I believe that technology in physical education courses is an excellent way to turn a class into something students look forward to every day. Implementing technology in physical education courses will make class a more enjoyable experience for students and aid schools in making classes more technologically up to date and aligned with other courses offered.
By implementing technology in physical education classes, students will find their experience more enjoyable. One way in which technology will make class more enjoyable is through the use of video games. This phenomenon of using video games is known as exergaming. Instead of just running laps around a gym or participating in organized activity, some schools have moved to using a video game called Wii Fit. Not all students enjoy running laps or playing organized sports, and by using Wii Fit, physical education teachers offer students a different way to engage in physical activity. Using Wii Fit is also a way to make students believe they are having fun even though they are exercising. By using Wii Fit, physical education courses become more enjoyable for students because they are allowed to have fun while exercising.
Also, by implementing technology in gym class, schools will align physical education curriculum with the curriculum of other courses. For other courses offered by schools, grants are given to upgrade the technology used within the classroom. Now, grants are given to schools to upgrade and implement technology in physical education courses. These grants allow schools to purchase heart monitors to track students’ heart rates while they participate in different activities. The grants also allow schools to purchase different computer programs to track a student’s progress from the first week of class to the final week of class.
In the past, many students found physical education to be an unpleasant experience. With the implementation of technology, physical education courses are more enjoyable for students and closer to the curriculum objectives of other classes offered by schools.
Josh,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have to say about exergaming. In current times the use of videogame and TV media is very enticing to young and old children. Since these types of devices and programs are seen in the childrens daily lives they are more likely to be impelled to use them as means of activity. Students feel much more obliged and comfrotable using these types of devices to be active as opposed to just doing repetative motions. When it comes to electronic devices and physical activity the students mind is attracted to it, and they will most likely have fun taking part in them. Although just throwing out Wii Fit and DDR and saying "go" should not be the new method of teaching. These devices could be used once at the end of a week to help reward good class behavior and such. Overall, new devices such as the xbox Kinect will add ever increasing true body manipulation into gaming, therefore counting as activity time. However, I still wish kids would be motivated to be active without the sole notion of being able to play a videogame in P.E., which will count as you taking part all day. As long as students realize there is more to being active than exergaming I'm all for it.
-Brent
Brent,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that using Wii Fit and such devices should not be the new way to teach physical education. However, I was trying to say that if teachers can use these types of activities every so often to really engage their students in the activity. As a future physical education teacher, I also wish that students would be motivated to be physically active without the use of video games and such. However, any activity is better than no activity.