Gender Diversity: Physical Education and Academic Achievement in Elementary School: Data From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study

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Susan A. Carlson, Janet E. Fulton, Sarah M. Lee, L. Michele Maynard, David R. Brown, Harold W. Kohl, III, William H. Dietz

Am J Public Health. 2008 April; 98(4): 721–727

Gender Diversity: Outrunning the gender gap

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Anna Dreber ·Emma von Essen ·Eva Ranehill
DOI 10.1007/s10683-011-9282-8
Exp Econ (2011) 14:567–582

Gender Diversity: Perceived competence and enjoyment of physical edcuation

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Davis, Kathryn ; Nicaise, Virginia  Source:Journal of Classroom Interaction, v46 n2 p11-23 2011. 13 pp

Gender Diversity: Teacher-Student Interactions: Four Case Studies of Gender in Physical Education

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Davis, Kathryn ; Nicaise, Virginia  Source:Journal of Classroom Interaction, v46 n2 p11-23 2011. 13 pp

Gender Diversity: But I like PE; Factors associated with enjoyment of physical education in children

But I like PE

Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Kathryn H. Schmitz, Dianne S. Ward, Terry L. Conway, Charlotte Pratt, Chris D. Baggett, Leslie Lytle, Russell R. Pate. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2008 June 18.

A Great Experience...

Watching and working with children with special needs participate in a "regular" daily activity such as swimming was rewarding. I first thought of how proud their parents must be to know their child is taking part in an activity. like swimming. The "mom" in me then thought about the trust the parents must have in the teacher and parapros. You could tell that the teacher and parapros were confident in their skills and safety concerns. Much collaboration already had taken place prior to the swimming class between the teaching staff, school administrators and parents. This was evident of how smoothly the class ran. Collaboration also existed between our classmates and the teaching staff of the students. We all had a shared goals and desired outcomes, first to make safety a priority, encourage the students in their skills and have positive interactions with the children while learning from one another. 
This was my first experience to interact with children and aquatics. I felt a little uneasy at first. I can see how "knowing" your students, their personality and ability levels would make such a difference. I am impressed that several schools in this area have a swimming program for their students with special needs. Unfortunately, there are not any school districts in my area that offer aquatics. Hey, that gives me an idea, this maybe an opportunity to "collaborate" with others who would be interested in having a program in our area.
The hands on experience was great. The accomplishments I saw with the student Sam and Rachel was working with was terrific. They were able help a student leave her comfort zone of hanging on the side of the pool with death grips to floating on her back in the middle of the pool wearing a big smile. I thought about the confidence it lends to the students in their daily lives. Many children with special needs are aware that they are different in ways than their regular education peers. What a great experience it is for these children to get a chance to do "what the other kids get to do." 
We as teachers, are also the ones learning and benefiting as well, how rewarding it is to work with children who have many challenges and persevere in their daily lives.  

Good communication and collaboration make a good team ...

Good interpersonal communication is vital when collaborating with others. This is the means that we exchange information regarding a shared goal or issue, without it we fail to move forward. As we communicate effectively, we can foster openness, trust and community. When we hold back and fail to communicate our concerns and ideas to address an issue we can become frustrated as the situation continues. For example, I worked previously with a PE para that would correct my students after I had already addressed their behavior. I dismissed the issue and did not address the problem with her. As the year went on, the her behavior continued and others areas she worked in. I was frustrated that I didn't handle the problem early in the school year, I did not address it with her or her lead teacher. My lack of communication brought much frustration on my part. How helpful it would have been to communicate and address this issue in a diplomatic way. It was a hard lesson, but one I have learned from. 

Community Resourceshttps://mail.google.com/mail/?tab=jm

PARENTS AND EDUCATORS...
CHECK OUT HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
CONTACT INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICES ARE LOCATED ON  RESOURCE'S WEBSITE.  IF YOU KNOW OF OTHERS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THEM TO THE LIST. PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON MY BLOG ON HOW THESE AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS HAVE HELPED YOU.  THANKS!

Region 5 Education Service Center
Region 5 ESC serves educational professionals and parents of children with special needs pertaining to all areas of education.

Shorkey Center
Shorkey Center serves provides services to children with special needs, which  include  physical, occupational, and speech rehabilitation; as well as  education services for children with autism and other related disorders. 

ARC of Beaumont
ARC of Beaumont serves individual with special needs, helping to provide socialization and leisure activites in the local community.

Spindletop Center
Spindletop MHMR Services provides assistance for services pertaining to recreation for children and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Adapted Sports for Kids

ASK offers organized team sports for children and young adults with special needs.

FullFX
FullFX is a gymnastics facility the offers a special cheerleading and gymnastic teams for for children with developmental and physical disabilities.

Partners Resource Network

PRN provides education to parents with children with disabilities ranging from academics to physical education.

‎Camp for All
Camp for All is a great site providing information on camps for children and adults with a variety of medical illnesses and disabilities.

Texas Department of Human Services
TDHS website provides a variety of information and services pertaining to the health and well-being of children.

Project Mend
Project Mend is a non-profit organization that help individuals with medical equipment and assisitive technology at  reduced rates.

PE Central
PE Central is a great website for those wanting to learn more about teaching ideas for Adaptive Physical Education.

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreations and Dance
AAHPERD's website provide valuable information pertaining to research and professional development for physical education professionals. 

Sensory Processing Foundation
SPF website offers a wealth of information for teachers and parents regarding sensory challenges in children. 


Disabled Sports USA
Disabled Sports USA website provides information on adaptive sports opportunities for people with disabilities and adaptive equipment. 

National Multiple Sclerosis Society/Pediatrics
NMSS website provides valuable information for parents and educators to help children with MS get the most out of the educational experience.

 American Foundation for the Blind
AFB website provides information and training tools for educators and parents of children with visual impairments.

American Society for Deaf Children
ASDC website provides advocacy information for parents of children who are deaf or have a hearing loss and training resources for educators.

The National Autism Resource Information Center
Autism NOW Center provides valuable resources pertaining to Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities, for families, caregivers, and professionals in the field.

Assistive Technology and Adaptive PE
The weblog shares a wealth of information regarding assistive technology for parents and educators of children with disabilities.

Achievable Concepts USA
This website offers a variety of different adapted sports equipment for ordering.

Reaching for the Stars- Children with Cerebral Palsy 
This website offers information on improving the lives of children living with CP.  Parents and educators can view resources and research pertaing to research in this area.

My frame of reference is important because...

My frame of reference is as important "tool" I need to recognize as I collaborate with others. It is what I use to I understand and perceive a situation, based on my past experiences. As a teacher, I need to remember the importance of my frame of reference when it comes to working with many different types of people. My frame of reference can lead to positive or negative impacts when collaborating with others. As teachers, we need to be aware of the uniqueness of everyone's frame of reference and how we can use our past experiences to come together for the best interest of our students.