How to steal a little more attention!

This entry isn’t based on exhaustive research, just observation.  And what I have observed is that even the really well-behaved students, the ones who are making eye contact as I talk are really only giving me a percentage of their attention.  And yes I am grateful for this percentage of attention.  But some of their attention is going to the child sitting next to them, some to what they are going to say when they raise their hand…you have probably observed the same.  So how do I steal more of their attention?  I project excellent movement from youtube onto the gym wall.

For example during the entire lesson when students are practicing overhand throwing there is a looping video of a person overhand throwing.  I choose videos that demonstrate correct skills.  Say students are giving me 50% of their attention, the video may steal another 20%.  Well that 20% is essentially teaching them the same thing.  They are watching great modeling, observing the teaching cues for themselves.

Questions and Answers

How is it set up?  My laptop and LCD are on a cart in the corner of the gym, I project on the wall.  Lights in the gym are on, there is never any sound with video.

Doesn’t the cart get hit?  Hasn’t in the five years I have been doing this.

What other subjects do you show?  Jumprope, high jump, running, long jump, soccerball juggling, volleyball bumping and striking, basketball set shot,……..

How do you get the video from youtube?  I have the video downloaded onto my computer so I don’t get any advertisements and I can put it on full screen and loop it.

Jarrod Robinson has a great post on Large Screen Projection in Physical Education

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