Extra Post: May

I don't know if this is necessary, but I'll do it anyway.

I'm so glad it's over. All that's left is to get my grades and see once and for all if I graduate. I made my times so it's highly likely, but the worst case scenario is possible. But I pray it won't happen.

I was so scared I wouldn't make time. My activity didn't allow me a chance to ask Piggot about time, and it was after presenting all 3 answers. Thankfully, I made both. I checked after I had distracted everyone with cool white belts. (joke's on them. only like 5 were the right size) I saw a lot of people disrespecting the belts that day, but I guess I can't say anything. They're stupid white belts and none of those people are going to use them for anything besides tug-o-war (which they did)

I don't think I was the most interesting presentation, however. While some people looked interested, most of them had glazed over eyes. I also don't think I sounded very professional, but that's because my topic is more pathos than ethos and logos than pathos, so there wasn't much as far as hard facts I could say. Although what feels logical to me might be 12 years experience talking. Hopefully it wasn't on Thursday.

I'm so thankful for my iPoly experience. There were more peaks than valleys. I know the experiences this school has provided me will stay for a long time. Senior project is over, and so iPoly comes to a close.

Blog 23: Final Lesson Reflection

(1) Positive Statement: What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I am most proud of my activities. I feel like the punches and kata were great for engaging the class. They seemed to enjoy themselves

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)? AE       P          AP       CR       NC
I would give myself a P or P+ for the presentation

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?AE       P          AP       CR       NC
I would give myself a P or P+ for my overall project

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
My volunteering and mentorship time worked out for me really well. I got all the hours I needed and had lots of opportunities to interact with the children.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

I would try harder ti find more print sources. Most of my research was online and a variety of sources would have been great. I do feel like my research was satisfactory however.

(5) Finding Value How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

The times I had with the children and directing them will be helpful for me later on. Times I had to keep calm and be a good teacher or be less uptight will translate for me later in life.

Blog 22: Mentorship

Literal
See links for updated mentorship log. Or click here.
My mentor's wife acts as his secretary. Her phone number is 909-8**-23**. My mentorship took place at the La Verne Community center through the City of La Verne's Community Services Dept. Their phone number is (909) 596-8700.

Interpretive
The most important thing I gained from the experience of the senior project was more experience with children and leading them. I am not naturally motherly or caretaking so this experience helped me with these flaws.

Applied
The project helped me with my essential questions because without it I would not have realized two of my three answers. My best answer was logical and I came to it on my own. The patience and fun answers look my mentorship and volunteering to realize.

Blog 21: Exit Interview

1) What is your essential question and what are your answers? What is your best answer and why?
My essential question is: "What is the most significant factor for effectively teaching karate to children?". My answers are: for an instructor to be patient with the children, for an instructor to add a degree of fun into teaching, and for an instructor to understand the content they are teaching. My best answer is the third one listed because I believe a teacher cannot be a good teacher if they do not know what they are teaching, regardless of how good at teaching they are

2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
My answers came to me logically through teaching. It is also my personal belief the third listed answer is the best.

3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
My biggest problem was what to do for Independent Component 2. This was resolved when my instructor and Mr. Rivas separately came to the conclusion I could work with the older kids.

4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My most significant source throughout my mentorship remained "An Open Mind" by Peter Lindsey. It perfectly details good expectations of an instructor, especially a junior instructor such as myself. I would like to say my personal experience in school and karate led me to my best answer because it feels like common sense. If that is not allowed, the book "Teaching Martial Arts" by Sang Kim outlines my answer well, as it is literally about teaching and it holds the opinion of knowing what you teach is important.

Extra Post: April

It's kinda sad I don't have anything from mentorship to say. Most notable thing is the girl I've been teaching for the last 2 months passed her test. I'm proud of her. Hopefully I can get a picture with her.

Bigger issues are definitely the project. I'm really scared right now. My research is... I don't know what to say about it. I didn't get any good pictures of the older kids for Independent component.

I'm also conflicted over what activity I should do. I could teach kata and tie it into by best answer, or let people punch and tie it into my second best, which is really fun.

I guess some good news is I'll be testing for my Shodan in May. My adult black belt. I have a junior black, but if I pass the test I'll be an official instructor. It's scary to think about.

I really have nothing important to say that wasn't said in my last blog post.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
a) I, Elizabeth Garcia, affirm I have completed my independent component which represents 39 hours of work.
b) My source, "Kim, Sang H. Teaching Martial Arts. Turtle Press Corporation, 2000. e-book." was an important source for me throughout the Independent Component. My Interviews 4 and 3 with my mentor and his wife respectively were also very important for me.
c) Senior hours long has been updated.
d) I spent over 30 hours volunteering with the children and the older kids. I taught in both groups and saw how both groups learn. I also assisted in a tournament for the karate studio. Lots of time was spent guiding the youngest kids. A large portion was spent with the older kids doing their katas and observing how they work.

INTERPRETIVE
My time spent with the different types of kids gave me new information that I would not have had just focusing on the 1st class. I observed and taught both groups of kids.
Examples can be found here and here. I regret not having a picture of the full classes.

APPLIED
The Independent Component gave me more time with the younger children and allowed me more opportunities to be a better teacher. The same as my volunteering and Independent Component 1.
My time spent with the older kids provided perspective of how one learns throughout their karate career. For example, I observed a large group practice kata with Sensei for almost 2 months. They had become comfortable in their skills, but their skills were lacking. I saw Sensei have to force perspective into them, along with give them time to practice.
Lots of time was also spent with the new girl, which gave me the chance to see how a new student who is more mature and mentally developed learns. When she first joined I was tasked with teaching her. She did so well I thought she was ready to learn kata, weapons, and basics. She tested this month and is starting to advance in karate.

Extra Post: March

This month was eventful for me. I had two opportunities to teach - only got picture for one - and a tournament. I also continued in my observations of the older kids and talking to them about how they learn. I'll show my best pictures and explain them for this post.

This is the little group. I gave them too big nunchucks on accident. They did well enough. We didn't get to the kata itself. It was just practice using the nunchucks. I may or may not have said this already, but they are a hard weapon.

Medium group. They also didn't get to the kata. They did a bit better than the younger group, but that isn't surprising.

The big group. I did no practice with them because they understand how to use nunchucks. It was only the kata with them. They did well.

Now on the 26th there was a Cookies & Punch/Skills tournament. Every 6 or so months the three cities Sensei teaches in all come to La Verne and compete in coordination - or skill - drills. At the end they are all given cookies and punch. I'd like to thank Kirstie for taking the good pictures and Anthony for owning the camera. So much better than my little phone camera.

 These pictures show the majority of the kids that showed up to the tournament. Add maybe 2/3 and that would aproximately be the entirety of the kids enrolled currently. It's a very big system, and Sensei knows every kid by name.

The first event was star throw. The littlest kids take a suction-cup throwing star and try to hit a square on the glass, while standing a distance away. I teach this fairly often. Holding the star is kinda hard, so the little ones don't quite pick it up yet. The tournament is good practice for them in that sense.

 

 

 These pictures are examples of the "Jumping Side-thrust Kick" Completely useless in a street fight, but the kids like to jump. Sensei gives them a practice kick where they aim for his hand. Then they use the heel of the foot to break that yellow board Sensei is holding. The second-smallest kids participate in this. It requires significant coordination to do well, which is why Sensei is using the board that you could break by looking at aggressively. It's really easy. Except it isn't easy for the little ones.

Yes, I'm in the background fiddling with my phone. I was trying to get good pictures on my own. Didn't work well. In my opinion I show up in far too many.

 As a show of sportsmanship, and how we are all the same karate studio, The kids were made to shake hands and say good game to each other.

Limbo. Not much else to say. A couple kids from each team competing against someone the same size. I've taught this to the littles.

 This is called "Snake in the Box." It's basically tug-o-war but the people stand on a box. They can't step off and they can't let go. It is more of a mind game than muscle as you try to trick your oponent into falling off by giving the rope slack. I run this one fairly often.

 One of the main events is Ball Game, and it's probably what I run the most with the little ones. Two teams throw a ball at each other and try to get the other players out. This was the big kids and both teams got two adults. It sound simple but there are many other rules not worth getting in to. The better the player, the harder it is for them. Meaning it's pretty easy for the little little kids, but dear god the adults are tough. I would know. I've been nailed in the face by men 3x my strength.

Jump kicking is the pinnacle of the karate experience for us. It shows off coordination, flexibility, and how high one can jump. All the kids did it, and they all love doing it. Small groups of about the same size and skill go against each other to see who can jump the highest. Like Jumping Side-thrust, it isn't applicable in a fight, but that's what makes it the most fun.

It's actually something of a skill.

There is a record for the highest jump kick in our system at 9' 1''. These boys here are not trying to break that record,  but they are the highest jumpers that showed up. Another guy jumps higher than them who didn't. Every single kid sitting down wants to be these boys, I guarantee you. Except maybe the first one.

These three pictures are examples of who I work with. Mostly men, with the youngest in his 30s. It might sound kinda creepy, but it really isn't. We're all just advanced students and teachers under Sensei. I teach, learn, and sometimes make jokes. I've actually taught some of them - the man on the far right 1st pic, far left 2nd, his father - not pictured, and the man in the middle 3rd. I think they all respect me as someone who knows what she's doing. On the other hand I'm a teenager who's young enough to be their daughter. Most of them have kids older than me.

Those are the main events of the tournament. Most significant thing this month.