Over the years working with technology in the PE classroom, I’ve been somewhat obsessed with finding ways to clone myself and leverage my instruction. This obsession has been fuelled by the realisation that a one-to-many ratio of instruction present in most classrooms is simply not good enough & in many contexts fails to meet the varied requirements of our students.
With this in mind I wanted to share my 2 favourite ways to clone yourself in the pursuit of freeing up yourself for more personal and higher level interaction with students.
QR Codes Linking to Online Videos or Instructions
One of the earliest ways I was able to clone myself was with the use of QR Codes. These magical little squares make the real world truly clickable, speeding up the access of information. While they might sound complicated, they are truly dead simple to make as the video below highlights the process at QRStuff.
- Create a QR Code that links to a YouTube video outlining the skill/s being taught in your lesson. Print these QR Codes out and place them around the practical space. Students use an app like i-nigma to scan the codes and see the video demo.
- A popular idea is to place a QR Codes in a Fitness Centre, essentially making a permanent instructor tied to each piece of equipment
- You can also download the amazing QR Code Skill Posters from The Physical Educator which make it possible to clone your teaching of various discrete skills.
- Use the app Cloud QR to create a QR Code that links to an Audio recording of you explaining the activities. This would enable students to scan and hear the progressive explanations without you needing to repeat yourself individually to each student.
Clone Yourself with a Big Screen
Anyone who follows this blog knows that I’m a massive fan of Big Screen displays in PE classrooms & have successfully helped programs all over the planet lobby their schools to get them installed. The best part about Big Screens is that they provide a platform for sharing all types of media that previously would have not been possible. This opens up the door to cloning yourself in a variety of ways.
So how can you clone yourself with a Big Screen?
- Use an app such as SworkIt to run your class warmup, freeing you up to assist students individually or deal with normal start of class procedures such as attendance and setup.
- Use the Big Screen to showcase a high level performance on Loop using an app such as ‘Loop It’. Students can then refer to a never ending demonstration, while you’re free to move around providing more intimate assistance.
- Use the Big Screen to show classroom instructions that are always on display, limiting the need for you to have to individually explain these.
As you can see the Big Screen provides an array of possibilities and are my most recommended tool in a PE classroom. If you want a letter of support for getting on in your classroom, then complete the following form and we’ll send it right over.
Have you cloned yourself before? If so, leave a comment below explaining how!
