Teaching Values- An Olympic Education Toolkit - International ...

TEACHING VALUES AN OLYMPIC EDUCATION TOOLKIT
If behaviour like fair play, respect and
striving for excellence are desirable,
and are the heart of the Olympic
spirit, then young people need opportunities
to “rehearse” these types of behaviour.
The activities in this section have been
designed to provide opportunities for
“rehearsal.” Developed for learners of
different age levels, they will also be useful
in English as a Second Language (ESL)
programmes. Since reading levels vary
among young people in different parts of
the world, the activities have not been
labelled for particular ages or grades.
Teachers and instructors will know best
how to use or adapt the learning materials.
Educators may choose information or
activities from the Toolkit to support or
enrich their existing programmes. They may
also choose to use the entire Toolkit as a
course in Olympic education.
Integrating the activities of the Toolkit
across a variety of subject or topic areas
offers a school or sports club the
opportunity to culminate the programme in
an “Olympic Day” celebration in which the
whole school or community could
participate. (For a description of how to plan
an Olympic Day see Section Five, p. 126.)
Greek ethical thought helps us to
understand the philosophy that guides the
modern Olympic Movement, and also to be
able to draw parallels with the ethical
teachings of other cultures. The Olympic
Games, and other Greek festivals, featured
not only athletic competitions, but also
drama, poetry and music competitions. Each
festival was dedicated to one of the great
gods or goddesses of the Ancient Greek
religion. For example, the festival at Olympia
was dedicated to Zeus; the one at Delphi to
Apollo; the one in Ephesus to Aphrodite.
Through the festivals the Greeks
reinforced their cultural identity and the
principles of their ethical life. In their
athletic competitions they celebrated the
human body and the thrill of sports
competition. In their epic and lyric poetry
they expressed their emotions and
idealised their heroes. In their drama the
Greeks presented the ethical dilemmas of
their lives. These dilemmas and problems
are not so very different from the
dilemmas and problems that people
throughout the world experience today.
With respect to teaching values, we can
learn from the methods of the Ancient
Greeks. Our experience in Olympic sport
tells us that lists of rules and general
principles will not ensure correct
behaviour. The teaching methods in this
Toolkit highlight storytelling, dialogue,
drama, poetry, music and dance which
were also important ways of
communicating community values in the
culture of classical Greece.
“ATTACHING SENSE AND MEANING
TO NEW LEARNING CAN OCCUR ONLY
IF THE LEARNER HAS ADEQUATE TIME
TO PROCESS AND REPROCESS IT.
THIS CONTINUING REPROCESSING IS
CALLED REHEARSAL AND IS A
CRITICAL COMPONENT IN THE
TRANSFERENCE OF INFORMATION
FROM WORKING MEMORY TO
LONG-TERM STORAGE... THERE IS
ALMOST NO LONG-TERM RETENTION
[OF INFORMATION OR OF A SKILL]
WITHOUT REHEARSAL.”
(SOUSA, D. (2003). HOW THE GIFTED BRAIN LEARNS.
THOUSAND OAKS, CA: CORWIN PRESS, INC., P. 27-28.)
Ancient Olympia:
The archway leading
to the stadium.
SECTION 4 THE FIVE EDUCATIONAL VALUES OF OLYMPISM
TEACHING VALUES 67