Rolling Out the Ball: Use of Technology in HS PE

Just noting it here to get going, all of the issues that need to be resolved around GPS use here at SHS.

Software – ensure that all GPS units have maps loaded. Prefer to use National Geographic topo map software unless I discover something better in the near future.

Units of measure – ensure that all GPS units are using identical units! This will alleviate confusion at all times. Find the usual and customary units for geocaching (perhaps on geocaching.com).

Handheld devices – assigning a particular device to a team would ensure consistency. The current devices are not very sensitive, and perhaps grant monies could be found to upgrade to a more sensitive device.

Batteries – well, the rechargable batteries are not holding charges much longer than 1 hour of use. That is quite problematic. Although I am loathe to use regular batteries, I’d like to find another long term solution for that will last quite a long time. A better, bigger, elegant charging solution would also improve the situation.

Loading information – synchronizing all units with the cache points in advance of the searching phase would be helpful, and expedient. Students could more easily use the units and quickly begin the most exciting part of geocaching. Perhaps loading the information electronically would be the best way to do that as well, as manual entering of data would be very time consuming. That could be a valuable experience for the students.

Screencast/photos/pictures/visual aids – A fantastic screencast could be created, if there isn’t one out there already. The descriptions of the parts, screens, functions, etc. could best be captured in that way. Perhaps I could have students produce a screencast for that use, and load it on ANGEL. Large and fantastically detailed pictures of the units would also be helpful in getting that information across. Even flowcharts that show the processes and functions for the uses of the units.

Cache placements – Initial cache placements should be created by me! Easy to understand and follow examples with very clear clues could get everyone started. After an initial try with this method, have students create their own cache placements, carefully documenting, marking, and providing clues to follow. Although the rhyming poems were fun, most were not useful. Cache placements need to be relatively obvious until students have significant experience. If I were to place 10 caches in advance of their geocaching unit, entering the data on geocaching.com, then we could go through the whole process from the web or we could eliminate the web. This would create more work, but when the students are involved that wouldn’t be an issue. After successfully finding the first few caches, students could complete the whole process: establishing a cache, marking with the GPS unit, uploading information to geocaching.com, then other students could retrieve the information, download to their GPS unit, then find the new cache. Very exciting stuff.

Well, here I am at the end of this course.  But in reality, I feel as though I am just beginning.  I’ve been infused with numerous ideas, tools, and resources, and just barely getting into the beginning stages of many of these tools.  There have been several reveleations throughout my time here in the class, but one overriding theme stands above the others, that of the social nature of learning.

Beginning with de.licio.us, sharing resources with many people in the old days might sound risky.  I look at it as a wonderfully huge resource, full of ideas and solutions that my little brain couldn’t possibly pull together.  Through de.licio.us alone, I’ve been able to amass a huge number of resources that could make my practice more efficient, worthy for students, and more fun for everyone.  Add to that the possiblity of networking using a blog as a method of sharing professional practice, and there are a couple of extremly valuable tools right away.  I see these as absolutely indispensable resources.

With a quick look at some of the other tools, screencasting, podcasting, digital storytelling, flickr notes and more, this is a fantastic tool box to move forward.  As a relative neanderthal in the digital technology world – a certified digital alien – I’m rapidly becoming not only comfortable moving around by I’ve even developed some decent skills here!  No longer do I shudder at the technology challenges that occur most days, but I now embrace them and have found multiple ways to find multiple solutions.  With the help of all of the other people on the planet who are connected, I can tap into their resources and experience to solve the problems occurring in my day.  The social network has empowered some real change for my day to day practice.

This project offered several challenges, but in the end I felt as though the technology provided most of the details.  After 7 or 8 tries, I finally had a screen cast that wasn’t too rough.  I should continue to keep my day job, but I will work on becoming more proficient.  Clearly, a great script/story board should be created and carefully followed.  My screen cast uses CareerCruising.com, a career and education path website for students, as the example.  I’ve taken a number of students through the process, and see this as the most basic starting point.  Please check it out below, and feel free to add comments.

My last post was written in a moment of inspiration, and I followed through with several ideas.  The SHS Wellness Blog was created with embedded videos there.  I even modified the videos to exclude all of the extra Youtube junk, carefully following others’ advice on several forums that I visited.  After I completed the work, I was quite proud, and quickly bragged to a Health Teacher who is trying many of the same things.  Then that afternoon, I had my students visit the blog, and I was humbled yet again!  YOUTUBE IS BLOCKED!

None of my embedded videos show up in my post!  So, I’ll search more forums to see if others have a similar problem, as I imagine that some do.  I’m confident that my solution is out there on the web, and I look forward to networking with those who have solved this problem.  I bow to the power of the World Wide Web and all that are connected!  Please help!

I’ve decided to try a few new things.  First is to create a fitness blog, and either require students to visit the blog, or give them extra credit for visiting and reporting out on what they see.  I’ve used video as motivational and instructional frequently, and I’m going to post a few of my favorites here just as part of my experiment.

The Everyday Athlete:  I just discovered that I might not be able to embed a video, so here is the link:

Everyday Athlete

OK, so I’ve read in the forums how to do the embedding piece.  I think that this will be a much more usable feature once embedded.  Here it is below as I will do this precisely by the instructions.

Before I navigate away from here, above I’ve customized the youtube video to eliminate the other links after the chosen video is over. Don’t want students to drift off on to youtube, although I’m sure they will anyway.

So, click here for instructions on how to embed video & to customize in youtube. I think that google video has similar features. More on that some other time!

I love to eat!  I’m the main cook in the house, we have a big garden, and I stay focused on nutrition and the social and economic aspects of food.  I am a huge proponent of establishing a White House Farmer, and having that person maintain a giant garden that will supply White House meals throughout the Obama administration.  The food that could be produced on the White House grounds will be fresh and wholesome, but more importantly the garden feature will be a model for the nation.  The concept was developed by author Michael Pollan of Omnivore’s Dilemma fame in his article in NY Times Magazine as an open letter to the President.  Pollan and I agree wholeheartedly on many issues, the biggest of which is the broken farm policies in the US that promote huge agribusiness and monoculture to the extreme.  Small scale and local farming will foster a much stronger local land ethic, and encourage the masses to focus on nutrition a bit more.

Speaking of delicious, my use has increased well over 100%.  Everyday I bookmark and tag old sites and new, and I’m noticing the additional features of delicious such as the tag organization features on the right hand side and the popular and recent bookmark links.  I’ll keep working with delicious everyday and watch how it grows!

I’ve completed a very informal survey of my students around the blog service they chose.  Although I suggested edublogs.org, wordpress.com, and blogger, another student chose webs.com.  All of those have certain features that are very desirable, and different looks, feels, and templates.  All have the “private” capability, although that might not be a guarantee for some.

I’ll have to do more work around the blog efforts in my classes, but since about 20% of the students have taken the blog option, I think that it will become a mainstay.  Through my work with this class I’ll survey them at the end of the project to improve the options.  I’m very impressed with the work already completed by the students attempting blogs in class.

So, I’m taking a chance on this, but some students are excited about the possibilities.  For years in my Yoga/Pilates/Strength classes I’ve had students create individualized programs, then present them in a public forum.  We invite the school community to our small gymnasium while each student has a mat and their presentation.  In the past most presentations have included posters and a small pamphlet that they give to all who come by to visit and learn.  This time I’ve encouraged each student to go beyond what we’ve done in the past with paper, and employ some technology in their presentation.  If they do so, I’ll give a sliding scale of extra points, depending on what levels of technology they use.  For example, a blog with video in it will garner an extra 20 points on an 80 point project!

Many are including power point, as that is a no brainer for them.  No training involved at all, and they are very comfortable with the medium.  However, several have undertaken the blog!  I’m giving those guys lots of attention, and have turned them toward Edublogs for that purpose.  Although a couple students already have some blog experience (reading, not maintaining), and are using other blog creation sites.

I’ve certainly helped them make their blogs private, non-searchable entities.  That part was easy.

Currently I’m helping students with Edublogs to upload pictures, create memorable passwords, and in general become more familiar with the technology use on Edublogs.  It’s a bit of a steep learning curve, but the students are excited about it, and certainly very capable.  As usual, I’ll be learning much more from them than they learn from me!  I’ve explained to them that it is a bit of an experiement, and we will certainly be learning a lot together.

Moving forward!

It’s getting late, and I’ve got to get up at 5AM as usual.  But I’m drawn forward to get working on this blog.  Having used a couple of fledling blogs last year, I’m looking forward to developing my knowledge base to make the platform work much better, even though I felt that the students blog was very successful.  The pieces here will be devoted to my work, and not a journaling effort as my first jumps at the technology were.

Here we go!

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