Outdoor classrooms.

I think its such a unique opportunity that we have as Physical Education majors and future teachers in the field to have the ability to teach outside. What other education field would one be able to teach outside on a nice spring day and hold class. Our field has so many perks that are so underrated its ridiculous. I love the fact that we have the same schedule we've had our entire lives in school. Spring means summer and summer is a time to be off and have fun. Can't imagine any profession that shares all of the same great perks we have before us.

March Madness in PE

I think March madness is the perfect time for a basketball unit in a PE class. I think sports are seasonal and theres no better time to teach students about basketball than right before march madness and maybe even fill out some brackets just for fun with your students. I'm not sure if that would be appropriate for a class but I dont see why not. It would do nothing but generate interest in your unit and give students a chance to really love sports the way we all do. March madness is the best run tournament in sports in my opinion and theres nothing wrong with incorporating their exemplary play into our curriculum. Lets go Pitt!

PE course 352

Today I started 352 methods class here at Slippery Rock University and I've got to say it doesn't seem like its going to be as bad as the hype surrounding it. It will definately be a lot of work between now and the end of the semester but Dr. McKinley seems like a great teacher to learn from. This class is the foundation of what we do for the rest of our lives so its good to know we have a great proff to learn from. I'm excited for the opportunity I have here at SRU this semester. But at the same time can not wait to be done with this year!

Back from Break

Spring Break 2009 has ended and it is back to real life. The week off was great and much needed to recharge the batteries. Sadly, life is not a vacation and its time to get back to work. In the week we've had off I've been thinking alot about how great a profession we have in front of us that gives so much time off for summer vacation, Christmas, Easter, and so on. I think thats the most underrated thing about our profession and people try to downplay it alot but it shouldn't be overlooked. Its a perk just like other jobs have perks and we should take pride in it. Too often we worry about proving ourselves and our profession to the rest of the working world but I say who cares. We have chosen to get paid to play for the rest of our lives as Dance Instructor T.C. so wisely words it. I look forward to lazy days in the summer poolside and coaching whatever sports we love most and I'm not afraid to say it. Heres to counting down the 2 months we have left until our summer vacation 2009 arrives!

Steroids & Physical Education

With all of this controversy in major league baseball and other sports I am wondering what kind of affect this will have on us as Physical Education Teachers. Seems like its going to make kids more prone to taking the quick fix and easy way to success. I hope not but with all of major league baseball under scrutiny it is getting more and more coverage. I think people like Arod and Giambi and Bonds need to right the ship and speak out about the dangers of steroids. They always try to make excuses for what they did or lie and cover it up but if they just would take some responsibility for their actions it would solve alot of things. 1. It would allow kids to see that athletes are accountable for their actions and are trying to help young players not follow their same path. And 2. It would allow the players to get on with their lives much quicker rather than going to court, lying about cousins, age, green cards, syringes, and the list goes on.

How will technology affect physical education?

I am 24 years old and I think its remarkable to think back when I was a child growing up how different the world used to be. Before the explosion of cell phones, hi-def televisions, interactive gaming, the internet, etc. It's not going to stop there either, technology will continue to grow and children will have more 'distractions' to keep them from being on task. My question is how this will affect us in the teaching field. What can we do to help keep kids active, healthy, and focused in our gymnasiums and on the practice field. Technology has its many upsides but also comes with significant downside. Our jobs will become increasingly difficult as technology grows and it will be up to us to use this technology to our advantage.

First Post

Welcome to the Official Blog of Stephen DeFilippo. As the title suggests I am a Slippery Rock University commuter from the South Hills of Pittsburgh. I currently am in school to attain my teaching certification in Health and Physical Education. Here at Slippery Rock I am learning each day how to be a better role model for tommorow's future. I look forward to graduating and getting out into the schools to try and be a positive influence in a world that seems to lack those. In the grand scheme of life I can't think of anything more important to teach than how to remain active through out one's life and remain healthy doing so.