UNIT 2 Utilizing the Technology in PE

Starting out

Now that we know what some of the different options that are available to us, we will start to look into how we can actually start using these pieces in the classroom. When we are looking at how we can use technology to improve our lessons, we must be careful to avoid having the technology become a hinder rather than a helper. You want to make sure that the lesson objectives are still the focus, and not the technology that is aiding the lesson. What you should do is look at the technology that you have, and look at the different variations that the technology has to offer and how they can fit into already existing lessons.

Versatility

Whenever you get a new piece of equipment as a Physical Education teacher, the first thing that most people do is try to think of how else they can use this equipment in other areas. Being versatile with equipment is critical in these days of drastic budget cuts. Looking specifically at the heart rate monitors, they are typically used when students are in a workout room, or while jogging on a treadmill. If this is the only time that we are using these, then shame on us, because the versions that were displayed in the previous unit can be used for so much more. They can be used during any activity where a students HR will be elevated for any extended period of time. For example during a Frisbee unit, when most people will question how hard a student is actually working, a teacher can show a print out of average HR for the class during an Ultimate Frisbee game. Another main value they have is to be used as an assessment tool.

Technology for Assessment

For many Physical Education classrooms, teachers grade heavily on participation and perceived effort. For many years, students who might had natural athletic ability were able to coast through the courses in PE with limited effort, because they didn't have to work as hard. Those days are now over, because with these monitors teachers as well students will now exactly how hard they are working. They will know their exact HR zone and when they are working above or below their target range. Depending on the activity, this range will either be higher or lower. At the beginning of each lesson, students will reset their monitors to get their resting rates, and these can be quickly sent wirelessly to a laptop for record keeping. Throughout the lesson, the teacher can monitor from a laptop (soon to have tablet application) the HR and target zone of each student. These values will show the teacher exactly how hard each student is working at any given time. At the end of each lesson, students will be able to send their overall values to the laptop for input to their own personal file. This will give them values such as total time in and out of their target HR zone.

Providing Feedback

Providing students feedback is a crucial component of their learning, because it either reinforces the positive aspects that they are currently achieving or helps to guide them onto the correct path. The watches that we are looking at provide students with instant feedback of their own personal output at any given time. They are able to see if they are in the zone, and how hard they are actually working at any given time. Another option educators have is to take these wireless readings and project them onto the wall or a large screen to display the entire classes outputs. Since each monitor is numbered in the system, students will only know their own number, but will see how their output compares to their classmates. This maintains privacy, but allows them the opportunity to see how they are performing compared to their classmates. This can be a great motivator for students, because they can see if they need to work harder, or maintain their current levels.

Using the Equipment

When we have equipment that is more of a standalone piece, we can still integrate it into our classes and reap the benefits without being intrusive. For example with the Exergame equipment, Wii fit, Dance Dance Revolution and Kinect when a unit with fitness stations is involved, this equipment can easily be adapted into its own station. The students will still be excited about the equipment without it being the center of focus. In this situation, the teacher can still have the class wearing the monitors to see which station has the students working the hardest and which stations are lacking in intensity. This information can aid in the design of the stations as well as creating the order in which the students move through them. If a station is meant to slow the HR the teacher will be able to see that the students are actually able to recover enough to move on to the next station.

Further Expansion

I have posed different discussion topics to help expand ideas and further your thinking when integrating new technology into your classroom.

1. What single form of technology do you feel would have the most positive impact on your classroom? And how would you implement it?

1. How do you think your students would respond to seeing more technology in their Physical Education classes?

Discussion posts can be found here:

http://integratingtechpe.blogspot.com/

Move to next unit: UNIT 3 Managing the Technology in PE

Return to previous unit: UNIT 1 Forms of Technology in PE

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