[CLOH-News] Here we go again. The swimming program I'm coaching just got beached to Jan 10, 2022

[Mark Rauterkus]

Hi All,

This is a bad news and good news email.

Bad news, due to Covid, my school swim team is being taken out of the water
until Jan 10, 2022. The good news, I'm jumping back into remote, online
coaching and can spend the next few weeks with renewed purpose to sharpen
the online resources.

I just sent this to another ISCA member who has been diving into the online
course, Get Your Feet Wet -- Swimming.
https://read.swimisca.org/courses/get-your-feet-wet-swimming/

I assume he was checking it out to see if it was a good fit for his
students at his school.

My school team where I coach just got told we are NOT going to be in-person
for anything until Jan 10. School-wide decision. Ugh. Here we go again.
Last year we didn't do any swimming at this school. Others did.

But, I'm most excited to work with you and get the bugs crushed with some
online education in swimming and sports for students / schools.

So, I'd love to have your input. I love your questions. Thanks for being
here.

Keep reading below to see what I just sent to the AD, PE teachers and head
basketball coach at my school....

--
Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark at Rauterkus.com
412 298 3432 = cell


= = = =

Subject: Now what -- our kids need a challenge with virtual PE and SPORTS
-- and I've got it

Hi,

I would love to huddle with you all today on a Zoom call so we can ponder
what to do with the high school (and middle school swimmers) for the next
few weeks -- to Jan 10.

I 'd love to get your support so we can use this time to stretch our
students' minds in terms of wellness, health, technology, building teamwork
and friendship -- helping them keep their heads in the game in a dynamic
online project that has purpose.

My alter life is as webmaster with the International Swim Coaches
Association. I've published more than 100 books back in the day and we have
TONS of opportunities to engage with the kids on short-term projects.

Sure, some of it is about "swimming' but not all of it. But, we also can
share swimming from a position of water safety, becoming a lifeguard, CPR,
and world traveler that is going to find times at a beach, on a boat, etc.

Here is just ONE flavor of challenge to put out to the kids.
https://S6.CLOH.org.
There are more than 200 posts, mostly stories, of WATER.
https://s6.cloh.org/story-collection/

The nice thing about these stories is that they are mostly with good
endings. They are happy. They are educational. They teach geography,
vocabulary, offer new experiences. People don't die in them. But, the risks
are often plain to see.

We could have the students (swimmers, basketball players, PE students)
explore the stories.
Read & listen.
Find mistakes (edit),
Enhance (write) with more details such as
-- Geography (maps)
-- Vocabulary (new words)
-- other links (research)
and, MAKE Quiz QUESTIONS from those stories.

Then, take the quizzes others write.
(Tech management, LMS understanding)

And do meta / librarian like assessments for the stories such as
-- index key-words,
-- rank by grade levels,
-- sort by level of interest.

Lastly, the students can CREATE their OWN STORIES.
Video / audio input.
Illustrate,
produce.
publish.

+ + +
But, I've got dozens of other areas for sharing with the students in a
remote way. Many ebooks even.
Amanda got my recent ebook downloaded, Readings from the Book of Coach
Mark, https://TinyURL.com/Book-of-Coach-Mark/

As a group we could make a FAQ (frequently asked questions) and ANSWERS
area for being a healthy teenager. We can build upon that book. Organize
it. Much is swim specific, but some other parts are for track, volleyball,
X-Country, etc. We can expand into other topic areas. We could make it
about being a healthy person in Pittsburgh, etc.

+ +
Let's hold a Zoom and ponder these opportunities and make this time
productive for them, and for my projects -- and in turn -- the world.


What time can we meet?

Mark