Encorporating Technology

Prior to this class I feel that I would have neglected incorporating technology into physical education.  This is both concerning and exciting.  Let me explain.  It concerns me that up until this point I have failed to really see the importance of technology in my content area, and was completely oblivious to the fact that it can be very beneficial.  I guess I have had blinders on and closed mindedly looked at physical education at its basic state usually involving just a ball and a gym.  This concerns me about how much I still do not know.  The exciting part of it is that I am learning!  I am very excited that only the second class into this new journey I am learning something completely new, which is incorporating technology into physical education.  This is a valuable learning enhancer I was completely unaware of using in my content area.  I am definitely excited about what more I will learn which will allow me to become a more effective teacher.

 

Technology Intergration

 

As a future physical education teacher I feel that one technology integration idea from chapter 15 that would be specifically beneficial to my classroom for all students is audio enhancement technology.  I would enhance audio in my classroom in two ways.  As I mentioned last week, I would use an amplified microphone while teaching.  PE can be noisy and it can be difficult for students to hear the instructor.  Furthermore, students can be embarrassed to admit or even unaware that his or her hearing is impaired.  This in mind, an amplified microphone would help all students to clearly hear instructions.  Hearing loss is the most common disability in the United States, and approximately three percent of children have issues with hearing loss (Reich & Lavay, 2009, p. 39).  For those students who are hearing impaired and require even louder and clearer audio enhancement I would also use a FM amplification system, or assistive listening devices.  An FM amplification system would allow me to wear a wireless microphone and for those students who are hard of hearing to wear a receiver that would amplify my voice, making it easier for him or her to hear me and enjoy the class.  I found an interesting article from the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and that shares the importance and explores the benefits of audio enhancement in physical education at:  http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/chhs/departments/kin/files/Lavay-PhysicalEdandSportAdaptationsforStudents.pdf

 

References:

Reich, L. M., & Lavay, B. (2009). Physical education and sport adapations for students who are hard of hearing. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 38-43.

Tech Post #2

Audio enhancement especially in a gym setting is a great way to use technology as suggested in chapter 15, technology in Special Education.  Many students with hearing impairments are embarrassed to admit that they are having trouble hearing, in return these students are then seen as not following directions or having other behavior issues, when in reality they never even heard the directions.  I had a friend growing up with hearing impairments and he had difficulties in school.  Many times his troubles were looked as behavioral issues or not following directions, just as the example scenario above.  Once he received the proper assistance, having teachers use an amplified microphone, he excelled and had no other issues in school.  AudioEnhancent is a great source to provide many different ways to implement audio assistance in the school setting.  The junior high that I substitute teach at uses this technology when teaching the students in P.E.  Without this it would be very difficult speaking to as many as eighty students at once in a large gym setting, hearing impairments or not.  Hearing a teacher loudly and clearly is very important in keeping the students attention and is a great way to integrate technology into the school setting.

Tech post #1

When using technology in Physical Education video recording can be very beneficial, as discussed in chapter 14.  This can allow an athlete to see footage of themselves performing and then allow them, with the aid of a coach or teacher, to adapt and or correct their techniques for the best performance.  Video recordings may not be as common as some of the other technologies in teaching/coaching, but to an athlete it can be extremely beneficial.  Dartfish is a great website that does just that!  It allows a coach and athlete to playback recorded footage to analyze and critic the athletes performance.  In the world of sports, inches and seconds are commonly the deciding factor between victory and defeat.  What athlete would not want to gain the upper hand on their competition by analyzing the key moments?  This is a great use of technology and can greatly benefit athletes in all sports.

Top 5 Pet Peeves of Web Design

1.  My top pet peeve has got to be clutter on a website.  If I open a website that has so much going on that I do not even know where to begin I instantly get frustrated and overwhelmed.  I definitely agree with step #6 form our reading, "Keep it Simple"!

2.  Ads are a close second for me.  If I go to a site for one thing, I do not want to be distracted with things that have nothing to do with the reason I am visiting the site.  Ads can also be very tricky!  Countless times I have attempted to click on what I thought was part of a site just to get redirected numerous times by an "undercover" ad.  Very frustrating!

3.  Becoming a member can be very time consuming and pointless as well.  Many times the information I am looking for is a onetime thing, and I do not feel the need to sign up for a membership to access it.  Along with registering always come tons of unwanted emails than no matter how many times you attempt to unsubscribe, the emails keep coming.  There have been many times where I have given in, and spent a long time registering just to get to the last page asking for credit card information, which there is no way I am providing.   

4.  Unnecessary sound effects are annoying as well.  I understand the importance of audio when used for a purpose, but sound effects for everything you click on and scroll over just makes me turn my speakers completely off.  Definitely unnecessary and a huge turn off to the site.

5.  The last pet peeve has to be too many links to other sites.  This somewhat goes along with the first one of clutter.  Opening link after link can be very confusing, to where eventually it is hard to access or even remember what the original site was.

I think when it comes to web design, less is more.  Very clear instructions and direction for the viewer, without all of the clutter, can lead to a productive experience.

Web 2.0 applications and PowerPoint presentation

https://dm2-broadcast.officeapps.live.com/m/Broadcast.aspx?Fi=b0fcb699632d9d15%5Fbeada5a2%2D6a41%2D4ff6%2D8920%2Df1bfcf69c14b%2Epptx

During my research I found several other web 2.0 tools that could be used to support learning in the classroom.  First is Prezi, which is a cloud-based software that allows a student or teacher to create a presentation which can later be displayed from a variety of electronic devices including an iPad, smartphone, or laptop.  The presentations created by the user display similar information to what Microsoft PowerPoints do, but Prezi has more options in regards to layouts and effects.  And unlike Microsoft PowerPoint, Prezi is free.  All that is necessary is to create an account (Prezi).  I would allow students to use Prezi as an alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint for any assignments.  Also, I can see myself using Prezi to provide visual for my students during any lectures. 

Another 2.0 application I feel would be useful is Google Docs.   Google Docs is a free online program that allows users to not only create documents and presentations online but also share them with other users for collaboration.  After one user uploads a document other users can revise and add comments to his or her document (Michigan State University).  I feel this would be useful when assigning group writing assignments.  It would be an easy way for students to collectively work on an assignment.  Furthermore, I would have the capability to help the group by making comments and suggestions along the way. 

References:

Michigan State University. (n.d.). Getting Started with Google Docs. Retrieved from Michigan State University: http://edutech.msu.edu/online/googledocs/googledocs.html

Prezi. (n.d.). Present anywhere, anytime. Retrieved from Prezi: http://prezi.com/

 

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WebQuest Disney Sales Pitch

Every family needs to go to Disney World at least once!  I had the pleasure of taking my family to Disney world this past Christmas break, and it was well worth it.  The only stressful part was the planning.  This can be very overwhelming to someone whom has never been.  After researching flights, hotels, and attractions for countless hours and still feeling confused, I decided to hire a Disney planner.  Well, now that can be you!  I found an awesome WebQuest making the planning easy and stress free in a step by step process.  This will save money, not having to hire someone.  While this WebQuest has you planning for the Miller family, this should make you an expert in all of the details for a Disney vacation that you can use for your own vacation.  I suggest you plan for the Miller’s with your own preferences in mind for this reason.  Choose the attractions and hotels that interest you.  Having been on this trip recently I feel that this WebQuest does a great job of planning in all of the important areas including; transportation, recreation, accommodations, finances, and time management.  What a great practical WebQuest!  After completing this WebQeust all that will be left to do is make the memories on your trip to Disney World!

http://questgarden.com/170/01/5/140407130426/index.htm
Pat