Personalized learning and competency-based learning take many forms in education today. Rather than just being one thing, personalized learning can entail a wide variety of educational philosophies and teaching styles. I like Katie Varatta’s definition of competency-based education in the article Teaching in a Competency-Based Learning Environment: "students moving through education based on mastery of skill rather than seat time, lessons personalized to the individual and students taking ownership of their learning."
So in a high school physical education class, what might competency-based learning look like? Example 1: While giving a lesson on how physical activity affects the heart rate, the teacher can begin with instruction to the entire class, defining the basics of heart rate to the whole group (physical activity's effect on heart rate, maximum heart rate formula, resting heart rate, target heart rate, etc.). Then after measuring their resting heart rate, students can be encouraged to partake in any physical activity of their choosing… something they like to do in their lives, then re-measure their heart rate and see the benefits of their favorite physical activity. Example 2: When giving a lesson on flag football, some students, through prior experience with the sport, will have excellent background knowledge and already be aware of intricacies and variations within the sport that inexperienced students will not. For this lesson, I would instruct the whole group first, teaching essential rules which would ensure the safety of the students, as well as familiarizing them with basic concepts. Then I would break the students up into groups by experience and abilities, allowing those students with good background knowledge to agree, as a group, on which variations they will play with (e.g. how many blitzes per four downs, two completions for a first down vs gaining 10 yards, “five Mississippi” or another countdown before rushing the quarterback, allowing or not allowing quarterback runs, etc.) Believe it or not, a good percentage of students would know all of these concepts specific to flag football and would not need a ton of instruction to get a good game going. On the flip side, that would allow me to put my focus and good teaching energy into the more beginner level groups, helping coach their games along, and stopping and re-teaching something when necessary. This falls in line with Laura Hilger’s example of giving different levels of writing instruction to various smaller groups based on what that group needs: “While they are working, you might be pulling small groups to go deeper on the focused mini lesson or individuals that need further interventions or support.” (Teaching in a Competency-Based Learning Environment). Example 3: When teaching a Weight Room class to high school students, you will encounter many students with wide ranges of physical capabilities. It would be flat out dangerous to expect all students to be able to handle the same weight or number of reps with particular exercises. It would be important to get students to self-evaluate and find the appropriate workout for themselves. Student agency will be an important factor here – students will be expected to take the “curriculum” into their own hands by getting to understand their own bodies better. Then, students would be divided into smaller groups based on their abilities and each individual would be set to go at an appropriate pace for their own development.
7 Comments
6/1/2020 11:44:24 pm
I love football. It has always been my favorite sport. I love that you’re taking the time to teach students the fundamentals of football. I wonder if pairing your students up with a local football player to Zoom or (if in classrooms again) Skype? There are so many different abilities when it comes to PE. I can imagine how even a student’s interest level plays a part in that. GO BRONCOS!!!
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Kathy Flynn
6/2/2020 11:02:25 am
Dustin,
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Laurie Gaynor
6/2/2020 12:20:16 pm
Hi Dustin,
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Scott Marsden
6/2/2020 01:08:03 pm
Dustin,
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Lynda Tuttle Bergner
6/2/2020 03:31:24 pm
I love how perfect PE is for competency based learning. I'm a little jealous. I love that no mater what level a student is at when they begin that you can see their improvement. If a student had never picked up a bat or a all, you could see their progression. If the student was already well versed in the game, you could see them improve(maybe not as much as teh newbie, but you could still gague their progress toward betterment). ,
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Jason Chatham
6/3/2020 02:02:20 pm
Hey Dustin,
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Erica Reeves
6/4/2020 04:20:28 pm
Dustin your ways of personalizing their learning sound so good. The great thing is they really have choice. They can take your whole group lessons, make decisions what they want to accomplish or work on, and make plans for reaching their goals. Check-ins to see how and if their decisions are leading to their desired outcomes. I can envision sitting with them and reviewing their average heart rates and exploring their level of activity on that chart on gym walls. I can also see first time flag football players gaining more confidence knowing they are on a team with students in the same boat and not being upstaged by a very experienced player. It would be so intimidating for some students to step into the sports and activities in PE if they have to compete or keep up with students that have more experience and developed skills. Your ideas will build the confidence for each student.
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About Dustin Green:High School PE Teacher Archives
March 2021
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