WHAT IS POSSIBLE?
  • Welcome
  • All Things Teaching and Learning
  • The Aligned Leader Blog
  • Consulting and Coaching Opportunities
  • My TED X Talk
  • My Leadership Blog
  • Run Your Life Podcast Series
  • How PYP PE with Andy Has Helped Others
  • Good Teaching is L.I.F.E
  • The Sportfolio
  • Example Assessment Tasks
  • PYP Attitude Posters (printable)
  • Publications

LEADERSHIP, LEARNING, &  PErsonal Growth

Thought of the Day: Friday, August 29th, 2014

8/28/2014

2 Comments

 

Walk & talks keeps students moving and engaged

Picture
I wanted to devote today's blog post to explaining what a walk & talk is and how useful I have found this strategy to be in my PE classes. I started up the idea of walk & talks a couple of years back, but didn't really use it all of the time. 

Nowadays, I use walk & talks consistently in my classes as it is a great way to keep kids moving while at the same time discussing and sharing answers that they have to the important questions that I ask in class. I usually have these types of questions planned ahead of time and know when I am going to ask them in class. These driving questions always connect to the student learning outcomes in the units being explored in PE. 

The main idea behind the walk & talk sessions is that the students are never sitting on the floor in front of me to have a discussion. During the class, I will signal for them to come back to wherever I am in the gym. Most of the time, I will be standing in front of one of the visuals that I have created for the unit. I usually have the driving question posted on this visual. At this point, I tell them to partner up in small groups (usually 2 or 3). I allow students to use their own language when discussing and sharing their answers in their group. I have many different nationalities and cultures within my classes, so for example, I may have a small group of Germans or Koreans who want to team up to have a discussion. I have no problem whatsoever with this.

I send the groups off for their walk & talk which usually lasts between 3-4 minutes. Enough time to play one quick song while they circle around the gym talking. Once the time is up, the students will gather back and share their answers with the whole class. I encourage the students to build upon each other's ideas during these discussions. I always record their answers in my journal then use their thoughts, ideas, and answers to create a visual to show the students' learning. 

Keeping kids moving, thinking, discussing, and sharing is a very important part of our learning journey together in my physical education program. If you have never done a walk & talk with your students, try it out. They are awesome!!! 

2 Comments
Amanda Stanec link
8/30/2014 12:10:15 am

I love this Andy! Thanks for sharing this idea with your audience! I, like you, have been promoting this type of active learning for a long time. I love your post!!! If I might add, it's really fun to give students the autonomy between walking briskly and running at a talking pace. This way, they also learn the importance of choice as it relates to motivation and physical activity (of course, you make these connections overtly with them). Additionally, probe the students for the social aspect of moving with peers and help them make connections with summer fit clubs or adult running clubs when they graduate high school, etc. The idea of students sitting while learning drives me nuts. lol I think that we can do so much with stationary balance, stability, etc. activities in addition to the walk and talks (and run and talks). :) Have a wonderful weekend! Warmly, Amanda :) (@movelivelearn)

Reply
Ross Bridgeman @PE_MrB link
5/15/2015 06:22:06 pm

Hi Andy, I like the 'Walk and Talk' idea. I recently blogged about 'Buzz Time' which is a very similar concept that I am using more and more in my classes. I too am finding it effective for encouraging students to have a voice and be able to describe their discoveries in their own words. http://pewithmrb.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/its-buzz-time.html

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Author

    KAUST Faculty, Pedagogical Coach. Presenter & Workshop Leader.IB Educator. #RunYourLife podcast host. 
    Speaker. Husband, Father, Golfer #Physed #TedX

    Check out my about.me profile!
    Tweets by @andyvasily

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2021
    October 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    RSS Feed

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Welcome
  • All Things Teaching and Learning
  • The Aligned Leader Blog
  • Consulting and Coaching Opportunities
  • My TED X Talk
  • My Leadership Blog
  • Run Your Life Podcast Series
  • How PYP PE with Andy Has Helped Others
  • Good Teaching is L.I.F.E
  • The Sportfolio
  • Example Assessment Tasks
  • PYP Attitude Posters (printable)
  • Publications