Luis Columna

Using Online Videos for Disability Awareness

JOPERD • Volume 80 No. 8 • October 2009 T he increase of inclusive education in the United States has heightened the need for disability awareness among individuals without disabilities. As more students with and without disabilities share classrooms, teachers must help their students be aware and respectful of individual differences, including disabilities. However, many educators need to develop the skill of fostering awareness and openness toward different ability levels in the classroom. Literature that addresses best practice in teaching students about disabilities can be helpful in this regard. This article describes how teachers can develop disability awareness in their students, specifically with the use of online videos.

Ethnolinguistically Relevant Pedagogy: Empowering English Language Learners in Physical Education

People from diverse cultures interpret languages and gestures differently (Columna & Lieberman, 2011). It is not surprising, therefore, that communication differences may have negative implications for teachers and English language learners in K–12 physical education environments. To address this issue, we advocate preparing physical education teacher education (PETE) candidates to implement ethnolinguistically relevant pedagogy to better accommodate students with diverse linguistic backgrounds in K–12 physical education settings. Ethnolinguistically relevant pedagogy (Farr, Seloni, & Song, 2010) is a blending of intercultural language education and intercultural competence (Byram, 1997; Byram, Gribkova, & Starkey, 2002) with culturally relevant pedagogy (Gay, 2000). In this article, we discuss ethnolinguistically relevant pedagogy and strategies for implementing such pedagogy in physical education settings.

Collaborative Strategies During Transition for Students with Disabilities

JOPERD • Volume 82 No. 5 • May/June 2011 A dapted physical education (APE) services should focus on the promotion of overall wellness and the development of physically active graduates. However, the National Longitudinal Transition Study data (Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Garza, & Lavine, 2005) indicated a decline in the percentage of high school graduates with disabilities who participate in sports. The data also showed an increase in the percentage of parents who reported that their “adult children” with disabilities were in poor health. Assisting in the transition process of students with disabilities is one of the major responsibilities of APE teachers. Effective transition programming is holistic in nature and includes all members of the community. Considering the fact that over 56 percent of individuals with disabilities live with their parents after graduation (Wagner et al.), the involvement of family members is a key component of a successful transition. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 indicates that parental input should be taken into consideration when making educational decisions for students with disabilities (Sec. 650[1][11][B]). However, teachers often do not use parents as a resource when planning for the transition to active living. Physical education teacher education (PETE) training programs offer teacher candidates basic preparation for teaching students with disabilities, but often do not provide them with skills to collaborate with parents and other professionals, particularly when planning for transition (Lytle, Lavay, Robinson, & Huettig, 2003). This collaboration should not just occur during secondary school, but also during “natural transition points,” such as when students are moving from preschool to elementary, elementary to middle, and middle to high school. Research findings indicate that the earlier transition programs and strategies are identified, the better the outcomes are for individuals with disabilities (Frank & Sitlington, 2000). According to IDEIA, schools must begin to integrate secondary transition goals into the individualized education program (IEP) when students turn 16 years old. Goals need to be established based on the student’s needs, strengths, preferences, and interests. Families, school-based professionals, and local agencies should all be active participants in the transition planning. This collaboration is at the heart of the adapted physical education transition model, which identifies areas to address on the secondary level and outcomes of a successful transition (Modell & Megginson, 2001). However, collaboration can prove difficult to implement when physical educators are working with families of multicultural backgrounds, students with low-incidence disabilities, and little knowledge of resources and structure for successful transition. This article provides physical educators and adapted physical educators with practical transition strategies that can be implemented during both natural transition points and the secondary-level transition. Additional considerations will be provided for assisting students with low-incidence disabilities.

Parental Expectations About Adapted Physical Education Services

The purpose of this study was to characterize the expectations of parents of children with disabilities regarding adapted physical education services. Participants (N = 10) were parents of children with disabilities. Parents participated in one-on-one semistructured interviews. Transcripts were analyzed through a constant comparative method. Three parental themes emerged from the analysis: (a) importance placed on physical activities, (b) ongoing and frequent communication and collaboration, and (c) teachers’ attributes. The results of this study demonstrated that parents wanted more communication with the adapted physical education teacher, a collaborative working relationship, attendance of the adapted physical education teacher at Individual Education Program meetings, and normalcy for their child.

Recreational Physical Activity Experiences Among Guatemalan Families With Children With Visual Impairments

BACKGROUND Nationwide research indicates that children with visual impairment have limited participation in recreational and sport activities than their peers. This is due in part to the lack of recreational opportunities and facilities, as well as a lack of awareness by parents of how and where their children can participate. The purpose of the current study was to explore the experiences of Latino families of children with visual impairments living in Guatemala regarding physical recreation. Participants were Latino parents (N = 13) who have children with visual impairments recruited from a sport camp. METHODS Qualitative data were gathered through one-on-one interviews that were transcribed and analyzed through a constant comparative analysis. RESULTS Participating Latino families who resided in Guatemala City participated at least once a month in low budget recreational activities with their children with visual impairments. Activities were mostly done in local surroundings and led mainly by their mother. Benefits identified by the participants related to relaxation, socialization, and sense of independence, with minimal mention of health related benefits. CONCLUSIONS There is a need to disseminate information to the Latino community with children with visual impairments regarding the multiple benefits that arise from being involved in recreational physical activities.

Special Education Terminology Every Physical Education Teacher Should Know.

An initial step to demonstrate commitment and professional behaviors is to be knowledgeable in the terminology used by special education colleagues, and to share with them common terminology used in physical education settings. Adapted physical education (APE) and general physical education (GPE) teachers need to know terminology used by multidisciplinary individualized education program (IEP) teams so they can be active contributing team members, and thus better assist the student with a disability in their class. The purpose of this article is to review commonly used special education terminology that APE and GPE teachers may hear during their interactions with team members. In addition, this article includes suggestions for participating in the IEP meeting and collaborating with parents and other special education professionals. IEP meetings are the perfect setting to learn and share common terminology.

The Hispanic Experience in Physical Education Teacher Education Programs: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of Hispanic faculty involved in physical education teacher education programs at predominantly White colleges and universities in the United States. The study was positioned in the theoretical framework of organizational socialization. Participants were Hispanic (n = 6) faculty from various kinesiology-based programs in tenure-track positions at institutions of higher education in the United States. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and transcribed, triangulated, and analyzed with constant comparative procedures. We uncovered the following themes: (a) underrepresented, (b) socialized, and (c) cultured and determined. The study’s findings magnify the need for faculty and administrators to heighten their awareness and implement strategies to improve the organizational socialization of Hispanic faculty, particularly at predominantly White doctoral-granting colleges and universities. This means, for instance, identifying strategies to recruit, prepare, retain, and mentor Hispanic faculty at such institutions.

Effective education for families of children with visual impairments and blindness in physical activity environments: A workshop model with a focus on orientation and mobility skills

Children with visual impairments (VI) and their families experience multiple barriers when trying to access physical activity opportunities. These barriers reduce family participation in sports and physical activities and lessen access to the well-known benefits. Basic mobility skills and orientation skills can be a challenge with low vision or no vision, and the professional field of Orientation and Mobility (O&M) can be useful in addressing barriers to physical activity. The purpose of this article is to describe two O&M workshops that were provided within the context of a larger physical activity program for parents of children with VI delivered for participants’ practical ideas and direct experience. This article will discuss detailed program and workshop components, rationales, design, and effective modifications for developing a similar program for children with VI and their families. Previous studies have indicated parent need for this type of hands-on experience and comments from participating parents and their children identifies the effectiveness of this approach.

Parents’ perceptions of physical activity experiences for their families and children with visual impairments:

Acknowledging and understanding parental perceptions and experiences surrounding physical activity (PA) is crucial to promoting participation in PA for children with visual impairments (VI) given that parents strongly influence their children’s participation in physical activities. The purpose of this study was to understand parents’ perceptions regarding PA experiences for their family and children with VI. Participants in this study were parents of children with VI (N = 10) who took part in one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews that were transcribed and then analyzed through a thematic line-by-line analysis. Two themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) Health, Social, and Psychological Benefits and (2) Multifaceted Barriers. The parents in this study valued PA and had high PA expectations for their children; however, they struggled to overcome multiple barriers - most notably their limited ability to motivate their children to be physically active.

Survey development to assess parental satisfaction with adapted physical education teachers' abilities working with children with autism

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to systematically develop and validate an instrument to assess parental perceptions toward adapted physical education (APE) teachers, who work with children with autism. Methods: Participants included two expert panels and parents of children and youth with autism. The survey used a Likert-scale design where parents rated their level of satisfaction regarding communication with, qualifications of, and rapport with the APE teachers. Results: Based on α coefficients for each of the three subscales, it was concluded that the survey had high internal validity. Split-half reliability determined by the Spearman Brown Prophecy coefficient indicated high reliability. Conclusion: Preliminary evidence demonstrated that the survey may be a useful tool in assessing parental perceptions of their childs APE teacher.