For the past few weeks in 7th grade PE, out class has been working on a dance unit. We first started with dancing Gangnam Style, using a Just Dance video from youtube, and we all danced together in a class. We worked on Gangnam Style for quite a while, and we also started working on our dinner dances at the same time. The idea of our dinner dance is influenced from a movie called Beetlejuice, especially from the scene where everyone starts dancing at the table. Our class broke into two separate groups, where we chose our own song and also created our own dance moves. And also at the same time while working on our dinner dances, we also got into pairs of two to create our own Gangnam style dance from the second half as well.

For me and Maya’s Gangnam style dance, each one of us created one half. Even though we had quite a lot of time during class, me and Maya didn’t go so smoothly with the process during class, so we worked on it outside of class. With the first and second moves, I created it, and it was actually very random. But we both agreed on it, so we chose those two, and then Maya created the next few moves. After that, we got really stuck. We were thinking of different moves at the same time, when we noticed that it actually fit in, and we put that in too. So for that part, me and Maya both just happened to do something that fit, and we created that part together. Then with the chorus, we did it with both of us putting each others ideas and creating the last part.                                                                                             With the Dinner dance, it was mostly me and Maya who created the moves. Jack and Spencer had their own dance, and Arunansu was helping us giving ideas and he also helped us make some dance moves better. Anna, Mihaela, and Tomoka, did offer some ideas, but they did not really go with the song, so we did try to ask them for more, but they did’t seem to have more, so mostly Maya and me created the dance moves with help from Arunansu. The very first move of Macarena, it was me and Maya together who created the dance, and the last part was Arunansu. When we changed the song to “I gotta feeling” , we did the moves all together since we got stuck for a while. Though I thought quite well with contributing, I think I could have talked to more people for the dance moves than instead of just creating them with the three of us.

Our group got quite a bit stuck while choosing the song, and that took about one week. While that was happening, I made a document and made sure of all the songs that everybody was saying, and with the document I made sure that I wrote everything that we needed to make sure of. With that, I think that everybody knew where the homework was and what we were working on during the class. I also gave ideas out, when some people were having trouble with the dance moves, and watched just dance videos with everybody so we could adapt those moves and use them. At some parts, I got really distracted, and I went to join the other group to dance, which I think made the other people distracted too.

Top 3 qualities:

1. Flow

I think flow is very important to create good performance, because if there isn’t flow in a performance, it will not have good quality. Flow makes the dance look very good, and organized so I think it is very important to have smooth moves. Even if the dance moves are very good, it will not look good without the flow.

2. Sycnronization

Everyone has to be synchronized, to make the dance look good. With synchronization, it will make the dance and everybody well structured and ordered. Synchronization shows how much you practiced as well, I think, and even if you’re not a really good dancer like me, it will make the whole group much better.

3. Organization

Dance, and anything else  basically needs to be organized to make it the best it possibly can be. Organization keeps track of everything, and it keeps everybody know what to do and have a clear understanding of what they need to do.

I think our group was able to adress all of these, mostly. We really practiced with our dance a lot, by making sure none of us stumble during the performance, and we also made sure of all the moves and what er do when the songs change. It may be since we didn’t use much space, but I think we had a lot of flow and we didn’t have trouble with switching into different positions. I think all of us were quite synchronized with one another, since we knew what we all of us were doing and we had the same moves. I think this shows how much we practiced. Our team really tried to be organized, by keeping everything on the document and checking it every week. We also reminded each other of homework, and we wrote down all of the moves on paper and also on the document where everybody could check.

For our unit in PE, our grade was cut into half, and half of the people went to rounders, and the other half went to Gymnastics with Ms. Buehler.

First of all, in my group there was Layna, Mihaela and Tomoka. I am not very good at at gymnastics, and Tomoka said she wasn’t very good either, which made me feel nervous. But Mihaela and Layna were good, so I thought I did improve quite a lot during this unit.

Our team had three types of rolls, the regular front roll, the back roll and the log roll. Me and Tomoka did the front roll and the other two did the back roll and all of us together. Layna and Mihaela did the cartwheels, and we all did three balance pose in total. Then we had our individual poses, which me and Tomoka did the same of standing on one leg and balancing. We also did the vaults, and each one of us did three vaults.

I don’t think our movements were really “flowed” together, but I thought it wasn’t stiff or rigid, and I thought it was quite good. I also thought we could have more movements to match our song because our song was really loud, and it was a little furious.

I found the vault the most hard to do, and very challenging. At first, I kept on doing the belly flop, and I couldn’t swing my legs or anything at all. But I was able to improve because I tried to remember what everybody said to me, and I tried to do everything they told me to do.

I was able to overcome the challenge because I listened to everybody like I said on the top paragraph, and I also remembered to swing my legs, and ran faster before I jump. I think I was able to overcome because my teammates helped as well.

Even though I found the vault most challenging, I found it most fun and enjoyable at the same time. Maybe it was because I never usually have a chance like this, or maybe it is because I was pleased with the improvement I was able to do what other people could do.

Our team worked very hard all lessons to be good, and not make mistakes. But sometimes our concentration could go off that made us start laughing and not work so well. But the other times, we stayed quiet and concentrated on making our routine well.

I would like to improve on the last part, where we all gather a do the poses. I want to change it because I think it looks wrong, and I thought that we don’t look good or together like that. I also might change everybody’s poses since we all look a little awkward and weird in it. Otherwise, I am pretty sure it looks quite well done.

During cross country, I tried not to walk as much as I can, and I felt extremely tired after I finished. I never really felt “sick”, but I was always tired and my head hurt. On the last practice run (November 9th), I started to cough quite a lot since I have asthma. I really enjoyed the 4th practice run (October 14th), because that was when I was fastest, and it was when I was getting more used to cross country practice. This is my link to my table about cross country.

Even though I was getting better and faster each practice, I really needed to cheer for more students after I finished. I usually forgot to cheer for some of my friends, and I think I needed to improve on that.

My first outcome goal, and it usually didn’t change, but it was too run under at least 15 minutes. My process goal was to not stop on the first lap, and keep on going until I was really out of breath.

After the run, I wasn’t really sick, besides feeling tired, and coughing after the run. I didn’t have any injuries, and I wasn’t really proud with myself till I heard my time, which was 14 minutes 59 seconds. I was happy with myself because it was my second fastest time.

I didn’t listen to any music because we weren’t allowed to listen to music on the real cross country day. I just kept on thinking about my breathing, to breathe in and out. I also tried to listen to the sound of my footsteps, because it made me able to realize how slow or fast my pace was. I also used self talk most of the time. I kept on saying to myself not to stop on the first lap, and thinking that I won’t be able to clear my outcome and process goal. I also kept on thinking that my friends will be waiting for me, and they will encourage me when I was near to the end. I did do more practice on my own, and I didn’t record my time on my own, because I did many laps as I wanted. But when I was running on my own, I listened to music.

I think I get an 5 out of 8, because I think I would have done better, if I practiced more during the one week break after the field studies. Because I didn’t set myself an goal when I was practicing on my own, and I just kept on running. I should have done to set myself a goal, for example, to run around my house less than 13 minutes or something. Then, I would have probably got a better time.

Hello,

On Friday, I ran around negishi park for the 4th time. My time got really fast!

It was 14 minutes 56 seconds!yay

my goal is the same

Yesterday, for the third time we ran at negishi park.

My time was 15 minutes 22 seconds! Yay

My gaol is still not to stop

Hello!

my time for cross country got faster by ten seconds!

My time was 16 minutes 10 seconds.

I think I tried a lot harder than last time, but I walked a little bit.

1: Try not to walk

2: To get 15 seconds faster

Okay hi

my time for cross country was 16 minutes 20 seconds!

My goal are…

To be faster, by trying not to walk as much

And trying my best!!!

I will try my best in practice tomorrow!