The Meaningful Podcast Experience (MPE)

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This episode features Lauren Sulz and Jonathan Mauro talking about school sport - specifically, a framework called School Sport for All. We discuss the intersections between it and Meaningful PE, how school sport can be an opportunity for meaningfulness and much more.

Dr. Lauren Sulz is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta with a focus on healthy school communities. Lauren's research includes physical and health literacy, school sport and school-based physical activities, whole-child education, comprehensive school health, and health and physical education pedagogy.  You can learn more about Lauren on her faculty page or follow her on X: @Lauren_Sulz.

Jonathan Mauro is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. He currently is the Indigenous Education Services Coordinator for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools. Jonathan has taught high school and middle school physical education and outdoor education and coaches numerous sport teams. He is currently researching the implementation of the SS4A framework. Jonathan can be found on X: @jnlmauro. 

Resources mentioned in the episode include:

• Sulz, L., & Gleddie, D.L. (2024). School Sport for All: An Inclusive Developmental Framework to Improve Participation. LEARNing Landscapes, 17(1), 287-304. https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v17i1.1133
• Harding-Kuriger, J. & Gleddie, D.L. (2022). Teacher-coach-mom: An autoethnographic exploration into the clashing cultures of physical education and school sport.Sport, Education and Society.https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2022.2131760 
• Sulz, L., Gleddie, D.L., Kinsella, C., & Humbert, M.L. (2022). The health and educational impact of removing financial constraints for school sport. European Physical Education Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X221104909 
• Sulz, L.D., Gleddie, D.L., Urbanski, W., & Humbert, L. (2020). Improving school sport: Teacher-coach and athletic director perspectives. Sport in Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2020.1755263 
• Gleddie, D.L., Sulz, L., Humbert, L. & Zajdel, A. (2019). If you must cut athletes from school sport teams: Consider best practices. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 90(2), 24-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2018.1546630 
• "Jays (as in the Toronto Bluejays) Care Challenger Program"
• Meaningfulness in Youth Sport - description and resource (in a few different languages!)
• Jumpstart State of Play Youth Report 2024 (not mentioned in the podcast but a great source of information!

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

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Episode SEVEN introduces Andy Vasily, a curriculum coordinator in Antwerp, Belgium. Andy is the author of the second chapter in the Meaningful Physical Education book which explores Meaningful PE pedagogy in an individual pursuits unit. Andy has spent many years as a teacher and pedagogical coach at schools around the globe and has spoken in more than 20 countries regarding his passion for physical & health education and leadership. His blog, formerly PYP with Andy (now www.andyvasily.com) continues to be a go-to resource for teachers looking to improve their practice.  Andy is the founder and host of the Run Your Life podcast, which is dedicated to unpacking excellence in a variety of sport, education, and health & wellness contexts. 

Links from Episode

• An Actor-Oriented Perspective on Implementing a Pedagogical Innovation in a Cycling Unit (JTPE)
• Creating Meaningful Experiences on a Bike (Blog)
• The Power of Professional Inquiry (Blog)
• runyourlifeshowwithandyvasily.buzzsprout.com
• www.runyourlifepodcast.com
• www.andyvasily.com
• Meaningful Physical Education: An Approach for Teaching and Learning (Amazon)
• 10 to 25 - David Yeager (Andy’s Recommended Reading)
• Follow Andy on X

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

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This episode introduces Dr. Hayley Morrison, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. She teaches health and physical education curriculum and pedagogy courses to undergraduate students and instructs graduate courses in educational research and inclusive health and physical education. Her research areas include inclusive/adaptive physical education, health and physical education teacher education, and professional development. Check out her faculty profile page for more about Dr. Morrison and you can also find her on X: @Ms_HMorrison. 

In this episode, we talk about her inclusive HPE work with teachers, EAs and students; 'teaching for all'; connections between principles of inclusion and meaningful PE and much more! 

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Morrison, H. & Gleddie, D.L. (2019) Playing on the same team: Getting teachers and educational assistants on the same page in physical education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 90(8), 34-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2019.1644257
• Morrison, H. & Gleddie, D.L. (2019). In-service teachers’ and educational assistants’ experiences of professional development for inclusive physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2018-0271  
• "Inclusion" definition: Spencer-Cavaliere, N., & Watkinson, E. J. (2010). Inclusion understood from the perspectives of children with disability. Adapted physical activity quarterly, 27(4), 275-293.
  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nancy-Spencer-Cavaliere/publication/47459781_Inclusion_Understood_From_the_Perspectives_of_Children_With_Disability/links/5756e1b008ae05c1ec169f63/Inclusion-Understood-From-the-Perspectives-of-Children-With-Disability.pdf
• Language and disability: Spencer, N. L., Peers, D., & Eales, L. (2020). Disability language in adapted physical education: What is the story?. In Routledge handbook of adapted physical education (pp. 131-144). Routledge.
  https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429052675-10/disability-language-adapted-physical-education-nancy-spencer-danielle-peers-lindsay-eales 
• Morrison, H. & Hickson, C. (2018) Teaching for all: Diversity and inclusion in physical education. In Gleddie, D. L., Hickson, C., & Bradford, B. (Eds). Physical education for elementary school teachers: Foundations of a physical literacy journey. Victoria: Ripon Publishing.
• Connor McDavid recovery documentary link (Amazon Prime)

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

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Episode SIX introduces Leticia Cariño, an Elementary (PYP) Physical Educator in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. In this episode, we discuss opportunities and challenges related to implementation and how the way we implement MPE is contextual. Leti shares several reflective strategies she uses with her learners and how she uses those reflections to shape her instruction to meet her student's needs. 

Leticia Cariño is a passionate physical educator from Spain, dedicated to promoting health and well-being among her students. Currently, she teaches Physical Education (PE) in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) at the International Community School of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Previously, Leti spent 7 years at an international school in Cambodia where she first became interested in the ideas of the Meaningful Physical Education framework. Leti shares her ideas on her blog Inspired by Movement to see examples of the way Leti applies the framework as discussed in the episode, check out a few of her blog posts linked below. 

Links from Episodes

• Inspired by Movement - Individual Pursuits & The Meaning PE Framework
• Inspired by Movement - MPE Inquiry into Movement & Gymnastics 
• Meaningful Physical Education: An Approach for Teaching and Learning (Amazon)

Re: "Fan Mail" 

• Meaningful PE Strategies (Google Doc)
• Learning About Meaningful Physical Education (LAMPE) Website 

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

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Episode FIVE introduces Andy Milne and Megaera Regan, two outstanding Physical Educators from the United States. In this episode, we discuss the interest in Meaningful PE through their engagement in online discussions through social media, reflective practice, the new SHAPE America standards and as usual, we conclude the episode with some great advice from our guests. 

Andy Milne has been a health and physical educator for the past 29 years and currently teaches in Illinois. He has been recognized for his innovative use of technology in the classroom and in 2017 was named SHAPE America National Health Education Teacher of the Year. Andy runs the #slowchathealth blog site that seeks to amplify the voice of health and physical education teachers across the globe. 

Megaera Regan is a retired physical education teacher from the Port Washington School District in Long Island, New York. Megaera is the 2020 SHAPE America PE Elementary Teacher of the Year and 2018 New York State AHPERD (NYSAHPERD) Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. Currently, Megaera works with future PE professionals through Southern Connecticut State University. 

Links from Episode

• Meaningful Physical Education: An Approach for Teaching and Learning (Amazon)
• Andy’s Blog - Backpocket Question Guide
• Andy’s Blog - Autobiography Assignment
• SHAPE America National Standards

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

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In this special episode, Dr. Tim Fletcher re-joins the podcast to discuss impressions and takeaways from the first 8 episodes of the Meaningful PE podcast. Other discussion topics include the role of practitioner reflection on their vision for PE, and whether or not MPE is suitable for those who already have found their PE experience meaningful. The episode concludes by setting resolutions of how each of us hopes to continue to explore and pursue ideas related to MPE in 2025. 

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

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In this bonus episode, Dr. Risto Marttinen, Associate Professor of Physical Education at George Mason University and host of the Playing with Research in Health & Physical Education podcast joins the show to talk about, well, podcasts! In this conversation, we discuss the changing landscape of the podcast world and the place of podcasts in academia, professional development and teacher education.

Links from Episode

Playing with Research in Health & Physical Education (Risto’s Podcast)

Listening.io (PDF to Speech)

Conferences Referenced in Episode 

AIESEP Conference, St. Petersburg, Florida

PHASE Conference (Asia)

PHE Canada Conference, Niagara Falls, ON

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

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Episode FOUR introduces Kyle Beattie and Riley Derksen - both part of the class of 2022 in the HPE MEd Cohort here at the University of Alberta who teach in Alberta and Saskatchewan respectively. Our discussion dives into the practicalities of teaching through a Meaningful PE lens, changing philosophies, shifting practice, meeting ALL students where they’re at, authentic reflection and more. 

Kyle L. Beattie,  MEd, is an Associate Principal at a grade 7-12 school in rural Alberta. He has spent most of his career teaching Physical Education, other subjects in grades 7 to 9 and promoting youth sport in his community.  

Riley Derksen is a public school high school physical education and health teacher in Saskatchewan. At her school she is a part of the learning council and is the physical education department head. She completed her Kinesiology and Education degrees at the University of Saskatchewan. She has also completed her masters in physical education and health at the University of Alberta. She is passionate about growing as a teacher and infusing the meaningful physical education framework in her classes!

Links:

• “Back to School” - Class of 2022 Book (Amazon) - Christmas special - two books (also the 2020 Cohort book - "Our Journey") for only $19.95 CAD (about $14 USD or $13 EUR)!
  • Kyle’s Chapter (3) and Meaningful PE paper (PHEnex Journal)
  • Riley’s Chapter (5)
• Joey’s podcast on student feedback (and lots more!) can be found on his website: The Physical Educator.
• HPE MEd Cohort website

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

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In this bonus episode, Dr. Scott Kretchmar joins the podcast to discuss how teachers can lead their students on a journey toward joy & meaning.  Dr. Kretchmar is a Professor Emeritus of Exercise and Sport Science at Penn State University. He has written extensively on the role of games and play in human evolution. His work has featured prominently in the development of the Meaningful Physical Education framework, especially pertaining to the features of joy and delight. In this episode, Dr. Kretchmar discusses how teachers can “grow playgrounds” through the formation of good habits, time, adventure, and creating some ‘delicious uncertainty’ through competition. 

Links from the episode:

• Butler & Griffin (2005) Teaching Games for Understanding
• Kretchmar (2000) Moving and Being Moved: Implications for Practice
• Kretchmar (2008) The Increasing Utility of Elementary School Physical Education

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

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Send us Fan Mail

Episode THREE Introduces - Jodi Harding-Kuriger. In this episode, Jodi dives into her dissertation research which focused on using Group Concept Mapping (GCM) to unpack what secondary students find most meaningful about physical education. Jodi shares ideas of how teachers can apply the ideas of GCM to better understand how to meet the needs of their students. 

Jodi Harding Kuriger, PhD, is a dedicated Health and Physical Educator with a passion for promoting the love of movement. Currently coordinating grade 4-6 Arts, Hockey and MultiSport academies in Maskekosak (Enoch Cree Nation) while balancing an active lifestyle with her husband, Mike, and three energetic children. Committed to lifelong learning and professional development, Jodi’s research foci include meaningful PE experiences, group concept mapping, and research as service with Indigenous communities.

Show Notes:

• Jodi Harding-Kuriger (Dissertation, 2023) Conceptualizing meaningful physical education: A secondary school study
• Harding-Kuriger, Gleddie, Ni Chroinin & Lessard (2024). Using Group Concept Mapping to Conceptualize Meaningfulness in Physical Education with Secondary Students. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.
• groupwisdom.com the Group Concept Mapping platform that Jodi used in her research.
• AIESEP 2024 Poster Presentation
• Meaningful Physical Education: An Approach for Teaching and Learning (Amazon)

Thanks to Isaiah ([email protected]) for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

To contact us:

[email protected]

[email protected]