Game Plan for Integrating Technology into PE

One of our main goals in Physical Education is to motivate students to live an active lifestyle and enjoy physical activity.  It has become apparent that integrating technology into our lessons will help us achieve this goal. After reading the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) it is evident that my colleagues and I are just scratching the surface in terms of incorporating technology.

Standard 3 – Model Digital Age Work and Learning.

b.  collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

My colleagues and I have discussed the possibility of setting up a district wide blog highlighting student achievements in physical education from around the district.  This blog could have numerous functions.  It could inform parents and students of our expectations in Physical Education and discuss the many benefits of living an active lifestyle. We also discussed including newly created lesson plans on the blog and technologies that have been integrated into these lessons.  I think it is cool that our teachers are looking for a common place to discuss all the happenings in PE. In our next district meeting we are going to discuss ways to make this blog a reality. I plan on taking the lead in the formation of the blog and monitoring the progress and activity on the blog.  Taking on this role is exciting but also intimidating as I have never run a district wide component like this. I will be looking to many resources (colleagues, Walden PLC, technology services) to help me with this project. 

Standard 5 – Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

c. evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make    effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.

I have taken on a role within my department of finding new ways to integrate technology into our curriculum.  Our PE department agrees that it is imperative to include new technologies into our program to increase student motivation and maximize success. I will continue to use the many resources provided to me through my Walden classes and the many technological resources available to me on the web.  To increase my current knowledge on this subject I will also attend various professional development seminars available to me like the NYS AHPERD conference.

Reflection

Before I even looked back at my week 1 paper, I knew that most of my paper would be about the social learning theory.  This theory plays such a vital role in a physical education environment.  As we have learned the social learning theory goes hand in hand with cooperative learning.  Student collaboration and student interaction are promoted in the majority of PE lessons.   As we have discovered, all students have different learning styles so incorporating various learning theories and strategies is also important.

This course has taught me what a critical role technology can play as a learning tool.  When I think of technology the first thing that comes to mind is an interactive white board.  This can be a great instructional tool, but if it is only used as another device for teachers to lecture students, then it loses its instructional capabilities. The use of technologies such as the VoiceThread can add meaning to lesson and increase the chances of students being active learners. 

A goal of mine is to find creative ways to introduce various technologies as learning tools in a physical education setting.  The challenge behind this goal is to incorporate these tools, but still make sure the students are getting their necessary physical activity in every class.  The use of pedometers, and heart-rate monitors is a step in the right direction, but having students present course material via a VoiceThread can be extremely beneficial.  My next goal will be to get my colleagues on board with the use of technology. We have discussed the benefits of using technology but we are still not utilizing this enough  as a department. I think getting things started in my classes and making mydepartment aware of the many benefits technology presents as a learning tool is a step in the right direction.

Voice Thread

Link to my voice thread: http://voicethread.com/?#u2128201

Connectivism and Social Learning Theory

We have learned that the social learning theory is built around the premise that students must be actively engaged in conversation to build upon what they are trying to learn (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  This goes hand in hand with cooperative learning which focuses on interaction amongst group members to enhance student learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007).  Student interaction can help build confidence, and create an environment where critical thinking is the norm.  As most teachers view cooperative learning in a positive light, the strategy behind how we decide to group our students may be just as important as using the strategy itself.  When you consider the criteria to group students for cooperative learning, group size, students’ abilities, and how often groupings are used should all be considered (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007).  Students should be aware that expectations are that all group members participate and that each group works in a positive manner.
In terms of technology, a common practice with cooperative learning is creating a video that captures student performances or student teachings. I have incorporated this into my lessons by taping students who are teaching a particular skill or strategy.   Creating the video  can be a challenging task that requires many student roles and responsibilities (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007).  Students often find great meaning in this type of project which increases student motivation and participation.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program 5: Social learning theories [Motion Picture].     
           Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.


Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007), Using technology with                
             classroom instructionthat works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism in Practice

This week we have learned about the “Generating and Testing Hypothesis” and how this instructional strategy aligns with constructivism.  It appears that even though we think of Generating and Testing Hypothesis as a Science based strategy, it can be utilized in all content areas (Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007, p.202).  I agree with this sentiment, as I feel that we should be engaging students in critical thinking processes, and interpretation of class materials or class results in all subject areas.   We must encourage and motivate our students to explain their hypothesis and how they have reached certain conclusions (2007, p.202).  

Two tasks that I utilize to help students generate and test hypothesis are problem solving and decision making.  My students are expected to learn certain skills and strategies, and have an understanding of when and why they should use these skills.  When we gather data in class (fitness scores, win/loss record, successful attempts, etc.) we always explore and discuss these outcomes to determine the strategies that will produce the best results.

Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cognitive Learning Theory

This week we explored instructional strategies that correlate with the cognitive learning theory.  In this week’s videos Dr. Orey discusses how we must limit the amount of information our students can process at a time (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Additionally we must connect new ideas to previously learned ideas to help process the new information (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Cues, questions, and advance organizers are instructional strategies that help students focus on the most important information and help trigger students prior knowledge on a particular topic (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007, p 74).

The use of an essential question is a great way to get students to think critically about important lesson or unit information. Revisiting the essential question throughout a unit will help students understand why learning the important concepts are crucial.  Cues and lesson questions should be aligned in a strategic format that helps students build on their prior knowledge.

During closure of most lessons students are asked to summarize the key concepts that were covered during class. This process requires the students to recall the key information that was learned throughout the class (p. 119).  Note taking is not a strategy often utilized in physical education; however important cues and concepts are often discussed during class and viewable on a white board to also give students a visual. 

Technological support is also provided to help students organize key concepts. Additional technologies will hopefully be integrated into future physical education classes to help motivate students to think critically about class concepts and not just view PE as a time to have fun.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program four: Behaviorist learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Behaviorist Learning Theory

The behaviorist learning theory is such an integral part of my teaching strategy.   In physical education we are constantly reinforcing positive behaviors and quality effort.   Many of my students come in with the attitude that they are not good at or skilled enough for certain activities. It can be hard at times to motivate students to try to put effort into improving when they do not see instant gratification in what they are trying to accomplish.  This is why it is imperative to acknowledge any signs of improvement that students are able to achieve. 

A teaching philosophy that I have is getting students to understand the importance of being active and living an active lifestyle.  We want students to find activities that they enjoy and have these activities carry over into their life outside of school staying with them throughout their adult years. Our student’s homework tends not be written assignments, but we do encourage them to participate in a variety of activities when they are away from school that will increase their heart rates. This is why it is important to introduce students to a wide variety of activities during class and make their experience with these activities as positive as we can. 

Technology has played a significant role in increasing our student’s fitness awareness and motivation to become fit.  We use heart rate monitors and pedometers to track our workout intensity.  These devices have encouraged students to increase their intensity levels during class activities.  Many of our students have taken home a heart rate monitor or pedometer to track their activity when they are participating in events away from school.