fact it can actually impact these ways of being Physically Educated negatively in many cases. All of these things are crucial to an athletes success, but everything is a trade off, so I work to address my holistic fitness during my PE class fitness sessions. That said, I am also no longer an athlete, and my needs have changed. No longer is my success dependent on sprint speed or strength in contact. As I grow older I have an increasing need for less intense activity and a greater focus on moderate aerobic fitness for my heart. 

This is where we get to the next chapter in my "New Neuf" fitness book. Despite my natural inclination to do the things I have always done to be healthy, despite my previous successes with various forms of physical training and athletic competition, and despite my short attention span and extremely stubborn personality... I have decided I need to not only continue to run, but to learn to run more slowly. That's right, more slowly. I need to balance the high intensity running and full body fitness with a focus on extended but moderate running. This will allow me to continue to maximize the benefits of training for my heart attack prone ticker AND reduce the risk/severity of joint and muscle overuse injury. It will also mark a major mental shift for me. No longer will I be able to run at my maximum to get fitness over with. I will need to pay much more attention to pacing, and learn to quiet my mind from the competition and pressure to push. I will need to find the elusive calm that many runners experience, but which has always eluded me. 

Like the half marathon at the start of the year, I have decided to pressure myself into my desired behaviour... by signing up for a full marathon (something I swore I would never do... even 3 months ago). Knowing I have 43kms to run in the fall, and that I CANNOT do that many miles at my current training pace/intensity, I will be constantly reminded to slow down and extend my runs, out of self preservation. The stubborn part of me needs this kick in face I think. I still don't enjoy running... but there is something in humans that finds satisfaction in doing difficult things, so I will continue to lace up the runners, turn on the Nike app, pump the tunes, and reluctantly put in the miles... a little more slowly than before. 

Midterm #3

Please use the questions from the previous midterm post to give yourself another (or the same) letter grade. If its different, write about what has changed. If its the same, describe why and how you might improve before June.

Finally, post one of your best examples of digital evidence of your learning or effort or both. :)

Remember that your learning and choices extend far beyond your class time so including evidence of fitness in the community, at home with the family, healthy eating examples, spring break experiences or even proof of just being in nature can all be used to help provide "proof" of your claims of understanding and living out healthy personal choices.

Here are a few pics from my last couple weeks. There is the times from my last 10km run, pics of family time sledding, and skating. I try to balance my fitness at school with home running... But also to make activity a part of our family routine as well by going skating, swimming, dancing, walking, and to gymnastics on a regular basis.

Tattoo Meaning As Symbols of Self

In our Comm 11 class we are working on a thematic unit around Discovering Self. We have explored several ways we can reflect on our own lives through movies, poetry, and prose. Today we started an assignment on symbolism through imagery and body modification (tattoos).

Tattooing has a long history, with many cultures around the world using various forms to represent any number of things. Some cultures attached them as symbols of criminal conduct or slavery, giving them a negative connotation, while others used them as symbols of lineage and bravery. Recently in North America, there has been a mass renewal of interest in tattooing, and the number of "lay people" modifying there own bodies through tattooing has spiked dramatically.

Most ancient cultures, and many modern tattoo owners use the picture/words and the location they are tattooed to represent something meaningful to them. We had a short reading about the history of tattoos, watched a few videos on tattoo symbolism of the past and present examples, and then worked to explore what we value enough to have permanently drawn on our bodies and what symbols we would choose to show that. Not all tattoos have deep or symbolic meaning, indeed many are simply for beauty or fun. For the sake of our assignment, we will attempt to learn about ourselves by searching ideas/symbols that reveal our inner values.

My own tattoos both carry significant meaning to me and were chosen after years of contemplation and discussion with family, friends, and artists.

My first tattoo is of the 1876 Prussian coats of arms Eagle, wearing a Dutch Lion coat arms its chest, with my family name on a banner underneath. I created this tattoo myself in honor of my family lineage. My family (on both my mother and father's side) can trace their roots back to the group of Christians living in Northern Europe (Holland, Germany and Russia), that followed the teachings of a man named Menno Simons. These people were known a pacifists (they did not agree with war and refused to fight) and they have a faith and culture that revolves around a simple life, farming, and community. The result is a very broken history of family trees, the absence of a "coat of arms" (because the never bore arms), and stories of poverty and hardship. In my own life I have moved away from the religious details of being Mennonite, but I still feel very connected to and influenced by the culture of my parents and grandparents.

I spent some time asking for details of where and when my family was living in different areas of Europe. Then I spent years mulling over the huge variety of German and Dutch symbols. Eventually I settled on the Eagle from the Prussian Empire (this was the area of Germany and parts of Russia before those countries existed) partly because if its visual appeal and partly because 1876 would have been when my great grandparents were actually living in that region. Then I chose the Dutch lion to be placed on the coats of arms the Eagle is wearing to honor the origins of the Mennonite people. Finally I placed my family's version our of last name. I had the tattoo done in the middle of my back... again because of visual appeal and the symbolism of my back being behind me... my past.

My second tattoo is a traditional Japanese half sleeve. I have no connection to Japan or its tattoo history other than appreciating what I have seen and read during my search for tattoo symbolism. I knew I wanted to get a tattoo in honor of my first kid and began working up ideas as soon as we knew the due date. As with all babies, they come out when they are ready so I was never certain of days or even the astrological symbol he or she would be born under but I mocked up several ideas. When Ella arrived on March 16th, 2009 I began solidifying my favorite ideas. I knew that I wanted the images to be double symbols (to represent several aspects of her birthday/name etc) but decided to put the creation of the art in the hands of the actual artist this time. I arrived two years after the day she was born and sat twice for six hours to complete the half sleeve on my left arm, closest to my heart.

I went with three Koi (or carp) fish because in traditional Japanese tattoos they symbolize strength and perseverance (both qualities I want for my daughter) and because March is the third month of the year, and because her birthday makes her a Pisces (astrological fish). I had him do 16 traditional Japanese cherry blossom outlines, except color them purple to make them violets because Ella's middle name is Violet after her great grandmother and grandmother, and she was born on the sixteenth. I did the year 2009 by getting 9 negative space stars, for the year and because Ella's sex was a surprise so my wife had called her Star throughout the pregnancy. Finally, I included her actual name, which the artist made look like it was carved in a Japanese prayer stone and made the E a heart.

My first tattoo was for m past, the second for my hopes for the future... the third will be for my second daughter and the ideas are already in the works.

Active Learning Fitness (setting and modifying goals)

Today I was jealous of the snow shoe crew who got to spend the whole afternoon on a mountain in the snow. I had so much fun last time I went and to be honest... it sounded much more appealing than teaching 3 blocks of fitness.

But I can't be down and make excuses in front of group of students... especially when I had just asked for their best. So I decided the only way out of my lameness was to set a tough target and go for broke.

We were doing the extended beep test, a version where we all run to the world record by patterning in rest periods. I had previously pushed myself very hard on one of these, but I decided I needed to a different challenge and to be the example for every class not just one... so my goal for the day was to do all six of the extended beeps in a row.

To achieve this I had to take the intensity down a touch. I ran the first 10 levels normally and then dropped straight to a 1:1 run to rest ratio instead of my normal 2:1. This afforded me several minutes from level 10 to level 16 to recover my heart rate and I finished the test fairly comfortably.

As we were doing 2 session per block I had to line back up immediately and go again. This second one was much tougher. I found level 8-10 very draining and though I recovered during 10-16 as before the last 5 levels felt much harder.

During lunch i began to worry that perhaps 6 was going to be too many... but I stayed firm on my goal and headed into Period 3 ready for war with my legs.

Luckily, period 3 was low on numbers and we only had to do the beep once. The break over lunch had given new life to my limbs and knowing there was only one to do made my attitude climb as well. I stuck to my morning pattern and banged out #3 with a smile on my face.

"Things turn out best for those that make the best of how things turn out."

In period 4 my luck continued and I had another small group. So with only one last World Record to run to, I laced em up and hammered out the final pattern feeling almost as good as the first one of the day.

I was very impressed with the red faces and effort from the vast majority of the Sulli crew. Kids were working hard all over the gym and many tried their best to learn about their bodies and will power by sticking to their own patterns. My final run of the day brought extra motivation and pride as Omar (grade 10) had a go at the World Record doing 2 runs for every 1 rest. I had tried that before and only made 18.5... Mr. Vaughan got to 19.5... Omar finished the whole thing. The first person in Sulli history to make it at a 2:1 ratio.

Sometimes even NOT reaching a goal results in huge personal learning and awesome achievements. The key is to set the goal, make a specific plan for action, then ignore the excuses we all have and go after it. I didn't get 6 done today but I learned that 45 minutes recovery time was enough for me to be ready for another go, and that next time I can probably increase my workload a little... even if I am doing 4. :)

Much love Sulli for another great effort. Hope the mountain crew had as much success.

Sample "AL" Digital Evidence Post

In keeping with my last post, I want to demonstrate how I keep digital evidence and demonstrate effort/learning. Here is a snapshot of my last three days of eating and exercise.

Focus: Active Living - choices outside the actual classroom.

On Fitness Friday (my favorite day of the week by far) I participated in two insanity workouts. The first was with my class, the second was my prep but the community effort fired me up to go again. At that point I was pretty tired, with a left hamstring that was beginning to yell at me. That night I had my Dad in town for dinner and felt like a movie and bed, but I went off to a late night ice time and pretended to play hockey. As I am not very good ... Hockey is like running in quick sand for me. By the time I hit the sack at 2AM my legs/back felt like old rubber.

Saturday (after only 2 hours of sleep) I was feeling sorry for myself. Rain poured down, I had errands and another family dinner and I didn't do much. I did eat healthy meals all day though... Which I wasted by having birthday cake... And I don't even like cake. During the day I saw a very quick 5km time posted by Ms. Phillips but couldn't find the energy to go for it myself.

Sunday brought sunshine and a better sleep. After a 2 hour walk with the family and dog, I decided to take a shot at a new 5km best time. The vitamin D helped and I knew I needed 7min miles to get under 23 minutes, so I plugged in the Nike+ running app and had a go. The first mile was under 7... The second a little over... and the last 1.1 miles were a split. The first half was blazing and the last half was hell on earth as my legs turned to mush. When the girl in the headphones said I was done I was covered in mud (ran through a field) and feeling like puking... But I had done it. A new fastest 5km over the last 12 months; not by lots but still best. I cooled down by taking my eldest to public skating and now I'm relaxing again.

I know from years of research and personal experience that the hardest part of a fitness program is getting started. That is why we try to make physical activity a family thing. Now that I have begun making it a more purposeful personal habit again, my body is able to put up with a lot more than a year ago, and I find reasons to get out rather than stay in. The second piece that has been key for me is finding others who motivate me when I slack off. The PE department at Sulli has such a positive participation model going I feel inspired to find my shoes and go hard... Even on the days I was planning on watching.

All this in only 3 days. What have you been doing? What are you learning about yourself and your body's abilities? Please share.

Modeling Learning

I have to admit something... I am not doing a very good job modeling blogging to our 300 plus new Active Learning bloggers. We are asking you to record evidence of your efforts and things you are learning but most of my posts have been instructional. This needs to change. I need to balance the examples of my learning with the instructions needed for your work.

So with that in mind I want to share a video I watched recently as a part of my own research around the concepts of student ownership and philosophy of social constructivism. I talk a lot in PE and Comm11 about opportunities for students to take control of what I believe is their education. You may have heard me talk about making class your own, seeking activities and opportunities that inspire you, and making work meaningful. This video is a really cool example of those ideas in practice.

My Comm11 class will be having 1 day a week for "Genius Hour"... Where they will select their own topic of interest to learn about. The only requirement will be to make something and teach/share it with us.

I am always learning... Always striving to understand the learning process... To become a more thoughtful teacher. Here is a my learning example from this week.

Digital Portfolios (Active Learning)

Active Learning - New Post

In todays fitness class, I would like you to think about what you have written in your mid year blog post.  Many students have written about how hard they work and push themselves during fitness days which is awesome!  Many more of you have written about having goals to improve your fitness as the year continues.  I was very happy to see so many students writing about how fitness has been beneficial to you so far.

With that in mind - please think about how you can show me evidence of your effort.  It may look like a written reflection.  Even better, post a picture of you either during or immediately after your workout that clearly shows that you have been sweating, have a red face etc., along with a short reflection of what it feels like to work hard.

Comm11 Intro Write (10 Year Plan)

As a way for me to get a sense of what you value (family, friends, money, fame, travel) I want to describe your life in 10 years.

Tell me where you are, who you are with, what you do for work, what a day in your life looks like. Do you have kids, a car, a plane? What do you do for fun?

Then tell me how you got there... what steps (between you sitting in this school and the life you just describe) are required to achieve what you are hoping for.

Active Learner Mid Term Reflection

Active Learning 8/9 - Reflection

Welcome Active Learners!

Thanks for getting your blog set up and following mine.  I will add you to my reading
 list soon, so that I can easily see your posts.  I am looking forward to reading your 
reflections.  Here are some guiding questions & themes for your first post about 
your progress in Active Learning so far this year...

During PE this year, how have you shown you are prepared and willing to participate 
in a variety of activities?  On what days have you participated to your best effort and 
why?  What days have been a struggle for you and why?

How do you contribute to the overall success of the class?  What kind of attitude do 
you bring and why?  How do you interact with other students in our class?

Describe your participation during fitness days - have you been able to push yourself 
physically?  What types of fitness activities do you enjoy the most?  What fitness 
goals do you have for the rest of the year? 

What does "leadership" mean to you?  Who are the best leaders in our class - why?

What improvements would you like to make in PE by the end of the year?  What are 
you the most proud of so far?

Finally, what letter grade A, B, C+, C, C- (gulp) best represents the effort you just described? 

 Please feel free to add other information that is important to your journey in
 Active Learning so far - these questions are just ideas to get you thinking.  When 
writing your post, please be thoughtful - this is going to be your report card for both 
me & your parents to read. 

Sr. PE Final Video/Blog Post

As per the the final assignment you were given in Decemeber... For your final post you need to do the following:

1) Take all of your clips and use iMovie or WindowsMovieMaker to create a single 60 second movie file. Here is my example video again.

Link to iMovie download for iPod ad iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8

Link to WMM download for PC: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started


2) Publish your final video to YouTube (you get a YouTube account with your GMail account... if haven't already use your gmail to register your YouTube channel. Here's how:

3) Embed your 60 second (of 1 second clips) video which tells the story of your semester.

Here's how:

Click the video button on the new post edit tab (top of new post)... from there you can upload from a regular YouTube Search... or from your personal YouTube account (this is what you want to choose). Select the video and it automatically embeds. :)



4) You need to write your final reflection. You should summarize your video: explain what we are watching and why those clips tell your story. Relate the video to your midterm reflection post and provide a final assessment and percentage mark for the year. You must incorporate all of the multiple categories and complex relations of home and school. Categories that may be included are: attendance, preparedness (physical and mental), initiative, cooperation, personal motivation, consistency of effort and behaviour, personal growth, understanding of healthy lifestyle, goal setting, and leadership.



VERY IMPORTANT: This final video and blog post is your chance to demonstrate your semester learning. Failure to do so will result in a failure to complete the course. You will receive a final failing grade. Submission of the final post is due January 25th at 2:30pm.

Active Learning

Welcome to all of the new bloggers coming from our Active Learning 8/9 classes. I will post the report card "interview/reflection" questions for you on here another time so stay tuned. For now see if you can use your computer or mobile device or iPod to publish your first post. You can write something short and easy about you favourite part of Active Learning so far, or what you think about the co-construction method we are using for report cards, or even what you think about us using blogs. Just practice writing a "new post" NOT a "new blog" and clicking publish so I can read it. :) If you haven't emailed me your URL please do so I can add your blog to the correct class list and make sure I don't miss it. :) Well done so far... you will get what put into this so look for a reason bigger than "neuf made me do it." Whoop! Go stars.