Game Plan Progress

Our department is 100% on board with developing a physical education blog.  As a department we have decided to role out the blog at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. Time wise, we thought that our blog would get the most exposure if it is introduced to our new students  in September.  Rules and Expectations can be the first item introduced. 

I have talked to  many of my colleagues around the district who have their own department or classroom blog. They thought that we had a good list of topics to include in our blog and suggested that when we first roll it out that we only include information that was pertinent to the students at the beginning of the year. Once the year continued to progress we could gradually include topics or information when we deemed necessary. 

It appears that with consistent communication within our department a little work on my end and support from our technical support services this blog could be a huge asset to our program next year. It will be nice having this resource available whenever our students have questions or concerns with grades, sports, fitness, and the many other areas we cover in physical education.    

GAME PLAN 2

After reviewing my thoughts from my original GAME plan that I posted last week I have decided to make a few adjustments. Seeing that I am new to the process instead of starting big and going with a district wide PE blog, I think an Apollo blog (my building) for Physical education would be a better place to start. My colleagues feel that this is a great idea and have volunteered to help with the blog in any way that they can.  In our last department meeting we discussed what topics or concerns would be appropriate to include in the blog. This is what we came up with:

-Our rules and expectations.

-Units covered and learning objectives.

-Fitness tips and why we include fitness in our program.

-Who our PE students of the month are.

-Success stories from class.

-Sports offered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. What is needed for tryouts in each sport.

- Possible video of classes in session.

-Winning teams in our unit tournaments.

-Fitnessgram. What is it and why is it important.

-Our daily grading rubric.

In our weekly department meeting, we plan to set aside a few minutes each week to discuss what is needed to make this blog available to our school community and how we can attract parents, and students to visit our blog. Our integrating technology teachers are willing to work with us to make sure our blog is designed and functions properly.  Our next task is collecting all the information we need for the material we plan to include in the blog.  I would also like to pick a date for the onset of our blog.

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.