They Said What?

Top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators during the 2004 Summer Olympics that they would like to take back:
1) Weightlifting commentator: "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up, and it was amazing."
2)Dressage commentator: "This is really a lovely horse, and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother."
3)Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
4)Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them are really that serious."
5)Softball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
6)Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."
7)At the rowing medal ceremony: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew."
8)Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."
9)Tennis commentator: "One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them ... Oh my God, what have I just said!?"

Family Interative ideas:

-On Open School Night give a mini participation class to parents who come.
Conclude your dance and gymnastics units with a Gym Show, involving most of the kids in a way that makes them and their parents proud.
-Hold an endurance activity that includes parents and kids. Give access to measurement tools and statistical charts.
-Share current information with your classes, at least once a week, that illustrates the health values of being active. Ask the kids to share the info with their parents.
-Inform boards, administrators, and parents of the general fitness and health issues afflicting the student population.
-Make yourself and your program a model of professionalism and humanism.

Fitness Motivation Quotes

"Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but least envied." -Charles Caleb Colton

"No rest is worth anything exept the rest that is earned."- Jean Paul

"Old people have fewer diseases than the young, but their diseases never leave them." -Hippocrates

"Older people shouldn't eat health food, they need all the preservatives they can get." -Ropert Orben

"Rest is a good thing, but boredom is its brother." -Voltaire

"Sometimes the most urgent and vital thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest." Ashleigh Brilliant

"Tactics, fitness, stroke ability, adaptability, experience, and sportsmanship are all necessary for winning." -Fred Perry

"Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity." Goethe

Smart Board and Teaching

With proper planning, prepartion, ad training, the smart board is a powerful instruction tool, which can be adapted for use with a wide range of subjects and ages. Interactive Smart Boards are a great tool for educators who want to involve their studens in tearning and tecnology. In a study done by Dr. Mary Ann Bell on teachers.net, she found statistically a significant improvement in student attitudes when teachers used both computers in instruction and when they used interativeboards.

I found some information as to why teacher's like interactive whiteboards on smarttech:
1. The interactive electronic whiteboard is great for demonstrations....
2. The interactive electronic whiteboard is a colorful tool. Research indicates that students respond to displays where color is employed...
3. The board can accommodate different learning styles...
4. All ages of students respond favorably to board use...
5. Distance learning is an excellent setting for interactive whiteboard use...
6. One-computer classrooms can maximize the use of limited computer access...
7. The interactive whiteboard is an excellent tool for the constructivist educator...
8. The boards are clean and attractive tools...
9. Students with limited motor skills can enjoy board use...
10. It is interactive...
11. It can interface well with other peripherals....
12. The board is great for meetings are lessons where the participants need printed copies...
13. It is a kid magnet! ...

Anecdotal evidence of the impart of electronic whiteboards found on ferl.becta.org:
-Learners show increased motivation and enjoy the interaction the technology offers
-It makes the subject come alive
-It captures the attention of learners
-It encourages the involvement of learners in the subject
-It enables tutors to use multimedia resources and the internet with a whole class

Atherley School in Southampton, England describes how electronic whiteboards can benefit teaching and learning:
1. The teacher at the front of the class and the whole class engaged together...
2. It gives the teacher instant access to a vast array of electronic resources...
3. It enables seamless links to be made between the technology and the subject material...
4. Teachers are rethinking their approach to teaching...
5. The flexibility and the scope for imaginative lesson planning is huge...
6. Pages can automatically be saved and can be printed, emailed or even pasted into a website...
7. The flipchart files can be updated or merged with other Windows applications...

Technology in Liberty's P.E. department

So today I was talking to my cooperating teacher and we were talking about the all the technology tools that they had which included pedometers, heart rate monitors, and a digital camera. To my surprise she told me that they never use any of these tools. I told her about my idea of having a classroom blog and having the students write about fitness goals, miscellaneous topics, and achievements on their blog. She liked the idea but at the same time she said they have had their same curriculum for years.
This made me excited to be in this class and know how easy it would be for me to incorporate these tools into the classroom. Being in this class has also allowed me to see how much the studnets gain from these tools. To me the gain my students will get from these tools far out ways the comfort zone that teachers will be leaving in order to incorporate these tools into the classroom.

How I will help student learn to use productivity software!

In order to help students learn to use productivity software I first have to have the software available to them. In the physical education class I could use a graphics productivity software.. For example,-he registered version of ACDsee will convert graphic type,s, rotate images, and make great slide shows. I could use this software to have the kids take pictures and create a slide show for the proper shooting form, baseball swing, swim stroke, etc. I could also help students learn productivity software by using print shop and have students use the graphics to personalize a fly er that promotes a fitness plan that they have created. I could also incorporate excel as a productivity software when I go into Maximal Heart Rate calculations, BMI calculations, and when I do fitness evaluations.

What are the Internet Issues For Students?

I think the biggest Internet issue my students will face will be computer and Internet access. You may think that every student has a computer to go home too with an Internet connection, but in reality this is not the case. As a teacher we have to understand that not every child in our classroom will have a computer at home and the assignments that we give our students must be formatted in a way that every child with our without a computer can complete. This may mean that the child may have to use the library to use the computer. It is our job as a teacher to give all our students the opportunity to complete the assignment. Even if that means the child staying after class to use classroom computer , you must cater to that need.
Another issue that is raised when using the Internet is security. As a teacher we have to give our students the tools to avoid inappropriate websites. I know in personally on more that a few occasions I have googled a topic and had pron pop up but if we can teach and monitor students properly this shouldn't be an issue.
Also, I think before any Internet use in the classroom ages k-12 we need to tell our students to never give out personal information. I feel it is important to use the scare tactic to get into students heads that there are a lot of crazies out there who are not nice people, all while emphasizing the importance to do the classroom research but not disclose any information about them selves.

K12 Online Conference

The conference that I went to was "Sustaining Blogging in the Classroom," by Lani Hall. I choose to go this conference because I would like to incorporate a fitness blog into my Physical Education Classroom. Through this conference I learned that there is a difference between having a blog in the classroom and using it as a learning tool and embedding it into your teaching. In order to have the most successful classroom blog it needs to become a daily routine. Often times teachers will have a blog and see the powerful tool that it withholds but then the tool get tried, tested, and then put off just like paperwork in the classroom.
So when developing a classroom Blog it is important to make sure that your focus is that the Blog needs to be a conversation. Meaning that it needs to be a two way communication system using web 2.o, where you have to both speak and listen, or read and write. The presentation noted that in order to sustain blogging in the classroom you have to allow this conversation to take place. So you as the teacher have to give your students time to read and write. Only after students are engaged in the conversation process can true blogging take place (because blogging as a verb means conversation).
I also learned that at the beginning of the blogging process it is important that you guide the conversation of the blog. For example, I could give the students a fitness topic of the week for them to blog about to help them start conversation and encourage them to continue the conversation by writing on their own blog.
The lecture also said that just like in normal conversations we can answer blog statements with a short reassuring "a ha" and longer responses. Another important aspect of that I learned about blogging just as it is in conversations is to be a good listner or reader. Just like in real conversations listening before speaking is a good skill. Also, it is important to teach students how to respond appropriately when they are writing on their blogs. This can be done by modeling the proper responses to students blogs.
Sense blogging is a conversation how do you turn that conversation into something that you can Grade. The conference gave some good examples on how you as a teacher an access students blogs. Here is an example of a rubric that one could use although I can already for see myself adding in a section that has to do with blogging about fitness goals, achievements, and struggles .
All in all I learned a lot from this conference but the most important thing that I learned is if you are going to incorporate blogging into the classroom don't just have it but actually use it so the students will learn from it.

Cross Country

New P.E. Game

So the other night at work, Crossroads Community Center we had family night and I played this new game called Tchouball pronounced "chookball." The game can be played on a basketball court between two teams of nine players. The team that has possession of the ball has a three-pass limit before they have to shoot the ball at the the net which is like a spring net that has a three meter radius which defines the forbidden zone. Members of the other team stand where they feel the ball will land off they spring net and they can catch it before it touches the floor.
Scoring
A player scores a point for his team if he bounces the ball off the rebound surface in such a manner that it cannot be caught by an opponent before it touches the floor.
A player gives a point to the other team if:
He misses the rebound surface when he shoots the ball.
He makes the ball bounce out-of-bounds
He shoots the ball and it bounces back, touching him.
He sends the ball into the forbidden zone, before or after it hits the rebound surface.
Penalties
A player commits a penalty if:
He moves while dribbling the ball on the floor or juggling it in the air.
He takes more than 3 footsteps on the floor while in possession of the ball.
He plays using parts of his body below his knees.
He makes a fourth pass for his team.
He makes contact with the floor out-of-bounds or in the forbidden zone while holding the ball.
He drops the ball after it is passed to him.
He voluntarily, or by error, catches a pass from the other team.
He catches a ball off of the rebound surface that was shot by one of his teammates.
He blocks his opponents from moving or stops them from freely passing the ball once they have gained possession.

After a penalty, the ball is given to the other team and the game continues from the spot where the penalty was committed. A pass must be made before throwing the ball at the rebound surface.
If the ball hits one of the edges of the rebound surface and the path of the ball is changed, the team may not receive a point. This is a penalty and the game continues from the spot where the ball hit the floor. The ball is given to the team which was defending at the time of the penalty.

After learning the game and playing it I really thought it would be a great P.E. game because it is a non contact sport, everyone has to get involved, there is no super star when playing, and kids can get a really good workout.
I invite you to check out the Tchouball Association website for more details on this new fun and exciting game.

Instructional Design

OK so I was sitting in Instructional Design the other day and all I could think about was the technology that professor Garrett could incorporate in to her mini lessons when she is demonstrating inquiry and direct teaching methods. When she is demonstrating these methods through her mini lessons I think of the Smart Board and how cool that would if she were to be using that. I know because Garrett is just demonstrating the teaching methods and is not thinking about technology incorporation the Smart Board really isn't necessary, so there is no reason for Garrett to waste her time bringing out the Smart Board or other tools. At the same time as a future teacher I see how important it will be for me to make that extra effort to use technology and incorporate those materials into my teaching to be able to get the most out of my students. I also have learned through her lessons how important it is when using technology to practice the lesson so you don't have to take lecture time trying to figure out how to work unfamiliar material.

Inspiration Software

Today in class I created my very own Kidspiration balanced diet document. You can look if you like. The software seems like a great tool for students. The Inspiration software can be used to help develop students critical thinking skills through visual learning. I could see this software as a successful tool because the method in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are all presented in a visual manor. By using the visual learning tools found in this software students learn to clarify thoughts, organize and analyze information, integrate new knowledge and think critically.
Inspiration: is a tool for students grades 6-12 to use to plan, research and complete projects. Students can use the diagram view to create graphic organizers, to compare and evaluate information. Through this view students can brainstorm new ideas and use symbols and words to represents concepts.
-The students can then switch to the Outline view to further organize and develop their work into written reports.

-I could use this Software in my Physical Education classroom to have my students develop their own fitness plan. They could use symbols to represent certain activities they would be doing along with many other things.
-I could also use the software to group concept map aerobic and anaerobic activities.
-Another way I could incorporate this software into my classroom is when I go to teach about a balanced diet I could have them create their own meal like I did in the Link above.

Technology Integration

Lesson Plan

Tools needed to add this technology into lesson:
-Smart Board
-Notebook Software to create own Smart Board presentation
-Media Software to show advertisements and commercials
-1 computer for every three children that has Microsoft Publisher
-Have classroom Blog


How technology in lesson changes learning environment and makes lesson more learner-centered:

-Video commercials- bring the material to life.
-Using the Smart Board and Multimedia Software can accommodate different learning styles. Hands on learners can benefit from toughing and marking on the board, audio learners can have the benefit from the classroom discussion, and visual learners can sit back and see what develops on the board.
-The Smart Board can also be used to accommodating students with limited motor skills. Because of the Smart Boards large format it makes it easier for students to run programs by tapping on the board rather than having to click a mouse.
-Using interactive technologies students learn to organize complex information, pattern, draw inferences, communicate findings and learn better organizational and problem-solving skills.
-By using technology in the classroom students are more motivated to learn material when it is presented because they like it better and it also increased family involvement (because families can go to classroom blog and can be used as a good communication tool).
-By adding adding the Smart Board into my lesson plan it would allow me the to use my finger like a mouse and be more hands on when presenting material.
-By having the students create their own presentation it allows the students to have their own freedom to develop their own product. Instead of the learning environment just being direct instruction and classroom discussion it turns into the students learning through guided inquiry instruction to develop their own end product.
-Multimedia technology allows a lesson to become learner centered because it allows more tools to be used to accommodate the multiple intelligences, much more than traditional teaching methods can. Here is a link to a list of the multiple intelligences and the technology tools that can be used to teach them.

-I feel as though technology can bring more excitement to a classroom. This excitement is not only limited to the students but the educator as well. I feel technology can be used as a tool to get teachers excited about presenting content in a new manner. I am a true believer if a educator has excitement than that is transferred on to the students. So students get the benefit of learning content in a new exciting manner and they also get a teacher who is eager to present content material in a new manner.

Challenges that may occur if added this technology to lesson:

-One challenge that would be hard to overcome would be getting all of the technologies into my classroom. I see this as being a problem of budget. I would think since Physical Education and music are one of the first departements to have budget cuts that they would be one of the last departments to recieve technological advancements. I could overcome this challenge by going out and getting grants. Here is a link to a website that gave some ideas of how go about optaining grants for technolgy use in the classrooms.

-First, I would want to make sure that I go through my Smart Board presentation to make sure that it worked right and to make sure I wasn't wasteing lecture time trying to figure out how to run the Smart Board.

-Another challenge that could occur would be the children finding inappropriet commercials on the Internet. I could overcome this challenge by giving the children a list of websites and commercials that were appropriete for their viewing.

-Before the lesson I would want to go through to make sure the commericals that I would use to demonstrae the fallacies worked through the media software on the computer hooked up to the Smart Board.

NETS Lesson Covers:

3. Technology productivity tools
-Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
-Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works

4. Technology communications tools
-Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
-Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

5.Technology research tools
Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
-Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
-Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

Smart Board Planning Document

Activity Plan for Smart Board Presentation

Subject: Health Date: November 6, 2007
Grade Level: 7-9
Teachers Name: Beth Knudtson

GLE EARLS: BENCHMARK / GLE 2.1.1. Understand body systems and their functions.

Activity Plan: I will be presenting a smart board ear activity. Through direct and cooperative learning students will learn the structure of the ear and understand how hearing works.

Anticipatory Set: “Can you imagine what your life would be lie without the ability to hear?” Get into groups of three and spend 1 min discuss how students life’s would be affected. (For the sake of this activity show how you could change the time on the clock and how good of an attribute this timer would make to a presentation so students can visually see the time on the clock).
- Have one person from each group come up and write one of their ideas on the Smart Board. Then go over some of the ideas that the Smart Board gave on how peoples lives would be affected.

Transition: Now that we have talked about some of ways in which our lives would be affected with out hearing let us do a little anatomy of the ear.

Anatomy of the Ear: First, ask for volunteers to match the words to the places on the ear. Then call upon students one at a time to guess where they think some of the words go give hint that some of the words look like their part on the ear. (Then click on link to see if the class is right).

How Ear Works: The next slide shows how the ear works. After the video I will have the class split up so there is 4 groups giving each of them the 1-4 stages of hearing that the video showed. Their task will be to redraw their assigned stage writing what is happening to the ear. Then I will have each group when ready come up on the Smart Board and draw what they have come up with. After everyone has drawn their stage they will present to the class explaining what is happening in their stage.

Conclusion: So today class he have learned some of the things in our lives that would be affected if we were to lose our hearing, learned a little anatomy of the ear and how sound vibrations cause us to hear.


The use of interactive board in classroom:
-Depending on the subject of either health or P.E. the interactive white board would be highly effective within my classroom. To have an interactive white board in the gym would seem like a silly way of spending money, although a few uses do come to mind. For example, when doing fitness drills I could put together a slide show using media software, of the muscles that students are manipulating. This would allow the student to not only feel the muscles that they are working but physically see what is happening in their body. I know when I am working out I like to be able to look in the mirror and see the muscles that I am strengthening and if I do it gets motivated to lift more. The interactive videos on the Smart Board could have the same effect on my students and get them excited to manipulate those muscles.
-The Smart Board is a great tool to be able to give old content material to students in a new interactive presentation. The interactive whiteboard is also, a great tool to be used for demonstrations. In a survey done “In a Baker’s Dozen Reason!” by Mr. Mary Ann Bell, found that many technology teachers and specialists reported enthusiasm for the board in the instructional setting. As a future teacher I would contribute this excitement to the fact that a presenter can run any application from the board, using their finger like a mouse, allowing the presenter to be more hands on when presenting material.
Another benefit students would gain from this interactive white board is that it is a great colorful tool. Research done by Dr. Mary Ann Bell found that students respond to displays where color is used. So having a Smart Board where markings can be done in the pen and or using the highlighter features to display a number of different colors, makes the Smart Board a vibrant tool that can only benefit students. Along with all the Smart Board’s different color features it can also adjust the width of lines to add flexible marking, which could help students who are visually impaired.
-The board can also be used to accommodate different learning styles. Hands on learners can benefit from touching and marking on the board, audio learners can have the benefit from the classroom discussion, and visual learners can sit back and see what develops on the board.

-The Smart Board can also be used to accommodating students with limited motor skills. Because of the Smart Boards large format it makes it easier for students to run programs by tapping on the board rather than having to click a mouse. This tool could also be used for young students who are learning to write because they can write on the board with their fingers rather than using the small lines on the paper.
-Within the health classroom students could benefit from the Smart Board, for example if I were to show a diagram of a lung and mark on the board in order to point out the lung features and or label its parts. I could also, use the board to show a video tape of the proper shooting technique, and mark on the board as the shooting motion occurred to show when and where a player should complete certain actions. I could also scan images of a proper shooting technique and add in written text describing the proper fundamentals that skill requires.
-All in all the Smart board is a powerful instructional told, which can be adapted to use and enhance learning in a wide range of subjects and ages.

SMART BOARD CHANGES I MADE:
-Changed timer to be 1 min instead of 5.
-I added in a new slide for students to write in their ideas in ways our lives would be affected by not being able to hear.
-I also added in a pull down covering to go over some of the answers to ways in which our lives would be affected if we could not hear. I Imported music and a couple of pictures to includ in the slide that cover how our lives would be affected with out sound.

Smart Board Activity

Here is a link to my Smart Board Acticity.
Subject: Health
Grade: 7-9
Activity Lesson Plan: Ear