How PE Classes are Working to get kids with Disabilities off the Sidelines
This article is about adapting PE classes to fit students with all disabilities. Specifically, Bruce Randolph School in Denver has been making high efforts to make sure students with disabilities get equitable physical education experiences. The school has spent a large amount of money for adapted equipment and even brought in experts to run trainings on adapted P.E. Differentiation is shown in this P.E class but should be shown in every single P.E class in the country. Differentiation is required for those with disabilities in every class, including P.E. Physical Education opportunities for disabled students used to be bare minimum to none, but now efforts are really starting to make improvements for many different learning opportunities. Small efforts in the right direction can make the biggest difference for these students. Making sure adaptive P.E teachers are available is important for all schools and students’ learning experiences.
While teaching this article to my class, many questions could be addressed: Why is adaptive P.E important? What are ways teachers can make P.E accommodating to all? Should there be a separate class for adapted P.E? Are there ways to differentiate P.E while keeping everyone in the same class? Should adaptive physical ed teachers be required? Each of these questions require mature, and clear understanding. Talking about adaptive P.E is a serious and important matter therefore students should know why we have to differentiate. I’d teach this to high schoolers and they would be able to come up with even more reasonable questions and responses to the article.
This article connects to the American Experience Grand Challenge because there are so many people out there living different American Dreams. I think this topic specifically is a great way to look at all the possible different “American Dreams”. Students with disabilities still need to be treated just as equally as those who are able bodied. Even though some students may be learning completely leveled down, low impact P.E, it’s still a huge part of their life. Physical Activity is important for each and every person in order to live a long, healthy and happy life. This concept goes along with Physical Education Standard 2: Apply knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics related to movement and performance. The big picture is the concept of adaptive P.E. Not only teachers, but students need to know about adapted P.E and it’s importance to their peers.
If I were to read this article to my students, and have a lesson on it, I would use the routine Collaborative Conversations. This topic should be talked about in depth to students. As a teacher, I would make sure students are engaged in the topic and understand the importance of adapted P.E. Not only do students need to understand differentiation but they should be capable of giving input and ideas to better differentiation in classrooms. The point of the lesson should be a huge learning experience about adapting to other’s needs. My students will know how to be inclusive of everyone no matter what type of disability one has. This lesson not only teaches the importance of adapted PE but also gives abled bodied students other perspectives, being put in someone else’s shoes. Conversing about this topic in a mature manner lets everyone have a say and give their opinion or statements about the topic. Those who do not wish to speak out loud to the class get the opportunity to collaborate with a small group first. This lesson goes along with being organized within the conversations and not letting them get out of hand. It’s important to shine the light on subjects such as adapted PE and it’s not just teachers who need to understand, but students as well.
