Technology Final Project

Ms. Knudtson Fitness Calendar
Technology in Education

First, of all I am so glad that I choose to do a web based calendar as my technology assignment. A web-based calendar is a calendar that can be created online, posted to a Web page, and easily updated when necessary. The idea of a web based calendar from a teacher stand point help can be used to organize assignments, track project due dates, schedule, and remind you and students when things are due. For this project the web program that I choose to use was called Web Cal Plus Calendar, mainly because it had a free trial.

In order to do this project I had to download Web Cal Plus onto my lap top. Through trial and error and some tutorials I learned what it takes to create a web based interactive calendar. I learned how to change calendar settings, edit and delete entries, add entries, and view calendar. I also learned how to make the calendar information available on the internet even though it did not turn out the way that I would have like. For some reason our school server and the program that I used did not format correctly. I did learn for the future how to upload things on to the server and if things would have gone according to plan to do this you first have to choose “publish calendar,” specifying the starting and ending month/year, (for me just December), and click “create.” An HTML is then created on my computer in the Web Cal Plus folder for the calendar that you have published. I then would have upload this folder from my Web Cal Plus folder and put it on a school website on the internet with an FTP software, and make a link to the calendar on the homepage. I did get a form of my calendar on the server but it did not have my background and many of my pictures did not load making it look not a pretty as it originally did. After doing this project I would definitely not use this calendar program again unless I could figure out a better way to place it on the internet for other to view.

After doing this project I know that this is something that I would like to incorporate into my classroom, and the great thing is I know how to do it. One of the things that I learned when doing this project is the HTML code is very confusing and one change to it can change the whole layout of the web page. Another thing that I learned was how to import pictures and have them be a link to another website, making my calendar very view friendly. I also, learned how to change the layout of a webpage and put in my desired background. I did not find all these things out on my own, but after watching many tutorials I was able to figure them out.

The web calendar that I used had many great features. One of these of these was that I could use a picture to symbolize a family event or girls basketball game and the person viewing the calendar could just take their curser over the activity and see what the activity was and if they wanted more information they could click on the symbol and it would open up another page that gave specific details of the activity. Another feature that I liked was when a student or parent wanted to view an event it took takes to another page to give the explicit details of that activity. I liked this because it gave me the option as a teacher to have the assignment on the calendar but giver further in depth detail of the assignment on another page, leaving me not to not to crowd everything into a tinny little window. Another feature that I utilized was having every activity link to the original website in which I found the information or the activity. Another cool feature that this program had was that you could import a Google map into the calendar activity. I used this tool in order to give directions to basketball games. I though this would be a great tool for new student drivers who don’t know directions very well. I also, utilized my fitness logo at the top of the calendar to link to a Wiki sign-up page where students can sign-up for events and hopefully get involved with other fellow students.

After finishing this assignment I felt as though I had pretty well mastered the calendar creating software and its features but feel as though my ability to but it on a server for others to view is still iffy. I don’t really know if it was my fault as to why I couldn’t get it on the server or due to the program and server compatibilities for my calendar not being on the server in the complete format.

To conclude there “So much to do, so little time,” but fortunately or unfortunately, technology cannot extend our work day, but it can help us and our students organize and be on time. That is why I feel as though adopting a web based calendar like Web Cal Plus in the classroom makes sense for many reasons. Beyond the obvious benefit of keeping everyone informed of upcoming events, the use of web based calendars at school can encourage teachers to overcome their fears that they may have of technology and increase their overall computer literacy. By helping teacher use their computer as an essential tool in their daily routines, web based calendars can promote the process of technology integration in the classroom that, in the end, can result in enhanced student learning.

Future Classroom

For me in the P.E. classroom I don't for see too much new technology being incorporated into my classroom. To think logically and looking at Liberty's PE department I for see DVD cardio workout tapes instead of VHS and possibly a flat screen T.V. I have already talked to my cooperating teacher about incorporating blogging for the student"s fitness journals. I could for see my students do to my excitement for technology utilizing online interactive calenders that I have created. I would also like to bring music into the PE room so when students are doing cardio days they can have music. It has been proven that people who listen to music while working out workout harder. With all that IPOD technology and speakers how easy would that be. I know that my school does have HR monitors but I would for see getting better HR monitors being incorporated into the classroom. I know there are HR monitors where teachers can read on there hand help system what every child's HR is and can print out their students effort for that activity. CREAT WEB SITE FOR PE TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION

Online Grading System At Liberty

The other day at Liberty I was given the opportunity to put in the classes daily attendance into the schools web based attendance and grading system. One of the things that I liked about this system was on the attendance portion it had all the students pictures uploaded next to each child's name. I liked this feature because it allowed me to put faces to the kids names and a great tool for me to be able to learn the kids names outside of class time.
Another cool feature to the system is every time a teacher imputes a grade it is live and a parent or child can log into the system and see their child's grade up to that point. One benefit to this system is parents can always check their son or daughters grade and don't have to pester you for the information. As a future coach and teacher this system also, allows me to track students and players and how they are doing in all their classes.
Due to the fact that this system is new this year not everybody totally understands the program yet. For example, some teachers were putting in their grades but weren't checking the box to have it be shown to students and parents, so parents weren't seeing their child's grades for that class. Another problem my teacher said is that some teacher are still stuck in their old grade book ways and only post their quarter and semester grades on the database, and that is only because it is a school policy. By doing this students don't get the full benefit of seeing how they are doing on a regular basis.

Quote that stuck with me

"Hate Something Worth Hating!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Staff Meeting

Today when I was at an all staff meeting at Liberty High School and one of topics on the agenda for the day was tech tips. When we got to the topic a teacher went up there and talked about another way to get parents off their back. First he stated that if you have a classroom blog and parents get a Gmail account then then can register to get an RSS feed that he explain is an email sent to the parent on their account every time you the teacher update the blog. This is much like sending out a mass email to all the parents just by updating your classroom blog.

I have to say that I felt like I knew what the teacher was talking about when I know and could see that more than half the teacher within the staff meeting had no idea what he was doing. Basically I felt smart!!!!

Things happening in class

So can I just say that I love going to school and doing my observations. Every time that I am their I get reassured that this is the job for me. In the class right now I take attendance, leading drills, and stretches which makes me feel as though I am a real teacher. Since I have been at the school I have had the opportunity to observe all the PE teachers in the department (weighting, aerobic,s PE 1 and PE 2), a health room, and a study skills classroom. When I am in class I do the activities with the kids if they are play Badmition I participate, if they are lifting I lift, and if they are doing step class I do steps.
All in all I have nothing but positive experiences at my school

Incorporating Technology Into P.E. Classroom

So I was on pe.links4u and found an article titled Benefits Vs Hindrances of using Technology in Physical Eduction, by Kim McCorquodale. Kim talked to a few physical educators who had brought technology into their P.E. room. The first Brian Hagbo who was traditionally a teacher who just wanted to keep doing what he was doing, finally incorporated technology into his class. He first started using HRM in class, so students could realize the effort that they needed to put forth in order to stay in their HR zone. Brian also used the down loadable software that came with the HRM, and would compute daily points for each student based on students staying in their Max HR zone. The teacher stated that this method was much more objective than how he used to do it. Before he would have to evaluate a student's running effort based on outwardly perceived effort or whether they ran the entire time. This to me sounds like a easier way to not be biased when grading students in class. After reading the article I didn't see any reason for technology to be classified as a hindrance in the classroom. The only thing that would be a hindrance would be the time that it takes to become comfortable with the technologies that you want to include in your classroom.

Questions for Panel Members

1) Do feel as though your degree from Northwest University adequately prepared you for the field of work that are in?

2) What is one thing that you could tell us to help prepare us for the so called "REAL WORLD!"

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.