Video Reflection:
Now that I've completed my five weeks of learning for the 20% project, I took a moment to reflect on the learning that occurred throughout the duration of the project.
Video Reflection:
Now that I've completed my five weeks of learning for the 20% project, I took a moment to reflect on the learning that occurred throughout the duration of the project.
Slideshow used for video reflection:
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After receiving some great tips from a fellow teacher candidate (thanks Mercer!) I embarked on my fourth week of learning for my 20time project. During this week I decided to venture outside of my backyard and begin to practice in larger areas - I chose a local park nearby. Fortunately, due to the weather not being the greatest this week (fog, rain, & wind) the park I selected was empty....therefore I had plenty of space to practice! After this week, I now feel like I have more control over the direction of my board - not perfectly, but it's a process. I made a few changes and modifications to my method of skating from previous weeks in order to improve this week. To begin, per the suggestions provided, I tried to minimize the number of times I pushed with my left foot prior to stepping on the board. Just making that small change made an immediate change over my ability to cruise for longer periods of time and to control the direction of the board. As can be seen in the video included below, there are still moments when I pushed more than two time but I made an effort to only push twice and then step on. Furthermore, I also began to keep my knees slightly bent and my arms spread out after I had stepped onto the board with my left foot. After I reviewed the footage of me skating, I did notice I might be spreading my arms out a bit too much, but it definitely helped me maintain my balance! As I reviewed my video clips, I also began to make note of what I would like to improve in the upcoming weeks. First, I still need to work on rotating my front foot (right) inwards after I have stepped on with my left foot. This may help me accomplish my next goal for the upcoming week: turn, or shift the board's direction, right. I was able to start making slight turns left - mainly because that is the natural direction my stance on the board is facing - but I found it more difficult to shift the board towards the right.
For the third week of my 20time project, I definitely felt like I made some progress with my skateboarding. After taking some time to practice "pedaling" on the board, I began to feel more comfortable being on the board and felt like I had some control over my balance. As a result of this, I decided to practice getting on the board with two feet. To do this, I again reviewed the video that I used during week 2 - which provided essential tips for beginners learning how to skate, click here to view the video. I began by pedaling, pushing off, as normal and then I placed my pedaling foot on the back of the board. It took me a few tries to get my left foot onto the board, but eventually I was able to do so. As can be seen in the video below, I can now get both of my feet on the board (yay!) and ride for a small amount of time. I'd say week three was definitely a week of progress! As a side note, I definitely feel that the practice I had in stepping on and off the board during week 2 helped me be able to jump (or step) off the board whenever I felt like I was about to fall or lose my balance. For the upcoming week of learning, there are some things I would like to work on. First, I noticed that I still have little control over where the board goes. I start going straight then all of a sudden the board starts to go left or right. Second, now that I've been able to get both feet on the board, I need to make one minor adjustment: rotate my right foot (the one at the front of the board) to the left so that it's facing outward and not forward. From what I've been reading about skateboarding, making that change will give me more control of the board and it'll allow me to have better balance. Finally, the third change I plan to make is to branch out and start practicing somewhere that is not my backyard. I've tried to stay in my backyard because I don't feel 100% ready to take my beginner skating skills to the outside world, but I feel I need more space in order to practice and learn how to skate more effectively. Unfortunately, during this week of my learning I did not have anyone to videotape my progress so I decided to videotape myself as I practiced. I was only able to get a few video-clips of my progress because I felt like I was losing my balance every time I tried to skate and videotape at the same time. By the way, my apologies for the format of the video, the only way I could videotape while skating - without completely falling on my face- was by holding my phone upright. Either way, the video is posted below!
After stepping on/off the board for a while, I then decided to practice just pushing and pedaling on the board, but without actually stepping on. Since this video was taken, I have continued to practice these basic steps and have begun to feel more comfortable with the board. As I continue to learn how to skateboard, I definitely do think I need to find a larger area to practice, become more accustomed to the idea of falling (which might help me become less hesitant about stepping on the board), and start putting both feet on the board after pedaling. Let's see how it all goes!!
For the first week of my 20time project I decided to do some research in order to figure out what type of board I should purchase. I'll be honest, I don't really know much about skateboards and I truly didn't think there would be much to choosing one - well, turns out I was wrong! Apparently, there are several factors that need to be considered when deciding on a skateboard (or board in general). A user's experience level, preferred skating style, and even their height can play a major role in the type of skateboard they will need and should purchase. Much of the information I obtained came from the following online resources: EVO, Tactics, and Warehouse Skateboards. All of these were online skateboarding buying guides, and I found them pretty helpful because they provided detailed descriptions of the board, its components, and different styles. Based on the information provided, here is what I learned about choosing a board: -One of the most important features to be mindful of when choosing a skateboard is its width. The appropriate board width will depend on the skater's height and skating style. Based on the chart provided by the Warehouse Skateboards site, the best board width for someone my height (5'1) would probably fall somewhere in between 7.3" and 7.5." I'm leaning more towards a mid-sized board just because it seems like it'll be more manageable, but it all really depends on what I can find. The site mentioned that board width's usually begin at 7.5" and up.
After much (A LOT) thought, reflection, and against my better judgment, I have finally made my decision. For my 20% project I have decided to learn how to skateboard. My ultimate goal is to be able to safely cruise on my skateboard from one location to another...at this point I do not think it would be feasible for me to learn any specific tricks. I decided on skateboarding because I really feel like it will force me to step out of my comfort zone and face my fears of falling. I have been wanting to learn how to ride a skateboard since I was in middle school, but fast forward a few years later and I still have not accomplished that goal. It might be time to start. Additionally, this learning project includes the key features of play & knowledge. Not only will I learn how to ride a skateboard, but I will also need to learn how to record/photograph my skating progress. I still, however, need to find a way to concretely measure my progress on a weekly basis. Looking forward, my goal is to create a set assessment for my progress and begin researching what type of board, gear, and supplies I will need. This semester I'll be using 20% of my class time to learn something new; but before that, I need to make a decision as to what I would like to learn. So far, I've been able to narrow it down to the three options below.
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