After revisiting my philosophy statement, I have realized some new ways to incorporate technology in the Physical Education setting. I also maintain some of my previous opinions on the matter. As before, I feel that technology can be used only if it enhances the lesson while maintaining or improving total activity time. Throughout the semester, I have learned some ways this can be accomplished by use of technology.
One way that technology can be used that I also referenced in my original philosophy statement is the use of a projector and screen to project things such as a video of skill. In addition to showing a video of a skill, a projector could be used to project PowerPoints of lessons, skill rubrics, lists of cues and anything else that would help a lesson run smoothly. To do this all you need is to hook up a laptop to the projector and project it onto a white wall or screen. While this can be expensive, many schools have projectors that can be rented out for the day or a specific class period. I think this is the form of technology that I would utilize most when teaching.
There are also many technologies out there that can help teach students the importance of exercise. Pedometers and hear rate monitors are two examples of this. Pedometers can be used to track a student’s step count throughout a class period or a day. They can be tracked and converted into miles and compared to other students. It can open a student’s eyes to how active or inactive they are being on an everyday basis. Also, the use of heart rate monitors is a good way to teach about basic exercise physiology and the importance of exercising in your target heart rate zone. These principles can be used beyond the classroom, which is one of the main objectives regarding P.E.
Another technology that I think could be beneficial for teachers is a smartphone or ipod touch. These can be used for assessment, playing music, keeping time, and another way to show videos or specific applications on a projection. Having it synced up with other technology can save time and allow for more activity time.
I maintain my previous opinions that technology can be a great way to reach the variety of learners that we will teach too in our classes. It can reach students who are more technologically inclined as well as visual learners. Sometimes a change of pace from every day instruction can be motivating. I also 100% still agree with my end statement and will leave it as is: Technology is forever changing and improving and it is important to keep up to date with new ideas so that when something comes along that can benefit the students and our classrooms, we don’t miss out on that opportunity.
I really like the Ipod or smart phone idea. I was only thinking of it as a attendance helper. I am glad that you mentioned all the other things that can go along with devises like these. I think more schools should look into these types of technology to help all teachers in many ways such as time saving and multi tasking.
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ReplyDeleteI agree that technology should only be used in the P.E. setting to advance the learning of the students in a way that could not previously be done. I also found that through this class we learned of many new ways to incorporate technology into the lessons that could really benefit the students in learning of the skills and also knowledge of activities and sports. Hopefully as future teachers we have opportunities to use some of these technologies in our future schools and lessons.
It is good to point out that using technology increases activity time. Also, it is interesting to point out that different students may learn different ways and that technology is a good way to reach all students. I couldn't agree more with your final statement that technology is consistently changing and that it is important for P.E. teachers to stay up to date and take advantage of these opportunities.
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