3rd Meeting: Sports Introduction games

Just before we started to develop our 3rd meeting -Sports Introduction Games- last January 13th, Mireia proposed herself to be the reporter. She was injured so she couldn't do barely any exercise. She kept on taking notes and pictures and let me tell you she is done a great report. Take a look! Before that though, I will remind you the info highlights of our 4th meeting:

DATE: February 17th

HOUR: 17'45am

PLACE: CEIP Miguel Hernández
TOPIC: Indoor games

Now, enjoy Mireia's great report! Bye!

Didac

SPORTS INTRODUCTION GAMES

Playing Kao (Nuria's game)

Hi my friends! Last meeting took place January 13th and its topic was Sports’ introduction games. We played several games in which we practiced different aspects of some sports. Most of them were basketball introduction games, such as Survivor (proposed by Miguel), Kao (suggested by Núria) or Superplayer, wich was organized by Dídac. The most difficult game we played was Andrea’s because we had to be bouncing the basketball while catching and pass other balls with your other hand. Then, we played the same game using our feet. We baptized this game with the name: Crazy ball.

Playing Everybody run! (Susana's game)

Susana shown us a game related to baseball. It was called Everybody run! It was interesting because in this game, when an offensive player shot the ball all the team had to run. When you play baseball in PE class, pupils usually have to wait their turn to run and that means they are not active most of the class time. Susana gave us a clue to keep them active all the time! Majo proposed a game called Doesn’t fall it!, in which we set in a row and, with one contact to the ball of each one of us, the ball couldn’t fall down to the floor. José Luis showed us a game related to handball, and specially to practice the extreme position thrown, called Around the goal.

Playing  Superplayer (Didac's game)

Finally, I explained a game that we couldn’t practice because we remained five people and we needed more players. The game was called Tower balloon. I explained that I use to play this game when I start practicing any invasion’ sport, in order to learn basic offensive and defensive actions involved in this kind of sports.But we cannot finish this report without telling the funnier action that Susana made. She scored a goal in her own goal. It was very funny!

See you next meeting!

Mireia

2nd Meeting: As good as 1st!

Hi, folks!
Christmas Holliday is practically gone... Tomorrow, right at this time, we'll be surrounded by a mess of kids asking for playful games to play. Well, I hope you all enjoyed your 15 days off... It's not that bad! Come on! It's time to go back to school and make our students work on their bodies and minds!

 As a matter of fact, it's also time to start activating ourselves because next January 13th will be our next meeting! Remember the highlights:

• Place: CEIP Miguel Hernández
• Time: 17'30hrs (try to be on time!)
• Topic: Sportive introduction games

And now, having this said, I will publish Andrea's report about our last meeting which was as good as the first one! Enjoy Andrea's refined English!

Body Expression (2nd Meeting Report)

In our second “practice class” we worked upon body language. It was a challenge for all of us. Nevertheless we had a lot of fun because we all gave our best! Didac started the class with a funny game called “NumberBomb”. This is a big group game. We all were walking around the court. The basic goal was to count from 1 to 10 without saying any number at the same time. There was no order but nobody could say two numbers in a row. If two of us said a number at the same time, we shouted “Bomb”, and we all felt down, like in a explosion. After this initial game, Marian introduced a game called “Follow the King/Queen”. In this game all of us played together. We were in a circle, and the teacher told who was the King or Queen. He or she had to choose body or face and start to do movements, and all others had to mimic the King or Queen. MªJosé’s game was “How much times I can use it?”. We got groups of 3 or 4 and the teacher gave each group a different thing to develop our expression skills. We had to create a story using that thing in three different ways, that is: it had to "convert" in three different objects along the story. For example, a wheel was used as a bonfire, animal, and pillow in the same story. It was amusing.

Prepearing the stories

When it was my turn I explained a game called "The figure". We used the same groups as before. It consisted in mimic with your eyes blindfolded the figure that one of your partner had created. The other component of the group corrected the second figure. When we finished the game, we talked about how different ways to play “figure” games. In pairs, in small and big groups… The next game was “Run-perform-sit down” explained by Susana. In this game we need four benches, forming a square. There were four teams, each team sit on one bench. Teacher shout a number from 1 to 4. We had to follow these commands:

• Number 1! All the teams must stand up, run to the bench on their right and sit down as quick as possible. But they must walk as BIRDS and chirp as birds do.
• Number 2! All the teams must stand up, run to the bench on their left and sit down as quick as possible. But they must walk as COCKS and crow as they do "cock-a-doodle-doo".
• Number 3! Only the teams that are sat on the benches with the yellow cone can move. They must stand up quickly and sit down on the bench that is in front of them. They must walk and meow as CATS: "meow, meow, meow".
• Number 4! Now the teams on the yellow benches have to run and move as if they were THE INVISIBLE MAN.

It was very funny  because you have to think what to do when you were in each benches, and did it as fast as possible.

Playing RunPerforme

After that, Jose Luis presented a very simple but amazing game called “Invent a language”. We were sitting in pairs. Jose Luis told us that one of us had to invent a language while our partner was trying to follow a conversation. We had a lot of fun in this game. For example, we started to talk like a Russian but then like a Chinese people… we cannot continue the conversation because we laughed so much. Later we were dancing with Nuria and her activity “how to move your hips”. She taught us some movements in order to dance the song “All about the bass”. She explained before the movements without music, and when we cached, we all dance to the music.

Following Nuria's dancing orders

To cool down, Carles told us a “relaxing” game. We were lying on the others in a line. And we made a nice massage to the others. Finally, as a conclusion, I think that we are lucky to have this opportunity to show the others our “best” games, and learn from each other. Also, the best way to know if we like or not one game, and to learn how to explain to our students is playing!!!!

Andrea

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