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.”