Gymnastics
Gymnastics
What is Educational Gymnastics? The term educational gymnastics emerged in Great Britain in the 1950’s to describe a child-centered, non-competitive, creative approach to movement (i.e., body management). Educational gymnastics is committed to the unique way each child moves and learns. Each gymnast is challenged to solve problems, develop skills, and create movements at an appropriate level. A major belief of educational gymnastics holds that it is within the capacity of all children to achieve excellence. Educational gymnastics should encourage students to create movements and develop individualized sequences. The Olympic style of teaching gymnastics relies on a convergent teaching style. Here, there is one specific way to perform skills. This style is unrealistic and inappropriate for students of varied skill levels and body types within a general physical education class. An Olympic style might require a handstand (i.e., weight transfer to hands) to be performed with the arms, torso, legs, and toes perfectly aligned. Conversely, educational gymnastics relies on a divergent teaching style. Here, there are many ways for learners respond to movement problems. For example, an Olympic gymnast would perform a handstand with fingers spread on a mat shoulder width apart with the arms, head, torso, legs and feet in perfect vertical alignment with the toes pointing up. In educational gymnastics, learners could respond to the movement problem of taking the body’s weight on the hands through a wide variety of movements that include taking the body’s weight on the hands and arms and kicking the feet up to a medium level to a handstand. Educational gymnastics includes general categories of movement such as travel, weight transfer, balance, jumping/flight/landing and rotation. These skills are developed with emphasis on space, effort and relationships aspects. In this type of gymnastics students learn how to manage their body rather
What is Educational Gymnastics? The term educational gymnastics emerged in Great Britain in the 1950’s to describe a child-centered, non-competitive, creative approach to movement (i.e., body management). Educational gymnastics is committed to the unique way each child moves and learns. Each gymnast is challenged to solve problems, develop skills, and create movements at an appropriate level. A major belief of educational gymnastics holds that it is within the capacity of all children to achieve excellence. Educational gymnastics should encourage students to create movements and develop individualized sequences. The Olympic style of teaching gymnastics relies on a convergent teaching style. Here, there is one specific way to perform skills. This style is unrealistic and inappropriate for students of varied skill levels and body types within a general physical education class. An Olympic style might require a handstand (i.e., weight transfer to hands) to be performed with the arms, torso, legs, and toes perfectly aligned. Conversely, educational gymnastics relies on a divergent teaching style. Here, there are many ways for learners respond to movement problems. For example, an Olympic gymnast would perform a handstand with fingers spread on a mat shoulder width apart with the arms, head, torso, legs and feet in perfect vertical alignment with the toes pointing up. In educational gymnastics, learners could respond to the movement problem of taking the body’s weight on the hands through a wide variety of movements that include taking the body’s weight on the hands and arms and kicking the feet up to a medium level to a handstand. Educational gymnastics includes general categories of movement such as travel, weight transfer, balance, jumping/flight/landing and rotation. These skills are developed with emphasis on space, effort and relationships aspects. In this type of gymnastics students learn how to manage their body rather