Softball. Get Thinking, Go Play!
- Focus area: Physical Education
- Audience: 11-13 years, Teachers
- Software application: HTML, Flash and XML
A group of interactives within a sequence that include teaching the student to develop higher order thinking skills, game sense, reinforce decision making, understand correct stances, learn how to interpret batting statistics in order to develop a good batting line up and to learn what the different catching positions are depending on the situation.
Students are introduced to softball in terms of theory and visualisation. Softball player stances invite students to put fielders in the right position to throw a ball. The activities engage students in preparing to play the game. Students who have no knowledge of the game can learn through watching. They can learn the language of softball as they see aspects of the game; catching, throwing, batting, fielding. Students can learn to think ahead, to think strategically about their stance, their throwing, catching and batting skills. The high level of visualisation enables students with varying levels of English language usage to benefit from using it.
While traditional PE has relied on teaching physical skills from the real life situation Softball provides a modern alternative using a simulated training context. Students new to softball could graduate from the simulated context to the real pitch having had the chance to experiment with game strategies, how to hold the ball, where to wear their glove and how to take a catch. This assists their self esteem in the early engagement with the game.
