In this edition of Technology and Physical Education I would like to focus on ideas and and implementing ways to improve, dissect and develop an avenue to inform the school board and administrators of what we really teach. By reflecting on the past school year, we will be able to redirect the curriculum not only to developmentally appropriate activities and standard based programs, but also to find various means to jump start our teaching to include activities that are fun, exhilarating and prepares the students for a lifetime of fitness.

Gerry Cernicky
Technology Section Editor

VOCABULARY (additions) :

Please check the Technology archives for the list of vocabulary terms that will guide you through the articles to make them easier to understand

adware — This slang term describes software that’s free to obtain but contains sponsored ads that appear when the program runs. Software developers include ads to help offset development costs and to give the developer the means to work on program upgrades. Ads typically display in a program as a banner across the top or bottom of the program window, as Web pages that open periodically while the program is in use, or possibly as another program that’s built into the software.

cookie — A cookie is a small information file a Web site places on your hard drive. It lets a Web site recognize you when you log in and tracks you while you’re there. Cookies are popular with large commercial sites.

defragmentation — Defragmentation is the process of reorganizing a disk or hard drive so all the clusters of a file are contiguous to each other and all the files are arranged one after another, starting at the first useable cluster on the disk. Defragmentation is also known as defragging.

freeze — A moment when an element of the computer becomes unresponsive. A freeze can occur with anything: a program, a Web browser, the OS (operating system), even the mouse. Whatever the part, whether hardware or software, it stops working and won’t respond. One good way to recover from a freeze is to reboot your computer. Do a warm boot by pressing CTRL-ALT-DELETE.

spyware — A type of software that tracks user behavior without a user’s knowledge. Spyware finds its way onto a user’s computer in a variety of ways

virtual memory — Virtual memory is actually a reserved portion of the hard drive that mimics RAM when actual memory space is limited. It’s essentially a memory reservoir for holding data that doesn’t fit in main memory. OSes (operating systems) completely control the creation

FEATURED ARTICLE

After each school year, it is imperative that we step back and take a look and ask  What did we learn in school this year?

If the answer was just the same as the previous year , then it is time to redirect the curriculum to developmentally appropriate activities that are standard based .  The next query should be if the students had fun and were directed to activities that they can take throughout their adult life. Were the students involved in a myriad of skills that included integration and technology? Was there development of the whole child?And were these skills and activities used as a public relations tool to inform the school board , community , parents and administrators of what really is being taught in your Physical Education class?

Here are some guidelines that can be used to provide that valuable information:

• Were the students engaged in activities that were not only “fun” but were developmentally appropriate.
• Develop homepages to share information to show the students in action and what skills are being developed
• Integrate with core subjects to align with the curriculum mapping for each school subject. That is , to ensure there is carryover to each grade level.
• Provide a vehicle to promote physical education through school demonstrations.
• Align the the activities to national standards .
• Introduce fitness calendars and homework to involve the entire family to inform the parents what is being taught in PE class.
• Did we give the students ownership by involving them in the planning procedure and by assessment of their own progress
• Were there  a variety of teaching styles ?
• Were there  a variety of activities , practice levels and personal goals being met ?
• Was there an opportunity to advance knowledge by participating in state and national conventions ?
• Develop a public relations model to inform and sell our ideas to the public through technology , teaching styles , in-services and newspaper articles.

http://www.fitnessforlife.com

Is a comprehensive program designed to help teens take responsibility for their own activity , fitness and health to prepare them to be active throughout their adult life.

 http://www.kidshealth.org

Articles and interactive programs to help the students learn how the body works and how to stay healthy

http://www.kidsrunning.com

A valuable running site with advice, articles and integrative activities.

 http://www.mplsheart.org/kids/

An animation/ interactive site that teaches the students how the heart works and how to keep healthy.

http://nanunet.lhric.org

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/
conflict/index.html

http://www.ipl.org

http://www.ncppa.org

http://www.certificates4teachers.com

http://www.actionbasedlearning.com

http://www.funbrain.com 

Here are some sites that may help in the development of homepages , html and tech issues that will make physical educators keep abreast of the global community:

http://www.smartcomputing.com

http://www.calendarhome.com

http://www.lissaexplains.com

Here are some pages that will help with the guidelines presented in the featured article :

http://igreen.tripod.com/index.html

50 WAYS TO SURVIVE( click on that link)

TIME TESTED TIPS( same homepage link as above)

http://www.aahperd.org/NASPE/
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