2026 SHAPE Iowa

What does it mean for students to truly become movers? This session explores the intersection of SHAPE America Standard 1 (motor competence), contemporary motor learning research, and the Meaningful Physical Education (MPE) framework. Participants will engage in movement experiences that highlight principles such as representative design, constraint manipulation, and repetition without repetition, while examining how these ideas can deepen students’ sense of competence, agency, and meaningful engagement. Rather than viewing skill development as the replication of a single “ideal” form, this session invites educators to consider how learning emerges through exploration, adaptation, and purposeful design.Participants will:

• Reframe motor competence (SHAPE Standard 1) as adaptive, functional, and context-dependent rather than fixed or form-based
• Explore and apply key motor learning principles (e.g., representative design, constraint manipulation, repetition without repetition, form follows function) through embodied experiences
• Design learning tasks that support autonomy, exploration, and variability while promoting meaningful participation

Artificial Intelligence: Can be polarizing in and out of Physical Education. You're invited to see how Will uses AI to save his own educational time and improve his practice based on what his student's share.

Explore how physical education can extend learning beyond the gym by reinforcing academic concepts through movement-based experiences. This session provides engaging, ready-to-use activities that integrate content areas such as literacy, math, and health while maintaining high levels of physical activity. Participants will actively engage in a variety of adaptable activities that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and application while leaving with practical ideas that can be immediately implemented to support student learning across multiple content areas.