Integrating Personal Development Into Lessons, Series 2, Topic 2

Here is series two of our ADHD intervention topics.

Although these articles focus on ADHD specifically, the same concepts can apply to children with generalized focus issues, mismanaged energy, low self-esteem, and slower learning difficulties.

We will continue to identify ways that KMA helps to integrate these concepts into our everyday delivery of service.

TOPIC 2 – WEEK TWO

Reference:  Meeting the Needs of Students With ADHD

Steps you can take to foster greater productivity, order, and calm for these learners.

By Merle Huerta

January 22, 2015

Integrating Personal Development Into Lessons

Students with ADHD frequently lack skills required in the real world, including problem solving, time management, fiscal responsibility, personal accountability, communication skills, and public speaking. Teachers can integrate these skills into lessons. For example, students who need help advocating for themselves can learn how to present and sell ideas, market themselves, and communicate effectively through public speaking. Public speaking integrates oral presentation skills, research, storytelling, nonverbal communication, time management, problem solving, and speaking fluency.

The KMA Difference

Here are a few ways that our approach to teaching helps to achieve the goals of "Integrating Personal Development Lessons":

·         The "Going Beyond The Grades" Program

·         Terminology Components

·         Success Passports

·         Stripe Testing & Graduation

·         Spot Lighting

The "Going Beyond The Grades" program is used in our martial art classes around the beginning of the school year.  We promote and reinforce how their martial art development is preparing them for positive interactions in school, at home, and in social environments so that they can learn how to advocate for themselves.  We conduct simulations and incorporate key concepts in our drills that help students develop superior social qualities, like "proper breathing" to control emotion, energy, and refocus during challenging encounters, "power posing & voice projection" to build the positive self-esteem and self-confidence needed to withstand peer pressure, and excel as leaders, the "4 C’s: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication", and much more…

Terminology Components are setup within each student's success passport in order to provide them with opportunities to learn about their martial art heritage, Korean language, and reinforce character development training.  Students are expected to memorize and speak their answers during class and for testing.  Instructors will often ask questions in class to test the student's understanding of these areas and identify ways that they are incorporating them at home, in school, and in class.  These mini assessments give students opportunities to utilize and develop their oral presentation skills & public speaking.

Success Passports are provided to students with the expectation that they will bring them to class each day.  This sense of personal accountability helps to reinforce concepts in school, like bringing homework to their teacher each day, being prepared for quizzes/tests, etc.  It also allows them to see their progress through the Instructor Sign Off sections when they complete a requirement much like their grading system in school.

Stripe Testing & Graduation are designed to put students in a position to be judged and demonstrate their confidence, focus, and perseverance.   Stripe Testing helps kids learn how to set small attainable goals, learn to manage their training time, and then work towards those goals with the expectation that they will need to publicly demonstrate their abilities.  These "mini-tests" help to prepare them for their longer term goal, "Graduation".  Testing at lower levels of training are meant to help kids establish a sense of belief in themselves, allow them to make mistakes and learn acceptance, preserve in the face of failure, and take pride in their accomplishments.  These exposures prepare students for interactions outside of the martial art classroom where they are faced with similar circumstances.

Spot Lighting is an Instructor technique used to give students who demonstrate exceptional technique and opportunity to show off their skills for the group.  This is an excellent confidence builder and gives them exposure with presenting in front of a group.  It is a great way for students who may shy from public speaking to excel in non-verbal displays of confidence.

Not a Member of Our School?   Do You Want More Information?

Call: 614-899-9033

Email:  Koguryomartialarts.hq@gmail.com

View:  www.koguryoma.com

Visit:  6015 S Sunbury Rd, Westerville, 43081

Making Learning Child-Centered - Series 1, Topic 1

As the school year begins for most kids, the topic of ADHD and specialized intervention plans for those with learning disabilities will be a hot topic.  Over the next six weeks, we will be releasing some great content on how we can help create effective learning environments for these children both in the academic and martial art classroom.  We will also be identifying ways that KMA helps to integrate these concepts into our everyday delivery of service.

TOPIC 1 – WEEK ONE

Reference:  Meeting the Needs of Students With ADHD

Steps you can take to foster greater productivity, order, and calm for these learners.

By Merle Huerta

January 22, 2015

Making Learning Child-Centered

Child- or student-centered learning presumes that students who are drivers of their own learning will be more invested and motivated. It’s a tenet of the constructivist learning theory first proposed by Jean Piaget, and it considers the learning styles, preferences, and interests of the student. It encourages incidental learning.

It’s also a way to accommodate a child with ADHD. The teacher maps out goals and resources, and assumes a facilitator role. Students work in small groups, with a partner, or independently. Gaming, MOOCs, hands-on activities, small-group activities, webquests, and mini-lessons can all be integrated as resources.

The KMA Difference

Here are a few ways that our approach to teaching helps to achieve the goals of Child-Centered Learning:

·         Focus Boards

·         Class Plans

·         Utilizing Touch

·         Focus Anchors

·         Success Passports / Videos

·         Stripe Testing

Focus Boards are setup prior to traditional martial art classes to give students a Map of their learning focuses.  This helps to set expectations, provide structure, and a resource for training.  Students can match up the colors and topics from the focus board on the wall with the success passport in order to tie the knot between their classroom training and home practice.

Daily class plans blend independent, group, and partner activities.  This diversity keeps the students engaged while exposing them to various stimulus.

Instructors utilize physical targets to provide students with kinesthetic learning opportunities.  Additionally, instructors use "appropriate touch" to move students' bodies into position and help them "feel" how to perform techniques correctly.

Instructor utilize Focus Anchors to help bring distracted or over-active groups or individuals back to a state of concentration.  Phrases like, "Eyes on Who…Eyes on You Sir", "Who Are We, Moo Sah Sir", "Focus Clap 1, 2, 3….", "Focus Your Mind, Focus Your Eyes, Focus Your Body", etc. are all methods of gaining the attention of students and helping them to transition from high energy activities back to a state of listening and attentiveness.  Cones and other physical targets are used to help students maintain order and structure while performing line drills, relays, and other group activities.  Additionally, instructors use the student's name regularly throughout the class in order to capture their attention and reinforce good eye contact.

Success Passports and videos are used to help enhance the learning experience by providing tangible materials for students to use, see, and work with outside of the school.  This helps build retention and allows for independent learning.

Stripe Testing is used to provide students with "SMART" goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Oriented".  This allows students to focus their learning on smaller pieces of information at one time in order to make retention more conducive to their learning style.

Not a Member of Our School?   Do You Want More Information?

Call: 614-899-9033

Email:  Koguryomartialarts.hq@gmail.com

View:  www.koguryoma.com

Visit:  6015 S Sunbury Rd, Westerville, 43081

What Are the Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids?

by ANDREA CESPEDES  Last Updated: May 31, 2017

Martial arts classes aren't designed to turn your child into a mini fighting machine. Instead, practices such as karate, taekwondo and jujitsu build self-confidence, respect and pride.

Of course, martial arts give kids a chance to be active, which helps work off energy in hyper little ones or gets kids who tend to be sedentary up and moving. However, these ancient practices also teach your kids responsibility, bolster self-esteem, enhance concentration and develop respect for themselves and others.

Enroll in any form of martial arts in which your child shows interest, as it's not so important what type of martial art he does, but that he does one. Anytime after age 6 is a good time for a kid to start martial arts training as he has the motor skills to punch and kick.

Physical Benefits

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children do an hour or more of physical activity daily; make it a combination of cardio, muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities.

Martial arts helps him meet this goal. Warm-ups usually involve raising the heart rate, as do repeated series of punching and kicking drills. Some martial arts programs encourage push-ups and other body-weight strength-training moves, as well. If martial arts replaces time in of the television, computer monitor or video game console, all the better.

• Responsibility

Most martial arts require you to show up in a clean uniform and a neatly tied belt. Your child will quickly learn to take pride in his appearance and keep these items well cared for. Any other equipment, such as sparring gear, is also his responsibility to care for and keep together.

He'll also learn responsibility for his actions. Only by learning forms, paying attention in class and focusing on proper punching and kicking techniques will he advance in belt status. Much of this responsibility carries over into other aspects of your child's life — grades and behavior often see remarkable improvement after a child takes up a martial art.

Self-Esteem

Kids in martial arts are usually grouped together by belt level, not age or popularity. As a result, younger kids can readily participate with the big kids — if they put in the work.

Self-defense techniques, can give a shy child a bit more confidence in the school yard. He'll probably never use them, but knowing that he can defend himself if challenged makes him feel more in control.

Advancing in belt status and doing well in front of his peers at testing fosters a sense of pride, too. At many dojos, higher belt levels oversee and guide lower belts in their learning; therefore, being skilled enough to pass on knowledge is a huge boost to self-esteem.

Concentration

In a martial arts studio, it's about you, your teacher, your opponent and your body. There's no music, no videos and no machines to distract you. This helps a child concentrate on his actions and the task at hand.

In addition, martial arts usually include complex movements, including forms, kicks and blocks, all with their own names that are often in foreign languages. Your child may find that memorizing and executing these skills doesn't come naturally, and he'll have to develop great concentration to recall them, especially at belt testing.

Respect

Respect is a major tenet of martial arts practice. This respect covers the lineage of the martial art, your master, higher belts, your uniform and yourself. You wait quietly to receive a command; you bow to your teacher to demonstrate respect.

This respect for others originates in the development of personal self-confidence. Martial arts teaches kids that they don't have to prove themselves to other kids, but rather that they're complete in themselves.

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