Blog #5 Technology in the Classroom

1.) I thought Dr. Robert's presentation was interesting and really amazing how he has data starting from 1999.  Having started media research 11 years ago, I think it's really cool that he and his researchers have been able to adapt and to the changing digital world. I could only imagine how hard it is to create a comprehensive survey for young students.  During his presentation, I kept thinking about myself and how much time do I spend on technology? Being that it's summer and I'm not working as well as being a student, I find myself on the computer, watching tv, and listening to music all at the same time. I don't think it's a bad thing because I have the sense of mind to make sure I go out and exercise. For children, they aren't overly concerned with the way their body looks or how healthy they are. They think they are invincible and will have a fast metabolism forever.  This is the problem. I think that as a PE teacher it is my job to 1. get students motivated to move (in whatever way works for them and their body because everyone is different)  and 2. understand what being "healthy" means.  Overall, I think that Dr. Robert's presentation brought forth important data that makes you think.  As you can see from the conversation of teachers after the presentation, the idea of incorporating technology in the classroom is a hard one. Some teachers think it's great, others think it's not appropriate, and others think that you need to find a happy medium. It seemed that the teachers that didn't like the idea of technology were primary teachers and secondary teachers were more apt to incorporate it in their lessons.

2.)  Read article.

3.) The NY Times article "More Pupils Are Learning Online, Fueling Debate on Equality," sparks several dangerous implications about online education. I personally can see the benefits of online classes in that they allow students to work at their own pace and it can prepare them for college, however I can see the downfall much clearer. I look at why online education was started and that is simply to save some money. It follows the business model of education of trying to cut corners and find a quick fix.  This is problematic. Students need face to face interaction to learn socially and they shouldn't be allowed to work exclusively at their own pace because if that's the case we would have a bunch of low effort workers. Students and especially high school teenagers need to be pushed and I don't think online courses can do that, teachers can.  Online education is especially scary for PE teachers because people seem to think that just putting in a work out video will suffice in providing quality physical fitness.  This is not the case at all. I think that allowing online education only opens the doors to more elective cuts and my job will be on the line. Overall, online education cuts corners and ultimately cheats the students.

4.)   http://www.slideshare.net/ 

Powerpoints on the Web: This is a great site because it allows you to host power point presentations. I don't do many presentations, but the ones that I do for my health unit are good to have for students online so that they can share the information to their parents or guardians.

http://teachertube.com 

This is cool because you can look for videos that are child friendly and relate to what you are teaching.

"http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ 

Rubric Design: This is great because rubrics make grading a lot easier. Assessment in PE is a tough thing to master and having a rubric creator allows me to make fair and clear grading.

http://www.donorschoose.org  

This is an awesome site because PE classes can always use equipment especially since class sizes are so big and more items are needed. This is a great resource to ask for supplies that you cant afford with a small or nonexistent budget.