A GREAT START!

Miguel has done his homework in a very successful way! Good job! Our first meeting report is written in a very good English! As I told you, writing is the key to reinforce your English! Next time, whoever does it, as good as this! Take a look and enjoy!

DIDAC

Last Tuesday we had our first meeting. It took place in Didac’s school, CEIP Miguel Hernández of Valencia. Didac’s school has a huge gym with a lot of PE materials, so it’s a perfect place to have our meetings. Although there were people who had difficulty finding the school, the meeting started more or less on time. Everybody was exited and a little nervous. Didac broke the ice with the first game, “The stinky handkerchief”, a funny warm up game perfect to start the session. Soon I found that you all are on fit.

Aida explaning her game "Pirates and Cannibals"

The next game was “Piggyback”, another warm up game. Susana’s game lets us to be “the horse” and “the knight”. But I think people preferred to be “the knight”. After that, we played Mireia’s game, “I kill”. I found this game very fun. I realized there are no friends when we are playing catch with a ball. It’s just a joke, of course. Later we played handball with Maria José. I don’t remember if someone scored a goal. Didac, do you have bigger goals? We need it. Aida’s game, “Pirates to the island”, was also very fun. The two teams tried their best to win.

Núria explaining her game "Tin, tin"

The next game was “Min, Mon”, Carles’ game. I found this game interesting because players have to throw and to kick the balls, so they can improve two skills in the same game.Marian’s game was “Hairy spider”. It’s my younger pupils’ favorite game. It’s an easy game that always works. When it was my turn, I explained a game called “Catch the flag” but we were pretty tired by that time. It would had been more fun with more players. After that, Jose Luis tested our attention with his “last train”. Finally Ricardo and Nuria explained their games, “The rings” and “Tin, tin”. We’d have liked to play these games but there was no time.

Susana and Majo playing Susana's game, "Piggyback"

To sum up, I think it was a great experience. I believe we are going to learn a lot and to improve our English. I’m looking forward the next meeting!  Body expression games! What a challenge!

MIGUEL FERNÁNDEZ

HERE WE ARE AGAIN!

Hi, every body!

Our 2nd PE in English seminar is on! Let me tell you I was very excited about the great feeling I could notice last tuesday during the starting session. It looks to me we are going to have a hell of a good time learning and practicing English and Physical Education along this year. I hope this feeling will become true. For sure it will!

This first little writing in our blog it's just to say "Hello!". However, I would like to remind you the main agreements we established. Basically we decided the following questions:

• We will meet once a month.
• Our meetings will be on tuesday even though we might change the day occasionally.  
• We will meet always at the same school -probably CEIP Miguel Hernández- although we might change the center occasionally.
• Our first meeting will be November 11th and the topic will be Our best game.
• Next session date and topic will be decided after every session.
• Every body will have to write down properly in the task sheet the game is going to develop.
• Every body will have to upload the task in Moodle at least a couple days before the meeting.
• At the end of the seminar we will collect all sessions in order to make a sort of publication, if possible.

Well, so far, so good! Núria, Aida, José Luis, Ricardo, Mireia, Núria, Susana, Bárbara, Carles, Miguel, Marian, Ernesto, Maria José, Andrea... It's a pleasure to coordinate you! As I've said at the beginning, I think we are going to have a great time together. I'm dying to start!

See you next November 11th!

DIDAC  

THIS IS IT!

It's over! Our great PE seminar came to its end! On June 11th, we developed our last meeting at Malva-rosa beach. It was the best way to end up our experience. Nobody missed it but Gaby, who is working and she couldn't make it. Everybody had planned playful beach games and we didn't stop playing until our last breath!

As usually, I don't know if I'll remember the exact order of the games and their real names but that's not a big deal, is it? I think we started with Vicent, who explained us a type of volley very useful because... net is not needed! That makes it easier to play anywhere anytime! It works practically equal to volley but you have to mark a big square in between both team's places. That big square works as a net. So, if you hit the ball and it bounces inside the square, it's a turnover and the other team gets 1 point.

Then, Luis showed us a very funny game: Jumping Frog. We used the same volley court as in Vicent's game. It's a sort of a cooperative volley. Both teams hold a sheet and they have to throw a little balloon filled with water. The other team has to catch with their sheet and, again, they have to throw it back. So on so forth until any team misses the shot. We had a great time playing Luis' game even more when the balloon exploded!

After that, Mònica explained her game. She called it Frisball because it mixed Frisbee and Baseball. In fact, it works equally to baseball but, instead of a ball, you use a flying disc. However, at the end, there was a little surprise... The winner team could wet the looser team with water! Every winner teammate had a balloon filled with water and they had to chase the looser teammates.

Susana's game was also a cooperative game. It was called Transport the wounded. It was very funny because each team had to bring their wounded players to the hospital using a towel. It was a kind of a relay race because every teammate had to be "wounded" and transported to the hospital. The winner team is the one that finishes sooner.

Later, Fernando explained us the game he had planned. It was called The code. First of all, we set in a circle holding hands. We had to keep kicking a ball until it went off the circle. When it did, the teacher had to call out a number -1, 2 or 3- and, depending on the number, everyone had to do an action we had decided before. If you were the last in doing the action, then you had to sing an english song in front of the rest. It was very embarrassing because Jose Luis -CEFIRE's coordinator- joined us at the end and he could see some of us singing in english!

Last game was Nuria's. It was also a playful game and very adapted to the beach because it was a kind of a Crab's race! I don't remember the exact name of it but I like to call it in a funny way: Crab attack! What do you think, Nuria? Do you like it? The game has to be played in the shore, near the water. First of all, you have to make a pretty big circle. Somebody will be the chasing crab and she o he has to touch the others. If you are touched, you have to get off the circle like a crab and reach the water. When you do so, then you can come back to the circle. It was very funny watching a bunch of adults moving like crabs on the beach!

This was the last game but, still, there was missing a special activity, a little surprise. Actually, it was my turn. I told them I wanted to finish the course myself and since they had worked so hard the last activity was going to consist in inviting them: we were having a beer at the bar! It was a little detail, the least I could do for them after enjoying so much this months shearing my english with these great teachers. So, Fernando, Nuria, Nacho, Luis, Susana, Carles, Enrique, Belen, Jose Luis, Mònica, Vicent... Thanks a lot for the good times!

See you soon, folks!

Didac Botella

OUR BEST GAMES!

Hi, every body!

I'm back to our blog just to write a little report of our last meeting. It was May 26th at IES Font de Sant Lluís and the topic we had choosen this time was to develop our best game; that game it always work with our students. It was a pity because practically half of the group (Luis, Fernando, Nacho, Gaby, Belén...) couldn't make it but still, we had a lot of fun.

I'm not sure what was the real order but I think we started with Susana's game. She called it "Ball sit down!" and it was a ball chasing game which is played individually. The game starts everybody running around the place. One of the pupils holds a ball in his hands. When the teacher says "Go!", he has to try to hit somebody. If he touches you, you will have to seat down. The game will finish when everybody is seated. Here you are the main rules Susana wrote:

There are no teams.  It consists of throwing the ball against everybody and avoiding being touched by it.  When someone is touched by the ball, this person has to sit down on the floor. The ones on the floor are eliminated but they are allowed to play again if they  catch the ball from the floor. At this moment they have to stand up and throw the ball. If  the ball touches the floor first, the player is not eliminated. If the player catches the ball in the air, the one who threw it is dead. The game ends up when there is only one player standing up with the ball and the rest of the students are sat down. Then, it was Mònica's turn. Her game was a kind of a basketball race, where you had to bounce the ball and do different things with your partner. You have to play in a circle and everybody does the same action at the same time. Afterwards, Nuria explained her game, which you could name "Terrific square" because everybody has to fit in a small square and avoid the tennis balls the teacher is throwing to us. If the ball touches you, you have to call out in English what part of the body the ball has hit you and you have to step out of the circle and pick up three balls and bring them back to the bag. Vicent explained to us a pretty famous game that he adapted to English: "Land, Sea, Air". It's a very simple game with only three commands: "Land" calls for jumping ahead; "Sea" means jumping backwards; "Air" calls for jumping up. However, it gets tricky as the teacher goes faster in calling them. After that, we play a game called "Black and White". This was Enrique's game. It was also a simple game but very exciting because it needs to be very focused. It's played by pairs. Everybody stays still, right behind his or her playmate, back to back. One will be "White" and the other, "Black". When the teacher says "White", "Black" has to scape running strait until crossing the end line. If "White" is able to touch "Black" then he or she has got 1 point. If not, "Black" gets the point. After that, I explained a very close game but I added a new rule. In this game there is a third command. It's called "1, 2, 3... Reaction!". It works practically the same but there are a few changes. First of all, pairs won't situate back to back but side to side, separated by one meter, plus or minus. Then, it's the same as Enrique's game but if the teacher says "3" pairs have to hug each other. Both members of first pair in hugging, get 1 point. Moreover, Carles explain another "dramatic" way of playing this game. He called it "The Prince, the Dragon and the Princess". The game is played in a very similar way. Nevertheless, a dramatic rule it 's added: the teacher doesn't call out none of the three commands; he calls out "Go!" and in that moment, everybody has to show his character to his pair by body expression. so, if you act like a Dragon and your partner is the "Princess", the "Princess" will have to run away; "Dragon" will scape from "Prince" and "Prince" will scape from "Princess". By the way, Gaby had prepared one game but we couldn't develop it. She sent it to me because she couldn't come. Anyway, we must be happy this time because she couldn't make it because she started to work in a school! good for you, Gaby!  Well done, everybody! And remember: we'll meet next June 10th at Malva-rosa beach in order to play water and sand games! Start preparing the games! It looks to me we'll have a lot of fun! Don't miss it this time! DIDAC BOTELLA

CLIMBING GAMES!

Hi, folks!

Well, here I am, again! This time none of you had time to write a little report about our last meeting in Benifaraig! Don't worry about it! Everybody is very busy at the end of the school year. So, after a couple weeks, I've decided to write it myself. Once again, our meeting was just great. I really enjoyed playing climbing games because I had never played this type of games before. So, it was a very interesting PE session. This time our class "leader" was Luis because he is a climbing "master": he uses to play with his pupils at his school gym where we developed the meeting. He showed us a couple funny games we played in the boulder and using the espaliers stacked at the walls' gym. One of the games was very funny and difficult because you had to remember a picture and try to draw it in a paper that was very high while you were hanged in the boulder.

Susana also prepared a playful game. It was a sort of a climbing obstacle race through the espaliers. The thing is that it got even more complicated because after we did the first race, we had to repeat it with a ribbon in our eyes; this means blindly! We had a lot of fun! After that, we played a game Vicent explained to us. It was a simple game where you had to repeat the climbing way your teammate did and you had to add one more step at the end. Finally, we played a game that consisted in crossing the boulder at the same time in opposite direction. So, at some point, you had to skip the other's teammates. It was very funny because we decided we could make some tickles to the other teammates, in order to make them fall.

Well, as I've said it was very funny and interesting playing climbing games at Benifaraig public school. Thank you very much! Luis, it was a great idea!

See you soon!

Didac Botella i Mestres

NEXT MEETING IS COMING!

Hi, everybody!

I hope you have enjoyed your eastern holidays! In fact, they aren't gone yet! So, take advantage of it! By the way, have you practiced some English? But, don't for get, we'll meet next April 29th at Benifaraig's public school. Here you are the basic information about next meeting.

SCHOOL: CEIP Manuel Gonzalez Martí.

ADRESS: C/ Alqueria de Gilet, 14. Benifaraig. Valencia.

HOW TO GET THERE: (Luis' words!) The school is in a small village called Benifaraig which is very close to Valencia. In order to get there, you only have to take the Moncada's way which begins in Pesset Aleixandre. Then, just before you arrive at Montcada, you must turn right in Benifaraig. Right in front of the village you'll see a big school with many trees. That's it!

DATE: Tuesday 29th of April'14

TIME: 17'30.  

TOPIC: Remember we decided to develop climbing games in the gym using the shoulder pads. Nevertheless, if you want to show any other type of game, you are welcomed as well!

All right, then! See you in a couple days!

DIDAC BOTELLA

APRIL 1st MEETING!

Hi, folks! Fernando did the homework I asked you to do and he wrote a nice explanation about our last meeting. Let me tell you I haven't even corrected because it was just great! Good job, my friend! Your english is getting close to perfect! By the way, I really enjoyed the meeting last day. It was very interesting and motivating. Let's keep it up! Just remember next meeting will be the 29th of April in Benifaraig, at Luis' primary school. I will send you more info in a few days. Now, enjoy Fernando's words!

See you soon!

Didac 

Playing Australian football at IES Font de Sant Lluis "trinquet"

Last tuesday April 1st we had our monthly meeting. It was a nice evening in the IES Font de Sant Lluis. Vicente, our host, let us use his “trinquet” and even though it was a little and narrow place, finally we could manage perfectly in it. We started our meeting with an interesting game from Nacho, mixing language, movement and senses. Do you remember? We had to drive our blind mate through the court until the basket of professions. It was very funny to see all of you trying to explain your jobs only with movements.

Later we played “the dodge”. Two teams trying to hit the dodge with the sponge ball (in my stomach as possible, jajaja). Thanks Susana! Nice and funny game. After this, 1,2,3,4,5, 7,8,9,10 ... The Bomb!! Vicente made us laugh a lot. Good game to make our students remember to count in English, as fast as they can! When you arrive to 50 you have to say “bomb”, and the student that is holding the ball sits down on the floor. It was Gabi's proposal.

Gabi explaining "The bomb"

Vicent very concentrated!

Now, my turn (Fer). Do you know what Australia is? And what sport do they play? Australian football. Encourage your students to say: “Pass me the ball!” or “Kick the ball!” depending on if they use their feet or their hands.

And suddenly, the game of the evening! I thought Carles was joking... Touching my nose with my tongue? That’s weird! No way man! Ah ah ah! But, finally, I saw it was a good idea to keep students curiosity up! His main game was about passing the ball from one part to the other to try to score in the hurdles. And he was putting more and more balls.

The last game was Nuria's game. It’s called “The flag”. It’s a very nice and exciting game. I can tell you because we’ve played that game in our school many times and pupils just love it. The thing is we couldn’t make it work in our meeting. It was strange because we couldn’t find out what was the problem. We tried hard and we discussed about it in order to success but it didn’t work properly. Maybe there were some rules that didn’t work with adults –I guess!–. Anyway, Nuria and me are just now thinking about climbing games. No more flags, we promise!!

See you soon and enjoy your Easter holidays!

Fernando

GREAT MEETING!

Hi, folks!

Núria has sent me a couple words about our PE meeting we did last 25th of february. From my point of view, her little text says exactly what I would say about it in a perfect and lovely english. It describes my feelings very well. I was very glad to read it because it tells me we are doing fine and we are all learning and enjoying. That was the point, wasn't it? So far so good!

Once again, I encourage you to follow Nuria's example and try to write a couple thoughts about our experience. If you don't feel like writing a whole text, you might write a comment. I would have been great to show a picture in this article but I think nobody took a picture during the meeting, did you? I guess not. Well, next day I won't miss it! Instead, I will stick a IES Font de Sant Lluís picture.

And now, here you are Nuria's words! Enjoy them!

25th of february 2014

Hi everyone, I'm Nuria.

I would like to share with you some feelings that you made me feel the other day. I spent several years without attending courses in order to dedicate to motherhood and also I have been a tutor of primary education.

Fortunately, this year I'm finally teaching PE and I'm just re-
discovering this subject. Joining this seminar is helping me to 
improve illusion for PE. This activity is oppening my mind and my 
ideas are getting richer with the contributions of other partners.

Thank you for sharing your experience, knowledge and illusion.

Nuria.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

As many of you know, our school belongs to the plurilingual net of Conselleria. For this reason we are teaching P.E. in English since last September. We started little by little, step by step. And decided to start all the lessons talking about one picture that we put in the P.E. store. Every week our 1st and 2nd grade students draw and write this word in a work sheet. We are trying to make them speak some common expressions in English that are very useful.

And the word of this week is AUSTRALIA.  For this reason we have presented our students a picture of this country painted with the colours of the Australian flag, as you can see on the picture. We have been talking about some costumes and typical animals (koalas, kangaroos...) and we have explained whereabouts is Australia in the world. Our students watched a video on YouTube that explained the different rules and they could learn the shape of the field, the 3 goals and the way they score. But we are playing in a different way, adapting the rules in order to make it easier for them. Here you are the rules we are using to approach Australian football to children of 6-7 years old: 

- we play with a foam rugby ball

- they must throw the ball into the goal without a previous bounce on the floor.

- we can pass the ball by kicking or hitting it.

- we can run up to 5 steps with the ball.

- we can not come into the areas.

- contact between them it's not allowed.

We encourage you to discover and enjoy this sport!

Nuria Climent i Fernando Lázaro

WELCOME!

This is just a little starting article to welcome all PE teachers on board, specially those who have joined València CEFIRE's seminar about teaching Physical Education in english. As I told in the first meeting, there are a couple aims this blog wants to reach. First of all, it will be very useful for us to keep in contact and to explain each other our PE experiences with our pupils. Secondly, it will help you to keep in touch with english by reading the articles that will be published periodically. But, above all, this blog will help you to improve your english by writing your own articles. That's, definitely, the main reason this blog has been created for, its ultimate leitmotiv. So, I encourage you to write down your experiences and publish them in this new blog.

Unfortunately, you will have to send your articles to me, in order to be published. I would have prefer you being able to work on the blog by your own. The think is I've got another blog and, in order to make a new one, I had to use the same gmail address and the same password. Anyway, that should not be any problem for you to practice and improve your writing skills in english. In fact, it makes it even easier because you just have to worry about the writing: I'll do the rest in the blog!

So, here I am! Waiting for yor words!

DIDAC