21st CENTURY LEARNING
Being able to sift through the internet’s sea of data for relevant instruction is a skill that is crucial for 21st century learners. One who is adept at this will find it easy to continue life-long learning, even when they exit the classroom. As teachers, it is important that we incorporate instruction into our lessons that allow students to navigate various databases for applicable knowledge (Stauffer, 2020). We want to put our students in a position where they can continue to be successful after their initial twelve years of education.
THE CHALLENGE
Recently, I was challenged with learning a new skill while only using online resources as instruction. This is how many of my students are learning in their free time, so the experience was both rewarding and relevant to my profession. The skill I took on is performing a Double Under with a jump rope. This is where you allow the rope to pass under your feet twice while only jumping once.
I collected nine different sources of information on this topic and determined what I found to be useful. To ensure that I explored various types of outlets, I found at least two sources from each of the following formats: video, help forums, social media, and affinity spaces. In the video below, you will find my top five useful tips for learning the Double Under.
WHAT I LEARNED
I found the formats of video, YouTube, and affinity spaces, Reddit, to be the most helpful. I was already familiar with using YouTube for education; however, I was blown away by how practical Reddit was. I came across threads that featured my exact topic and had answers to my specific questions. Reddit features both beginners and experts that weigh in and provide support. This variance of skill is something that makes affinity spaces a unique learning experience. Unlike the traditional classroom, where the teacher leads the discussion, in an affinity space everyone has a voice to contribute. This makes for a more rounded and inclusive learning experience (Gee, 2017).
In this Reddit thread I learned skills to practice timing such as performing the penguin jump, which you can see an example of in my video. I also learned the importance of jumping extra high while beginning. The specific comment from the user u/Zpecial inspired me to “jump like you are trying to look over a fence.” This seems like it would be standard advice for this skill; however, experts have such a command of the concepts that they do not need to jump high at all. Many threads even mentioned jumping at a regular height. Professionals tend to see problems differently and in some cases can lead to inefficient instructors because they are unaware of what is easy and difficult for beginners (Bransford et al., 2000).
In this YouTube video I learned the importance of making sure your jump rope is at the appropriate length. Mine was too long in the beginning. After making adjustments to the length, my ability improved tremendously. If you watch my original video, you can see that the rope has not been adjusted yet.
In this YouTube video I learned to actually slow down the cadence of the rope. This seems like it would be counter intuitive, but was probably the most effective tip to helping me develop a rhythm.
Almost every resource emphasized the importance of continual practice. It took time and patience for me to be able to perform this exercise. This is something that teachers should be aware of when introducing new concepts. “Providing students with time to learn also includes providing enough time for them to process information” (Bransford et al., 2000, p. 58). This also places an emphasis on the meta-cognitive skill of reflection.
MOVING FORWARD
Overall, I found this experience to be very rewarding and relevant to my profession. Not only was I able to learn a new skill, but I gained a better understanding for what learning outside of the classroom should look like. I can string together a double, single, single, double, but eventually I would like to move toward consecutive doubles. Even though the course experience is ending, I will continue to practice and develop my skills moving forward.
As for the classroom, I would like to start incorporating language in my class that asks, “if we were trying to learn more about this topic, where might we find that information online?” or “What would be a good phrase to type into a search engine for this topic?” This will help students make the connection that the internet can be a place of learning as well as leisure. I also want to recommend videos and affinity spaces as a source of supplemental information to my lessons as they provide an abundance of insight.
REFERENCES
Bransford, J., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368.
CrossFit (2015). From Single-unders to Double-unders with Matt Lodin [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7cpagB7WUg&t=2s
[Deleted]. (2014). Double Unders, Seriously!? [Online forum post]. Reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/crossfit/comments/1key7z/double_unders_seriously/
Gee, J.P. (2017). Affinity Spaces and 21st Century Learning. Educational Technology, 57(2), 27-31. http://www.jstor.org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/stable/44430520.
Grabetz, J (2020). Double Unders for Beginners [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/DcNRJKfn_5M
McCarthy, C. (2016). How To Size A Jump Rope [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sANIHQMY7H0&t=79s
Stauffer, B. (2020). What are 21st century skills? Applied Educational Systems. https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-are-21st-century-skills
[TheCoatman]. (2018).Double unders! [Online forum post]. Reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/crossfit/comments/6mkmuv/double_unders/
Educational Technology 