So you are a #pegeek or an ICT enthusiast, always looking for new ways to engage your students in the classroom? You should then check out the Horizon Report for K-12 learning 2013. It focuses on emerging technologies and its applications to K-12 education. Their main aim is to ""examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative inquiry within the environment of pre-college education. Six emerging technologies were identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, as well as key trends and challenges expected to continue over the same period." Do you agree with their findings? Are there any other technologies missing that should be included in the list? Personally I generally think their short term 'time-for-adoption' suggestions are pretty much on the mark. School should be embracing these technologies: cloud computing and mobile learning this year for example. However, because technology changes so rapidly, the near future technologies are a bit of a hit and miss. For example, the Horizon Report for the past 3 years have had game-based learning in their report. However, that has been dropped this year. Similar to personalised learning; that seems to have dropped off the radar as well. Feedback welcomed! Nerdy Phys-Eder
0 Comments
A must read article by Alan November. He visited a number of schools with one-to-one program and discusses his findings. http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/why-schools-must-move-beyond-one-to-one-computing/ A great starting point if you are thinking of Flippig your PE classroom. The team at http://www.teachpe.com/ have put together an amazing collection of resources for teachers and sport coaches. I particular like their YouTube channel where there are numerous drills for a number of sports including soccer (95 videos), basketball (50 videos), badminton (22 videos), and much more. It also includes over 150 free weight exercises for you to try with your students. Flipping your PE class involve students studying the topic by themselves usually at home using video lessons. In the classroom, students tries to apply the knowledge by solving problems and doing practical work. This way there will be less instructional time and more active time. Students generally find viewing videos 'not' homework and I have found a few of them actually explore extra drills and games they can do, which means using this for SEPEP would benefit the quality of the lessons. For more information about Flip Teaching, read about it on Wikipedia. Here is a sample of some netball drills from the website: Happy Flipping!
Nerdy Phys-Eder Improving ICT use in Physical Education
Effective integration of ICT in the curriculum is a complex, challenging, and multifaceted process that involves not just technology, but also curriculum and pedagogy, and teacher competencies (Prajapati, 2012). ICT should be utilised selectively within the learning context and should focus on improving students’ learning. To ensure effective use of ICT in PE, educators must satisfy the following criteria: · Feel confident and competent about using ICT. · Convinced of what ICT has to offer to education. · Realise the potential of ICT tools already available in schools. · Diminish concerns about the expense, difficulties, and the amount of time needed to incorporate ICT into teaching practice. · Ensure materials and software meet the teaching and learning outcomes of the curriculum (Hall & Leigh, 2001). It is important for educators to realise that technology should not replace the teacher. Multiple examples of teachers “watching a DVD or YouTube video” and “reading the paper” have been observed in PE classrooms (Sanders & Witherspoon, 2012). Technology should only be used to supplement teaching instructions in a way that cannot be replicated by face-to-face instruction. For example, a teacher gives instructions on how to handball in an AFL football unit, providing interventions, and using a video clip of a professional AFL player to reinforce concepts. Teacher training plays a pivotal role in improving the use of ICT in Physical Education. Educators who might be ‘tech-savvy’ also need to be able to apply their ICT knowledge in lessons (Meredith, 2011). They must learn to choose technology to aid their teaching, rather than designing lessons to fit the available technology (Juniu, 2011). Lockyer (2007) argues that ICT must be integrated with curriculum, pedagogy and field experience to model what teachers might use in their classes. Creating policies that not only provide professional development for teachers, but make it compulsory, would help the level of comfort that some educators may lack when confronted with integrating ICT into lessons (Sanders & Witherspoon, 2012). University Physical Education teacher program must also be updated to provide beginning teachers with the knowledge and practical experience needed to incorporate ICT into their teaching (Sobral, Faro, Edginton, 2008). Hall & Leigh (2001) detail a plan to improve integration of ICT in Physical Education: 1. Planning the use of ICT within PE a. Equipment audit b. Setting priorities 2. Developing departmental policy a. Set out aims and values b. Explain principles underlying the use of ICT in PE c. Identify issues which need to be addressed 3. Managing issues a. Audit of ICT skills b. Training to be provided c. Continual monitoring and reviewing the use of ICT in PE Nerdy Phys-Eder The following is a video of how Jersey Shore Area Middle School have integrated technology into their PE classroom. Aren't we all jealous!! The most scary thing is that's from nearly 3 years ago, imagine what they have there now!! One is an oldie but a goodie, the other is a recent television ad by a major shoe company. Two innovative ways of using technologies to promote active lifestyle and get people moving. Can you think of any other innovative ways to get people being active?
Nerdy Phys-Eder Ever wanted to run a Round Robin competition in your class but cannot be bothered searching through your computer to find that excel template you created years ago? Or you've finally found the template and it doesn't have the exact number of teams you envisioned for that class? This website is the solution! http://www.printyourbrackets.com/round-robin-generator.php The website allow you to choose the number of teams, enter team names, as well as the ability of dividing teams into different pools if you are running a major tournament. If you spend more time to explore the site, it also allow you to create draws for knock-out competitions, double-elimination tournaments, or draws related to specific sports.
Nerdy Phys-Eder ABC's Four Corners program just released a new app called "Four Corners 50 Years" for the iPad. It has a huge collection of stories (over 70) and videos which have featured from the program in the past, categorised by the decades. It includes everything from cricket match fixing, to the code of silence by footballers, to the Nazi party in Australia. Definitely worth downloading and checking out, even if you don't use it in class! Download here.
Nerdy Phys-Eder Introducing the Nerdy Phys-Eder Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/NerdyPhysEder Please share the page with your friends so we can build a village to share our ideas. There has been lots of feedback and suggestions so keep them coming!!
Nerdy Phys-Eder As a celebration of the 50th billion apps download on the Apple App Store, I am launching the Apps section of my blog. Firstly, sorry for all the Android users out there! I don't currently own an Android device so cannot give an accurate review of their apps. Secondly, I've decided to initially split it into two sections, apps for HPE teachers and apps that can be used across the curriculum. Currently under construction, It would be fantastic to get some suggestions / feedback so fire away!
Starting this month, I've been fortunate enough to be invited to contribute in the PEAK Phys Ed group's (http://www.peakphysed.com.au/) monthly newsletter. Thanks Rob and Amanda for this opportunity. The PEAK Phys Ed group strives to 'promote innovation and excellence within physical education communities through the provision of exemplary teaching and learning opportunities and resources. They are also the organisers of the annual Discovery Conference held in Melbourne for HPE teachers. I've include the insert in this month's newsletter but you should goto their site (http://www.peakphysed.com.au/) and sign up to the mailing list for more resources and the latest news. Nerdy Phys-Eder ![]()
Current attitude towards technology in Physical Education
The questions physical educators often ask is whether the use of ICT directly relates to the teaching and learning objective in Physical Education (Colins, 2011). Does the use of ICT decrease ‘active time’ of students during a lesson (Kretschmann, 2012)? According to Goktas (2012), successful integration of technologies into educational settings depends on teachers’ and student’ attitudes toward ICT. A study by Gibbone, Rukavina, & Silverman (2010) found that approximately 95% of secondary Physical Education teachers indicated that technology can enhance the quality of Physical Education practices, while 82% indicated that they would consider technology when redesigning their curriculum. They also found a positive correlation between teachers’ perceptions of the relevance of technology and their inclination to use technology, which according to the authors, was in line with previous studies. Participants from the research identified challenges that inhibit use of technology in PE include budget, class size, and the lack of training. One respondent of Thomas & Stratton’s (2006) study wrote, “Please tell me where I can access good training”. It was identified in a British national audit that 66% of PE departments owned a camcorder, but 36% stated that they were rarely used, due to the lack of training and understanding of its use. Another factor that impede the use of technology is the perception that rather than contributing to the effective operation of their classes, technology would rob them of precious activity time (Woods, Karp, Miao, and Perlman, 2008). Russell (2007) undertook a study on Physical Educators’ perceptions toward interactive video game technology and, although he found that teachers had very little knowledge and comfort with the technology, educators understood the benefits of the technology to facilitate teaching and enhance the curriculum and there were far more positive attitudes towards integration within their teaching. Hastie, Casey, & Tarter (2010) raised the issue of educational administrators remaining resistant to the most radical benefits of technological innovations. This hinders much of what teachers in general want to explore in terms of new and emerging technologies, specifically in the field of social media. Physical Educators, in general, welcome the integration of ICT into PE. They are willing to learn and apply technology, if given the opportunity to prepare themselves, and if supplied with appropriate resources (Gibbone, Rukavina, & Silverman, 2010). Nerdy Phys-Eder What does technology-rich Physical Education look like? In Physical Education, ICT has become an integral part of the curriculum. It has the potential to contribute at various stages of learning (Papastergiou, 2010). Technologies are used to develop a student’s knowledge and understanding of the subject, and improve their skills and techniques in a particular sport. Students could also use technology to assist in the review and evaluation of their performance (Ciolca, Stoicescu, & Stanescu, 2011). The development of Web 2.0 technologies has allowed for an increasing use of blogs, wikis, and social media networks for collaboration in Physical Education classrooms (Papastergious, Gerodimos, & Antonios, 2011). Other positive examples of technology integration include delivering a podcast on training principles or using the ‘Coach’s Eye’ app on the iPad to visually assess a peer’s throwing technique. A technology-rich Physical Education classroom can promote and enhance learning by: · Accommodating the various paces of learning (Hall & Leigh, 2001). · Transcend time and space – learning can occur anytime, anywhere (Prajapati, 2012). · Involvement with technologies distinct from conventional methods (Hall & Leigh, 2001). · Encouraging students to access and evaluate information from various reliable sources (Hall & Leigh, 2001). · Improves the amount of information students retain through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning channels.
Teachers who effectively integrate technology ask the following questions during their planning: How will technology improve teacher efficiency? How will the integration of technology foster learning? How does the technology accomplish something that previously could not be accomplished? The learning outcomes are carefully and purposefully considered first, and then there is consideration on how the technology can contribute to the lesson (Castelli & Fioretino, 2008).
The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education outlines students’ ability to use ICT to access information and communicate, as well as analyse, measure, and enhance movement performances. Effective Physical Education programs have regular communication with students and parents; integrate student choice in the curriculum; and link the national standards to student learning (Castelli & Rink, 2003). Technology can play a role in each of these characteristics. Teachers could use emails and social media networks for communication. They can also create blogs or wikis that contain information about the curriculum. Portable devices such as the iPad could be used to collect assessment data and therefore track student attainment of specific benchmarks related to the Australian Curriculum. It is suggested in Castelli & Fioretino (2008) that teachers in effective ICT programs “select, master, and integrate” one technology at a time. Teachers should select a technology, plan for the acquisition of the technology, become comfortable with it, and then integrate it into their classroom. Students are more engaged and motivated when such ICT program is executed effectively (Prajapati, 2012). Nerdy Phys-Eder For those of you who have tried the Coach's Eye app but want more extensive features, the 'Kinesio Capture Basic' app is definitely the choice. Although it's more expensive ($10.49), It is a great way to show a skill and for athletes to analyse their own performance, or for coaches / teachers to show a comprehensive breakdown of a skill. As well as the split screen analysis that a lot of the apps now have, it also include a video overlay feature where you can put one video over another, as well as an in app measurement tool where you can measure angles. The video overlay feature is definitely worth trying! The app also comes with two other versions, Kinesio Capture Pro (Free but you need to pay for the 'Kcap Pro' account through their website) and Kinesio Capture ($269.99).
Nerdy Phys-Eder Over the next few weeks, I'll present my research into the effective use of ICT in HPE. It will consider all current research and literature and explore issues surrounding the integration of ICT in Physical Education, and identify examples of current effective practice by physical educators. Introduction In recent years, the rapid growth of new technologies has aided educators in the quest for improved teaching and learning methods. This influx of technology in the lives of the current “iGeneration” presents a unique set of learning characteristics (Rosen, 2011). According to Mears (as cited in Sanders & Witherspoon, 2012), “educators need to examine current educational policies and instructional delivery methods to develop an environment that meets the needs of these ‘tech savvy’ students”. The use of ICT offers a potential solution to enhance learning and engagement to learners in all subjects, including Physical Education (Collins, 2011). It is essential that physical educators understand the influences ICT has, and effectively integrate the technologies to enhance the performance and engagement of their students. Video games In average American household, 88% of children have a video game console. It has been identified as one of the causes of decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behaviour. (Hersey & Jordan as cited in Sanders & Witherspoon, 2012). A modern form of technology, active gaming, has emerged that allows participants to engage in gaming but also requires them to be physically active. This new genre of physical activity has been creating by the development in gaming technologies such as the Nintendo Wii, and Xbox Connect. It is implied that active gaming motivates children to be more active because the activities are fun and enjoyable. (Witherspoon as cited in Sanders & Witherspoon, 2012). The American Heart Association (2010) has also announced their support in stating “active gaming has the potential to positively benefit participants.”
A common problem when dealing with the use of video games in PE is the teacher having only one gaming console and students must wait in line to play. For example, in Dance Dance Revolution (Konami, 2009), students can learn dance movements from the game, however only two dance pads could be connected to a single console at a time. The newer version allow up to 42 dance pads to be connected by the cost is immense. A possible solution could be for teachers to use practice pads and rotate students between playing the game and practicing on the practice pads. Another possible solution is to use a station & circuit format where the technology is one station of the circuit. This allows all students to utilise the technology without reducing activity levels or having a large amount of wait time (Mears as cited in Sanders & Witherspoon, 2012).
Nerdy Phys-Eder |