CATHERINE S.

OLIQUINO GREP 207: Physical & Recreational

MAEd – Physical Education Education for the Physically Challenged

Reflection Paper on Lecture Series 2:

Teaching Deaf Students Physical Education

After listening to our guest lecturer, Mr. Adrian G. Villanueva, one thing I am

certain, teaching deaf students is not an easy profession. Struggles were real.

Challenges were everywhere. As what he keeps on saying that his journey was not

easy. He must learn to be able to adapt with the environment. He even questioned

himself if he really can educate the deaf community. But with his eagerness and love for

his craft, he was able to succeed. He had effectively taught us simple sign languages,

and I am able to learn some in that short talk,

I realized that there are many issues that still need to be addressed and studied

in the future, such as the efficacy of some proposed strategies of adapted physical

education for inclusion, the evaluation of larger groups of deaf students in more schools

with different cultures and sign languages, the analysis of the activity considering the

feedback from the deaf children.

It is important for deaf children to practice physical activities despite of the

disabilities, High quality physical exercises may contribute to the better functioning of

the respiratory system as well as rhythm and balance development. However, when

faced with the reality of inclusion in the school, there is a lack of physical education

teaching materials to work with the deaf, especially those that consider their native

language (Sign language) or visual-motor nature. The benefits of physical education for

deaf students with practical significance in disseminating information to physical

education teachers and other people who are interested in this theme, which may

contribute to inclusion. Adapted physical education can be used to motivate and

stimulate deaf students to perform social interaction with other students and vice-versa.

Also, physical education classes for these students should allow a differentiated

instruction, and the knowledge of sign language by their teachers is essential to achieve

a direct communication within this public, creating a true inclusive environment.

Lastly, I believed that it’s about your perspective in teaching deaf students. When

you are deaf teacher, you see the world in a different way. You communicate differently.

You seek out others who are deaf because they understand you. You don’t believe they

have a disability, and you don’t want them to be fixed.”