Check out this link to view my online learning presentation.
http://prezi.com/omhhrexspgp_/learning-management-systems/
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Reflection 4
Looking back on the past eight weeks brings several different feelings. I am one step closer to the completion of my masters degree, and I have built and created several new tools to enhance what I do. A feeling of accomplishment comes first as this may have been the most challenging course to date. What I learned and how I learned it has made technology a true factor in the content area of physical education. For the first time, I actually felt that some of the course work was directed towards physical education. I know have solid proof that technology can be integrated in p.e. and it can enhance how students learn and apply information to real life. To date, the most important factor that I have learned throughout my journey is how to relate curriculum to the world that student's live in. Each area of content that students participate in is of equal importance to how students will choose to live. Each time that an educator has an opportunity to reach someone new is a success, and if technology aids in that effort then it will be used as long as I choose to teach.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Relating Game Plan to Students
Now I need to connect everything that I have planned for myself to the students that I teach. After all, the students should be the most important variable in an educator's plan for improvement. I do think that in developing my game plan that I have had the best interest of my students in mind throughout the entire process. I cannot see how technology could hurt the progress of students in physical activity if that technology is used in ways that help educate students about why they are doing things and how those things may be benificial.
So far the focus of my game plan has been to meet National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Now I will shift some of the focus to the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Both may be found at http://www.iste.org/. So, how do the two standards that I have been working towards, relate to the standards set for students? The fourth standard for students is Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making. In this standard students are expected to
a. identify and define authentic problems and signifigant questions for investigation.
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
d. use multiple processes and diverseperspectives to explore alternative solutions
This standard fits pretty well with my first goal to educate students of the trend reguarding overweight youth and the innactive lifestyles that they are living. Students will be expected to develop a personal fitness plan to fit their personal needs and record data such as fat percentage, weight, muscular strength, and cardiovascular endurance. I have also decided to follow up with a lesson that includes a blog page in which students will communicate with peers annonomously about things that did and didn't work and things that they did and didn't like. These activities, if they work as planned, should meet the needs of the students and fall under the standard set by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
My second goal to continue to incorporate different technologies in physical education could technically fall under several of the student standards, but standards one (Creativity and Innovation) and six (Technology Operations and Concepts) seem to be especially fitting. In these standard students are asked to use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues (1-c), understand and use technology systems (6-a), and transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies (6-d). The more technology that is introduced to students the further their knowledge will take them in education. Through this entire process I have decided that my main goal is to present my students with as many oportunities as possible in order to help them gain knowledge and put that knowledge to use in the technological world that we all live in.
So far the focus of my game plan has been to meet National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Now I will shift some of the focus to the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Both may be found at http://www.iste.org/. So, how do the two standards that I have been working towards, relate to the standards set for students? The fourth standard for students is Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making. In this standard students are expected to
a. identify and define authentic problems and signifigant questions for investigation.
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
d. use multiple processes and diverseperspectives to explore alternative solutions
This standard fits pretty well with my first goal to educate students of the trend reguarding overweight youth and the innactive lifestyles that they are living. Students will be expected to develop a personal fitness plan to fit their personal needs and record data such as fat percentage, weight, muscular strength, and cardiovascular endurance. I have also decided to follow up with a lesson that includes a blog page in which students will communicate with peers annonomously about things that did and didn't work and things that they did and didn't like. These activities, if they work as planned, should meet the needs of the students and fall under the standard set by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
My second goal to continue to incorporate different technologies in physical education could technically fall under several of the student standards, but standards one (Creativity and Innovation) and six (Technology Operations and Concepts) seem to be especially fitting. In these standard students are asked to use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues (1-c), understand and use technology systems (6-a), and transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies (6-d). The more technology that is introduced to students the further their knowledge will take them in education. Through this entire process I have decided that my main goal is to present my students with as many oportunities as possible in order to help them gain knowledge and put that knowledge to use in the technological world that we all live in.
References:
National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Game Plan Revisions
It is time to look back at my game plan and take note of what I have done and what I would like to do in the future to include NETS-T standards in what I teach. For now I am focused on the NETS-T first standard, Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. This standard states that teachers should promote, support and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. It also touches on engaging students in real-world issues and problem solving on the website http://www.iste.org/. Having students create fitness plans to meet their individual needs is a great activity to meet this standard. By educating students about the benefits of physical fitness and the increasing number of inactive youth, this lesson could be turned into a real life problem solving activity. Tracking progress through the use of heart rate monitors (HRM), pedometers, and spread sheet software ties technology into the lesson well. As far as meeting this goal, I feel very comfortable in how I will incorporate what I have learned in what I teach.
My second goal has changed. I wanted to learn more about digital responsibility and citizenship, but I don't really see this becoming an integral part of what I teach. My shift takes me to NETS-T standard 2, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessment. As I continue to learn of new tools and software that could help students awareness of physical education I will look for ways to get them into lessons that I teach. I feel like technology has become a way to reach students who have not taken an interest in p.e. to this point. P.E. class should be something that students look forward to every day. The anxiety that many students have about physical activity can be reduced by meeting the need of individuals, and technology has made that task more of a reality than before. Tools such as fitness social networks provide support and feedback from individuals of the same background. One website that I have found that shows promise is http://www.meckids.com/. Another software program that gives information about individual fitness is Cooper Institute Fitnessgram (thanks John). This program gives comparisons to other students of the same age from around the country, and helps student set achievable goals based on their current fitness levels. The software also provides several assessments for students, which is another variable in the NETS-T content standards.
References:
National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at www.iste.org
The Cooper Institute, (2010) Fitnessgram. Retreived October 11, 2010 from www.cooperinstitute.org.
My second goal has changed. I wanted to learn more about digital responsibility and citizenship, but I don't really see this becoming an integral part of what I teach. My shift takes me to NETS-T standard 2, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessment. As I continue to learn of new tools and software that could help students awareness of physical education I will look for ways to get them into lessons that I teach. I feel like technology has become a way to reach students who have not taken an interest in p.e. to this point. P.E. class should be something that students look forward to every day. The anxiety that many students have about physical activity can be reduced by meeting the need of individuals, and technology has made that task more of a reality than before. Tools such as fitness social networks provide support and feedback from individuals of the same background. One website that I have found that shows promise is http://www.meckids.com/. Another software program that gives information about individual fitness is Cooper Institute Fitnessgram (thanks John). This program gives comparisons to other students of the same age from around the country, and helps student set achievable goals based on their current fitness levels. The software also provides several assessments for students, which is another variable in the NETS-T content standards.
References:
National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at www.iste.org
The Cooper Institute, (2010) Fitnessgram. Retreived October 11, 2010 from www.cooperinstitute.org.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Game Plan Evaluation
Last week I began to take action to make the goals that I had set for myself a reality. I conducted research among p.e. teachers in my district, and online. I found many options to integrate technology into my classroom/gym that can and will enhance learning by incorporating goal setting activities and creative new ideas that should spark the interest of all students. Technology also allows to tailor activities in order to specify the needs of students of all body types and lifestyles. As far as, my comfort level in the area of digital citizenship and responsibility, I feel good about what I have learned. For the most part the thing that will affect my classroom most is the proper use and citation of resources.
My main focus from here is going to be incorporating technology into several different lessons. I do not want to narrow down the use of technology to one or two units. What I would really like to do is use technology somehow in most, if not all, of the units that I teach. Since my district has limited amounts of heart rate monitors (HMR) those will probably be distributed to a different group of students in each unit. If I am to accomplish this I will have to find more technology to use in different areas. I did find some toys to use in the Laureate text Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer suggest great tools like bioelectrical impedance devices that are used to determine body fat percentage (2009). This tool could be useful in that it takes much less time than calipers, and it is much less intrusive for the person being tested. Another suggestion in the the text is geocaching. "Geocaching uses treasures-the cache- that can be located anywhere in the world" (Cennamo, 2009) through the use of the Internet and GPS devices. After reading about this activity, I actually found a group in my town that does geocaching. This could be a great way to get out of the gym and try something new.
References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA. Wadsworth, Cenage Learning.
My main focus from here is going to be incorporating technology into several different lessons. I do not want to narrow down the use of technology to one or two units. What I would really like to do is use technology somehow in most, if not all, of the units that I teach. Since my district has limited amounts of heart rate monitors (HMR) those will probably be distributed to a different group of students in each unit. If I am to accomplish this I will have to find more technology to use in different areas. I did find some toys to use in the Laureate text Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer suggest great tools like bioelectrical impedance devices that are used to determine body fat percentage (2009). This tool could be useful in that it takes much less time than calipers, and it is much less intrusive for the person being tested. Another suggestion in the the text is geocaching. "Geocaching uses treasures-the cache- that can be located anywhere in the world" (Cennamo, 2009) through the use of the Internet and GPS devices. After reading about this activity, I actually found a group in my town that does geocaching. This could be a great way to get out of the gym and try something new.
References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA. Wadsworth, Cenage Learning.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Game Plan Progress?
Well, I've done some homework on my game plan in the past week. What I have discovered is that I am not far off in my technology experience as far as physical educators are concerned. No, I still do not know how to use a Smart board, but after my last post I started to think about when it would ever be useful for me to do so. Because of this, I have decided to simply concentrate on the technology that I feel will benefit the content area of physical education. On the website, http://www.eschoolsnews.com/, I found an article that mentioned the three top technologies that are creating a "new p.e." are heart rate monitors, pedometers, and video games. These video games are not the same thing that I grew up with in the 80's. Dance Dance Revolution is a craze that is getting the students moving that might otherwise not be. It sounds a bit strange, but I was convinced of the power of DDR this past summer when the entire elementary school that I taught at played this game for two hours, and had a blast. Classroom teachers of all ages participated and seemed to have as much fun as the students(K-6). The game was used as an end of the year incentive that all students who met the criteria could participate in. There are also games out there, like Wii Fit, that help students with stretching and fitness skills.
Heart rate monitors are also a favorite among p.e. teachers. Not only do they give students an opportunity to personally track fitness levels, but they also can be used as a gauge as to how physically active students are during class time. Teachers are no longer left wondering if students are giving a full effort or not, thanks to the information given by heart rate monitors.
Pedometers are a part of technology that I am embarrassed to have forgotten. These devices count the amount of steps a person takes while wearing them. They are very small and relatively accurate. What a great tool for goal setting! Students can wear the tiny step counter and try to improve from previous days.
When talking with fellow p.e. teachers around my district I was informed that heart rate monitors and pedometers are used frequently. Pedometers more so at the elementary level, and heart rate monitors at the secondary level. All ages of students, however, use all three technologies.
As far as my quest to become more knowledgeable about etiquette in technology, I did have some success. In browsing the web to learn more about what is acceptable, I found that most of the etiquette that relates to education revolves around referencing and plagiarism. I did broaden my vocabulary by learning the term Netiquette (Internet etiquette). The main thing that I noticed about this topic was that individuals have taken it upon themselves to make grammatical corrections to blogs, Internet sites, and web sites that they come across. I guess that much of what is being said is not exactly constructive but very critical. What I have taken from this is that not everyone is perfect, and that it is not our job to correct small mistakes, but to be grateful for the information that is provided for us. This is much of the same type of good manners that we try to teach our elementary students. For the record, my feelings will not be hurt if someone finds some sort of typo in my blogs.
References:
Carter, D. (2008). Technology Brings "New P.E." to Schools. eSchool News. Retreived September 29, 2010, from www.eschoolsnews.com/2008/06/10/technology-brings-new-p-e-to-schools/
Heart rate monitors are also a favorite among p.e. teachers. Not only do they give students an opportunity to personally track fitness levels, but they also can be used as a gauge as to how physically active students are during class time. Teachers are no longer left wondering if students are giving a full effort or not, thanks to the information given by heart rate monitors.
Pedometers are a part of technology that I am embarrassed to have forgotten. These devices count the amount of steps a person takes while wearing them. They are very small and relatively accurate. What a great tool for goal setting! Students can wear the tiny step counter and try to improve from previous days.
When talking with fellow p.e. teachers around my district I was informed that heart rate monitors and pedometers are used frequently. Pedometers more so at the elementary level, and heart rate monitors at the secondary level. All ages of students, however, use all three technologies.
As far as my quest to become more knowledgeable about etiquette in technology, I did have some success. In browsing the web to learn more about what is acceptable, I found that most of the etiquette that relates to education revolves around referencing and plagiarism. I did broaden my vocabulary by learning the term Netiquette (Internet etiquette). The main thing that I noticed about this topic was that individuals have taken it upon themselves to make grammatical corrections to blogs, Internet sites, and web sites that they come across. I guess that much of what is being said is not exactly constructive but very critical. What I have taken from this is that not everyone is perfect, and that it is not our job to correct small mistakes, but to be grateful for the information that is provided for us. This is much of the same type of good manners that we try to teach our elementary students. For the record, my feelings will not be hurt if someone finds some sort of typo in my blogs.
References:
Carter, D. (2008). Technology Brings "New P.E." to Schools. eSchool News. Retreived September 29, 2010, from www.eschoolsnews.com/2008/06/10/technology-brings-new-p-e-to-schools/
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Continued Game Plan
In my previous post I stated that I needed to focus on modeling digital age work and learning (www.iste.org). I also said that I needs to develop my understanding of digital citizenship and responsibility. These two goals seem to go hand in hand, in that, if and when I begin to integrate more technology into the classes that I teach I will also educate students about the responsibilities that go along with using available technology. If I can meet these goals and get to a point that I am completely comfortable with all available technologies, then I will have the tools to reach all types of learning styles while promoting technology in a time that is often referred to as the "digital age".
The very first thing that I need to do to meet my first goal is to become completely familiar with all of the technology that is available to me in my district. The Internet, Smart Boards, ipads, ipods, spread sheet programs, and digital heart rate monitors are a few that I know about, however, I have not used them all. Smart boards are things that I have no experience with. They sound like one of the greatest additions to the classroom, but I simply have not been exposed to them, as I am in a swimming pool environment all day. This summer I taught elementary physical education and had the opportunity to see a smart board in action for the first time and loved it. Some of the classroom teachers were kind enough to let me play with the boards a bit, and they helped me understand quite a bit. Since the Aquatic Center that I work in is separate from any schools I do not have many opportunities to learn from teachers who use the technology each day. My second step in meeting the first goal will be to communicate with educators in my district about what they use and what is successful for them. Coworkers who have been through the struggles of learning new strategies can ease the growing pains for new teachers who need a bit of guidance. One more thing that I want to do is research via the Internet what other districts throughout the country use as teaching aids. Fortunately, I am in a program that has several of these teachers who have been very helpful thus far in providing guidance and feedback.
To meet my second goal of modeling digital citizenship and responsibility, I will rely on web research and coworkers as well. The thing about this goal that is a bit different from the previous is that I will be expected to use more of my own knowledge and common sense. I will take on the task of developing a list of web sites that discuss etiquette in technology and inform students of expectations as I develop a better understanding. With each new bit of technology that I introduce I will have researched etiquette prior in order to set a standard from day one.
The very first thing that I need to do to meet my first goal is to become completely familiar with all of the technology that is available to me in my district. The Internet, Smart Boards, ipads, ipods, spread sheet programs, and digital heart rate monitors are a few that I know about, however, I have not used them all. Smart boards are things that I have no experience with. They sound like one of the greatest additions to the classroom, but I simply have not been exposed to them, as I am in a swimming pool environment all day. This summer I taught elementary physical education and had the opportunity to see a smart board in action for the first time and loved it. Some of the classroom teachers were kind enough to let me play with the boards a bit, and they helped me understand quite a bit. Since the Aquatic Center that I work in is separate from any schools I do not have many opportunities to learn from teachers who use the technology each day. My second step in meeting the first goal will be to communicate with educators in my district about what they use and what is successful for them. Coworkers who have been through the struggles of learning new strategies can ease the growing pains for new teachers who need a bit of guidance. One more thing that I want to do is research via the Internet what other districts throughout the country use as teaching aids. Fortunately, I am in a program that has several of these teachers who have been very helpful thus far in providing guidance and feedback.
To meet my second goal of modeling digital citizenship and responsibility, I will rely on web research and coworkers as well. The thing about this goal that is a bit different from the previous is that I will be expected to use more of my own knowledge and common sense. I will take on the task of developing a list of web sites that discuss etiquette in technology and inform students of expectations as I develop a better understanding. With each new bit of technology that I introduce I will have researched etiquette prior in order to set a standard from day one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
