We love conversations with individuals and organisations, especially when they are face to face and involve coffee. Alternatively, we connect with others – in the UK or across the globe – via webinars or break out groups on Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts. Many of these online conversations have been with people we would never have had the opportunity to connect with. Our first online coffee conversation with the wonderful playmeo can be found here.
This conversation is with the irrepressible Ryan Ellis from the PE Umbrella. We have known Ryan for some years now – sharing conversations and actual coffees in Yorkshire and other parts of the UK.
The PE Umbrella Podcasts
Most people will know Ryan for the creation and curation of his podcasts. The list of guests is eclectic – with practitioners from across the world – sharing conversations about PE, Sport, Physical Activity and Well-being. Ryan and his guests have kept us company – albeit virtually – on many a long drive to schools wanting to experience our Activity Days and/or CPD. More often than not, we have to pull over at motorway service stations to scribble notes from the conversations. Ryan refers to these pearls of wisdom as ‘Knowledge Bombs’ and he’s correct. The podcasts create the perfect blend of support and provocation. In no particular order, here are just a few podcasts that we have listened to – some on more than one occasion:
- ‘Putting Physical Activity at the Heart of School Life’ with Headteacher, Ian Holmes
- ‘Living & Breathing a PE Culture’ with Chris Willan, Head Teacher at Water PS
- Cooking in The PE Kitchen with Mark Carter
- The Pedagogy behind Meaningful Experiences in PE
- The Power of PLAY and Building Connection with Mark Collard
As to helping schools ‘move & learn’, we always reference these pearls of wisdom from our friend, Mike Kuczala…
Welcome to the PE Umbrella Library
The activities featured in PE Umbrella Library equip educators with hundreds of quick & simple activities that will invite students to play, have fun, interact, share and build trust. Consequently, the activities can directly impact on curriculum outcomes or be used indirectly to engage students in their learning and connect more meaningfully with one another.
The activities work – and play – across all age ranges.
The content is split into age appropriate groups and then further by the area of learning that it best fits. Once you’ve found your desired page, simply click on the drop down menu to see a preview of the activity card and brief explanation. If you like what you see, click to download the PDF document. Each activity card is a real time saver, packed with useful information to help your delivery. From setup, progressions, differentiation, teaching points and equipment lists, it’s all there. Not to mention The PE Umbrella tabs! These are located at the top of every activity card, offering suggestions of how you can adapt the delivery or questioning of the activity to focus on learning across different domains!
Looking Ahead
The PE Umbrella Library offers loads of freebies and the boarding process is slick. If you are like us, you will love what you see. We have already signed up. Why? We love mashing Ryan’s activities with our own Tagtiv8 games – hey, it’s all about creativity! And – top secret – you get a 15% discount off all subscriptions by using this code – ‘MOVELEARN’.
If you have any questions, just give Ryan a call. His enthusiasm is infectious – in a good way.
Enjoy his podcasts and the resources in his extensive and ever-expanding library.